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Boxing Day 2005. Chris Turner was the manager then and it had been a desperate start to the season. We came into the game with but two wins, (over Grimsby and Northampton), in 22 league games. We were rock bottom of League 2, (Tier 4), and had scored but a single goal in the previous 4 games. Macclesfield weren’t doing much better. They were 5 points better off, true, but surely there was the chance of getting something out of the game. Things got off to a bad start as Tes Bramble got his marching orders for a foul on Danny Swailes, (who later featured for the Hatters in 2010). We kept Macc out until just before half-time, when two goals in a couple of minutes, (one from ‘The Beast’, Jon Parkin, who was to prove a thorn in our sides many times in later years).

Jeff, Mark and I had stationed ourselves in the McAlpine Stand, under which is a tea bar. Retreating there for some refreshment, and if truth’s know some warmth as well, we found County legend Jim Gannon holding court. He had last appeared in a County shirt in a 2-2 draw with City at EP in March 2000. He had left the action after being injured. After nearly 480 appearances in a County shirt his Hatters career was over. (Bizarrely that game also saw the last County appearance of Kevin Francis – two players who had been fundamental to the success in the 1990’s bowing out on the same night).

Gannon, (who had just finished his first spell in management at Dundalk), was deep in conversation with a group of County fans, and given what was happening on the field, the chat turned to him. Turner’s time in the job was evidently coming to an end, and he was asked whether he would be taking over. He smiled, making some non-committal statement that whatever happened then something had to be done. We went back out for the second half. It was beyond parody, as Macc ran in another 4. John Miles scored one of those. He pitched up at EP in Hamman’s brief spell and was undoubtedly one of the most bone idle; indolent players who it has been my misfortune to see turn out for County.

Within 72 hours Turner had gone, and Gannon was installed as manager, but on a caretaker basis. Some would argue that the afternoon at the Moss Rose was yet another pivotal moment, and for what it’s worth I’m one of them. It was a truly dispiriting moment. A team that we used to face in reserve competition and who were as poor as us in terms of league form had delivered a humiliating lesson in the scale of our descent. Six years previously at this point in the year we had been 6th in the Championship…..

Four months later the change that Gannon had instilled came to fruition. For fuller details check my post on Carlisle United

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Memories of trips to Moss Rose

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THE GAMES

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Where the date is in bold click for highlights of the game

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	Date	Venue	Ground	Competition		F	A	Att:
Sat	05/12/92	a	Moss Rose	FA Cup (Round 2)	W	2	0	5,700
Mon	26/12/05	a	Moss Rose	Coca-Cola Football League – League 2 (Tier 4)	L	0	6	4,553
Sat	18/03/06	h	Edgeley Park	Coca-Cola Football League – League 2 (Tier 4)	W	2	0	6,003
Tues	17/10/06	a	Moss Rose	LDV Vans Trophy (Northern Round 1)	W	1	0	1,792
Sat	25/11/06	h	Edgeley Park	Coca-Cola Football League – League 2 (Tier 4)	D	1	1	6,575
Sat	14/04/07	a	Moss Rose	Coca-Cola Football League – League 2 (Tier 4)	L	0	2	4,451
Tues	09/10/07	a	Moss Rose	Johnstones Paints Trophy (Northern Round 2)	W	1	0	2,248
Sat	15/12/07	a	Moss Rose	Coca-Cola Football League – League 2 (Tier 4)	W	2	0	3,585
Fri	21/03/08	h	Edgeley Park	Coca-Cola Football League – League 2 (Tier 4)	W	2	0	7,824
Sat	04/09/10	a	Moss Rose	npower Football League – League 2 (Tier 4)	W	2	0	3,683
Sat	19/02/11	h	Edgeley Park	npower Football League – League 2 (Tier 4)	L	1	4	5,470
Tue	04/09/12	h	Edgeley Park	Blue Square Bet Premier (Tier 5)	L	3	4	4,208
Sat	30/03/13	a	Moss Rose	Blue Square Bet Premier (Tier 5)	D	1	1	4,027

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