morEcambe v pools

[skeletor]

am sure Kenny lowe played a couple of games for us either on loan or on trial,but unfortunately we couldn't afford his wages. when he played for barnet they used to fly him down from the north east to play for them

[Seasider9601]

Yep, one game in 1987/88 away somewhere or other.

He wanted a big signing on fee we couldn't afford/wouldn't pay, and he departed.

[Seasider9601]

I still have awful memories about an FA Trophy defeat away at the now defunct Ferryhill Athletic....

[billinghampoolie]

Bloody hell ferryhill that's like going back in time 20 years. My dads mate managed Hartlepool town they went from church league to northern league and ended up ground sharing with them. They also went to the wall.

[Seasider9601]

September 1989 we played at Ferryhill mate.

It's not a day I like to think about too much.....!

Good job we didn't have Internet forums in those days. Dumped out of the FA Cup one week, and then the FA Trophy exactly one week later. Both to (much) lower league clubs.

Can you just imagine this forum today if that happened.....!!

[Keith]

Can you just imagine this forum today if that happened.....!!

Christ, NO! I've been on suicide watch most of this season as it is!!!

The late 80's were a grim time to be a Morecambe fan. And yet, the best of times too!

[Freez]

My memory says we beat Caernarfon at Crusty Pie with Lowe playing, 3-1?
That was his only game for us.

Someone with a Potted Shrimps will tell us!!!

[billinghampoolie]

Ferryhill in September im surprised the game was on. It normally snows. Next you be telling me you lot played at tow law?

[Gone_Shrimping]

Not sure about Tow Law. I remember a 4-4 draw away at a place called South Bank in the cup and we lost the home replay !
Also we beat Esh Winning 8-0 at home in the FA Cup.

[billinghampoolie]

I think with us being a football league team you sort of forget how far teams like yourselves have come from. You have certainly done a tour of the north east. South bank is Middlesbrough and is famous for being the car crime capital of the country or it was. Its not far from boro s riverside stadium and is a pure hell hole. Cherbobyl has more going for it. Esh winning is in the wilds not too far from Durham. I think they are still in the northern league.

[Gone_Shrimping]

In those days we used to enter the FA Cup in the 2nd qualifying round and it was very often a North East Club !
We have played Bishop Auckland quite often in various cups and they did join the NPL for a while before going back to the Northern League

[billinghampoolie]

The north east is a hot bed for non league football some really big teams. South shields play in the northern league division 2 pulling in crowds of over 1100. Our best friends darlo averaging about 1300 while playing ten miles out of town at bishop Auckland and making quite a remarkable rise again on the verge of promotion once again. Spennymoor also looking to get back up the leagues. FA vase Morpeth once again representing the north east at Wembley. Blyth Spartans also going for promotion. You probobly crossed paths with all these teams at some point.

[cragbankshrimp]

I came to Hartlepool many years age to watch Blackpool v Horden Colliery Welfare in the FA Cup. On the way out I picket up a Horden rosette which they had made specially for the occasion. I've still got it stored away with all the other memorabilia

[billinghampoolie]

Cant beat memories of old fa cup ties. Some you never forget.

[Gone_Shrimping]

The north east is a hot bed for non league football some really big teams. South shields play in the northern league division 2 pulling in crowds of over 1100. Our best friends darlo averaging about 1300 while playing ten miles out of town at bishop Auckland and making quite a remarkable rise again on the verge of promotion once again. Spennymoor also looking to get back up the leagues. FA vase Morpeth once again representing the north east at Wembley. Blyth Spartans also going for promotion. You probobly crossed paths with all these teams at some point.

Morecambe beat South Shields in the semi final of the 1974 FA Trophy before going on to win our first of 2 Wembley wins. They changed their name to Gateshead I think shortly after that match.

Spennymoor and Blyth Spartans have both played Morecambe in the FA Cup or FA Trophy in seasons gone by.

[skeletor]

we must have played nearly all the north east teams over the years in f a cup or trophy.i have been to Gateshead,newcastle blue star, north shields and spennymoor and sunderland! we have come a long way,unbelievable that we got to the football league,mainly down to our chairman.

[Gone_Shrimping]

I think with us being a football league team you sort of forget how far teams like yourselves have come from. You have certainly done a tour of the north east. South bank is Middlesbrough and is famous for being the car crime capital of the country or it was. Its not far from boro s riverside stadium and is a pure hell hole. Cherbobyl has more going for it. Esh winning is in the wilds not too far from Durham. I think they are still in the northern league.

Your right about South Bank , it was grim.

With regards to ourselves we have moved up very gradually and we think we may be the only club in the football league never to have suffered relegation although maybe Arsenal may also be in that club.

[Keith]

Spennymoor and Blyth Spartans have both played Morecambe in the FA Cup or FA Trophy in seasons gone by.

We played Spennymoor in the Northern Premier League, the year we got promoted. Away at Spennymoor was the coldest I've ever been in my life!

