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LOTW - 22-03-07 - Andy Ritchie


Ackey

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Welcome to the first Latics, Legend of the Week

We're looking for you our members to post their memories, anecdotes and stories of our weekly Legend!!!

Met him in a pub? Go to school with their Mrs? Go to school with them? Get hit by their car?
Anything and Everything!

If you have access to some season stat's or career stat's then post them too, pictures, videos, songs!?
Post them all!!

So, Get Posting!!

A couple of very simple rules
1. Please stay on the topic of a single legend at once... it will become apparent why over time.
(If you would like to suggest an upcoming legend then please feel free to PM me)
2. Please don't post anything which may subject you to libel... as OWTB can not be held responsible for that.
3. Have fun!
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When I was at school I used to work on the milk round on Firwood Park in Chadderton. Collecting the money one day I knocked on a door and who should answer but God himself. Who promptly told me that he was baby sitting and he didn't have any money on him.

 

After the dissapointment that Latics superstars did normal things, I was chuffed to bits.

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Just a quickie. I'm very late for work.

 

I had the same hair dresser as him up until about 3 years ago.

 

Seriously!

 

It meant the usual hairdresser chit-chat was quite an insight into the goings on at BP!

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Just a quickie. I'm very late for work.

 

I had the same hair dresser as him up until about 3 years ago.

 

Seriously!

 

It meant the usual hairdresser chit-chat was quite an insight into the goings on at BP!

 

You do know that this week's legend is ANDY RITCHIE right? as in no hair :wink:

 

 

The only story I have which comes to mind is whilst working in a Cafe on Deansgate last year he came in with his Mrs (I assume) and I served him with all the outer calm of a pro... but freaking underneath... only to spoil it as I got over excited telling the girl working with me... just as he walked up behind me to ask for sugar!

 

I looked like a bell, but he just laughed!

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Guest sheridans_world

I met him in the fairview about 3 months ago and also went to school with his Niece. Oh and i know where he lives. (Or at least used to, dont know anymore).

 

Oh and had my 10th Birthday at Boundary park and got showed round by him as my 'favourite player' :D

Edited by sheridans_world
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I remember my lads Birthday somtime ago, (when the great man was still manager) I bought him a latics shirt for his birthday, but couldn't collect it for a couple of days while he had is name printed on the back. So i sent Mrs B to collect it, So Andy Ritchie is in the club shop chatting to the girls behind the counter, And said to her "do want me to sign the shirt"

Mrs B replied "no i dont think he'll like that". Enough Said.

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This happened first time we went to watch the Isle of Man tourney in 1997 I think, there were about 15 of of us on tour. We'd beaten Rick Holdens IOM team one nil - actually Ritchie scored the goal, I digress. In Douglas that night we were in the club underneath the Casino IIRC, most of the team were in too (more stories for another time - I've got a belter about Scott McNiven) and Ritchie was chatting to our group. We we're lapping it up, then one of the lads (Rick I know you're a member on here!) asked for his autograph. We managed to get a marker - don't know where from like but we had one, but couldn't locate any decent paper. So Rick pulled his kecks down and asked Andy to sign his arse. He obliged! He didn't wash his backside for the rest of the trip! Ha ha ha!

 

I think it was on the local radio station the day after as well!

 

Absolute quality...

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People, feel free to mention your favourite memories of seeing him play too, not to mention his management in Ritchie's case.

 

I remember too many goals to mention, scored by my childhood hero. The volley against Barnsley in the FA Cup (93/94?) was a bit special, as was his goal in the 7-0 drubbing of Scarborough (the game in which Frankie Bunn scored his record six goals, of course).

 

My personal favourites though are his hattrick against Wolves on Boxing Day '94, when he was 34. And his performances in the Littlewood's Cup run; he was tremendous - a goal in each leg against Leeds, a great goal against Scarborough (mentioned above), the goals that rescued a draw at Southampton and then one in the replay and two in the 6-0 St Valentine's Day Massacre of West Ham, in the semi final. The final was the only round he didn't score in. :disappointed:

 

Just to add, I have to mention Ritchie's signings of Eyresy and Shez, which were great at the time, but are huge when you look back now.

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Favourite goal from stitch... the backheel... cant remember who it was against (maybe Notts County or Swindon??? - apologies for the half cocked memory!) ... was only from about 3 yards out at the Rocky Road end... I was stood right behind it...

 

Why it was special for me is that it just summed up how that team was playing at the time... all confidence and cheek, Andy didnt even look to see if it had gone in, he hust ran off, hand in the air and grinning... he knew it was there.... wasnt the best backheeled goal ever, but 90% of players would have turned and hit it... not Stitch....

