The Great Collapse Of 03/04

[TheGoon]

There's a decent Pie & Bovril thread going at the minute (http://www.pieandbovril.com/forum/index.php?/topic/237305-the-morton-collapse-of-0304/) with good posts in particular from Toby & Dunning about the great collapse of 03/04. There's also a piece in the new Nutmeg which I've not got round to reading yet but am told is worth seeking out.

 

Are there people on here still convinced there was a scandal, or were we just a bit pish and ran out of luck as Toby & Dunning suggest?

[TRVMP]

Good to see Weatherson coming clean about his part in it. He seems to have matured significantly but his fecklessness was a huge contributing factor in our decline.

 

Toby's post should be the first blog on here (if he's up for it.) Just the way he talks about the games took me back to them. The 3-0 loss at Dumbarton in particular.

[LargsTON]

There's a decent Pie & Bovril thread going at the minute (http://www.pieandbovril.com/forum/index.php?/topic/237305-the-morton-collapse-of-0304/) with good posts in particular from Toby & Dunning about the great collapse of 03/04. There's also a piece in the new Nutmeg which I've not got round to reading yet but am told is worth seeking out.

Are there people on here still convinced there was a scandal, or were we just a bit pish and ran out of luck as Toby & Dunning suggest?

100% a scandal. Will read the thread after work.

[Stevie Aitken's Love Child]

Any way of reading the nutmeg article without paying a tenner? Seems a bit steep for a magazine to me, or can those that have read it say that it's worth the money?

[TheGoon]

Any way of reading the nutmeg article without paying a tenner? Seems a bit steep for a magazine to me, or can those that have read it say that it's worth the money?

You can get the digital issue for £3 ish, certainly worth it if you've got something to read it on.

[Stevie Aitken's Love Child]

You can get the digital issue for £3 ish, certainly worth it if you've got something to read it on.

 

Ah, good shout, didn't spot that.

[TonInDublin]

Absolutely superb posts from Toby and Dunning on that P&B thread. Outstanding stuff.

Take a bow lads.

[SpoonTon]

You can explain the drop of form in a variety of ways, but I can't explain the complete collapse at the end. It was 1 defeat in 10 before the last 6 games (2 defeats in 13), we had actually steadied the ship after our form dipped significantly in the new year.

 

The 6-1 defeat at Hamilton was a utterly bizarre performance. I don't know if something had happened before that match, or if that match was a freak which did tremendous harm, but we were probably performing up to about that teams level in the previous couple of months after the crazy start to the season followed by the new year drop off. They cut through us as if we weren't bothered that day. I liked Coyle as a shotstopper, and he was actually tremendous at that level with one on ones (his many faults coming in others areas), but he looked like he couldn't move properly that day. Maybe they were just all hung over or something, they certainly played like it, but certainly something was very off (very similar to what happened there a decade later).

 

We scrapped out a win the next week before the players seemed to chuck it completely. As a team they were completely lost. For me it wasnt a first 16 games/last 20 games split that needs to be explained. It's the last 6 games. The squad had shown that it was capable of steadying the ship already that season, we should have been capable again (especially after winning the next week). We should have picked up the points needed for promotion at the very least. That squad of players were easily good enough to do that. Lets not forget the exceptional defensive form at the end of the previous season - they were capable.

 

I don't know why, but the team imploded.

 

It wasn't sorted that summer, and then Cowboy was sacked after 9 points from our opening 5 games. A better points per game ratio than the season before and also better than what we'd go onto get that season. Not sacking Cowboy in the summer meant that he wasn't blamed for the collapse, sacking him after a win showed that it was still a madhouse behind the scenes and he either created it, was contributing to it, or had no control over it.

[bob_the_builder]

You can explain the drop of form in a variety of ways, but I can't explain the complete collapse at the end. It was 1 defeat in 10 before the last 6 games (2 defeats in 13), we had actually steadied the ship after our form dipped significantly in the new year.

 

The 6-1 defeat at Hamilton was a utterly bizarre performance. I don't know if something had happened before that match, or if that match was a freak which did tremendous harm, but we were probably performing up to about that teams level in the previous couple of months after the crazy start to the season followed by the new year drop off. They cut through us as if we weren't bothered that day. I liked Coyle as a shotstopper, and he was actually tremendous at that level with one on ones (his many faults coming in others areas), but he looked like he couldn't move properly that day. Maybe they were just all hung over or something, they certainly played like it, but certainly something was very off (very similar to what happened there a decade later).

 

We scrapped out a win the next week before the players seemed to chuck it completely. As a team they were completely lost. For me it was a first 16 games/last 20 games spit that needs to be explained. It's the last 6 games. The squad had shown that it was capable of steadying the ship already that season, we should have been capable again (especially after winning the next week). We should have picked up the points needed for promotion at the very least. That squad of players were easily good enough to do that. Lets not forget the exceptional defensive form at the end of the previous season - they were capable.

 

I don't know why, but the team imploded.

 

It wasn't sorted that summer, and then Cowboy was sacked after 9 points from our opening 5 games. A better points per game ratio than the season before and also better than what we'd go onto get that season. Not sacking Cowboy in the summer meant that he wasn't blamed for the collapse, sacking him after a win showed that it was still a madhouse behind the scenes and he either created it, was contributing to it, or had no control over it.

