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On The Cusp Of Something Great


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Being a Wednesday fan is like a roller coaster ride. Well that’s how it feels having watched them for over sixty years. But that’s just my perception.

 

For me I’ve seen the yo-yo years of the 1950s when we yo-yoed between the first and second divisions followed by a sustained period in the first division in the 60s.

 

There were the highs of finishing second in 1961, the nearly of the 1966 FA cup, and the low of the bribery scandal. Names like John (lino) Fantham, Redfern Froggatt, Don Megson, Gerry Young, Vic Mobley and the trio of David Layne, Peter Swan and Tony Kay were etched deep in the brain.

The drop in 1969 saw us drop to the uncharted depths of the Third Division. A dreadful Decade of turgid horrible losing football. The highlight of the decade was in 1996 when I flew home for the weekend from Gibraltar for the match against Southend United, which we won 2-1 to avoid the big drop to The Fourth Division.

 

I can remember the game against Chesterfield which we undeservedly won 1-0 when there was a rumour circulating that Jack Charlton was at the game and going to be our new Manager. At the end of the game he walked across the pitch from the North Stand and was announced as Manager before we got to the car on the way home.

 

The climb back was great fun especially as the Blades were now down with us. In our promotion season things really got going for us after the “Boxing Day Massacre” which was just an unbelievably happy day. The away match at Blackburn on a dark rainy Tuesday Night was another landmark game. The pre-match entertainment was from a Marching Jazz Band just like the one at the beginning of James Bond Film “Live and Let Die”. It was ominous but we lived that night with goals from Curran and Mellor against promotion rivals.

 

Howard Wilkinson finally got us back into the first Division and the big time was back. Things started to get a bit bleak again but the appointment of Ron Atkinson brought light even though we suffered relegation it didn’t feel bad as everything was kept together. I missed the Rumbelow’s Cup Final as I was at a conference in Luxemburg. We couldn’t find a TV channel showing it. Me and a Manchester United colleague took it in turns to call home for score updates. It was my turn when I heard of John Sheridan’s goal. He thought I was joking and wouldn’t believe me until it was his turn to phone 10 minutes later.

 

We then had the wonderful fabulous Waddle era with all those Wembley trips and beating the Blades to boot. Who would think at that time our longest time out of the top division would follow.

 

If today you are under 25 and a Wednesday fan I salute you for your stoicism, for unlike me and my generation you have not experienced Wednesday in the Big Time. It’s you that are the future supporters and the future Old Heads who will regale youngsters with tales of the Wonderful Wednesday.

 

I just get the feeling that whether it’s this season or next we are on the cusp of something great.

Edited by mark1948
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58 minutes ago, mark1948 said:

Being a Wednesday fan is like a roller coaster ride. Well that’s how it feels having watched them for over sixty years. But that’s just my perception.

 

For me I’ve seen the yo-yo years of the 1950s when we yo-yoed between the first and second divisions followed by a sustained period in the first division in the 60s.

 

There were the highs of finishing second in 1961, the nearly of the 1966 FA cup, and the low of the bribery scandal. Names like John (lino) Fantham, Redfern Froggatt, Don Megson, Gerry Young, Vic Mobley and the trio of David Layne, Peter Swan and Tony Kay were etched deep in the brain.

The drop in 1969 saw us drop to the uncharted depths of the Third Division. A dreadful Decade of turgid horrible losing football. The highlight of the decade was in 1996 when I flew home for the weekend from Gibraltar for the match against Southend United, which we won 2-1 to avoid the big drop to The Fourth Division.

 

I can remember the game against Chesterfield which we undeservedly won 1-0 when there was a rumour circulating that Jack Charlton was at the game and going to be our new Manager. At the end of the game he walked across the pitch from the North Stand and was announced as Manager before we got to the car on the way home.

 

The climb back was great fun especially as the Blades were now down with us. In our promotion season things really got going for us after the “Boxing Day Massacre” which was just an unbelievably happy day. The away match at Blackburn on a dark rainy Tuesday Night was another landmark game. The pre-match entertainment was from a Marching Jazz Band just like the one at the beginning of James Bond Film “Live and Let Die”. It was ominous but we lived that night with goals from Curran and Mellor against promotion rivals.

 

Howard Wilkinson finally got us back into the first Division and the big time was back. Things started to get a bit bleak again but the appointment of Ron Atkinson brought light even though we suffered relegation it didn’t feel bad as everything was kept together. I missed the Rumbelow’s Cup Final as I was at a conference in Luxemburg. We couldn’t find a TV channel showing it. Me and a Manchester United colleague took it in turns to call home for score updates. It was my turn when I heard of John Sheridan’s goal. He thought I was joking and wouldn’t believe me until it was his turn to phone 10 minutes later.

 

We then had the wonderful fabulous Waddle era with all those Wembley trips and beating the Blades to boot. Who would think at that time our longest time out of the top division would follow.

 

If today you are under 25 and a Wednesday fan I salute you for your stoicism, for unlike me and my generation you have not experienced Wednesday in the Big Time. It’s you that are the future supporters and the future Old Heads who will regale youngsters with tales of the Wonderful Wednesday.

 

I just get the feeling that whether it’s this season or next we are on the cusp of something great.

 

All made up stories, complete fantasies the lot of em.

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5 minutes ago, Holmes said:

 

Shaduup with the, Someone will know on here.  

That's actually the first time I've posted that, I've found it as annoying as you have in all honesty but kindly don't tell me what I and can't do.

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