Having been a season ticket from 1985 to 1999, this was the season I'd just fallen out of love with football, ironically which probably started in our Premiership season when the land of milk and honey was shown to be a hollow facade. I was 200 miles away and having done that trek for two seasons not missing a game, I just couldn't bring myself to watch Bassett at the reins. As a result, other than us losing at Wembley i have zero recollection of that season.
You might be right about Hignett not running down the clock, I can't remember that clearly. Just remember the crushing disappointment of that equaliser right at the death after we'd played so well. It was definitely a night game.
What were our numbers support wise at that Bramall Lane game? I know we had 5,200 at the 96/97 one. That's the day when I realised we had a proper chance to go up.
We had a very decent Championship team (excluding a couple of absolute numpties), which was excellent in midfield and forward. But what made us so good was simply Higgy, he was a level above the division.
Got no idea mate. Would’ve been a good following but not as many as 96/97 with it being midweek. Maybe 3500 ish…..but that’s just a guess.
Christ. I’d forgotten that. I was making my way to a gangway to try and make a quick exit as I had college in the morning. Then Bent scored. B******.
One of the weirdest weekend's ever, was in the August bank holiday weekend. And why did the Efl drop that double header of fixtures by the way, because we still do it now at Christmas and Easter. There was the 6-0 win against Portsmouth, who'd had two men sent off!!, on the Satdy. And then on the Monday, we got a right 6-1 tonking at Ipswich.
And why did Daz Barnard take that pen at Wembley, because surely Higgy was the regular taker. Although Daz had taken them before, and I think it was his first miss to be honest. Who thinks then, maybe, that we would have won if he'd scored, and we were 2-1 ahead at half time ?.
Didn't Hignett & Barnard have an agreement to take it in turns for penalties during that season? Pretty sure that was the case and it dropped on Barnard's turn. Think Hignett once confirmed that when I saw him as a guest speaker. We'll never know what might have happened had we scored that pen. Mood Higgy was in that day I doubt he'd have missed it.
I didn't know that Mick, and in fairness Higgy might have missed it anyway. But if we'd led 2-1 at half time, I think the least we would have 'achieved', was the extra chance of Extra time. Maybe!!.
There’s a small matter of De Zeew doubling his money at Wigan that you’ve left out of that . Wigan at the time were offering big contracts to players
Yeah that goal fest at the Blunts lol, in March I think. Wasn't it Carl Asaba that took advantage of that late mix up, and made it 3-3. That, and seeing at it was at the crappy Lane, made it feel like 10 points dropped!!.
The penalty miss was a massive factor but so too was that save from Hristov's point-blank header at 3-2.
Yeah and we were so on top in the game at that stage, and then they go and break away to make it 4-2. I'm biased of course, but I think that 2-4 scoreline on the day, was harsh!.
I didn’t leave that out because it’s something I wasn’t aware of. None the less there was no negotiations from Barnsley’s stand point, he was just shown the door I guess Basset wanted to get his own guys in place. If Arjan walked straight into double money then good on him
Ohh was it Mick, ok ne'eer mind lol. It was one of those derby games where I would have taken a point, towards our Play off push. But it was a blow that night, to throw away the win, late on like that.