remember it very well as it was nearly my last game. Rolled the car twice into some trees on the way back from the station. Escaped with only a scratch but spent ages in the gathering gloom trying to find the programme as it had been thrown through a broken window!
Who will ever forget just about the five greatest words ever to be uttered by an Addick...............I refer to Mark Mansfield's now legendry radio commentary.
"And Ilic has saved it!"
I was up in The Olympic Gallery and spent the next 15 minutes running up and down the stairs to the front of the gallery and back waiving my play-off's final flag....my mouth dry as a bone and my brain spinning out of control......in fact neither have been quite right since!!
sky plused it for the littlen and watched it with him today,despite him being 8 i have never sat down and watched it with him before.He said when Mendonca got his 3rd, what a finish, i said to him of sir clive had had another yard of pace he would have been top top class,then again we would never had got him.Great memories we can be great again.Please god let it happen.
ive posted on this one before but to recap, (i was 26) i travelled down from sheffield the day before on the coach and every other car on the m1 was sunderland. i new they were a big club and would bring loads but only when i got to the local pubs at about 1pm did i realise their true size. nearly every pub around wembley was closed to sunderland. they had all come the night before and reports suggested that they had brought around 100,000 down for the weekend in full expectation of a win. fair play to them though, both before and after the game they were good humoured and gracious in defeat. i consolled a few and said you'll do it next year and they did with a record points tally.
i remember the penalties like it is frozen in time. i pointed to the scoreboard at 7-6 and said to my dad, remember that great 7-6 win we had its a prophecy, and when gray missed i like most fans kissed and hugged total strangers like never before (or since). i burst into tears and felt high and happy for the rest of the summer.
I was running The Commonwealth Brewery in The Bahamas at the time. I flew over on the Saturday, with a case of Kalik, and put this behind the bar in the Royal Oak on Sunday night. Can't remember any more who else was there but certainly a Boston Addick and someone from Thailand.
Mike Stevens arrived in the pub and said that he had heard about a number of us flying in. He gave us tickets for the immediate after-match celebration that was held in a TV studio only about 5 minutes walk from Wembley.
The game itself: I was with one of my brothers and his two daughters. For most of the second half I was breathless. At 3-2 and at 4-3 I thought we had had it! Funnily when it came to penalties I was calmer...kind of resigned to whatever the outcome would be at that stage.
Like others, Sean Newton's short run-up scared the pants off me but it was a good penalty. As soon as I saw Michael Gray walk up I thought Sasa had a really good chance to save. Then pandemonium!
Met the players at the post-match bash and shook Sir Clive's hand; quite a shy character. The bit I loved was talking to Richard Murray with him saying wonderingly..."this is f***ing brilliant". Then back to my brother's mates (son of Mike Norris) for some beer and a smoke. Burnt a hole in my jumper.
Had to fly back the next day, but have never felt better on a flight. This will stay in my memory for all time, as others have said it was the culmination of years of hurt, late 60s, 70s, 80s, and the Battle For The Valley. I still watch the youtube clip every now and again.
Yeah definitely the best game I have ever seen. Although the 3-3 all home draw with Man U a few years back was also memorable.
I went with my mate who is a Palace fan. He got so nervous that he couldn't even watch the penalties. That kind of game can help cross the divide. All i remember is shouting myself horse and not being about to speak for days.
On the way back was on a train with a load of Sunderland fans and they were obviously gutted but magmanimous in defeat.
[quote][cite]Posted By: Marco[/cite]I'd love to be proved wrong but compare how many times Millwall have been to Wembley since our visit. Two already and one more next week. [/quote]
Don't be too downhearted Marco, the way I see it is, that we were in the top flight for the vast majority of the time period since our final. They have been in an Auto windscreens shield final, & what will be 2 play-off finals.(The FA Cup was at the Millenium Stadium, so doesn't count as Wembley) I know where I'd rather have been!
A few weeks before my 10th Birthday, I can remember the day like it was yesterday. Was down in Bournemouth for half term holidays so got a train with my Dad down to London and met up with the rest of the family. We had a block of about 20 seats, seemed like everyone I'd ever met or was related to was sat with us that day!
