OLDHAM ATHLETIC 2 CITY 2
Canon League Second Division
20th April 1984
attendance 19,952
Scorers
City McCarthy(32), Bond(78 pen)
Oldham Palmer(22), Quinn(62)
Ref Trelford Mills
City Williams, Lomax, Wilson, Bond, May, McCarthy, Smith, Baker, Parlane, Kinsey, Johnson – sub Tolmie(70)
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Oldham Wealands, Sinclair, Buchan, Hoolickin, Henry, Clements, Ward, Colville, Quinn, Palmer, McBride – sub Hudson(unused)
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FROM THE PRESS BOX
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PATRICK BARCLAY WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN 21ST APRIL 1984
Manchester City remain unconvincing challengers for promotion after yesterday‘s draw at: Boundary Park. They missed an opportunity to gain ground on Newcastle, the third placed club. and would indeed have fallen further behind but for the debatable
penalty that denied Oldham victory 11 minutes from time.
Oldham, threatened with relegation, needed three points as much as City and looked likely to secure them after Quinn. with a masterpiece of opportunism. had put the home side ahead in the second halt. But then Baker sent Parlane through and, though
Clement’s tackle seemed not only firm but fair, the referee pointed to the spot from where Bond scored.
It oldham go down they may reflect further on that moment. But events on the field were over-shadowed by the repeated outbreaks of spectator unrest, both before and during the match, that left a pitifuly inadequate police presence offering little more than token resistance.
It was almost as it the host club. and the Greater Manchester Police had been unaware that a derby was taking place (the club will, of course, be gratetully aware of it on Tuesday when they bank the proceeds from a 20,320 crowd, nearly 12.000 up on their previous best this season).
The match had not been made all-ticket, and so few officers were on duty that segregation was impossible. The massive City following spread to all parts of the ground. and an alarming proportion seemed intent on causing tear among the scattered groups of locals.
Some even commandeered a ladder which they used to clamber into Oldham’s so-called family stand, built some years ago with the reward for winning the Ford Sporting League. There the gleeful mob ripped up an advertising board, and used the bits to bombard a couple of lonely policeman. In another area, a policeman was struck on the head by a lump of concrete and
treated in hospital.
A police spokesman later revealed that 30 fans had been arrested and said: ‘“ They will appear in court at later dates charged with otierices under the Public Order Act.” Detectives are also investigating three attacks on gatemen who were robbed of £600 in
takings.
As a succession of offenders, mere specimens, were frogmarched away it was difficult to work up interest in the scrappy but animated struggle on the pitch. But there were things to admire, notably the vigorous performance of Quinn. a burly centre-forward
bought for £50,000 from Stockort, who set up the opening goal for Palmer with a neatly laid-back pass and then scored the second in the 62nd minute, seizing upon a stumble by Lomax and curling the ball delightfully over Williams from an angle.
in the first half Wealands, Oldham’s goalkeeper. made excellent saves from Baker. Smith and Johnson, but was beaten when Johnson back-headed a cross from Bond and McCarthy nodded home. City lost a perfect chance to cancel out Quinn’s superb strike when Baker struck the bar, but the same player redeemed himself with the clever pass that sent Parlane on his fruitful way to goal in the losing stages.
Manchester City remain unconvincing challengers for promotion after yesterday‘s draw at: Boundary Park. They missed an opportunity to gain ground on Newcastle, the third placed club. and would indeed have fallen further behind but for the debatable
penalty that denied Oldham victory 11 minutes from time.
Oldham, threatened with relegation, needed three points as much as City and looked likely to secure them after Quinn. with a masterpiece of opportunism. had put the home side ahead in the second halt. But then Baker sent Parlane through and, though
Clement’s tackle seemed not only firm but fair, the referee pointed to the spot from where Bond scored.
It oldham go down they may reflect further on that moment. But events on the field were over-shadowed by the repeated outbreaks of spectator unrest, both before and during the match, that left a pitifuly inadequate police presence offering little more than token resistance.
It was almost as it the host club. and the Greater Manchester Police had been unaware that a derby was taking place (the club will, of course, be gratetully aware of it on Tuesday when they bank the proceeds from a 20,320 crowd, nearly 12.000 up on their previous best this season).
The match had not been made all-ticket, and so few officers were on duty that segregation was impossible. The massive City following spread to all parts of the ground. and an alarming proportion seemed intent on causing tear among the scattered groups of locals.
Some even commandeered a ladder which they used to clamber into Oldham’s so-called family stand, built some years ago with the reward for winning the Ford Sporting League. There the gleeful mob ripped up an advertising board, and used the bits to bombard a couple of lonely policeman. In another area, a policeman was struck on the head by a lump of concrete and
treated in hospital.
A police spokesman later revealed that 30 fans had been arrested and said: ‘“ They will appear in court at later dates charged with otierices under the Public Order Act.” Detectives are also investigating three attacks on gatemen who were robbed of £600 in
takings.
As a succession of offenders, mere specimens, were frogmarched away it was difficult to work up interest in the scrappy but animated struggle on the pitch. But there were things to admire, notably the vigorous performance of Quinn. a burly centre-forward
bought for £50,000 from Stockort, who set up the opening goal for Palmer with a neatly laid-back pass and then scored the second in the 62nd minute, seizing upon a stumble by Lomax and curling the ball delightfully over Williams from an angle.
in the first half Wealands, Oldham’s goalkeeper. made excellent saves from Baker. Smith and Johnson, but was beaten when Johnson back-headed a cross from Bond and McCarthy nodded home. City lost a perfect chance to cancel out Quinn’s superb strike when Baker struck the bar, but the same player redeemed himself with the clever pass that sent Parlane on his fruitful way to goal in the losing stages.