Memories Down CUT THROAT LANE Afternoon and seasonal greetings from the old codgers at Coconuts. I hope those who travelled to the Valley by boat last week enjoyed themselves. I certainly did. Sunday was a very quiet affair. We are travelling back to 18th December 1999 for our bout of reminiscence on the programme front today, and a third tier encounter with the Latics from Oldham. This was our 21st competitive encounter since we entered the League in 1970 and to this day I still harbour bitter memories when I hear mere mention of their name. This goes back to the three epic cup ties in the first half of January in 1974 which ended in bitter disappointment at the City Ground in Nottingham. Even the Oldham manager admitted that the better team lost. Remarkably, my old man let me go with him and miss school for the day. He was stricter than a Methodist Minister with a bull whip but I suspect my old dear would have said he was a bit more selective when it came to the mighty U’s! Generally, the atmosphere around the club seemed quite positive. Whilst the previous game against Barnet had been postponed, we were still coming off knocking Crystal Palace out of the FA Cup Third Round. Redemption
for nearly ten years earlier, maybe. That game was on a Friday night so signs even then nearly a quarter of a century ago - that the FA Cup was being messed around with. Anybody remember why the Third Round was as early as December? Me neither. Leafing through the programme, I thought the sponsorship page was interesting. Whatever happened to ‘the Buglies’? Answers on a postcard please. There are some very familiar old faces on Graham Eales’ PR page - you know who you are. God bless Andrew Bennett. And lots of CUFC/Oldham connections highlighted, which we don’t see so much of these days in programmes. Anyway, the Latics beat us 3-2 that day and completed the double the following April with a 1-0 victory. Finally, on this day in 218 BC, Hannibal’s Carthaginian army commenced battle with the Romans in the second of the Punic Wars in the battle of the Trebia fought on Italian soil. By 23 December, Tiberius Sempronius Longus had been heavily defeated and it took until 202 BC for the Romans to finally tame the leader/warrior from North Africa. You are duly enriched. Enjoy yourselves. ■
Harry
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