For those old enough to remember...

[GreasyChipBeattie]

...the end to yesterday's game and its possible effect on which division we play in next season was reminiscent of that fateful game in May 1981.

That day, we needed a result. A point would have been enough.
Late on at 0-0, Walsall get a penalty and score. Doom and gloom descends on Bramall Lane.
At 1-0 down, steeling ourselves for the piss-taking that would be to follow, we are awarded a last minute penalty. Euphoria and relief descends on Bramall Lane. A chance to preserve our 3rd division status and avoid the embarrassment of going down to the fourth tier of English football for the first time ever.
The penalty is saved. The doom and gloom re-descends but with even more potency than before.
The final whistle goes and it's over. Chance gone, cruelly whipped away from us.

And so to yesterday.
Knowing a win would keep us well on course to achieve our objective, only this time a much greater prize, we take a 1-0 lead.
On 85 minutes a penalty is awarded to the opposition. Doom and gloom descends on Bramall Lane.
On 87 minutes, the penalty is missed. Euphoria and relief descends on Bramall Lane.
Then, 30 seconds before the final whistle..........

You know the rest. It still stings too much to actually type the words.

It would be so easy to start thinking of other last day f**k ups, but instead, I'm going to console myself with the fact that sometimes, it does happen the other way round.
The greatest of these that I can remember is gaining promotion by scoring one more goal over the season than Hull City, who only managed to win 2-0 at Burnley in their last game, instead of the 3-0 they required.

I still don't think Leeds will win all their remaining fixtures.
I still think we can.
How that pans out remains to be seen, but if we are in the position of having to win the last game at Stoke to go up, it has to be our time to get the rub of the green, doesn't it?

COYRAWWizaaaaaaaaaaaaaaraarrrrrrrrrrrdddsss!!!

 

[Sean Thornton]

Not at all reminiscent of the Walsall game for me. Disappointing and hugely frustrating yes. No despair ( yet).

 

[Harry's Game]

And no one ran on the pitch yesterday and attacked the opposition players.

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

Not at all reminiscent of the Walsall game for me. Disappointing and hugely frustrating yes. No despair ( yet).

Errr, maybe just slightly? With the late penalty award and miss thing ST?

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

.

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

And no one ran on the pitch yesterday and attacked the opposition players.

That was me and I was trying to get to Don Givens!

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

And no one ran on the pitch yesterday and attacked the opposition players.

They would have made mincemeat of anyone running on the pitch!

 

[Dkc]

I'm old enough to remember that. First time I've seen grown men in tears. I was a teenager at the time.

Still, wouldn't have missed the following season for the world. Possibly my best season as a Blade.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

Not at all reminiscent of the Walsall game for me. Disappointing and hugely frustrating yes. No despair ( yet).

F'king happy clapper.

 

[Aston max]

Me and my best mate just sat on the Kop and cried

 

[Snowman]

That was me and I was trying to get to Don Givens!

I followed my usual practise in these situations. I headed for a bar and drank a bottle of champagne. If I remember correctly the barman was fairly bemused when two mid twenties blokes turned up at the Museum in town, sat at the bar on stools and required a "bottle of your finest champagne guvnor". (It wasn't very fine) If I'm going to be angry and miserable I may as well be pissed and broke at the same time.

Funnily enough Darlington and Leicester plus the last two seasons of success have involved beer. Could be a pattern developing here.

If we fail, I shall once again select a bottle of champagne. May be the Cristal saved for my birthday. Maybe the Pol Roger Vintage or even both and I will drink them to become comatose and forget. If (ain't going to happen) we succeed I will be in the Rising Sun on Absolution until I am removed by the Police.

As for rub of the green, us? Oh how I laughed. laughed so much thought my knickers would never dry.

 

[The Crab]

I think certain things have numbed me to it. I'd.honestly be more gutted for CW and AK than myself. So for me, it didn't really approach that Walsall feeling. The nearest I've ever felt to that was the Bristol City relegation play off.

Yesterday it looked more like the team had started running out of legs, and the management had run out of ideas. But let's see if both can rally. I hope so.

I hope people Don't see that as telling them how to.think or act. That's just me, someone who has become pretty numb to good and bad, but still loves the blades and wants the best for them.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Errr, maybe just slightly? With the late penalty award and miss thing ST?

I meant yesterday was no comparison to how I felt at full time after both Matthews and Givens shit themselves.

 

[Sean Thornton]

I followed my usual practise in these situations. I headed for a bar and drank a bottle of champagne. If I remember correctly the barman was fairly bemused when two mid twenties blokes turned up at the Museum in town, sat at the bar on stools and required a "bottle of your finest champagne guvnor". (It wasn't very fine) If I'm going to be angry and miserable I may as well be pissed and broke at the same time.

Funnily enough Darlington and Leicester plus the last two seasons of success have involved beer. Could be a pattern developing here.

