Memories of play off final v Swindon



Remember leaving the old Wembley and everyone was chanting 'cheat...cheat...cheat' in reference to the dodgy deals they had done to get promoted.
 
Hard to believe that was 30 years ago.
Had my son and daughter with me, a hot sunny day and we were very expectant.
What we witnessed was the biggest 1-0 hammering you’ve ever seen.
We were completely and utterly outclassed, we couldn’t get the ball off them.
Another great Wembley experience!!
 
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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Yep, we were total shite. Hope this helps.
 
Flew down on National Express, midnight from Park Lane, arrived at Waterloo early in the morning.
Cant remember what we did where we went. We played shite, Marco turned his ankle early on and that was us done. Remember Hauser coming on for him and Tony Norman was our man of the match.
Then midnight National Express out of Waterloo and back up to Park Lane. Shite day out. That was the 2nd time we had been to Wembley and didnt turn up 85 was the other.
Then came the news we were actually going up instead of Swindon. I am sure it was announced on one of the programmes during Italia 90.
 
Swindon On Tour said:
Remember it like yesterday.
We were an excellent team and never felt as confident before a Wembley game (been 5 times).
First 5 minutes Sunderland looked dangerous but from the 6th minute and until the 90th it was like a scene out of Pearl Harbour as Swindon mounted wave after wave of attacks. Tony Norman motd. Swindon kept the ball very well in the heat and looked comfortable.
Sunderland fans after the match were incredible. Never seen sportsmanship like it and actually felt gutted for them, never felt like that for any opposition.
So many kept coming over and wishing us all the best.

On the Tuesday the news stared emerging that something was wrong. Never believed the outcome and why would we as this never happens in football.
World ripped apart, a dream ripped apart and a dream that we never recovered from. This side was better than Hoddle’s and we never had a chance to see it at the highest level.
It hurt badly it still hurts badly but no malice against Sunderland, in fact the complete opposite.
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Did you ever get to see the Viz cartoon spoof ? Hilarious.
I think Billy the Fish's teams opposition was Swindle Town and managed by Osvaldo Dodgydiles. There's a section where he's handing stuffed brown envelopes to the players lol.
Very funny and probably cathartic for Swindon fans.
Forty said:
Flew down on National Express, midnight from Park Lane, arrived at Waterloo early in the morning.
Cant remember what we did where we went. We played shite, Marco turned his ankle early on and that was us done. Remember Hauser coming on for him and Tony Norman was our man of the match.
Then midnight National Express out of Waterloo and back up to Park Lane. Shite day out. That was the 2nd time we had been to Wembley and didnt turn up 85 was the other.
Then came the news we were actually going up instead of Swindon. I am sure it was announced on one of the programmes during Italia 90.
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Everytime I seethe name Waterloo I think of Bobby Thompsons joke.

BT. "Waterloo mate"

Cab driver "The station"??

BT. "Why am owa late for the battle"

Love it.
 
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The 7 hour drive home sitting on the back seat with me dad fast asleep resting his head on me lap whilst all the youth team squad partied at the front listening to the B52's love shack song on loop full blast. Every time I hear that bloody song I'm immediately taken back to that memory. 😂🤦

Also me dad going on like a right fanny shitting himself cos he'd lost one of me mam's spoons we'd took down with our packed lunch. Still take the piss out of him for it now.

The main match memory is of our manager not having the bottle to take a clearly fucked Gabbiadini off.
 
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Tony Norman produced one of the best individual performances I've seen that day. Couldve been double figures if he'd not been on top form.
 
Was really hot, got drunk and stoned couldn't remember us getting battered .

Couldn't name a single Swindon player in that team today.
 
Was a complete embarrassment. To say we didn’t turn up is an understatement. We made Swindon look like Real Madrid and had it not been for Tony Norman we’d have been absolutely slaughtered.
It made Jack Ross’s team v Charlton look competitive.
Undoubtedly the worst display from a Sunderland side I’ve ever seen.
 
Remember the weekend well, was still in my bachelor days. Met a lass from Peterlee the weekend of the Mags home play off game and she came down South for the Bank Holiday weekend. Took her to Billy Joel concert on the Friday, London on Saturday and Windsor on the Sunday. Weather was red hot all weekend.

Her bus (The Clipper) was conveniently leaving Kings Cross Monday around 12. Met some SAFC fans on the tube from Kings Cross to Wembley and was fully expecting us to win.

Massive let down, we never turned up and Swindon thrashed us 1-0. @Jack Ford and a couple of others stayed at my house but the evening was a bit flat and we were gutted by the game. Bizarre decision to play Marco who could barely walk, let alone run.

Got the shock of my life 10 days later when my mate rang me to say it had just been on the radio we had been promoted instead of Swindon.
 
remember a lot of merchandise outside from hawkers was black and white with sunderland written on in red..flsg ive got has red 3rd in different material to rest of flag..they must of jumped gun and got black and white hats etc anticipating mags getting through
 

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