Moments/events that stand out for you?

therecklessone

For whatever reason, certain things stand out for me as a football fan, with the emphasis on me! I expect everyone to have their own opinion, there's no right or wrong, just your own experience of playing or supporting, and in whatever area of the game you see fit.

Mine are in chronological order below, but before I start a brief word about one that I have left out...The Heysel Stadium disaster had profound consequences for European football in general, and the English game in particular. Unfortunately it took another disaster a few years later to force change in stadium design and crowd control, but one of the few positive outcomes from Heysel was it helped hasten the end of an era of football violence, at least in the UK.

I've left Heysel out of my list because I simply do not recall the event or it's aftermath. I remember events before it, one of which I mention below (I also have very clear memories of the Falklands War which I think is quite impressive ) but for some reason I draw a blank when I think back to that European Cup final.

1. May 1984 Uefa Cup Final 2nd Leg Spurs vs Anderlecht

Where it all started tbh, and downhill ever since . This game had it all, stand in captain Graham Roberts scoring a late equaliser to make the score 2-2 on agg and bring the tie into extra-time, a penalty shoot-out deciding the tie with #2 goalkeeper Tony Parks performing heroics, saving two penalties and the blushes of poor Danny Thomas who had missed his spot kick (in those days the crowd at WHL got behind the players, so the immediate aftermath saw his name sung loud and proud from the terraces. The game was a fitting way for manager Keith Burkinshaw to leave the club, his departure brought about by a depressingly familiar falling out with the board, the General lamenting as he left "there used to be a football club there".

I was 61/2 but my dad fought my corner and I was allowed stay up to watch the shoot-out. I don't know whether to thank him or curse him tbh...:P

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=3468392



2. March 1985 FA Cup QF Luton Town vs Millwall

Like I said above, I don't remember Heysel. Indeed, I only remember two things from the early 80s in relation to football violence, both of which had centred on Luton Town. The first was the suggestion from Tory politician, and Luton Town Chairman, David Evans that football fans be required to carry ID cards and all games be 100% members entry only, an idea that fell by the wayside due to a number of complications but which attracted serious support from Thatcher and her cohorts.

The second followed from the match in question: following the final whistle serious crowd disorder broke out which overwhelmed the under-prepared police and stewards on duty. Many of those involved were believed to be West Ham and Chelsea fans, Luton had refused Millwall's request that the game be all-ticket and as a result over 10k fans turned up to "support" the away side, twice Millwall's usual home gate.

The aftermath of the match saw Evans introduce a ban on away fans at Kenilworth Road (which lasted until 1990/91) and their own membership scheme at Luton. For some reason, despite all of the trouble that surrounded the English game in the 80s it was this decision, and the controversy it aroused that sticks in my mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L7QBA0_yTw

3. November 1987 Euro 88 Qualifier Bulgaria vs Scotland

Watching British teams on RTE is often a bone of contention on this forum, but back in 1987 there can't have been too many unhappy to hear Heorge Hamilton commentate on a game in Sofia that held the potential for Ireland to qualify for our first ever international tournament. Late in the game Scottish substitute Gary Mackay scored his only senior international goal to give the Scots an unlikely 1-0 win, and book our passage to Germany and Euro 88.

While we had spent the 80s in a permanent state of depression, Euro 88 gave us something to cling to. Forget the politics, forget the incompetence of the FAI, forget the cynicism that has crept in since then, if felt fcuking great to be Irish in the summer of '88! It was also the start of a short period of sustained progress on the field, when other teams hated playing us, and we started to believe that we actually belonged at the major tournaments (look how that turned out...;))

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA5vwZxVzqw

4. April 1989 FA Cup Semi-Final Liverpool vs Nottm Forest

It's hard to imagine the circumstances that could lead to 1 person leaving home on a Saturday morning for a match and never returning, let alone 96. The unfolding horror at the Leppings Lane End of Hillsborough Stadium that Saturday afternoon made those circumstances all too real.

