Conference Championship 1987-88 - Part 5 - Barry Fry Embarrasses Himself For All Eternity On National Television - HAVE A READ! | Vital Football

Conference Championship 1987-88 - Part 5 - Barry Fry Embarrasses Himself For All Eternity On National Television - HAVE A READ!

Relatively unimportant in the whole scheme of things, but that decision by the GMVC to take the championship trophy to Welling still riles me to this day. Wycombe finished fifth from bottom that season, so there was absolutely no reason to believe Lincoln would not beat them, especially at home. It was a another example of how badly the Conference did not want Lincoln to win the championship at the first attempt. Take a look back at Part 1 of this series at our opening fixtures: first up we had Barnet and Weymouth both away, with Runcorn (who finished 4th), Telford (5th), and Stafford (6th) all away from home in September. That is not hindsight - those were five of non-league's crack sides at that time. It is to Lincoln's immense credit that they came through all of that.
 
That season really was a step into the unknown. Was at every home game and managed to get to Stafford, Telford, Enfield and Boston. Was at the Boston game stood on the Spayne Road side for the Barnet game. Good number of City there that day. Kettering was interesting. We were dreadful and well Beaten. Rockingham Road had a decentish modern stand in one corner but the rest was ramshackle. Loads of City were helped over the back fence and into the ground!!
That final day against Wycombe was so much more tense than Macc due to how tight things were. No instant updates in those days. Was on the West Bank and it was absolute sardines. Couldn't move. When Browny jinked through and slotted home the tension just lifted and the celebrations began. City were back and Fatty Fry was sunk. 🏆🥇
 
This has been an outstanding series Scotty. Fantastic work.
I'd actually forgotten how tense those last few games were with some pretty bad results in the mix. Just shows how football can't be truly predicted if that's how they intend to finish this season.
I'd also forgotten that the trophy wasn't there on the winning Saturday either. Piss poor by the Conference that
 
clanford said:
That final day against Wycombe was so much more tense than Macc due to how tight things were. No instant updates in those days. Was on the West Bank and it was absolute sardines. Couldn't move. When Browny jinked through and slotted home the tension just lifted and the celebrations began. City were back and Fatty Fry was sunk. 🏆🥇
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I literally kept having to go to the toilet in the 48 hours between the Stafford and Wycombe games!!

I was also on the West Bank for the second half of the season, having started in the Railway End. Keeping in touch with other games was the preserve of people with pocket transistor radios who were tuned in to BBC national or local radio. Score updates would spread around the terraces like wildfire, and I can still picture the scene when we heard Barnet had lost to Runcorn. My mate Dave, later the Echo's city reporter, was one of these crucial information sources!
 
I thought we'd blown it when Maidstone who had taken parking the bus to a whole new level took a very undeserved (lateish) lead. There was karma that we scored with the handball goal although I always thought it was Bob Cumming that hauled the ball down rather than Matthewson; funny how memory plays tricks. I also remember the ground erupting with Barnet falling behind and Evans scoring the winner v Stafford - Railway End full steam ahead that afternoon.
 
hulloutpost said:
I thought we'd blown it when Maidstone who had taken parking the bus to a whole new level took a very undeserved (lateish) lead. There was karma that we scored with the handball goal although I always thought it was Bob Cumming that hauled the ball down rather than Matthewson; funny how memory plays tricks. I also remember the ground erupting with Barnet falling behind and Evans scoring the winner v Stafford - Railway End full steam ahead that afternoon.
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Maidstone scared me that day. They broke away so fast they looked like they could score every time they crossed the halfway line. I have vague memories that they missed a great chance as well, maybe hit the post.
 
A cracking read Scot Imp I had forgotten just how nerve wracking the end of season run in was, I went to Macc and thought we had blown it that night as we were really poor and again when we got beat at Bath which was a shocking result.

I had also forgotten how Barnet really did blow it in those last few weeks 9 points out of 27 is relegation form and if they had anything like a reasonable points haul we would have been sunk.

For the Wycombe game I had to work so my father said he would ring me when there was a goal as he was listening on the radio I have never been so nervous answering those two phone calls!!!

Always had a soft spot for Runcorn whose victories at Kettering and Barnet set up our promotion.

An excellent article thank you
 
Just loved singing:
Bye bye Barry, Barry Fry,
Bye, bye Barry Barry Fry,
Bye Bye, Barry,
Bye Bye Barry,
Bye, bye Barry, Barry Fry!
Another song of the time was Champione, Champione, ole ole ole!
Me and my brother went to all the league home games that season. Think he did all the home games including all the cup games as well. Superb season after the low of the year before.
 
Sigiriya said:
Just loved singing:
Bye bye Barry, Barry Fry,
Bye, bye Barry Barry Fry,
Bye Bye, Barry,
Bye Bye Barry,
Bye, bye Barry, Barry Fry!
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Yes, but you've missed off the beginning of the song about where 'you can stick your Vauxhall Conference'. Then it followed on with 'Singing bye bye Barry, Barry Fry' etc. etc.

What I always remember at the end of the Wycombe game was:
We are back!
We are back!
We are back!
We are back!
We are back!
We are back!!!
 
I can remember the buzz that went round the ground against Stafford when news of Runcorn scoring came through. This was pre social media and there was something quite magic watching how the word spread round the ground from people watching the game with a tranny radio glued to their ear. Treasured memories, thanks Scotimp, brought a smile to my face.
 
I remember...
Tell me namby nam
Oh put the champagne on ice
We’re gonna beat Wycombe twice
Tell me namby nam

Was it namby nam? That’s what it sounded like at the time.
 
Scotimp said:
Relatively unimportant in the whole scheme of things, but that decision by the GMVC to take the championship trophy to Welling still riles me to this day. Wycombe finished fifth from bottom that season, so there was absolutely no reason to believe Lincoln would not beat them, especially at home. It was a another example of how badly the Conference did not want Lincoln to win the championship at the first attempt. Take a look back at Part 1 of this series at our opening fixtures: first up we had Barnet and Weymouth both away, with Runcorn (who finished 4th), Telford (5th), and Stafford (6th) all away from home in September. That is not hindsight - those were five of non-league's crack sides at that time. It is to Lincoln's immense credit that they came through all of that.
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And with some old chap at the Conference doing the fixtures by hand made it so easy for the schedule to be potentially rigged.
 
The Imposter said:
And with some old chap at the Conference doing the fixtures by hand made it so easy for the schedule to be potentially rigged.
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The other two away fixtures they gave us in the first 7 weeks were Maidstone and Altrincham, who had finished 3rd and 5th respectively the season before. It would have been almost impossible to find seven harder opening away fixtures than the ones they gave us.
 
The Imposter said:
I remember...
Tell me namby nam
Oh put the champagne on ice
We’re gonna beat Wycombe twice
Tell me namby nam

Was it namby nam? That’s what it sounded like at the time.
Click to expand...

It was "Tell me mam, me mam
"To put the champagne on ice"

Or to translate: "Inform my mother"
 
Newcomer to this site, which I have viewed for sometime, and really enjoy looking at.
Out of interest, does anyone know if there was ever a video / DVD made of the 87/88 season? I am resident in Essex, but saw a few of the games that season down this way and was at Sincil Bank for the games v Wealdstone and that glorious day v Wycombe. I have never been aware of anything doing the rounds and you tube only shows a few snippets.

In relation to the headline of this thread, I have always felt Barry Fry embarrasses himself every time he opens his mouth....
 
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