Only the absence of a Russian linesman stopped us getting the goal that would have taken us to the Stadium of Light and a semi-final with Benfica. At the final whistle my chubby cheeks burned with tears of disbelief, my time of innocence at an end.Not long afterwards, our fortunes took a turn for the worse and, to cut a long, sad story short, we had to resort to not only selling our best players to survive, as had always been the case, but also our worst players. We sold the ground, the tea urn, the reserve team kit and club cat, all in a bid to boost the club’s coffers. All to no avail.In the final years we went through more demotions than a sergeant caught in bed with the colonel’s wife.But from the ashes of the County came a new team The imaginatively named Newport AFC came and stole my heart. Through several years of promotion, relegation, being exiled to England by the Welsh FA and having Somerton Park demolished they have come through with flying colours. Well, drifting colours anyway.Premiership supporters would not recognise this other world.

In our league, away fans can be counted on one hand and the only queues are for the burger van when the onions have cooked. But we’ve got back our pride and our ambition, we’re alive and can show worried supporters of the likes of Doncaster and Brighton that life can go on after humiliation and despair.. THE sight of Manchester United looking down on the entire Premiership, seven points clear with less than a third of the season remaining, is a persuasive argument for the view that their rivals are now playing for the right to be regarded as the best of the rest. The late Billy Bremner once wrote a book titled You Get Nowt For Being Second, which is of course no longer true. The runners-up place now brings participation in the lucrative European Champions’ League and is therefore not to be sniffed at. But despite the collective failure of Liverpool, Chelsea, Blackburn and Arsenal to take advantage of United’s poor run since Christmas, it may be premature for any of their number to start mentally conceding the title.
Alex Ferguson suggested after United’s 2-0 win at Aston Villa in midweek that the champions’ performance had been their best since Boxing Day, with the exception of the 5-3 FA Cup victory at Chelsea. That may have been true, yet only in the context of their sub-standard displays against Coventry, Southampton, Leicester, Bolton and Barnsley.

It could not disguise the fact that United were desperately ordinary until the final 15 minutes.Today, with that important win behind them and back at Old Trafford, another three points might appear to be a formality. However, Derby’s record against United, not to mention their pressing need for points towards a Uefa Cup berth, means it is likely to be another uncomfortable afternoon for Ferguson.Derby have won on three of their last four visits to United – the most recent success coming last spring when Paulo Wanchope sprung to national fame – and have not lost in the clubs’ three meetings under Jim Smith’s management.The match brings together two exponents of “squad rotation”, the fashionable phrase which figured prominently in reports of Ruud Gullit’s demise at Chelsea. With the European Cup in mind, Ferguson has rested key players. Now, with virtually a full pool to choose from, he is likely to send out his strongest side. Smith held back Francesco Baiano last weekend, although he is surely too influential not to play today.For Arsene Wenger, juggling resources is a necessity.

Because of injuries and international calls, the Arsenal manager is having trouble finding 11 fit men for the home fixture with Crystal Palace. Even Dennis Bergkamp, whose fear of flying meant he stayed behind when Marc Overmars went with the Dutch squad to the United States, is struggling.It is hardly the ideal preparation for two meetings with Palace in four days (the second is Wednesday’s FA Cup replay) which could well define Arsenal’s season. Despite the Coca-Cola Cup exit at Stamford Bridge, a win today, plus another in their match in hand, would leave them at worst three points behind United.After the excitement of taking Chelsea to Wembley in his first match in charge, Gianluca Vialli comes down to earth at Leicester. There is a symbolic symmetry to the Italian’s first match as Gullit’s successor being at Filbert Street. It was there, 18 months ago, that he found himself relegated to the bench for the first time.On that occasion, Vialli came on after half-time and scored immediately. Today, in the absence of Ed de Goey, he must choose between Dimitri Kharin and Kevin Hitchcock for the goalkeeper’s jersey, knowing the Russian has already stated his intention to leave if he does not regain his place.Blackburn’s challenge continues at Southampton, where they last won 60 years ago. They will be thankful not be facing the injured Kevin Davies, whose scoring exploits have catapulted him into the pounds 4m class since Graeme Souness bought him for pounds 750,000 in his last act as the Saints’ manager.Sheffield Wednesday and Tottenham, both under new management since they met last autumn, reconvene at Hillsborough, although the former home manager David Pleat will not be present.