Cup Final 2003,Saints and Proud.

[saint lard]

As it appears a little dour on here of late,time to dredge up those memories.

 

Barring the result what a great day it was.

Leaving from Gosport with my Father the sense of anticipation was huge,Arsenal were at that time a real force to be reckoned with IMO.

Once again we were underdogs but that was what made it an even better occasion.

 

Whilst travelling along the M27 i will never forget the sign that was draped over one of the bridges"would the last person leaving Southampton turn the lights off"

 

Once at Cardiff and parked up we ventured to the nearest hostillary,was ok a mixture of both sets of fans,but it didn't have a great feel about it.

So we found another pub with a bloody huge que of SFC fans outside,we joined that que.

Once inside there was a large lighting rig above a dance floor,next thing you know people were on each others shoulders hoisting SFC flags onto it and hanging them all about the place,we now owned that pub,what a fantastic atmosphere we created.

 

The stadium was awash with yellow,completely overshadowing the Arsenal end,Mates were txting me to say how impressive it looked,and they were Skates.

I stayed to the last possible moment after the game,long after the Arsenal had left,mind you they were heading through the turnstiles before they lifted the cup.

This fact was picked up by the stadium announcer if i recall.

On the way home,we were travelling to London after as that was where i lived and worked,we stopped at a services and parked alongside a van of Arsenal supporters,scrawled in the grime on the rear doors of the van simply said"cheer up you won the cup".

 

If you are still awake after my ramblings, what are you're lasting memories,if any.

[Dalek2003]

Yes, I am always amazed how the little crumbs keep football supporters going.

I can't imagine what it must be like to be as spoilt as the likes of Man U fans. There again I take my hat off to the fans of clubs like Hartlepool.

[rocknrollman no2]

Great memories saint lard.

You can stick your glory hunters living in Southampton with their Manure and Chelski shirts.

I would rather be a Saints supporter and take all the bad times,because when the good times eventually come,its all the more enjoyable.

[Colinjb]

Leading up to that cup final was one of the best times to be a Saints fan. I wore my yellow shirt with such pride and had all non Arsenal fans wishing us to win whenever they saw me around Coventry!

 

Everyone adopted us as a second team, and respected that even though we did lose, we obviously gave our all. The arrogance of the Arsenal fans was the only sour point. I pity them though, like all fans of bigger teams, they do not know how special cup finals really are. They will never know what true elation in this context is.

 

Southampton 'til I die.

[dubai_phil]

I keep telling the story, for me the journey started at 11:30pm on the Thursday, checking in for a BA flight at Dubai airport in my shirt (somewhat worse for wear after blaggin an invite to a Hello Magazine free Cosmo's party)

The BA Station manager said - oh a Saints fan in Dubai - we'll have to make your flight more comfortable - and there I was in Business Class in the shirt sipping Champagne and having a flat bed and pillow all the way home on a freebie airmiles economy ticket.

Straight out the airport down to a B&B in the Valleys chilling out with sheep jokes during a walk in the countryside and then Full Welsh breakfast and the game.

Still sends shivers down the spine when I see that huge photo of us all that they sell in the shop

The way we stayed at the end and applauded BOTH teams was also special, shame the Arsenal fans were such arrogant twerps but hey

And then the whole night out in Cardiff in that huge Aussie bar..... ahhhhhh

Wouldn't have been such a great day IF I'd known it would lead to standing in the rain in Bucharest being colder and wetter than anyone could ever imagine it possible to be!

 

One day we'll do it properly again

 

Oh - and they let me put my flag up in both Cardiff and Bucharest. But not SMS....

[Fan The Flames]

We arrived the night before couldn’t stand the stress of travelling there on the day. We went into a bar before the game with a gallery overlooking a basement bar and we draped our flag over the balcony to huge applause and when we went down to join everyone Coldplay came on, I remember walking through the bar pint in hand towards my mates with every singing “it was all yellow”. Happy days, Big Kev RIP.

 

My over riding feeling afterwards was that the season long journey was over, all the laughs and enjoyment we had had finished, all the planning, telephone conversations, road trips, listening to the draws, the anticipation, the winning party plans, the open top parade was all over. I think I would have felt like that if we had won, but the elation of winning the cup would have delayed it for a long time though.

 

I went back to my mums and stayed in bed for a couple of days.

[Chorlton]

Guess it is just me that doesn't have great memories of the day. I know we looked good in the stansd and made a bit of noise, but it just seemed an anti climax to me. I don't think we gave it our all in the final and my journey home was just miserable.

 

The semi final & Bucharest was excellent, but I didn't want us to be remembered as great fans who sang throughout even though we lost. Anyone one would put up a show at a cup final and it reminds me of another club.

