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| Davenport's Diary |
taken from the Gloucester City v's Yate Town matchday programme - Tuesday November 18th 2003 |
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| They say there is no pain worse than childbirth or an ingrown toenail. Trapping any of your appendages in the car door can also be bloody painful. But it’s not the worse pain. Defeat in the last qualifying round of a national cup competition, and the lost opportunity of a visit to the dizzy lights of Mansfield, has left me with a nagging ache that just won’t shift. First off I took solace in the bottle, until I was banned from all the local pubs and had emptied the Off License. But you’ll never find an answer in the bottom of the bottle. My medication was right under my nose and that tablet was called Davenport’s Diary. Looking back through these pages you will relive the highs and lows of City’s history and soon realise that we all move on from the lows, and if anything these make us appreciate the highs all the more. If this has helped any of my fellow fans in overcoming their grief then I am happy. The mere fact that at least one person takes the time to read these pages makes my pathetic little life worthwhile. So let the therapy begin |
| 1978 |
| City’s good run continues with an impressive 1-0 victory away to Cambridge, although it took a last minute goal from John Evans to give the Tigers all 2 points. |
| CITY: Iain Main, Fred Gittings, Steve Scarrott, Dick Pepworth, Phil Brake, John Turner, Gary Bell, Perry, Perritt, John Evans, Doug Foxwell (Selwyn Rice) |
| This victory set up a chance for City to go top of the table, if they were able to get a result away to Barry Town. However, things didn’t go the Tigers way as John Turner handled to give the Welshies a converted first half penalty, and they never looked back, recording a 3-1 victory. Phil Brake netted a second half consternation. |
| Elsewhere, in the Western League Matson drew 0-0 at home to Mangotsfield, in a team that included moustachioed City Youth supremo Kenny Blackburn. Both clubs have taken very different direction since that day. I know that I’d rather be travelling away to Matson, not Mangotsfield. But could the City support two clubs? Debate. |
| 1988 |
| Cheltenham Town announce Jim Barron as new manager. A poor run of results soon sees the gaffer live up his surname. At the important end of the Golden Valley, City are pre-occupied in minor cup action, firstly going down 4-0 away to Gosport in the First Leg of the League Cup, and then losing 3-2 at home to Forest Green in the Northern Senior Professional Cup semi, with Karl Bayliss scoring a double for the hillsters. |
| It’s the league that matters, though, as City put three past Wellingborough at Meadow Park, Lance Morrison and Steve Talboys (2) on the scoresheet. The visitors did pull one back against City stopper Pat O’Hagan, deputising for John Shaw, who had dislocated his finger against Gosport. |
| City follow this up with a creditable1-1 draw away to Martin O’Neill’s Grantham, against a team featuring ex Forest stars John Robertson and Kenny Burns. City seemed to have snatched the winner when Shaun Penny popped up like a jack-in-the-toaster with six minutes to go, only for the Tigers to throw away the lead in extra time. |
| In a move that will set conspiracy theorists tongues wagging, President George Bush the First takes office on 9/11 – 9th November for any datesylexics amongst you. Even more strangely, Ralph Milne signs for Manchester United from Bristol City. And to complete the set of three, his Royal Chasness celebrates his 40th birthday. Locally the Citizen reports on births, deaths and marriages. And a man is fined for speeding. |
| 1993 |
| City’s contrasting home and away form continues, November starting off with a 1-0 Meadow Park victory against struggling Dorchester Town, a Paul Bloomfield header giving the Tigers the points. This is then followed by a 2-0 away defeat at Cambridge United, preventing City going top of the table. City had not won away in the league for 7 months. The pattern continues with City crashing 2-0 away to Trowbridge, Keith Knight netting for the home side following a poor clearance from Mark Teasdale. Back at Meadow Park its all gummy smiles again as City register a 3-0 victory against Crawley thanks to goals from Bayliss, Buckland and Cook. This victory took City to second in the league, albeit having played as much as 6 more games than some of our rivals. |
| One break in this sequence comes when City annihilate Cheltenham 1-0 at Whaddon Road, in the Northern County Senior Professional Cup, with Mark Buckland the hero against his former team. |
