memory man":3u36j438 said:
dazzy3000":3u36j438 said:
memory man":3u36j438 said:
plymouth1970":3u36j438 said:
I hope Hallett hasn’t got a get out clause wrt the grandstand redevelopment.
I was wondering if there was still time for him to get it turned around so the seats are facing out over Cottage Field and towards the Sound!!
Hi MM, do you remember it being this bad before? Would be interested to hear stories of teams gone by struggling
I can go back to 1958-59 with firm memories. The 59-60 team really struggled in their first season up but once the chairman spent £20k in January on 3 First Division reserves things improved. We stopped conceding sloppy goals. But that was not enough for the chairman and the manager was sacked with 8 games to go. We won 6, including beating the two promoted clubs without conceding a goal and stayed up with a game to spare. 63-64 was a season-long struggle not helped by one win in the opening 22 games (and the team we beat that day was relegated). But somehow we stayed up, by something like 0.01 of a goal. But bad as it was, the team had enough decent players to turn it around. 67-68 was really bad. Decent players were sold and we signed cut-price replacements. Tbh, that season was as bad as this and the crowds went from 20,200 for the first home game to 4,768 for the final one. Like now, relegation was looking likely from early on. 76-77 I remember for the sale of Mariner. They say that one man doesn't make a team but boy did he make a difference. That was a sad time as the wheel fell off as the wonderful Waiters' era ended in acrimony. The post- Warnock time under Mick Jones was sad. Everyone was willing him to do well because they knew he was managing with one hand tied behind his back. I recall one home game against Southend when the stand was shut for safety reasons. People were laughing not booing and the joy of Wembley two seasons before was completely gone. For varying reasons, if you set apart the Sturrock Mk 1 era, the late 90s until now has been a pretty middling time for the club. So in summary, there have been plenty of downs but 67-68 was the last time I remember us seeming to have no hope from so early. But what do I know? Last season I left Fratton Park hoping that Adams would be fired but he turned it around. Let us hope it can be done again.
Steve I don't know how many times you have seen this team play and I know some of the teams you mentioned struggled at times but I have picked some players from each team that would walk into this current shambles.
58/59 G.Barnsley,T.Barrett,R.Wyatt,J.Williams, G.Robertson,N.Dougal, J.Gauld,W.Carter, H.Penk.
63/64 Maclaren,McAnearney, M.Trebilcock, P, McParland,A.O'Neil,.
68/67 J.Newman,M.Bickle,A.Nelson,J.Sillett,J.Bloomfield, D.Neale,J.Hore,S.Davey, N.Pipper.
76/77 P.Barron. B.Hall. M.Horswill. M.Greening B.Johnson,G.Foster, J.Delve,P.Mariner.
There many more from those teams that would walk into the current set up.