Chelsea FA Cup 1997

[kushiro]

Back in 1997, I was sending regular Leicester updates to a friend who'd gone to live in America. Before he left the UK he was a pen 3 regular. For some reason, there was one letter that didn't get sent, and instead, it now sits in a file of old stuff that I found last week. I thought it was worth reproducing here:

 

Hi,

 

CUP DRAMAS!  The Chelsea game finished 2-2. It was live on TV - there was loads of trouble in the first half, and at half time Jimmy Hill had his usual disgusted face on. At the start of the second half, as the ball went out for a goal kick, the cameras zoomed in on a mother and young son to try and restore a family-friendly mood. But what happened? The cameras captured perfectly the moment as the mother and son shouted 'Ooooooohhh Twat!  You're ShIt AAAHHHH!!!'  Magnificent stuff. 

 

Then the replay. It was 0-0 with three minutes of extra time left. Then - remember 'Speedie dived'? - this was much worse. The worst penalty decision in history - cheating b****rd Erland Johnsen fell over, and here we are 11 days later and still the papers are full of it.

 

Atter the match, City fans attacked the ref's car, then chased him down the street and attacked it again when it stopped at traffic lights. That evening, Danny Baker called on fans to go round to the refs house and sort him out. For his comments, he was SACKED by the BBC. Then two City fans sued the FA for 'missing two days work beacuse they were so upset'.

 

City took out their anger on their next two opponents.  the following Saturday they went to Wimbledon (who'd only lost at home to Man U all season) and were 3 up inside half an hour. Then they beat Villa and are now, yes, 9th in the table.

 

The media was full of calls for video replays to be introduced, FIFA even had a meeting to discuss the idea, but decided against it. The replay of the incident is still being shown on TV every five minutes (or so it seems). And to bring you right up to date, Danny Baker has been snapped up by Talk Sport - and the first callers on his new show were the two City fans who are sueing the FA!

 

Late News!  We beat Wimbledon in the semi-final of the League Cup! City fans outnumbered home fans, and were dead loud the whole match (including 'F*** Off Mike Reed' - the ref at Chelsea). So it's Middlesbrough at Wembley on April 6th! First Cup Final for 28 years! Europe beckons!!

 

 

 

Edited 19 February 2018 by kushiro

[stripeyfox]

I've never been as gutted about a game before or since as I was about that match!

 

 

[sylofox]

That was the most blatant cheat ever so obvious a blind man would of seen it. The reverse camera angle show no contact and the ref in line with it. Cheating cvnt.

[norwichfox]

Still gutted over that.....nothing can ever get us that game back unfortunately.

[urban.spaceman]

It broke my heart at the time. I actually cried myself to sleep. (I was 12). It went against everything that was good and holy. Everything I ever knew and trusted had been shattered. It was worse than someone drawing a cartoon of Mohammed or setting fire to your favourite toy. Chelsea had come into my house on Christmas Day and pissed on the presents under the tree. It set me on a lifelong hatred of Chelsea, which lasted for two decades until May 2nd 2016.

 

I've released Chelsea from that loathing now but I still hope we can get some sort of revenge or poetic justice for the class of 97. 

 

We know we can beat them!

[Blue ROI]

That defeat in 97 didn't bother me that much even allowing for the terrible penalty call.

 

The top half finish and league cup win was just around the corner so made me forget all about it.

 

Atletico Madrid later on was a real sore spot for a long time though.

[kushiro]

Great action here from the first game. Players who were out injured -  Heskey, Izzet, Lennon, Elliott - probably our four best players. And still we gave 'em a fright. Those Chelsea fans you can see in the double decker celebrating the goal were no doubt 'escorted' out pretty smartly.  Forward the video to 5:40 if you want to skip the pre-match stuff. 

 

 

[Ric Flair]

Don't think I've ever been more livid from an injustice in a football game, there's potentially been more significant against us or England but it was a disgrace. We could well have done the double that season, we were fearless.

[FrankieADZ]

was a right joke then and still is now, to say i was annoyed at the time wouldnt even come close, 

 

still think we won have won the FA cup that year if it wasnt for Johnsen tbh

[TheyCallMeMrCarbohydrate]

Went to both games. The 2nd game was so traumatic I'd almost forgotten about the 1st! Comes second on my (long) list of games I'd left feeling totally enraged at. The first being the 3-0 up 4-3 down debacle at Wolves. 

[Voll Blau]

I've hated Chelsea ever since that game.

[Blue ROI]

4 minutes ago, Voll Blau said:

I've hated Chelsea ever since that game.

I found the cup final song they made that year far more offensive.

 

 

[Dan LCFC]

Jamie Vardy, your time has come again.

[StriderHiryu]

Who knows? Might have done the cup double that year if it wasn’t for this incident. That said it was still a great season from a great team. Despite this injustice this was an enjoyable year for me. MON’s team had similar characteristics of our title winning team with a great team spirit and very likeable players. 

 

Thanks for posting this @kushiro it’s always nostalgic to wander down memory lane .

[surrifox]

I went to the replay at SB. Gutted doesn't get close . I remember listening on the radio to Danny Baker talking about the ref in his programme after the game . He said if he was a Leicester fan he would be putting a burning cross on the referees lawn  . I think he was banned after that 

[surrifox]

59 minutes ago, Blue ROI said:

I found the cup final song they made that year far more offensive.

 

 

Yeeeuw. Crimes against music and that ugly bottom feeder wise as well.

[winteriscoming]

Seem to remember afterwoods that o neil wasn’t all that keen to shake gullits hand. Might be wrong but think gullit critised our style of play in the first game. Love to beat them. 

[09bballer]

Thanks for posting kushiro. I've just seen myself manically celebrating Walsh's headed goal!

[kushiro]

Can you imagine if Foxestalk had existed in 1997?  

 

Anyway, here's MON post-match: 

 

 

Close up of the key section:

 

[hackneyfox]

2 hours ago, FrankieADZ said:

was a right joke then and still is now, to say i was annoyed at the time wouldnt even come close, 

 

still think we won have won the FA cup that year if it wasnt for Johnsen tbh

I think he may have done us a favour, I don't believe we'd have won the League Cup had we continued in the FA Cup.

Didn't stop me from being fcuking angry though.

[Saxondale]

Urgh, horrible memories.

[Blue ROI]

1 hour ago, surrifox said:

Yeeeuw. Crimes against music and that ugly bottom feeder wise as well.

Yes.

 

At least Suggs has the madness work in his favour. Wise has no redeeming features.

[bovril]

2 hours ago, Voll Blau said:

I've hated Chelsea ever since that game.

For one evening in 2016 I adored them. I still can't hate them as much as I used to.

[bovril]

And I agree with one of the posters above who said the league form and league cup run helped me forget about it. I don't think I got over the Atletico game until Seville last season.

[Clever Fox]

Just now, bovril said:

For one evening in 2016 I adored them. I still can't hate them as much as I used to.

Yes a very bad decision, Makes you think what was going on back then.

 

Still, I suppose you could say they repaid us in beating Spurs for us in our league title win.

I was hoping for an easier fixture, But the old saying you have to beat them sometime applies. I was hoping Man City Chelsea and Spurs might take each other out.

However it's a one off cup game and their not exactly showing any consistency. I think we should be targeting a Cup win and so selections leading up to the Chelsea game should be made with that in mind. So as we can be at our best to face Chelsea.