The "Eric Nixon" Final

[Corky]

Has anyone got Eric's book? What does he say about the incident?

He did a back page exclusive in a Sunday paper in 1987 to give his side of it.

 

[Stephen230]

Pretty sure I read somewhere he went to same school as Alex Williams whose 1st team place he took when Alex got injured. Might have been in Alex's book. Cant remember the school but was in South Manchester.

Think Williams went to Wilbraham.

Not 100% though.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

He did a back page exclusive in a Sunday paper in 1987 to give his side of it.

Thanks for that I’ll check my local library and see if they have a copy

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Think Williams went to Wilbraham.

Not 100% though.

He did

 

[Corky]

Thanks for that I’ll check my local library and see if they have a copy

It wasn't in the Sunday Times so it won't be on the CD Rom in the reference section, it would have been the People, NOTW or Sunday Mirror, and they didn't do a CD archive as far as I am aware so you would probably be wasting your time.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

It wasn't in the Sunday Times so it won't be on the CD Rom in the reference section, it would have been the People, NOTW or Sunday Mirror, and they didn't do a CD archive as far as I am aware so you would probably be wasting your time.

I take it you haven’t go his book then, which was my original question?

 

[chaddblue]

Eric Nixon called my mate a wanker when he walked past him on Market Street years ago

All he did was look at him as he recognised him. Never spoke a word ... lol

 

[burnley blue mcfc]

Was on the kippax that day, blues trying to get through the fences to get at wright & bright, real violent atmosphere

 

[bluebarry]

Think Williams went to Wilbraham.

Not 100% though.

Both went to Wilbraham High in Chorlton. Eric Nixon was year above me, Alex 2 years older (Clive Wilson was also in Alex's year).

 

[surprisedbygrass]

Brilliant to see this game again . Have loathed Palace ever since although , these days , not as intensely as other teams I could name . The Kippax was boiling that night .

Also interesting to see no physical red cards back then and , of course , only one substitute allowed so couldn't switch another goalie in . Poor Redmond looked swamped in that green jersey And the commentary is enjoyably old school .

 

[bluesteve1964]

I have rarely left a game so angry as that one v Palace. Yet again we fought hard to get a lead in a big promotion battle. Yet again we were cheated by incompetant refereeing. Remember the bastard getting hit with something as he made a hasty exit. Still hate Wright and Bright with a passion.

Referee John Deakin had a shocking match. He was hit on the head by an object heading towards the tunnel at full time requiring 3 stitches. There must have been 80 to 100 people in the Main Stand around the tunnel chucking stuff and hurling abuse at him. I was one of them. Toxic atmosphere. I was arrested a few months later and charged with wounding with intent (same as if I had glassed him) because of a comment I made to an undercover police officer.
I think Deakin knew he had a shocker as at Crown Court he passed a statement to the judge saying he had a son of a similar age and knew how easy it was for people to get caught up in emotional situations....so credit to him for that. Still got a £200 fine and 56 day suspended prison sentence.
Don't set me off on those lying undercover coppers involved in Operation Omega...but that's for another day.

 

[Platt Lane 59]

I was there that day, crowd so toxic. Wright and Bright were at it all game, targeting Nixon on every corner

Ian Wright was a snidey, moaning, whining, whingeing wanker all through the match.
He was one of the first, but also the worst culprit for verbally abusing officials. Especially to linesmen who couldn't give him a card.
He now comes across as a cuddly, caring old fogey.
But, we was a twat who had a disgraceful attitude...

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Mark Bright never came across as that type of player to me when seeing him play afterwards. Ian Wright has always been a twat.
I do remember Mark Bright co-commentating on the FA Cup game at Villa Park when Micah Richards equalised with a last minute header and Bright was laughing because of it. Apparently that upset the Villa fans and the BBC received written complaints from them about it. So he went up in my estimation after that.

Have previously posted (so apologies for anyone who’s previously read this) that I was sat next to him and Michelle Gayle at a wedding at Gleneagles about 20 years ago. We were mutual friends with the groom. Nice guy. Enjoyed his company very much. Michelle seemed nice too. I didn’t know who she was beforehand, so had no preconceived ideas what she was like, whereas I did with Bright after that Palace game!