Trying to be objective, the aftermath of Hillsborough brought about huge change in the way football was organised in England, with implications for the game felt much further afield. The official investigation of the disaster recommended that all major stadia be converted to an all-seater model, a recommendation adopted by the Football League and applied to its top two divisions. That combined with changes to policing, stewarding, crowd control, ticketing and the introduction of CCTV within stadia has contributed a safer environment for football fans to watch the game. The changes also played a part in driving football violence away from stadia (though there is no suggestion that football violence contributed to the disaster)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZrVfMRyoE0

5. Jan 1994-May 1996 Fantasy Football League

Long before Sky Sports gave us Soccer AM, BBC2 gave us Skinner and Badiel, and Jason Lee aka Pineapple Head. Sometimes more hit than miss, but always worth a look, and they do deserve bonus points for popularising fantasy football in its infancy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZMv-G1T60k

6. September 1995 Championship Manager 2 released

The original Championship Manager gained a cult following, but the release of version 2 and it's season updates saw the games popularity explode, and with it young boys and grown men a plenty were introduced to the undoubted skills of Nii Lamptey and Kennedy Bakircioglü. Responsible for many a lost hour in my household, I eventually sold my Amiga to escape it's nefarious clutches...:D)

7. April 1996 PL Leeds United vs Newcastle United

That night, as Kevin Keegan disintegrated on live TV, was a coming of age for Sky Sports, and encapsulates perfectly the modern era of sports broadcasting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXpUdBlRZe8

8. Summer 2002 World Cup Roy Keane and the Saipan affair

Not since the Civil War has Ireland been rent asunder to such an extent as this. Keane's discontent had simmered beneath the surface, eventually it gave way and Keane spoke out in a number of interviews with the press, particularly with the Irish Times' Tom Humphries:

You've seen the training pitch and I'm not being a prima donna. Training pitch, travel arrangements, getting through the bloody airport when we were leaving, it's the combination of things. I would never say 'that's the reason or this is the reason', but enough is enough.

This lead on to the infamous team meeting, where in the words of Niall Quinn, Keane's “10-minute oration… was clinical, fierce, earth-shattering to the person on the end of it and it ultimately caused a huge controversy in Irish society “

Mick, you're a liar... you're a f*cking w*nker. I didn't rate you as a player, I don't rate you as a manager, and I don't rate you as a person. You're a f*cking w*nker and you can stick your World Cup up your arse. The only reason I have any dealings with you is that somehow you are the manager of my country! You can stick it up your bollocks

Keane was sent home.

If you wrote that, nobody would believe it as credible. Of course, if it wasn't for that we would have missed much of the background to one of Keane's media friends' finest moments on national TV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Prep4trYNj4

9. November 2006 LOI Shelbourne vs Bohemians

Roddy Collins wrote:

Well, I think he was a bit angry

After another shambolic LOI season, and with debts mounting, Shels recovered from an early Bohs goal to win 2-1 and secure another league title. It was to prove a bittersweet night, as manager Pat Fenlon and most of the playing staff left shortly after, in search of wages paid on time. Before the new season, Shels were demoted to the 1st Division and withdrew from the Setanta Sports Cup and the Champions League.

That night sums up perfectly how easy it is to go from hero to zero in the football world, but the aftermath also highlights the hope and belief football fans have in their own clubs future, regardless of what has happened in the past

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xpEXip5X1U

Guy:Incognito

therecklessone wrote: »

Long before Sky Sports gave us Soccer AM, BBC2 gave us Skinner and Badiel, and Jason Roberts aka Pineapple Head. Sometimes more hit than miss, but always worth a look, and they do deserve bonus points for popularising fantasy football in its infancy.

That'd be Jason Lee.:)

He's still playing BTW.

therecklessone

Stekelly wrote: »

That'd be Jason Lee.:)

He's still playing BTW.

Good spot.

x in the city

Sitting on a pool table in the 80s Watching Everton Vs Liverpool in a crowded bar full of smoke and noise.

Wayne Clarke plundered a goal that ended Liverpool's unbeaten start to the season (amidst huge cheers I recall ) and the rest as they say is history...

SlickRic

great post therecklessone.

USA 94.
my family (the heathens ) weren't the football watchers, even if it was Ireland playing in the World Cup. Ray Houghton scores 'that' goal, and I go utterly ballistic. I run down the stairs, the feet can't go fast enough, I burst through the door while my Dad has a cardiac. needless to say, we watched the rest of it together as McGrath masterminded us keeping the ball out of the Irish net.

1995 - Ireland v England in Lansdowne.
I'll never forget sitting in front of the television eating my steak and spuds. david kelly puts us ahead. I almost spit my food out such was the shock. could we hold out? could we build on it? really whip those english asses? sadly we never found out. even as a young 12-year old i was angry, but i was also very confused. this will always stand out, but for all the wrong reasons really. shame.