If we fail, I shall once again select a bottle of champagne. May be the Cristal saved for my birthday. Maybe the Pol Roger Vintage or even both and I will drink them to become comatose and forget. If (ain't going to happen) we succeed I will be in the Rising Sun on Absolution until I am removed by the Police.

As for rub of the green, us? Oh how I laughed. laughed so much thought my knickers would never dry.

Rising Sun at Nether Green or the one on Abbey Lane where the wankers drink?

 

[Eskimo]

I had the Walsall feeling yesterday walking away from the match. Except .......the season is not over, Peters is not manager, ... there’s all to play for. Come on we can do it.

 

[JohnDenver]

I think certain things have numbed me to it. I'd.honestly be more gutted for CW and AK than myself. So for me, it didn't really approach that Walsall feeling. The nearest I've ever felt to that was the Bristol City relegation play off.

Yesterday it looked more like the team had started running out of legs, and the management had run out of ideas. But let's see if both can rally. I hope so.

I hope people Don't see that as telling them how to.think or act. That's just me, someone who has become pretty numb to good and bad, but still loves the blades and wants the best for them.

The Bristol City playoff was the first game I went to that I properly took in. Start as you mean to go on...

 

[Liverpool blade]

I think certain things have numbed me to it. I'd.honestly be more gutted for CW and AK than myself. So for me, it didn't really approach that Walsall feeling. The nearest I've ever felt to that was the Bristol City relegation play off.

Yesterday it looked more like the team had started running out of legs, and the management had run out of ideas. But let's see if both can rally. I hope so.

I hope people Don't see that as telling them how to.think or act. That's just me, someone who has become pretty numb to good and bad, but still loves the blades and wants the best for them.

Absolutely brilliant post. I put similar words on Facebook last night as I feel the same way. Numb was how I felt walking out yesterday but I’ve felt a lot worse especially after the Bristol city playoff and the relegation at Chelsea.

 

[Snowman]

Rising Sun at Nether Green or the one on Abbey Lane where the wankers drink?

Whilst I have at one time enjoyed the cabaret that was Hemeling Hughes and the illustrious chairman of the Facia Group and his hangers on, the clue should be in the word "Absolution".

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

It can't compare with Walsall, because nothing will compare to that day. Just pause and think on, relegated to the 4th division! It has never been as low, before or since.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Whilst I have at one time enjoyed the cabaret that was Hemeling Hughes and the illustrious chairman of the Facia Group and his hangers on, the clue should be in the word "Absolution".

I thought you meant Absolut.

 

[Dkc]

At the time, I think many people thought that the club was done. People could see us dropping into non-leauge, such was the gloom. No one saw us storming the fourth division.

There have been lows since, but I think that day is still the lowest.

Certainly lower than moving from 3rd to 2nd in the second tier after a 1-1 home draw.

Saturday was a kick in the gut that will last a few days. Walsall was a massive wrecking ball to the bollocks, with a pain that lasted all summer.

 

[Sheffsteel]

The thing about that Walsall match was it wasn’t that we only needed to draw against a poor Walsall team
But loads of other teams near the bottom also needed to either win or draw.

So the fans kind of knew we could lose and we’d still stay up.
Remember checking the teletext and amazingly all our rivals either won or lost.
Even though the league table showed us finishing 4th from bottom it was unbelievable and totally out of the blue.

That season was one of the best records a relegated team has had, we were relegated with a PLUS 2 goal difference and were no where near the relegation zone for most of the season.

Also the year after in 1982 the league introduced the 3 points for a win system
If they’d a introduced it a year earlier in 1981, we’d have stayed up and not been relegated.

 

[Sandygate Blade]

Looking back nothing compared to the Walsall game. It was the lowest point in our history.

Keep the faith! It really pisses me off when younger supporters blame the crowd for not backing yesterday. Come back in 30 years and have a go!

 

[Topplayersleave]

...the end to yesterday's game and its possible effect on which division we play in next season was reminiscent of that fateful game in May 1981.

That day, we needed a result. A point would have been enough.
Late on at 0-0, Walsall get a penalty and score. Doom and gloom descends on Bramall Lane.
At 1-0 down, steeling ourselves for the piss-taking that would be to follow, we are awarded a last minute penalty. Euphoria and relief descends on Bramall Lane. A chance to preserve our 3rd division status and avoid the embarrassment of going down to the fourth tier of English football for the first time ever.
The penalty is saved. The doom and gloom re-descends but with even more potency than before.
The final whistle goes and it's over. Chance gone, cruelly whipped away from us.





I remember it well.
John Matthews our penalty taker bottled it because he was a spineless cunt, Don Givens who has been ridiculed ever since but at least had the spine and bottle to take it...….missed

See, spineless bottlejobs, always have been always will be

 

[Russ]

...
I still don't think Leeds will win all their remaining fixtures. I still think we can.
How that pans out remains to be seen, but if we are in the position of having to win the last game at Stoke to go up, it has to be our time to get the rub of the green doesn’t it?!

Not necessarily. I have visions of Stoke winning 3-2 and their fans celebrating wildly. Just like Chelsea did.