It was a great atmosphere that day. I’m not sure it was that pivotal in the ultimate direction of our season, as we were always going to falter at some point. We were flaky. This result was one of many such examples that season. That run we had that autumn is still one of my favourites as a blue. It was so exiting.

 

[spacecadet]

Referee John Deakin had a shocking match. He was hit on the head by an object heading towards the tunnel at full time requiring 3 stitches. There must have been 80 to 100 people in the Main Stand around the tunnel chucking stuff and hurling abuse at him. I was one of them. Toxic atmosphere. I was arrested a few months later and charged with wounding with intent (same as if I had glassed him) because of a comment I made to an undercover police officer.
I think Deakin knew he had a shocker as at Crown Court he passed a statement to the judge saying he had a son of a similar age and knew how easy it was for people to get caught up in emotional situations....so credit to him for that. Still got a £200 fine and 56 day suspended prison sentence.
Don't set me off on those lying undercover coppers involved in Operation Omega...but that's for another day.

Yeah you're right Blue. I was on the Kippax and obviously the cheating bastard didn't head our way. I don't think them two Palace strikers came too far over towards the Kippax either. Hefty money that in 1987 too.

 

[The Colonel]

Weirdly I remember watching from the Kippax, that flash light going off in the north stand as Lake scored. That recording brought it back. Such a natural footballer.
I hated Bright and Wright for a while after. I’ve softened now I don’t mind even Ian Wright.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Referee John Deakin had a shocking match. He was hit on the head by an object heading towards the tunnel at full time requiring 3 stitches. There must have been 80 to 100 people in the Main Stand around the tunnel chucking stuff and hurling abuse at him. I was one of them. Toxic atmosphere. I was arrested a few months later and charged with wounding with intent (same as if I had glassed him) because of a comment I made to an undercover police officer.
I think Deakin knew he had a shocker as at Crown Court he passed a statement to the judge saying he had a son of a similar age and knew how easy it was for people to get caught up in emotional situations....so credit to him for that. Still got a £200 fine and 56 day suspended prison sentence.

I think it was very gracious of him to do that and might not have necessarily been due to him thinking he’d had a shocker.

You’d have got about two years (not suspended) for that now, I reckon! Possibly more, even after a guilty plea to a section 20.

Loads of aggravating features.

Anyway, glad you avoided nick :-)

 

[bluesteve1964]

I think it was very gracious of him to do that and might not have necessarily been due to him thinking he’d had a shocker.

You’d have got about two years (not suspended) for that now, I reckon! Possibly more, even after a guilty plea to a section 20.

Loads of aggravating features.

Anyway, glad you avoided nick :-)

I do appreciate it was gracious of him as opposed to a reflection of his performance. The charge was lowered to assault at Crown Court as the judge was very annoyed that it hadn't been dealt with at the magistrates court. More annoying for me was the fact the the Operation Omega police officer was prepared to lie in court to get a conviction. They had no evidence against me apart from something I said to him. This wasn't enough so in his statement he said he was with me at the time which just wasn't true. After I changed my plea to guilty for the lesser charge he sent a statement which was like a character reference for me. Twat.

 

[DelToro]

Have previously posted (so apologies for anyone who’s previously read this) that I was sat next to him and Michelle Gayle at a wedding at Gleneagles about 20 years ago. We were mutual friends with the groom. Nice guy. Enjoyed his company very much. Michelle seemed nice too. I didn’t know who she was beforehand, so had no preconceived ideas what she was like, whereas I did with Bright after that Palace game!

It was a great atmosphere that day. I’m not sure it was that pivotal in the ultimate direction of our season, as we were always going to falter at some point. We were flaky. This result was one of many such examples that season. That run we had that autumn is still one of my favourites as a blue. It was so exiting.

Exciting.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Exciting.

That too!

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Ian Wright was a snidey, moaning, whining, whingeing wanker all through the match.
He was one of the first, but also the worst culprit for verbally abusing officials. Especially to linesmen who couldn't give him a card.
He now comes across as a cuddly, caring old fogey.
But, we was a twat who had a disgraceful attitude...

I expect Wright, growing up as a black child in South London, thought that being assertive was the only way a black person could stand their ground. I can’t blame him for that.

Would you be happier if he’d continued his on field, younger persona into later life, after he retired from playing?