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Help .... 2nd January 1982

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c.pensioner

c.pensioner

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I've been talking with my son about the first game I took him to, and trying to work out who we intended to go and see, but we cannot work it out - any ideas?

The story is, it was 2nd January 1982 (I think, looking at records for the game we actually went to), and we turned up at Stamford Bridge to watch Chelsea v Liverpool, but arrived to a deserted stadium and no match, so we dashed across to Loftus Road and watched the FA Cup tie between QPR and Middlesbrough.

However, looking at the records, that season, Chelsea didn't play any games between Boxing Day (QPR) and 16th January (Bolton). Bad Weather? Chelsea weren't in the same division as Liverpool at the time, but played them in the FA Cup on 13th February 1982 in the fifth round. A tie we couldn't possible have known about on 2nd January,

So, the questions...

Who were Chelsea due to play on 2nd January 1982? (I guess Hull in the 3rd round of the FA Cup?)

Why were there no games for about 3 weeks at the beginning of 1982?

Is there any reason at all why we would have thought Chelsea were playing Liverpool on 2nd January 1982? (And turned up to watch a game that wasn't going ahead)

 
From Wiki "The Third Round was intended to be played on 2 January 1982. However, some matched were played initially over the period 4–6 January, while others took place as late as 23 January. Most replays took place over 18–21 January."  Chelsea v Hull was played 18 January and replayed on 21 January.  Doesn't say why some ties were so delayed.  

 
c.pensioner said:
I've been talking with my son about the first game I took him to, and trying to work out who we intended to go and see, but we cannot work it out - any ideas?

The story is, it was 2nd January 1982 (I think, looking at records for the game we actually went to), and we turned up at Stamford Bridge to watch Chelsea v Liverpool, but arrived to a deserted stadium and no match, so we dashed across to Loftus Road and watched the FA Cup tie between QPR and Middlesbrough.

However, looking at the records, that season, Chelsea didn't play any games between Boxing Day (QPR) and 16th January (Bolton). Bad Weather? Chelsea weren't in the same division as Liverpool at the time, but played them in the FA Cup on 13th February 1982 in the fifth round. A tie we couldn't possible have known about on 2nd January,

So, the questions...

Who were Chelsea due to play on 2nd January 1982? (I guess Hull in the 3rd round of the FA Cup?)

Why were there no games for about 3 weeks at the beginning of 1982?

Is there any reason at all why we would have thought Chelsea were playing Liverpool on 2nd January 1982? (And turned up to watch a game that wasn't going ahead)
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1981-2 was a really bad winter. I remember it snowing really heavily at the start of December, and it was still freezing in the new year. It was the coldest I've ever known. South Wales was completely cut off and when the snow melted they found people dead in their cars on the M4. I was a student back then and I remember a mate going out with wet hair and his hair froze within a minute or so.

I don't know who we were playing on 2nd Jan, but I remember the FAC tie at home to Liverpool, which had a packed crowd and fantastic atmosphere. They were European champions, we were mid-table Division 2 and we beat them pretty comfortably. Just as we did in 1978 when they were also European champions and we were battling relegation.

 
So it sounds like your memory's playing tricks with you c.pensioner and it was actually Chelsea v Hull on 2 January which was postponed but you remembered they also played Liverpool in the next round and the two have become intertwined in your mind to make it Liverpool on 2nd.

 
Beerqueen said:
So it sounds like your memory's playing tricks with you c.pensioner and it was actually Chelsea v Hull on 2 January which was postponed but you remembered they also played Liverpool in the next round and the two have become intertwined in your mind to make it Liverpool on 2nd.
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an excellent synopsis me thinks! and maybe a dram to many to celebrate the the new year huh c.p?

 
Beerqueen said:
So it sounds like your memory's playing tricks with you c.pensioner and it was actually Chelsea v Hull on 2 January which was postponed but you remembered they also played Liverpool in the next round and the two have become intertwined in your mind to make it Liverpool on 2nd.
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Methinks that must be it!! Though I'm so convinced that turning up at the gates of an empty stadium the opponents were Liverpool.... I wonder if I ever got to the 5th round game!

