On 28 March Posh travel to Griffin Park, Brentford for a League One fixture. Almost ten years ago it was the scene of a memorable game that came to mark the end of John Still's reign as Posh manager. Peter Williams recalls the final moments.
There weren't too many highlights in the 1995/96 season for Posh fans. In fact, they can probably be counted on the fingers of one hand: the 6-1 victories over Carlisle and Hull, the 3-1 demolition of Crewe and the 3-0 fightback against Swansea to win the Coca Cola Cup first round tie. But for me the best moment came at Griffin Park, Brentford on Saturday, 21 October 1995, at the end of a match that we lost 3-0. Let me explain why.
Despite John Still's regular assurances that the good times were just around the corner, Posh approached the Brentford game in 15th position in Division 2, having won only two of their twelve league games. Whilst his close season signings had strengthened a weak attack, he had not yet cottoned on to the fact that Martindale was his strongest striker. The midfield, consisting of Ebdon plus Manuel, Morrison, Carter, Williams or Le Bihan, was virtually non-existent. Consequently the team was struggling, just as it had done in 1994/95. Supporters' morale was so low that, as the team coach drew up outside the players' entrance, only two Posh fans were there to greet the players.
On the pitch the good news was that David "Out of his Depth" Morrison had been dropped, the bad news that he had been replaced by Billy Manuel (aggression A-, skill C-, petulance A+). The only strand of hope was Posh's new loan signing from Arsenal, Paul Shaw. However, just to prove how much homework he had done, Still played Shaw as a striker alongside Gary Martindale. With Manuel lining up at left back, the midfield comprised Ebdon plus Clark (a centre back), Rioch (a left back) and Williams (a right back). It came as no surprise that, as the game progressed, Shaw touched the ball less often than David Morrison beats defenders. All the pressure was on the defence, where Gary Breen was having a nightmare. After 12 minutes he allowed Jamie Bates to head in from a corner kick; just before half-time the same player stabbed in a free kick to make the score 2-0. The travelling Posh fans, who had started a slow handclap even before the second goal, showed their dissatisfaction when the half-time whistle blew.
Any hopes of a miraculous revival were scotched four minutes after the interval, when Bates' strong header was brilliantly stopped by a finger-tip save at the far post - unfortunately not by Sheffield, but by a diving Greg Rioch. Now, young Greg's knack of acquiring cautions was second only to Ray Hankin, without ever resorting to the latter's homicidal tendencies. Whether it was his name or just the expression on his face, he only had to look at a referee to see a yellow card appear out of the ether. This time, inevitably, it was red and he trudged off to sympathetic applause. The penalty was converted by Grainger: 3-0.
Suddenly Still was galvanised into action. Moments after Manuel made a crude challenge on Ravenscroft - which deserved a red card, but earned him a yellow - he was replaced by Carter. Clark dropped to full back and, lo and behold, Shaw moved into midfield - what a good idea! But it was all too late; the match had been lost long before.
The referee blew his whistle to signal not only the end of the match, but also the beginning of a memorable demonstration of supporter power. The Posh manager couldn't sneak from the dugout directly into the tunnel, as he could (and did regularly) at London Road. Instead he had to walk half the length of the pitch - 55 yards - towards the away fans' end. As he approached, the Posh support completely ignored the team and to a man (and woman) they booed, jeered, hissed and gesticulated at Still. It was a wonderful couple of minutes in which we demonstrated in no uncertain terms our opinion of his 17-month long reign. The architect of the debacle reached the tunnel and, perhaps significantly, shook the hand of his players as they left the pitch. Whatever he was saying to them a few moments later in the dressing room, the fans felt better, almost cleansed, as they left the ground, having had a chance to express their feelings as eloquently as a few hundred disparate individuals can.
Two days later Still blamed the defeat on his defence and went on to announce that he would not let the boo boys - and the boo girls, John, be fair - drive him from the club. On the following day he resigned.
I would not normally call for a manager's head after only seventeen months; time is needed to develop squads, tactics and style. Despite his lack of league experience I had initially welcomed Still's appointment and - confession time - had even named my fantasy league team "Still Posh" in the hope that he would prove to be a sort of talisman. But, with a succession of poor signings and a deteriorating standard of play, he was taking the club nowhere.
We may never know what else happened after that match to make Still resign. But the fans' collective expression of frustration and annoyance must have had a significant effect on his decision. Perhaps we played a small part in saving the club from an almost certain relegation in that season.
Have you ever asked yourself why you watch football? Have you analysed why you go week in, week out to see a game? Peter Williams examines the possible reasons:
Entertainment? I am not convinced that this is a valid answer, because there can never be a guarantee about the quality of any game. For example, just think how many F A Cup Finals have not lived up to expectations.
