So, it's taken me until today to feel emotionally 'there' enough to post. What a past 3 weeks this has been. I flew over from California on May 6. Arrived at Gatwick. Stayed with my sister in Beckenham.
Went up to Doncaster with brother @Siv_in_Norfolk, son Sam (doesn't post on here), bruv-in-law Tony and niece Maisie. Ecstatic at 1-0. Euphoria at 2-0. Down to earth a bit at 2-1 but, hey, we were doing alright. C'est sera sera and all that. Met a nice bunch of lads in the Mallard down by Donny station. Feeling good, feeling good.
Back to Beckenham. Psyched up for the 2nd leg. Took a trip to Bexleyheath to reserve a spot for a family Charlton tattoo session at Master Tattooers in the High Street. Spoke to Graham, a huge Charlton Fan.
2nd leg. Pretty confident really. A drink and a burger in the White Swan beforehand. Met up with @Henry Irving and his son. Siv had brought his son down from Norwich. Still kind of confident but, you know, this is Charlton. So, to the game. Ecstacy. 3-1 up in the leg. What can go wrong. 3-2. Hmm. A blip but we can still do it.3-3. Shit, it's all going tits up. 3-4. Oh no. I was already thinking about changing my return flight to California. What's the point?!! The whole reason for coming over was the Wembley trip mark 2. Ecstacy. Pratley, you beauty. Well, kind of ecstacy. Charlton, why do you put us all through this. Penalties. Bloody penalties. 1-0. 1-1. 2-1. 2-2. 3-2. 3-3. 4-3. THEY MISS. We've got it. Yes!! Still 4-3. Naby, you twat!! They missed, they missed!!! Still 4-3. We won. Hugged a few strangers. Thanks lads. Pure ecstacy. On the pitch. On the pitch. WHAT A NIGHT. WHAT A NIGHT.
The next drama - trying to coordinate tickets for 10 of us, one for wheelchair access. With 2 season tickets, one of which didn't work on line (showing 0 loyalty points). Took us 3 days (Saturday to Monday). Ended up with 2 in section 1, 6 in section 2 (but 2 of us sitting apart) and 2 in section 5 (sorry Siv and missus). But, he then manages to blag 2 tickets in the Bobbie Moore lounge through the Trust. The bloody luck of the Irish, and he's not even Irish!
A quick visit back to Bexleyheath on the Friday before the big game for our tattoos. Three of us. Sam, Siv and me. A nice simple black tattoo of the Charlton sword (The Valiants sword). The first tattoo for me for almost 40 years. The last one I got was when I was 17 down in Woolwich. My mum never spoke about that one, ever .
So, Sunday, May 26. A quick breakfast in the Toby in Eden Park. Sam, Siv, Carrie (Siv's missus) and me. The rest of the family went up in their van specially kitted out for the wheelchair (bruv-in-law, sister, nephew, niece, nephew, niece). Up to Trafalgar Square for us though. All Sunderland. A quick pilgrimage to Henry Irving. Onto Covent Garden. All Sunderland. Bugger this. On the tube. Wembley Park here we come. Wembley Way. All Sunderland. Blimey, what's going on here then!? Siv buggers off to his posh do. Son and I walk to the Green Man. That's more like it. All Charlton. A couple of beers. Walk to the ground. Just waves and waves of Charlton. Never seen or heard anything like it. Not a Sunderland fan in sight. It's clever how they segregate the fans. There's a real method there.
Into the stadium. Breathtaking. 0-1. Unbelievable. Totally numbing. Couldn't look at the pitch. Sat with head down for maybe 5 minutes. Dillon/Naby - what are you doing!! Shock!! 1-1. Yes, that's more like it! We needed that before half time. GET IN!!
Looks like extra time. Bugger, bugger, bugger. I can't take this. I can't take this. 2-1. Patrick Bauer. Yes!!! Yes!!! Pandemonium. Never felt an emotion like that before. Just knew that we were so close to the end. No way were they going to score. Almost strangled my son. Hugged a big, bald, sweaty stranger. I'm sure he felt the same about me. YES, YES, YES!!!! My trip over was complete now and what a result. We'd gone the whole way and won at Wembley in 90 minutes!
