“I CAN still remember the scene vividly, As my Uncle Jim would say, it’s like a video playing in my mind.
“On Saturday, April 24, 1982, Hyde United arrived at Formby unbeaten in the league since their 5-4 home reverse at the hands of Curzon Ashton the previous October — a run of 25 games. Twelve months earlier the Tigers had lost out to Nantwich Town after topping the table all season. They had stood aloft the Cheshire League summit for 4,200 playing minutes, only to lose out in the space of five.
“But that wasn’t going to happen this time. Hyde got off to a slow start but after the break the Tigers roared. George Oghani grabbed two goals, Barney Daniels got another and goalkeeper Colin Darcy made it 4-1 from the penalty spot.
“As the clocked ticked away, with what seemed like 15 minutes of injury time, dozens of Hyde United fans gathered behind the Formby goal waiting to sprint on and congratulate the new champions.
“I was eagerly removing the foil from a bottle of champagne for the players, and in the sports bag hooked around my shoulders was a bottle of pomagne for me. I was only a postman in those days and money didn’t stretch to two bottles of real bubbly.
“Not surprisingly we were constantly spilling on to the pitch and I can remember the referee threatening to stop the game if we didn’t retreat behind the line. “Get back, get back,” I screamed desperately waving my arms like a windmill because I was terrified the game might be abandoned and the Tigers would again lose out at the death.
“Then at last — at long last — the whistle blew. A huge cheer rent the air and I was charging on to the field. But it was no mad dash. I knew exactly where I was heading. I was taking my champagne to team captain Tony Steenson. After a hug of congratulation and delight the bottle was handed over. Tony popped the cork, have us what North Cheshire Herald match reporter David Jones term a bubbly bath, and took a long swig.
“Then it was over to the other players to celebrate. I eventually met up with John Carter who hadn’t played. I recall offering him a drink of my pomagne and he promptly disappeared down the tunnel with it. Ah well.
“In may ways it was apt that the Tigers should clinch the championship at Formby, because it as there that Les Sutton’s squad had set out on their two-year march to the Cheshire League championship and back to the Northern Premier League.
“On August 16, Hyde played their first game of the 1980-1 season and started to put the mediocrity and traumas of the Seventies behind them. The team that day was Colin Darcy, John Evans, Micky Lacey, Jimmy Golder, Ralph Darlington, Tony Steenson, Graham Holder, David Holt, Steve Johnson, Garry Riley, George Oghani and substitute Paul McMahon. Riley netted in a 1-0 win and Hyde were on their way.
“For those who are too young, the late Seventies were an awful time to be a Tigers fan. I can still remember sitting in the old wooden stand, watching dull games on a mudheap of a pitch.
“Curiously, I think the worst game I saw there was the last game of the 79-80 campaign — a goalless draw with Curzon Ashton. The only reason I haven’t erased it from memory is that a. it was so boring and b. former supporters’ club chairman Brian “Tubby” Taylor was threatened for mimicking a fan who kept shouting “come on Curzon”. Brian followed up with his own shout, making it sound like he was being sick. The Nash fan wasn’t impressed.
“Manager Les Sutton’s regular comment was “we might not score many but we don’t let many in”. But behind this phrase he was patiently building a squad, and the future treble-winning team was based on a treble foundation: David Holt, Steve Johnson and Tony Steenson.
“Holty, and Oldham lad, was a small, stocky winger — a terrier with an eye for spectacular goals and a feeling for the big occasion. He was one of the heroes of the lean years.
“Johnson, younger brother of the famous Jeff, first played for the Tigers in 1975-6 as a young lad. He was famously involved in an altercation with former Liverpool captain Ron Yeats, then playing for Stalybridge. Steve filled out into a powerful and competitive utility player.
“Steenson, a flame-haired organiser of men who hailed from Salford, moved to Ewen Fields in 1977. His nasal voice, gap-toothed smile, total commitment and constant encouragement of team-mates, were to be a Hyde United hallmark for seven seasons.
“Sutton placed the next pieces of his jigsaw in the autumn of 1978. Gary Blore, a commanding centre-half, arrived from Macclesfield Town in October. In November came midfield players Jimmy Golder and Graham Holder.
“A season later, Sutton snapped up Micky Lacey, a tough no-nonsense full-back, and former Everton, Bury and Altrincham goalkeeper Colin Darcy.
“And then came the man who was to be the jewel in the crown — Bury winger George Oghani. His arrival caused an instant change in the atmosphere at Ewen Fields and supporters licked their lips as they renewed their acquaintance with victory.
