Former Yeovil Town heroes Mickey Spencer and Neil Coates have remembered the club’s supporters they played in front of during one of the club’s most troubled times.
The pair were playing for the club when they moved from their old Huish ground to Huish Park in 1990 and ran in to financial difficulties which almost sent the club over.
But, as we heard from supporters Tim Lancaster and Will Ranner on the podcast a few weeks ago, the troubles drove the fans to raise funds which helped keep the club afloat.
Speaking on the latest edition of the Gloverscast, Mickey says: “What came out of that period was the fantastic team we had off the pitch as well as on it, the supporters were just incredible in terms of what they did for the club.
“That made it worthwhile, even though we did not go up that season, I really felt this was Yeovil at its best.”
He added: “The Yeovil away supporters were the best by a country mile, they would turn up at Gateshead and everywhere we would just thinking ‘damn, those guys love us.’ They were phenomenal.”
Picture courtesy of Tim Lancaster.
Neil echoed: “The supporters were unbelievable, they turned away games in to home games, we had so many following us all over the country. Playing away was even more special than at home.”
Talking about the club’s old stadium at Huish, which became world famous for a slope of eight feet from side to side, the pair the benefit of playing there.
Mickey recalled: “Any ball kicked to the top of the slope, all the away players thought it was going to run out and you knew it wouldn’t. The defenders would look at me and think I was a bit keen chasing after it, but I knew it was not going out and I often found myself ten yards onside. That slope got us a goal a game, I reckon.”
Neil added: “Actually playing on it was quite difficult, I think I have scored a couple of crosses which went straight in there. Nine to ten feet from corner to corner is a lot when you are running and I remember the mud as well, it really did cut up at times.”
For those of you who heard Mickey talk about that tackle on Gunners’ legend, Lee Dixon, in the FA Cup third round tie in January 1993, here it is….
…..probably lucky VAR was not a thing back then, Mick!