I just remember hardly being able to breathe after the 4th I was in disbelief. Despite my age I was still fully aware of what was at stake and how huge it would be if we won. I didn't see a single one of the penalties, I couldn't watch. We were sat right behind the goal towards the bottom in the seats without backs. I sat turned away from the pitch with my head on my dad's knees and my eyes shut tight. Ilic got a palm to one of their pens and everyone thought he'd saved it. My dad yanked my head up and nearly tore it off. Then when Ilic did save from Gray I stood on my seat jumping up and down and just remember suddenly stopping and bursting into tears. Sadly, I think it's the happiest I've still ever been in my life! I still have the image in my head of Ilic jumping over the board while the photographs were being taken. The next day back in Bournemouth I had my Wembley flag flying from my window and wore my Charlton shirt all week and got a load of well dones and congratulations whilst I was about and about, I remember being so bloody proud. I made my Dad buy every newspaper so I could cut out all the match reports and pictures. Still have them somewhere at home.
What a day. Wish I was 9 again.....
I was about 6 or 7 and so desperate to go but my grandad wouldnt let me! He bought me the video though afterwards and I still watch it when I'm having a shite day!
"* CommentAuthorjohnny73 * CommentTime11 hours ago
quote# 158 Yeah definitely the best game I have ever seen. Although the 3-3 all home draw with Man U a few years back was also memorable.
On the way back was on a train with a load of Sunderland fans and they were obviously gutted but magmanimous in defeat."
Second both these, especially the Mackems, dignified and gracious. But I would like to add two more games for consideration, Chelsea on boxing day, 4-2 and the Arsenal away game. I never imagined we would ever win at Highbury, much less 4-2!!
I was 14 at the time, wish I would of been a bit older to appreciate it more. Although glad I experienced it sober.
I remember me, my best mate and my dad queuing round the entire Valley for tickets, was there for about 7 hours queuing during which time my mum was knocked over by a Land Rover in Chislehurst. Luckily she suffered minor injuries and the first thing the police woman said to my dad when they called on his phone was was - 'first of all, your wife says, don't you dare leave that queue!'.
As for the day, I remember being in awe of my surroundings, in awe of the atmosphere, there also seemed to be about 20 Sunderland supporters for every Charlton fan I saw on the way in. The game itself was a bit of a blur, remember celebrating the first goal like a mad man and then when Sunderland got ahead kept assuming it was over. Remember Rufus' goal like it was yesterday and then the penalties were torture. The relief and joy when Sasa made the save was completely overwhelming and ended up sobbing like a baby. Completely surreal experience.
It was a great day. I flew in from Perth for it. Started the day travelling up from Basingstoke went to a pub full of Sunderland fans the bar was owned by a Sunderland fan and they sang cheer up Peter Ried which about 15 of us sang our version of it. It was great fun I must admit they were good sports before the game as they thought they would win it but we knew we would.
Best game ever all players did amazing and totally loved the day and the result. Watched the video of it the before we played Swindon with my boy still brings a tear and even my boy said bet your glad you spent the money on the air fare over. True that I said.
Comments
"And Ilic has saved it!"
I was up in The Olympic Gallery and spent the next 15 minutes running up and down the stairs to the front of the gallery and back waiving my play-off's final flag....my mouth dry as a bone and my brain spinning out of control......in fact neither have been quite right since!!
i remember the penalties like it is frozen in time. i pointed to the scoreboard at 7-6 and said to my dad, remember that great 7-6 win we had its a prophecy, and when gray missed i like most fans kissed and hugged total strangers like never before (or since). i burst into tears and felt high and happy for the rest of the summer.
I was running The Commonwealth Brewery in The Bahamas at the time.
I flew over on the Saturday, with a case of Kalik, and put this behind the bar in the Royal Oak on Sunday night.
Can't remember any more who else was there but certainly a Boston Addick and someone from Thailand.
Mike Stevens arrived in the pub and said that he had heard about a number of us flying in. He gave us tickets for the immediate after-match celebration that was held in a TV studio only about 5 minutes walk from Wembley.
