Nigel Pearson most popular boss since Martin O'Neill
For the first time in what seems like months, Leicester City have gone without a Tuesday night away game and my relief is palpable!
Attention is turning to Hillsborough now, with Nigel Pearson returning to one of his spiritual homes for the first time as City manager.
It will be interesting to see what sort of reception he gets from the Wednesday fans this Saturday.
You can bet your bottom dollar on the reception he will receive from the travelling City fans though. Pearson is unquestionably the most popular manager at the club since you-know-who.
My first trip to Hillsborough was a memorable one, but for all the wrong reasons.
Unfortunately I missed the League Cup Final replay in 1997 as I was on holiday.
I didn’t even get to see it – me and my Dad traipsed around about 20 bars on the Maltese coast, desperately searching for one showing the game.
The bad news for us was that it clashed with the Merseyside derby and the World Snooker Championship final. Two hours later, we were back at the hotel still none the wiser.
These being the days slightly before global telecommunications, we had to wait until the following morning to find out the score on BBC World.
That was a great moment but it didn’t really compare with what it must have been like to be there when Steve Claridge took us into Europe.
No, my first experience of Hillsborough came on the last day of the 1999-2000 season when City travelled to South Yorkshire on a blisteringly hot day for a Premiership clash with relegated Wednesday.
City lost 4-0 that day, half the team seemingly already on their summer holidays.
Within a month, Martin O’Neill had departed to Celtic and the glorious late 90s were over with a jolt.
I am hoping for a far better day out this Saturday as a new generation of City favourites continue on their quest for promotion.
Comment on this story