Plymouth 1998

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 7:35 pm

Watching the Sunderland Netflix documentary it showed the couple on the train to Wembley reading a prayer that had been printed in the local paper.

I may have totally dreamt this but on the day before the Plymouth home match under Waddle does anyone remember the Burnley Express having a Lord Kitchener type poster on the front page reading ‘Your club needs you!?

Don’t remember much of the game itself as far too many pre match drinks but recall it being very tense in the pubs in town!

The day gets a great write up in a book called ‘Playing at Home’ by John Aizlewood who visited every league ground in the country that season.

Rowls · Post by **Rowls** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 7:43 pm

I'd love to watch that game through again.

There's so little footage of it available.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 7:46 pm

Steve-Harpers-perm wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 07, 2020 7:35 pm
Watching the Sunderland Netflix documentary it showed the couple on the train to Wembley reading a prayer that had been printed in the local paper.

I may have totally dreamt this but on the day before the Plymouth home match under Waddle does anyone remember the Burnley Express having a Lord Kitchener type poster on the front page reading ‘Your club needs you!?

Don’t remember much of the game itself as far too many pre match drinks but recall it being very tense in the pubs in town!

The day gets a great write up in a book called ‘Playing at Home’ by John Aizlewood who visited every league ground in the country that season.

I can remember the Lord Kitchener poster in the Burnley Express. It looks as though it worked.

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 7:49 pm

Good I haven’t made it up then! It certainly worked with the crowd that day! Must have been a long journey home for the Plymouth fans!

Silkyskills1 · Post by **Silkyskills1** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 7:50 pm

Not too sure Lord Kitchener would have had you on the front line then, SHP.

bfcjg · Post by **bfcjg** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 7:53 pm

I remember being very nervous before and during the game until the last few minutes

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 8:00 pm

Silkyskills1 wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 07, 2020 7:50 pm
Not too sure Lord Kitchener would have had you on the front line then, SHP.

Not fit state that day! Fantastic night celebrating the win!

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 8:01 pm

bfcjg wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 07, 2020 7:53 pm
I remember being very nervous before and during the game until the last few minutes

Yes very nervous especially as we looked like we’d blown it at Oldham.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 8:03 pm

We must have really irked the Plymouth fans in the 1990's,denied them a Wembley trip in 94,and then relegated them 4 years later.

Just reading the match report from that day,i forgot how big a favour we owed Bristol Rovers for their victory over Brentford,and they did it with 10 men,we really dodged a bullet that season,and arguably this great escape enabled all the future success which was to follow,if we'd have dropped to the 4th tier again,who knows how grim it could have become,but the late 1980's could well have been repeated.

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 8:11 pm

tiger76 wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 07, 2020 8:03 pm
We must have really irked the Plymouth fans in the 1990's,denied them a Wembley trip in 94,and then relegated them 4 years later.

Just reading the match report from that day,i forgot how big a favour we owed Bristol Rovers for their victory over Brentford,and they did it with 10 men,we really dodged a bullet that season,and arguably this great escape enabled all the future success which was to follow,if we'd have dropped to the 4th tier again,who knows how grim it could have become,but the late 1980's could well have been repeated.

Yes they must have been sick of the sight of us. As you say if we’d been relegated it could have been very grim. Some amazing wins in the second half of that season.

Lord Beamish · Post by **Lord Beamish** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 8:34 pm

I thought Andy Cooke and Damian Matthew were immense, that day. Cooke was a great player for us in general. He was tough as teak, scored a load of goals for us that season, and made a perfect foil for Andy Payton fit the next two seasons.

Silkyskills1 · Post by **Silkyskills1** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 8:36 pm

bfcjg wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 07, 2020 7:53 pm
I remember being very nervous before and during the game until the last few minutes

It was probably at its worst in the last few minutes especially when Winstanley.completely missed the ball from a cross and Woods got in the way of a point-blank shot. They seem to have completely re-developed.their ground from when I was last there.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 8:39 pm

I think that was the season when most of the Plymouth ground was closed down. By the time we went again there were three new stands and now the main stand has also gone.

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 8:47 pm

Lord Beamish wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 07, 2020 8:34 pm
I thought Andy Cooke and Damian Matthew were immense, that day. Cooke was a great player for us in general. He was tough as teak, scored a load of goals for us that season, and made a perfect foil for Andy Payton fit the next two seasons.

Andy Cooke was a good striker for us.

HunterST_BFC · Post by **HunterST_BFC** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 9:11 pm

I had one the most ridiculous days of my life that day...