FA Cup Final 1996.
the first time I remember experiencing real heartbreak as a Liverpool fan. I don't remember much of the match now, i just remember not seeing Cantona's goal as it happened. I couldn't look with 86 mins on the clock as the corner swung in, in my living room with my Dad, head buried in the back of the sofa as I, rightly, pre-empted what was going to happen. Then my gut wrenched.

thats me for now...

Xavi6

I don't remember Hillsborough and I wasn't born for Heysel so it'd be unfair to mention them. Probably the saddest thing I can remember -











And my three favourite World Cup moments outside of Ireland -

1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8w89sl7Grc

2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESl0-qZxlik

3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q_cA81_U18

Royale with Cheese

Mr Alan

great post TRO

_blank_

In somewhat chronoligical order.

Hand of God. My uncle visiting from England and cursing all over the house.

Liverpool domination.

Wim Kieft being offside. My Dad was livid.

Hillsborough.

Michael Thomas winning the League for Arsenal. (I've just, this minute, realised why my Dad was crying that night, he's a Liverpool fan, and this was the same year as Hillsborough, I've never made that connection before, I was nine at the time though. Weird the way the memory works, I'd never linked those two events in my memory before)

The whole of Italia 90. Wanting to be Schillachi.

Alan McLoughlin.

That Bergkamp goal Xavi linked above, wow.

My first Shels game, vs Karpaty Lviv.

There's a huge blur for most of the mid 90s then. Nothing in particular stands out for some reason

Shels titles under Keely and Fenlon.

Celebrating a title win in Richer.

That Rogers goal - bloody hell, I lept all over my brother when that went in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIxHcILzZEE

Heh, nice one TRO, the Stuey rant, even though I never saw it live, obviously.

Demotion.

Ollie dying.



Walking from Fagan's and seeing the lights on in Tolka, then playing against Kildare County first day of the season in '07. Better than any league win or european night. The goals we scored that night.

The last day of last season. Most gutting feeling I ever experienced, in a footballing sense.

Daysha

The best United/Liverpool match I've ever seen. Had absolutely everything:

kinaldo

Jeez where to start...

My brother and I had spent months collecting all the weekly editions and stickers for the official Italia '90 World Cup album, of which all 200 or so pages I still have nicely intact, but there was one of three Maradona stickers that was nay impossible to get hold of.. and so the album remains incomplete, while el Diego would forever become quite the mythical figure in my mind.

After all that, only getting to see the last few minutes of West Germany beating Argentina in the 1990 World Cup final, and then seeing the tears of Maradona, had a very negative impact. I went about 2 years without showing any interest in football again until Denmark exacted some revenge on the Germans in the '92 final.

The next big thing was USA '94. Ireland defeating Italy had me obssessed with the idea that if Italy won the competition, we could say we beat the World Champions. The whole competition had me glued to the TV with the exception of when Bulgaria were beating Argentina in the group stages, as I was too upset to watch it all after the news that the mythical Maradona had been banned for drugs. R.Baggio became my new Maradona, and so when he missed that penaly I completely switched off football for the next few months, and became very anti-Manchester United in the process, amidst all my glory hunting schoolyard friends.

Well anyway, it's too much to write anymore for now. Nice thread though. Hasta mañana...

carlop

This goal has always stuck in my mind. I used to love Football Italia when I was younger, and this was one of the first goals I remember. My mum is from Napoli, and I'd been brought up to dislike Milan, so it made this a particularly sweet goal.

George Weah's wonder goal is also a memory that stands out.

Our senior infants teacher recorded the N. Ireland - Ireland match in 93 and showed it to us in full the next day. Alan McLoughlin...what a hero

iregk

Interesting one all right.

1. Hillsborough - the outstanding memory is sitting in disbelief looking at the tele thinking why?

2. Italia 90 and running around the park at the side of the house playing world cup with the lads every one of us called Schillaci

3. The loss of a legend


4. Roberto Baggio walking down the tunnel florence after being taken off with a Juve jersey on and a viola scarf wrapped around him. Touching.

5. YESSSSSSSSSSS


6. I was in tears, all I could say was where are we going now:


7. At long long last


Out of time need to run to a meeting but thats enough for now.

kingshankly

excellent post therecklessone.
hillsborough will always stand out for me had family and friends at the game and the storys they have told would bring a tear to a glass eye.
will never forget the cup final that followed against everton if ever football was irrelevant it was that day

markesmith

therecklessone, it was the game against Anderlecht that turned me into a Spurs fan! I was the same age as you at the time. I watched the game in my Grandad's house. I was a Liverpool fan until that night, when I realised that Ossie actually played for Spurs. Been a Lilywhite ever since.

