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After a weekend off to travel up to Gresty Road to meet with Noah and Durham, Knees-up Mother Brown is back into action, with the U’s returning to the JobServe to take on league leaders Notts County. Enough has been written already about our madly suicidal first seven minutes against Crewe, and indeed about the sublime remainder of the game that the U’s totally dominated. However, if you’re 2-0 down and don’t take enough of the chances created to still win handsomely, you’re going to come away with nothing. I take solace from the performance for those 83 minutes if not the result, and as rightly said on the message board earlier, someday soon we’re going to give someone an absolute leathering.
Maybe today?
The world outside U’s World The clown show that is the US Republican party got their Joe Biden impeachment hearing underway during the week. More than six hours later, still no evidence presented whatsoever, and yet apparently, it’s the Democrats who are politicising the justice system. Unveiling their key witnesses, Oversight Chair James Comer was probably somewhat dismayed when forensic accountant Bruce Dubinsky confirmed there wasn’t enough evidence for him to conclude that there was “corruption” by the Bidens. Meanwhile, as Comer fiddles the US economy is smoldering on the brink of a shutdown, as the MAGA wing of the GOP House of Representatives continually block spending bills that are essential to keep government open. For those in any doubt how this might impact globally, one of their demands is that the US stop funding Ukraine in their defence against Putin’s aggression, and effectively hand the country over to their far-right poster-boy dictator.
In the real world of crime and punishment, and before Trump’s civil fraud trial had even started, Judge Arthur Engoron has already ruled that Trump and his minions, including sons Eric and Donny Jr, “routinely and repeatedly deceived banks, insurers and others by massively overvaluing assets and exaggerating [Trump’s] net worth on paperwork”. Judge Engoron has ordered that the New York business certificates of the Trump Organisation and any other businesses owned by the former president or his family in the state be cancelled, and that an independent third party be appointed to manage the dissolution of the cancelled businesses. This means that Trump could lose control over some of the tackiest properties in New York, including Trump Tower.
Don’t just sit there Donny, get packing…
Very close to home for yours truly, I found it appalling that the iconic sycamore tree that stood for more than 300 years on Hadrian’s Wall in a natural dip in the landscape (known as the Sycamore Gap), was discovered felled by chainsaw on Thursday morning. Almost as incomprehensible, Northumbria Police have confirmed they have arrested a sixteen year old boy in relation to the incident – wtaf!? They have also, yesterday evening, arrested a man in his 60s in connection with the incident. It is beyond me to even begin to understand why anyone would feel sufficiently motivated to traipse all the way out there in the dead of night to do that. The National Trust, which owns the land, hope that a new tree can be coaxed to grow from the stump. Perhaps the culprits should perform some form of community service protecting and nurturing any shoots that emerge, whilst reflecting on their life choices?
For anyone, like me, who has a heap of different parking apps on their phone, sanity may be prevailing. It is reported that the government are going to unveil next week a new nationwide universal parking app that can be used to pay parking charges anywhere in the UK. Okay, it’s a small win from a government that doesn’t get much right from my perspective, but I’ll take it. And finally, and also something very close to home for me, a YouGov study has concluded that officially most men (54%) now sport a beard and/or moustache, up from just 37% back in 2011. Formerly the fashion accessory of bohemian and literary types, hippies and gentlemen of the road, it seems that we’ve gone mainstream.
U’s World Although it’s been two weeks since my last dip into U’s World, not a great deal has been going on it would appear. Not necessarily my preferred choices, but the club have listened to supporters and from today onwards will now be offering Carlsberg lager and Icebreaker pale ale on draught at the Legends Bar. On the plus side, another great example of the club engaging with the supporters, listening to what is wanted, and doing something about it. Sadly, this has also provoked outrage from some, simply because the beers on offer aren’t to their liking. Sometimes you know, some people really should just give their head a wobble.
On the eve of last weekend’s visit to Crewe it was announced that Alex Newby was going out on loan to National League Altrincham until January. A gifted player, in a way I was pleased to hear he was getting the chance for game time at a decent level, given he is probably a bit of a way down the pecking order for a starting position at the U’s right now. I was even more delighted to hear he scored in the 4th minute of his debut at Altrincham last Saturday, ironically facing Mark Cousins in the Ebbsfleet goal. Good luck Alex!
There was also the small matter of our first outing in the EFL Trophy during the week before last, as a complete U’s 2nd/3rd string took on the talented youngsters of Spurs’ U21 side. Leaving aside opinions on whether Premier League U21 sides should even be in the competition, the U’s did pretty well for most of the first half, and at only 1-0 at the break, might have thought they were in with a shout of at least taking it to a penalty shootout. Not so unfortunately, as the Spurs kids clicked up a gear or two in the second half to dismantle the U’s and show the gulf in class between a Premier League U21 and a League 2 side made up of mostly fringe first-teamers.