“George was an instant crowd-pleaser. The fans were enthralled by his jinking runs in which he teased and tormented defenders. The cry “skin him George” was soon known across the North West.
“During the summer of 1980, Sutton signed midfielder Paul McMahon from Droylsden. He had assembled a side that would provide Hyde United with their most successful season since the 1950s, making them once again a force to be reckoned with.
“And so to that 1-0 August win at Formby, the Tigers’ first opening-day victory for six years. They followed up by winning their first seven league matched and remained unbeaten for 11.
“In November Sutton strengthened his attack by signing Carl Culley, A Liverpool-based striker who scored ten goals in 19 games before braking a leg in a Sunday game in late March.
“His prowess was badly missed in the closing stages of the season, but the Tigers had started to stutter in late January when they lost 2-1 to Bootle. There was also a succession of draws and this allowed Nantwich to catch up, leading to a title-decider at Jackson Avenue on May 2, 1981.
“In front of 1,100 fans, Gary Blore have Hyde the lead with 12 minutes left but the Dabbers came back to win 2-1.
“For the fans who had followed the team all season and travelled in their hundreds it was heartbreaking, but there was still much to cheer about and the Tigers finished the season with plenty of silverware.
“Their run in the Cheshire Senior Cup produced some classic encounters. On April 9, 1981, Hyde enjoyed one of their greatest victories when they beat Alliance Premier League side Northwich Victoria in a semi-final replay.
“Hyde’s team was Darcy, Evans, Lacey, Golder, McMahon, Steenson, Holt, Haughton, Johnson, Riley and Oghani. They twice came from behind to win.
“David Holt equalised after Colin Williams had put Northwich ahead but Graham Abel restored Vics’ lead. It remained 2-1 until two minutes from the end when Tony Steenson stabbed home a free kick for 2-2. Less than 60 seconds later, Paul McMahon headed home to give Hyde a remarkable victory.
“The final proved to be even more amazing. The Tigers faced Stalybridge Celtic, the previous season’s Cheshire League champions, and once again a replay was needed, this time at Altrincham on May 6. The line-up was Darcy, Evans, Lacey, Golder, Blore, Steenson, McMahon, Holt, Johnson, Riley, Oghani.
“On an action-packed night brimming with local rivalry, there were seven goals, two sendings-off and nine bookings.
“Oghani gave Hyde the lead and Garry Riley converted a penalty to make it 2-0. Bobby Grimshaw then pulled one back for Celtic, but the Tigers hit right back and Paul McMahon increased their lead to 3-1.
“Immediately after the break, Oghani and John Harrop were sent off for fighting. The Stalybridge mounted a comeback and equalized with goals from Mark Higgins and Terry Cook to force extra time.
“Steve Johnson struck within seconds of the restart to make it 4-3 for Hyde and that proved enough to clinch victory, although in the dying minutes the referee gave a penalty against the Tigers and then changed his mind.
“Hyde United had the Cheshire Senior Cup for the first time in 11 years.
“A week later they went back to Jackson Avenue to beat Nantwich 2-1 in the Cheshire League Challenge Shield play-off. Then the season finally ended — all 56 games of it — with a 3-1 defeat by Winsford in the final of the league cup.
“In many ways 1980-1 was a taster for the following campaign. But second time round there were to be no mistakes. The Tigers bulldozed everything in their path and were by far the best team in the Cheshire League.
“Sutton brought several new players to Ewen Fields during the summer but the only one to make any long-term impact was former Manchester City forward Barney Daniels who had been a goal-scoring machine for Ashton United and was one of the most fared and popular strikers in the North West.
“With the season under way, Sutton added Peter Coyne, a Manchester United player who received national fame when he scored a hat-trick for England Schoolboys in a televised 3-0 victory over West Germany at Wembley.
“In February, 1982, Kevin Glendon broke into the team. A versatile player, he was eventually to make his name as a full-back and was signed by Burnley on the basis of a superb performance against them when Hyde played at Turf Moor in the first round of the FA Cup in 1983.
“Sutton made his last addition when he brought in Horwich RMI defender Phil Parry.
“The Tigers began the season by losing at Chorley. However, after that, they lost only once more — that 5-4 home reverse to Curzon — before wrapping up the championship. They also reached the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup and the second round of the FA Trophy, equaling their best-ever run in the competition.
“Having won the Cheshire League title on April 24, the Tigers continued their glory run by beating Stalybridge 2-0 on aggregate in the two-legged Cheshire League Challenge Cup final. They finished the campaign on May 18 by beating second-placed Chorley to lift the challenge shield and so complete an incredible treble.
“What a couple of years/”