The Poppies live on TV – a short history

With our beloved Poppies about to be thrust back into the national spotlight once more, even if just for a few fleeting hours before normality resumes, what better time to reopen old wounds reminisce about the previous occasions when national television came knocking.

Plymouth 1994

Sky TV brought many innovations to the coverage of football in this country. American style marketing and razzmatazz. Games on Monday nights. The whoosh. And live FA Cup coverage from Round 1 onwards. We didn’t have to wait long for an opportunity to land in our laps. Surviving just one tie in the 94/95 competition delivered us a plum home draw against a Plymouth side managed by Peter Shilton. And Sky picked it for their prime Sunday afternoon slot!  

Unlike previous occasions when we made the MOTD highlights, there would be a big build up (ooh), a temporary studio (gasp) and Richard Keys (…).  Not since hosting It’s a Knockout had the town known such giddy excitement. Even Weetabix got in on the act, plastering their name inside the ground for the one and only time.

With Super Carl Alford leading our attack, hopes were high that Shilton would depart even more lugubrious than normal. However, the team had a collective off day and left Andy Gray growl-less up on the gantry. Alford miskicked his and our only chance, Plymouth had buckets but just one was enough. We sloped off feeling like we hadn’t shown up to our own party. 

How we saw it.  Oh the wit...

Wrexham 1999

After a gutsy draw at the Racecourse earned us a home replay, Sky decided to give us another chance to register a shot on target in front of their cameras. To Rockingham Road they came on a November night, setting up their mini studio once more. Memory doesn’t quite stretch to recalling if we were again graced with their A Team. It feels more like they may have chosen to rest Keysey, and go with Alan Parry on coms. Equally Peter Morris had a tricky selection dilemma.  To play Sam Banya up front alongside McNamara or Hudson. Or try to win.

With or without Sam, this was another night when casual viewers must have wondered if non-league teams were allowed to shoot.  Wrexham soon took a two goal cushion, and whilst we made a better fist of it than against Plymouth, it was in truth another squib of the moist kind.  

Kingstonian 2000

History records that Sky were also present at our second and at this rate last appearance in the FA Trophy final. However even at this distance the memory of that day is still so painful, we would prefer not to dwell on it. Not so much the loss, but the fact it was to Kingstonian, who didn’t care a whole lot about it then and even less now.

Leeds 2009 (x2)  

Were it not for an ill-judged choice of shirt sponsor, it’s quite possible that our next live appearance would have been at home to Fulham. But Imraan knew best as he always did.  Fortunately, stunts were on the back burner the following season when we were paired with Leeds – or so we thought. This time ITV had the broadcasting rights and, no doubt hoping for a repeat of Histon knocking out Leeds the previous year, almost got their wish. A packed Rocky Road saw us lead for a while before Beckford earned a replay.  Then came the ultimate prize of a trip to Old Trafford for the lucky winners. But in Bully terms, would we be getting the speedboat or the steak knives?

To Elland Road, where the League One leaders and ITV4 lay in wait. It was, to put it mildly, a bit one sided, but somehow we kept the tie alive into extra time. And scored a brilliant goal – Heslop breaking from deep, ball swept to Partridge haring down the right, low cross whipped in and Elding there to meet it. Leeds stunned as 2,000 in the away end erupted. Eventually, inevitably, the dam burst in the second period of extra time but what a heroic performance that was. And Ladak couldn’t wait to let John Deehan know what he thought about it, by sacking him straight after the match. Just to add insult to the loss of that speedboat.

And that, boys and girls, was that until the next chapter at Sixfields. Odds on a Poppies win – maybe modest. Chances of George immediately sacking Lavs if we lose – probably smaller.