Memries - When the Cup Was Magic - 1993 Cup Run

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Bladepicker said:
Quarter Final - Blackburn (A) D 0-0

The strangest game - we were drawn away to money bags Blackburn, one of the toughest ties left at that stage and demand for tickets was insane, they were literal gold dust. As we could have sold the allocation five times over and the game had not been selected for TV coverage (no such things as illegal streams back then kids) there was a clamour for the club to show the game on some sort of live feed beam back at the lane which gained traction and then was confirmed! So I didn't get to go to Ewood but I did get to watch it in the sunshine at the lane in one of the strangest atmospheres.

I remember the big screen was made up of several smaller screens and you could see the lines between them, one in the top corner kept flickering and the crowd was half chanting half thinking it was a bit silly because they couldn't hear us. all in all it was a very weird experience, a very drab game but a brilliant. hard fought result and we'd get them back to the Lane.

Quarter Final Replay - Blackburn (H) D 2-2 (won 5-3 on penalties)

The semi final draw had happened by this point and we knew we'd be playing them lot if we got through. A semi final, against the Pigs, possibly at Wembley, it just had to happen didn't it? Well it very nearly didn't. A highly charged, tense but brilliant game of football ensued. I remember it ebbing and flowing, a real end to end battle and then Blackburn took the lead and we were deflated but I never felt we were out of it. We kept going and Mitch Ward scored a lovely equaliser with about 10 minutes left and we could have easily gone on to win it in normal time as Blackburn welcomed the final whistle.

Blackburn then seemed to get a second wind and took control of the match in the first half of extra time, Mike Newell (always bloody him) getting a goal that I thought would be the winner right at the end of the first period. This Bassett side really never said die though and we managed to pick ourselves back up and had a spell, Ward again getting a real poachers effort at the near post and running off like a man demented. Both teams seemed to settle for penalties at this point and my nerves were shot.

Ward took the first and scored his 'hat trick', Blackburn then missed, their normal taker Jason Wilcox hitting an awful pen. Both teams then scored them all leaving it to John Pemberton (who had never scored for us) to score the penalty to take us to a semi final... I must admit I could barely watch and, when it was Pembo and I saw the length of his run-up I really did fear the worst. He went for the 'twat it as hard as you possibly can' school of penalty taking and, if the net hadn't been there it would probably have damaged the Lane end he hit it that hard. But hit it he did, we had won an amazing game and we were through to the Semi Final for the first time in my life....

I may post about that game a bit later but then again I may not! What a bloody cup run though :)
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I watched the replay in a pub in Preston. Everyone in there was a blade that night.
 

We're not going to talk about the semi-final then?

I was there that day and it was great, right up until the match itself. I think Dave got the team selection wrong for a start, Bradders didn't play. We'd been in their faces for all the league games, but some reason, maybe because of the occasion or that it was Wembley, we gave them loads of space and in the end we had Alan Kelly to thank that it didn't finish 10-1!

Can't remember coming out of the ground or any part of the journey home.
 
Bladepicker said:
Quarter Final - Blackburn (A) D 0-0

The strangest game - we were drawn away to money bags Blackburn, one of the toughest ties left at that stage and demand for tickets was insane, they were literal gold dust. As we could have sold the allocation five times over and the game had not been selected for TV coverage (no such things as illegal streams back then kids) there was a clamour for the club to show the game on some sort of live feed beam back at the lane which gained traction and then was confirmed! So I didn't get to go to Ewood but I did get to watch it in the sunshine at the lane in one of the strangest atmospheres.

I remember the big screen was made up of several smaller screens and you could see the lines between them, one in the top corner kept flickering and the crowd was half chanting half thinking it was a bit silly because they couldn't hear us. all in all it was a very weird experience, a very drab game but a brilliant. hard fought result and we'd get them back to the Lane.

