[Albion] What was it like to be there when Storer's goal went in?

[Stato]

I'm somewhere in the throng in Bodian's video. I don't have a clear memory of the moment the goal went in, or of the rest of the game, but the final whistle for me was comparable with the Wigan game, watching people run onto the pitch in ecstasy whilst standing in the stand feeling utterly overwhelmed. In both cases I walked onto the pitch after a while, but whilst Wigan felt like the party could go on forever, standing on the pitch at the Goldstone that day was a mix of contrasting emotions: I was relieved and happy with the results, hopeful, but nervous about Hereford, still angry that it had come to this, but mostly just so sad that it was all over and that we would never be back again. We didn't stay long, just walked across the pitch and exited at the South Stand to the sound of the old place being broken up for souvenirs.

The following week was the real unadulterated joy. Standing in Edgar Street watching everyone go mad, having had little or no sleep since Blair had won the election on the Friday morning, it felt like, despite what had happened before, everything was possible.

 

[Wellesley]

Well, right. It was like, right, you know when something really good happens, right, well it was like that, right, and I said 'Yay, Storer's just scored.' right, like literally, right and my mate Dave, right, he went 'That's cool.' It was a bit like that really, so yeah, it was good.

 

[Jam The Man]

Oh what a season - I was 21 and it aged me rapidly!

It was a horrible game, and looked all day to be heading for a draw. I don't even recall any other genuinely close efforts from either team? I stand to be corrected though.

As already mentioned, the goal was pretty much a stop start affair of 'ahhhs' and 'ooohs' andcrossbar 'thwacks' before the bloody ball went in. And then it was bedlam, followed by news filtering in about Orient scoring etc... and a case of hanging on.
The Orient / Hereford result came over the tannoy a few minutes after the match had finished, and I largely just moped around for 30 mins or so. It was all a bit surreal, but definitely a HUGE amount of relief that we were not propping up the whole league anymore. Oh and some bloke danced naked on the East Terrace.

Over the next few days it was painful just waiting for the Hereford match. I even wrote to Steve Grit to ask if I could have kick around on the grass one last time. His secretary declined me!

I couldn't go to the game but there were rumours it might be on TV.. this didn't materialise, so I wound up listening in the chillers at Lewes Road Sainsburys. I was the Delicatessen Manager there, with an extremely supportive store manager, who couldn't give me the day off, but let me 'disappear' for a couple of hours. [MENTION=2139]Soul Finger[/MENTION] also worked there at the time.. bet you got the day off though mate!?

I was f*cking freezing in that room anyway, but hearing Foster being put clean through with only Mark Ormerod to beat in injury time sent the coldest chill down my spine. Even now, when I've since watched the video, I still think he's going to score. And I cried ice tears at the final whistle.

I love the Amex, and Withdean holds great memories too.. but I don't care what anyone says, the atmosphere and the immense intense emotion of the 96-97 season will never ever be surpassed in my opinion.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

Yyyyy..aah......yyyYYY... Aaah!... YEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!

 

[Pevenseagull]

The first pint in The Exchange was the nicest beer I had ever tasted.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

It was bloody amazing.

I was 16 and with our home record since Gritt took over supremely confident that we would win. All the other stuff didn't really enter my head during the game. Nonetheless it was a huge adrenaline rush when we scored and I went bat shit crazy like everyone else in the ground. The north stand was rammed, more than it had ever been in my brief experience of it. I ****ing loved it!

The hereford game on the other hand was the toughest, most gut wrenching 90 minutes of football I've ever experienced. 20 years on I don't think my heart could take another experience like that.

 

[Jam The Man]

Oh what a season - I was 21 and it aged me rapidly!

It was a horrible game, and looked all day to be heading for a draw. I don't even recall any other genuinely close efforts from either team? I stand to be corrected though.

As already mentioned, the goal was pretty much a stop start affair of 'ahhhs' and 'ooohs' and crossbar 'thwacks' before the bloody ball went in. And then it was bedlam, followed by news filtering in about Orient scoring etc... and a case of hanging on.
The Orient / Hereford result came over the tannoy a few minutes after the match had finished, and I largely just moped around for 30 mins or so. It was all a bit surreal, but definitely a HUGE amount of relief that we were not propping up the whole league anymore. Oh and some bloke danced naked on the East Terrace.

Over the next few days it was painful just waiting for the Hereford match. I even wrote to Steve Grit to ask if I could have a kick around on the grass one last time. His secretary declined me!