Thanks for the confirmation of the weather Backbiter. I dont remember the winter of 81/82 as being bad .... the memory isn't what it once was........

Liverpool actually wasn't the next round, it was the 5th round - incredibly the games were really packed in, and with replays, we had loads of FA Cup games in quick succession!

18th January 3rd Round Chelsea 0-0 Hull

21st January 3rd Round Replay Hull 0-2 Chelsea

23rd January 4th Round Chelsea 0-0 Wrexham

26th January 4th Round Replay Wrexham 1-1 Chelsea

1st February 4th Round ReReplay Wrexham 1-2 Chelsea

finally followed by 

13th February 5th Round Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool

 
That's incredible to have two replays!  How  did they decide where the second one was held?  (I almost certainly knew at the time, but as you say, memory's not like it was!)

 
I was at the Hull game at the Bridge it was a Monday night and freezing. We beat them in the replay and there fans chucked a brick at the team coach which hit our keeper Steve Francis. The first game against Wrexham there keeper had an absolute blinding game which is possibly why we ended up buying him the great Eddie Niedzwiecki. They used to have loads of replays in those days BQ Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday played each other five times in 1979. The last three being played at Leicester's Filbert Street.

 
bazzablue said:
I was at the Hull game at the Bridge it was a Monday night and freezing. We beat them in the replay and there fans chucked a brick at the team coach which hit our keeper Steve Francis. The first game against Wrexham there keeper had an absolute blinding game which is possibly why we ended up buying him the great Eddie Niedzwiecki. They used to have loads of replays in those days BQ Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday played each other five times in 1979. The last three being played at Leicester's Filbert Street.
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Yeah I knew if I thought about it but had sort've forgotten that they went to more than one replay. I know even the final in 1970 was scheduled to go to another reply if we hadn't scored in ET.

 
c.pensioner said:
Thanks for the confirmation of the weather Backbiter. I dont remember the winter of 81/82 as being bad .... the memory isn't what it once was........
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I've just googled it and found this:

http://www.ukweatherworld.co.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/49602-december-1981-january-1982-with-times-reports/

December 1981 and January 1982 contained some of the coldest, snowiest and severest winter weather ever recorded in the UK.

The coldest December since 1890 and the snowiest since 1878, December 1981 with a CET of 0.3 was one of the severest winter months of the 20th Century.

January 1982 had a CET of 2.6 but it will be remembered for the snowstorm and record low temperatures.

The next 36-48 hours brought chaos to the south with continous snowfall and strong easterly winds bringing drifting  and disrupting transport in one of the worst blizzards of the 20th Century. A small low in the SW provided extra moisture for the system. In the east, level snow depths reached about 15cm but further west, snow depths were greater. The Cotswolds, south Wales and Herefordshire recorded level snow depths of 30-40cm, Newport in Gwent:- 60cm, Carmarthen:- 60cm and Swansea:- 40cm. Drifts were well in excess of 7m in places.

Newport in Shropshire recorded a minima of -26.1C on the 10th, the lowest ever minimum in England
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Maybe it wasn't as bad in London, but it was the worst winter I can remember.

 
Beerqueen said:
That's incredible to have two replays! How did they decide where the second one was held? (I almost certainly knew at the time, but as you say, memory's not like it was!)
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Toss of a coin I think. Scousers vs Arsenal semi final 79 I think took 4 games if memory is right. (My memory not great either)!!
 
And for those not as old as me or who are and can't remember: Chelsea vs Burnley 1955 FA cup 4th round took 4 replays! (Chelsea won 2-0 at White Hart Lane) No coin toss, corner count-backs or penalties in those days. Real men!

 
bazzablue said:
 Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday played each other five times in 1979. The last three being played at Leicester's Filbert Street.
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Isnt that where the "and leicester"  bit of the "we all follow the chelsea over land and sea" comes from? It was originally an Arsenal addition to the chant which we incorporated.

 
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