The game itself: I was with one of my brothers and his two daughters. For most of the second half I was breathless. At 3-2 and at 4-3 I thought we had had it! Funnily when it came to penalties I was calmer...kind of resigned to whatever the outcome would be at that stage.
Like others, Sean Newton's short run-up scared the pants off me but it was a good penalty. As soon as I saw Michael Gray walk up I thought Sasa had a really good chance to save. Then pandemonium!
Met the players at the post-match bash and shook Sir Clive's hand; quite a shy character. The bit I loved was talking to Richard Murray with him saying wonderingly..."this is f***ing brilliant". Then back to my brother's mates (son of Mike Norris) for some beer and a smoke. Burnt a hole in my jumper.
Had to fly back the next day, but have never felt better on a flight. This will stay in my memory for all time, as others have said it was the culmination of years of hurt, late 60s, 70s, 80s, and the Battle For The Valley. I still watch the youtube clip every now and again.
Thanks for the memories!!
I went with my mate who is a Palace fan. He got so nervous that he couldn't even watch the penalties. That kind of game can help cross the divide. All i remember is shouting myself horse and not being about to speak for days.
On the way back was on a train with a load of Sunderland fans and they were obviously gutted but magmanimous in defeat.
Two already and one more next week.
[/quote]
Don't be too downhearted Marco, the way I see it is, that we were in the top flight for the vast majority of the time period since our final. They have been in an Auto windscreens shield final, & what will be 2 play-off finals.(The FA Cup was at the Millenium Stadium, so doesn't count as Wembley) I know where I'd rather have been!
I just remember hardly being able to breathe after the 4th I was in disbelief. Despite my age I was still fully aware of what was at stake and how huge it would be if we won. I didn't see a single one of the penalties, I couldn't watch. We were sat right behind the goal towards the bottom in the seats without backs. I sat turned away from the pitch with my head on my dad's knees and my eyes shut tight. Ilic got a palm to one of their pens and everyone thought he'd saved it. My dad yanked my head up and nearly tore it off. Then when Ilic did save from Gray I stood on my seat jumping up and down and just remember suddenly stopping and bursting into tears. Sadly, I think it's the happiest I've still ever been in my life! I still have the image in my head of Ilic jumping over the board while the photographs were being taken. The next day back in Bournemouth I had my Wembley flag flying from my window and wore my Charlton shirt all week and got a load of well dones and congratulations whilst I was about and about, I remember being so bloody proud. I made my Dad buy every newspaper so I could cut out all the match reports and pictures. Still have them somewhere at home.
What a day. Wish I was 9 again.....
* CommentTime11 hours ago
quote# 158
Yeah definitely the best game I have ever seen. Although the 3-3 all home draw with Man U a few years back was also memorable.
On the way back was on a train with a load of Sunderland fans and they were obviously gutted but magmanimous in defeat."
Second both these, especially the Mackems, dignified and gracious. But I would like to add two more games for consideration, Chelsea on boxing day, 4-2 and the Arsenal away game. I never imagined we would ever win at Highbury, much less 4-2!!
i found them quite poor loosers around the ground
I remember me, my best mate and my dad queuing round the entire Valley for tickets, was there for about 7 hours queuing during which time my mum was knocked over by a Land Rover in Chislehurst. Luckily she suffered minor injuries and the first thing the police woman said to my dad when they called on his phone was was - 'first of all, your wife says, don't you dare leave that queue!'.
As for the day, I remember being in awe of my surroundings, in awe of the atmosphere, there also seemed to be about 20 Sunderland supporters for every Charlton fan I saw on the way in. The game itself was a bit of a blur, remember celebrating the first goal like a mad man and then when Sunderland got ahead kept assuming it was over. Remember Rufus' goal like it was yesterday and then the penalties were torture. The relief and joy when Sasa made the save was completely overwhelming and ended up sobbing like a baby. Completely surreal experience.
1533
1-0 Charlton
i will be back in half hr
Best game ever all players did amazing and totally loved the day and the result. Watched the video of it the before we played Swindon with my boy still brings a tear and even my boy said bet your glad you spent the money on the air fare over. True that I said.