tonight in 1989

[Tractors Passing Through]

Here's the topic for what it's worth.     Some fans won't remember it but it actually happened and what a team you put together back then.     For some reason couldn't see any mention of it.      Sorry if this has gone through twice, there was a message when posting about 'server problems' or something.  

 

Today - tonight - is the anniversary of the   3 - 1   League Cup win over Arsenal.      34 years back in 1989, I don't know where the time goes to.     Was still at school back then but that season alone, Oldham made what the Final itself and took Manchester United to a replay in the other semi-final.      You very nearly made two domestic finals, and what with the promotion to the 1st division the year after, it's kind of nice to look back on times like that.   

 

Anyway that night in 1989 today, Oldham had players like Mike Milligan, Ritchie, Frankie Bunn, Ian Marshall, Olney was it, just names I can remember from that time and they were League Champions and what a night it was.    I bet (Latics) fans of a certain age can still be thrilled about what occurred that game.    Not only that you beat a good Leeds team over two games and West Ham  6 - 0  in the semi-final,  typing it out now it all comes flooding back the memories.     Joe Royle as manager, the plastic pitch, Oldham having the best two seasons of their history.    It were great, even for neutrals. 

 

Just wondered what people's memories of that Arsenal game were.     I know you'd do almost anything to go back and relive again those times and great Latics team, and while you can't, at least we can look back and say those results and teams really did happen.    For a while, it were great.       Maybe you won't reach those heights again but for those of us who were there and can look back and remember, it was a night and season of Oldham's history that was remarkable.     Really gave neutral fans a lift and wanted the team to do well.     Ok ?    Thanks.  

[diggleblue]

Yes. Thanks. 

As long as teams like Oldham and Luton can climb the pyramid,football will succeed.We were never big enough to stay there but it was fun getting to the premiership.  Will we ever get back? Who knows but in Mellon I trust.

We murdered Arsenal that night.

[Bobledgersheart]

Can remember thinking I hope they don't score another after Niall Quinn? scored, and that was in the 90th minute, but that's what supporting Latics does to you !!     

[Dave_Og]

Took a French work colleague along. Don't think he'd ever heard of Oldham before and just assumed he'd see Arsenal get double figures.

[astottie]

I remember thinking just before half time, we'd played really well but had nothing to show for it and these will come out second half and take the game away from us. And then we scored!!

[oafcmetty]

That was the night it dawned on a lot of people that we had something really special brewing.

[andy_b_100]

That was some night .... Nick Henry scoring the worldie ( My all time favourite player) Stitch with that bullet header and Rhodes with that magnificent save  after Andy Barlow tried to backheel it away. Irwin and Milligan/Henry were unbeatable that night. Got home and watched it again on midweek soccer special. Thats the night we became everyones favourite underdog and the nations second team (Unless you were a red). The real beginning of the pinch me seasons. 

[Monty Burns]

13 hours ago, Tractors Passing Through said:

Here's the topic for what it's worth.     Some fans won't remember it but it actually happened and what a team you put together back then.     For some reason couldn't see any mention of it.      Sorry if this has gone through twice, there was a message when posting about 'server problems' or something.  

 

Today - tonight - is the anniversary of the   3 - 1   League Cup win over Arsenal.      34 years back in 1989, I don't know where the time goes to.     Was still at school back then but that season alone, Oldham made what the Final itself and took Manchester United to a replay in the other semi-final.      You very nearly made two domestic finals, and what with the promotion to the 1st division the year after, it's kind of nice to look back on times like that.   

 

Anyway that night in 1989 today, Oldham had players like Mike Milligan, Ritchie, Frankie Bunn, Ian Marshall, Olney was it, just names I can remember from that time and they were League Champions and what a night it was.    I bet (Latics) fans of a certain age can still be thrilled about what occurred that game.    Not only that you beat a good Leeds team over two games and West Ham  6 - 0  in the semi-final,  typing it out now it all comes flooding back the memories.     Joe Royle as manager, the plastic pitch, Oldham having the best two seasons of their history.    It were great, even for neutrals. 

