Published: Thursday, 21st February, 2008 11:00
Relegation? YORK-idding!
By Anthony Smith
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Tough tussle ahead: Royals skipper Graeme Murty is well prepared for a relegation battle.
IF READING require a result at Derby County on the last day of the season to avoid relegation it will seem a doddle to Graeme Murty.
The Royals skipper was part of the York City side that went through footballing hell to avoid dropping into the bottom division at the very end of the 1995/96 season.
The Minstermen had to score at least twice away to Brighton and Hove Albion to stay up, five days after the season had finished because the original game was abandoned due to crowd trouble.
Angry Seagulls fans invaded the pitch during the game, snapped the goalposts and tried forcing their way into the York dressing room after hearing about the sale of the Goldstone Ground.
“We didn’t have to win to stay up, but if we scored at least two goals Carlisle got relegated,” recalled Murty.
“About 20 minutes in, we were playing really well when four blokes walked onto the pitch.
“The referee stopped the game and waved everybody off. I’ve never been so scared. I ran off that pitch like Linford Christie.
“They smashed the crossbar, snapped the posts and tried to get into our changing room. They went nuts and the game was abandoned.
“We waited about 40 minutes before we could get out of the place and back to York. We didn’t even shower.”
Despite the harrowing experience, York won the replayed match 3-1 and Murty said: “The journey back was fantastic but the one down there certainly wasn’t. Playing under that pressure is a hard thing to do.
“Our livelihoods were at stake. People may not have been able to pay their mortgages if we went out of the league. It’s not nice, it’s massive pressure and it takes brave people.
“Bravery isn’t just putting your head into a challenge, it means people wanting to get on the ball. We had a lot of big men that day and we’re going to need a lot here until the end of the season.”
Relegation from the top-flight may not cost the Reading players their livelihoods, but Murty insisted: “It’s still a massive issue. We’ve still got families to look after.
“Getting relegated would be a massive hit to everybody at the club, not just the chairman.
“We all want to be in the Premier League because this is where it’s best for everyone.
“It’s huge career-wise and we’ve got to approach it that way. We’ve got to battle and scrap and sweat blood.
“They’re cliches but this is what you have to do to stay in the league.”
And he added: “I don’t like being in our situation but getting out of it could tell us more about the team than finishing eighth last season.
“You need a lot of character and there’s a big challenge ahead of us, probably the biggest we’ve had in the last five years.
“Staying in the Premier League is hard. Getting out of this situation maybe the hardest thing we’ve had to do.”
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