Rovers v Cardiff, 1996/97 season

[Chris Black come back]

The coverage of Cardiff in the Premier League brought back memories of these two cracking games in the 1996/97 season.

First game was away at Ninian Park on a Friday night and featured local lad Darren Utley scoring an absolute beauty from the half way line as Rovers won 2-0.

Return leg at Belle Vue was one of best games I remember seeing at home for many a year. Midweek game on Tuesday night. Rovers 2-0 down until Darren Moore scored in 75th minute and then Jon Schofield pulled us level in 80th minute, only for us to go behind in 88th minute. Up popped Ian Gore though in last minute to pull us level.

Great days. Loved night games at Belle Vue. Nothing better anywhere.

[BobG]

Didn't get to wither of those matches CB. But I was at Ninian Park a year or two later when they just managed to scrape past us 8-1. Or was it 8-0? That was the match that first made me think some, thought not all, of the players were consciously playing to lose. I still think that was part of what went on back then.

BobG

[The Red Baron]

It wasn't that bad Bob- it was only 7-1!

I didn't go to the game but I seem to recall that just beforehand several of the senior players were told their services were no longer required. Those included Jim Dobbin and Mike Smith. They certainly played their last games at Cardiff, so maybe they weren't that highly motivated.

It certainly didn't help that goalie Craig Davis was sent off with the score at 3-0 for bringing down a Cardiff player just outside the box (the ref was Mark Halsey, btw) and Robert Pell had to go in goal for the rest of the game. Future Rovers player and manager Dave Penney and future player Chris Beech both scored for Cardiff.

For the remainder of the season the side consisted of young lads, Weaver's Manchester mob (the Esdailles, Cunningham, Padi Wilson etc) and two or three proper footballers such as Lee Warren and Adie Mike.

As an aside, the bottom of the table in what was then called Division Three makes fascinating reading. Of the bottom five, three clubs are now playing in the Premier League and two in the Championship. It isn't only Rovers who have experienced a huge turnaround in subsequent years, though none of the other four had the shock of playing outside the Football League for five seasons like we had.

[The Red Baron]

Utley- from the halfway line:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2to6PTBbVQo" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2to6PTBbVQo</a>

[DonnyNoel]

I remember the 3-3 vividly (although I confess I thought it was a Friday game haha) as that was during the glorious season when Rovers have schools free tickets so I got to loads of games that season. I'd been following Rovers for a few years casually but it was that mid-90's period that really saw me fall in love.

[BobG]

Also interesting to see, John, that 4 of the top 7 in League 3 that season are now out of the FL altogether whilst 3 of the teams in the league that season have gone bankrupt and folded.

BobG

[BillyStubbsTears]

They weren't playing to lose Bob. They were just dogshit.

SOME of them were dogshit. Enough to make it inevitable that we'd get arseholed by any half decent side.

[BobG]

I'm not convinced Billy. I distinctly remember wondering just who some of those Moss Side arseholes were playing for given the direction of a lot of their passes and their mysterious efforts at tackling. I went to that game with a Cardiff supporting mate. He was, indeed still is, of the same opinion. I remember being at Macclesfield for the first game of that season. We were shit alright, but we did at least look like we were trying to do the right things then. At Cardiff half the team didn't look like that at all.

BobG

[idler]

Shrewsbury was the first game Bob.
I think that by the time we played Macclesfield we had also been  tonked at home 8 0 by Forest and 5 1 by Peterborough.
I went to them all and was she'll shocked after the first two weeks of the season.

[The Red Baron]

Don't forget that Dixon was still in charge for the first couple of games. At Shrewsbury we were flattered by only losing 2-1, but we were trying to play football. By the time we played Macclesfield Dixon had gone and Uncle Ken was sitting on the bench.

The one I always thought was rigged was the Brighton home game. That was very winnable as Brighton were little better than we were. So what did Uncle Ken do? He brought in two blokes for their League debuts, one of whom was Weaver's "goalkeeping" neighbour. Very fishy indeed.

[BobG]

Well bugger me. I could have sworn Macclesfield was the first game. Shows what I know! I was meaning league matches btw Idler. I have tried, reasonably successfully, to totally eradicate Forest from my mind. Still, we did at least try that day at Macc. Who was that tall, hairy centre half we had? Young lad. From Worksop possibly? I felt sooo sorry for him. Still do tbh. He was persuaded to give up his job to come play professional togger. Snag was, it was Rovers who persuaded him. He wasn't up to it. He tried. He tried hard. But it just wasn't there. And then the Rovers effectively went part time on him. I still think that was one of the nastiest, ugliest things Uncle Ken was responsible for. I hope he's got herpes.

BobG

[RedRover45]

That was Darren Brookes, Bob.

[BillyStubbsTears]

What finally brought home to me how low we had been laid was the pre-season friendly at Worksop in summer 98, just before Ryan took over.

I'd seen how shit we had been the previous season. I'd seen how we'd been the worst Tier 1-4 side in history. I'd rationally taken that on board.

But that evening, I saw summat else. We were having a pint in the club house before the game. Spirits were high - we'd gone because the rumour was afoot that Ryan and Snod were coming in. We were stood near a back window overlooking the car park at the ground. 30 mins before KO, the Rovers players started turning up in their own cars. 5 to a car, sat cramped up. One car pulled up. Lee Warren got out the passenger door and went to open the boot. He looked inside then launched into a volley of abuse at one of the other passengers, who had evidently forgotten to load some important kit/equipment.

I suddenly realised that I'd played in better organised Sunday League sides. We hadn't just been the worst professional side in history. We had not the slightly semblance of a professional club structure left.

John Ryan is an utter miracle-worker, picking that rag-bag crock of dog-shit and turning it into what we've seen for the past 10-12 years. No club has ever risen as far and as fast as we did from that evening to the afternoon at Wembley, 10 years later.

[idler]

Well bugger me. I could have sworn Macclesfield was the first game. Shows what I know! I was meaning league matches btw Idler. I have tried, reasonably successfully, to totally eradicate Forest from my mind. Still, we did at least try that day at Macc. Who was that tall, hairy centre half we had? Young lad. From Worksop possibly? I felt sooo sorry for him. Still do tbh. He was persuaded to give up his job to come play professional togger. Snag was, it was Rovers who persuaded him. He wasn't up to it. He tried. He tried hard. But it just wasn't there. And then the Rovers effectively went part time on him. I still think that was one of the nastiest, ugliest things Uncle Ken was responsible for. I hope he's got herpes.

BobG
I think the ended up with Hermes Bob.
He was just a carrier. ;0)