 

Was one of those moments when you knew you were watching the start of a really special team...

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I have no idea which game it was... but I remember him scoring with a back heel at one point... and them attempting and failing to do the same for about 6 months afterwards!

 

Obviously on the same page Ackey - No-one remembers the team we played - just the fact we were better than them and that goal summed it up!

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THE Ritchie moment, the one that gave us belief, that sparked the "pinch me" era and all that followed in my humble opine.

 

This quote from The Times as posted by Help Shiny on JK ages ago

 

The Arsenal goal had lived a charmed life in the 10 minutes before the interval, a venemous low drive by Irwin forcing Lukic smartly down to his left and O'Leary clearing off his line after Winterburn had directed Milligan's left-wing cross towards his own goal. Oldham's reward for their spirit of adventure came in first-half injury time when Barlow's cross found Ritchie unmarked to drive in from an angle.

 

What a night, we'd done for the Champions, played 'em off BP, and it really was I believe the catalyst.

 

There have been many great moments in my time watching Latics but that few seconds in time Stitch hitting it, being stood in line, seeing it was going in and the unbelievable euphoria that followed as the Chaddy bounced as one is possibly the best, yes even better than Redders penalty, simply because it was the first. We didn't do giant killing, we didn't batter teams like Arsenal, and as half time approached it seemed we'd get nothing for our dominance. Then Stitch popped up and the rest is history.

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I can hardly remember any of the euphoria in the late 80's/early 90's, dont ask me why but it all seems a blur.

 

But his managerial career highlight for me was that win at Wigan, the euphoria on his face at the final whistle, knowing we had just done a proper job on the best team in the league.

Obviously others thought differently on his management, but you knew his heart was 100% into it!

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I played footy with his son, Scott, a few years back, and he recommended me to Bolton Wanderers for a trial.

 

Him and my dad were really good friends. However, me and Scott ended up playing for different teams and we lost touch. Although, he always lets onto us when we see him, and I had a decent chat with him last season when Barnsley turned us over.

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Six years ago Latics ran a competetion on the website for a primary school team to have a training session with AR, when he was manager. It required entering as many times as possible - which I did for my son's school who I coached. It's near York and we won!!

 

Anyway we turned up and Andy, who had not long finished a first team training session, spent two hours with these lads on Clayton. He was absolutely brilliant with them. At the end we had a small match - and I played on his team !! Him and me, three little lads, against six other little lads. We won 3-2! I have played on a winning team with Andy Ritchie.

 

Afterwards he sat having a cup of tea with my wife and I and he spent loads of time being what he is - a great guy.

 

(ps. Billy Urmson ran his bath for him - and Billy was special on the day too)

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Andy Richie - my favourite player ever...

 

I remember when Graham Sharp was manager - and Richie was banished from the club. I was sickened.

 

Then, before the next season began, Latics played a friendly against Cobh Ramblers in Cork.

 

Being from Ireland, it was a treat because it was no hassle getting there. Just a couple of hours drive.

 

I remember being a young lad standing by the Latics subs bench when my dad shouted BRING BACK ANDY RICHIE at the top of his voice.

 

The look on Sharp's face - as he stood six feet away - is one of my favourite Richie memories... and it was brilliant when we did get Richie back.

 

Apart from that, I'll never forget my first game seen from the Chaddy end. Richie was magnificent and scored a penalty and set up two others in a cracking 3-3 draw with Coventry.

 

Richie - greatest Latic ever.

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In 1998 (I think) when he was managing us, he did a guest appearance at the Sun Inn on Henshaw Street in Oldham which at the time was my mate's parents pub. I think it was for the Rainbow Trust or something and he was doing the 'big cheque' thing, but he stuck around for ages, had a few drinks and just chatted with people.

 

Anyway, it was just around the time (maybe just after) of the World Cup when Laurent Blanc kept kissing Fabian Bartez' head before each of France's games. Me and my kid brother decided we wanted a picture with him, and after consuming a rather large amount of fizzy pop, we decided we wanted a piccy of the pair of us giving him a 'Laurent Blanc - one either side - on his big baldy bonce! :blush:

 

I sidled up to him and asked if we could get a picture and he duly got one of us either side of him, and then we just stuck the lips on him! He looked at us like we were a right pair of idiots :shock: (which is pretty close to the truth) and then just drunk himself laughing! :lol:

 

Top TOP man! :grin:

 

Sadly it was in the days before digital cameras and I never managed to lay my hands on the photo taken by my mates dad!

Edited by danoafc
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