The lucky goal which helped former Rovers player Williams win over the City fans
In the latest article of our flashback series, RICHARD LATHAM , former Bristol City reporter for the Bristol Evening Post, recalls the Robins’ comfortable win over Rotherham in the 1985-86 season. The sides meet in a Championship game at the New York Stadium tomorrow
NINE of the players who would go on to represent Bristol City in the club’s first Wembley final were in the team when Rotherham United visited Ashton Gate on January 11, 1986.
For one of them, the Third Division fixture proved pivotal in efforts to earn a regular first-team place after a difficult start to his time with the Robins.
Brian Williams had made 172 League appearances for Bristol Rovers prior to swapping the blue and white quarters for a red shirt and moving across town on a free transfer in the summer of 1985.
Terry Cooper signed him to add experience at the back after City had narrowly missed out on a second successive promotion season. But things went wrong for the 30-year-old left-back from the start.
Williams was sent off for two cautions before half-time on his debut against Walsall in the opening game of the season, which the visitors won 3-2 at Ashton Gate. Then, having regained his place following a one-match ban, Brian contrived to upset his manager and City fans again with another sending-off, for kicking an opponent in a 4-0 drubbing at Notts County. That game saw David Moyes make a less than auspicious debut, having signed from Cambridge United for £10,000 in midweek. Little could he or Williams have dreamed then that they would be part of a side revered to this day by supporters.
Williams was dropped after his second ban of the season and made just one substitute appearance in 12 games before being given another chance away to Gillingham in late December. Supporters all too keen to stress his Rovers background remained unimpressed, even though a 1-1 draw at Priestfield was followed by a 4-1 home win over Doncaster Rovers.
Brian knew the jury was still out over Cooper’s wisdom in signing him when lining up against a Rotherham side, managed by Norman Hunter, with an attack led by prolific scorer Tommy Tynan, signed from Plymouth Argyle.
If ever a player needed a change of fortune, it was Williams. It came his way on 34 minutes when, with the game goalless, a Gary Marshall corner was cleared into his path.
There was an audible groan from the crowd when a mishit volley was easily blocked. But Williams ploughed through the mud to battle for the rebound and when Tynan’s attempted clearance struck him on a boot, the ball ricocheted towards the net and past goalkeeper Kelham O’Hanlon.
After the game the relieved scorer, told me: “Tynan tried to put the ball through my legs, instead of making an orthodox clearance. My movement to block was purely instinctive and the ball could have gone anywhere.
“I was particularly delighted to score because I have felt things coming together over the last few games. The supporters seemed to be behind me today, so I hope those problems are over.”
They were indeed. Williams was an ever-present over the remaining 27 games of the season, which included that never to be forgotten day of May 24, 1986 when City beat Bolton Wanderers 3-0 at Wembley to lift the Freight Rover Trophy.
His goal against Rotherham, fortunate though it was, paved the way for a team performance that confirmed how much City had improved since losing the opening three games of the campaign and conceding 13 goals in the process.
Four minutes after taking the lead, Cooper’s men were 2-0 up. A wildly miscued long-range shot from Marshall found the head of Howard Pritchard, who nodded down for Alan Walsh to fire past O’Hanlon from 12 yards.
Marshall, showing flashes of immense promise on the left wing, was also involved in the third goal early in the second half. His inswinging corner deceived O’Hanlon, who could only palm the ball weakly onto the head of Steve Neville, who accepted the gift for his 12th goal of the season.
The game wasn’t over. Tynan scored with a crisp half-volley on 52 minutes and, when a period of intense City pressure failed to gain any reward, the visitors finished strongly. Goalkeeper Keith Waugh deflected a dangerous Tynan cross to safety, but was relieved to see a header from the striker loop narrowly wide. Then, three minutes from time, Tynan broke clear and rounded Waugh only for Rob Newman to deflect his shot, enabling the outstanding Keith Curle to clear off the line.
Referee Howard King had been forced to retire from the match with knee injury on 20 minutes. Senior linesman Les Loosemore took over, with popular Bristol official Les Radford taking over the flag.
In my report for the Bristol Evening Post, I noted: “The omens for success are better than at any stage of the campaign. Although the team performance was patchy on a saturated pitch, every City player could take pride in his individual display.”
As it turned out. the success came in a cup competition, rather than the Third Division, in which City finished a disappointing ninth.
The only players who faced Rotherham and were not in the starting line-up against Bolton at Wembley four months later were midfielder David Tong, who moved to Gillingham before the end of the season, and Marshall, an unused substitute in the Freight Rover final.
Cooper signed David Harle from Leeds United, initially on loan, to replace Tong, while Glyn Riley, on the bench against Rotherham, went on to be City’s two-goal Wembley hero.
Having won over the fans, Williams made a second Wembley appearance for the Robins against Mansfield Town in 1987 before moving to Shrewsbury Town later that summer.