Relaxation? I think not. If you are a committed fan, you are so tense that it is impossible to relax during a match - unless of course you are 3-0 up with about five minutes to go, and even then you secretly fear the miracle that the opposition fans are praying for.
Amusement? No, not for an entire match! There are moments to savour in any game, but they are usually ephemeral - a witty chant from the London Road end, the referee falling over, Andy Edwards 'skinning' Frank Leboeuf at Chelsea, and so on.
Enjoyment? This factor is heavily influenced by the result of the match. As the statistics show that Posh have won only half of their home games and about a quarter away from home, enjoyment cannot unfortunately be guaranteed.
Yes, this is more complex than we thought. So let's look more deeply into the reasons. I suggest that we investigate the following factors:
Therapy. Football is just about the best way I know of forgetting your troubles, be they related to work, money or family relationships. You can immerse yourself completely in the game, the crowd and the atmosphere for at least a couple of hours, letting off steam against the referee, linesman, opposition and Barry Fry with total impunity. The real world is forgotten completely.
Addiction. There can be little doubt that football is an addiction, although in contrast to nicotine, alcohol, drugs and gambling, it is a benign affliction. However, it can be just as expensive and is perfectly capable of ruling one's life entirely. The cost of your season ticket, programme, shirt, fuel, entry to away matches etc can be a big item in your annual budget.
Duty. To the truly committed fan this could be the single most significant reason - it is as important for him or her to be there as it is for the team to turn up. After all, why else would you even consider travelling to Torquay in the middle of February?
Habit. There must be an element of habit in a weekly ritual such as this, but I would argue that it is not as compelling a factor as duty or addiction. In any event, habits are usually short-lived.
Community. Going to a match means: meeting friends before, during or after the action; seeing familiar faces at London Road and at grounds all over the country (often without knowing their names!); waving to other fans en route to the game. It is above all the shared experience of triumph (or failure).
I believe that these are the fundamental reasons why we watch football. But then I would add two others:
Uncertainty. I like to wake up on a Saturday not knowing what is going to happen in the day ahead: I could be in ecstasy, agony or anything between the two extremes (and even all of these emotions at different stages of the game). I can well remember standing with other Posh fans outside Underhill a few seasons ago, wondering where our next goal was going to come from. Two hours later, as we filed out of the ground, we were all walking on air, having witnessed Posh record a 9-1 victory over Barnet. Of course, the opposite can happen and then life does not seem so sweet. No, in football there can never be a guarantee that the expected result will happen, whether we're playing away to Manchester United in the Cup or are at home to a club at the bottom of the league. Take away the uncertainty and the game becomes meaningless.
Exhilaration. How do you describe the feeling you have when your team scores a goal? It's what makes football so special. Compare it with sports such as basketball, rugby and ice hockey, where scoring takes place so much more frequently. Personally, I can't understand how anyone can be excited by, for example, a 98-96 score line in a game of basketball. In contrast, a large proportion of football matches is decided by the odd goal, often against the overall run of play. And perversely, when you experience a high-scoring game, it is even more exciting.
That is why football is different, that is the magic of the Beautiful Game. Enjoy your football, whatever your reason for watching!
What is a football club? It is an amalgam of a pitch, goals, stands, terraces, players, management, administrative staff and, of course, supporters. But at 3pm on Saturday everything focuses on the eleven men (plus five substitutes) who represent the club on the pitch.
In an average season at least 20, and possibly as many as 40, players will appear in the first team, playing in 35-50 different combinations of eleven men. Transfers in, transfers out, tactics, loss of form and injuries all conspire to change the starting eleven on a weekly basis. So just how much continuity is there in the squad from one year to the next? I decided to study The Official History of The Posh and Peterborough United: The Modern Era to find out how many complete changes there had been to the Posh first-team squad since the very first Football League match against Wrexham on 20 August 1960. (I concentrated on League games, thus ignoring the various Cup competitions.) The answer to my question is: surprisingly few.
By studying the subsequent playing records of the starting eleven on that historic day I found that Peter McNamee became the longest-serving player in the Football League. After helping the club to become an established force in the old Division 3, his last match was at Scunthorpe on 11 September 1965, when Ian Crawford was playing his fifth league game against his former club. Ian's Posh career, which was marred by the infamous demotion to Division 4 in 1967/68, lasted until the home match against Doncaster Rovers on 12 April 1969.
