ghostofcecere

Christ will we have anyone in our squad at the start of next season!!!!!

Simply one of the most exciting players ever to don the blue shirt. It seems like only yesterday that evertime he got the ball the Chaddy End would shout "skin him Ricky!" and more often than not the full back would end up on his ar5e after Rick had turned him inside out. His crossing was truly sublime; he seemed to be able to pick out the blue shirt no matter how crowded the box was. Who could forget the overhead kick at St. James' Park, or the goal against West Ham just after half time in the League Cup Semi-Final; that was the point I really beleived we were going to Wembley. One of my favourite memories was in his second spell with us when he ran Lee Dixon ragged at BP despite probably being past his best. At the time he was rated as one of the best full backs in the country, but Rick kept skipping past him and generally showboating until Dixon lost the plot with him. They ended up in a heap in front of me in the Paddock and both got sent off as Rick retaliated to an awful challenge. I doubt Dixon had a tougher game in his career than that day at BP. For a full rundown on the eccentric that Rick was, read Neil Redfearn's biography where the full extent of the daft stuff he got up to is revealed. A good one being him turning up for an end of season holiday to Spain wearing slip on shoes, socks, Lycra cycling shorts, a linen shirt and his famous trilby and no other luggage whatsoever!!! SKIN HIM RICKY!

Were Hall and Dabo mates by any chance?

Jade Goody at Centre Half instead of Haining?

Robbie Fowler?

Totally agree briefs, it's a sad day as you really can't fault the guys efforts. I just hope he gets fixed up with a club soon.

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't season tickets go up by about 30% for this season? If so I can't see TTA getting away with it again this time; the only chance would have been if we had gone up. Having said all that, I think a rise of 1 - 4% could be justified as it would be in line with inflation. I personally would like to see more season ticket holders at a lower cost than fewer season ticket holders at a higher cost. I'm not sure what the financial impact is but it makes for a better atmosphere at more games because we would have fewer floating supporters and more regulars.

Total legend; maybe we should view him even higher than Rithcie or Palmer etc. for the loyalty he showed us, and the success he brought to the club over a long period. Can you honestly say now that we would do 10+ seasons at Championship level if (when!) we go up? Perhaps the best bit about Joe was his attitude towards the game, it was always to score one more than the opposition, if they get 3 we will get 4 attitude. It was very rarely dull watching Latics; a 2-1 defeat for one of Joe's teams was better than a 1-0 win with Rotten Ronnie's side. I met him once outside the ground when he was manager at Everton and had come back to watch us, I said "welcome back Joe" to him as he passed me in a hurry and he actually stopped and walked back to me to shake hands. A great manager and a real gentleman.

Excellent post Sheridans World and I agree with everything you have said. I would like to add that a lot of people may have forgotten the work that Sean Jarvis did in those initial weeks after Mr. Moore shafted us; he kept the profie of Latics high in the media and the club ticking over. I for one was very sad the day he left as I think as a club we owed him something. But I realise that TTA invested the money, so they have every right to take up the running of the club and choose who does it. I suspect Sean wanted a bigger input than he was being offered.

Middlesborough have released Danny Graham and Malcolm Christie. Graham scored something like 8 goals in 14 appreances on loan at Carlisle and his wage demands probably wouldn't be too high. Christie might want a good few grand a week but then again he will be looking to restart his career after suffering more injuries than Killen and Porter put together. I think either of them could od a job for us. Whatever happens I think we need a bit of a clear out, we look completely lacking in confidence at the mo and if, IF we don't beat the Lashers next weekend and then Forest in the final I think we might struggle next season if a few results go against us early on like they did this season. I don't think it would take much for the old doubts to surface. Brentford and Hartlepool both got relegated the season after missing out on the playoffs, so I think freshening up the squad whatever happens would be a good idea.

It's already happened; the first time we played them after we dropped to the third tier, the away end was locked at 2:00. There was Latics fans all over the ground and fighting broke out all over the place after Stuart Barlow scored an equaliser. I was stood in what was then the main stand paddock and managed to get inside that social club they had at the back of it for a pint at half time, when I got inside the place was full of Latics and it was hilarious listening to all the Blackpool fans complaining to the Police/Stewards about it. I think they might just be ready for us these days!

Ahem............ not as good as OWTB.co.uk still obviously!!!!!

