April 15th, 2014, has been reached and I recall matches, from this day in the past, where I enjoyed my pint, pie, banter, singing and fun. Its supposed to be fun right? I will start, however, with a match which I didnt attend. 1989 - FA Cup SF - Nottingham Forest A v A Liverpool - I think every football fan can recall, if of sufficient age, where he or she was when the news came through of the terrible, and tragic, events which were unfolding at Hillsborough 25 years ago today. Me? I went, with my (then) wife to visit her aunt near Canterbury and I switched on the TV to get updates from the match. The updates were cut short at 3:06 and the BBC switched to live footage. I dont propose to enter into a recriminatory debate, far more qualified people than I have eloquently made the points that have been necessary to have been made, save to say that no-one should ever go to a sporting event and, in so doing, have their lives put at risk by the incompetence of the very authorities they rely upon to guarantee their safety. In addition, no family should ever suffer, in the way that the Hillsborough victims families have suffered, the lies and deceit which have come from those very authorities in order that they cover up their incompetence. This is not a day for colours or tribal rivalry; all football fans should recognise that There But For The Grace Of God..... ..... and this holds true for Bradford, Ibrox (twice), Heysel and Munich, as well as other matches, as much as it does for Hillsborough. JFT96 - RIP. 1995 - Isth Prem - Bromley 5 v 0 Walton & Hersham - In the mid 90s, following Liverpool around the country was becoming an expensive hobby and so I started to watch matches in the South-East of England, specifically Kent and SE London, to find an alternative team to watch when watching Liverpool was not possible. I saw games at Charlton Athletic, Gillingham, Gravesend & Northfleet (Ebbsfleet Utd), Sutton United, Purfleet (Thurrock), Grays Athletic, Erith & Belvedere and Welling United; I fell in love with Welling United! I also saw this game at Hayes Lane between the Lilywhites and Walton & Hersham. At the time, the Isthmian League was experimenting with players being allowed to kick the ball in from a throw-in, as though it were an indirect free-kick. Bromley had the measure of this ridiculous change far better than Walton & Hersham and two of their goals, in this match, resulted from carefully-won throw ins in touchline positions that were much better than a corner. This stupid match was settled by goals from Sharman, Brown (2), Gordon and Coles and I have had an unreasonable dislike of Bromley FC ever since. 1996 - FA Youth Cup SF 2nd Leg - Crystal Palace Youth 3 v 3 Liverpool Youth - leading 4-2 from the 1st Leg at Anfield, Liverpools Youth team traveled down to Selhurst Park for the 2nd Leg and avoid a two goal defeat. In Liverpools team, that day, were Michael Owen, Jamie Carragher, David Thompson, Phil Brazier, Jamie Cassidy and Jon Newby; Crystal Palace had Clinton Morrison in their team. This entertaining match, played in front of 1,880 spectators, finished 3-3, which was enough to secure Liverpool a place in the Final against West Ham Youth, a tie which Liverpool won. The goals in this match were scored by Wales, Enqvist and Morrison, for the hosts, with Jamie Cassidy (2) and Michael Owen (netting the first of many goals I saw him score - ironically, I saw his League debut, and first senior goal, at Selhurst Park, a year or two later, in a 2-1 defeat against Wimbledon. 2008 - Hell Lg Prem - Witney United 5 v 0 AFC Wallingford - The, now defunct, Witney United overcame their near neighbours in this end-of-season romp at the Marriotts Stadium, the former home of Witney Town. I have very little memory of the match itself but know (due to my extensive, and anal, record-keeping) that the goals were scored by J-P Mills, Marriott, Lewis (2), and Steedman.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Apr 2014 01:21:28 +0000
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