Memories of play off final v Swindon

Lived in central London at the time, loads of friends stayed at mine.

Had an absolute blast showing them the joys of London, including the infamous "Black Cap". Great day beforehand, excellent night. Really enjoyable morning of the match. Our team hardly seemed to have turned up and Swindon were deserved winners.

Oh and it was very warm.
 


The Pelly said:
I watched the whole first half on youtube last night, first time ive seen it. I remember at the time listening to the radio when it was on and my memories since have been that we got totally battered. From watching the first half I have seen how we got absolutely, completely battered. They missed some sitters including an open goal and could easily have been 4 or 5 up. That said after 2 mins Gates was free on the left of the 6 yard box and tried to cross it when a shot across the keeper looked a better bet and a decent chance.

Any memories?
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Just had a watch of the first few minutes of the video.

It might be just me but I always think whenever I see the old Wembley there was a certain magic to the place and you get drawn in.

As far as stadiums go in terms of the viewing experience and technical aspects etc, the new one is better than the old, but the new one doesn’t quite make you go “Fuck, I wish I was there that day (even with the full knowledge I’m watching a video where I know we got absolutely played off the park)” in the way the original does.
becs said:
Posted this before:


Didn't know I was going until a couple of nights before the match. I was 14 and my Dad asked if I had any plans for the weekend. I said no and he said "got any use for these?" and handed me match and train tickets. I must have literally looked like this :eek:

Dad was a teacher and some of his pupils were sitting opposite us on the train. He kept telling them to call him by his first name as they were not at school, but they refused and kept calling him Sir which sounded amusing to me and my brother.

Got there early so we could walk around the see some sights first. We were on Westminster Bridge and bumped into Warren Mitchell. He had his Hammers scarf on and said "up the Sunderland", so we told him it was haway the lads and he wished us well.

Walked up to Trafalgar Square and could hear singing in the distance which we thought may be Sunderland supporters, but as we got nearer, it was some religious group. However floating over the top we could hear Sunderland singing. We followed the noise down a road off Trafalgar Square and outside a pub, there was a lad wrapped in a sheet with Sunderland Arab Branch written on it and a tea towel on his head, up a lamppost leading the singing. It was my first away match and I hadn't seen anything like that before!

Tube to the match was amazing. There was a mix of Swindon and Sunderland supporters in the carriage and they separated out to have a sing off. I think we nailed that with a very enthusiastic performance of Ride on Time by a Sunderland lad.

Match was pants.

Filed back onto the tube and everyone was downbeat. As the train pulled away, one lonely voice shouted "ere, does anyone know if this train stops at Ryhope?" That got the smiles going again and the singing.

Went for something to eat before heading home. Dad pushed the boat out and took us to Garfunkels. Bought my Mam some naff table mats with London landmarks on as we felt we should take something home for her and caught the train home.

As the train pulled away from Kings Cross, a dishevelled looking policeman with his shirt open and no helmet stood in the carriage doorway and said "ere you lads aren't going to give me any bother are yous? Ah's paggered!"

I think Mam still has the table mats but they're really tatty now.
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I thought Warren Mitchell was actually a Spurs supporter while Alf Garnett who he played on TV was a West Ham fan? I’m pretty sure I’ve previously seen/read something in the past about this (most likely related to bigotry and anti-semitism on TV).
 
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The Pelly said:
What did you think when the striker, White was it, missed the open goal?

How did he miss from there?
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Just one of those and “Chalkie” still does the Radio commentary for Radio Wiltshire. A great servant for Swindon.
Scored both goals in the 2-0 3rd division Play off final win at Selhurst Park and got the penalty at Wembley 4-3 against Leicester taking us to the One season in the PL.
 
The Pelly said:
I watched the whole first half on youtube last night, first time ive seen it. I remember at the time listening to the radio when it was on and my memories since have been that we got totally battered. From watching the first half I have seen how we got absolutely, completely battered. They missed some sitters including an open goal and could easily have been 4 or 5 up. That said after 2 mins Gates was free on the left of the 6 yard box and tried to cross it when a shot across the keeper looked a better bet and a decent chance.

Any memories?
Click to expand...
Yea we completely never turned up .
We weee pants .

I can’t even remember us having a shot .
 
Remember being very confident after the game against the skunks thinking how well we played we can do this. Great crack on the coach down and before the game, well it soon ended how the fuck we could play like that totally outdone in every dept except Tony Norman mom. The Swindon midfield took the piss the whole game only Norman stopped a deserved hammering. Took me a long time to stop seething at the fuckers for letting us down again
 
Complete blur for me....got back from Stone Roses concert at Spike Island around midnight, had about 5 hours sleep then had to get up to get the 6am National Express from Gallowgate to Victoria. Can’t remember a thing about the match and remember ending up somewhere near Brent Cross afterwards before getting a bus back to Victoria for about 8pm for the bus home
 
I lived in London but went to the Stone Roses gig at Spike Island the day before. 6am coach back from somewhere in Lanacashire on the day of the match. Met the lads in central London and showed them a few choice pubs. Game was so crap I sparked up my last spliff of the weekend - no smoking bans in those days. Out on the piss around Hampstead after the game. Great weekend, only spoiled by a Sunderland game - how many times has that been said in the 30 years since then?:(
 
JohnKay said:
Worst we played at Wembley till last year imo. Swindon played us off the park for the whole game so maybe more about them playing well than us stinking the joint out that day, and feck me it was a hot one.
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No this is deffo the worst i have seen us play at Wembley.
 
Swindon On Tour said:
It did Mate.
Our legal costs were huge and we appealed from two demotions to one.
Ardiles team with the diamond midfield were superb. Two strikers in Shearer and White who could score.
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did any of them go on to do well in top league?
think i remember mchloughlin the midfielder went to southampton

was paul bodin part of that side
 
Really hot day and we were awful. Swindon gaves us a lesson. Alan McLaughlin looked a World beater that day as he ran the show. Norman saved us form a 5-0 thrashing
Really hot day and we were awful. Swindon gaves us a lesson. Alan McLaughlin looked a World beater that day as he ran the show. Norman saved us form a 5-0 thrashing. I had some polaroids from the day on Wembley way. :)
 
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