95 96 season?? Post your memories

[King Kev]

The mid and late 90s was really our lowest ebb culminating in our eventual bankruptcy and relegation to the conference in 2001/02. Fortunately the owners subsequently got jailed and the club rebuilding could begin.

So yeah, we are definitely doing better now. I can't remember specifically who we had playing for us that season but Peter fox was the manager and it was utter shite. The "legendary" Steve Flack was up front. I think we nearly got relegated...

2002/2003

1995/96 you were comfortable in mid table, the previous season you had been saved from the conference by Macc's ground not being up to scratch.

 

[King Kev]

Following on from our defeat at Wembley the previous May we started poorly and sacked Mike Walsh. Stan the Man came in and steadied the ship but as late as October we were 21st. Things improved but we were still only 9th come February, though with games in hand, but we hadn't been any higher that season and everytime we started to improve we'd lose. Then things just clicked and we stormed up to 3rd and barring the odd stumble looked pretty unstoppable. Automatic promotion was all but secure with three games to go. We needed to win at Darlington, who themselves were behind us in fourth, and it would have put us 7 points clear with two games to play. A draw would have practically sealed it as it would have left us four points clear with an away game at Exeter and then a home game against Cardiff left, both of whom had nothing to play for.
We lost 4-0 at Feethams then drew at Exeter putting Darlington in 3rd on the last day. They drew 3-3 at Scunny, updates on the wireless providing many Chinese whispers. We won comfortably 3-0 and the Bury fans piled onto the pitch to await the final score from Glanford Park. Then news filtered through and we celebrated on the pitch.
Ahh that season was the start of a short but very succesful period for the club which would eventually lead to a league one title and two seasons in the championship. Had our board not shown such incompetence in dealing with Stan the Man then we would probably have stayed for longer and prolonged our success story.
Still a legend at Bury FC though.

Highlights - Beating Lincoln 7-1 at Gigg Lane, knocking Sheffield United out of the league cup over two legs, 5-1 away win at Mansfield, overturning a 2-0 deficit to win 4-2 at Cambridge.

 

[The Terminator]

We finished 21st - Our lowest ever league finish.

21 years later, we finally did go down.

 

[The Terminator]

Team wise stronger that year. Sold Freedman a few games into that season for good money then brought in Sean Devine a short while later. Had Maik Taylor in goal, Linvoy Primus at the back and Lee Hodges up front.

We should have made the playoffs that year but threw away a two goal lead in our penultimate game away to Orient. That following summer Ray Clemence left just before the season started when we were I thought geared up for a shot at promotion.

I remember that game - Maik Taylor made two bad, bad errors and we sneaked a draw with a late Colin West header from a free kick.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Ok, I'm going to ask the question no one has bothered asking yet...

...why 1995-1996? 22 years ago. Its not exactly a big landmark?

 

[GTFCfish]

Ok, I'm going to ask the question no one has bothered asking yet...

...why 1995-1996? 22 years ago. Its not exactly a big landmark?

In the opening post he says it was his first ever game that season so i presume that's why.

 

[Etienne Vermeer]

We got relegated, fuck that season.

 

[oakroader]

Ok, I'm going to ask the question no one has bothered asking yet...

...why 1995-1996? 22 years ago. Its not exactly a big landmark?[/QUOT

 

[Son of Cod]

Classic Grimsby season. Didn't finish anywhere near as high up the division as we deserved, but Mendonca was out all season. I reckon had he been fit all season, a playoff push might have been on the cards. Got to the FA Cup 5th round, the furthest in my Town career, which included taking West Ham back to Blundell Park for a replay and spanking them 3-0. Of course, the main incident of the season was Brian Laws throwing a plate of chicken at Ivano Bonetti and fracturing his cheek.

 

[redjed]

We were champions of league 2 having only lost 4 league games all season, 9 points clear of the POX who were second. In charge was Steve Mahon, one of the most hated managers in recent times, he changed the team from a smooth confident passing footballing side into a direct and a bit of a dirty team.
Mind we did score a fair few goals, with the "Chief" Wayne Allison getting 20 league goals, with Steve Finney and Kevin Horlock getting a further 16 apiece, and Peter Thorne chipping in with 11.
With a mean defence only letting in 34 goals we did walk the league, but losing and drawing with the pox was a bit of a downer, drawing 0-0 at home and , i hate to say it , getting thrashed 3-0 at the 3 stand lego stadium.
In the FA cup we reached the 5th round losing a replay at Southampton 2-0,

this is the draw at Swindon.
All in all a pretty decent season!

 

[ccfctommy]

Premier League! I had the sticker book. Bruce Rioch managed Arsenal, Chelsea were managed by player manager Glenn Hoddle (they sucked), and Man Utd were dominating.

Meanwhile, City were surviving due to goals from Dion Dublin, Noel Whelan and Peter Ndlovu. Seventeenth baby!

 

[GTFCfish]

Of course, the main incident of the season was Brian Laws throwing a plate of chicken at Ivano Bonetti and fracturing his cheek.

Laws said in a later interview that it was bollocks just a myth, he said Bonetti went to eat the wings whilst Laws was ranting and so he left hooked him and broke his cheekbone, the plate of wings thrown at him just seems to have been taken on as it's a funnier version of what actually happened. (According to Laws)

 

[Camborne Gills]

We finished 2nd to the Nobbers, and broke a few records along the way
Least goals conceded
Most clean sheets
Biggest brawl of the season (Fulham at home)
Probably least goals scored in a promotion year

 

[rudebwoyben]

We finished 2nd to the Nobbers, and broke a few records along the way
Least goals conceded
Most clean sheets
Biggest brawl of the season (Fulham at home)
Probably least goals scored in a promotion year

Pulisball!

 

[Super_horns]

Ofcourse at the end of that season was Euro 96.

The last time England came kind of close to getting into a major final..

Can still see Gazza being half a yard short and that missed penalty!

 

[Si Robin]

Everytime I see it I think that ball is going in.

If you look closely, he actually gets a touch on the ball, just not enough of one.

Easy to forget as well that Darren Anderton actually hit the post in that extra-time period as well. I actually cried when we lost that night.

 

[Dan Phillips]

My first season going to Vale.

Those were the days.

 

[King Kev]

We finished 21st - Our lowest ever league finish.

21 years later, we finally did go down.

We didn't win our first home game until late September that season, we beat Orient who were third at the time and had two ex Shakers in the lineup,Tony Kelly and Roger Stanislaus, I wonder what happened to him...
Anyway I don't think you recovered from that crushing 2-1 defeat because your form plummeted after that.

 

[King Kev]

Everytime I see it I think that ball is going in.

If you look closely, he actually gets a touch on the ball, just not enough of one.

Easy to forget as well that Darren Anderton actually hit the post in that extra-time period as well. I actually cried when we lost that night.

It was my 9th birthday and I cried as well. I tried not to then noticed my older brother was blubbering so I just let the emotion out.
The worst thing about that miss is the fact that Gaza hesitates for a split second before lunging for the ball. I sometimes wonder if things would have turned out differently for the big man had that gone in.