Watching the 1st Div play off final yesterday brought it all back to me....... in all honesty I hated the week leading up to the final, I hated the final itself, I hated penalties, I loved the trip home weeks it took me to stop grinning Time makes you forget what a great goal Donks first was and how high Rufus climbed for the third. What do other people remember about that day? AllHell
Ah such happy days!! I remember the good natured banter with the Sunderland fans on the tube - great bunch of supporters. They signing Super Kevin Phillips and we singing Super Clive Mendonca. Even going home after the shootout I was never worried about agro etc and I had my 3 children with me at the time. Always have a soft spot for Sunderland after that . Quality supporters. Remember Super Clives hattrick like it was yesteday. Still play the tape of the game and still get goosebumps. Great day.
Played you tape Allhell - brought tears to my eyes!! Forgot how good all the pens were - till Gray's Super Clive - what a scoring machine.
I know H, when you look at Donks then and think what he's up to now it's criminal, I wonder who bought his medals? Hope it was someone connected to the Club.
All of Mendonca's strikes that day were of the highest quality... There's two things that stick in my mind from that day: When Keith Jones stepped up to take his pen, my uncle and i in almost perfect unison turned to each other uttered the words "now we're f****d" then we both sat down and cupped our heads in our hands... Nothing to worry about cos his pen was one of the better ones . I remember having to sit down after the penalties cos i suddenly started sweating profusely and my legs turned to jelly, then all i could think was "thank f**k that's over". I could live to be a hundred years old and never see another game like that. Not wishing to sound over dramatic here, barring the birth of my two boys, that day at Wembley was right up there as one of the best moments of my life and I feel truly privileged to have been there that day!!
Totally agree Franco, i was 12 at the time, and i was sat on one of the corners at the front, but the pens were too much, so while everyone around me was standing on their seat, i had my head in my hands the whole time!! what a day, can never forget getting home and telliong my liverpool supporting neighbours we were on our way to get them the next season!
I was 8 at the time....and wasn't able to watch it. A shame really, but I'll live. Just need to hope for another match as good as that within the next..50 years or so. One thing I really noticed was how heavier tackles were when watching that, on the buildup to two of our goals there were tackles that would no doubt be fouls now.
The sheer epic nature of that game means the events of that day are not only etched in the memory of every Sunderland and Charlton fan but the wider football community also. In spite of our stay in the top flight mixing it with the big boys of the English game, the first thing most people comment on upon discovering I'm a Charlton fan is our playoff final against Sunderland! Given that it was 13 years ago it just goes to show what an amazing game it was.
Great shout about the tackling Ryan... Mendonca and Sasa got most of the headlines that day but for me Keith Jones was absolutely immense. His tough tackling and relentless work rate ensured he was always "in the faces" of what was a talented Sunderland midfield, always snapping at heels and being an all round rain in the arse. For me the un sung hero of what was our greatest moment.
Gutted at not being able to get a ticket, instead I forked out to go and see Tori Amos at the Wolverhampton Civic the same evening with three friends. The tickets arrived about three days before the game and the start time was way early. If the game went into extra time, I was stuffed. As it happened, about three minutes after our last goal went in, my friends turned up - late thankfully. The video was recording anyway, so I completely turned off, enjoyed a fabulous concert, managed not to hear the result (shades of The Likely Lads), got back in around 1.00am and watched the entire tape without knowing the outcome. I just sat there stunned at the end, rewound the tape, and watched the whole lot again because I couldn't quite believe what I'd seen, then crashed out on the sofa. Keith Jones was one of those players who went about his business so efficiently and so unobtrusively that even though I've tried, the only game I can ever remember him playing was this final. All the more remarkable when you think of the circumstances under which Curbs signed him, in a pub over a pint, no agents in sight with the only salary negotiation being Jones' request to be paid "what the others are getting". Extraordinary. In many ways, the game was a precursor for what happened to us the following season, with the attack very much to the fore, but the defensive frailties finally proving our undoing. I believe that Blackpool will follow the same path as us, coming straight back, modifying their game and then sticking in the Prem for an extended period. Mendonca's half-step to draw the keeper for that first goal - true class.
Being one of the 250,000 charlton fans that were there, my memories of the day include a rush back from Stratford upon avon from where we were visiting family, strangely parking near the imperial war museum (will have to ask my dad why), being in a rush to get to the ground but finding time to stop for a battered sausage and watching some pre game build up on the tv which had no colour and about 8inches- and the rest sort of becomes a blur. I remember walking down wembley way afterwards more than the match itself!! As Richard rufus is a forest hill boy alumni, where I was attending, him scoring was probably my favourite moment. But ask this question 1000 times you will probably get 1000 different answers.
Tori Amos... . Great story though Tewkes, particulary the Keith Jones one. He was a cracking player for us. Like you say it's difficult to recall many of his performances cos he was very much the "water carrier" who let others play. One thing's for sure he was always missed when not on the pitch. Shame the two piles of s**t we got from Southend last year aint half as good ay?
Yes, I don't know about 'Shrimps', more like a right pair of prawns. Tori Amos not one of your favourites then, Franco? It was just after 'Choirgirl Hotel' had come out and it was a full electric concert - very loud and very aggressive. Several people walked out after the first fifteen minutes, obviously expecting to hear an acoustic version of the first four albums, but the majority of the crowd were there to view an artist who never, ever stands still. Wonderful, but not as wonderful as what went on at Wembley...
I've got nothing against her mate... It's just that the only way I'd have missed that game would've been for the birth of one of my children (even then I'd have to give it some serious thought). I'm assuming you went to try and impress a bit of crumpet?
MT junior was 4 on the day and all the balloons going off before and during the game and then the fireworks at the end made him cry his eyes out throughout the game he was a nervous wreck...he was thrown about and had a mendonca shirt on with a number 10. The sunderland fans were great I remember them singing about niall Quinns disco pants on the tube ! Also remember seeing steve cram afterwards and he was nearly in tears. What a day and super clive a legend unlike sinclairs hatrick today all 3 of clives were in open play and absolute quality
Nice idea Franco, very romantic... No, it was more a desire to not disappoint three good friends who were right there for me when my first marriage went down. You get to find out who your friends really are at times like that.
Ms Franco wishes I was a romantic mate... I don't rally get the whole romance thing. If I did anything romantic Mrs Franco would deffo think I've been up to something... ... Fair play Tewkes... Must be a tough time that... Although being a life long Charlton fan must prepare you somewhat for all the heartache and sorrow that a failed marriage brings...!!