I couldn't go to the game but there were rumours it might be on TV.. this didn't materialise, so I wound up listening in the chillers at Lewes Road Sainsburys. I was the Delicatessen Manager there, with an extremely supportive store manager, who couldn't give me the day off, but let me 'disappear' for a couple of hours. [MENTION=2139]Soul Finger[/MENTION] also worked there at the time.. bet you got the day off though mate!?

I was f*cking freezing in that room anyway, but hearing Foster being put clean through with only Mark Ormerod to beat in injury time sent the coldest chill down my spine. Even now, when I've since watched the video, I still think he's going to score. And I cried ice tears at the final whistle.

I love the Amex, and Withdean holds great memories too.. but I don't care what anyone says, the atmosphere and the immense intense emotion of the 96-97 season will never ever be surpassed in my opinion.

Well that was Freudian of me!

 

[hart's shirt]

Was working at a prep school in Suffolk and was due to be umpiring an Under 12 school cricket match in Suffolk that afternoon, but it was called off at about 11:00am. Despite not having a ticket, I drove down after Saturday lessons finished, arrived just after kick off, and nervously listened with other supporters outside the ground in Hove Park.

At halftime, the attempt to open / burn down the North Stand gate had failed, so I was fairly resigned to the fact that I'd be outside for the 2nd half.

However, after about 10 minutes, there was a little bit of movement around the NW corner. I saw a few people who'd made their way round to the club shop by the West Stand and were trying to climb on the roof by standing on the metal railing outside by the steps and jumping up to catch hold of the roof and pulling ourselves up. I raced around to join them. In those circumstances, you don't really consider the possible implications of being impaled by the spikes on top of the wall the other side of the shop. It was more a case of just trying to get up and over into the ground. 7 of us got onto the club shop roof before the police came around and blocked it off. I was the last one up. Will always be grateful for the pair of arms that helped to pull me up beyond the reach of the Sussex constabulary.

I probably only got to see around 20-25 minutes of the game in the end.

But I wouldn't have swapped it for anything.

That's what football means.

 

[papajaff]

Joy, relief and an outpouring for years of frustration and misery.
Nervousness as to whether we could hang on.
Then, more relief that Hereford were losing.
More joy when the final whistle went and more relief that Hereford had lost.
Misery, wandering around a soaking Goldstone being ripped apart. Despair that we wouldn't be coming here again.
A damp pocket with a sod in it.
A realisation that, yes, we could survive in the Football League and therefore as a Club.
Planning for Hereford and the battles to come.
In one word: Hope.
PG

You speak for me there sir. Nothing to add. Except I never want to go through any of that ever again.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

One off the few times i stood on the East Terrace,yes decent view but to see what the Goldstone had become just one of those days and sites that you will take with you.

 

[Binney on acid]

Nearly as good when Reinault's goal went in.

 

[spence]

Superb but nothing like Hereford

 

[neilbard]

Damp...

 

[Blue3]

I was in the South Stand with my young son after the ball crossed the line SS ran to the right of the goal sliding arms outstretched right in front of me its one of those moments in life that will stay with me

 

[blue-shifted]

I was in the north. Genuinely don't remember the goal or anything about the game. Think I was sober enough, just somehow I blanked it out. Probably the stress. I remember as clear as anything walking to the top of the West after the game and watching the ground get taken apart by gleeful souvenir hunters and just not understanding why they would do something as sacrilegious as smash up the Goldstone seats. (well I know it was going to get smashed anyway, but it was more the triumphalism at the destruction)

Hereford, I just remember wanting to puke the whole way through and some prick standing on a fence so nobody else could see

 

[essbee1]

I was at the top of the North stand.........it was pandemonium when that goal went in - the ball seemed to hang in the
air for an eternity before being whacked in.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Emotional day, I was in the East Terrace getting soaked as I couldn't get a ticket for the North Stand.
I stayed in the ground for ages after final wistle, I was just strolling around going in and out of different parts of the ground. Got asked to leave by the stewards in the end.

Reading this thread though I honestly can't remember the goal as clearly as the one at Hereford.

 

[Seasidesage]

My mate punched me in the mouth and split my lip To be fair we went in the West Stand in case it went wrong as it would've been quicker than running across the pitch . Storer scored and we both leapt out of our seats with arms in the air, fists clenched etc etc and he's much taller than me ...

3 pints later it didn't hurt at all...

 

[This is me]

I was in the North Stand that day. Amazing scenes

 

[Sirnormangall]

I'm not sure I "enjoyed" either Doncaster or Hereford games - just felt enormous relief at the results. I feel stressed even now when reading and reliving all the posts in this thread!