This day 1981 was the start of our decline that only ended in liquidation

Erimus74

Erimus74

Well-known member
10th March 1981

Boro faced Wolves away for the FAC QF replay, Therry Cochrane had grabbed the equaliser at Ayresome Park 4 days previous, we now have to lift ourselves for one more push to grab that illustriate semi final appearences that has always eluded our great football club

Such excellent players Johnston, Hodgson, Proctor, Armstrong, Bosco, Craggs, Platt are playing to keep this team together & finish the season in style

Thousands of Boro fans travelled to Molenuix confident that at last the club can go that one step further
The game kicked off & Wolves were the 1st team to break the deadlock when going one nil up on the night, Boro eventually drew level when Hodgy equalised with thousands of Boro fans going wild, Boro were in form & going for glory, can we do it, C'mon Boro!

The ref blew the whistle to bring the 90 minutes to an end with the score at 1-1 & extra time to be played

Unfortunately, the next 30 disastrous minutes paved the way for this exciting team that John Neal had built was in the process of being tragically sold off to the highest bidders & as a club, we were to go in freefall that wouldn't stop until the 21st May 1986

Norman Bell & John Richards scored the goals in ET to send Wolves through to the semis & Boro to yet another agonising QF heartache defeat

John Neals final FAC Boro team
Jim Platt
Irving Nattrass
Ian Bailey
Craig Johnston
Billy Ashcroft
Tony McAndrew
Terry Cochrane
Mark Proctor
David Hodgson
Bosco Jankovic
David Armstrong
Sub
David Shearer replaced Bosco Jankovic

We never did reach an FAC SF while playing at Ayresome Park
 

Attachments

  • Billy Ashcroft.jpeg
    Billy Ashcroft.jpeg
    55 KB · Views: 1
  • John Craggs.jpeg
    John Craggs.jpeg
    98.1 KB · Views: 1
  • Irvine Nattrass.jpeg
    Irvine Nattrass.jpeg
    60.7 KB · Views: 1
  • David Shearer.jpeg
    David Shearer.jpeg
    62.3 KB · Views: 1
  • Jim Platt.jpeg
    Jim Platt.jpeg
    36.4 KB · Views: 1
  • Davey Armstrong.jpeg
    Davey Armstrong.jpeg
    43.3 KB · Views: 1
Last edited:
I know many refer to this game as the shock and start of the decline but to be honest I didn’t think we were a great team that season. We had already lost 3-0 at Molynieux. We were brittle and the collapse in morale - we lost 7 of our last 10 games after that Cup defeat was an indication of existing problems. Johnson for example threw in the towel after the Cup,defeat.

So this game didn’t resonate with me as much as Birmingham and Orient.
 
Zoo, I can see where youre coming from
The Birmingham game was the 1st time I was truly gutter / distraught after a boro beating, I was 14 & never felt so low after a defeat as I did after the Brum exit, with Fulham in the semi's
Orient was awful, we were agood established 1st divison team
 
Erimus. It was a weird cup run in 1981. I remember it so vividly. The third round at Swansea when we smashed them 5-0. We were not on great form going into the tie and recall being on the train travelling to the game with a feeling we were going to be subject to a shock defeat. As it turned out the game was incredible as we scored from every attack we made. Then in the 4th round at home to West Brom once again I recall a conversation in the pub the night before and there wasn’t a feeling of confidence - it really stemmed from our League form that season which was patchy to say the least. It’s funny how you remember these feelings.

But dont get me wrong I was sick when we didn’t win the first game at home and I didn’t travel down to Wolves with great expectation. The away following was magnificent and when Hodgy equalised the limbs in the away end!
 
Zoophonic said:
Erimus. It was a weird cup run in 1981. I remember it so vividly. The third round at Swansea when we smashed them 5-0. We were not on great form going into the tie and recall being on the train travelling to the game with a feeling we were going to be subject to a shock defeat. As it turned out the game was incredible as we scored from every attack we made. Then in the 4th round at home to West Brom once again I recall a conversation in the pub the night before and there wasn’t a feeling of confidence - it really stemmed from our League form that season which was patchy to say the least. It’s funny how you remember these feelings.

But dont get me wrong I was sick when we didn’t win the first game at home and I didn’t travel down to Wolves with great expectation. The away following was magnificent and when Hodgy equalised the limbs in the away end!
Click to expand...
Orient was always the one for me too. IIRC in 80/81 Wolves and ourselves were both similar first division clubs, we were only slight favourites after the draw was made as we were at home. Wolves had also won the League Club the year before and had big name players like Andy Gray and John Richards too. We were terrible away in the league that season too, so after only drawing at home I felt the chance had gone.
 
Our away form was John Neals achilles heel as manager, scored & won the vast majority of home games, very poor away
Agree with comments above
 
Last edited:
It's a good team that, on paper at least. I was 13 and they were my heroes. I remember feeling badly let down after that Wolves defeat.

The OP is right it all spiralled downhill after that.
 
From a full house, exciting future, great young exciting players, a good manager who had an eye for a good signing & with a couple of defenders we would be the real deal to 18 months later, heading fast towards the football abyss
 
Last edited:
Was there.... with me Dad and brother... terrible result, terrible weather on way back, no grub so famished as well. :confused:
:confused::confused::confused::confused:
 
The removal van we were in was full of carryouts after a good session in the Southern Cross. Arriving in Wolverhampton someone decided to cause a few problems in a pub, apart it was a Launderette.

I doubt I could remember 30 seconds of the game. I know I was sat beside Stuart Boam who had to wait outside to give me my ticket. He never said a word.
 
Last edited:
I ended up that day in Preston, where my brother was a 3rd Year Law Student and I was spending the next day at an Open Day for prospective Business Studies students. Got the result in a pub opposite Preston station, gutted thought that was going to our year!
Stayed all the next day and went to a special Futurist Student Night at a local nightclub on behalf of "The Futurist Society", a deal set up by the Students Union. My Brother and his fellow Teessider house mate kept themselves in beer money for the rest of the term on the back of that and the Students Union brought in special rules to stop anyone doing it again! My brother now owns The Red Car Pub Company in Central London and the Teessider housemate dropped out, went on the rigs and then opened a clothes shop in Redcar called Sliced Tomatoes and done alright since then! Funny old world!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top