On This Day (23 April 1991) Ball Sees Red And Smith Fumes As Sunderland Drop Two Vital Points

The Wimbledon team of the late 80s and early 90s was something you had to see to believe. Folklore has painted the ‘Crazy Gang’ as a loveable bunch of rogues who played on the edge and upset the big boys. And look, some of that’s true.

But the reality is they were often a thuggish, overly physical team that redefined ‘the dark arts’ and were brutal, hard opponents. The highlights, of course, were their fairy tale rise from non-league to the top flight, winning the FA Cup in 1988 on their way. The lowlights were Spurs skipper Gary Mabbutt’s fractured cheekbone and Vinny Jones’s challenge on Tottenham’s Gary Stevens that forced the full back to retire.

Dave Bassett had been the manager of Wimbledon for the early part of their rise – Bobby Gould had replaced him in the dugout and guided them to their famous Wembley win, and Ray Harford was now in charge – but the ethos of the ‘Crazy Gang’ still remained very much intact. And it was getting results. While Sunderland were struggling to secure their top flight status after a somewhat fortunate promotion, the Dons had third place in their sights.

Denis Smith’s team’s survival hopes had been boosted by a 2-1 win the previous Saturday, away at fellow relegation candidates Luton Town, and the lads went into a Tuesday night fixture at Roker Park against Wimbledon intent on getting another three points that would lift them out of the two-team relegation zone and put them in control of their own destiny. This was a huge, huge game of massive importance, and the manager knew it. We have given ourselves a chance It would have been all over if we had lost at Luton, but we have guaranteed ourselves excitement until the end of the season.