Whilst our own U21 side slumped to a sixth consecutive defeat yesterday, albeit very narrowly, 1-0 against a talented AFC Bournemouth side, the Colchester Ladies continue to blaze a trail in the Essex Counties Women’s Football League Division 2. After an opening day 11-0 demolition of Chelmsford City Reserves, the women followed it up with an even more emphatic 17-0 victory at Blackmore Ladies FC, and in their first home fixture of the season last Sunday overcame AFC Sudbury 6-1. I’m beginning to think they might have been started at the wrong level.
Next up tomorrow is a trip to Barking Reserves, returning to their Colchester Garrison home ground on Sunday 8th to face Halstead Town. Admission is free, so if you’re in the area, why not pop down and cheer the CUFC women on.
Match of the Day Notts County v Colchester United 21st November 1998 Nationwide Football League Division Two (Tier 3) Attendance 4,598
Another I don’t have a programme for, so many thanks to ColUData
This one is kind of a special, in recognition of today’s opponents. It doesn’t appear in my memorabilia archive, not even as a calendar entry, but it was a game I was at, nevertheless. Hence, I am again indebted to Graeson’s ColUData website for the programme cover. Many of you are probably already thinking “November 1998, that rings a bell?”, and so it should, as this was the very next match after that bleak day in our history when we exited the FA Cup 4-1 at the hands of Bedlington Terriers and their ploughed field for a pitch (that I had the good fortune to miss, thank goodness). Our consolation goal came courtesy of Tony Adcock in the 88th minute, and an ignominious occasion for Rooster to score his last ever goal for the U’s.
But enough about that game against the Terriers, who would exit 2-0 in the following round at current club in turmoil Scunthorpe United. This game was our chance to bounce back under then manager Steve Wignall. This was also the first season back in the 3rd tier for both Notts County and the U’s, after County ran away with the 1997/98 Third Division title – ran away that is apart from when facing the U’s, the only team they couldn’t beat that season, nor even score against. That prompted some pretty derogatory comments about the U’s from big mouth manager Sam Allardyce – but hey Sam, at least we’re not crooks eh!
On the Scunthorpe front, it’s worth highlighting for many that might have missed it that Scunthorpe United are in a veritable mess right now. Due to an ongoing sub-tenancy agreement dispute with Glanford Park owner and former chairman Peter Swann, current chairman David Hilton has announced that the Iron will move out of Glanford Park following their 7th October game against Brackley and play their remaining games at Gainsborough Trinity 16 miles away. This, apparently, came as news to Gainsborough Trinity.
David Hilton is trying to sell the club, and apparently has multiple parties interested in purchasing, including a consortium of local businesses and supporters, but it’s the sub-tenancy dispute to allow games to be played at Glanford Park that seems to be putting many off. On top of which, Scunthorpe United are also facing a winding up petition from HMRC. I can remember when Glanford Park was one of the first ‘new’ grounds of the modern era, and it is real shame to see them in such a perilous state today – Good luck Iron!
Anyway, back to Match of the Day, and both sides had struggled to find their feet in a higher division, both sitting uncomfortably in lower mid-table going into the game. In part, Notts County’s situation wasn’t helped by a lack of investment from owner Derek Pavis, leading to an inevitable fall out with Allardyce. Davis would eventually relent, allowing Allardyce to sign former U’s Kevin Rapley for £50,000 at the end of this season, after he joined in January on loan from Brentford, but that would be after this match.
Looking for some spirit from a post-Bedlington deflated U’s, and with both Geraint Williams and Scott Stamps on the treatment table, Wignall’s team lined up: 1….Carl Emberson 2….Joe Dunne 3….Simon Betts 4….Geraint Williams 5….David Greene 6….Paul Buckle 7….Keith Dublin (debut) 8….David Gregory 9….Mark Sale (12. Jason Dozzell 75’) 10..Tony Lock (13. Neil Gregory 75’) 11..Karl Duguid
I travelled up on the train for this one – my second visit to Meadow Lane in consecutive season, having been there for our well-deserved 0-0 which temporarily denied the title to Notts County (and that was in March!). Despite, or possibly even because of the Bedlington result, the U’s support travelled in decent numbers, and were in excellent voice throughout the game in the cavernous Kop Stand.
Not that he’d announced it before the match, understandably, Wignall confided post-match that part of the response he’d been looking for focused on changing the tactics for corner kicks. This involved changing the runs players would make to what he and Steve Dowman would do back when they were playing – it worked a treat too. The game had started reasonably evenly, but with what I think was our first corner of the game, in the tenth minute Paul Buckle sent in a peach of a flag-kick and there was David Greene rising highest to bullet an unstoppable header past Magpies keeper Darren Ward, and send the Faithful berserk.
