Memory Lane - Play Off Semis (Home Leg)

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maidstoneseagull

Active member
Jul 21, 2004
459
Maidstone
The Swindon game will always be one of my highlights because of going from being so low slumped in my seat with the despair of such a poor performance to such a high when the goal went in. I'll never forget it and even now it brings a smile to my face thinking about it. It's what it is all about and its why football is what is.
 


Yorkie

Sussex born and bred
Jul 5, 2003
32,367
dahn sarf
Dover & Krispies will bear this out. When we were 2-0 down I kept saying we're not dead yet.
I even turned round to the bloke behind me and said remember the Burnely game when Sidwell got two goals in the last two minutes. He retorted that we hadn't got a Sidwell.

I just had a feeling that something was gonna happen. This isn't a told you so but I really did feel something..

Once Virgo scored then I knew the night was ours. :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

I didn't think we would win at Cardiff though. I just went for the party. Winning and promotion were a wondeful bonus.
 


graz126

New member
Oct 17, 2003
4,146
doncaster
one word sums up my greatest memory.

rienelt.


and im not even sure i have spelt right.
 


Beach Hut

Brighton Bhuna Boy
Jul 5, 2003
72,324
Living In a Box
I did think we were down and out when 2 - 0 down but hope springs eternal and me and Junior were running through all the positives and all the late goals we had scored.

When the magic moment came and Virgo scored I knew we would win as we were in the driving seat.

Penalties - doddle, mad dash on the pitch, lost junior and all I really remember was a group hug with Lord Bracknell and Safeway and virtually in tears (and soaking wet) hugging my mate from the South Stand.

Finally found my son and headed off home - very happy.
 




mrhairy

Well-known member
Sep 4, 2004
1,250
Brighton
My 10 year old son was mascot for the Swindon game and I will always remember his face as we sat in the pouring rain with his sister. All he kept saying was "I'm not a very lucky mascot am I?" It was heartbreaking until the last minute. And I guess that Cardiff was probaly one of the best days of their lives.
Strangely as an aside Swindon was probably the coldest and hotest games last year. Just after Xmas we turned blue with cold when we lost 1-0 and when we won the play off game it was an absolute heatwave.
 


Dawsey

New member
Apr 25, 2004
1,607
Brighton
All the time it was 0-0, I was just hoping that we would cling on. Just as I started thinking that maybe we might just do that, they went and scored. I was just dejected, gutted.

When they got the second, it is hard to describe just how low I felt - possibly the lowest ever as a Brighton fan. I had given up hope, the cold just went straight through me, I felt hollow. Even when we got that throw-in, it still seemed impossible. When the ball hit that net, the emotions that went through my body were amazing. Seconds after my lowest point as a Brighton fan came my highest.

But then sunk the reality that we hadn't won yet. All of this would mean nothing if we f***ed up the penalties. Knight has gone off - who is going to take them?

Virgo steps forward to take his penalty. What the f*** is he doing taking one? Centre-halves always miss penalties. But, as we have found out in recent weeks, Virgo is more than a centre-half. His penalty is the best of the lot, absolutely unstoppable. Cardiff is edging closer, but I still refuse to believe that we're going there.

Penalty taker number 5 for Swindon - Andy Gurney. The chorus of "Hit the Bar" is rocking Withdean so loud the stand seems unstable. Gurney steps up - HE'S HIT THE POST!!!!

Within seconds I'm running down the extreamly wet stairs (coming extreamly close to going arse over tit), along the running track and jumping the advertising hoardings like Red Rum jumping Beachers Brook. Then I'm all over the pitch - leaving a marginally overweight Dawsey Snr miles behind - and I always remember hugging this great big Phil Mitchell style bloke.

After congratulating Ben Roberts left-hand post, I dragged myself home - but couldn't sleep through sheer adreniline. So what did I do? Rewind the tape in the video and re-lived it all again :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:
 


Strike

Sussex Border Front
Mar 12, 2004
5,051
Three Bridges, Crawley
I was very lucky to get a ticket. The person (a non NSC poster) I got it off is a legend. I watched it from the singing section but ti went all quiet when we went into extra time. In the last 10 minutes I began thinking of the stick I would possibly get from my Pala*e flatmate when I got back home, and other things. I stood throughout the last ten minutes on the stand leaning against the fence at the end of the stand.

Then Virgo got that goal back, and I just shouted yeeesssssss. Then came the penaultys. I ended upi coming off the stand in fear of it collapsing as there were so many people jumping on it and watched the penaltys. I just had that feeling we were going to do it. I just went nuts when we won the penaultys, and ran out the stadium in excitment, shouting yesssss, and also excited that we were going to Cardiff. Boy those playoffs gave me a boost for my exams and I ended up passing them all.
 
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Marc

New member
Jul 6, 2003
25,267
I was in the Walkabout, watched a dire match and left at full time to go watch NOFX punk: in the Event, quality gig made all the better with regular text updates abotu the game. Could'nt believe when we won...and NOFX were quality too! Great night in the end!
 


Tom Hark Preston Park

Will Post For Cash
Jul 6, 2003
72,358
When we played Swindon in the second leg of the play-off semi-final, seemed like everything switched from an ordinary day into something very very surreal - the like of which has not been seen since the Fans United game. All afternoon it was bright & sunny then about six the sky turned brown and olive green. Not yer normal summer sky colours at all IMHO. The rain before the game was EVIL - completely swamped anybody out in it for more than a minute. Pissed it down mercilessly all night apart from halftime - when it stopped for the duration of halftime then started again for the second half. The Albion were completely wretched and dead and buried - you were just GAGGING for somebody like Mooney to play in the stripes who knew instinctively where the goal was. Dan Harding gave away a crap goal with a timid and sloppy backpass. Had already shaken hands with a gloomy 'see you next season' with the guy in Block H in the next but one seat - the shadowy figure who known only as 'Neil' who had already gone to rack'em up in the Brewery Tap. Then it all went into slow motion with that Virgo header. Rarely felt any emotion like that ever. Don't expect Dan Harding ever has either. Then the Albion penalties all went in like they all do it all day every day in training - yeah RIGHT! - then Swindon hit the right hand post and we all went into dreamtime. Put it this way - never snogged a goalpost before. A magical night. Maybe it's just me, but in some ways the final was an anti-climax. God bless The Albion :angel: :clap:
 


Squiggsy

New member
Oct 26, 2003
184
Worthing
An incredible night, dead and buried, soaked through and then the mother of all turnarounds.

Funniest bit was the people who had left running back in again.

Even funnier was the people who made it home without knowing what happened. Still, it is VERY important to get the first Park & Ride bus.......

Still wasn't as good as the Chesterfield game tho....

Anyone else remember the glory days of....

York 7-2 (and on MOTD)
Walsall 7-0 (0-0 at HT, Ward 4, Mellor 3 - Legendary)
Sheff Wed 3-2 to win promotion after going 1 down in the first minute

Going all misty-eyed.....
 






Shizuoka Dolphin

NSC M0DERATOR
Jul 8, 2003
6,987
N/A
What a night it was - shite game, but just when I was starting to think that was that.... That goal and everything it must rank it up there with one of my greatest Albion moments. :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

Come to think of it, is the goal online anywhere? :lol:
 


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