Comic Moments

[RobM.]

...not that he got jeered every time the ball went to him, ooooh no!

 

[Barry the dog]

Quote[/b] (fbm @ Jan. 24 2005,13:02)]Neil Townsend's goal against Darlington at the Hall in the mid seventies.

Picture the scene - an evening game, Blues attacking the South bank (no flats then - just a big open terrace).  Townsend hoofs the ball skywards and in the general direction of the goal from the halfway line.  It is so far forward that not one blues player (or even defender) go for it.  The keeper comes off his line to make what should have been an easy catch on the edge of the box.

However, the ball bounces over him.  Not by much, and he could have turned around and simply caught it but for some reason he didn't.  Instead he started chasing it towards the goaline where he loses his footing and ends up crawling on all fours after the ball, which has now finished bouncing and is trickling at a snails pace towards the line.  At the last minute the keeper dives on the ball and ends up in the back of the net with it.  2-0 Southend.

The crowd were laughing so much they couldn't cheer.

That is quite funny.

 

[Guest]

I remember a game v West Brom I think, Peter Taylor was the manager and we had a free kick on the corner of the West Brom box. We had 2 players over the ball ... the first dummied over the ball only to find the second player had run away ! Cue all over embarrassment and much "Boing Boing" from the Baggies fans.
I remember this as a particular low point on our way down throught the Divisions.

 

[Shrimper in India]

It was certainly comical at Field Mill on Saturday when a steward tried three times to throw the ball back to the Daryl, and each time threw it on top of the net.

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this but why did anyone notice the Mansfield fans chanting rentboy at Nic Nic?!

I see Gower ran over to that section of Mansfield fans when he equalised, rather inconsiderate as I pegged it down the front to mob him, only to see him run off.

 

[Firestorm]

I was going to add both of the Free kick episodes , but I also recall Tow players standing over the Ball (Ansah and Ling ?) one running over it and the other then kicking it straight up his arse.

Also One very icy day the ball went into the old south bank and one of the opposition (Tranmere I believe) went towards the wall to get the ball back. Someone from the crowd thre it at him and he must have been a bit off balance when he caught it as his feet started slidding on the frozen track , after what seemed like minutes of frantic foot scrabbling he slipped slowly into the wall.

One final one, Wimbledon at home I think, the ballboy behind the goal was obviosly a keeper himself, some drilled a shot from outside the area which was just off target, the young lad rose well and getting his body behind the ball caught it around chest height, he did very well. Unfortunately being only about 13 he weighed bugger all and the power of the shot took him over the wall (just catching his heels) and clattering into the Southbank) Poor lad left on a stretcher

 

[fbm]

Quote[/b] (Barry the dog @ Jan. 24 2005,13:22)]

Quote[/b] (fbm @ Jan. 24 2005,13:02)]Neil Townsend's goal against Darlington at the Hall in the mid seventies.

Picture the scene - an evening game, Blues attacking the South bank (no flats then - just a big open terrace).  Townsend hoofs the ball skywards and in the general direction of the goal from the halfway line.  It is so far forward that not one blues player (or even defender) go for it.  The keeper comes off his line to make what should have been an easy catch on the edge of the box.

However, the ball bounces over him.  Not by much, and he could have turned around and simply caught it but for some reason he didn't.  Instead he started chasing it towards the goaline where he loses his footing and ends up crawling on all fours after the ball, which has now finished bouncing and is trickling at a snails pace towards the line.  At the last minute the keeper dives on the ball and ends up in the back of the net with it.  2-0 Southend.

The crowd were laughing so much they couldn't cheer.

That is quite funny.

It was, without question, the funniest thing I have ever seen at a football match. If only it had been filmed. No written description can do it justice.

 

[stid]

Seems that everyone who was there has remembered the Townsend incident, which was hilarious and as I recall Townsend couldn't stop laughing either.

My favourite though was one that had people in the West Stand sinking to their knees laughing. Against Plymouth in the Dave Smith era Ron Pountney was involved in a clash of heads and completely knocked out in the centre circle. Refs didn't stop the play automatically for a head injury in those days so the game went on. About 20 seconds later Mickey Stead got into a mess in possession and decided to pass to the nearest team mate. So he passed to Pountney, completely ignoring the fact that he was flat out and unconcious! It's not often that grown men cry but I swear I saw it that night.

 

[ESG]

1. The Neil Townsend goal.FBM just beat me to it as i couldn't remember who it was against.

2. Paul Clarks bullet diving header into his own net straight from a corner against Shrewsbury right in front of the North Bank. We still won 3-2 though.