I took a good friend - a Plymouth fan.
Sat in the Bee Hole end - Just about stopped a riot...

One day with time I'll list the whole day down and post it.
The whole "day" was bonkers and you literally could not make it up.
Would make a great film

but far to daft to be believed

Funkydrummer · Post by **Funkydrummer** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 9:21 pm

I remember this brilliant day out at Pride Park in December 1999 when Andy Cooke rose
majestically above the premier league Derby defence to head home for the only goal of the game.

I remember loads of our fans turning up dressed as Father Christmas - cracking day out all round.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVGI0bxuEFQ

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 9:26 pm

Wasn't Waddles season in charge 1996?

Asking for my own sanity?

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 9:28 pm

Quickenthetempo wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 07, 2020 9:26 pm
Wasn't Waddles season in charge 1996?

Asking for my own sanity?

97/98 season!

Funkydrummer · Post by **Funkydrummer** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 9:29 pm

https://www.managerstats.co.uk/managers/chris-waddle/

Cracking read !!!!

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 9:29 pm

HunterST_BFC wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 07, 2020 9:11 pm
I had one the most ridiculous days of my life that day...

I took a good friend - a Plymouth fan.
Sat in the Bee Hole end - Just about stopped a riot...

One day with time I'll list the whole day down and post it.
The whole "day" was bonkers and you literally could not make it up.
Would make a great film but far to daft to be believed

Sounds an interesting story! My night bizarrely ended with me and my mates carrying Mark Ford round smacks on our shoulders!!! A fantastic day and night out round town!

HunterST_BFC · Post by **HunterST_BFC** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 10:26 pm

Steve-Harpers-perm wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 07, 2020 9:29 pm
Sounds an interesting story! My night bizarrely ended with me and my mates carrying Mark Ford round smacks on our shoulders!!! A fantastic day and night out round town!

HaHa brilliant

Things for us has started going a bit wobbly the night before and despite events that resembled the film Clockwise (John Cleese) made the match,
The game was lest's just say for now - event full

After the game - decided it wise to miss the usual pubs and head further down town ...
Headed down the high street to somewhere quieter.
Halfway down heard beeping?
There was a cashpoint beeping at us... with paper hanging out... walking past glanced again and took a look.
Cash hanging out of it, lots of it...
That's when things escalated

Super Teds · Post by **Super Teds** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 11:11 pm

Funkydrummer wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 07, 2020 9:21 pm
I remember this brilliant day out at Pride Park in December 1999 when Andy Cooke rose
majestically above the premier league Derby defence to head home for the only goal of the game.

I remember loads of our fans turning up dressed as Father Christmas - cracking day out all round.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVGI0bxuEFQ

My first ever away game! Bought the whole 90 mins rerun on VHS when it came out to celebrate for 15 quid. Never watched it

jamesisaburyfan · Post by **jamesisaburyfan** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 11:31 pm

Steve-Harpers-perm wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 07, 2020 7:35 pm
Watching the Sunderland Netflix documentary it showed the couple on the train to Wembley reading a prayer that had been printed in the local paper.

I may have totally dreamt this but on the day before the Plymouth home match under Waddle does anyone remember the Burnley Express having a Lord Kitchener type poster on the front page reading ‘Your club needs you!?

Don’t remember much of the game itself as far too many pre match drinks but recall it being very tense in the pubs in town!

The day gets a great write up in a book called ‘Playing at Home’ by John Aizlewood who visited every league ground in the country that season.

One of my favourite books, that. He gets a lot about Bury wrong and there are few places he seems to actually like, but I love the write-ups of going to rough pubs alone, which is something I’m a fan of too.

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Tue Apr 07, 2020 11:33 pm

HunterST_BFC wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 07, 2020 10:26 pm
HaHa brilliant

Things for us has started going a bit wobbly the night before and despite events that resembled the film Clockwise (John Cleese) made the match,
The game was lest's just say for now - event full

After the game - decided it wise to miss the usual pubs and head further down town ...
Headed down the high street to somewhere quieter.
Halfway down heard beeping?
There was a cashpoint beeping at us... with paper hanging out... walking past glanced again and took a look.
Cash hanging out of it, lots of it...
That's when things escalated

This definitely sounds like a story that needs sharing one day!!!

groove · Post by **groove** » Wed Apr 08, 2020 10:17 am

HunterST_BFC wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 07, 2020 9:11 pm
I had one the most ridiculous days of my life that day...

I took a good friend - a Plymouth fan.
Sat in the Bee Hole end - Just about stopped a riot...

