Winnersaint

Indelibly imprinted in memory Jan to May 76. From Hughies last minute saver against Villa, through Paul Bennett's pile driver against Blackpool, an aborted trip to The Hawthorns ended by a broken radiator and the excitement on the Milton as we made short order of West Brom in the replay. There we were two games from Wembley pinching ourselves that we were up against a 4th Division team in Bradford. The days when the excitement wasn't just on the pitch. Twas a lively day on the terraces. Jim McCalliog's goal and the reaction from the Bradford fans gives you a taste of the atmosphere. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc49wdiFXYA Then it was the semi-final. Palace under Malcolm Allison with his feckin stupid Fedora, but I wasn't there that day. Cheers BWS, Salisbury for organising an A Level Geography field week in North Wales. We even manged to make the best of that. Atop Cader Idris we listened to the faint radio broadcast of Rag Trade winning the National' before descending into a radio black hole back to Llyn Cau, only at the bottom to be able to pick up the Radio 2 commentary of Man U v Derby. The afternoon erupted and no more fieldwork was done when the broadcast cut to Stamford Bridge to say we were two up. We didn't even know we were one up. Some of you may read this and have been there, stuck in North Wales the following day trying in vain to find somewhere we could see 'The Big Match'. And so to the day itself, a coach from Whiteparish because it was cheap and half way between Salisbury and Romsey. Getting to Wembley and it swarming with MU fans like some kind of Zombie apocalypse. Getting in the ground and waiting while Lawrie Mac and the team came out. The game began and almost immediately our worst fears were almost realised as Ian Turner flapped like a demented bird just managing to put something in the way of a Coppell shot with Macari and Stuart Pearson way to close to comfort in the first minute. In the end Macari's feet were high and a free kick was given. Turner spilled another from a shot on the turn by Pearson and batted the ball away shortly after and by the time he saved again from Gordon Hill when he was clean through you began to feel that at least we might be in with a fighting chance. Saints might not have shown too much as a threat but Bobby Stokes and Mick Channon made the runs and all of a sudden we were containing 'the bright, young' Man U side rather than being under the cosh. It wasn't pretty, we broke the game up, stopping United sweeping fluid game with fouls that would have resulted in yellows these day. The second half started pretty much as the first ended. Saint's defending resolutely without being stretched with the only moment of panic being when an in swinging near post corner was headed on to Sammy McIlroy who nodded it on to the bar. Hearts in mouth time. We'd just played the game so well that far it would have been an injustice if we'd gone one down then. The moment Gordon Hill was substituted was a plus in the afternoon. He'd terrorised Division 1 defences the whole season and with him out the way and Saints coming more and more into the game you began to sense something was on the cards. It was a heavy, humid and very warm day and United were beginning to flag as our more experienced heads took control. The run up to the goal is lost to time. Man U weren't looking like scoring and we really didn't pose much of a threat going forward and I think a lot of us were thinking of extra-time. I've looked back on those last ten minutes on YouTube to see if anything really stood out but it is all a blur. Even now all I can see is Bobby with a march on Brian Greenhoff hitting a left foot shot across Stepney which he was never getting to. Anyone that was near to where I was could see the moment that the ball left his foot it was in. Euphoria, disbelief even before the ball hit the back of the net. Offside! Not a bit of it Martin Buchan was playing him on. I can remember that the crazy celebrations on Wembley's Tunnel End upper tier were cut short as United went close, but those last seven or eight minutes are just lost. Nothing registers apart from the nervous anticipation I felt as the minutes ticked away. Suffice to say it just seemed to drag. We knew it was done when United were offside in the last minute and again in injury time, that much I do remember. Then the whistle went!!!!

Believe you me it's been an awful lot worse than this

Don't go then.

Btw LDH does spout utter garbage re Brexit UKIP and the feckin Tories but his football posts are pretty much bang on.

Typical football forum reaction from club's entitled 'fans' who believe we should have put five past such bottom feeders as Hull. Just to point out, life doesn't work like that.

Absolutely. They'll bottle it anyway. Won't make Wembley according to some of their fans I know. They reckon they're in a false position and have got lucky all season. Pinching themselves that they are even in with a chance of promotion.

What the f%£k has got to do with you Glasgow? Saints fans getting the hump with a manager I can get, but you?

Nah it's melts/trolls/k-u-n-t-s like you that need to lie down. Washsaint, nail on head!

FFS!

Agree. I only work part-time Tuesday to Thursday.

I'm pretty much saying the same thing

As I say, fence sitter, not making a judgement at all. Can't, to be honest. I'm sure I put something about not lessening his immense contribution in my post. Anyway I agree with what you say, he was extremely gifted and would have won more England caps, but for 'Alf's Wingless Wonders'. Certainly a better crosser of a ball than anyone I've ever seen, a great dribbler, but more likely to open things up down the right wing through slick one-two's. The excitement at The Dell when he got free near the right corner flag was palpable because with big Ron in the middle Terry could be relied on to put it in an area which would lead to a chance or a goal.

I'm a bit of a fence sitter on this one. He was certainly my favourite player as a kid starting out watching Saints. Most of his 160 league goals were scored in Div 3 Sth, Div 3 and Div 2. Only scored 38 in Div 1 when he'd gone more to a midfielder and less of a winger. That said it doesn't lessen his immense contribution during the era he played. How he would have fared in the 1990s when MLT was at his peak is a moot point. His 161 top flight league goals in 444 games certainly gives him a better strike rate. Those of us who were around to see both play can count themselves very lucky indeed. Compare both to Mick Channon who as an out and out striker had a strike rate not dissimilar to MLT's but scored 55 goals over three seasons in Division 2 out of his 185.

Reading through this and the Post Brexit thread anyone would think that the pinkoes, lefties, snowflakes and libtards are pond life lower down the scale of social acceptability than kiddie fiddlers, and there was I heartened by reading an article in that oh so biased bastion of pinkoes, lefties, snowflakes and libtards ; The Guardian that the socio-political divisions within our society are far less than those at either extreme would have us believe.

Less sheeite posted on here!

Funny how all the knts are out in force after a defeat

Begs the question, why is he back?

Mouthbreathers just don't get it though!

Who were you posting as at the time?

Munch, munch, chomp chomp! Feed the troll and he will score!

No career ended there and then, but that hit defined Taylor's career. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/17/AR2005111701635_2.html

Hmmm! https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/apr/13/european-couple-stunned-as-uk-born-children-denied-residency?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=221737&subid=18430495&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2

Keep losing the bandanas and buffs so have a lightweight cheapo summer skully. The pink patches were more a product of a few years back when i didn't know of such things. It also can provide protection from that moment when a wasp gets in your helmet, if you'll excuse the expression. Had that happen on a sportive a few years back on a steep and rapid descent.

It's my head I have to worry about. Odd pink patches if I don'/t wear a summer skull cap. Legs and arms OK.

Keep VVD for a season and bingo, a natural successor.