Avoiding the obvious subject for an article, I’ve decided to drop back on this series which has proven popular with some. The Southend and Rotherham ones were amongst my best-performing articles last month; that proves you like them.
I don’t do them for teams I’ve already done (MK Dons, Everton, Doncaster) but this weekend sees a trip to Wycombe and brings an obvious candidate to the fore; Gareth Ainsworth. He didn’t leave here for there, but I could thank them for looking after a proper Imps’ legend. I doubt any other player in history has so much goodwill from a club he didn’t make 100 appearances for.
It’s too obvious though, bringing Gareth into it. Instead, I’m not going to thank them for a player first off. In fact, to start us off I’m going back to my childhood and to one of the happiest days I can ever remember.
Thanks – Monday, May 2nd, 1988
Perhaps, just perhaps this was an easy one to start off with. It was what I considered to be the best day of my childhood, a day when three generations of Hutchinson stood at the Railway End and watched a team redeem themselves, creating history in the process. Years later, whilst I studied hypnosis, I was taken back to a happy childhood memory. I went here, stood next to my Dad with my Grandad nearby. In truth, loads of the family were there; Dad’s brother Jeff, Nanna, my brother, a host of cousins. It was crazy, nine years old and watching the team I’d supported for almost two seasons bring such joy to everyone I loved.
In case you didn’t know, we were the first team to be relegated automatically from Division Four in 1987. Few gave us hope of coming back, but Colin Murphy kept us as a professional outfit and took us on an unlikely journey through places like Fisher, Altrincham, Bath and Wealdstone. It all came down to the final day of the season, a Bank Holiday Monday clash with Wycombe Wanderers at Sincil Bank.
Just over 9,000 fans were there that day (officially), with estimates closer to 14,000 seeming realistic. The Imps won 2-0, goals from Mark Sertori and Phil Brown securing the win. Cue delirium, cue just over two decades back in the Football League before Tilson and Sutton got their mitts on our club.
Thanks Wycombe, for not f***ing up my childhood.
I think Ainsworth would definitely be a contender if the Cowleys went.
The only good thing I remember from Oakes’ time at Sincil Bank was a glorious 40 yard pass he made that led to the winning goal against Bournemouth in 2008. Was the only time that Jackson’s quote ‘His left foot can peel carrots’ seemed to be true.
It was Monday, under the sign of Taurus (see birth chart on May 2, 1988). The US president was Ronald Reagan (Republican). Famous people born on this day include Alireza Haghighi and Lara Liang.