Other moments that stand out:
- '86 Quarter Final, Argentina England.
- '87 Cup Final, lost to Coventry. I was at a mate's birthday party, running in to check the TV while we were playing jumpers for goalposts outside.
- Hillsborough.
- Watching CEEFAX's reporting on the Bulgaria-Scotland game in '87.
- The 3-0 thrashing of N. Ireland in the 1990 qualifiers.
- The Romania and Italy games of 1990.
- 1999 CL Final - only time I shouted for United.

Boskowski

What I will probably remember forever as the best game of football I have seen as a kid was the 1982 Worldcup semifinal Germany vs. France. It is known as 'the Night of Seville' and was the first ever world cup tie that was decided on penalties. It's still considered legendary and is unfortunately also being remembered for a brutal foul committed by Toni Schuhmacher.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1sAM4-1LHc

Littbarski and Platini scored in regular time. Then in extra time France went 3:1 up. Goals by Trésor and Giresse and all seemed lost. Rummenigge was brought on and scored before Fischer managed to get that class equalizer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFIw7va2yNM

Germany went on to win on penalties but lost the final deservedly to Italy (some things never change).

yerayeah

When I was 9 years old watching the last 5 minutes of the '99 champions league final, sitting on the couch knowing United were going to score. The run up to the treble was brilliant especially the FA cup semi-final against Arsenal.

Probably the first thing I can really remember is how big a deal Euro '96 was and I remember the devestation of the English players when they were knocked out!

Boskowski

yerayeah wrote: »

When I was 9 years old watching the last 5 minutes of the '99 champions league final, sitting on the couch knowing United were going to score.

That was actually one of my worst football experiences

Kinetic^

I was a bit young at the time but the Romania shootout at WC 90.

Then on to 93 when McLoughlin(right player?) scored to get us into 94. Ray Houghton's goal against Italy, just incredible. I prayed to superman for the rest of that match.

In 98 it was the opening game of scotland vs brazil, when scotland scored there was some hope......it didn't last long though. France in the final, c'est mangnifique!

99 FA cup semi final, giggsy's wonder goal. I can remember the exact place where I was that night. 10 years on and the man is still a great player.

99 champions league final. Just an unbelievable game that would probably sent the weak hearted into cardiac arrest.

02 CL final, zidane's volley. I thought the ball would never drop ...... it finally did in the back of the net.

02 world cup, the keane incident. I felt like somebody had actually died when I heard the news. I'll say no more.

02 world cup, the keane lifeline.... that goal against germany. I was in work at the time and every body went ape sh!t when it went in with a few minutes to go.

04 euro championships, greece win.......wtf!!

04 Rooney's hat trick on his CL debut, something else when he barged his way in to take the free kick to finish it off.

05 CL final. This was the greatest game of 2 halves ever witnessed. I was supposed to be studying for an exam the next morning (I failed it btw :pac:) but to witness this epic encounter was worth it. The greatest football match I have ever seen.

Probably a few more but will leave it at that.

Gavin "shels"

Des wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIxHcILzZEE

Demotion.

Ollie dying.



Walking from Fagan's and seeing the lights on in Tolka, then playing against Kildare County first day of the season in '07. Better than any league win or european night. The goals we scored that night.

The last day of last season. Most gutting feeling I ever experienced, in a footballing sense.

+1

HalloweenJack

The first football memory I have is the 1-0 win at Windsor Park in '93. I was only five so I probably didn't really grasp the whole feeling of it.

Giant's Stadium & Ray Houghton. Great feeling watching that goal go in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXauYVy_dws

The first time Gianfranco Zola, my favourite player of all time, came to my attention. Hat-trick vs. Liverpool in a 4-2 win at the Bridge in the FA Cup.

1999 FAI Cup Final: Jayo winning it for us in the second bloody replay. A rollercoaster journey. Helped get over relegation.

2002 CL Final. Brilliance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3m623uGCow

Robbie Keane's equaliser against Germany in 2002.

Beating Cork 2-1 towards the end of the 2006 season. We had been crap all year (finished with 18 points, iirc) and Cork hammered us 6-0 only a few weeks before. Then this match came along with TG4 going to be there and us all expecting to be thrashed again (the Cork fans were chating "we want seven"). It was an amazing feeling to win cos it pretty much kept us up. And it shut up the langers.