 

Just wondered what people's memories of that Arsenal game were.     I know you'd do almost anything to go back and relive again those times and great Latics team, and while you can't, at least we can look back and say those results and teams really did happen.    For a while, it were great.       Maybe you won't reach those heights again but for those of us who were there and can look back and remember, it was a night and season of Oldham's history that was remarkable.     Really gave neutral fans a lift and wanted the team to do well.     Ok ?    Thanks.  

we have spent a large proportion of our time pissing all that goodwill away so for us to totally unknowingly mark the date with a yardstick performance taking over London makes me smile.

[Worcester Owl]

I just hope video recorders never completely die out…..I’ve still got the VHS cassette of that match

 

[L1onheartNew]

8 hours ago, Dave_Og said:

Took a French work colleague along. Don't think he'd ever heard of Oldham before and just assumed he'd see Arsenal get double figures.

Sacred Blues.

[wiseowl]

17 hours ago, Tractors Passing Through said:

Here's the topic for what it's worth.     Some fans won't remember it but it actually happened and what a team you put together back then.     For some reason couldn't see any mention of it.      Sorry if this has gone through twice, there was a message when posting about 'server problems' or something.  

 

Today - tonight - is the anniversary of the   3 - 1   League Cup win over Arsenal.      34 years back in 1989, I don't know where the time goes to.     Was still at school back then but that season alone, Oldham made what the Final itself and took Manchester United to a replay in the other semi-final.      You very nearly made two domestic finals, and what with the promotion to the 1st division the year after, it's kind of nice to look back on times like that.   

 

Anyway that night in 1989 today, Oldham had players like Mike Milligan, Ritchie, Frankie Bunn, Ian Marshall, Olney was it, just names I can remember from that time and they were League Champions and what a night it was.    I bet (Latics) fans of a certain age can still be thrilled about what occurred that game.    Not only that you beat a good Leeds team over two games and West Ham  6 - 0  in the semi-final,  typing it out now it all comes flooding back the memories.     Joe Royle as manager, the plastic pitch, Oldham having the best two seasons of their history.    It were great, even for neutrals. 

 

Just wondered what people's memories of that Arsenal game were.     I know you'd do almost anything to go back and relive again those times and great Latics team, and while you can't, at least we can look back and say those results and teams really did happen.    For a while, it were great.       Maybe you won't reach those heights again but for those of us who were there and can look back and remember, it was a night and season of Oldham's history that was remarkable.     Really gave neutral fans a lift and wanted the team to do well.     Ok ?    Thanks.  

Spooky! I went to the Barnet game last night with an Arsenal fan who lives in Reading. I first met him on a course we were both on in 1989 and he came to BP for the game you have mentioned above (with 2 others). I took them to Chadderton Fish Bar before the game, where they were amazed (disgusted?!) to see Oldhamers having gravy on their fish, chips and peas! It was a great night and they couldn't believe how we spanked them (albeit on plastic of course). They had a soft spot for Latics thereafter and I stayed with them in Reading for the weekend before the Notts Forest final. We took in the Reading versus Bury match on the Saturday (with me in my Latics wembley top) before all 4 of us went to the final on Sunday. Very happy memories and as they waved me off on the coach from Victoria, they burst into several renditions of "Oooooooooooh Roger Palmer" in their southern accents. Superb stuff.

[GlossopLatic]

Oh come on we've heard about all this before

 

Typical Oldham fans always living in the past.

 

We don't need to see this again We don't.........

 

 

......Oh go on then

 

Oldham 3 Arsenal 1 1989

Edited November 23, 2023 by GlossopLatic

[Londonboy]

Brilliant times indeed

I slept in the Clayton playing fields car park in a tiny Vauxhall Nova after that game, as I decided to enjoy the local hospitality with about 15000 others!!