By this time Norman Rigby's signing from the Cobblers, Tommy Robson, had been occupying the No 11 shirt for about five months. The flying winger was almost a permanent fixture in the side throughout the 1970s, helping the club to gain promotion in 1973/74, but he was also part of the squad that was relegated five years later. He made his final League appearance at London Road against Hartlepool on 25 April 1981, at a time when Trevor Slack was just starting to command a place in the team. During his six seasons at the club he played alongside Colin Foster, Billy Rodaway, Neil Firm and finally John Wile at the heart of the Posh defence. His last game was at home to Rochdale on the final day of the 1985/86 season in front of 1,592 fans.
Four months previously, and two and a half years since his last appearance for Posh, Steve Collins rejoined the club. Originally a left-back, he played in a number of positions in his second spell with Posh, who were still languishing in Division 4 when he made his last appearance on 13 May 1989. However, among his team mates were three players who were destined to help propel Posh through consecutive promotions into the new Division 1 - Noel Luke, Mick Halsall and Worrell Sterling. Of these three players Worrell Sterling stayed the longest, playing his last match at home to Tranmere on 8 May 1993 (although, to be precise, Mick Halsall was a substitute at Watford seven months later). In the team that day was Tony Spearing, always a big favourite with the fans. Unfortunately, during his period at the club, Posh suffered relegation in the first year and then three poor seasons in Division 2, culminating in relegation to Division 3 at the end of 1996/97 (Barry Fry's first season). Tony's last appearance was on 31 March, when he played alongside Andy Edwards, who had joined Posh in the exchange deal that took Martin O'Connor to Birmingham City.
"Eagle" Edwards was a rock at the heart of the Posh defence. After the misery of that relegation he led the team to victory at Wembley in 2000 and remained a fixture until January 2003, when he decamped to Rushden for a short-lived stay.
I list below the teams on the day of the players' first and last games until 31 March 1997. Although Mark Tyler had made his debut before Spearing's last appearance, within a few months he became a fixture (along with David Farrell) at the beginning of the 1997/98 season. Consequently I have used the long-serving Andy Edwards as the last but one link with these two players who are still appearing regularly in the first team.
Thus, during the last 45 seasons, Posh have had only eight complete changes of first team squad. (In the same period there have been 19 changes of manager.) Although supporters are used to seeing players (and managers) flit from club to club, we usually form a real affection for those who stay for four years or more. Whilst the players named above have not necessarily made the highest number of appearances for the club, most have been popular and the collective longevity of their careers has provided a comforting continuity during Posh's history in the Football League.
| 20.8.1960 | 11.9.1965 | 12.4.1969 | 25.4.1981 | 7.5.1986 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wrexham (h) 3-0 | Scunthorpe Utd (a) 1-1 | Doncaster Rovers (h) 0-1 | Hartlepool Utd (h) 1-1 | Rochdale (h) 1-1 |
| Jimmy Hagan | Gordon Clark | Jim Iley | Peter Morris | John Wile |
| Walls | Duff | Millington | Waugh | McManus |
| Stafford | Johnson | Noble | Winters | Paris |
| Walker | Crawford >>> | Crawford | Phillips | Pike |
| Raynor | Crowe | Ricketts | Gynn | Collins >>>>> |
| Rigby | Rankmore | Wile | Slack >>>>>> | Slack |
| Norris | Hollow | Wright | Foster | Johnson |
| Hails | Barnes | Price | Gallagher | Kowalski |
| Emery | Beesley | Iley | Kellock | Fuccillo> |
| Bly | Fairbrother | Hall | Cooke | Gallagher |
| Smith | Deakin | Conmy | Hodgson | Quow |
| McNamee >>>> | McNamee | Robson >>>> | Robson | Cavener |
| 13.5.1989 | 8.5.1993 | 31.3.1997 | 9.8.1997 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doncaster Rovers (h) 2-0 | Tranmere Rovers (h) 1-1 | Notts County (a) 0-0 | Scunthorpe United (h) 0-1 |
| Mick Jones | Lil Fuccillo | Barry Fry | Barry Fry |
| Crichton | Bennett | Griemink | Tyler>>> |
| Luke | Bradshaw | Boothroyd | Linton |
| Gunn | Spearing >>> | Spearing | Lewis |
| Collins | Cooper | Edwards>>> | Edwards> |
| McElhinney | Howarth | Bodley | Payne |
| Andrews | Welsh | Linton | Bodley |
| Sterling >>>> | Sterling | Williams | Farrell>>>> |
| Halsall | Philliskirk | Payne | Castle |
| Cusack | Adcock | Carruthers | De Souza |
| Longhurst | Ebdon | Otto | Quinn |
| Goldsmith | Greenman | De Souza | Houghton |
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