The missing 78 seconds incident

[Minneapolis Town Tractor]

Was made aware recently of a game your club had some 35 years back that older generations may already be aware but found it an interesting read and wondered if anyone was in attendance on the occasion.    It goes as follows :

The Missing 78 Seconds

Derby, May 1983
It was a troubled season for Derby County - only two wins in their first 22 League games and some major spots of bother, particularly in January, when games with Leeds United and Chelsea triggered serious crowd disturbances on successive Saturdays.   By the last Saturday of the season, however, the club had rallied.   A run of 15 unbeaten League games had pulled them on to the fringe of the relegation zone in Division Two.    A win in the last game of the season, at home to Fulham, would ensure safety.

Fulham had their own interests.   Malcolm MacDonald's young team had been in the top three for most of the season.  A recent bad run had created anxiety, but a win at Derby would guarantee promotion to Division One at Leicester City's expense.
After 75 minutes play Derby County's Bobby Davison volleyed the first goal of the game.   A small pitch invasion by celebrating fans was soon cleared, but the crowd gathered around the edge of the pitch, about five or six deep.  The pitch became smaller.

Robert Wilson, a Fulham midfield player, was kicked by a spectator while the ball was in play.   The touchlines were no longer visible.   The referee, Ray Chadwick from Darwen, did his best under the circumstances.   Then, when he blew his whistle for offside, the fans, thinking the game was over, swarmed on to the pitch to celebrate Derby's  1 - 0  win.   Referee Chadwick's watch showed 78 seconds still to play, but the teams had to leave the field.   A second Fulham player, Jeff Hopkins, was assaulted in the process.   He was too shocked to continue.   The referee did not take the players back on to the pitch.

Fulham manager Malcolm MacDonald felt his team deserved a replay.   He argued that it wasn't Fulham's fault that the crowd had invaded, cut the game by 78 seconds and interfered with some of the later minutes.   Others felt that Derby had deserved to win, looked well on top and the chances of Fulham scoring two goals in the last 78 seconds were minimal.   One national newspaper asked readers to recall all those games where away teams had score two in the last 78 seconds after being one down.

The Football League ruled that the result should stand.   Fulham appealed to the Football Association but with no joy.   The only tangible outcome was that Derby County were forced to spend money to improve the security of their ground.   They erected perimeter fencing, which stayed a permanent fixture for almost six years. 

Apologize for any interruption, only it was a good story if not relevant.

 

[uttoxram75]

This is the game, and yes, I was there...about 5 yards from the incident where the player was kicked (I thought it was a decent tackle tbh).....

 

[Gritstone Ram]

I was there. I seem to remember to be more bothered about staying up than anything else. Fulham weren’t best pleased though. We were pretty awful back then.

[Jayram]

I was there, sitting in the old B Stand for some reason instead of the Ley Stand where I had a season ticket. At the final whistle my mate, in his desperation to get on the pitch climbed onto the top of one of the dugouts and fell straight through! It was absolute chaos! 

[Woodley Ram]

The BBG ahh happy memories. My dad had the security contract when it was being knocked down so got to go around it. It was a @&£” hole inside, the players bar was small and basic as were the showers and Cloughs office small as well . Lump in my throat now 

[Steve How Hard?]

78 seconds is nothing. We had a whole squad full of players go missing for a full season in 2007/08.

[RamNut]

I was in A stand.

Not our finest hour tbh.

[VulcanRam]

Interesting, I always thought the fencing was put up (as it was in many grounds) because of the general rise in hooliganism at the time, but that article claims it was down to this game. 

[superzak]

Brings back terrible memories

[Alan Ramage 4 EVA]

30 minutes ago, VulcanRam said:

Interesting, I always thought the fencing was put up (as it was in many grounds) because of the general rise in hooliganism at the time, but that article claims it was down to this game. 

I was there too in the popside went on the pitch after the LAST whistle as I recall we had to climb a fence. (Think the fences were already erected around the terraced areas just the main stand had no fencing until later on when more substantial fencing with back turned spikes were put in place all around the pitch ???)

[Seaside Sam]

it was a great game 3,467 a side,took us ages to pick teams

[King Kevin]

I am in that video somewhere the guy that took the kick was only a few yards away.

[HorsforthRam]

I was in the Popside. Definitely a fence there cos I climbed over it. 

[AdamRam]

I was there, only a youngster at the time having been thrown over the fence to open a gate for others. An example when people say the youth of today are so much worse that in past years, they are not, it was as bad then as it is today, people just get older and forget.

As for the game, if it was the other way around we would be crying on an injustice for years, no matter what the result you couldn’t concentrate a football game whilst the crowd being so close, should have been replayed regardless of how on top we were, not that I thought that at the time.

[Coneheadjohn]

If I could go back in time I would create something similar for the end of the  QPR playoff defeat.

I don’t mean invade the pitch and attack Zamora,maybe realease a load of dogs onto the pitch.

[irobinson]

in the Pop Side...great day

[SaffyRam]

I was on the Popside. Couldn’t see a thing because of all the people around the pitch. I had to watch the Ley Stand above us to see which way people were looking, in order to see whether we were in danger of conceding a goal and getting relegated ?. I’m pretty sure there was fencing up.

I was also there for the Leeds and Chelsea matches when they ripped all the seats out in the away end. I particularly remember the Chelsea fans throwing seats down on their own supporters!

 

[richinspain]

I was on the Popside that day too. I was one of the well behaved ones who stayed the right side of the fence ?

[uttoxram75]

20 minutes ago, richinspain said:

I was on the Popside that day too. I was one of the well behaved ones who stayed the right side of the fence ?

You must have been a bit lonely Rich!

[Dordogne-Ram]

And another one in attendance on the Popside :  nail-biting stuff at the end!

And Peter Taylor was immediately adamant that the result would stand - not sure that I was!