BFC Turning Points

Barnard's pen miss at wembley... if he had scored we would have gone on and won the game who knows maybe stayed in the prem the following season

Bassett Getting the sack... Started the early 00's downfall into league 1

Robbins walking away... paving the way for hillflicker.

Anymore?

 

Bassett getting appointed for me. I stopped going. Apart from the Wembley and Cardiff trips of course.

Didn't start going regular again until Robins.

 

We wouldn't necessarily have won if the penalty had gone in, because Ipswich were the better team in the second half. However, had Hristov's header gone in at the end to make it 3-3 I think we'd have gone on to win.

The most important turning point in my Reds supporting lifetime is the appointment of Allan Clarke as manager. Completely turned the club around.

 

Isiah Rankin scoring against Brentford in 2003(?).

We'd have been right up **** creek without a paddle.

 

Johnny Steele bringing Barrie Thomas and Johnny Evans into the club in 1966 with us sitting bottom of old 4th Division with 5pts from 12 games and the possibility of having to seek re-election to the league.

 

John Dennis getting asked if isoft wanted to invest rather than Patrick cryne. Lead us down the road to admin.

Tommy Wright away at wallsall changed the game and put us in the play offs

Dismissal of Andy rich tea.

Getting shut of p riddy.

Signing dean gorre

 

Promotion to the Prem

Leaving aside how brilliant it was to see us go up against the big lads, imho it started the divide between those in charge and the fans.

Establishing an 'official' supporters club, the farce regarding season tickets, the arrogance towards fans and the lack of good business management which resulted in administration and the change once and for all in the relationship between the fans and the club and the disgusting treatment of shareholders and creditors, all of which contributes to the current lack of matchday support - it used to genuinely be 'our' club.

However, despite his accent I think we might just have a manager who will change not only the on field attitude but hopefully his character will permeate into the off field activities and we might start to re-establish a link between the club and ALL supporters.

The BFCST will have to be disbanded first mind.

 

Well, we'd have actually stayed up if we lost that game, as we finished 4 points above Chesterfield. In the same way that it turns out we actually clinched promotion to the Premiership when we beat Oldham 2-0 and would have gone up even if we had lost to Crystal Palace and Bradford!

 

Both the penalty miss and the Hristov header were turning points. I still think that had either gone in we would have won the game and we'd have stayed longer in the premier league than our first visit.

Oddjobs miss at Wembley.

Giving the managers job to Hendrie when Wilson fecked off.

The Dean Wilkins goal for Brighton that smashed our play off dreams.

Robins leaving.

Anderson leaving.

Clarke and Hunter.

 

You know what I mean...

 

Losing Watson to injury. Walked off at half time v Norwich never to put a foot on the turf again. Then followed years of sub-standard keepers, perhaps with exception of Miller.

Maybe also say Premiership reducing from 22 to 20 from 1995 cost us a play-off place (when we finished 6th) and they way we were playing a good chance to go up - two years earlier than we did.

To be honest, we had a settled mid-table team until 1996/97 - and its been a real rollercoaster since.

 

Oh and Don Goodman coming off the bench for 10 men Wallsall to beat us the year we subsequently went down to 'Division 3'.

Was at the time of the afro Nescafe ads and he was getting ribbed for that on the touchline.

'He's got a Ford Cortina parked outside'

Came on and we went from 1-0 up (class Bruce strike) to lose 2-1. A real blow to survival.

 

Ronnie Glavin being made an offer he couldn't refuse (allegedly doubled his wage with Celtic).

 

Difficult to say, we clinched promotion with the Bradford win, you could try to argue that how many points we finished above Wolves made that irrelevent but Wolves played on the sunday after we'd played Bradford. They would have been feeling down knowing they were in the playoffs and then resting for the playoffs. Had we lost they'd have been more up for their game.

 

Willard! We had built up a decent run of steam - the three sendings off seem to knock the stuffing out of us. We lost 3 players at a crucial point in the season

 

Arsenal winning the ballot for election to the old 1st Division after the war... makes you wonder where we would be now eh?
Oh, and Dave Regis 'turning' into the goalpost

 

Definitely the last minute Dean Wilkins goal.

The signing of Gary Fleming and the shift to the sweeper system that paved the way for brazilian football and the sbsequent problem of learning to play 4-4-2 again while trying to keep a clean sheet.

Anderson stepping down to be assistant at Boro.

Tasting the ambrosia of the promised land and the shock of its bitterness.

 

Remember the Wilkin's goal - they even announced the ticket details over the tannoy - I heard the goal on my radio and was nearly lynched when I told people what happened

 

I was sat in the staff canteen at Broadgreen Hospital, listening on the radio with a mate who supported Chester City. He went from congratulating me to laughing all the way back to the ward once the Wilkins goal went in. Good job we didn't know the play-off dates had been announced at Oakwell and fans were on the pitch, otherwise we may have been one down for the rest of the shift, whilst Mike was sat in A&E with a drip stand wrapped round his neck!

 

Ashley Ward's hamstring injury during end of prem campaign.+ the 3 red cards during Willards finest hour

Selling Neil Shipperley and replacing him with?

John Curtis mis-placed header which led to Blunts drawing 3 all in 2000 season

Keith Brown playing in play off final 2000

Being 3-1 up vs Bradford and conceding 2 late Ashley Ward goals thanks to Kevin Millers superman impersinations.

Alan Tate's late miss in play off final 2006

The signing of John Hendrie

The signing of Craig Hignett

ITV digital's collapse

Appointing Parkin as manager

Selling Neil Redfearn