19 years ago, green sand, Sealey, Owls, Francis, Courtney

[Chico Hamilton III]

I love(d) Les Sealey


The Guardian (London)

January 20, 1992

SEALEY'S SEETHING IS CARRIED OVER TO ATKINSON;
Aston Villa 0, Sheffield Wednesday 1

BYLINE: DON BEET

SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. 12

LENGTH: 325 words

RON ATKINSON, who has a way with words, delivered a succinct verdict. "Jammy bastards," he said after Jemson had given Wednesday the points at Villa Park.
Atkinson's riper remarks thereafter were reserved for his goalkeeper Sealey, who was adjudged to have carried Jemson's header over the line with him. Sealey, seething at the goal being awarded, harangued the referee George Courtney at the time and long after the final whistle.



Atkinson hinted that there was "every chance" that the club would discipline him.
Atkinson and Trevor Francis, who succeeded him at Hillsborough, studied the match video and neither could decide if the goal was legitimate.

Villa used to play on grass; now they play on a sandy pudding, coloured green so that it looks presentable for the TV match against Everton on February 2. Francis was mindful of the pitch as well.

"It's difficult to be stylish on that," he said. And Wednesday were never that.

Francis admitted that Wednesday were fortunate to win after Yorke, twice, and Teale could have put Villa well ahead. But, ironically, the game's best chance fell to Jemson, who hit the bar from three yards.

Still, the former Nottingham Forest striker had the last word. Sealey turned a left-foot shot from him around the post but a minute later Teale was robbed as he stood on the ball and, from Wilson's right-wing cross, Jemson headed the winner.

Francis now faces even more problems. Nilsson, who did some stout defending, limped off to join the walking wounded. And Sheridan goes into hospital today for a cartilage operation.

SCORER: Sheffield Wednesday: Jemson (78 min).

Aston Villa: Sealey; Kubicki, Staunton, Teale, McGrath, Richardson, Daley, Small (Breitkreutz, 81), Regis, Parker, Yorke.

Sheffield Wednesday: Woods; Nilsson (Harkes, 65), King, Palmer, Shirtliff, Anderson, Wilson, Hyde, Johnson, Jemson, Worthington.

Referee: G Courtney (Spennymoor).

[Dave P]

I remember this game and I remember Sealey buggering up the green sand by crawling through it before kick off.

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

Didn't Les march off the pitch alongside the ref with some of our players trying to hold him back?

[Lucky Eddie]

I can't believe that's been nineteen years 

[fbriai]

I can't believe that's been nineteen years 

Neither can I.

Didn't he chase the ref all the way up to the halfway line immediately after the goal? Sealey-agro indeed.

[Newquay_AVFC]

Was this the game where there was a big scrap after the game outside the away end? I was only 10 or 11 at the time and remember pegging it with me mom through a massive crowd then watched a few police vans speed towards the away bit. Remember the game well and the protest from Sealey, never the greatest keeper but a proper charcter. Remember singing Englands number 2 at him and he gave some fun banter back.

[darren woolley]

He was mad was Les but i liked him could allways have a bit of banter with him.

[Lucky Eddie]

Thank you Les for taking goal in 'that' match, Spring 94. Somehow I doubt things would have been the same without you. 

[TopDeck113]

Sealey was at fault for the goal and his over-reaction to it being given was disgraceful. 

That was the weekend I relocated with my then employers from the Smoke to the North.  Hired a transit van in Lancashire on the Friday night and drove down to my old flat, loaded up my worldly goods on Saturday morning, stopped off en route to go to the Villa and carried on up Saturday evening. 

[andyaston]

That was a mad season. We had a crazy FA Cup run, beat the Gunners who were reigning champs. Also..

fastest ever own goal by Teale v Forest, before Yorkie did the bizzo

Didn't score for a record amount of minutes until Stauton scored a flukey late winner v Norwich

We were a few points off the top going into November until eventaul Champs Leeds thrashed us 4-1 at home

Green sand

Beating Liverpool for the first time in over 10 years

That amazing first day a Sheffield Wednesday 3-2

Garry penrice scoring

Actually beating Wimbledon at home

Regis almost relegating Coventry

[The Left Side]

Sealey was as mad as a bag full of badgers... I loved that season, didn't we stuff the spuds that year 5-2 as well or am I wrong?

[Deano's Mullet]

Yes i remember the win over Liverpool, a tame-ish shot from Daley that went in under Grobbelaar.

[andyaston]

Sealey was as mad as a bag full of badgers... I loved that season, didn't we stuff the spuds that year 5-2 as well or am I wrong?

Yes, thats true I forgot that match. We were 2-0 down aswell and Lineker missed a second half penalty.

We knocked them out the FA Cup that year aswell after a dull 0-0 at Villa Park livened up by a nice female streaker. At White Hart Lane we thrashed them 1-0, unlike the 5-2 where we scored every time we had a shot in the cup game it should of been ten!

[pauliewalnuts]

Sealey was as mad as a bag full of badgers... I loved that season, didn't we stuff the spuds that year 5-2 as well or am I wrong?

To fully appreciate how fucking hatstand Sealey was, you had to go and see him play in a reserve match where you could hear everything he'd shout. Remarkable.

RIP, Les, you absolute fucking mentalist.

[cdbearsfan]

Sealey was right. It was NEVER a fucking goal.