Set off back to London at 4am and was at work in Hayes by 730 feeling a bit worse for wear

Ended up doing the same thing after beating West Ham in the Semi Final....however I didn't leave Oldham until 9am the next morning and bailed out of work. My boss was a big Spurs fan and knew exactly what was going on... but took so much pleasure in us hammering the hammers he turned a blind eye and wished us luck in the final!....some night that!

 

[Longlostfan]

Got to work the morning after to discover I could barely talk- on a day everyone wanted to talk about to me about the game.

 

[Monty Burns]

21 hours ago, wiseowl said:

Spooky! I went to the Barnet game last night with an Arsenal fan who lives in Reading. I first met him on a course we were both on in 1989 and he came to BP for the game you have mentioned above (with 2 others). I took them to Chadderton Fish Bar before the game, where they were amazed (disgusted?!) to see Oldhamers having gravy on their fish, chips and peas! It was a great night and they couldn't believe how we spanked them (albeit on plastic of course). They had a soft spot for Latics thereafter and I stayed with them in Reading for the weekend before the Notts Forest final. We took in the Reading versus Bury match on the Saturday (with me in my Latics wembley top) before all 4 of us went to the final on Sunday. Very happy memories and as they waved me off on the coach from Victoria, they burst into several renditions of "Oooooooooooh Roger Palmer" in their southern accents. Superb stuff.

l got a bit misty eyed reading this asif it was one of my memories!!

[Tractors Passing Through]

Some really good replies there, I went through them all.     Thing here is - You don't have to be a fan or supporter of Oldham Athletic to enjoy these memories or relive those times with a certain excitement - just be of a certain age where you can recall it and remember a team coming from almost nowhere (to us neutrals anyway, no disrespect) having these games, taking on really big heavyweight opposition, beating them and being one of the (success) stories of an entire season.      It only lasted a year or two didn't it.      OIdham think dropped out the Premier League in what was it 1994, haven't made it back in the time since and we escaped on the final day that year.    Didn't survive the season after though.   Fell like a stone into the second league, it were a disaster.  

 

Someone mentioned the West Ham semi-final again.   I remember it like yesterday.    Had a friend at school, we was - and probably still is - a hammers nut, followed them through thick and thin but after the   6 - 0   game, didn't show up for school the net day.    Think the reason gave was ill or had a cold or something but we all knew the truth behind it.    He was simply embarrassed, too embarrassed to show his face the next day, it's one thing I'll always remember.  

 

1989 - 90  I can still think back and recall Oldham making headlines time and again particularly in the second half of that season.    You were back page news in The Sun after beating Aston Villa   3 - 0   in the F.A. Cup sixth round, even after all these years I can still picture it.     You remember those games with Everton in an earlier round - course you do - the first 2 - 2  draw at Boundary Park, draw at Goodison in the replay then winning at the third attempt in the second replayed game.     They would have had players like Graham Sharp, Cottee, Neville Southall and a whole team of stars and you took them on, played really well and advanced.    Looking back now it was immense, I can still feel a sense of excitement.    It's a shame other than reading about it here, so many people won't care or remember outside of these pages about just what went on in those games by way of enthrallment and intrigue.    

 

Around that time I had a 'soccer' annual where they devoted a whole feature to Oldham's season by way of game after game starting in August '89 right through to the Forest final and end of season.    I think you missed out on promotion only just but what a read it was.   Just wish I had retained it but it was a Shoot annual or something, kind of thing kids at school would have collected.    I think they'd be obsolete in today's age unfortunately.

 

You always wonder how did such a great team and manager only make waves like that over the course of 2 or 3 seasons.     You had the time of your lives between 1989 and 1991 what with the promotion to the first division (now premier league) and all those great games and the Cup Final, but it ended almost as soon as it had started.     I'd imagine a number of players like Ritchie, Marshall and Milligan etc were sold off or the team just became less, but once again for a short time alone you provided something that could never be repeated in Latics history.     Reiteration isn't always necessary but if it's been said before, it's such a shame, it really is, to see Oldham where they are now in non-league rather than back then and making news and headlines time and again.     Think maybe rambled on too much but just remember those games and seasons from that time.    For whatever happens now and in the future, you'll always have that abiding memories and recollections.      Thanks.  

