1986-87

Crikey. It was three at once then. Thank god there was no bbs at the time!

 

Didn't those sales and the start of the Centenary Society pretty much keep the club in existence at the time?

 

We still had some quality players at the club, mate (Baker, Joyce, May, Futcher, Gray, Beresford, Thomas, Agnew). But because of the lack of any decent strikers, until MacDonald & Wylde were partnered up in January, we struggled to convert the chances which were being created.

 

That's fair

 

That's why I joined the C SOCIETY .

 

The attendances at the time were still woefully low. We were down to 5000 in some games. Tough times.

 

Anything in the league above 7000 was considered pretty high, though FA Cup matches regularly attracted huge crowds. Our league attendances didn't really pick up on a regular basis until the second half of the promotion season. Interesting that even with some pretty high crowds at the end of that season, we still only averaged around 11,000.

 

Larry May. Another one whose career never really did much after leaving Barnsley. 29 when he left us as one of the most highly rated defenders outside the top division. Two years and a handful of appearances for Wednesday and Brighton, and he was finished. Did he get injured?

 

I can remember us losing there 7-0 somewhere around 1964 time and Tony Leighton getting sent off. Johnny Steele's programme notes for the next home game were making out that we were unlucky to lose and should have had three by the time Hull had got their first three! That was an amazing Hull front line: McSeveney (yes, I know), Houghton (ex Rotherham), Chilton (probably the best cf in that division and did well when they went up to the second tier too), Wagstaff (ex |Mansfield and wonderfully cultured cf/if), Butler (ex-Rotherham and later finished his career with us).

Not always a happy hunting-ground, but I do recall the 4-3, as Chandler scored a hat-trick of equalisers before Duggan's injury time winner and we were 3-2 down with a couple of minutes left. I bet Hull are still sick of the memory of that one.

 

I liked Larry May. Always remember him knocking an oppo player out with a fantastic upper cut and walking off before the ref had even reached for his pocket. Strangely, I always remember him coming up for a corner every game and usually scoring. But looking at his records he only ever scored twice for us I think.

 

Me, too.

 

He was outstanding that season for us. He even got in the PFA Division 2 Team of the Year, not bad for a defender with a struggling team.
Ironically, talking of his goals, he scored 2 against Aldershot in the FA Cup 4th Round Replay, in one of his last, if not THE last, games for us.

 

I remember Glyn Riley doing the same against Fulham, can't remember the date though, punched him then ran up the tunnel before the ref could react.

 

My first season proper. Id been a few times before but this was the first time I went regular.

 

I know we used to have a bad record there and I have read that we lost 7-0 in that game you mentioned. But I meant I cant remember us ever losing there since Ive been a fan (season 1980).