Crazy Diamond Posted 18 November, 2011 Share Posted 18 November, 2011 With Brighton in town tomorrow, I was reminded about this '0 - 0 Fix' thing that has been mentioned once or twice on these forums. As I understand it, in 1978 a draw would have seen both us and Spurs go into the first division, whilst Brighton were also in the hunt and the right result for them could have seen them in the top flight for the first time. There's a theory that we agreed to draw the game with Spurs in order to get promotion for us both. I'd just to like to know more about it really, any posters here go to that game or hear anything about it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1976_Child Posted 18 November, 2011 Share Posted 18 November, 2011 If there is any evidence then there should be a police investigation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan The Flames Posted 18 November, 2011 Share Posted 18 November, 2011 We could have won the 2nd division title had we won so i can't believe we would have agreed with Spurs to draw the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Window Cleaner Posted 18 November, 2011 Share Posted 18 November, 2011 With Brighton in town tomorrow, I was reminded about this '0 - 0 Fix' thing that has been mentioned once or twice on these forums. As I understand it, in 1978 a draw would have seen both us and Spurs go into the first division, whilst Brighton were also in the hunt and the right result for them could have seen them in the top flight for the first time. There's a theory that we agreed to draw the game with Spurs in order to get promotion for us both. I'd just to like to know more about it really, any posters here go to that game or hear anything about it? I certainly went to the game but from memory I'd say that it was a case of neither side being arsed to get a result rather than any pre-arranged affair. 30+ years ago but it certainly was a sh*t game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sambosa75 Posted 18 November, 2011 Share Posted 18 November, 2011 You don't really need to pre-arrange such an event. Both sides needed a draw. Why would you risk getting caught on the break attempting to score when a boring 0-0 draw suits all parties involved? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwsaint Posted 18 November, 2011 Share Posted 18 November, 2011 I seem to remember Funnell hitting the post and McMenemy being disappointed that Bolton won the title. Saints were virtually up after the draw at Orient the previous week and needed to lose by 6 not to get promoted. No fix, just a case of already being up and not needing to put in 110% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bourne Valley Saint Posted 18 November, 2011 Share Posted 18 November, 2011 I was at the game and it did seem that both sides were more than content with a 0-0 draw. That said, I do remember Tony Funnell hitting the outside of the post. We finished a point behind Bolton and had a better goal difference of 1 and it was only two points for a win in those days, so looking back on it, I'm pretty p**sed off that we didn't go for it and try and win the league!!! We finished on 57 points with + 31gd, Bolton on 58 + 30, Spurs 56 +34 and Brighton 56 + 25. Had we lost we'd have been on 56 with a better goal difference than Brighton anway, unless we lost 7-0 so they can't really blame us for taking our foot off the gas can they!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trousers Posted 18 November, 2011 Share Posted 18 November, 2011 At the time, I recall predicting that the game had 0-0 written all over it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Window Cleaner Posted 18 November, 2011 Share Posted 18 November, 2011 What you have to remember here is that we had virtually guaranteed our accession to the first division on the previous Tuesday, there would have been some serious celebrating over that (sports science still hadn't been invented in 78) and we might have been in a less than spry state when we took the field on Saturday against Spurs.As far as the title was concerned Bolton may have been able to score at will in their last game, I just don't remember(mainly due to serious celebrating on the bus back friom Brisbane Rd) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Diamond Posted 18 November, 2011 Author Share Posted 18 November, 2011 Didn't Alan Ball have a go at Funnell when he hit the post? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulGilchrist_76 Posted 18 November, 2011 Share Posted 18 November, 2011 I was there and the match did seem a bit odd. Saints hardly created anything despite usually being full of goals. At the time, I did wonder if Spurs had bought us off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BallBoy Posted 18 November, 2011 Share Posted 18 November, 2011 The key factor was that we had to lose 6-0 to miss out on promotion. We made sure that didn't happen. Having said that it was a lousy game but who cared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teamsaint Posted 18 November, 2011 Share Posted 18 November, 2011 brighton were pretty annoyed...but then again, if they had actually got an extra point they would have been promoted, so it was their fault, not ours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corsacar saint Posted 18 November, 2011 Share Posted 18 November, 2011 I was there,as I saw it both sides were intent on not losing. You can understand Brighton fans being disappointed though for getting that close to promotion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crouchi Posted 18 November, 2011 Share Posted 18 November, 2011 When he hit the post, the other 21 players looked at him as if they were saying "what the hell are you doing?