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ceredigion

Top-flight away days in London - a desert, a wilderness and a graveyard

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If, like me, you grew up supporting LCFC in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, you will think of London as a barren wasteland, a place utterly devoid of comfort, fond memories and, most importantly, league points. A bewildering and threatening metropolis, visits to which were almost always accompanied by  feelings of abject despair and unhappiness as you drove back up the M1, having witnessed yet another pathetic defensive display or, what was sometimes even worse, a last-minute home winner which snatched away that miracle of miracles, a draw and a point in the capital city.

 

With a crucial visit to Arsenal looming this weekend, I thought I'd revisit our Div 1/PL record at London grounds during my lifetime to see if it really was as bad as I thought, or whether memory was playing tricks on me. To my surprise, our record in London was even worse than I had imagined. Read on and weep.

 

Season and Div 1/PL games in London:

1971/72 - P5 W0 D2 L3

1972/73 - P5 W1 D2 L2

1973/74 - P5 W1 D2 L2

1974/75 - P5 W1 D2 L2

1975/76 - P4 W0 D3 L1

1976/77 - P4 W0 D1 L3

1977/78 - P3 W0 D1 L2

1980/81 - P3 W1 D0 L2

1983/84 - P4 W0 D0 L4

1984/85 - P5 W0 D1 L4

1985/86 - P5 W1 D1 L3

1986/87 - P7 W1 D0 L6

1994/95 - P7 W0 D1 L6

1996/97 - P5 W2 D0 L3

1997/98 - P6 W1 D1 L4

1998/99 - P6 W2 D2 L2

1999/00 - P5 W1 D1 L3

2000/01 - P5 W2 D0 L3

2001/02 - P6 W0 D1 L5

2003/04 - P5 W0 D2 L3

2014/15 - P6 W0 D0 L6

 

Grand Total P106 W14 D23 L69. Under the 3 points per win format, that's 65 points from a possible 318. Reduced to a 38 game season, it equates to about 7 points. Truly abysmal.

 

But things are looking up. So far this season we've played two league matches in the Great Wen and won them both. Claudio Ranieri has a chance to become the 1st LCFC manager to win 3 top-flight games in London in one season since at least the 1960s and possibly since the dawn of time as well as recording a positive record. Even a draw against Arsenal, Crystal Palace or Chelsea will ensure him an equal record in London, which we only achieved once in all those seasons above.

 

I'm sure many supporters on here will have recollections of London matches which left you cursing, kicking the cat and swearing never to go back to the place again. But maybe not this season.

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One of the worst experiences in London was not a top flight game but FA Cup match at Millwall during the Pleat era, 1991 I think, 1-0 up after 90 minutes and lose 2-1, a horrible day during a horrible period.

 

That was truly awful. We played them away in the league very close to that game and lost that too. Millwall wasn't a happy hunting ground for Leicester back then.

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Went to a night match at Millwall in 1979 (I lived in London at the time). The atmosphere was really menacing, we lost of course, and I left 5 mins before the end to slink off into the shadows, watching my back.

 

Mind you, I was there at Fulham when Ian Wilson got "that" goal in 1983,  

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Not top flight games, but my own worst moments came in the 1993/94 season. Went to the Charlton and Crystal Palace away games and we lost them both to last minute winners. It's a while ago now but I'm pretty sure I was physically sick outside one of the grounds on the way out.

 

Back then, experiences like that didn't just ruin your weekend, they left an aftertaste which it took months, sometimes years, to erase.

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Chalton away in 1992 - remember that, at Upton Park? 10,000 plus city fans completely took over two sides of the ground. We lost of course (when a win would have sealed automatic promotion, right?)  

 

Yes I was at that one too. I think that day we needed 4 points from our last 2 games to go up, so we couldn't have gone up that day whatever happened. But we lost the game and then lost the next weekend 1-2 against Newcastle when Steve Walsh scored at both ends in stoppage time and that was that. Cambridge then Blackburn in the play-offs followed.

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One of the worst experiences in London was not a top flight game but FA Cup match at Millwall during the Pleat era, 1991 I think, 1-0 up after 90 minutes and lose 2-1, a horrible day during a horrible period.

Yes awful day not helped by a shit ref, who sent Walsh and Ramsey off if I can recall.

Mate had a big gash above his eye from a coin thrown from a Millwall fan.

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One of the worst experiences in London was not a top flight game but FA Cup match at Millwall during the Pleat era, 1991 I think, 1-0 up after 90 minutes and lose 2-1, a horrible day during a horrible period.

 

God yes, and 2 sending offs to boot.........hideous experience.

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I've seen some dire performances in London ... But some great ones too. Most successful place I've been to in London is probably Loftus Road. Never seen us win at Millwall or Palace. Very excited for Sunday, first trip to the Emirates and would definitely take a point.

 

We never seem to do anything away at Arsenal though results wise. Remember when Dickov scored at Highbury lol I thought we were going to upset their unbeaten season.

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