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Your favourite season

ex hibitionist

ex hibitionist

Member
Location
Hastings
Country
England
Doesn't have to be the best one just which one you enjoyed most. I go back to 72/73 and I loved 75/76 (amazing start + cup run), 76/77 (last day promotion courtesy of Wrexham), 78/79 (Burnley), 94/95 (two semis and thrashings of Villa and City in League Cup + Cantona), 03/04 (amazing run inspired by Dowie and Neil Shipperley at Cardiff), 04/05 (Andy Johnson's 20 goals and late relegation drama), 07/08 (Warnock getting us into play-offs from nowhere), 12/13 (Zaha at the Amex) and 23/24 (the magnificent 7 to finish top half). I was never enthused by Coppell's football even when we came third, and although I've enjoyed our long spell in the prem, a few famous wins but no stand-out seasons, maybe the cup final year but we were poor in the league after Christmas.

If I had to choose one I'd go for 75/76 with the Fedora and all that despite missing out on promotion, I'd go 04/05 second because although it was ultimately diasppointing I loved the last two games v Saints and Charlton for the drama and the way Dowie got us playing after a poor start, and third
I'd go 94/95 because I enjoyed our style of football under Alan Smith and with a bit more backing from Noades we were only a couple of players off being a really good side. Any more options from our claret and blue days would be nice or just thoughts in general.
 
Probably 1968/1969 our promotion winning season when we achieved 1st division status for the first time in our history. We had that wonderful unbeaten run in in the 2nd half of the season. Two matches that stand out for me were the 2-0 win at the Den and the dramatic 3-2 promotion clincher against Fulham.

For a moment I thought about naming 1969/70 but in all honesty that was a struggle. It was great to see the top clubs come to Selhurst but we usually came out second best, and it was a miracle we survived with only 6 wins all season.
 
I think 88-89 when we really got Wright-Bright going. Can't remember how many goals we scored but it always seemed like we could score. Which was encapsulated by being down to Blackburn from the first leg of the playoffs but brilliantly outdoing them in the final.
I went to probably my most matches that season and preferred it to even finishing third - it was just how attacking we were. Great to see. I guess Super Al remembered that part as manager but forgot we had a good defence too.
 
For me it has to be 79/80, mainly the 79 bit. I started going when we were in the depths of division 3 playing the likes of Mansfield, York, Hereford etc so a few years later to be locking horns and beating the best in the country, going top early on, outclassing the then mighty Ipswich, beating European champions Forest and big spending Man. City. Massive crowds, real halcyon days, now I can take it or leave it, but as a kid, I was climbing the walls with excitement through the week when we had a home game coming up
 
Pete53 said:
Probably 1968/1969 our promotion winning season when we achieved 1st division status for the first time in our history. We had that wonderful unbeaten run in in the 2nd half of the season. Two matches that stand out for me were the 2-0 win at the Den and the dramatic 3-2 promotion clincher against Fulham.

For a moment I thought about naming 1969/70 but in all honesty that was a struggle. It was great to see the top clubs come to Selhurst but we usually came out second best, and it was a miracle we survived with only 6 wins all season.
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Same for me. 16 games unbeaten and only the outstanding Derby side under Brian Clough were ahead. Winning at their place early in that run gave the team a lot of confidence and although it was only a 0-0 at home, denying our closest rivals, Middlesbrough , a win on Good Friday made me feel the team were going to make it. It was a shame that Mark Lazarus and Colin Taylor left before getting the chance to play with us in the top division
 
Probably the season we came up by beating Blackburn Rovers in the two leg Home & Away play-off final. Such great memories and experiences during the whole season, particularly the atmosphere and buzz in our following at away games. Also Wright & Bright…and Dave Madden!
 
pssguy said:
Same for me. 16 games unbeaten and only the outstanding Derby side under Brian Clough were ahead. Winning at their place early in that run gave the team a lot of confidence and although it was only a 0-0 at home, denying our closest rivals, Middlesbrough , a win on Good Friday made me feel the team were going to make it. It was a shame that Mark Lazarus and Colin Taylor left before getting the chance to play with us in the top division
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There was a crowd of around 40,000 for that Good Friday game v Middlesbrough. I recall we beat Portsmouth 3-1 the following - the days when 3 games were played over 4 days over the Easter weekend.
 
78/79 for me watching El Tel possession football and seeing half of our FA youth cup double winners growing into maturity. It was frustrating at times because there were so many draws (19 wins, 19 draws and just 4 defeats) but watching:
  • Sansom stealing the ball off flying wingers
  • Cannon and Gilbert majestic at the back
  • Nicholas's biting tackles in the middle
  • Hilaire being Hilaire
  • Swindlehurst knocking them in and
  • Murphy frustratingly switching between silky skills on the ball and bollox (excuse my French)
  • Budgie in goal and his pre-game antics
  • and, of course, Doris
was great.

I've left out Walsh - didn't rate him that much and Fenwick who never seemed to have much of a clue when he was with us.

