Oh To Be A PROPER Fan……………

THIS IS A RESPONSE TO BEING CALLED ‘NOT A PROPER FAN’ ON ANOTHR THREAD. I THOUGHT IT DESERVED IT’S OWN POST.

IF YOU REALLY THINK I’M NOT A PROPER FAN, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU TAKE THE TIME TO READ THIS. OLD-TIMERS (Pre-Premiership) WILL KNOW WHAT I’M ON ABOUT. IF YOU’RE NOT AN OLD TIMER, THEN YOU MIGHT LEARN A THING OR TWO ABOUT OUR PAST.

Really, I don’t have to justify myself as a latics fan to anybody on here. Fact is, since ’86 I have missed 7 home games. I’ve done my share of away days over the years, the first being at Burnden Park in 1987, for the league cup game, when Bobby Campbell scored a hat-trick. (Hell of a dodgy place, that) Whilst I’ve never been one to go home and away EVERY game, I’ve done a fair few grounds. 60 odd, I think. Some are no longer there. I always liked Huddersfield’s old ground, and I remember Doncaster. Sealand Road (Chester) was a dump, and we always got done there. (Remember David Hamilton hauling Dave Thompson down?) First long-distance game was Watford in the cup, in 1989. (I’ve put some pics on the CL Facebook group)
I don’t go away much in the Premiership, for a few reasons. One is, we basically play against 12 men (referee) and the other, I begrudge paying what these clubs charge. (This season, Spurs have charge Liverpool fans £58. I know we’ll be cheaper, but even so) If you are happy to pay that, fair enough. But I’m not. And I’d sooner spend the time with my family, anyway.

Somebody on here said “Funny how nobody knows you?” Well please, if you will, allow me to reminisce on my time as a fan. You may actually find it interesting. In all seriousness, you might learn something.

Ok, here we go. First season or so as a fan, I sat in the Phoenix stand. Earliest thing I can think of, apart from the first game in ’86, is that Norwich cup game, in 1987. I can remember the Norwich fans in the stand, and some fella sitting on the steps next to us, as he couldn’t find a seat. Also, one of their fans had a ‘kazoo’ or something, that made a very loud ‘canary’ sound. (Think Lenny Henry and that noise he makes) The goal? I remember the ball in the air, and Jewell swinging at it as it bounced, on the icy pitch, then the place irrupted, and somebody threw their hat in the air, from the terrace below. God, that’s still a great memory. I do recall we watched the Hull and Leeds games from the St Andrews terrace. I can remember that Billy Askew had a cracking game for Hull, but got subbed, much to the disbelief of everybody. The season after, 1988, they opened the ‘Heinz Family Enclosure’, so we sat in there. I can’t remember a lot of people from in there, but I know that Chris Boughey, as staunch a fan as there is, sat in there with his lad. John Hammond and his kids also sat in there. The hostess was ‘Julie’, and she still goes to games, with her kids, and her husband, who she met at Latics, as I think he was the steward on the gate to the Family enclosure! Beltin place for kids, with raffles, etc. Memories include that controversial game V Sunderland, where the fans were doing mudslides, and the kick off in the tunnel afterwards, due to a late Steve Senior equaliser. I think Chris Thompson broke his leg that day, as well. They also did a raffle every match, drawn out by a player who was not featuring in the match. I won countless shirts, and signed things. One was a signed team picture, which I sold to Garswood_Latic off here, a couple of years ago. I remember Ray Woods visited before AND after he had left the club. Also remember Joe Paladino, among others. If it was your birthday, they took you to the dressing rooms before the game to meet the players. I remember going in, and getting all the autographs (as kids do) and even getting the little bloke stood at the end to sign my programme. I didn’t know who he was, as he was stood there in a jumper and Farah’s (late 80’s). I later learned it was little BRYAN GRIFFITHS, who we’d just signed. There was a window at the back of the enclosure, and me and the other ‘runts’ would climb up and peep through. We heard and saw many a team talk, and the funniest was when Brian Deane, then at Sheff Utd, was taking a dump. He heard us laughing outside, and when we looked back through, all their team, and manager Dave Bassett, were there with water bottles, and they squirted us! That was when football really WAS fun! (What happened?)