3. The balls against Luton.

 

[Shrimp in a Kilt]

Anyone remember Willie Coulson getting redder and redder (if that's possible!) at a free kick because the ref wouldn't  make the wall retreat the full distance? He finally lost it, and paced it out for the ref, proving that they were not even 8 yards back. Got a huge cheer, and a booking....

 

[Andy_S]

Be hard to beat Tony Bullock, the Macclesfield keeper at the time, losing it with the referee and getting himself booked twice in the space of seconds for dissent. If that wasn't enough he threw a hissy fit, ripping off his shirt along the way, booting the ball into the crowd and then deciding it'd be a wise idea to contemplate taking his shorts off whilst scuffling with stewards, Police and trying to get to the fourth official. I nearly got an elbow of his in the face as well, probably because I was laughing so much.

Andy Woodman emerging from the tunnel with all the other players pre kick off without a goalkeepers shirt on, and then having to wait around for someone to run around looking for one, before ending up with the previous years shirt on was a classic as well.

 

[sufcintheprem]

Quote[/b] (Andy_S @ Jan. 24 2005,15:13)]Be hard to beat Tony Bullock, the Macclesfield keeper at the time, losing it with the referee and getting himself booked twice in the space of seconds for dissent. If that wasn't enough he threw a hissy fit, ripping off his shirt along the way, booting the ball into the crowd and then deciding it'd be a wise idea to contemplate taking his shorts off whilst scuffling with stewards, Police and trying to get to the fourth official. I nearly got an elbow of his in the face as well, probably because I was laughing so much.

Andy Woodman emerging from the tunnel with all the other players pre kick off without a goalkeepers shirt on, and then having to wait around for someone to run around looking for one, before ending up with the previous years shirt on was a classic as well.

...and Paul Alcock was refereeing AND we got a report in The Times on that game!

I was in the South Stand so I could see it all so clearly. You forgot one rather large detail.

The whole incident was started by one of the worst and most blatant dives I've seen by former hero, Leo Roget!!

 

[Andy_S]

Ah yes, I'd forgotten about Mr Alcock being in charge at the time.

 

[Shrimper2thecore]

Tes' goal at Col Ewe last year, when their keeper wathed it trickle over!

 

[Javea Shrimper]

Quote[/b] (londonblue @ Jan. 24 2005,09:35)]Sammy throwing the ball in his own net. Can't remember who it was against, though.

Oxford? To be fair to him, it was a wet night but still ...

WS

 

[Guest]

Re Sammy - deffo against Oxford - I have it on video (18 rating). But that wasn't funny?

Barry Fry when he returned to Roots Hall for a drubbing only days after after f'ing off to Birmingham, and then taking the sleeping giants straight out of the division at the first time of asking. The wrong way, of course.

Beating Fulham 3-0 away with Jim Stannard dropping a clanger beyond belief right in front of the jubilant travelling support. He had the good grace to join in the laughter as he picked the ball out of the net!

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

Quote[/b] (Shrimp in a Kilt @ Jan. 24 2005,13:40)]Anyone remember Willie Coulson getting redder and redder (if that's possible!) at a free kick because the ref wouldn't  make the wall retreat the full distance? He finally lost it, and paced it out for the ref, proving that they were not even 8 yards back. Got a huge cheer, and a booking....

Not sure I remember that one but any time Red Willie took too the pitch was an amazing sight. He wouldn't make a pub team today.

Remember the Townsend goal too.

The Luton balls this year were good.

The sight of the fat steward from the early 80's I think known as Jock plodding around the pitch swearing to himself always made me chuckle.

The Villa flared trousers pitch invasion in 71 is my earliest Roots memory and in an odd sort of way always struck me as funny. Sarfend fans met them half way, then both sets duly ran back to their respective ends. Probably without an arrest.

One event which did not seem funny at time but in hindsight seems so now was in 77 v Hartlepool. 1-0 up with just a few mins left the ball comes off to me in the West - I throw it back straight over the advancing Pool hard nut Tommy Gibb who was desparate to get the ball. He lets off a volley of obsenities at then little old me, receives it back ten fold from the West, eventually gets the ball and Pool score the equaliser from the throw on. Credit to Mr Gibb, after me irate Dad sent him a letter demanding an apology we got one back from him and his manager saying it was 'out of charachter'. b******s.

Was at Wembley in 77 v Scotland. Me and my Dad were it seemed the only English in the ground and after the final whistle were the only ones not on the pitch. Escaping alive gave us a few nervous laughs.