Lyttle things mean a lot
Posted on: Wed 17 Nov 2004
Everybody is getting pretty keyed up ahead of the Bolton game, but at least one man is relishing a return to the play-off atmosphere he experienced at The Hawthorns, albeit on the other side of the fence.
Des Lyttle played here for Swansea in the 1992/93 play-off semi-final, and that's a game that's etched on his memory.
"It was a long time ago I came here for the play-off with Swansea, a great night. We beat Albion 2-1 down at the Vetch and even though we got beat here, it was an incredible atmosphere. Even being on the opposition, it was great just to be here and be part of it all. I've played at Old Trafford, Highbury, places like that, big clubs in the Premier League and I'd still say that game at The Hawthorns is still one of the best nights I've ever had. Man United get 50 or 60,000 but their supporters are spoiled, the atmosphere's not the best there, I still think when the Albion fans were doing the "Boing Boing" thing, it seemed like they were doing it for 90 minutes and it made a great night."
Des is one of the players with previous in the Prem, so for Des, "It would be good to get back in the Premiership, I had some great times in there with Forest under Frank Clark, we got promotion, he built up a good squad, we got to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup, finished third in the Premiership, then sixth. It's the place to be. If you ask some of the lads here who've played at that level, Richard Sneekes, Foxy, it's the only place to play."
Already a pretty dismissive, if not downright hostile media, is questioning our right to be in the play-offs, along with our ability to stay in the Premiership. It's not a question that Des is losing any sleep over.
"It's not for us to start thinking about next season, all we have to think about is trying to get the club in the Premiership. We're here now, the next week is what matters, get these two games won hopefully, and hopefully get in the final. Next season is a long way off so we can't think about that.
"Watford went up and came straight back down, but if you ask them and Graham Taylor, would they have wanted to go up when they did or stay in the First Division instead, I doubt they would say they'd have preferred to stay down. And after it all, they're in a better financial state than three or four years back, and maybe that'll be the same for us. We're not even thinking about that. All we're thinking about is how to beat Bolton."
Des Lyttle played here for Swansea in the 1992/93 play-off semi-final, and that's a game that's etched on his memory.
"It was a long time ago I came here for the play-off with Swansea, a great night. We beat Albion 2-1 down at the Vetch and even though we got beat here, it was an incredible atmosphere. Even being on the opposition, it was great just to be here and be part of it all. I've played at Old Trafford, Highbury, places like that, big clubs in the Premier League and I'd still say that game at The Hawthorns is still one of the best nights I've ever had. Man United get 50 or 60,000 but their supporters are spoiled, the atmosphere's not the best there, I still think when the Albion fans were doing the "Boing Boing" thing, it seemed like they were doing it for 90 minutes and it made a great night."
Des is one of the players with previous in the Prem, so for Des, "It would be good to get back in the Premiership, I had some great times in there with Forest under Frank Clark, we got promotion, he built up a good squad, we got to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup, finished third in the Premiership, then sixth. It's the place to be. If you ask some of the lads here who've played at that level, Richard Sneekes, Foxy, it's the only place to play."
Already a pretty dismissive, if not downright hostile media, is questioning our right to be in the play-offs, along with our ability to stay in the Premiership. It's not a question that Des is losing any sleep over.
"It's not for us to start thinking about next season, all we have to think about is trying to get the club in the Premiership. We're here now, the next week is what matters, get these two games won hopefully, and hopefully get in the final. Next season is a long way off so we can't think about that.
"Watford went up and came straight back down, but if you ask them and Graham Taylor, would they have wanted to go up when they did or stay in the First Division instead, I doubt they would say they'd have preferred to stay down. And after it all, they're in a better financial state than three or four years back, and maybe that'll be the same for us. We're not even thinking about that. All we're thinking about is how to beat Bolton."
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