We didn’t have too long to wait to repeat the experience either. Again, after ten minutes or so of fairly even contest, virtually a carbon-copy corner routine between Buckle and Greene in the 23rd minute (albeit from the opposite corner) saw the big defender power home a second past Ward. If memory serves, this was only our third corner kick, and we’d scored from two of them – remember when we used to regularly score from corners? No, me neither, but everything was working this day. In fact, Mark Sale almost made it three from four just a few minutes later, but his header whistled just over the bar.
Time to forget Bedlington, we were on a roll, and nothing was going to take this away from us, neither on the pitch nor in the stands. Big imposing grounds can often work for the home side, cowing the opposition into subservience. But not today, as the U’s pressed home their advantage, all you could hear was the roar from us lot in the Kop echoing around an otherwise silent Meadow Lane. To their credit, Notts County actually did well to stem the flow, mostly by final sorting out our corner routine, and managed to hold on at 2-0 down through to half time.
However, into the second half it didn’t take long to send the away end ballistic again, when in the 48th minute David Gregory easily beat the offside trap to run through and drill past Ward, right in front of the celebrating U’s support too. Wignall said in his post-match interview “it was a different story all together from the misery of the previous week at Bedlington and when David Gregory put away our third goal just after half time I knew we could not be beaten”.
He wasn’t wrong either, even if Shaun Murray did snatch a consolation goal for Notts County in the 52nd minute. As much as they huffed and puffed, there was no way Notts County were going to deny the U’s an imperious bounce back victory. Wignall made a double substitution in the 75th minute, bringing on Dozzell and Neil Gregory for Mark Sale and Tony Lock, and the U’s coasted home with ease.
Notts County 1 (Murray 52’) Colchester United 3 (Greene 10’, 23’; D Gregory 48’)
With the benefit of hindsight, cup upsets and the U’s often seem to go hand in hand, though fortunately not always are we the ones on the receiving end. However, Bedlington really hurt, and it was a privilege to be part of the emotional recovery from that game. The U’s would go on a mini unbeaten run, drawing at home to Millwall and Blackpool and away at Lincoln City, very much laying the foundation for our survival that season.
Notts County would do likewise, and buoyed by the arrival of Kevin Rapley in January, would similarly avoid relegation straight back to the basement. Not so for Macclesfield and Lincoln, also promoted alongside the U’s and Magpies, who would be immediately relegated along side York City and Northampton Town.
Remarkably, there’s still a YouTube reel of the goals available, for anyone who’s forgotten what scoring from a corner looks like 😊
An interesting read that wessex, I didn't know that about Scunthorpe. What a mess they're in now and it wasn't that long ago that they were in League One. Must admit that Keith Dublin is the one player that appeared that day that I have no knowledge of.
The Notts County game from August 14th 1999 played at Layer Road and ending in a 3-0 home defeat had something quite quirky about it. Anyone know what it was?
Knees-up Mother Brown #8 on 13:20 - Oct 3 by RSCOSWORTH
An interesting read that wessex, I didn't know that about Scunthorpe. What a mess they're in now and it wasn't that long ago that they were in League One. Must admit that Keith Dublin is the one player that appeared that day that I have no knowledge of.
The Notts County game from August 14th 1999 played at Layer Road and ending in a 3-0 home defeat had something quite quirky about it. Anyone know what it was?
I think I might know this, because I was wondering how Notts County were allowed to wear their home strip on Saturday. Did we have to loan them a kit back in 99?
Knees-up Mother Brown #8 on 15:01 - Oct 3 by wessex_exile
I think I might know this, because I was wondering how Notts County were allowed to wear their home strip on Saturday. Did we have to loan them a kit back in 99?
Correct. I thought the same when watching the highlights on Saturday night. Reminded me what happened back in 1999 when they turned up with just their black and white striped kit and the ref felt that it was too much of a clash so they had to play in our away strip, which I believe was yellow and one we'd yet to even wear, and promptly beat us 3-0. I've been trying to find a report of the game alluding to this but haven't managed it so far.
Knees-up Mother Brown #8 on 15:20 - Oct 3 by RSCOSWORTH
Correct. I thought the same when watching the highlights on Saturday night. Reminded me what happened back in 1999 when they turned up with just their black and white striped kit and the ref felt that it was too much of a clash so they had to play in our away strip, which I believe was yellow and one we'd yet to even wear, and promptly beat us 3-0. I've been trying to find a report of the game alluding to this but haven't managed it so far.
I recall Sheffield United had to do the same once as well, and ended up in what could only be described as salmon pink training tops...and that game was on Match of the Day too I think?
Knees-up Mother Brown #8 on 15:34 - Oct 3 by wessex_exile
I recall Sheffield United had to do the same once as well, and ended up in what could only be described as salmon pink training tops...and that game was on Match of the Day too I think?
Was that the 5-2 game at Layer Road
Durham_exile
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Knees-up Mother Brown #8 on 16:20 - Oct 3 with 576 views
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