It’s the hope that kills you

[urban genie]

95/96 last game, don't like to talk about the fucking messing about protecting a draw still.

 

[dickie davies]

We've always bounced back, but back in December 98 I was at a sales conference in Edinburgh when told we'd been beaten by York
I really thought that was the end and we were properly staring into the abyss

 

[There is a Light]

95-96 - Alan Ball and the final nail in the coffin of the short lived hope of Franny’s takeover. I thought we’d manage to stay up after the sh*t start, then winning away at Villa in the penultimate game and Lomas taking it to the corner against Liverpool.

 

[Shaelumstash]

Have you got any pots to wash?

Just two so far, but fingers crossed it could be 5 come May ;-)

 

[Nightmare Walking]

Winning 5_2 at Stoke and both of us getting relegated to the old Div 3. Then there was a mass brawl outside the stadium. That was a dark day. Possibly the worse in the clubs history.

 

[nellyonthewing]

The 1981 FA Cup Final Replay. I really thought we were going to win it till that Argy git meandered past the City defence. I went to Maine Road and was one of about 20 people to see the Team come home. For me that marked the start of 30 years of pain...

 

[lancs blue]

By far the worst was season 1971-2.

Four points clear at Easter.

Malcom bought Marsh.

Form tanked.

Played last match and were top but the remaining fixtures of others meant we could not win the league.

Agreed, I was well pissed off at the end of that season, even allowing for the Rodney effect there were so many games where we could have picked up the extra 2pts that would have clinched the league, losing to Stoke (or more correctly Gordon Banks) at home around Easter was the killer for me.

The relegation seasons tended to have an air of inevitability about them, you could see it coming a mile off apart possibly from 82/83 against Luton.

 

[Cheer Up Peter Reid]

Spurs 1981 was the first game I remember watching as a fan. Luton 1983 was my first live game. I never thought I would see us win any top level trophy and I was OK with that. Celebrating promotions every few years was the pinnacle of my hopes, I just accepted that was our level. So I have never really had any kind of hope or expectation, I still would not be surprised to wake up at some point and realise the last few years were just a dream. One thing about low expectations, it makes it so much sweeter when you exceed them!