Quarter Final Replay - Blackburn (H) D 2-2 (won 5-3 on penalties)

The semi final draw had happened by this point and we knew we'd be playing them lot if we got through. A semi final, against the Pigs, possibly at Wembley, it just had to happen didn't it? Well it very nearly didn't. A highly charged, tense but brilliant game of football ensued. I remember it ebbing and flowing, a real end to end battle and then Blackburn took the lead and we were deflated but I never felt we were out of it. We kept going and Mitch Ward scored a lovely equaliser with about 10 minutes left and we could have easily gone on to win it in normal time as Blackburn welcomed the final whistle.

Blackburn then seemed to get a second wind and took control of the match in the first half of extra time, Mike Newell (always bloody him) getting a goal that I thought would be the winner right at the end of the first period. This Bassett side really never said die though and we managed to pick ourselves back up and had a spell, Ward again getting a real poachers effort at the near post and running off like a man demented. Both teams seemed to settle for penalties at this point and my nerves were shot.

Ward took the first and scored his 'hat trick', Blackburn then missed, their normal taker Jason Wilcox hitting an awful pen. Both teams then scored them all leaving it to John Pemberton (who had never scored for us) to score the penalty to take us to a semi final... I must admit I could barely watch and, when it was Pembo and I saw the length of his run-up I really did fear the worst. He went for the 'twat it as hard as you possibly can' school of penalty taking and, if the net hadn't been there it would probably have damaged the Lane end he hit it that hard. But hit it he did, we had won an amazing game and we were through to the Semi Final for the first time in my life....

I may post about that game a bit later but then again I may not! What a bloody cup run though :)
Click to expand...
who took our second penalty, i honestly can't remember, also was deano injured?
 
dronny_blade said:
Didn't their fans have the first 2 gangways of the Kop end of the South Stand as well that day for some bizarre reason? I seem to remember there were in excess of 7 thousand Burnley fans that day?
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Just a slight correction, it was the 2 gangways towards the Lane end Burnley had, not the Kop end.
 
Bladepicker said:
Quarter Final - Blackburn (A) D 0-0

The strangest game - we were drawn away to money bags Blackburn, one of the toughest ties left at that stage and demand for tickets was insane, they were literal gold dust. As we could have sold the allocation five times over and the game had not been selected for TV coverage (no such things as illegal streams back then kids) there was a clamour for the club to show the game on some sort of live feed beam back at the lane which gained traction and then was confirmed! So I didn't get to go to Ewood but I did get to watch it in the sunshine at the lane in one of the strangest atmospheres.

I remember the big screen was made up of several smaller screens and you could see the lines between them, one in the top corner kept flickering and the crowd was half chanting half thinking it was a bit silly because they couldn't hear us. all in all it was a very weird experience, a very drab game but a brilliant. hard fought result and we'd get them back to the Lane.

Quarter Final Replay - Blackburn (H) D 2-2 (won 5-3 on penalties)

The semi final draw had happened by this point and we knew we'd be playing them lot if we got through. A semi final, against the Pigs, possibly at Wembley, it just had to happen didn't it? Well it very nearly didn't. A highly charged, tense but brilliant game of football ensued. I remember it ebbing and flowing, a real end to end battle and then Blackburn took the lead and we were deflated but I never felt we were out of it. We kept going and Mitch Ward scored a lovely equaliser with about 10 minutes left and we could have easily gone on to win it in normal time as Blackburn welcomed the final whistle.

Blackburn then seemed to get a second wind and took control of the match in the first half of extra time, Mike Newell (always bloody him) getting a goal that I thought would be the winner right at the end of the first period. This Bassett side really never said die though and we managed to pick ourselves back up and had a spell, Ward again getting a real poachers effort at the near post and running off like a man demented. Both teams seemed to settle for penalties at this point and my nerves were shot.