With regards to the 6-1 away to Hamilton, I was told by a relative who lived on the same street that she saw several players burling out of a players flat steaming the Friday night of that game! There was definitely new levels of unprofessionalism plummeted to that season!

[Charles_Joe]

The worst one was the 4-1 at Cappielow against an already relegated Stenhousemuir when we still mathematically had a shot at 2nd place.

 

I always wonder how things might have turned out for Hamilton had we not collapsed the way we did and they played another season in the 2nd division.

[Charles_Joe]

It was one of my favourite seasons following Morton, seriously. It was compelling viewing every week!

Then Gretna turned up and got pretty tedious seeing Stranraer and Brechin for a 5th and 6th time. We were a joke during the mid to late 2000s. That should be Rae's legacy.

[vikingTON]

Hiring and then not sacking that fan-blaming, lying snake Jim McInally for years achieved his legacy. A club that squandered the goodwill of a much larger floating support then, that can only itself up again now by increasing its core support year on year. 

[BouncyMan1]

The worst one was the 4-1 at Cappielow against an already relegated Stenhousemuir when we still mathematically had a shot at 2nd place.

 

I always wonder how things might have turned out for Hamilton had we not collapsed the way we did and they played another season in the 2nd division.

you are correct.  That was disgraceful.  In 1st half, Stenhousemuir (who at that time of the season were almost a pub time) punted to wing and guy put ball into the middle for someone to score.  In 2nd half once they discovered that none of the Morton defenders were bothering, Stenhousemuir just lumped it straight down the middle and striker ran through for bouncing ball and scored.

I remember Alex Williams clean through on goal quite a bit outside penalty and he took so long getting to box that Stenhousemuir player came across to tackle him.

 

Stenhousemuir could have scored 10 if they had better quality or really wanted it in that game

[TRVMP]

It was one of my favourite seasons following Morton, seriously. It was compelling viewing every week!

Then Gretna turned up and got pretty tedious seeing Stranraer and Brechin for a 5th and 6th time. We were a joke during the mid to late 2000s. That should be Rae's legacy.

 

There's another post on P&B that calls 03/04, or more accurately its aftermath, Rae's legacy. I think that, given where we are now, that's a bit unfair, because we're actually looking in decent shape at the moment. Then again, that's because DDF is more hands-off these days.

 

Imagine where we could be had he spotted the chancers in the dressing room in January 2004 rather than treating them like Little Lebowski Urban Achievers.

 

edit: this post, it's very good, I've seen Toby's and Dunning's mentioned but not this one - http://www.pieandbovril.com/forum/index.php?/topic/237305-the-morton-collapse-of-0304/&do=findComment&comment=11181808

[TRVMP]

And if there's ever an atmosphere at a Morton game half as poisonous as the 3-0 loss at Dumbarton, I don't want to be there. Felt sick the rest of the day. Just horrible. 10-2 at Accies was a worse result in a worse season but I doubt that game topped this one for sheer venom.

[TRVMP]

you are correct.  That was disgraceful.  In 1st half, Stenhousemuir (who at that time of the season were almost a pub time) punted to wing and guy put ball into the middle for someone to score.  In 2nd half once they discovered that none of the Morton defenders were bothering, Stenhousemuir just lumped it straight down the middle and striker ran through for bouncing ball and scored.

I remember Alex Williams clean through on goal quite a bit outside penalty and he took so long getting to box that Stenhousemuir player came across to tackle him.

 

Stenhousemuir could have scored 10 if they had better quality or really wanted it in that game

 

Yep, it was shocking. Although promotion was still possible I think going into the game people knew that Accies were coming up behind us and we were highly unlikely to get a result at Airdrie, so this didn't have the atmosphere of a promotion decider by any means. But I don't think anyone expected the team at the foot of the table to put four past us, and to do it with such ease.

 

Ironically I think that would put a lot of the betting stories to bed because if players were going to throw games they wouldn't be even half as obvious about it as they were that day. One of the most inept displays I've ever had the misfortune to witness.

[Ray Von]

And if there's ever an atmosphere at a Morton game half as poisonous as the 3-0 loss at Dumbarton, I don't want to be there. Felt sick the rest of the day. Just horrible. 10-2 at Accies was a worse result in a worse season but I doubt that game topped this one for sheer venom.

I went down to confront John McCormack at the end of the game at Dumbarton, ended up arguing with him the whole way up the tunnel, next thing I know I'm in the middle of the bloody players lounge.

[LargsTON]

I went down to confront John McCormack at the end of the game at Dumbarton, ended up arguing with him the whole way up the tunnel, next thing I know I'm in the middle of the bloody players lounge.

Lol

[Mr.Blue]

The worst one was the 4-1 at Cappielow against an already relegated Stenhousemuir when we still mathematically had a shot at 2nd place.

 

I always wonder how things might have turned out for Hamilton had we not collapsed the way we did and they played another season in the 2nd division.

Can remember one of the stenhousemuir players scored a cracker that day. Possibly an overhead kick?. What a sickener that game was.

[TRVMP]

I went down to confront John McCormack at the end of the game at Dumbarton, ended up arguing with him the whole way up the tunnel, next thing I know I'm in the middle of the bloody players lounge.

We must have been shoulder to shoulder at one point because I was trying to get Cowboy to just walk away. Memories