1984/85

[Eric the Half a Bee]

1984/85 was the last time we suffered relegation from the second tier. We would not return for 18 seasons. Next season we will have spent more time in the second tier or higher than we spent out of it in those wilderness seasons.

I thought I'd have a look and see what sort of opposition we had back then. Turns out, the more things change, the more they stay the same at the top end of the league, but things are quite different in the lower divisions.

Division One - 12 sides in that old first division played in this season's Premier League, including the big 6, Villa, Leicester, West Brom, Newcastle, West Brom and that season's champions, Everton. Relegated were Norwich, Sunderland and Stoke. Norwich would be promoted as champions the following season.

Division Two - 5 sides in that old second division played in this season's Championship, Cardiff, Birmingham City, Blackburn, Huddersfield and Middlesbrough. Oxford, Birmingham and Man City won promotion that season. Wolves went down with us and Notts County. Man City, Brighton, Leeds, Fulham, Palace and Sheff Utd are all in the Premier League (though the Blades and Fulham will be back in the Championship next season). Oxford look unlikely to win the playoffs. Portsmouth, Wimbledon, Shrewsbury and Charlton will be in League 1. Carlisle and Oldham will be in the bottom tier. Grimsby and probably Notts County will be non-league.

Division Three - Bradford, Millwall and Hull won promotion to the second tier. Leyton Orient, Preston and Cambridge were relegated. There was a Bristol derby that season. Derby were also there. York City finished above Reading and Bournemouth. Bolton and Newport were in the same division.

Division Four - Chesterfield, Blackpool, Darlington and Bury were all promoted. Only one of those is a league club. Torquay, Halifax, Hartlepool, Chester, Wrexham, Aldershot and Hereford are also no longer league clubs.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Re: 1984/85

1984/85 was the last time we suffered relegation from the second tier. We would not return for 18 seasons. Next season we will have spent more time in the second tier or higher than we spent out of it in those wilderness seasons.

I thought I'd have a look and see what sort of opposition we had back then. Turns out, the more things change, the more they stay the same at the top end of the league, but things are quite different in the lower divisions.

Division One - 12 sides in that old first division played in this season's Premier League, including the big 6, Villa, Leicester, West Brom, Newcastle, West Brom and that season's champions, Everton. Relegated were Norwich, Sunderland and Stoke. Norwich would be promoted as champions the following season.

Division Two - 5 sides in that old second division played in this season's Championship, Cardiff, Birmingham City, Blackburn, Huddersfield and Middlesbrough. Oxford, Birmingham and Man City won promotion that season. Wolves went down with us and Notts County. Man City, Brighton, Leeds, Fulham, Palace and Sheff Utd are all in the Premier League (though the Blades and Fulham will be back in the Championship next season). Oxford look unlikely to win the playoffs. Portsmouth, Wimbledon, Shrewsbury and Charlton will be in League 1. Carlisle and Oldham will be in the bottom tier. Grimsby and probably Notts County will be non-league.

Division Three - Bradford, Millwall and Hull won promotion to the second tier. Leyton Orient, Preston and Cambridge were relegated. There was a Bristol derby that season. Derby were also there. York City finished above Reading and Bournemouth. Bolton and Newport were in the same division.

Division Four - Chesterfield, Blackpool, Darlington and Bury were all promoted. Only one of those is a league club. Torquay, Halifax, Hartlepool, Chester, Wrexham, Aldershot and Hereford are also no longer league clubs.

do u ever see your wife ?

Its just you remind me of statto off fantasy football researching things in his dressing gown in his shed , smoking a pipe , to get away from her indoors

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Re: 1984/85

do u ever see your wife ?

Its just you remind me of statto off fantasy football researching things in his dressing gown in his shed , smoking a pipe , to get away from her indoors

She watches boring shit on TV in the evening. I work or look up crap if I'm bored but don't want to watch the crap she does.

[NYCBlue]

Re: 1984/85

And then we went down with Wolves the following season. We really were a terrible team.

[Hilts]

Re: 1984/85

Really dreadful times. This was 2-3 years after I started supporting us.

Useless teams who would have made Slades lot look like Brazil , tiny crowds , just about every match no atmosphere and the stadium pre the NP improvements dreadful.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Re: 1984/85

And then we went down with Wolves the following season. We really were a terrible team.

There was always bother with wolves in those days

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Re: 1984/85

She watches boring shit on TV in the evening. I work or look up crap if I'm bored but don't want to watch the crap she does.

End it mate . It will be tough but in the long run she will be better off without you

[cardiff55]

Re: 1984/85

I remember it well, dire football under Alan Durban. We sold everything that could walk pretty much. Gary Bennett, Andy Dibble and Gordon Owen were all sold in the summer of 1984 and replaced with Lee Smelt, Vaughan Jones and John Seasman. And we lashed out £5000 on Graham Withey and signed Kevin Meacock, Paul McLoughlin and Mike Ford from non League. And Jake King. We lost 13 Homes games!! And 2564 fans turned up for the Middlesbrough game. Dark days the mid 1980s. I though it couldn't get much worse.

The following season we won our first game 4-1 at Notts County and I thought, we're on our way back up - we got relegated again!!

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Re: 1984/85

I remember it well, dire football under Alan Durban. We sold everything that could walk pretty much. Gary Bennett, Andy Dibble and Gordon Owen were all sold in the summer of 1984 and replaced with Lee Smelt, Vaughan Jones and John Seasman. And we lashed out £5000 on Graham Withey and signed Kevin Meacock, Paul McLoughlin and Mike Ford from non League. And Jake King. We lost 13 Homes games!! And 2564 fans turned up for the Middlesbrough game. Dark days the mid 1980s. I though it couldn't get much worse.

The following season we won our first game 4-1 at Notts County and I thought, we're on our way back up - we got relegated again!!

1800 v Wrexham

2600 v Scunthorpe

Christ we had some dreadful crowds

[willo1927]

Re: 1984/85

I remember it well, dire football under Alan Durban. We sold everything that could walk pretty much. Gary Bennett, Andy Dibble and Gordon Owen were all sold in the summer of 1984 and replaced with Lee Smelt, Vaughan Jones and John Seasman. And we lashed out £5000 on Graham Withey and signed Kevin Meacock, Paul McLoughlin and Mike Ford from non League. And Jake King. We lost 13 Homes games!! And 2564 fans turned up for the Middlesbrough game. Dark days the mid 1980s. I though it couldn't get much worse.

The following season we won our first game 4-1 at Notts County and I thought, we're on our way back up - we got relegated again!!

Mike Ford was a decent playet

[Hilts]

Re: 1984/85

Mike Ford was a decent playet

Yes he was a good signing. The others mentioned rubbish.

[Vindec]

Re: 1984/85

1800 v Wrexham

2600 v Scunthorpe

Christ we had some dreadful crowds

2000 crowds were frequent especially on a wet Wednesday evening.

[cardiff55]

Re: 1984/85

2000 crowds were frequent especially on a wet Wednesday evening.

I remember going to the last game of the season at home in 1987, versus Orient. 1,334 there, our lowest crowd for a League game.

[cardiff55]

Re: 1984/85

Mike Ford was a decent playet

Oh yes, I agree. But we got £65000 for Gary Bennett, who went on to become a Sunderland legend and replaced him with a player from Devizes Town. Such were the finances of the club then.

[life on mars]

Re: 1984/85

do u ever see your wife ?

Its just you remind me of statto off fantasy football researching things in his dressing gown in his shed , smoking a pipe , to get away from her indoors

He's a very busy and informative bee, and a very intresting one.

Find his posts fascinating, I wonder if he goes through a lot of notepads and pencils?