Ward took the first and scored his 'hat trick', Blackburn then missed, their normal taker Jason Wilcox hitting an awful pen. Both teams then scored them all leaving it to John Pemberton (who had never scored for us) to score the penalty to take us to a semi final... I must admit I could barely watch and, when it was Pembo and I saw the length of his run-up I really did fear the worst. He went for the 'twat it as hard as you possibly can' school of penalty taking and, if the net hadn't been there it would probably have damaged the Lane end he hit it that hard. But hit it he did, we had won an amazing game and we were through to the Semi Final for the first time in my life....

I may post about that game a bit later but then again I may not! What a bloody cup run though :)
Click to expand...
TIckets at Blackburn were restricted due to major reconstruction of Ewood Park. Think less than 1,000. I was lucky enough to get mine via Dave Wright on the old HQ branch of the supporters club.
 
coaxingstar71 said:
We're not going to talk about the semi-final then?

I was there that day and it was great, right up until the match itself. I think Dave got the team selection wrong for a start, Bradders didn't play. We'd been in their faces for all the league games, but some reason, maybe because of the occasion or that it was Wembley, we gave them loads of space and in the end we had Alan Kelly to thank that it didn't finish 10-1!

Can't remember coming out of the ground or any part of the journey home.
Click to expand...
yeah fantastic day until the 3rd minute lol your right bassett picked the wrong team we could have lost 5 - 1 that day but for alan kelly best memories of the day were mel rees getting a standing ovation and the banter outside the stadium blades fans were so much more boisterous and humerous than our dull and dire neighbours in s6 one other thing i remember from that day was hundreds of blades fans waiting on shoreham street for the coaches to arrive on either side and a lone wednesday fan walking right down the middle of the road getting unbelievable stick whoever that wendy fan was i tip my hat off to him in respect
 
Aganarama said:
Yup - most of the teachers were from the darkside. All the PE department were. Trying to think of any other Blades? Always had banter with classics teacher Mr Everritt (Wolves - especially after Katchouro scored two at their place). And Mr Hayes (physics) would always ask whether I still went to that "palace of cricket vandalism"...
PS Did you ever see Mr Jones and Jason King in the same place? Didn't think so...
PPS Always good to have a High Storrs element to a thread :D
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Those teachers sound familiar! What class were you in ? Mr Hayes used to say the same to me too! I think Mr smith was a Blade & Mr Mclure too?
 
S8blade said:
Those teachers sound familiar! What class were you in ? Mr Hayes used to say the same to me too! I think Mr smith was a Blade & Mr Mclure too?
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Of course - I’d forgotten Mr Smith was a Blade! McClure was Norwich. I was in Mr Williamson’s form (he was Man U). Which class were you in?
 
Aganarama said:
Bladepicker - great thread. I was ill for the Burnley game and wasn't allowed to go (there are some drawbacks to being 13...). I remember, even now, watching in horror on Ceefax at my Nan's (close to the Lane - kept looking wistfully out of the window) as we looked destined for defeat.
And then the Hartlepool game...the discussions before and after with my art teacher at High Storrs, Mr. Jones (good teacher!), who had a United season ticket but was from Hartlepool and was on their end for this game.
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Thah'll have been at Storrs at same time as Morwenna from Doc Martin. 🤣
Think yourself lucky you didn't have to witness it.
United were poor, Burnley quite unlucky I think.
 
Magic of the cup is still around but for many teams now it's a priorities game.

For us PL status is way more important and same applies for others wanting to go up from divisions or avoid relegation.

But we have had magic of the cup since 1993. For me most notably both cups in the 02-03 season.

I think we would have felt it in the 19-20 season had we been able to face Arsenal at home in front of a crowd. In fact I'd have fancied us with our form up till March to maybe win too.

Something that I always think is the magic is the David Goliath matches. It's why I'm not for cancelling replays.
A non league or L2 side drawing say Liverpool at home and managing to take it to a replay are the stories of the cup. Of course progressing even better but these can maintain some clubs for a few seasons.
That's where I feel we are losing it.

