THE VIC MORGAN COLUMN: What makes a magic strike partnership? (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)
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THE VIC MORGAN COLUMN: What makes a magic strike partnership?
6:00am Thursday 6th December 2012 in Sport
THE VIC MORGAN COLUMN
THANK goodness it's back. Saturday is not the same without that anticipation of watching the Town. It's been a long two weeks hasn't it?
After our mini mid-season break it’s back to the County Ground for the visit of Doncaster Rovers.
Donny just happen to be the current club of one William Paynter - a forward you might recall plied his trade at SN1 a couple of years back.
During his spell in Wiltshire he formed a couple of notable striking partnerships. Paynter-Cox and Paynter-Austin were quite decent combinations, I thought. That got me thinking, yes it’s been a long two weeks, of great striking duos in Swindon colours over the years.
I guess there are some that immediately spring to mind. The likes of White and Shearer, Parkin and Mooney and of course Mayes and Rowland.
What it is that makes two players hit it off in the goalscoring stakes is one of football's great unknowns. It either works or it doesn't. There are some partnerships that you think are bound to provide goals but somehow fail to deliver.
Another aspect is what kind of combination works. The classic would be the big man-small man partnership. A knockdown from the big fella to the little guy, who dispatches it into the net. Simple isn't it?
When it does work it’s worth its weight in goals (and gold). Over the years at Swindon there have been many as well as some who perhaps haven't quite lived up to the billing.
One pair that did hit the mark featured in one of the most exhilarating years I can remember.
Alan Mayes and Andy Rowland were as good as it gets at Third Division level, netting more than 50 goals between them in the 1979-80 campaign. They were part of a side which reached a League Cup semi-final and should have won promotion.
Maybe exhaustion just caught up with them, as there was no squad rotation in those days. It was a glorious team during that time, full of solid professionals who seemed to reach their collective peaks under Bobby Smith.
The magic of the nights when Arsenal were held at Highbury and then beaten at the County Ground will never be forgotten by those who were there. That, by the way, happened 33 years ago this week. It seems like yesterday.
Those great occasions sandwiched an eight-nil win over Bury. The anniversary of that memorable home win is this Saturday. Would it perhaps be a little much to ask for a repeat on this December 8?
I guess the answer to the conundrum is a partnership just works. There’s no easy answer, it comes about because of an unknown factor containing a little bit of magic. Oh, and a lot of hard graft.
A real test for the Town against high flying Donny then. I'm glad it’s back, aren't you?
Comments(10)
smirg kcab
says...
7:33am Thu 6 Dec 12
Best for me Rotherham away when Mayes scored his hat trick on his debut.
Worst memory when he scored his third the Rotherham fans in the away end with knives, then walking back to the coach down that cinder path at millmoor very scary
Where's sue?
onwards and upwards
mallorca
says...
8:39am Thu 6 Dec 12
Peter Noble went on to Burnley and there scored many goals.
Makes you think how fortunate we have over the years been with Strikers.Still just maybe we will do ok with our new lads
do wish them all well
TheDukeOfBanbury
says...
11:52am Thu 6 Dec 12
33 years ago ...... where did the time go ?
Great memories and will never forget that era and can't believe that I carried on following Swindon.
Billy Tucker heading into the Clock End goal in the last 5 minutes at Highbury and the thousands of Town fans going crazy. I remember ending up in a pile of bodies......and then the 8-0 Bury game McHale, Mayes & Rowland......wow....
...followed by the 4-3 win aet against the then fancied Division 1 Club with Brady, Stapleton etc.
Memories that can never be taken away.
Rowland was never the tallest of Centre forwards but scored so many goals from near post corners.
......and as for the left peg of Mayes....:)
................What is remarkable is the school Mates I used to go with still sit with me in the DR Stand........Proud South Oxfordshire Reds who choose to follow Town instead of the local Club that play in yellow.
Is that you Lovesey
says...
1:12pm Thu 6 Dec 12
Make your own mind up which is which.......
Shearer and White were amazing together, the whole team that year were brilliant and if I remember the team went something like 17 games unchanged.... better than all this squad rotation rubbish
MITTED
says...
4:50pm Thu 6 Dec 12
TheDukeOfBanbury wrote:Amongst the best 8 days ever in supporting the Town. The queues at Highbury were massive and ending up getting 20 minutes after kick off; missed the Arsenal goal but went mental when "Tucker bagged it" as the Sun exclaimed next day!
Amazing it does feel like yesterday.
33 years ago ...... where did the time go ?
Great memories and will never forget that era and can't believe that I carried on following Swindon.
Billy Tucker heading into the Clock End goal in the last 5 minutes at Highbury and the thousands of Town fans going crazy. I remember ending up in a pile of bodies......and then the 8-0 Bury game McHale, Mayes & Rowland......wow....
...followed by the 4-3 win aet against the then fancied Division 1 Club with Brady, Stapleton etc.
Memories that can never be taken away.
Rowland was never the tallest of Centre forwards but scored so many goals from near post corners.
