We Started Singing Too Soon

[vcmazz]

Just been going through my Big Brentford Book Of The 70s. 22nd April 1978. Great scenes and great pictures of the pitch invasion (including a very happy 13 year old Mazz) following our 2-0 win over Darlington. At last, God's chosen football club were promoted.

Except that we weren't. Those pictures are completely mythical. We were all but up, but we weren't up. It was a 1-1 draw at Watford a few days later that secured promotion.

I've been Googling like mad to try and find out exactly what the situation was, but to no avail. We had two games left, at Watford and Grimsby. I'm not sure, but I think Aldershot only had one game left.

Can anyone remember exactly what the state of play was? I know it would have taken an improbable sequence of events to keep us down, but supposing we'd have got thumped 4-0 at both Watford and Grimsby and Aldershot had won their game 4-0. Where would that have left us?

 

[wanderer paul]

Bees last 3
22.4 won 2-0 55 pts + 33
25.4 drew 1-1 56 pts +33
29.4 lost 1-2 56 pts +32

Aldershot last 4
22.4 drew 1-1 49 pts +15
25.4 won 2-0 51 pts +17
29.4 won 3-0 53 pts + 20
1.5 drew 0-0 54 pts +20

These were the scores and status of both teams. :computer:

 

[vcmazz]

Bees last 3
22.4 won 2-0 55 pts + 33
25.4 drew 1-1 56 pts +33
29.4 lost 1-2 56 pts +32

Aldershot last 4
22.4 drew 1-1 49 pts +15
25.4 won 2-0 51 pts +17
29.4 won 3-0 53 pts + 20
1.5 drew 0-0 54 pts +20

These were the scores and status of both teams. :computer:

Well found .

So. If we'd have lost 4-0 in each of our last two games we'd have finished on 55 pts, +25. If Aldershot had scored one more goal on 25th and 29th and then won their last game 4-0, they would have finished on 55 pts, +26. They'd have gone up and we'd have stayed in the 4th Division. Would probably still be there now :yes:.

 

[Guildford Bee]

Any other 'we started singing too soon moments'?

I still haven't got over Millwall away at Christmas '99.

 

[wanderer paul]

There's only one other I can think of whilst sitting in Parliament Hill Lido. 3-1 up at Gillingham in the FA Cup, 10 mins to go, lose 3-5........... Not a good day.......

 

[Low End Bee]

After the general pitch invasion and champagne popping. Me, my mate Dave and his brother played 3 and in with the match football on the pitch in the Royal Oak goal until it got dark that day. Steve Phillips gave us a few bottles of beer too. Great day for a 14 year old. It didn't feel too soon at all to me.

 

[GEOFFBEE]

Yes, we all celebrated that day.
Not a doubter among us!!
When we visited Watford a few days later it was with an air of already being promoted, although the equaliser from Andy Mc Culloch was wildly celebrated as it put it beyond doubt.
Maybe, if all this had been in today's world, with , er, fans messageboards, we would have worried ourselves sick.
But, back then, hardly any of us even had a calculator!!lol

 

[TOMOGP]

One occasion we certainly did

Last game of the season 57/58 Tuesday night (6.30 ko) we beat our nearest rivals Brighton to go 2 points clear did we celebrate (Boston Rd did'nt know what hit it as we went home) that night as brighton had one game left against lowly Watford and they had to win at least 6-0 and not even Watford were that bad
then they played and won 6-0 with a reserve player Adrian Thorne scoring 5
A lot of talk about that game and it is alledged that later a couple of Watford players admitted it

Yes we really sang to soon then


I never understood goal average

 

[GEOFFBEE]

One occasion we certainly did

Last game of the season 57/58 Tuesday night (6.30 ko) we beat our nearest rivals Brighton to go 2 points clear did we celebrate (Boston Rd did'nt know what hit it as we went home) that night as brighton had one game left against lowly Watford and they had to win at least 6-0 and not even Watford were that bad
then they played and won 6-0 with a reserve player Adrian Thorne scoring 5
A lot of talk about that game and it is alledged that later a couple of Watford players admitted it

Yes we really sang to soon then


I never understood goal average

 

[TOMOGP]

Oh Geoff you disappoint me, I was certain you would expand or correct me on my memory.

If I remember right our match with Brighton was Tuesday and the Watford game played on the Thursday, another reason why they would'nt win 6-0

 

[GEOFFBEE]

Oh Geoff you disappoint me, I was certain you would expand or correct me on my memory.

If I remember right our match with Brighton was Tuesday and the Watford game played on the Thursday, another reason why they would'nt win 6-0

I reckon your memory has served you well on that TOMOGP!
I too celebrated after that pulsating victory over Brighton, in front of around 25000 packed into Griffin Park.
And, I too nearly threw up when the scoreline from Brighton was read out on the news a few evenings later...
We had such a super team, and, sadly, they never quite made it the following few seasons either.
But if it had been two teams up, instead of one, in 1957/8 , then Cakebread, Coote, Towers , Francis , Horne, Rainford and the rest would have got their just reward ...

 

[TOMOGP]

Correct, what made it worse that we also had the away match at Brighton about 3 weeks before, we outplayed them result 1-1 but Big Jim had a goal disallowed for offside and it was never offside which if it had been allowed we would have been up anyway