A friend on the Isle of Man, is a couch-based Man Utd fan. A woman I worked with was a season ticket holder at Old Trafford and promised me two tickets for a game, which would have been my mate's first trip to Old Trafford. You could do it on a day trip sailing in to Liverpool back then. Anyway, she let me down, but by then, we were already looking forward to a trip off the rock. Plus, both being shift workers, we'd both booked the weekend off and didn't want to waste it. I immediately went to default... check Morecambe fixtures so we could do the day trip to Heysham!

I had a 50-50 chance of a home game... so no surprise that it was Spennymoor away!

Back then, in the winter, The Lady of Man sailed to Liverpool. In bad weather, she would bomb across, to reduce the discomfort/vomit of passengers. Generally she'd arrive about 30-45 minutes early. So I suggested taking the motorbike, then bomb up to Spennymoor. With the ferry in early, we'd make it in time.

Come the day, it was beautiful. Flat calm. Ferry in dead on time (or 45 minutes late for us). My mate on the pillion, I set off at a brisk pace, never going above 70mph [for the benefit of the Mr/Mrs Police Person, who probably still monitor this message board!] Having, err... made good time... we arrived at Spennymoor with only about ten minutes before half time, perhaps even less than that. The bloke on the turnstile said if we went in the bar for a few minutes, we could get in at half time for free. The look on his face when we said we'd come from the Isle of Man and didn't intend to miss a moment was a mixture of amazement, respect and you're barking mad.

But mainly you're barking mad.

Inside the ground, just in time to see a foul and a penalty to us! "Just in time for you to see your first Morecambe goal" I said to my mate. Just in time to see John Coleman miss!

Second half went well and I think we won 3-1 or something like.

Off we set back to Morecambe, over the A66. As soon as the sun went down the temperature plummeted. Soon we were above the snow line, following where the snow plough had been. Despite numerous layers, including long johns under the leathers, I was going in to peripheral shut down, unable to feel my feet or hands. In fact, by the time we got off, my chest was 'chilled', a feeling I've never had since and probably an indication of going in to full blown hyperthermia.

I made for the truck stop by the M6, riding about ten miles in third gear, unable to change up or down! We rolled in to the car park and I pulled in the clutch, free-wheeling in to the disabled space by the door. I put the side stand down with the bike in gear, which cuts the engine. EEY-Les (for it was he) got off and said "we're alright parking in a disabled spot 'cause I can't f'ing walk!" Despite being so close to Morecambe, we were there for about an hour, thawing out and eating a full meal before we set off again!

We went out for a few beers that night. While in The Fat Scot, we got chatting with a guy who'd ridden down from Scotland on an un-faired bike. It had rained while the other side of Glasgow. When he arrived in Lancaster, the water on him had turned to ice! I won't be forgetting Spennymoor!

[Trevor]

I met a lad at Butlin's once who was from Hartlepool, I beat him in the final of the lads table tennis. We kept in touch (by writing letters - remember that!?) and the next year he came to Morecambe for a week's holiday, then I went up to Hartlepool for a week.
I got told off for letting the bath water out as it was meant to 'do' the rest of the family (at least they'd let me use it first!). That 'holiday' was the first and only time I've ever had Pease Pud'n and I went skating and swimming at Billingham Forum for £1.10.

What do you mean its like going back in time...!??

[Keith]

Radio Newcastle sent an outside broadcast car, which the reporter sat in to relay the game. One of our lads had a transistor radio (how quaint!) and tuned in. We listened to the most biased commentaries ever (Freez could have learned a thing or two!) so we all went and stood around the car, chanting & singing! The reporter's commentary suddenly became very favourable towards us! As I recall, the players got changed in the pub (or a Portacabin in the pub's garden)?

Actually, that might have been Chester-le-Street. We went in the front door of the pub, pre-match drinks, then left by the rear door to go pitch side.

...and swimming at Billingham Forum for £1.10.

Old money?

[billinghampoolie]

The Billingham forum was the place to go to pull the women as a teenager. Ice hockey believe it or not was quite big then in the north east. Well going back 25 years. Time flies.

[Westgate Wanderer]

Didn't we beat Tow Law Town 5-1 at their place once? Probably in the '80's and the FA Trophy or Cup. We were always getting drawn against Northern league teams. Who can forget North Shields and their mushy chips from a frying pan?

[Keith]

How many do you think 'pool will bring? Free coaches? Relatively local game.

Could we be outnumbered by away fans?

I'll be in Africa, so I've got an excuse for not being there!

[shrimpnsave]

I'll be in Africa, so I've got an excuse for not being there![/quote]
lucky you/last time for a mug like me if the management don't serve up entertaining games

[marky No.1]

Yes saw you won 4-2 against Barnet. Not sure why everyone was worried? Dont be so sure my friend of being above us. We play the mighty sheep shaggers tommorow too. Though we will certainly need to play better than Saturday as we struggled badly second half to beat ten men. Wouldn't surprise me if hignett our manager didn't start experimenting a little now.

Well you lost to Carlisle and we revert back to sh!t and lose to the bottom team who had previously won just once at home all season.
I see you have a 600 provisional allocation and with free transport you will no doubt be making more noise than us!