......and as for the left peg of Mayes....:)
................What is remarkable is the school Mates I used to go with still sit with me in the DR Stand........Proud South Oxfordshire Reds who choose to follow Town instead of the local Club that play in yellow.
MITTED
says...
4:53pm Thu 6 Dec 12
MITTED wrote:That Arsenal team was pretty special as well and were no fools in the cups - they were FA Cup holders at the time and that same season went on to win the European Cup Winners Cup, which made Town's performances even more remarkable. Wonderful memories.
TheDukeOfBanbury wrote:Amongst the best 8 days ever in supporting the Town. The queues at Highbury were massive and ending up getting 20 minutes after kick off; missed the Arsenal goal but went mental when "Tucker bagged it" as the Sun exclaimed next day!
Amazing it does feel like yesterday.
33 years ago ...... where did the time go ?
Great memories and will never forget that era and can't believe that I carried on following Swindon.
Billy Tucker heading into the Clock End goal in the last 5 minutes at Highbury and the thousands of Town fans going crazy. I remember ending up in a pile of bodies......and then the 8-0 Bury game McHale, Mayes & Rowland......wow....
...followed by the 4-3 win aet against the then fancied Division 1 Club with Brady, Stapleton etc.
Memories that can never be taken away.
Rowland was never the tallest of Centre forwards but scored so many goals from near post corners.
......and as for the left peg of Mayes....:)
................What is remarkable is the school Mates I used to go with still sit with me in the DR Stand........Proud South Oxfordshire Reds who choose to follow Town instead of the local Club that play in yellow.
COYR
TheDukeOfBanbury
says...
5:28pm Thu 6 Dec 12
MITTED wrote:Fantastic Mate .....and the queues at the home game were very long indeed.
TheDukeOfBanbury wrote:Amongst the best 8 days ever in supporting the Town. The queues at Highbury were massive and ending up getting 20 minutes after kick off; missed the Arsenal goal but went mental when "Tucker bagged it" as the Sun exclaimed next day!
Amazing it does feel like yesterday.
33 years ago ...... where did the time go ?
Great memories and will never forget that era and can't believe that I carried on following Swindon.
Billy Tucker heading into the Clock End goal in the last 5 minutes at Highbury and the thousands of Town fans going crazy. I remember ending up in a pile of bodies......and then the 8-0 Bury game McHale, Mayes & Rowland......wow....
...followed by the 4-3 win aet against the then fancied Division 1 Club with Brady, Stapleton etc.
Memories that can never be taken away.
Rowland was never the tallest of Centre forwards but scored so many goals from near post corners.
......and as for the left peg of Mayes....:)
................What is remarkable is the school Mates I used to go with still sit with me in the DR Stand........Proud South Oxfordshire Reds who choose to follow Town instead of the local Club that play in yellow.
I also recall the tubes that night packed with Town fans......as you said great times.
The Town End was rocking.
mancrobin
says...
7:37pm Thu 6 Dec 12
Interestingly I thought both useless when I first saw them. It often takes time for a striker to build confidence and also for,a pair of strikers to build a rapport. Overuse of the loan market and constant rotation doesn't help achieve that.
Malkym
says...
10:46pm Thu 6 Dec 12
TheDukeOfBanbury wrote:Ironically enough my overall abiding memory of that memorable night at Highbury wasn't "one legged" Tucker's goal wonderful as it was.
MITTED wrote:Fantastic Mate .....and the queues at the home game were very long indeed. I also recall the tubes that night packed with Town fans......as you said great times. The Town End was rocking.TheDukeOfBanbury wrote: Amazing it does feel like yesterday. 33 years ago ...... where did the time go ? Great memories and will never forget that era and can't believe that I carried on following Swindon. Billy Tucker heading into the Clock End goal in the last 5 minutes at Highbury and the thousands of Town fans going crazy. I remember ending up in a pile of bodies......and then the 8-0 Bury game McHale, Mayes & Rowland......wow.... ...followed by the 4-3 win aet against the then fancied Division 1 Club with Brady, Stapleton etc. Memories that can never be taken away. Rowland was never the tallest of Centre forwards but scored so many goals from near post corners. ......and as for the left peg of Mayes....:) ................What is remarkable is the school Mates I used to go with still sit with me in the DR Stand........Proud South Oxfordshire Reds who choose to follow Town instead of the local Club that play in yellow.Amongst the best 8 days ever in supporting the Town. The queues at Highbury were massive and ending up getting 20 minutes after kick off; missed the Arsenal goal but went mental when "Tucker bagged it" as the Sun exclaimed next day!
It was much more mundane. On going for the obligstory half time wazz I was amazed to see a fully regaled Commissionaire complete with white peaked cap and gold shoulder braid, and it remains (as far as I can recall) the only club where fans were directed to the urinals by a bloke in uniform.
Then the fantastic 4-3 replay win with 28k+ inside the CG -happy memories, and as well as the club are doing currently I'm not sure we'll(well I'll) ever see the like again.
Ollie Reed's Parky dance! says...
7:16am Thu 6 Dec 12