oafcprozac Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 The Good Friday fixture was always a tradition, but over the last few years it has been something of a rarity for Oldham Athletic and in fact our 1-1 draw with Luton Town on Good Friday 1999 was the last time we played at home on this particular Bank Holiday. However, growing up I remember many an early kick off and a big local derby on Good Friday, a few stand out - particularly the 4-2 win over promotion chasing Blackburn Rovers on Good Friday 1988. 3 days later we made it a perfect Easter by winning 2-1 at Aston Villa with a late, late winner from Frank Bunn. A year later a bad tempered, wind affected match saw Latics take on Blackburn again at Boundary Park, but this time having to settle for a point, Easter Monday 1989 again saw Latics in the West Midlands, this time going down 3-1 to Brian Talbot's play off challenging West Brom. In 1990, a mere 36 hours after the heart-break of the extra-time replay defeat to Manchester United at Maine Road, Play Off Challengers Latics, found themselves up against Champions Elect Leeds United at Boundary Park, showing tremendous spirit the lads played Leeds off the park in a cracking 3-1 win. Sadly Easter Monday's trip to Vale Park wasn't as fruitful, with a Darren Beckford inspired Port Vale putting Joe Royle's charges to the sword. Good Friday 1991 saw Latics edging towards promotion. The first half of March had seen three straight wins bit defeats to doomed Hull City at Boundary Park followed by a defeat at struggling Blackburn, saw Latics nervily lining up for the promotion blockbuster v West Ham United. Latics had plundered 9 goals in the two fixtures on the Boundary Park plastic the year before but West Ham under Billy Bonds had stood toe to toe with Latics at the top of the table all season. Latics swashbuckling style had proved fruitful in their pursuit of promotion but West Ham's cautious approach (they seemed to win 1-0 every week!) was paying equal dividends. An entertaining game ended 1-1 in front of the Granada cameras, thanks to two penalties. Latics equalising late on through Andy Ritchie (who had missed a pen badly at Blackburn 6 days earlier) Easter Monday, saw Latics win 2-1 at Plymouth, a ground that had been a graveyard for years. Super strikes from Andy Ritchie and Neil Adams made it a productive Easter that saw Latics head into the run-in in buoyant mood. There was something of a hiatus then until the afore mentioned point at home to Luton in 1999, this was followed up by a defeat at Springfield Park to big spending Wigan Athletic, Latics going down 2-0 and Paul Mardon seeing red. Again there was a break this time of 10 years before Latics trotted at at Brunton Park during Joe Royle's short-lived second spell in charge. A late free-kick from Neal Eardley saw Latics pick up only their third point in 8 games, as the Play Offs disappeared over the horizon. Easter Monday saw the same 1-1 score-line at home to Crewe. This time it was Latics surrendering their lead to late leveller. Two years later, saw the long trip down to Devon for what was to prove a fruitless trip for Paul Dickov's men as they went down 2-0 to Exeter City. Relegation looked unlikely but a run of only one win in 16 was worrying. Easter Monday saw another poor showing at Boundary Park, Latics thankful for a late cracker from Jason Lowe in rescuing a point against Walsall. Today is massive, and probably our biggest game on Good Friday since probably the first match I mentioned - at home to Luton in 1999. Monday is huge, but a positive result today could really take the pressure off going into a genuine six pointer on Easter Monday. Complete Easter Record over the last 27 Years:- (I'm like Sky, if I wasn't involved before, it doesn't exist! ;-) 1986-87 Easter Sat Sheff United 2 Latics 2 Easter Tues Latics 1 Grimsby 1 Points 1/6 1987-88 Good Friday Latics 4 Blackburn 2 Easter Mon Villa 1 Latics 2 Points 6/6 1988/89 Good Friday Latics 1 Blackburn 1 Easter Mon WBA 3 Latics 1 Points 1/6 1989/90 Good Friday Latics 3 Leeds 1 Easter Monday Port Vale 2 Latics 0 Points 3/6 1990/91 Good Friday Latics 1 West Ham 1 Easter Monday Plymouth 1 Latics 2 Points 4/6 1991/92 Easter Sat Palace 0 Latics 0 Easter Mon Latics 1 Spurs 0 Points 4/6 1992/93 Easter Sat Liverpool 1 Latics 0 Easter Tues Latics 1 Sheff Utd 1 Points 1/6 1993/94 Easter Sat Latics 4 QPR 1 Easter Mon Man Utd 3 Latics 2 Points 3/6 1994/95 Easter Sat Latics 1 Grimsby 0 Easter Mon Wolves 2 Latics 1 Points 3/6 1995/96 Easter Sat Latics 0 Derby 1 Easter Mon Port Vale 1 Latics 3 Points 3/6 1996/97 Easter Sat Stoke 2 Latics 1 Easter Mon Latics 5 Swindon 1 Points 3/6 1997/98 Easter Sat Carlisle 3 Latics 1 Easter Mon Latics 0 Wycombe 1 Points 0/6 1998/99 Good Friday Latics 1 Luton 1 Easter Mon Wigan 2 Latics 0 Points 1/6 1999/00 Easter Sat Latics 1 Cardiff 2 Easter Mon Notts C 0 Latics 1 Points 3/6 2000/01 Easter Sat Luton 0 Latics 0 