| Meanwhile City sign Simon Morris from Shortwood United as cover for Steve Crompton, as well as signing Jason Radford, Brian Godfrey’s team mate from the City Supporters Club Sunday League team. Karl Bayliss will be out for City as he requires a operation on a groin injury. |
| Tortoise lovers breathe a sigh of relief as the Citizen reports on Joey being re-united with his owners, after being accidentally stolen in a house raid. The owners promise never to keep him in their money box again. |
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taken from the Gloucester City v's Bedworth United matchday programme - Saturday November 22nd 2003 |
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| Less introduction, more history. That’s what you’ve been telling me. More trifle, less topping. Have it your own way, but I’m not happy about it |
| 1978 |
| Big news at Horton Road was an announcement from City Chairman Dickie Etheridge that he was resigning, but would stand again for re-election, in effect seeking a vote of confidence from the shareholders and the club. This followed a stormy public meeting in which the club budget was laid bare, revealing that gate receipts did not cover wages. Including win bonuses, wages were at £1,200 a month, with the club only taking about £125 a match. Frustrations clearly boiled over as our leader emotionally offered ‘I have worked 7 days a week for 2 years for this club and I would like other people to share responsibility’. |
| Now I have a guilty secret, and wish to come out of the wardrobe about it. I was only 8 years old when I attended this meeting with my dad. And, after 5 pints of laughing juice and a vodka chaser, I’m afraid I got a bit carried away with my ‘sack the Board’ chants. Sorry. |
| 1988 |
| It was a shame that only one man and his dog turned up to see City play Gosport in the second leg of the League Cup at Meadow Park. And who could blame them, with City 4-0 down from the first leg, and a dense duvet of fog surrounding the mecca of world football. Even James Herbert kept away. The 273 that braved conditions were treated to one of the City performances of all time, as 4 goals in the last 12 minutes saw City earn extra time, and a second Steve Talboys goal took us through to the next stage. Greg Steele took the man of the match accolade. |
| They say that you can wait years for a bus, and then two break down in front of you at once. Never was this epitaph truer, as City followed up their entertaining midweek display with an 8-0 mauling of Mile Oak Rovers at Meadow Park. Ricky Chandler and Shaun Penny helped themselves to a brace each, with Lance Morrison seeing them and raising, having scored four. The match was memorable for other reasons, as long time City fan Don Mann turned up in his wedding suit, having split his marriage ceremony and wedding reception so as not to miss the match. I can still hear the terrace chant …..‘Oh when the Ricky Chandelier lights up, our City’s on the ball……’ Heady days |
| CITY: John Shaw, Greg Steele, Martin Williams, Martin Lander, Mike Malpas, Nigel Green, Ricky Chandler, Brian Hughes, Shaun Penny, Lance Morrison, Wayne Noble (Ian Hedges, Steve Talboys) |
| City hero Steve Johnson returned to the County as a second half substitute for new team Bilston, scoring a consolation in a 2-1 defeat at Forest Green. |
| Meanwhile England warmed up for two Gulf Wars with a 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia in Riyad, and Richard Hadlee sets a new test wicket taking record having outed 374 batsmen during an industrious career. |
| 1993 |
| City once again struggle on their travels, going down 1-0 away to a Farnborough side that includes Maik Taylor in goal. City’s season starts to take a very middle table feel as we drop down to fourth, with most of our rivals having games in hand. On the playing front Paul Olner leaves City to rejoin VS Rugby, despite being a regular in the team, citing the travelling as the reason for the decision, promising to return when time travel is invented. And talking of ex-City players, Chris Hyde joins Cinderford, the legend that was Liam Dixon joins Moreton and to complete the hat-trick of ex City strikers, Mike Burford nets a brace for Brockworth in the Gloucester Northern Senior League. |
| Swindon Town manage their first win in the Premiership, 1-0 against QPR at the County Ground, thanks to a Keith Scott close range strike that was ‘thumped’ home. Handball then, surely? George Best throws his sozzled hat into the blurred ring for the Northern Ireland job following Billy Bingham’s departure. |
| Back on the terraces of Meadow Park fans voice their opinion that the matchday programme, as good as it is, could be improved by a regular but light hearted feature looking back at the club’s history, with a strong intro to provide some cherry on the pie. Think on... |