One day with time I'll list the whole day down and post it.
The whole "day" was bonkers and you literally could not make it up.
Would make a great film but far to daft to be believed

Look forward to that mate.

ChorltonCharlie · Post by **ChorltonCharlie** » Wed Apr 08, 2020 10:42 am

Funny old season that. You tend to forget that in the lower leagues you need higher average points to stay up. We had some really good results in the second half of the season and beat 5 of the teams that finished in the top 6. Also hammered York 7-2 at home and there was that great day at Preston when Neil Moore got the last minute winner. Seem to remember Glen Little being awesome that day.

diamondpocket · Post by **diamondpocket** » Wed Apr 08, 2020 11:10 am

unbelievable how we stayed up that season. Didn't get a win in about 11 games or something at the beginning, scored only 1 goal in our first 7 games or something, and only got a first away win in November at Luton Tuesday night I remember.

jamesisaburyfan · Post by **jamesisaburyfan** » Wed Apr 08, 2020 11:17 am

And the rest, as they say, is history as envious glances are cast towards Gigg Lane.

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Wed Apr 08, 2020 11:17 am

ChorltonCharlie wrote: ↑
Wed Apr 08, 2020 10:42 am
Funny old season that. You tend to forget that in the lower leagues you need higher average points to stay up. We had some really good results in the second half of the season and beat 5 of the teams that finished in the top 6. Also hammered York 7-2 at home and there was that great day at Preston when Neil Moore got the last minute winner. Seem to remember Glen Little being awesome that day.

Preston away was a great day bagging a last minute winner! We were stood on the side as they were redeveloping the ground and Nogan scored for them!

Lord Beamish · Post by **Lord Beamish** » Wed Apr 08, 2020 11:18 am

jamesisaburyfan wrote: ↑
Wed Apr 08, 2020 11:17 am
And the rest, as they say, is history as envious glances are cast towards Gigg Lane.

Pretty soon the only envious glances cast towards Gigg Lane will be at the three and four bedroomed detached houses.

jamesisaburyfan · Post by **jamesisaburyfan** » Wed Apr 08, 2020 11:28 am

No need to rub it in, mate.

JohnDearyMe · Post by **JohnDearyMe** » Wed Apr 08, 2020 2:06 pm

Is there much footage of the Waddle season online? Would be great to see the 3-2 win at Preston again for starters

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Wed Apr 08, 2020 2:21 pm

JohnDearyMe wrote: ↑
Wed Apr 08, 2020 2:06 pm
Is there much footage of the Waddle season online? Would be great to see the 3-2 win at Preston again for starters

Can't find Preston but from one week before that game, there was the 7-2 home win against York

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70qNMOA8bW8

Plus Grimsby

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL_MfMhMdAc

and Northampton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X14oR1h2fw

Rowls · Post by **Rowls** » Wed Apr 08, 2020 2:33 pm

Despite the drama and the fun of the last-day survival it was a rotten season.

Waddle's purchases (with the exception of the Payton swap deal) were awful. Ford, Howey, Williams, Henderson - all useless.

But the worst thing was the unprofessionalism that seeped into the club during and immediately after his departure. The culture he left behind which Stan inherited nearly did for us the following season.

If Waddle had stayed, if we'd gone down (that season or the season afterwards under Stan) then we could have been looking at a long spell in the 4th tier.

JohnDearyMe · Post by **JohnDearyMe** » Wed Apr 08, 2020 2:44 pm

Rowls wrote: ↑
Wed Apr 08, 2020 2:33 pm
Despite the drama and the fun of the last-day survival it was a rotten season.

Waddle's purchases (with the exception of the Payton swap deal) were awful. Ford, Howey, Williams, Henderson - all useless.

Did Paul Barnes go on to do much after we swapped him for Payton?

jamesisaburyfan · Post by **jamesisaburyfan** » Wed Apr 08, 2020 3:27 pm

He didn't tear many trees up when he came to Bury, that's for sure. Just one of a number of players whose signing I was excited by and whose performances left me a bit underwhelmed.

ChorltonCharlie · Post by **ChorltonCharlie** » Wed Apr 08, 2020 3:40 pm

Barnes overall record for us was good. To the point I'm surprised how many he did get, especially under Heath. 30 goals in 65 league games isn't bad at all. Problem were goals were like buses for him. Wouldn't score for several games, then 5 in one go. Sure under Heath nearly half his 24 league goals game in just 3 games.