 

I think I am feeling miserable.

[Saints foreva]

How many saints fans were at Cardiff that day?

 

I didn't attend sadly.

 

But went to the semi final.

[Iowsaintsfan]

I couldn’t sleep the night before, ended up catching an hour earlier ferry than I was booked on as was dying to get on my way. I met Islander in Swindon, and drove down to Caridiff, parked in a very muddy and slightly flooded wasteland on the edge of the city and headed into town.

It was 10am and already there was a sea of yellow everywhere, we went in to burger king for breakfast, just round the corner from the stadium and sat watching fancy dress, flags balloon and the whole carnival experience connected to the cup final. It was lashing down as I walked round the perimeter of the ground and bumped into “Poshie” The gates opened and we headed in the stadium was nearly completely empty, took lots of pictures as the stadium filled with most Saints fans in their seats a good 30 minutes before kick off.

The atmosphere was amazing and is something that will stay with me for ever, everytime I hear Samba De Janeiro by Belini just reminds me of the day (it was played just before kick off)

Tbh I can’t remember much about the game other than Thierry Henry’s penalty claim in the 1st few minutes the rest is just a blur it all went so quick.

Was such a great day out, just a disappointing display by the team.

On the way home I remember seeing an open top bus full of Saints fans who where still partying which to me summed up the day and what a great idea for next time???!

[OldNick]

we went up in some limos. The motorway going up was full of saints and hardly any Arsenal.I couldnt believe how late they left it to travel and get to the ground.Thats what happens when you get too much of a good thing I suppose. I little scrap after the game but in general it was a great day out, and our fans were superb.As the game went on and Arsenal had not killed the game I really thought it was going to be our day.If we had scored I felt we'd go on and win

[Tac-tics]

I don't know if this count but mine was the Semi Final up at Villa Park.

 

I remember the turn off on the motorway over looked birmingham and Villa Park.Their was cues galore and all you could see was kids hanging out the windows with flags, sitting on sun roofs singing to the 2 pubs full of saints fans down below. Even that day Birmingham was red and white

[Golden Balls]

There were a lot of really good pics on SF. Shame its all lost.

[Um Bongo]

Semi Final was awesome. Can't remember the oub where we all were, but just down the road from the ground, and it was packed! Remember i had to stand up on a wall just to see into the pub and garden.

 

Sat right at the top of the North End. Great view, and a great Atmosphere. And of course, winning made it all the better. Remember leaving the ground and being interviewed for the BBC. I made sure those pompey fans knew where we were going.

 

Cardiff was something else. The journey up there, seeing people on the motorway bridges waving us off, the overtaking Arsenal coaches and the banter with them. Think we had been spanked 5-1 or something silly just a few weeks before at Highbury, so they thought they had good reason to. Then LOSING the tickets in the car park, getting on the park and ride bus before thinking 'Oh ****. where are the tickets?.' Running off the bus, back to the car, where the tickets were sat half in a puddle, in the envolope, with people just walking buy. No words can describe how relieved i felt!!!!!

 

Was sat right next to the Arsenal fans, including some who were sat with us. Banter was great, and it was a good game (Bar the result) The one thing which will stay with me though was out numbering the Arsenal fans to see them lift the trophy.

[saint lard]

Have to say the Watford fans on semi final day were good for a laugh and contributed well to a great occasion.

[Poshie72]

I remeber the day as if it were yesterday. Don't think I had slept the night before. Met Hampshire Saint and got a lift to Fleet Services to catch one of the travel buses. The journey to Cardiff was spectacular. Just a sea of red and white and yellow as far as the eye could see. Every bus, car, limo seemed to have made nan effort to display our colours. Got to Cardiff, and the atmosphere was electric. Met up wit IOWSaintsfan and Islander at the ground and then inside to find our seats. Being one of the first in was amazing. Watching our end just become yellow was a sight to behold. And I dont think we stopped chanting from beginning to end.

 

After the match, the memory of the arsenal fans leaving before the cup had been lifted, must be so nice to see it year in year out that you dont have to bother to stay and applaud your team. Walkimg out and back to the coach, seeing all us fans buzzing despite the result. Spoke to a mate who is an arsenal fan and even he didnt seem to bothered that they had won. Not the usual post match banter from him. Anyway coming home and again it was like every vehicle was saints. People were partying on open top buses, limos etc. Heaven knows what it would have been like had we actually won.

 

I dont think I stopped buzzing until days later, I know I didnt sleep that night either.

 

I didnt think we could surpass the day out to Villa Park for the Semi. It would be great to go through those emotions again, but this time WIN