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colinjb Posted 18 November, 2011 Share Posted 18 November, 2011 Interesting thread. A good bit of history I wasn't too au fait with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Diamond Posted 18 November, 2011 Author Share Posted 18 November, 2011 I remember denmark-sweden a couple of tournaments ago both needing a 2-2 to both go through. The odds on 2-2 went to 3/1, which is ridiculous for a scoreline bet. It conveniently ended 2-2, but it didn't seem to be looked in to at all. I remember that well, the Italians were going mental about it. I remember telling my tutor at school who said, "They ought to know about match fixing". Two years later, the match fixing scandal rocked Italy which saw Milan lose the title and Juventus were relegated. How right he was! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horley CTFC Saint Posted 19 November, 2011 Share Posted 19 November, 2011 With Brighton in town tomorrow, I was reminded about this '0 - 0 Fix' thing that has been mentioned once or twice on these forums. As I understand it, in 1978 a draw would have seen both us and Spurs go into the first division, whilst Brighton were also in the hunt and the right result for them could have seen them in the top flight for the first time. There's a theory that we agreed to draw the game with Spurs in order to get promotion for us both. I'd just to like to know more about it really, any posters here go to that game or hear anything about it? I was there and it was a pretty lacklustre game - not saying it was fixed but there didn't seem any urgency to win the game. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement - we had a change of winning the 2nd Div that year so as far as I'm concerned we've unfinished business here - 1st or nothing this year please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victor Posted 19 November, 2011 Share Posted 19 November, 2011 The key factor was that we had to lose 6-0 to miss out on promotion. We made sure that didn't happen. Having said that it was a lousy game but who cared. Not quite that simple - depended on how many Brighton scored as well. I was at the game and at the very least was disappointed Saints didn't go for winning the league, specially when rumour went round that Bolton were losing. Still convinced it WAS a mutual agreement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Duckhunter Posted 19 November, 2011 Share Posted 19 November, 2011 Just a boring 0-0 that suited both teams, nothing more sinister than that. Had there been some sort of prior "arrangement", then 22 players, plus coaches and managers would have had to be in on it. In the past 30+ years one of those 40 odd people involved would have lifted the lid on any "agreement". Brighton's problem was that they let the situation devolop by not gaining enough points from earlier games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wurzel Posted 19 November, 2011 Share Posted 19 November, 2011 Not quite that simple - depended on how many Brighton scored as well. I was at the game and at the very least was disappointed Saints didn't go for winning the league, specially when rumour went round that Bolton were losing. Still convinced it WAS a mutual agreement. I remember feeling exactly the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Under Weststand Posted 19 November, 2011 Share Posted 19 November, 2011 I'd have to say that I've always had a feeling that we didn't try to hard, and when Funnel hit the post he looked more relieved & shocked he'd gone so close, than dissapointed not to have scored. but that is just my perception of the game. As others have said,we did the buisness on the previous Tuesday, & my memory of the goal difference was that there needed to be a 12 goal swing in Brightons favour over the weekend for us to stay down. The game was all about celebrating promotion not about the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohio Saint Posted 19 November, 2011 Share Posted 19 November, 2011 As I recall, McMenemy was annoyed about not going up as champs well into the next season, so I doubt that result came from the management. The players however could well be a different story. There was an episode of Channon and Ball where Mick talked about a Coventry game late in the season. Saints were mid table and Coventry needed points to stay up. Channon said that half the Saints team were playing (For cash) for Coventry that day. I was disappointed to hear it then, and still saddened to recall it today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Diamond Posted 19 November, 2011 Author Share Posted 19 November, 2011 As I recall, McMenemy was annoyed about not going up as champs well into the next season, so I doubt that result came from the management. The players however could well be a different story. There was an episode of Channon and Ball where Mick talked about a Coventry game late in the season. Saints were mid table and Coventry needed points to stay up. Channon said that half the Saints team were playing (For cash) for Coventry that day. I was disappointed to hear it then, and still saddened to recall it today. Alan Ball was partial to a bung from what I can gather - he was the one that accidentally outed Don Revie as a shady character. Revie got someone to pay him £100 a week when he was at Blackpool to turn down contract offers in the hope he'd sign for Leeds at the end of it. He mentioned that to a Mirror journalist and they discovered Revie may have fixed matches. No legal proceedings were ever brought against Revie or the paper for their allegations, so who knows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hackedoff Posted 19 November, 2011 Share Posted 19 November, 2011 I was there,as I saw it both sides were intent on not losing. You can understand Brighton fans being disappointed though for getting that close to promotion. Just a case of not being able to keep up ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now