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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2009 19:23:37 GMT
There would be more from ancient history but, in recent times, I can think of two grounds which were discarded before their clubs reached the Football League. Both were town centre grounds (with considerable slopes) replaced at the same time - 1990 - by new developments in the wilds. One was Loakes Park, Wycombe Wanderers. The other was.... Huish, Yeovil TownHuish was used from the early 1920s by Yeovil and Petters Urnited which played in the Southern League from 1922. The club became Yeovil Town in 1946 and three years later beat Sunderland in the FA Cup in front of a record crowd of 16,318:  The whole site is now occupied by Tesco. Here's another view from Kerry Miller's book:  Huish is on the left-hand side of this map (the present ground is about six inches to the left of the edge of your screen):  Torquay United's first team would have travelled to play Yeovil's first team on a regular basis from 1921 to 1927. From then onwards our reserve team would have played at Huish on many occasions - at first against Yeovil's first team; later their reserve team. We had to wait until the 1988 FA Cup tie for the next full first-team fixture at Huish:   And from that 1988 programme there was text re-produced from 1927:  |
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merse
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Post by merse on Jan 18, 2009 19:42:42 GMT
 My outstanding memories of Huish were of going up there with the club for a mid season Friday night friendly that filled in for the fact that BOTH clubs failed to make the second round of the FA Cup. The journey up from Torquay was really treacherous what with slipping and sliding all over the road up from Honiton only for the ref to abandon the game after 25 minutes.......................I've never before seen a pitch turn from green to white in so short a time! I also went up there to see Jez Payne (Steve Morrall played too) when they met Norwich City in the Third Round of the FA Cup possibly the following season?) and Justin Fashanu nearly killed the home keeper Brian Parker by sending him crashing into a goalpost for a collision that looked like it had broken his neck.................pure nastiness and thuggery I'm afraid. My last visit was to run a Western League line, and I can tell you just running from the tunnel up to that top touchline required oxygen.................. Ian Botham played for the Glovers in that game as indeed he did again at Torrington a few weeks later when he greeted me with "not you again, for fecks sake gimme a break today will you!"...............the big lardy was forever getting caught offside! 
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2009 20:40:52 GMT
I also went up there to see Jez Payne (Steve Morrall played too) when they met Norwich City in the Third Round of the FA Cup possibly the following season?) and Justin Fashanu nearly killed the home keeper Brian Parker by sending him crashing into a goalpost for a collision that looked like it had broken his neck.................pure nastiness and thuggery I'm afraid.  Jan 1980....it's Kevin Bond....but it's Roger Brown (ex Bournemouth)....and the Yeovil number 4 is a misprint because it's the father of England cricketer Steve Harmison. |
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merse
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Post by merse on Jan 18, 2009 20:47:31 GMT
Greg Downes (again) but which one of all those (allegedly) lived as a woman following a sex change in the USA?  I'm off to bed now, so will awake with baited breath to see what you all make of that little gem! ;D 
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2009 21:18:12 GMT
....and living in San Francisco according to the Telegraph back in 2002.
Who'd have thought it?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2009 21:20:01 GMT
The answer is of course...... Tony Powell ;D I think we'd better keep attaching the 'alleged' prefix to the story as Mr/Mrs Powell is admitting to nothing of the sort. He moved to the USA to participate in the NASL (North American Soccer League), joining San Jose Earthquakes in March 1981 until August 1982. Later he spent time with the Seattle Sounders (May 1983 to August 1983) It was widely believed that Tony was living as a woman in the USA. No-one is quite sure whether he has had a sex change or is living as a transvestite. All that we can say is that his lifestyle is considerably different from that of a boxer or a defensive hardman. However after this story was reported in even the national press at the time of Norwich's centenary, the Mail On Sunday carried an interview with the 55-year-old, who they had tracked down to being a hotel manager in Hollywood. He was quick to laugh off the rumours. "It's ridiculous," he said. "I don't know where all this started. I am all bloke. I've never worn a frock in my life. I'm the least likely man to have a sex swap." After divorcing his wife, he now shares a flat with a male friend, but insisted: "I promise I'm straight." www.ex-canaries.co.uk/players/powell.htm |
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merse
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Post by merse on Jan 19, 2009 3:38:34 GMT
However after this story was reported in even the national press at the time of Norwich's centenary, the Mail On Sunday carried an interview with the 55-year-old, who they had tracked down to being a hotel manager in Hollywood. He was quick to laugh off the rumours. "It's ridiculous," he said. "I don't know where all this started. I am all bloke. I've never worn a frock in my life. I'm the least likely man to have a sex swap." After divorcing his wife, he now shares a flat with a male friend, but insisted: "I promise I'm straight." Well we all know in the all knowing opinion of the Red Necked Nazi Backing Mail Group, just to be "living in San Francisco" is enough to confirm that the old plums have been sent upstairs to live as evening dress padding don't we. Sharing his flat "with a male friend".................my old my, The Gulls' Lodge must be a hive of raving poufery. I still think I would prefer to take my chances with Crooky's little mate in the gay pub in Hamburg than the great big butch Polish "bird" who thought she was going to extract my money round the corner in that pole (oh, what a pun!) dancing club.........................well, maybe not! |
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Jan 19, 2009 23:04:32 GMT
My outstanding memories of Huish were of going up there with the club for a mid season Friday night friendly that filled in for the fact that BOTH clubs failed to make the second round of the FA Cup. The journey up from Torquay was really treacherous what with slipping and sliding all over the road up from Honiton only for the ref to abandon the game after 25 minutes.......................I've never before seen a pitch turn from green to white in so short a time! Merse, Your memory is slipping. It was 24 minutes not 25.  It's listed here www.tufchistory.co.uk along with most TUFC first team friendlies. Date given is 10 December 1976. |
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Post by ohtobeatplainmoor on Jan 22, 2009 22:52:05 GMT
Crikey - I was at that match as well, Barton. For some reason (I was only 12 at the time so was taken by Dad to the game with a couple of friends) and we watched the first half from the home terrace towards the touchline.
It proved to be a real mistake, we were surrounded by some drunken scumbags and remember an empty whiskey bottle just miss the linesman. We went on to the pitch and were escorted-round to the away end to avoid any of the trouble. Nice to have gotten the win over them in the replay (Richard Thompson scored the only goal of the game, he joined Yeovil the following summer) as we we confirmed our place at Hillsborough the next round. Fortunately Guy Wittingham was cup-tied and he didn't get a chance to play!
I've never been to many more menacing atmospheres as I had that day as an away supporter.
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bbcgull
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Post by bbcgull on Jan 23, 2009 15:23:17 GMT
I too was at this game although in the Stand on the other side but it wasnt pretty.
Gotta say the crowd trouble at Bognor was terryfying too. I never ended up on the pitch DURING the game before or since!!!!
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