I may stand corrected on some of the finer detail, but I remember being stood in the Chaddy End on a Friday night (I think)watching us play Crystal Palace (I think)when Denis hit a thunderous shot from a cleared corner. It hit the crossbar and the ball re-bounded virtually to the half way line. In the Chron on the Monday with the match report was a picture of the groundsman who had found that the shot had actually broken the crossbar. Denis was a real un-sung hero of Latics; he was never really appreciated until he left. I think this was partly to do with the fact he was around during the Palmer/Ritchie/Marshall/Pinch Me era, when the team was all about attacking rather than defending, and partly the fact that he left us to join the enemy!! What a fantastic player who ended up with the career record he deserved, Latics Legend no doubt! Deeeniiiis, Deeeniiiis, Deeeniiiis......................................

We'll stagger over with two home wins. Mind you I predicted two wins over easter too............................................................................. .........

Warney for me. Just because of his sheer workrate in every game, never lets us down on that front.

Good point that, I'm gonna be controversial here and admit I've never really hated City in the way that I hate the Red Scum. I've always found their fans to be a bit humble like us and not a set of arrogant armchair fanatics like the Red lot. My mate is a Leeds fan and he gave me loads of stick after the league cup defeat against them so I'm going for Leeds so we can take 6 points of them if a disaster happens and we're not in the championship.

I thought Terrible had a pretty decent game too, ironically I think his best game for Latics was in his debut against Yeovil. I still think Richie Wellens is pretty quiet at the moment (apart from the pass to Macca), if we can get him back to his best form then it will make the playoffs an easier proposition. Bradford away last season (until he went off!) was one of the best performances by a Latics player I have ever seen, if we could get him like like 4 games out of 5 we would be pretty unstopable. I would be tempted to drop Lidds as well at the moment, Shez could use the excuse of resting him for the playoffs. I just don't think he is offering us much at the moment. I would swap Taylor over to cover for him and Stick Warney out on the wing, his work rate would make up for any short comings he would have out there. Then I would stick Glombard up front with Ports, as I thought he looked good for the brief time he came on. I would also keep Porter in now until the end of the season and rotate the others around him as he will need a few games to get his sharpness back.

I too hate the Pie Eaters. At least when we got to the top flight we did it on merit and not on the back of a rich chairman's cheque book; and how they have the cheek to call themselves Latics I will never know. Because of the era I started watching watching Latics I also hate Blackburn with a passion and they too got to where they are due to a rich benefactor. After this it's the Trannies for no other reason than Rotten Ronnie is in charge (and they're fake Scousers too I suppose), I hate that guy more than any team after the way he nearly destroyed our club. I still know people who don't come because of the misery they suffered last season under him.

Always thought Pogs was a decent keeper at this level. Getting rid of him and bringing that clown Day in to replace him just shows exactly what Rotten Ronnie knows about football!

I'm tempted to say whoever scores the winner in the playoff final at Wembley but otherwise I would agree that Warney has without doubt been our most consistant performer this season. I'm sure Porter will get plenty of votes as he is the first striker to get 20 goals in a season for us for ages; Taylor obviously for the way he has improved and the fact he is a local hero; and Gregan for the difference he has made since he came. But on balance my vote would be Warney. I have to say I've been rather dissapointed with Richie Wellens this season. I think he is a class act and on his day the best midfielder in this division but he has not been at his best often enough this season for me.

I sat in the main stand with the Mill Owners for the Blackpool game. I found the same, pretty much all moaners although to be fair I suppose we did lose! Can't wait til next season when the Lookers Upper boys get in there and shake them out of their coma!

Not funny at all, I nearly choked on my Corn Flakes when I read it!

Love it, but agree a better job needs to be made from the pathetic Slumberland model recently. How cool would it be to go to 2 styles of original kits for a couple of years? I for one would be buying both!

Every moment he spent on the pitch for Latics is a special memory for me. He is quite simply the most gifted and intelligent footballer we have ever had. If I had to single out one moment it would be Birmingham City away in about 1988, it was the first time I had been on an away trip with my mates on a Barlows coach. We won the game 3-1 with (Oooh) Roger Palmer getting a couple and Stitch going on a mazey run beating a few men and smashing it in from the edge of the area, total class. I may have some of the detail wrong here but that how I remember it and it still makes me smile to this day so leave me alone

Don't want to be pessimistic about the rest of the season, but how about doing nothing for now so we can parade the full flag in all its glory at the playoff final at the new Wembley then reducing it to smaller flags.