“Two and a half hours later all you can hear is ‘super Stevie Claridge’ echoing around Wembley

[Paninistickers]

9 minutes ago, Webbo said:

It's impossible to know for sure but without that goal, we might not have been promoted, no league cups, no Thai owners and no PL win. We might have be stuck in the championship for decades.

Nah. Had we lost, we'd have destroyed the championship the following season.

 

Lennon, Grayson, Walsh, Whitlow, Heskey, Parker, Taylor Claridge would all have still been with us and we'd probably have mustered the 350k for Muzz too.

 

Then we'd have signed Elliott in the summer instead of January. 

Edited 27 May 2020 by Paninistickers

[Plastik Man]

Glorious!

 

Like many I was sat right behind that goal. Martyn's lack of movement was distracting, but I'm not sure he could've got near it from that range.

 

Has to be one of the legendary moments in our history. I'm getting moist!

 

[Corky]

2 minutes ago, lcfc80 said:

Martin George overruled the board as well if I remember after that, Walker was almost dead cert at 1 point

I know we can speak in hindsight but that was the right decision- Walker's time at Everton was awful and his subsequent spell back at Norwich was poor. O'Neill was an up and coming manager who'd had success at Wycombe and clearly destined for great things.

 

Even with Ranieri's unbelievable success, I still think O'Neill and Pearson have been the two biggest managerial appointments in the last 25 years.

[tom27111]

Without doubt the most surreal moment I've witnessed in a football stadium.

 

As others have said, time stood still.

 

I was opposite the benches, on the edge of the 18 yard box. 

 

It was in slow motion as Nigel Martyn just watched the ball sail past him...2 seconds of silence, then utter delirium. 

 

Probably my favourite moment supporting us, despite what's happened since.

 

To win the richest match in the world like that...

[Guest Electric Yetis]

I was about 3 rows back directly in front of where they all piled on top of Claridge after the goal. Just remember running up and down the row going crazy.

[Guest lcfc80]

3 minutes ago, Corky said:

I know we can speak in hindsight but that was the right decision- Walker's time at Everton was awful and his subsequent spell back at Norwich was poor. O'Neill was an up and coming manager who'd had success at Wycombe and clearly destined for great things.

 

Even with Ranieri's unbelievable success, I still think O'Neill and Pearson have been the two biggest managerial appointments in the last 25 years.

im sure at one point they even announced Walker before anyone had been appointed or at least it was being reported they had. crazy times then, one minute the whole crowd singing 'george out' after Sheff Utd, then at Crystal Palace away he's celebrating with the fans a week later after we won. mad, and brilliant times

[Webbo]

Those were the days when you had to queue outside the stadium for 3 hours for tickets. We were in the dear seats, I think that was all that were left or we wanted to get a couple of non ST holders tickets, I'm not sure. 

[Guest lcfc80]

5 minutes ago, tom27111 said:

Without doubt the most surreal moment I've witnessed in a football stadium.

 

As others have said, time stood still.

 

I was opposite the benches, on the edge of the 18 yard box. 

 

It was in slow motion as Nigel Martyn just watched the ball sail past him...2 seconds of silence, then utter delirium. 

 

Probably my favourite moment supporting us, despite what's happened since.

 

To win the richest match in the world like that...

 

especially after we pretty much battered them after they scored, all game. we were relentless. that young black lad they had upfront though was very impressive. going to wiki now to see what happened to him

[tom27111]

4 minutes ago, lcfc80 said:

 

especially after we pretty much battered them after they scored, all game. we were relentless. that young black lad they had upfront though was very impressive. going to wiki now to see what happened to him

George Ndah?

[Guest lcfc80]

1 minute ago, tom27111 said:

George Ndah?

yeah, just looked, seemed he didn't live up to the promise, like many others I suppose

 

BTW, anyone remember Walshie absolutely nailing David Hopkin with a fair tackle but it done him and he had to go off injured

[Paninistickers]

6 minutes ago, lcfc80 said:

 

especially after we pretty much battered them after they scored, all game. we were relentless. that young black lad they had upfront though was very impressive. going to wiki now to see what happened to him

Poole pulled off an incredible save at the start of the second half from him. Match winning save. 

 

Bu apart from that and their goal, it was one way traffic. Relentless, as you day....though from.memory we didn't create much considering we had so much pressure

[Guest Electric Yetis]

Just now, Paninistickers said:

Poole pulled off an incredible save at the start of the second half from him. Match winning save. 

 

Bu apart from that and their goal, it was one way traffic. Relentless, as you day....though from.memory we didn't create much considering we had so much pressure

Poole was a brilliant 'keeper for us from early to mid-nineties.

[Webbo]

1 minute ago, pds said:

Poole was a brilliant 'keeper for us from early to mid-nineties.

Didn't he get a glass trophy as player of the year or something and he dropped it?  

