Town Relegation Scraps
Picture from Mark’s Mobile Phone
Mark Harrison, Writer.
Twitter: @MarkHarrison15
All those who hankered for a season of mid table mediocrity, please look away now, because Town don’t do those, it’s against the law.
At least we know as we enter the last 8 games of the season that there is something riding on them, a level of jeopardy to keep things interesting, to keep the heart rate up, the adrenaline pumping and the bum squeaky.
It seems that Town are forever in a “Groundhog Day” consisting of endless relegation scraps. Whilst that is certainly true of the last decade, historically Town have had 52 top half finishes against 51 bottom half finishes with 9 relegations and 9 promotions. Pretty even I would say!
We have been relegated 3 times from the second tier in the 42 seasons we have played at this level, and we have managed to stave off Old Man Relegation every time since returning to the Championship in 2012. Cause for some level of optimism perhaps? Or will the grim reaper have the last laugh on this occasion (that’s if he has a sense of humour)?
I thought I would pick out a few recentish seasons where we have “diced with death” and to see how they compare with this season…..
1997-98 Jacko’s Great Escape
With no wins in the first 14 games of the season, Town looked to be heading back to the third tier, after just a couple of seasons. But then rookie manager Peter Jackson with his wily deputy Terry Yorath came in to replace Brian Horton and prompted a remarkable renaissance.
Some shrewd signings including Barry Horne and Wayne Allison allied to the man management of Jacko and Yorath’s coaching, got Town over the line and with some comfort in the end. We finished above the likes of QPR and Stoke and hopefully history will repeat itself in the present day. Remarkably Manchester City got relegated, so if the worst comes to the worst, we can hope to make the recovery they have made. Hello Abu Dhabi!
2000-01 We’ll Meet Again
This one hurt and was an example of how quickly things can crumble. Barry Rubery had invested heavily in the club and a strong squad had us knocking on the door in the season before. But then the money dried up as Rubery walked away, austerity kicked in, Marcus Stewart was sold to a promotion rival and the rest is history (forgive me if I break into a cold sweat)
The season started with us like a snail in a 100 metre Olympic final with just 8 points gathered in the first 19 games. But Lou Macari turned things round and looked to have pulled off another Great Escape. Although his football could be dull at times, Macari had two excellent seasons at Town in difficult circumstances. He dipped his hand into his own pocket for the good of the club and was shabbily treated when sacked. His post career work with the homeless, is the mark of the man he is.
It required an unlikely set of results for us to drop on the final day, with Crystal Palace and Portsmouth needing to win and for us to lose. We were playing a Birmingham side who had already sealed their play-off position and had nothing to play for and could potentially rest some players. Sadly, they hadn’t read the memo and beat us 2-1 with Ian Bennett playing brilliantly in their goal and Curtis Woodhouse (see above) choosing to score both the goals, literally the only 2 of his Birmingham career, cheers Curtis! Palace (courtesy of a handball) and Portsmouth both won, and we were relegated.
Trevor Francis, the Birmingham manager, was less than sympathetic towards Town in his post-match interviews, adding salt to the wound of taking Peter Ndlovu back from us earlier in the season (grrr). The blues crowd sang we’ll meet again at the end, and I walked away feeling as numb as I have ever been after a Town defeat.
With a fair wind, it would be poetic for us to send them down in the last home game of the season when we play them. I’m not bitter, honest!
*With 8 games to go in this season we had 39 points on the board. Checks the current table, oh heck!!
2012/13 Sorry Peterborough (not really)
This season started off very well as we returned to the second tier for the first time since that sad day in 2001. But things started to unravel quickly, and we had dropped close to the relegation zone when Simon Grayson was shown the door and in walked none other than Mark Robins (see you on Good Friday Mark). After a shaky start, 6 goals shipped at the City Ground (ouch) The goals of Vaughan and Beckford made the difference.
But remarkably on the final day of the season against our neighbours from Barnsley, 1-2 down well into the second half and results going against us, we were in the relegation zone! Thankfully we equalised, Peterborough went behind in their game and both Town and Barnsley were safe as the ball and the Barnsley keeper monopolized the last few minutes.
The Posh went down and that was no pay back for 1992 and 2011 at all. He lied!
*It needed 55 points to stay up this season. Town would therefore need 16 points from the final 8 if this were the target. It won’t be, will it?!
2019-20 Cowley in and Out
The Premier league had finally eaten us up and we were a team with a losing mentality. This is something we have struggled to shake off ever since, except for an outlier of a season and short periods that were long enough to keep our heads above water.
It was another disastrous start as Town began life back in the Championship and with a new owner.
Jan Siewert was given a few games before the plug was pulled and in came Danny and Nicky Cowley. They were not everyone’s cup of tea, but they were a sound appointment for what was required at the time. Sure enough, they steadied things and by the Pandemic close, we were looking comfortable. The restart was not great though and a 2-1 win over promotion chasing WBA was the key result in keeping us up. For more than one team in West Yorkshire as it proved.
I was shocked when the Cowley’s were sacked but the appointment of Corberan and the subsequent trajectory of the Cowley brother’s careers, have proven it was a smart decision by Phil Hodgkinson.
2022-23 Return of King Warnock
Nearly 30 years had passed between appointments and no less than 10 different clubs managed, when Neil Warnock arrived to what seemed an impossible task even to the most optimistic. The high of reaching Wembley the season before had been gradually eroded and only a man with Warnock’s charisma would have been capable of such a task.
It took a handful of games for him to get to grips with it, but with 8 to go we were in 22nd and on 36 points. Those 8 games would yield a staggering 17 points and something of a footballing miracle had been achieved.
In retrospect, this was the moment for Warnock to walk away, but at the time I was delighted that he was to stay on. Only the fly on the wall will know why it all came to an end so abruptly this season. A poor subsequent appointment and the tone for this season had been set.
Time will tell as to whether Town can stick with their general trend and get over the line and avoid the drop yet again. But at least we have shown that it CAN be achieved.
Will it be the joy of 23 or the pain of 01?
Come on Town!!
T