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Wed Apr 08, 2020 4:22 pm

ChorltonCharlie wrote: ↑
Wed Apr 08, 2020 3:40 pm
Barnes overall record for us was good. To the point I'm surprised how many he did get, especially under Heath. 30 goals in 65 league games isn't bad at all. Problem were goals were like buses for him. Wouldn't score for several games, then 5 in one go. Sure under Heath nearly half his 24 league goals game in just 3 games.

Think you are right did he not score two hatricks alongside the 5 he got against Stockport?

Bordeauxclaret · Post by **Bordeauxclaret** » Wed Apr 08, 2020 4:29 pm

JohnDearyMe wrote: ↑
Wed Apr 08, 2020 2:44 pm
Did Paul Barnes go on to do much after we swapped him for Payton?

Mainly in the Conference I think. Helped Doncaster back up with a decent tally.

ChorltonCharlie · Post by **ChorltonCharlie** » Wed Apr 08, 2020 5:02 pm

Steve-Harpers-perm wrote: ↑
Wed Apr 08, 2020 4:22 pm
Think you are right did he not score two hatricks alongside the 5 he got against Stockport?

Yeah, 5 against Stockport and hat tricks against Blackpool and Peterboro. Also had a purple patch where he bagged 6 goals in 5 league games. So from 24 league goals, 17 were scored in those 8 appearances. Even his two hat tricks came in the space of 3 games. In fairness to him he scored pretty regularly in his first season after only scoring in 2 of his first 14 games. Under Waddle he was bobbins though.

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Wed Apr 08, 2020 5:08 pm

It was a masterstroke by Waddle bringing Payton in. Probably the only decent thing he did as manager!

claret1977 · Post by **claret1977** » Thu Apr 09, 2020 7:25 am

JohnDearyMe wrote: ↑
Wed Apr 08, 2020 2:06 pm
Is there much footage of the Waddle season online? Would be great to see the 3-2 win at Preston again for starters

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... whOWSa3XRQ

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Thu Apr 09, 2020 8:22 am

I’d forgotten we nearly got to Wembley that season!

claretonthecoast1882 · Post by **claretonthecoast1882** » Thu Apr 09, 2020 8:31 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvUt9exmrN0

Spike · Post by **Spike** » Thu Apr 09, 2020 8:56 am

Funkydrummer wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 07, 2020 9:29 pm
https://www.managerstats.co.uk/managers/chris-waddle/

Cracking read !!!!

Waddle stole a wage that year and should be ashamed pretending to be a knowledgeable chappie in the media

He was more interested in boozing than footy! Despise the clown

Dawlishclaret · Post by **Dawlishclaret** » Thu Apr 09, 2020 9:17 am

We came up from Dawlish(Devon) for the game, what a day. Had some very interesting encounters with Plymouth fans in the service stations on the way home. Also seem to remember some 'happy' waves from Liverpool fans on the M6 - they had just beaten either Villa or West Ham and mistook our colours. The waves changed to thumbs up when my wife held up a Burnley scarf.

mdd2 · Post by **mdd2** » Thu Apr 09, 2020 9:37 am

https://youtu.be/l_FNrjBalnw
1998 match

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Thu Apr 09, 2020 9:43 am

Spike wrote: ↑
Thu Apr 09, 2020 8:56 am
Waddle stole a wage that year and should be ashamed pretending to be a knowledgeable chappie in the media

He was more interested in boozing than footy! Despise the clown

Think it was Friday nights the Black Bull in Harle Syke he liked to pick his team!

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Thu Apr 09, 2020 9:45 am

Dawlishclaret wrote: ↑
Thu Apr 09, 2020 9:17 am
We came up from Dawlish(Devon) for the game, what a day. Had some very interesting encounters with Plymouth fans in the service stations on the way home. Also seem to remember some 'happy' waves from Liverpool fans on the M6 - they had just beaten either Villa or West Ham and mistook our colours. The waves changed to thumbs up when my wife held up a Burnley scarf.

Can’t imagine they were happy they certainly weren’t at full time with the pitch invasion! I was working early that morning and remember Radio Lancs had a few interviews with their fans who were just getting on the coaches!

claretonthecoast1882 · Post by **claretonthecoast1882** » Thu Apr 09, 2020 9:47 am

Steve-Harpers-perm wrote: ↑
Thu Apr 09, 2020 9:45 am
Can’t imagine they were happy they certainly weren’t at full time with the pitch invasion! I was working early that morning and remember Radio Lancs had a few interviews with their fans who were just getting on the coaches!

I thought they took it quite well, some even threw me a few pound coins to buy a beer to celebrate with