Leaving the stadium. Just numb. Voice gone. Emotionally and physically drained. I'm getting too old for this!! Back to London Bridge. Went in the Barrowboy and Banker. Of course, quite a few Charlton there. Made my voice go even more. What a night. What a night. What a night. Back to Beckenham. Knackered, happy, numb.
And, flew back to California the next day a very happy boy. And listened to the Charlton Live podcast on the train to work the following day. "You absolute German beauty". That's what @KillersBeard called him. Had me in tears on the train. What a trip. What an exhausting trip!!
And it's only been today that I have been able to post. I didn't post after both Donny games. Just the player marks. I've just felt so bloody emtionally all over the place. But now, back to normal (for me anyway). Wanted to get my thoughts and feelings down, so humour me. COYR!!
Watched again yesterday,if Barcelona or Man city had scored a goal as good as our first,you would be seeing this on tv at every opportunity.The one touch football was different class.
I’m having a day off so I thought I’d watch the whole sky recording yet another time. just near full time there is a Sunderland supporter asleep in the crowd. I doubt he has many memories of the weekend. How drunk was he? Seen that bit god knows how many times but still makes me laugh.
I’m having a day off so I thought I’d watch the whole sky recording yet another time. just near full time there is a Sunderland supporter asleep in the crowd. I doubt he has many memories of the weekend. How drunk was he? Seen that bit god knows how many times but still makes me laugh.
Yeah.......I’ve seen that too. Must admit........ the guy knew what he was doing alright.
I’m having a day off so I thought I’d watch the whole sky recording yet another time. just near full time there is a Sunderland supporter asleep in the crowd. I doubt he has many memories of the weekend. How drunk was he? Seen that bit god knows how many times but still makes me laugh.
There are quite a few vlogs on youtube, and this one from a Sunderland fan is pretty good. Like most, he seems like a thoroughly decent chap and you have to feel for what he goes through, but wind on to exactly 22.00 minutes. It's almost as if he knew what was coming. As he talks, you can picture exactly what's happening - and then you hear it....
There are quite a few vlogs on youtube, and this one from a Sunderland fan is pretty good. Like most, he seems like a thoroughly decent chap and you have to feel for what he goes through, but wind on to exactly 22.00 minutes. It's almost as if he knew what was coming. As he talks, you can picture exactly what's happening - and then you hear it....
There are quite a few vlogs on youtube, and this one from a Sunderland fan is pretty good. Like most, he seems like a thoroughly decent chap and you have to feel for what he goes through, but wind on to exactly 22.00 minutes. It's almost as if he knew what was coming. As he talks, you can picture exactly what's happening - and then you hear it....
In some ways this is so much better than 98. My son always asked me about that day and celebrating afterwards and didn’t quite believe me when I said about being emotionally drained. Now he’s had a taste of what that day was like and not quite appreciating what you’ve just seen. The beauty of this time around is this thread and all the online videos that actually allow me to relive that moment whenever and wherever I want rather than having to fast forward a VHS (ask your parents kids...)
I missed 98 (listened to it live on the radio) but I think 2019 was less draining without extra time and pens. And nothing like a last minute winner to perk you up!!
I delayed a holiday so I could take my boys (8 and 6) to the game. At 80 mins, my eldest started crying as it was getting too stressful for him. The winner @ '94 is a moment I will never forget and I hope it is a memory myself and my boys will share forever. Limbs everywhere, hugging people I had never met. Beautiful.
I tried to soak the day in as much as I could. I knew it would come and go so fast like 98. And it did. It was better than 98 for me as my son and wife were there with me. As well as my brother who was there in 98. Having said that 98 was for the Premier League and had a tad more drama, but only a tad.
I missed 98 (listened to it live on the radio) but I think 2019 was less draining without extra time and pens. And nothing like a last minute winner to perk you up!!
Agreed, the rollercoaster of 98 PLUS the fact it was for the Premier League still make that the ultimate Charlton game
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This thread should have a permanent sticky!
just near full time there is a Sunderland supporter asleep in the crowd. I doubt he has many memories of the weekend. How drunk was he?
Seen that bit god knows how many times but still makes me laugh.
Must admit........ the guy knew what he was doing alright.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8iJH1ApURA
Of course I could not find so thanks for pulling it up