[Lord Snooty]

October 6:

So, on this date in 1992, we went to Ewood Park to take on Premier League giants, Blackburn Rovers, in the 2nd round 2nd leg of the League Cup. We'd drawn the first leg 1-1 at Leeds Road, in a match we more than equaled our new Prima Donna League opponents, who would be champions a couple of seasons later.

They scored first on the night to go 2-1 up on aggregate, an unmarked Alan Shearer heading past Tony Elliott in the Town goal. Roy Wegerle fired the Rovers second goal, early in the second half, but then the tie was turned on it's head.

Firstly, an excellent run down the left wing by young Simon Ireland and a pass to Gary Barnett to score, to pull one back for the men in the black and red electric hoops Gola kit. And then Bobby Mimms in the Blackburn goal cocked up a back pass by kicking it straight at the onrushing Iwan Roberts and the ball came off his heel into the back of the net. All square again. Absolute limbs!

Blimey. Can we take this to extra time? Hold on. A minute later, a long punt from Elliott is nodded on by Iwan, the ball drops nicely for Ireland who volleys past Mimms into the far corner. All this in front of the Town fans who by now are going totally ape shit! 

But then, just as we thought we'd weathered the storm after getting battered by Blackburn's multi million pound strikers, one of them went and equalised. It was Shearer, heading in from a cross in injury time.

Bugger!

So it did go to extra time. Could we hold out for another thirty minutes and win on away goals?

Nah! Mike Newell scored soon after the restart and the game sort of fizzled out.

On this date in 2009, we did get penalties, but no extra time. It was a Johnstone Paints Trophy match at Saltergate against those Twisted Spirestarters of Chesterfield.

After a goal less first half, things got going after 57 minutes when Drew Talbot put the home side ahead. Anthony Pilkington drew Town level, only for the boy named Drew to do it again. Two-one to the Spireboys.

It was three-one in the 90th minute, when Jordan Bowery scored to wrap things up and see the mass exodus of the Town fans in a crowd of 3,003, amassed behind the goal in the pouring rain.

Those who stayed saw a remarkable come back. Two goals for the Terriers in injury time, one from Pilks and then Nathan Clarke scrambling one in from a corner as the ref was ready to get off for his nice hot cup of tea.

The tea urn can wait. We have a shoot out to see out first. And as we all know, Town always win penalties.

Well, on this rare occasion, we didn't. From the moment Pilks sent his shot high over the bar and out of the ground, we were beat. Chesterfield scored all theirs, they only needed four. Robbie Williams scored, Antony Kay scored. Jim Goodwin had his saved and so it was a future Town player who took the winning shot. A young lad on loan from Man City, Donal McDermott.

So that's two losses so far today. Finish with a big win.

When World War Two finished and they had VE Day an' all that, it was considered too late to organise a proper Football League season and so they carried on with regional football until things went back to normal for the 46/47 season.

Town might have been organised alright, but our opponents on this day in 1945, Middlesbrough, certainly weren't. How many players they had missing, still away on military service, I don't know, but they certainly were struggling on the pitch as we won this game 8-2 at Ayresome Park.

Lewis Brook, a defender form Halifax, scored a hat trick. Jimmy Glazzard scored a couple. I said the other day that Billy Price would've outscored Glazzard if all his wartime goals had counted. Jim scored quite a few in the war as well. I might tot them up when I've finished writing this up.*

Ex Arsenal striker, Eddie Carr (pictured below) scored twice. He had spent his war service darn t' pit, back up at his north-east home. This was his only season with us before going to Newport County and then Bradford City and Darlington.

The eighth Town goal is just recorded as scored by Watson. We had two brothers, Willie Watson and Albert Watson at the club at the time, so it could've been either. They were the sons of Town twenties legend, Billy Watson. Our Willie of course was a famous cricketer, who I've mentioned before and he went on to play for Sunderland as well. Albert had the lesser successful career and after us, went to Oldham but then ran his brother's sports shop in Sunderland.

Boro still hadn't got their act together by the next Saturday when they came to Leeds Road and we stuffed them again, 7-0 this time.

*Just totted Gentlemen Jim's goals in wartime. He got 33, taking his total to 187, still behind Pricey's 222.