Jon Blakely's Canadian Chronicles
Wednesday 21 November, 2001
Between Bantams and Baggies
This coming weekend sees yet another chapter in what has become 'my families feud' dating back to City's promotion to the Second Division in 1985. Somehow this meeting between City and West Bromwich Albion has become quite a heated rivalry to the two set of supporters and quite why I can only pinpoint to one moment in time.
My father and brother spent most of the years of my early life convincing me to be and Albion fan, we used to go to most games when Albion were a real force, the likes of Robson, Regis, Cunningham, Brown, Wile and Cantello, later Barnes and Owen. But I never really got hooked (preferring to follow Liverpool until 1983). So we moved to Ilkley in 1983 and City had two end of season local derbies against Sheffield United and Huddersfield. Yours Truly was hooked now!!
So back to the rivalry, of course I always wanted the games to be intense, but never imagined that they would ever be this heated, and like I said before it comes down to one moment in our second season back in Division Two.
Earlier in that season we had lost at an incredibly windswept Odsal, 3-1 to West Brom, in fact one of their goals in the second half was a scorcher from the half way line it was as they say in Baseball a 'Frozen Rope' which the on-loan Eric Nixon had no chance of getting near. City were struggling and looking set for relegation.
Then along came Terry Dolan and Ron Futcher and the last ten games were to see City arise from the foot of the table to set a momentum which would carry on into the 'nearly' season of 1988.
The final game of that season was away at West Brom and they were fielding their bright young thing, a forward they had great hope in because just like they had sold Steve Bull for 50 grand to Wolves and he had flourished, they believed they had a steal in their young striker.
You've probably guessed by now that that bright young thing was in fact Don Goodman, the forward who spent more time on his backside at City than on his boots, but Albion had paid next to nowt for him and he had scored a couple for them.
Then it happened and I suppose it had to, he scored in the final game of the season at the Hawthorns against his previous employers.
It wasn't a spectacular goal as I remember it but it contributed to putting them 2-0 up against a 9 man team and Donald 'took a bow' in front of the home fans, this wasn't a Beckham-esque goal, just a tap-in and Goodman was trying to send a message to the Bantams. And That was It, they loved it and City players and fans took offence.
City despite having two players sent off, fought back in fine style with Hendrie and Futcher grabbing goals to send the big away following into raptures.
Since then we have been quite successful against them, completing the season double a couple of times but most games home and away have been draws (my Mum used to be so happy with draws!!)
So I miss the game this weekend for the first time in years and will rely on Bobby Ham on BCB or Chris Copper on the Pulse to provide me with the eyes on the game the Atlantic Ocean will prevent me from giving myself.
Regards for Now, Jon Blakely (C'mon City, C'mon City)