Similar with Christmas fixtures. I don't want to see us lose them. If we were to have a break id rather it be a very small 2 week break in jan.
 
Guesty said:
Is that the only instance of Adrian on Adrian violence in English football?
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I dunno, but Jimmy Dunne of QPR now, had a fight with another Jimmy Dunne and both sent off, in some League two match a few years back.
Great Blades name by the way.
 
United Aren't Back. said:
I dunno, but Jimmy Dunne of Blackpool had a fight with another Jimmy Dunne and both sent off, in some League two match a few years back.
Great Blades name by the way.
Click to expand...

Ooh, that's a nice fact! Even better that we've also had a Jimmy Dunne in the past as you say.
 

I also think the 5pm watered down version of the final is also a factor in its demise!
 
Aganarama said:
Yup - most of the teachers were from the darkside. All the PE department were. Trying to think of any other Blades? Always had banter with classics teacher Mr Everritt (Wolves - especially after Katchouro scored two at their place). And Mr Hayes (physics) would always ask whether I still went to that "palace of cricket vandalism"...
PS Did you ever see Mr Jones and Jason King in the same place? Didn't think so...
PPS Always good to have a High Storrs element to a thread :D
Click to expand...
I was there 90-97, I assume Mr Matthew was a pig, as his son (former Squash World Champion) was. Used to have banter with Mr Dowse who was a Lincoln fan. Can’t remember many of the other teachers twenty five years on!
 
NAP said:
Just a slight correction, it was the 2 gangways towards the Lane end Burnley had, not the Kop end.
Click to expand...
No it wasn't , it was definitely the kop end . Everyone was commenting at the time what a strange decision that was .
 
coaxingstar71 said:
We're not going to talk about the semi-final then?

I was there that day and it was great, right up until the match itself. I think Dave got the team selection wrong for a start, Bradders didn't play. We'd been in their faces for all the league games, but some reason, maybe because of the occasion or that it was Wembley, we gave them loads of space and in the end we had Alan Kelly to thank that it didn't finish 10-1!

Can't remember coming out of the ground or any part of the journey home.
Click to expand...
On it later but got unexpectedly tanked on a school night last night and had to get through work absolutely hanging out of my arse so it's on the back burner 🤣
 
Bath Blade said:
I was there 90-97, I assume Mr Matthew was a pig, as his son (former Squash World Champion) was. Used to have banter with Mr Dowse who was a Lincoln fan. Can’t remember many of the other teachers twenty five years on!
Click to expand...
Yup Mr Matthew was a Wendy - though wasn’t as vociferous as some of the others in the PE dept.
Mr Bennihan (another Wendy) used to always mention Jack Lester. And to keep on topic, I saw him on that fateful day at Wembley…
 
United Aren't Back. said:
Thah'll have been at Storrs at same time as Morwenna from Doc Martin. 🤣
Think yourself lucky you didn't have to witness it.
United were poor, Burnley quite unlucky I think.
Click to expand...
She must have been in the year below me. There were a few future telly people there at that time. Chloe Newsome (Blade) was in Corrie (Her brother Adam was in my year. And Tom Ellis (Swindon T and Wendy) of Miranda and Lucifer fame was in my art and Sport Studies classes.

As for the match, that was pretty much what my parents said! Didn’t miss much…
 
Some of us on here were there a decade or so earlier, 76-83 for me, Greenwich Blade the year below.

Groz was giving us stick about “the curse of Lord Hawke” four Utd getting rid of the cricket back then. Never knew Hedley Matthews was a Pig, I still use his catchphrase “2 points to Wigan” whenever someone blazes over the bar.
 
If we are doing High Storrs teachers' football affiliations, I'd like to throw in Mr Pearsall (sp?) the chemistry teacher, whose claim to fame was getting arrested for violent disorder when his team Chelsea got beaten 6-0 by Rotherham in 1982. I'd like to say he was a hero to us all after that, but the guy was an absolute See You Next Tuesday.
 

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