Gimps Top.....Aghhhh

Quoted from NorfolkImp

Alright Mickey long time no speak? Knowing my luck The Imps & City will be playing at the same time on the same day that I go into Papworth Hospital  for major heart surgery ... I expect both to lose btw.

Sorry to hear you are not in the best of health fella.Hope the surgery goes well and you can continue trolling us poor relations on the East Coast

Quoted from NorfolkImp

Well I think congratulations are in order for The Imps highest Football League finish for 39 years, albeit Colin Murphy’s side finished 4th instead of 5th back in 1982 with 77pts.

There's absolutely no pressure on us in the Play-Off Semi this time versus Sunderland, who will have 10,000 fans at The Stadium of Light in the 2nd Leg, even if our record of 6 failures and no success so far in this lottery is pretty dismal.

Bramhall Lane or Hillsborough next season, its a win win really isn't it?

Congratulations. Just think though, it could have all been so different. Fine lines and small margins have a big impact in football results but a massive impact on the whole path of history. Go back to that Grimsby play-semi final at Braintree, 10 minutes to go, we are 1-0 down from the home leg and we'd pummelled them for 80 minutes. It was hot, their players were gasping. We win a corner, one of their defenders just loses it for a moment, pulls a shirt right in front of the ref. Penalty to Town and the rest is history. If that defender had just kept his cool - we hadn't scored against Braintree for hours of play that season. We lose on aggregate and Operation Promotion has failed. Fenty has a quiet word with the Braintree chairman about talking to the Cowleys. Hurst is sacked on the Monday and the Cowleys are unveiled the next day.

Of course, Fenty would still have fecked it up with the Cowleys, he would let them down on budget, training facilities, fitness coach, sports analyst - probably the lot. They'd have left like Hurst not long after getting us promoted. Maybe to Shrewsbury like Hurst did.

Lincoln might have gone for Hurst. He would probably have done ok for you - sorted the defence, got "us" shape right, maybe still manager now. He'd have got you up in a couple of seasons via the play-offs and your Board would have backed him well once back in the League. You'd still be in League 2 with a couple of failed play-off attempts. You're average gate would be 4.5k and Lincoln fans would be getting a bit restless occasionally about Hurst rather conservative approach but then you'd think - look at Grimsby back in the National League with 4 failed managers after not looking after the Cowleys...

Quoted from 1mickylyons

Sorry to hear you are not in the best of health fella.Hope the surgery goes well and you can continue trolling us poor relations on the East Coast

Tbh mate, when that game swung against Exeter recently I genuinely felt for the likes of your good self, Padge, Si Stevo, Blakey etc .... but shhhhh don't tell anyone.

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

Congratulations. Just think though, it could have all been so different. Fine lines and small margins have a big impact in football results but a massive impact on the whole path of history. Go back to that Grimsby play-semi final at Braintree, 10 minutes to go, we are 1-0 down from the home leg and we'd pummelled them for 80 minutes. It was hot, their players were gasping. We win a corner, one of their defenders just loses it for a moment, pulls a shirt right in front of the ref. Penalty to Town and the rest is history. If that defender had just kept his cool - we hadn't scored against Braintree for hours of play that season. We lose on aggregate and Operation Promotion has failed. Fenty has a quiet word with the Braintree chairman about talking to the Cowleys. Hurst is sacked on the Monday and the Cowleys are unveiled the next day.

Of course, Fenty would still have fecked it up with the Cowleys, he would let them down on budget, training facilities, fitness coach, sports analyst - probably the lot. They'd have left like Hurst not long after getting us promoted. Maybe to Shrewsbury like Hurst did.

Lincoln might have gone for Hurst. He would probably have done ok for you - sorted the defence, got "us" shape right, maybe still manager now. He'd have got you up in a couple of seasons via the play-offs and your Board would have backed him well once back in the League. You'd still be in League 2 with a couple of failed play-off attempts. You're average gate would be 4.5k and Lincoln fans would be getting a bit restless occasionally about Hurst rather conservative approach but then you'd think - look at Grimsby back in the National League with 4 failed managers after not looking after the Cowleys...

Its funny you say that .... I thought the very same back in 88' when Kettering under Alan Buckley beat The Imps 2-0 at Rockingham Road. Barnet were in the box seat but blew it incredibly after Barry Fry said 'Bet your house on us' live on Grandstand to Des Lynam at the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final.

The Imps beat Wycombe and Murphy's Mission was complete. If it hadn't happened then I'm sure John Reames would've gone for 'Sir Alan' in the close season before he was Blundell Park bound.

Small margins/Sliding Doors moment as you say.

Quoted from NorfolkImp

Its funny you say that .... I thought the very same back in 88' when Kettering under Alan Buckley beat The Imps 2-0 at Rockingham Road. Barnet were in the box seat but blew it incredibly after Barry Fry said 'Bet your house on us' live on Grandstand to Des Lynam at the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final.

The Imps beat Wycombe and Murphy's Mission was complete. If it hadn't happened then I'm sure John Reames would've gone for 'Sir Alan' in the close season before he was Blundell Park bound.

Small margins/Closing Doors moment as you say.

Yes - exactly that. Good film, except the Scottish bloke gets on my wick a bit. The Braintree defender needed to feign injury - just take a moment, take on some water - think Samuel Jackson in Pulp Fiction - be cool, just 10 minutes more.

Alan Buckley would have never lasted at Lincoln in 88 - it took us half a season to work out why we were playing the ball to Keith Alexander's feet. The Sincil faithful would have demanded nothing less than carpet bombing from the outset...

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

Yes - exactly that. Good film, except the Scottish bloke gets on my wick a bit. The Braintree defender needed to feign injury - just take a moment, take on some water - think Samuel Jackson in Pulp Fiction - be cool, just 10 minutes more.

Alan Buckley would have never lasted at Lincoln in 88 - it took us half a season to work out why we were playing the ball to Keith Alexander's feet. The Sincil faithful would have demanded nothing less than carpet bombing from the outset...

In over 40 years supporting Town the strangest thing happened during Buckleys first season we were 0-4 down at HT to Rotherham and Town got a standing ovation leaving the pitch. Rotherham were top of the league and had 4 attempts scored 4 goals Town battered them and the woodwork for the whole 90 mins. Their Keeper was Kelham O Hanlon and to this day its the best goalkeeping ive ever seen on a par with Sherwood vs Villa in the League Cup.

Quoted from NorfolkImp

Tbh mate, when that game swung against Exeter recently I genuinely felt for the likes of your good self, Padge, Si Stevo, Blakey etc .... but shhhhh don't tell anyone.

Too be honest think most of us accepted relegation Feb/March time we just couldnt get the goals/wins required but at least PH got the players to have a go.

Quoted from 1mickylyons

In over 40 years supporting Town the strangest thing happened during Buckleys first season we were 0-4 down at HT to Rotherham and Town got a standing ovation leaving the pitch. Rotherham were top of the league and had 4 attempts scored 4 goals Town battered them and the woodwork for the whole 90 mins. Their Keeper was Kelham O Hanlon and to this day its the best goalkeeping ive ever seen on a par with Sherwood vs Villa in the League Cup.

The best opposition goalkeeping display I remember was David James against us at Watford. We battered them but lost because of him.

remember getting beaten by 2 or 3 at bristol Rovers 1 year, and was unsurprised to find that the local paper had voted their keeper motm

Sam Russell when he was at Darlo, ALWAYS ALWAYS had an amazing game against us