What a night, Rocky's goal is still one of my all time faves and my best night at WHL, given the circumstances.
The first time we were ahead in the tie, after losing the 1st leg at Highbury, then going behind at WHL in the 2nd leg, before winning it 2-1 to force the replay. Toss of the coin meant it was back to WHL for the replay, again a goal down then Ian Allinson and Rocky send us through. Great journey home down SS afterwards.
How times have changed, the League Cup was huge then, having said that, I wouldn't say no to it now.
A great night without a doubt.Legend has it that at half time in the replay when we were losing the Spuds announcer gave details of how their fans could get tickets for the Final.This was heard by the Arsenal team which spurred them on to victory.
[quote]Legend has it that at half time in the replay when we were losing the Spuds announcer gave details of how their fans could get tickets for the Final.[/quote]
I heard they had even got the measurements for their suits!!! The cheek (well, I dont know if it's true)
Went to both legs, massive cheer from us when we won/lost the toss and the replay was was to be at WHL.
Queued for tickets but sold out as we got about 50 yards from turnstile. straight away touts were offering them for £10 but on the Shelf. We snapped them up and on the night there were several hundred of us on the Shelf.
They crammed us in the lower tier next to the Arsenal end. Great scenes when Rocky scored, a few lads got on the pitch. I got a flare hitting my ear from the scum in the upper tier Shelf.
Left the ground, no scum about, we took over their pubs. I remember going in the Railway Tavern and then onto the Three Compasses.
When was you first game reg? if you dont mind me asking, you seem to remember everything and anything from 70s onwards! And you have a good way of writting too. You should do up a website with all your memories from games you've attended, it will make a great read . I'd def read it anyway
[quote]When was you first game reg? if you dont mind me asking, you seem to remember everything and anything from 70s onwards! And you have a good way of writting too. You should do up a website with all your memories from games you've attended, it will make a great read . I'd def read it anyway[quote]
First game was '71 away to chavs. First game at Highbury was September '75 2-2 draw against Everton. Nice thought about website, but I'm not into writing books, blogs etc. just put some memories down on here so the new fans can get a sense of what went on before and how we got to where we are now.
Problem at times, is that some fans don't want to read about how it was as they have their own view of things and aren't willing to accept other views. Tends to be from people that weren't there, heard a second-hand or third-hand story, and take it as gospel.
I enjoy reading other fans' experiences from a different angle from the same game. e.g. Anfield '89. Many fans will tell how Liverpool fans congratulated them, bought them a drink etc. My experience was the opposite. However, some on here would say I was lying. I don't understand why. I'm glad you enjoy it.
What a long time! Not many people around who witnessed the double of ’71, so you must have some cherished memories there! Given that, you also experienced all the heartbreak of the FA cup finals we lost in the 70s, and the marathon of 1980 (was it?), when we played a high amount of games in quick succession.
Understand what you mean by some fans not wanting to know how it was, and even hell bent on changing it all to how it suits them . Anyway, I do definitely enjoy your little snippets , always wish I was around back then to experience how it really was; people usually talk about the mental upheaval of the north bank when we scored, and not forgetting Sammy Nelson’s rump .
Anyway, I do definitely enjoy it, and keep them coming
[quote]and not forgetting Sammy Nelson’s rump[/quote]
had a drink with Sammy in the woodbine, last season at THOF. Mentioned that moment and he reckons over the years 500,000 people must have been at that game from the reminders he gets.
1980 was the most disappointing season for me. Over 70 games, all those semi replays against the bindippers, lose to wham in the final, then Valencia. come back with two league matches to play, needing to win both to qualify for europe. Beat wolves 2-1 away, then up to 'boro where they slaughtered us and we came away with nothing. Brian Talbot played in every game, no resting players in those days. Served him and his family in my pub a few weeks back.
Yeah, also enjoy the stories, I only went to a handful of games when the North Bank was standing, and was very young, so its good to hear first hand experiences of the good and bad old days at the Arsenal!
Yeah Reg, you mentioned in one of your threads that talbot played EVERY game! Unbelivable, not sure any player in this day an age can handle that really! Not that the FA would allow it.
What a night I had been going to watch Arsenal since Aug 1981 and from that day me my brother and dad went to nearly every home and away game and I cant remember a game or atmosphere like it. Me and my brother went to the 2nd leg at WHL and had everything crossed so that we would lose the toss(if it had been at Highbury we would of lost, I think the cheer for that was louder than scoring that day.
The night of the game we got the bus from Wood Green station, it was full of spuds going on about how this was there season and how they were going to beat Arsenal. We walked the along WHL towards the ground surrounded by more and more spuds, I had to keep my hand in my coat pocket as I had my lucky scarf tied around my wrist. We joined the zig zaging line of gooners waiting to get into the away end. Eventually we made our way into the ground it was packed, we squeezed our way through to exactly the same spot where we stood on the Sunday. The funny thing was that nearly everybody around us did the same thing.
The game it's self is a bit of a blur now the only things I can defenatly remember are watching Ian Allison shoot and watching the ball squeeze through the gap between Clemence and the goal post and jumping up and down so much when ROCKY scored that when I stopped I had moved along the crash barrier down the terrace and back along in fount of the barrier. I was standing about 5 foot away from where I had started but had gone through the barrier.
By the time we got out of the ground most of the spuds had gone. So it was back on the bus and spending the journey home working out if we could get tickets for the final...........
. I'd def read it anyway
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