The Archive

Ten years ago Terry Christie led a club with a century of underachievement behind them to a perfect day in Perth, beating Dundee United to delight Scott Harvie

“Remember, remember the fifth of November, Armstrong, Haddow and Sprott.” While this version of the traditional rhyme may not have much meaning outside Ochilview Park, many Stenhousemuir fans would want to rewind repeat Guy Fawkes Day 1995 as their version of Groundhog Day. Until then Stenny had recorded 111 years of footballing existence without a national trophy to their name. Giv­en their decline so far in the 21st century, you can safely speculate that even the youngest babe in arms at Ochilview won’t be around to celebrate their next such success.

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Online coverage of matches can amount to little more than the bare statistics or, worse, a sub-tabloid set of cliches. But  Ian Plenderleith finds some fan sites that still offer an original alternative to the press

While reading a match report that involves your own team, you might tolerate the lowest standards of writing just to find out the basic details of who scored when. Most web­sites realise this and skimp on all attempts at style, structure and originality in favour of short, bland, factual write-ups. The occasional more gifted writers, however, will engage the neutral and keep them reading to the end, no matter which sides are playing.

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Challenging for the title is the exclusive prerogative of a privileged few in most of Europe's leagues. But no one has told AZ Alkmaar, writes Derek Brookman

Out of the 32 million or so eyebrows in the Netherlands, the number raised when AZ Alkmaar vis­ited PSV Eindhoven two games into the Dutch season and lost 5-1 probably didn’t exceed single figures. After all, this was the natural order: big eating small, famous club and previous European Cup winner putting team from cheese-market town with an 8,390 capacity stadium in their place.

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Dear WSC
York City’s announcement, after a new sponsorship deal with Nestle Rowntree, that their stadium will be known as KitKat Crescent for two years makes it clear who now runs the game. Yes, it’s the journalists. For years this gallant profession have struggled to build any workable puns around us. At Sunderland, say, sub- editors could claim that The Team Shone Brightly At the Stadium of Light or The Black Cats Needed All Their Luck To­night. But York play at Bootham Crescent and are nicknamed The Minster Men and there’s nothing much you can do with either of those. But all is different now, thankfully. Now when we are getting stuffed at home to someone like Gravesend, await the deluge of remarks that York Took A Break At The KitKat…
Andrew Traynor, York

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Jonathan Baker recalls a season when Howard Wilkinson refined his managerial tactics and Kevin Keegan had a glimpse of what his would be

The long-term significance
This was the season that launched the careers of two influential modern managers – Kevin Keegan and Howard Wilkinson – with radically contrasting footballing philosophies. In the north-east Keegan, in his last playing season, was inspiring a Newcastle team managed by Arthur Cox to adopt the swashbuckling passing game that would become his managerial hallmark. He was ably assisted by two rookie local-born forwards, Peter Beardsley and Chris Waddle.

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