As to be expected with this club they certainly had their moments.
The highs were extreme to say the least but as everyone got high on the euphoria, those precious moments only went to paper over the cracks of some soul searching lows.
Here's our Top Ten Best Moments of the
90's:
1: Blackpool - F.A.Cup.
What a game, what a performance, what a weekend.
2: Bury - F.A.Cup.
2-0 to the Spartans, 2-0 to the Spartans..... It had to be seen to be
believed. We had been waiting years for days like this to return, oh
boy it was worth the wait !
3: Harrogate - Champions !.
A day to be savoured, promotion guaranteed but to win the title as well
it led to unforgettable scenes at the end.
4: Promotion to the Unibond.
Blyth may have only finished runners up to Durham City, but both teams
knew at the start what was required to go up. Your ground had to be
adequate and there's wasn't, had it had been the other way around would
they have knocked back the opportunity... I think not.
5: The 94/95 Unibond First Division season.
I remember stating early on in the campaign that if we were not going
to Harrogate in May to celebrate the season would have been one big
disappointment. After an iffy start we steam rolled the run in, with
some great results as the goals just flew in. The part played by then
Chairman Jim Telford (who used his contacts to the max in fixing players
up with jobs that allowed then time to travel) and his board was immense.
As was Harry Dunn's use of his contacts as he brought in some rather
useful players at vital times during the season.
6: Barrow F.A.Cup 2-1 1993/94.
Barrow at home was not the tie you wanted in the early stages of the
F.A.Cup qualifying rounds. Big club, big spenders, big reputation &
backed by a large following who clearly thought all they had to do was
turn up to win.
Big mistake, Richie Bond tore them apart as Blyth deservedly won 2-1.
7: Gateshead away 1-0 1998/99.
Following the 1-2 defeat in the Boxing Day derby, Blyth went into the
return Easter Bank Holiday derby seeking revenge and oh how sweet it
was to be.
They set the rod for their own backs with crowd segregation, refusing
Blyth fans entry to the bar. Backed by a massive noisy travelling support
Blyth won 1-0 to effectively end any misguided hopes they had of winning
the League and who scored the winner a former Gateshead player. Out
played in the second half, out number by Blyth fans, oh revenge is so
sweet.
8: Great Harwood home 3-2 1994/95.
The game that changed the whole season. Trailing 1-2 with time almost
up Blyth dramatically pulled level only to snatch all three points when
Jason Jones headed (it hit something around that area) home with the
last touch of the game. From that game on Blyth embarked on superb a
run that was to bring the League Title to Croft Park.
9: Bishop Auckland home 1995/96.
Having just been beat 0-4 at Bishops a week earlier & without a
manager
following the sacking of Harry Dunn at the weekend (big mistake).
Blyth thrashed Bishops 6-0 in empathic style.
Blyth had been well beaten the previous week but this was carnage as
Blyth finally showed just what they were capable of.
10: The appointment of Mick Tait.
Following Gambo's resignation the Blyth board finally went for someone
with experience. After several inexperienced or first timers being given
the reins, which without a doubt led to the position the club found
itself in.
The job of Manager was finally given to someone with real experience,
and where it counted in the lower reaches of the Football League. Mick
eventually got things turned around once he brought in his players and
did it playing football and with a crippling injury list as well.
The season ended with everyone in high spirits eagerly anticipating
the new season before the old one had ended, little did we know what
was to happen.
Of course the low's were just as extreme,
so here the Top Ten worst moments of the 90's:
1: The threat of folding, 1991.
The early 90's brought one of the lowest points in the clubs proud history.
The club had eventually fallen on hard times. Interest from the paying
public and local business alike fell away putting the club in great
debt. The club went public in an attempt to save the club from going
under.
Thankfully it paid off and the rest as they say is history.
2: Ponteland United.
How low can you go, after all the grief the Senior Cup had caused the
club the past couple of seasons this capped it all. If once wasn't bad
enough having to endure a Replay was to prove too much. Losing to a
team of has-beens, will never be's & pub players unforgivable. This
must rank as one of the clubs worst result in its 100 year history.
Even Mick Tait claimed the first game was the worst he ever been involved
with in his career, god only knows how he described the ill fated Replay.
3: John Burridge.
What can you say about him, (well quite a lot but I can't even spell
half the words that come to mind). Yes he took the club forward both
on & off the pitch. He was a walking publicity machine for the club
and brought in some decent players. But the club paid the price for
him courting the media, and as for that interview on Match of the Day.
Apart from the fact that two of their goals were his fault, he probably
would not have even know what end of a paint brush or broom to hold
!.
One of his biggest fault's was that he actually believed his own hype.
4: The Senior Cup Final - 98/99.
He finally got his comeuppance, and where better than at St James Park.
With Bedlington already snapping at Blyth's heels for the tag of top
dogs in the region, this performance was worthy of a sacking. Even straight
after the mauling he took from the irate Blyth fans through out the
game who left him in no-doubt of their feelings towards him, he still
refused to go when politely ask to by the Board.
5: The sacking of Harry Dunn.
There are a few stories about the events that led to his demise from
not playing a certain player, to his selection of a player when advised
not too. Whatever the real reason, his success at Whitby proved it to
be a big mistake as we failed to build on the success he brought us.
Many manager have come & gone since but Harry's was the one the
fans called for every time.
6: Alan Shoulder's regime.
One of the hero's of 78 Alan was seen as the man to put us back on the
straight & narrow. But as with so many others over the years he
joined the ranks of former players who failed to make it as manager.
His down fall was the exit form the cup at the hands of Runcorn, but
the failings were becoming apparent even that early in the season. Too
many players form lower levels of the game failed to gel.
Mind you some of players he brought proved big hits, Terry Burke, Richie
Pitt & Edgy.
7: The relegation battle.
Some of the events already listed had obvious parts to play in the events
of the season just gone. No-one actually believed we'd win the league
but complacency set in as we failed to build on each season.
Too many manager's & too many untried managers led too much upheaval
therefore stopping us achieving the key to any successful side a settled
team.
And still we have not learned our lesson ?.
8: The demise of Gambo.
One of the most influential players of the 90's who played a massive
roll in Blyth's early Unibond years. If one man deserved to make it
as Blyth's manager it was him. Hugely popular, Gambo realised things
weren't going according to plan and as ever with the club at heart knew
it was time to do something about it. He actually named the man he'd
pick for the job just after resigning and it proved a good call.
9: The Southport F.A.Cup game.
To be more exact the mindless yobs who ruined Blyth's return to the
1st Round after some 12 years. The game on a whole was disappointing
as Blyth surrendered to their higher league opponents, but the yobs
that marred the afternoon spoilt a day Blyth fans had waited for, for
many years.
10: Last gasp goals.
Blyth's famous brush with a last gasp goal with painful enough but the
agony returned in 97/98. Blackpool put pay to any hope of a replay in
the epic F.A.Cup 1st Round tie, and as if that wasn't enough the F.A.Trophy
game at runaway Conference leaders Halifax Town proved too much for
the Blyth fans. Having pegged back a early goal for the home side Blyth
had one disallowed before eventually equalising and proving more than
a match for the now League side. But it happened again, it was a feeling
of total shell shock at the final whistle that it had happened again.
One category had to be scrapped, it was about the referees.
Having seen their performances in the opening months of the new decade,
it looks like things will continue the same well into the new decade.