There aren't any other seasons I can readily name the whole team for and perhaps that says something

and finally

Yes I really was at that Burnley game in the Whitehorse Lane end.
 
doombear said:
78/79 for me watching El Tel possession football and seeing half of our FA youth cup double winners growing into maturity. It was frustrating at times because there were so many draws (19 wins, 19 draws and just 4 defeats) but watching:
  • Sansom stealing the ball off flying wingers
  • Cannon and Gilbert majestic at the back
  • Nicholas's biting tackles in the middle
  • Hilaire being Hilaire
  • Swindlehurst knocking them in and
  • Murphy frustratingly switching between silky skills on the ball and bollox (excuse my French)
  • Budgie in goal and his pre-game antics
  • and, of course, Doris
was great.

I've left out Walsh - didn't rate him that much and Fenwick who never seemed to have much of a clue when he was with us.

There aren't any other seasons I can readily name the whole team for and perhaps that says something

and finally

Yes I really was at that Burnley game in the Whitehorse Lane end.
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Me too, but I was in the new stand enclosure, I’ve been saying it for over 40 years now, but it’ll never get better than that night for me
 
Although i was at SP in '69, like a few of you, i was there in '79(snuck in to the Whitehorse) & the '90 & '91 seasons with the cup run all the way to Wembley, think we went to Wembley then more times than the England squad. Just like most there were a lot more bad seasons than good ones, but, boy, were they enjoyable.
 

77-78 I had just started working and spent my wages on my first full season . I do miss those days when you could just pitch up and pay at the gate ,football specials or the Palace coaches and the team was on fire most weeks as well . I never quite managed another full house so 77-78 will always be my favourite season
 
doombear said:
78/79 for me watching El Tel possession football and seeing half of our FA youth cup double winners growing into maturity. It was frustrating at times because there were so many draws (19 wins, 19 draws and just 4 defeats) but watching:
  • Sansom stealing the ball off flying wingers
  • Cannon and Gilbert majestic at the back
  • Nicholas's biting tackles in the middle
  • Hilaire being Hilaire
  • Swindlehurst knocking them in and
  • Murphy frustratingly switching between silky skills on the ball and bollox (excuse my French)
  • Budgie in goal and his pre-game antics
  • and, of course, Doris
was great.

I've left out Walsh - didn't rate him that much and Fenwick who never seemed to have much of a clue when he was with us.

There aren't any other seasons I can readily name the whole team for and perhaps that says something

and finally

Yes I really was at that Burnley game in the Whitehorse Lane end.
Click to expand...
Definitely my favourite season for the memories of bygone days & being in the Holmesdale that night, but I have to say that for me, my favourite season is always the current one, there is nothing like living the moment - as they say in the streaming tv adds - "its only live once"
 
Dogburger said:

77-78 I had just started working and spent my wages on my first full season . I do miss those days when you could just pitch up and pay at the gate ,football specials or the Palace coaches and the team was on fire most weeks as well . I never quite managed another full house so 77-78 will always be my favourite season
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Great times, I think it was all local people back then as well so it meant more and so it was a different atmosphere all together
 
Most enjoyable in recent years was 93/94 season.
Had a great squad, Martyn in goal, Thorn & Young, Coleman & Shaw at the back. Decent midfield (inc Paul Stewart on loan). Armstrong with Dyer and Salako providing the ammo.
Went to most of the games with my lad and occasionally my daughter. Won the league at canter ahead of Forest (7 points clear) and promoted to the Premier.
 
Maybe 1976 and the semi-final with Big Mal. There was an excitement and he created such a buzz that it didn't seem to matter quite as much that we weren't very good most of the time.
Consecutive relegations and he was still convinced that he was the greatest coach in the world. He got us in the papers all the time too.
 
Dogburger said:

77-78 I had just started working and spent my wages on my first full season . I do miss those days when you could just pitch up and pay at the gate ,football specials or the Palace coaches and the team was on fire most weeks as well . I never quite managed another full house so 77-78 will always be my favourite season
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Sadly I missed this season. My first game was in the 79/80 season when I was 10.

77/78 looks an absolute cracker!
 
For me. it has to be 1990-91. Attended every home game, vast majority of away fixtures and ended with us qualifying for the Europe with a third place finish.

Of course, that was stolen from us, and curse on all involved in that, but nothing will ever rob me of the joy I felt when we finished the season with a trouncing of Man United along with actually winning a trophy at Wembley (ok, so a micky mouse cup but still a real cup).

And what could have been after that...

Oh well. C'est la vie...
 
Matov said:
For me. it has to be 1990-91. Attended every home game, vast majority of away fixtures and ended with us qualifying for the Europe with a third place finish.

Of course, that was stolen from us, and curse on all involved in that, but nothing will ever rob me of the joy I felt when we finished the season with a trouncing of Man United along with actually winning a trophy at Wembley (ok, so a micky mouse cup but still a real cup).

And what could have been after that...

Oh well. C'est la vie...
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That has to be my second best. I went up to Anfield when it looked like we were going to finish 2nd and they beat us 3-0 and went above us and as you say we were robbed of our place.

The ZDS was a great occasion as well, none of the 33,000 of us who were there were bothered about it being Micky mouse, it helped to soften the blow a bit of losing the real thing the year before
 
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