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taken from the Gloucester City v's Gresley Rovers matchday programme - Tuesday November 25th 2003 |
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| ‘If you want to learn lessons for the future, then look to the past’. Never a truer word has been muttered. If Hitler had heeded this simple advice he would never have gone to war, and the course of history would have been very, very different. So, when reading these hallowed pages do not simply lose yourself in nostalgia, but think long and hard about the messages between the lines, and what they mean for the City team of today. And when you’ve worked out what they are please tell me because I haven’t got a bloody clue what I’m on about! I’ll get my anorak |
| 1978 |
| City make life difficult for themselves at home to Oswestry Town, conceding two late goals after being comfortable at 4-1 up. A John Turner flying header had set the ball rolling, so to speak, before John Evans added a second. City debutante Terry Patterson added a third before Dougie Foxwell completed City’s scoring with another header. |
| Elsewhere in the world of sport Doug Mountjoy wins Snooker’s Coral UK Championship, beating Manchester’s David Taylor 15-9 to win the £3,500 first prize. In celebration Doncaster Rovers appoint Billy Bremner as their manager. In the world of entertainment David Nixon, TV magician, dies aged 59. Parkinson notches up his 200th show, and Gloucester City Reserves lose 6-1 to Matson Athletic, with Kenny Blackburn scoring one of our opponents goals |
| 1988 |
| A couple of City’s arch enemies, Dale Belford and Martin Devaney, visit Meadow Park with high flying Tamworth. In front of 990 fans, City are held to a 1-1 draw with Nigel Green ripping the net out of the ground with a tap in. |
| City face an altogether more difficult scenario the following weekend, as they are forced to play two games on the weekend. On the Saturday home fans witness another 1-1 draw, this time at home to Dudley. Brian Hughes has a mixed game, netting for the Tigers but also missing the penalty that would have brought the full bacon joint home, rather than just pork scratchings. |
| Credit to what was almost the same XI, though, as City travelled overevening to Spalding in Lincolnshire, and came away with a 4-1 victory on the Sabbath. City didn’t have a full contingent though, as they were forced to name Brian Godfrey on the bench, despite the manager having tucked into Sunday dinner with all the trimmings, twice, and necked 5 pints of Sunday Afternoon snoozing juice. Some of his touches, though, were inspired. |
| In a busy end to November, a tired looking City then played on Tuesday against Bilston. 1-0 down with minutes to go, it looked a lost cause. Then a Marcus Bray cross was put into his own net by ex-City defender Stainton McKenzie. Bilston Keeper Kuldip Patel was then sent off as the away side hit the self-destruct button, and amazingly City finished with the 3 points with a Brian Hughes injury time winner. |
| John Murphy, who had recently resigned as Cheltenham manager following a 3-0 FA Cup humiliation against City, joins Trowbridge. As manager of course, not player or programme seller. |
| 1993 |
| City face Jim Cannon’s Dulwich Hamlet in the last qualifying round of the FA Trophy but go down to the pseudo-cockney wide boys by the odd goal in 3. Amazingly all three goals come in the first 7 minutes, with City actually taking the lead through Karl Bayliss after he had charged down the home keeper’s clearance with two minutes on the clock. |
| CITY: Steve Crompton, Steve Crouch, Murray Fishlock, Mark Buckland, Paul Bywater, Gary Kemp, Tommy Callinan, Brian Hughes, Karl Bayliss, Tony Cook, Mark Boyland (Paul Bloomfield, Graham Smith) |
| Elsewhere in cup compo, Nuneaton fly the flag for the Doctor Martians League with a 2-1 home victory against Swansea in their FA Cup First Round replay. Up the hill Forest Green Shovers are expelled from the FA Vase after fielding an ineligible player, Simon Oakley, who had previously played for Patchway Town in the competition. |
| Moreton Town chief Keith Gardner announces that he is to quit the club at the end of the season, but refuses to speculate on where he is moving to. |
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| Page last updated : 30th June 2004 |
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| Tiger Roar is an unofficial, independant production. It has nothing to do with Gloucester City AFC 1980 Ltd, Gloucester City Ladies FC or the Gloucester City Supporters Trust. All comments expressed on here (unless stated) are those of the author and not those of the football club. |
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