[Lord Snooty]

September 16:

In the 1997/98 season, Town got off to a shocking start under the leadership of Brian Horton. After six games, we had three points from three draws and three defeats. We were bottom of the league after narrowly avoiding relegation in the previous season. We'd only scored four goals in those six league games, with Marcus Stewart being top scorer with two.

We had won one game. That was in the first round of the League Cup when we beat Bradford City, who were in the same division as us then. We beat them 2-1 at home and 3-2 on aggregate to set up the match on this date in 1997, a home leg in the 2nd round against Premier League giants, West Ham United.

But so bad was the feeling around the town about the team and the terrible start, that only 8,525 came to the McAlpine to watch this one. The Hammers had some big names in their line up. Probably not that big then, but names that went on to have stellar careers, the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, David Unsworth, John Hartson and Iain Dowie.

We had the much loved Marcus up front with Paul Dalton on the wing. Steve Francis in goal. In defence we had Steve Jenkins, Kevin Gray, Darren Edmondson and Jon Dyson and a midfield with ex Man Utd man Lee Martin, Lee Makel and Wayne Burnett. Also coming in was Horton's new signing, the ex Blackpool, Palace, Hull and Charlton midfield dynamo, Alex Dyer who had returned to the country after playing in Portugal.

And it was he who's goal turned the atmosphere from very angry to not so angry by scoring the only goal of the game in the 75th minute.

Dyer didn't last long at the club though, he was knocking on a bit when we signed him and Horton was soon to leave the club to be replaced by Peter Jackson. He did come back though later on as assistant to Chris Powell, leaving again when Powell got the push.

Since then, he's managed Kilmarnock for just over a year mainly during the Covid pandemic. His last job was as assistant to Alan Pardew at CSKA Sofia where he walked out in June this year after being racially abused.

Kick it out, you Bulgarian pricks!

Anyway, back to the West Ham tie. After a one nil win, the second leg will be down the Boleyn Ground at Upton Park in a couple of weeks time.