 

 

 

 

[Dave_Og]

Ipswich's stay in the Championship before they got relegated to L1 beat our record for time in that division in a single spell by a year.  W still hold the equivalent record for L1.

[oafcmetty]

@Tractors Passing Through if you haven't already, you should buy and read this - I think you'll enjoy it.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/This-How-Feels-English-Football/dp/1914197240

[wiseowl]

5 hours ago, Monty Burns said:

l got a bit misty eyed reading this asif it was one of my memories!!

Cheers Monty  When we thrashed West Ham 6-0 in the semi 1st leg (and Neil Adams ran Julian Dicks a merry dance) I got home to find I`d been burgled - seriously burgled. The thieves had used a van and took much of my furniture as well. The police, however, grew very suspicious of my report because I was pacing up and down and couldn't stop smiling. After a few minutes, the 2 officers looked me straight in the eye and one asked me why I seemed so happy following such a traumatic crime. My reply was, "We've just stuffed West Ham 6-0 mate in the first leg of the semi-final - who wouldn't be happy?!" I slept on my living room floor that night as the burglars had taken both my beds. Happy days indeed!

[Bobledgersheart]

24 minutes ago, wiseowl said:

Cheers Monty  When we thrashed West Ham 6-0 in the semi 1st leg (and Neil Adams ran Julian Dicks a merry dance) I got home to find I`d been burgled - seriously burgled. The thieves had used a van and took much of my furniture as well. The police, however, grew very suspicious of my report because I was pacing up and down and couldn't stop smiling. After a few minutes, the 2 officers looked me straight in the eye and one asked me why I seemed so happy following such a traumatic crime. My reply was, "We've just stuffed West Ham 6-0 mate in the first leg of the semi-final - who wouldn't be happy?!" I slept on my living room floor that night as the burglars had taken both my beds. Happy days indeed!

Were they called Pickford ? 

[Magic Mikey]

2 hours ago, wiseowl said:

Cheers Monty  When we thrashed West Ham 6-0 in the semi 1st leg (and Neil Adams ran Julian Dicks a merry dance) I got home to find I`d been burgled - seriously burgled. The thieves had used a van and took much of my furniture as well. The police, however, grew very suspicious of my report because I was pacing up and down and couldn't stop smiling. After a few minutes, the 2 officers looked me straight in the eye and one asked me why I seemed so happy following such a traumatic crime. My reply was, "We've just stuffed West Ham 6-0 mate in the first leg of the semi-final - who wouldn't be happy?!" I slept on my living room floor that night as the burglars had taken both my beds. Happy days indeed!

I came back to a burgled house after the 2-2 draw with Everton in the FA Cup. I had the surreal experience of watching the highlights of the match as someone was dusting for prints around the house. 

[Longlostfan]

Bet you didn't feel as bad as the 20K Southampton fans who feel they got robbed in the 93rd minute- oh happy days

 

 

[LaticsPete]

12 hours ago, Magic Mikey said:

I came back to a burgled house after the 2-2 draw with Everton in the FA Cup. I had the surreal experience of watching the highlights of the match as someone was dusting for prints around the house. 

That dates it. Someone from the police coming out and investigating. 

[Magic Mikey]

1 hour ago, LaticsPete said:

That dates it. Someone from the police coming out and investigating. 

I received a subsequent phone call to be told they were closing the case. I asked if that meant they'd caught them, he just laughed. 

[Dave_Og]

16 minutes ago, Magic Mikey said:

I received a subsequent phone call to be told they were closing the case. I asked if that meant they'd caught them, he just laughed. 

I got burgled sometime around then .  One of the things they nicked was a holdall near the front door that I imagine they just picked up without seeing what was in it.  It was the kit for my sunday league team (the whole team) which had been in there for weeks - games had been frozen/rained off - without being washed.  Found it in an alley not far away  - I was surprised I didn't find them next to it!