[Sydney_Blue]

15 hours ago, Spiritwalker said:

I was behind the goal and in all my time watching football this was one of the strangest goals. Time seemed to momentarily 

stand still as the ball travelled in slow motion straight in the top corner just brilliant.

 

 

Beautiful to watch that. Happy memories - what a time to be alive! I lived in Plymouth for the whole of the 1990's and made the pilgrimage to Wembley every time, our second home!! 

[Crazy Kop Corner]

I'm sure they gave us the wrong tickets as we were up next to the royal box - We'd always tended to get the cheap seats behind the goal for the other 3 play off games in 92, 93 & 94. 

 

There was what like felt a good second before the crowd erupted as it just seemed to sail past Martin without him even moving. It just felt totally surreal. After it registered it was absolutely bedlam. 

 

My mate, who was absolutely rat arsed, was trying to figure out how we'd won, when had we scored, what had happened with penalties. He was legless and in shock it was that sought of moment. 

 

The great thing was that we had a superb team and I felt with the addition of Lennon and Izzet and the emergence of Emile we were going to be fine which was a great feeling and I couldn't wait for the 96/97 season. 

 

 

 

Edited 28 May 2020 by Crazy Kop Corner

[Japanfox]

20 hours ago, whetstonefox said:

Best day out ever! Best seats at Wembley in all those trips in the 90s. Those play off trips seemed to follow the same pattern , glorious sunshine, early start on a coach, to the Green Man pub I think it was called, sat outside with tinnies , Blackburn and Swindon games were tough to take but Derby & Palace, wow!

Know how you feel.

 

The sheer feeling of adrenaline rush ING through your body when we got back to 3-3.  Then.......that was the biggest downer but it didn't hit under after hours due to the high of getting back to 3-3.

 

The others after the  Blackburn and Swindon were great,  but for me that Swindon play off final for sheer emotional roller coaster of emotions.  Well that sticks on my memory by far.

 

 

 

[whetstonefox]

12 hours ago, pds said:

Poole was a brilliant 'keeper for us from early to mid-nineties.

Poole made some great saves in the play off 1st leg against Stoke at Filbert Street. One of Brian Littles first signings, boy I miss the 90s!...only deadline I had to stick to back then was getting to the Swan & Rushes for midday for home games!  

[CosbehFox]

12 hours ago, Paninistickers said:

Poole pulled off an incredible save at the start of the second half from him. Match winning save. 

 

Bu apart from that and their goal, it was one way traffic. Relentless, as you day....though from.memory we didn't create much considering we had so much pressure

Naa if you watch back now Ron Atkinson is having a wet dream about George Ndah 

[Guest WarehamFox]

Mid to late 90’s were the best of times (not just the football) and this was one of the best days. Oh to go back. The Monkees “Day dream believer” just playing on radio at work, sure we sang that a few times at Wembley that day 🥳. 

[Spudulike]

I think that was the best ever performance by Lennon that I can remember. Palace were just hoofing it into our half in desperation to relieve the relentless pressure and it always seemed that Lennon would mop it up and drive us forward again. Top player. 

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

Oh the memories, that goal was one of the best moments in my life ever, just amazing!

[Guest worth_the_wait]

A great memory.   Everytime I see that goal, you can see Nigel Martyn thinking "ah, that'll be the ball then" as it goes past him, into the net.
 
It was a great end to the game, but the 10 minutes before it had been really weird where we were sitting  (behind the goal, at the back of the lower tier).
 
A bloke in front of us had his programme taken, after it dropped on the floor under his seat.  He was convinced my mate has stolen it, until it was pointed out it was the lad over the gangway.  He challenged this lad and his 2 mates, and after a brief argument, he punched him.   The lad who thought him and his 2 mates were well hard, slinked away ... and told the coppers!   Who subsequently arrested the bloke.  (ok, I know you shouldn't hit someone, but he was asking for it).  These 3 brave, tough lads now spent the next few minutes picking on the bloke's young mate (who had been handed his car keys, but didn't look old enough to drive) and by this stage was utterly bewildered.  
 
It was really unsavoury, and in hindsight I'd wished we'd sorted out these bullies.   The trouble is, you don't really want to get involved as you don't know where it will lead.   And it was also a playoff final, and you're trying to watch the most important match of the season.
 
Anyway, just when I was thinking what a shit day it was turning out to be ... up pops Claridge with his winner.   Cue bedlam, pandemonium, you name it.   An absolutely brilliant moment, one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences.  Everything else in the world forgotten.

 

[Countryfox]

Another fantastic day out that I will never forget ...  the main man this time was the other Super Steve ...   LCFC legend Walshy !!
 

 

[Countryfox]

And I’ve got a pic up of that one too !! ...   “The silence of the Rams” ...   

 

 

[Fox92]

Great to see Claridge celebrating our goal against Arsenal on that Sky watchalong. Seen a video on twitter earlier.

 

As I've said before people seem to miss him out when talking about legends but to me he is a club legend. A goal in a play off final and cup final is definitely legendary status.