Easter Mon Latics 1 Bristol Rov 0 Points 4/6 2001/02 Easter Sat Latics 2 Cambridge 2 Easter Mon Hudds 0 Latics 0 Points 2/6 2002/03 Easter Sat Latics 4 Chesterfield 0 Easter Mon Wigan 3 Latics 1 Points 3/6 2003/04 Easter Sat Latics 1 Peterborough 1 Easter Mon Stockport 1 Latics 1 Points 2/6 2004/05 Easter Sat Walsall 0 Latics 1 Easter Mon Latics 1 Hull 0 Points 6/6 2005/06 Easter Sat Latics 0 Barnsley 3 Easter Mon Bristol City 2 Latics 1 Points 0/6 2006/07 Easter Sat Latics 1 Huddersfield 1 Easter Mon Bradford 1 Latics 1 Points 2/6 2007/08 Easter Sat Latics 1 Millwall 1 Easter Mon Donny 1 Latics 1 Points 2/6 2008/09 Good Friday Carlisle 1 Latics 1 Easter Monday Oldham 1 Crewe 1 Points 2/6 2009/10 Easter Saturday Latics 2 Bristol Rovers 1 Easter Tuesday Hudds 2 Latics 0 Points 3/6 2010/11 Good Friday Exeter 2 Latics 0 Latics 1 Walsall 1 Points 1/6 2011/12 Easter Saturday Latics 0 Charlton 1 Easter Monday Sheff Wed 3 Latics 0 Points 0/6 From that little lot it is clear we are well overdue a 'Good' Easter, having won only ONE (!!!!!) of our last 14 Easter Fixtures! Come on boys, a four point Easter would be fabulous, Six points awesome, three decent, anything else and we are struggling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disjointed Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 I remember Easter 1974, beating Southport 6-0 on Good Friday, we then went to Southport on the Easter Monday and won 2-0. We also played on the Saturday at Bristol Rovers and won 2-1. This really set us up to win the league. Great times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magic Mikey Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Beat me to it. I was only ten but those Southport games stand out in my memory. The away game was amazing I remember being on the funfair and seeing half of my class on there. Grass bank behind the goal, and I think it was the game where Grovesy kicked the ball against a hoarding, missed, and smacked a kid in the face, happy days. I was too young for Brizzle, but an older tick once reminisced about it to me, a load of them went down and slept in a Transit van, he said the next morning it stank of beer, farts, B.O. and Brut.......ah if you could bottle that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaticsPete Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Yes, the 1974 Easter was excellent, After the Southport home match there was great anticipation about travelling to Bristol the next day - and it was going to be on MOTD. Went on one of the Barlow's coaches and got back in time to watch MOTD ! no videos or Skyplus then. Today ? A big match but not massive. It's important but given the choice between winning today or on Monday, then it's Monday for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsslatic Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Can't be bothered to check but am I right in thinking that win over Hull was our last win before the Bradford game on the final day? Wasn't big at the time but was massive in the end! I remember a collective intake of breath sucking the ball back off the goal line from a Cort header off a set piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disjointed Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Beat me to it. I was only ten but those Southport games stand out in my memory. The away game was amazing I remember being on the funfair and seeing half of my class on there. Grass bank behind the goal, and I think it was the game where Grovesy kicked the ball against a hoarding, missed, and smacked a kid in the face, happy days. I was too young for Brizzle, but an older tick once reminisced about it to me, a load of them went down and slept in a Transit van, he said the next morning it stank of beer, farts, B.O. and Brut.......ah if you could bottle that. I was 13 and my dad wedged me behind a girder at the back of the stand at Southport so i could get a good view. Remember walking back to the town centre to meet my mum and sister after the match, singing, all the way up Lord street. Grovesy was a joy to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafcprozac Posted March 29, 2013 Author Share Posted March 29, 2013 Yes after the hull win we drew at MK, drew at home to Sheff wed, drew at Barnsley before losing at home to Torquay and at Chesterfield before scraping home v Bradford - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatchLatics Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Jinxed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stargazer Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 1988 , what a top Good Friday. We tonked Blckburn 4-2 at lunch time. Then we went down to Rochdale Hornets , think it was their last ever game at their old ground , can't recall it's name. Oldham beat them 58-6 or some such score. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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