Greatest LCFC Final - 1994, 1996, 1997 or 2000

[US Foxes Podcast]

We just wanted to get everyone's thoughts on what they think the greatest LCFC final was..... Were planning on doing a rewatch for this week's podcast! 

[TonyN11]

Has to be 1997, first time we won anything since the dawn of creation (or so it seems) 

[Aus Fox]

All for different reasons were great, but 1994 for me, on the back of 2 previous defeats at that stage, the local rivalry, the comments before hand from Paul Kitson having just left us for them, Tommy Johnson was also a ****.

[urban.spaceman]

30 minutes ago, US Foxes Podcast said:

We just wanted to get everyone's thoughts on what they think the greatest LCFC final was..... Were planning on doing a rewatch for this week's podcast! 

96. Well, that could be... the winner from Claridge IT IS! STEVIE CLARIDGE HAS GIVEN LEICESTER A PLACE IN THE PREMIERSHIP!

 

My first Wembley trip, and for me, without a doubt the best.

[bovril]

96 for me. Like Urban Spaceman above it was my first trip to Wembley and the commentary is also etched in my memory. It was a pivotal moment for the club. 

[Rain King]

94 definitely. First win at Wembley.

Massive underdogs with terrible injury problems. Coatsworth and Gibson playing and Jimmy Willis putting in a brilliant man of the match display.

The commentary for the winner is etched into my memory forever. The few minutes after the goal until the full time whistle seemed to last an eternity.

 

Also provided one of the greatest photos ever.

 

Edited 14 March 2020 by pds

[Mike the Metal Ed]

1996 has such nostalgia for me for the reasons outlined above, but I don't actually think it was a great game until we equalised. The Derby '94 match at least has the local rivalry, our 0-6 record at Wembley, the fact we were underdogs and the pure nerves you can see on Brian Little as the match wears on, I don't think he believed it was over for about a week after the final whistle.

[Guy]

Yes, also 1996's PO Final for me too - with the unbelievable and surreal last gasp Claridge winner after Spider came on for the anticipated penalty shoot out, never to be seen again in the UK following that game! That, in spite of the similarly dramatic Derby one two years earlier against bitter rivals. However we were there for the taking the following Prem. season and it all went sour after Brian Little had departed for Villa, with Mark McGhee not able to halt the inevitable slide back to the second tier.

Also with Palace the nature of the dramatic game (and how we got there against very hefty odds between March and May), epitomised 1995-96 for me in a nutshell! What followed was great too though under O'Neill for the next four seasons in the Prem. as a generally unfancied outfit - including us lifting the League Cup twice!  

[trabuch]

I voted league cup 97 - it was the first time football made me weep (I was very, very drunk at the time).

Edited 14 March 2020 by trabuch

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

1996 for me as well, I’m sure there was that split second of silence when the ball went in the net before pandemonium broke out, literally everyone was talking penalty shootout and the Kalac substitution and then Claridge shinned the most unbelievable goal, great memories.

Lucky enough to go to the Middlesbrough final and replay, that was also incredibly special but 1996 shades it for me, just for that moment, it’ll always be one of my best ever memories, not just in football but in life. 🦊  

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

7 hours ago, pds said:

94 definitely. First win at Wembley.

Massive underdogs with terrible injury problems. Coatsworth and Gibson playing and Jimmy Willis putting in a brilliant man of the match display.

The commentary for the winner is etched into my memory forever. The few minutes after the goal until the full time whistle seemed to last an eternity.

 

Also provided one of the greatest photos ever.

 

That photo 😍 great days.

[lestajigs]

Gotta be 94 surly 

[Finnegan]

94 strikes me as the most iconic, Walshy really was to us then what Vards is now, he was Mr Leicester, completely iconic, a hero to so many football fans in the city. 

 

For him to clinch a dramatic late winner like that against Derby, of all teams, especially given the state of the side at the time in a game we were expected to lose. It was nuts. 

 

It helps that it was the first final I can really remember I guess. 

 

The two Cladidge winners were sensational but I think 94 must edges them for me. 

 

2000 just wasn't the same because we were supposed to win it tbf and we probably made more of a hash of it than we should have. I'm sure it'll be someone's first choice for sentimental reasons but it'd definitely come bottom of that list personally. 

[tylesta]

We always had to come from behind in play off final matches

[when_you're_smiling]

Probably 94 and 96 on an even keel. Both late goals. Palace more dramatic but then the other was over Derby and was the first  win at Wembley in our history on the back of the losses in the two previous seasons.

 

97 was special for it being only the second major trophy in our history at that point, but I kind of remember both those games were pretty terrible. I do remember thinking that and 00 would probably be as good as it ever got for us!

[ealingfox]

You missed out 1999!

[Guest bss9401]

It should be one of the League Cup wins, but for me it is 1994. After two heartbreakers, the win against the odds. Joy, tears and the Premier League after years in the darkness. And all of this against the sheep. I had never celebrated so much.

[TiffToff88]

As a couple of others have said, for me it's 1996 - my first trip to Wembley. Most dramatic finish to a playoff match I've ever seen (probably slightly biased)

[Izzy]

Definitely 94.

 

After the pain of Blackburn and Swindon the two seasons before, the euphoria of that day was just amazing.

 

I'll never forget the coach back and non stop singing down the pub afterwards until the early hours.

 

96 was great and Hillsborough was amazing too, but 94 tops them both for me.

[Blueman1967]

I pick 1997, as the first cup final, I went too, 1996 got be the most dramatic 

[Master Fox]

2021 - Champions League Final 

[dayday]

1994 defo for me, but for the wrong reasons the play off final in 93 was the most heart breaking, I’ve never felt so drained 

[Guy]

11 hours ago, when_you're_smiling said:

Probably 94 and 96 on an even keel. Both late goals. Palace more dramatic but then the other was over Derby and was the first  win at Wembley in our history on the back of the losses in the two previous seasons.

 

97 was special for it being only the second major trophy in our history at that point, but I kind of remember both those games were pretty terrible. I do remember thinking that and 00 would probably be as good as it ever got for us!

Yes, a special occasion for us at each LC final game v moneybags 'Boro for sure but the Wembley game got voted as the worst ever final by many punters at the time I seem to recall! 

[peterborofox]

1996, used to love watching that final back and season review as a kid. Because O'Neill came in during that season it was like the start of the story building up to 97 and 00

[Hammo]

My brother constantly reminds me that I said “I can die happy now” when we finally lifted a proper Cup at Wembley, so I guess it has to be 2000.

 

And it also meant we became the first club in Europe (maybe even the entire world) to lift a major trophy in the new millennium. No one can ever take that away from us (well not for another 980 years)...