Hereford 1997

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Major confession here.

I did not go despite having a ticket.

My cousin had chosen that day to get married - planned a year in advance - and if I hadn't gone I would have been excommunicated from the entitre family. Any hope of being included in any of the family wills would have gone straight out the window.

At Christmas of course it didn't seem to matter that I would be missing the last game - 10 or was it 12 points adrift it looked all over.

However as we clawed it back I just knew it was going to go to the last game.

When I walked out of the Goldstone the week before I still couldn't get my head around the fact that I was going to miss the most important game in the club's history.

I got a ticket - just in case he or she had cold feet at the last minute - no such luck - so I gave my ticket to a mate 2 days before the game.

The Wedding went well, and I sat at the reception playing with my food and trying to make small talk whilst my thoughts were miles away.

When the game started I put my portable radio on with earpiece, and listened as Kerry put through his own goal.

The speeches were ok - however I think it was the Best Man's whose was interrupted by a massive YEEEEESSSS! as Robbie equalised - everybody just turned and glared at me but I really didn't care!

For the last few minutes I went and sat in the car, but listening was actually too painful by that time so I went to the toilet and just sat there until I knew it would be over.

My wife then cam in and told me it was all over - it then turned into a fantastic night!

 

[El Presidente]

Did anyone listen to the final few minutes on the radio who was not at the game? It must have been even worse that being there.

 

[m20gull]

http://www.northstandchat.biz/showthread.php?s=&threadid=49361&highlight=Hereford

I'm pretty sure that's half my ex-wife on the right in yellow.

We stayed in a pub within walking distance of the ground and turned up to park in their car park with kits and scarves flying. The pub was only open to regulars but they let us in as we had the booking. They even let us back in afterwards, though I was made to take off my stripey shirt. I got happily steamed on 6X watching Katrina and the Waves win Eurovision while all the locals cried in their pints. After Eurovision we went out for a chinese take-away and the atmosphere on the streets was still not very pleasant - glad I left the colours behind!

 

[Dawsey]

Did anyone listen to the final few minutes on the radio who was not at the game? It must have been even worse that being there.

I did. We were playing in a six-a-side tournament that day and were due to start playing with a few minutes to go. The ref wanted to listen to the game himself though, so delayed the game until after the final whistle. Marvellous scenes

 

[Knightsworld]

Did anyone listen to the final few minutes on the radio who was not at the game? It must have been even worse that being there.

I was living in Taunton at the time, put up with SSN for the first half, then called my grandad and listened to the 2nd half on the telephone.

My wife didn't understand at the final whistle i was crying tears of joy. "its only a game" she said

I didn't speak to her again till i got in from the pubs/clubs at about 4am

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

Did anyone listen to the final few minutes on the radio who was not at the game? It must have been even worse that being there.

Listened in the car having left early, couldn't take the nerves. It was bloody horrible.

 

[Redhead]

Did anyone listen to the final few minutes on the radio who was not at the game? It must have been even worse that being there.

Being eleven at the time and the only albion fan in the family couldn't go listened to it my room, nightmare till Reinalt scored, nightmare again till full time.

 

[graz126]

my most treasured away day ever. without a doubt.
where is reinelt playing these days?

 

[Hiney]

Did anyone listen to the final few minutes on the radio who was not at the game? It must have been even worse that being there.

Yes

I was at home in Southampton - to this day I am ashamed that I didn't do enough to try and get a ticket or just go to the game anyway.

Five Live (or whoever it was then) went to the ground for the last couple of minutes for commentary and I listened in the kitchen.

The longest 2 minutes of my life

 

[Grendel]

where is reinelt playing these days?

After leaving Brighton, he played for (deep breath):

Leyton Orient
Stevenage Borough
St. Albans City
Braintree
Grays Athletic
Maldon Town
Ford
Redbridge
Boreham Wood

He left Boreham Wood in the summer and isn't currently playing, as far as I know.

 

[Easy 10]

I literally went dizzy and saw stars when we equalised - I had to lean back to steady myself on the back of the stand. The whole game was an unbearable ordeal and not something I'd EVER want to go through again. It probably took years off me.

 

[Icy Gull]

Half time was the most depressed I have ever been at a football game, please don't let me ever go through that again.

 

[Deleted User X18H]

I got home at 1 am awoke at 11am and a few hours later found that my best mate who was also my lodger at the time and who I had known since infants school had died somtime around midnight on the 3rd/4th May in a boating accident I cannot enjoy or remember the day fondly I am afraid.

 

[Spiros]

The greatest albion game EVER


FACT

After leaving the game I felt massive relief more than anything, rather than great joy at finishing second from bottom of the league.

It was not a great game, let alone the greatest. It was just a good result at the end of a season with more than it's fair share of poor ones. I was glad I was there, but hated just about every minute of it. I don't think I have ever suffered so much in watching one game of football and certainly wouldn't want to again.

If you want great Albion games you need to look at the positive end of things, like beating Palace 3-0 on boxing day, winning a FA cup semi final at Highbury, getting promoted to the top flight at Newcastle or (more recently) beating Chesterfield to win Div 3 and winning the play-off at Cardiff

 

[Easy 10]

It was just a good result

Possibly the understatement of the CENTURY there

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Did anyone listen to the final few minutes on the radio who was not at the game? It must have been even worse that being there.

I listened to the whole game on the radio. It was very difficult. You seemed to be in even less control than actually sitting watching the game. I didnt seem to function when the final whistle blew. The house was very quite, the road was very quiet. Fantastic memories

 

[eastlondonseagull]

I'm pretty sure that's half my ex-wife on the right in yellow.

Where's the other half?

 

[Screaming J]

I was offered a ticket after the Doncaster game and didn't take it up. I knew I wouldn't be able to cope.

The tension that week I felt leading up to the game was so intense I couldn't sleep, was useless at work, even now, thinking about it I can feel a tightening around the chest.

On the day of the game I took my two young lads to a traction engine rally in Manchester. (well OK, but they wanted to go, and I thought it would take my mind off it).

Take my mind off it? There was this f***ing great traction engine called 'Albion' steaming away and then they insisted on having a ride behind some engine called "Seagull"!!

By this time I was a gibbering wreck despite my wife reassuring me that all the above were good omens; and I couldn't drive home. We got home at 4:45 and I hid under the bed clothes until we got the glad tidings.

I find it very difficult to imagine Albion supporters will ever go anything as horrible as that again; whether you went or not.

Hats off to some of you, I failed the ultimate test!

 

[Bwian]

The omens were good on that day-so many Hereford fans driving by the pub full of Albion fans (by that roundabout on the outskirts) all yelling "Brighton's going down" and other similar words of encouragement. Most Albion fans were too nervous to respond but after hearing all of the carrot crunchers gloating before the game had even started I thought things would be alright.

Something to think about in the build-up to this weekend's game..

 

[Safeway]

Did anyone listen to the final few minutes on the radio who was not at the game? It must have been even worse that being there.

We drove over to The Goldstone hoping to sit on the North Stand and listen there. They wouldn't let us in so instead we sat in Hove Park. A few others had a similar idea.

Horrible, horrible afternoon until the final whistle.

The abiding memory of the radio coverage was Tony Millard screaming "for Christ's sake, PASS IT!" at Stuart Storer to give the ball to Craig Maskell when clean through towards the end.

He also gave a mention to a certain NSC member who couldn't make the game for 'other reasons'.