We went in there until about 1991-92, when by that time, we’d started going and standing high up on the Springfield End terrace. I recall us beating a supposedly good Southend United, 4-1 in an end of season game. On the other hand, I can recall a very good Huddersfield team coming and giving us a beating, with Phil Starbuck and Iwan Roberts up front for them. Good team, them. By the relegation season of 1993, we had moved to the St Andrews Terrace. I particulary remember the Stockport FA Cup game, when they had that garish yellow and blue ‘flecked’ shirt. We beat them 2-0, and me and my dad got legged down Douglas Bank Drive by about 12 Stockport after the game. (We parked on Port Petroleum) Got away, thank god. Obviously 93-94-95 were hard times. Went to West Brom in 93, when we got done 5-1, almost sealing relegation. And in all honesty, NOT MANY went that day, at all.
Then they brought Kenny Swain in, for the 1993-94 season. The highlight was that 6-3 v Chester when Gillespie scored two crackers. Apart from that, it was dire. No money, poor ‘has-been’ signings. Graham Barrow came in 1994-95 and things started looking up, a bit. But we got well beat by Villa, 5-0, in the league cup at Villa park. But our fans never stopped singing that night, despite gatting trounced. The following season, 1995-96 3 Amigo’s came in, and it made people take notice. Then young hopeful, Mike Millett got killed, and it was a shock to all. Soon after, we got done 6-2 at home by Mansfield, and Barrow was sacked. John Deehan came in, and really sorted things out. Made some good and solid signings, like Kevin Sharp, Gavin Johnson, and John Pender, etc. He steadied things. This was 95-96. The following season,96-97 we brought Graeme Jones in, and for a while, he and Graham Lancashire were a deadly partnership. We had a cracking season, with Diaz and Martinez creating things, and Jonesy banging them in for fun, as well as David Lowe returning, and we won the 3rd division title. 97-98 we adapted to the new level, and had a cracking first game, winning 5-2 at home to Wycombe. But we tailed off, I think, as the season went on. By 98-99, Stuart Barlow had arrived, and he became a great signing. Then Ray Mathias returned, and we started making a serious push for promotion. We won the Autowindscreens at Wembley, and were controversially beaten by the hand of Goater, at Maine Road. I was sat in that temporary stand they’d put in the corner, and blatantly saw that hand ball (and I’ve just seen it again in my minds eye). The first leg, of course, was the final ever game at Springfield. We went down the day after, and the place had been wrecked. It was sad to see. Mathias was sacked, and Benson was put in charge, as we moved to the new stadium. Again, 99-2000 was a solid season, but without too much flamboyancy, I think. We finished the season away at Bournemouth, pushing for promotion, on a red-hot may weekend in May. I think about 2000 stayed over in Bournemouth for the weekend, and there was not a hint of trouble. People just had a great time. We beat Millwall in the play off Semi final, and that’s the only time I’ve been on the pitch at the stadium. We then got beat 3-2 in extra time at Wembley by Gillingham.
Following season, we made the play offs again, getting beat by Reading in the semi. How mad was that game there? When they got that pen in the last seconds? And Carroll SAVED it, but they got the rebound in. Gutted. Absolutely gutted. Especially after their fans with all the balloons on the pitch. Then we had Bruce Rioch come in, and he failed to do the job, for whatever reason (Whelan’s meddling in training?). We had a massive squad, with not much quality and some wanting a final pay day. (McLoughlin) Jewell game in and had to sort the mess out. It took him a bit of time, and an embarrassing FA Cup defeat against Canvey Island, but he did it. Turned us into a decent side, and we won the 2nd division that day at Huddersfield. I think we took about 5000 there, that day. Loads never had seats, even. We then had to adjust to life at Championship level, but had a skilful and entertaining side. A near miss of the play offs, on the last game of the season, was followed the following season by a fantastic season, where we played some great stuff and got promoted as runners up. Some of those away days that season were great. Especially Leicester and Cardiff, for me personally.
The Premiership……..ah you know all that.

There you go. Course, I’m NOT a proper fan, am I? :roll:

Call me what you want, but please don’t EVER say that I’m not a proper fan. In all honesty, you couldn’t be more wrong.