This thread could be more for the older lads/lasses on here. I was listening to Haway the podcast talking to Gary Bennett this morning, the FA Cup Final obviously was mentioned and there was a throw away comment, but it got me thinking. What would you have preferred - John Byrne scoring in the first half and winning and getting into Europe and everything, OR have the club as it is now? I'm torn - the younger me would've loved us winning and heading into Europe. A few days away on the drink with mates originally getting into scrapes and (hopefully) watching us win, but the me now reckons this is the best position the club has ever been in. The way the club is structured behind the scenes, the players we've signed and the general feel good factor surrounding the club at the minute. For probably the first time I've known, we've got a proper foundation for the club to grow and make a definite statement in the premier league. Mind you, though, those away games in Europe..............
Its great at the moment but my best times following the lads was the Dennis Smith era when we were all young and daft without a care in the world. Made no difference what league we were in, but that 3rd division season I made memories with lads I will never forget. We had some outstanding weekends away watching the lads.
Ah it's a tough one mate. We've won nothing in a lot of our lifetime's and I was old enough, 13, to remember that cup run very well. Some of the games, Chelsea was mental and the semi Vs Norwich was great. I remember Byrne's goal against West Ham as well for some random reason haha. I'm inclined to say win a trophy but I do love how we're being run now and if we continue this way then I can see a good cup run or 2 in the near future. Also, Byrne would have joined the very rare list of players scoring in every round of the FA Cup if he had scored against Liverpool.
Definitely a cup win and a European run - could well have then avoided a lot of the ****e we've been through. Also would have pissed off them up the road and killed their beloved Mackem in Milan chant.
This. A cup win and a run in Europe could actually have set us up well for the future. We'd probably have kept Byrne, maybe Brace well and possibly spent adequately to build on it. That said, we'd still have been managed by Crosby who was well out of his depth, so it could have gone the other way anyway.
I'm sad that nothing has really worked out for us over that last 50 years. The amount of great nights we could have all had if some key seasons had turned our way instead of the way they did. But it's always better to look forward and we have way more chance now of getting into Europe at some point that we never did. A couple of important seasons coming up. Maybe these ones will work out.
I loved that cup run. Was at every game. Chelsea home was so good. But I have a soft spot for the rearranged away evening in Oxford. That poor town didnt know what had landed. Football back then was more fun imo. Standing with your mates every game. Travelling in clapped out mini buses and cars. Players not much better I would have loved to have won that FA Cup tbh. Everyone I knew and cared about in footy circles was there. I was on a bis from Roker but we had already agreed if we won we werent going home on the bus. Imagine a few Euro trips. I would have loved a trip to Italy or Germany back then with mates. I probably would give up now for that win and what might have come after. Who knows, it may have been the trigger for something huge for us. Not that now isnt great, it is, but I am a lad of that era and glory was so close you could taste it.
So many sliding doors moments. 1977 and Jimmy Hill. It was a pretty young squad and the second half of the season gave us a chance. What would have happened if we'd stayed up? Could we have built on it and kicked on? Doug Weatherall talking Bobby Robson out of taking on the job here, Cowie had courted him and almost certainly would have backed him. Ken Knightons sacking by Cowie, he was looking like he could build a decent team. This decision was repeated later. Alan Durban building a decent team, having serious bids for people like Alex Chamberlain put in, but not being given £60k to sign John Aldridge... Sacked shortly afterwards. Len Ashurst dropping Colin West from the Milk Cup final. West was sold just after that, talk about ruining team spirit on the eve of a cup final. The back door promotion in 1990, if we'd spent some more money, we'd have survived and possibly been in the EPL from the start, just like Sheffield United (who were worse off than us financially). Imagine us being in the EPL from the start, what could we have done? Not investing in the two 7th place finish seasons and getting us into Europe. Maybe Reidy was distracted by then, but we were in a great position to kick on. Sacking Reid and bringing in Wilkinson. Maybe Reidy needed to go then, but Wilkinson took us back rapidly and it took a long time for the damage to be undone. Roy Hodgson screwing up against Iceland. We might not have had much money then, but I doubt Allardyce would have left unless the England job was available. What would he have done with the money Moyes wasted? You can go crazy thinking about it.
I'm too young to remember it, but my dad and other family members did. The potential was there, if we'd survived, kept the team together and strengthened who knows how it could have gone? My dad was convinced for years that if they'd stayed together, they would have hit at least close to their potential and we'd have been challenging for trophies and Europe. Sliding doors....
