150th Anniversary game

[Dick Edwards]

That’s very disappointing. Us old fellas won’t forget you Steve

[Exeter 77]

I thought it was interesting that Chris Heck scheduled his presentation to the long-serving members of staff to coincide with the former players doing their lap of the pitch. The cynic in me thinks he may have been drawing attention away from himself.

[Flamingo Lane]

Steve Stride just now on Twitter:

1st Division Champions, European Cup Winners, UEFA Super Cup, 3 x League Cup Winners, hosting 29 FA Cup semi finals and generally keeping your head down and getting on with it with loyal service for 35 years still didn’t get me an invite to the 150 match last night. Gutted.

Very poor.

https://x.com/StrideSteve/status/1878023816405745905

That's awful.

[Legion]

Very. He is an absolute gent.

[Hillbilly]

It looked like this is what was shown on the big screens before the game. https://x.com/AVFCOfficial/status/1877806617762107741

Yeah it was.

Although it starts with a big error as the gas lamp wasn’t in the heart of Birmingham!

And in all likelihood never existed.

As it says in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, “ When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”

[algy]

I think you just have to take it that anything that early in the club’s history is going to be bordering on impossible to get any definitive version of events. Before George Ramsay turned up in 1876, we were the 19th century equivalent of a Wednesday night 5-a-side team. Anything before that is going to be shrouded in mystery and one piece of made up bollocks about gas lamps is as good as the next.

[jon collett]

I think you just have to take it that anything that early in the club’s history is going to be bordering on impossible to get any definitive version of events. Before George Ramsay turned up in 1876, we were the 19th century equivalent of a Wednesday night 5-a-side team. Anything before that is going to be shrouded in mystery and one piece of made up bollocks about gas lamps is as good as the next.

Yep but if we are going to glory in the mystique, the Club could at least properly acknowledge where Heathfield Road was in 1874!

[Somniloquism]

It was artistic license for the poem, it wasn't meant to be used in a history/geography class.

[Small Rodent]

Is the same lamp that Lili Marlene used to doss about under?

[Percy McCarthy]

I believe it every time I go up Heathfield Road. I just choose to.

[Villan82]

That’s very disappointing. Us old fellas won’t forget you Steve

Indeed. Imagine if Stride worked for these owners instead of Ellis? Imagine having somebody with such a 'feel' for the club in a senior role with owners like NSWE.

[Nev]

Well, Liverpool were the first to sing YNWA, Newton Heath fans sang Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life, the "cold" goal celebration is Cole Palmers and Small Heath are a bigger club than us.

See? Every club is liberal with the truth so I don't see why we should be any different...

[Gareth]

Somebody like Steve with that level of senior service should really get a lifelong season ticket and in reality should have been part of anything with a historic feel purely for his insight and knowledge.

However, in terms of last night if the ‘parade’ was anything to go by I didn’t get the feel that there were many if any players out there who wouldn’t be involved in the hospitality lounges every game or media associated to the club?

Might be wrong but the ‘parade’ felt like an afterthought…

Never seen a queue for programmes like last night…was a real throwback moment….obv they ran out :-) well it was only for the GA plebs

[Nev]

Good to see the ground full and so many kids around, I think it was more to do with the cost and the fact that it wasn't a school night than the anniversary.

We tried the Fanzone by the Trinity, but it was rammed so went to the one behind the Holte, Brooklyn at £1.50 was nice but why no toilets?
A combination of age and the cold forced us into the ground and death by Carslberg and flat Porretti.

[Simon Page]

I believe it every time I go up Heathfield Road. I just choose to.

Amen brother. Every time I go past Wilson Road I wonder why rugby didn't take the hint and give up trying to pretend to be a sport. History is 90% iffy anyway (which would make for a respectful and non-confrontational Off Topic topic).