For the people that remember 1996...

[iancognito]

I swear there was a split second of complete silence when the ball nestled in the back of the net. A sort of stunned disbelief mixed with a bit of strangled ecstasy

I was right behind the goal and it wasn't just a split second, I remember the ball skewing into the net and Nigel Martyn falling flat on his arse completely wrongfooted and then.... just noise (and people I didn't know jumping on me!). Fantastic day, the start of an era we could never have dreamed of and may never see again.

[Salieri]

I remember it very well, the moment the ball flew in the net off Stevies shin was one of the most surreal yet best moments of my life.

It's the (very rare) truly great times like this that make everything else all worthwhile.

I honestly believe supporters of the more successful clubs become desensitised to feelings of such sheer and utter joy.

[lildave3]

This thread is a brilliant read. Some of the posts are making my hair stand up

I was there. But seeing as I was just 5 years old I remember pretty much fook all! Pretty sure my dad sorted a bus load out with family and friends and shizzle though, I vaguely remember my older cousin teaching me how to clap in time to some songs! Sort of remember having a little flag too, just seeing all these people, most in blue was pretty incredible tbh.

[samjohnson]

Being only 2... Very almost nearly 3... I cant remember it

But ive watched the classic VHS tapes.... Awesome game

[Vacamion]

I only ever managed to get to two Wembley play off finals, Derby & Palace !!!

(I'll try and go if we get to the final this year... )

I went to the Derby game with a girlfriend who wasn't really that into City. Of course the result of that one was good and I had an OK time, but the Palace play off final just made any memories of the Derby final fade away.

For the Palace play off final I ended up going with with my sister, a proper City fan, formerly of Pen 3.

We set off at early o'clock by train and were drinking tins of lager at 9.00am (at Euston for some reason???). We found a pub with some city fans in and one of them painted my face blue.

As the pub filled up with both sets of fans I remember boozily singing "one song, you've only got one song..." at the Palace fans who could only chant "Eagles, Eagles"...

Like everyone else, the moment Claridge scored was marked by what seemed to be an extraordinarily long, almost slo-mo, moment of disbelief and then utter, utter chaos. I ended up 4 rows away from where I started. My specs fell off. The stranger I was hugging was smeared in my blue face paint.

The train back was quite quiet - I think everyone was cream crackered from the celebrating. When we got back to Leicester, for reasons unknown we got a taxi to Oadby (I lived nowhere near Oadby) but the pub we tried to get into wouldn't let us in because we were "wearing colours" (and perhaps because I had half a blue face and was quite drunk).

A stupendous, awesome, wonderful day.

[Karljohn]

Was stood up near the back behind the goal, honestly thought that Claridge had skied it and it had looped over the bar, could not believe it when the net rippled. Memories from that day are vague, just remember Scott Taylor with his bleached blonde hair having a really good game, and absolutely battering Palace in the second half.

[Fosse Boy]

Great day out for a six year old, gotta love those wooden benches (think I ended up stood on it for a lot of the game).

Vaguely remember being concerned when Palace ladies beat Leicester ladies in a friendly they played on the pitch before the game. Also remember booing Wolves youth team (hated Wolves when I was a littl'un due to the McGhee, and later the Iwan transfer) who were playing pre-match for some reason?!?! Should probably go and dig out the programme to trigger some more memories.

In summation - Spider Kalac = hero.

[Nick]

I was in hospital thanks to some willy puller bringing a cat to the game.

[MC Prussian]

Does anyone have any highlights/videos from the game? Reading all these stories is getting me all nostalgic.

You can watch the goals on FoxesPlayer - just like I did a split second ago.

[Collymore]

You can watch the goals on FoxesPlayer - just like I did a split second ago.

where abouts in foxesplayer do you go? The foxes archive only goes back this season

[MC Prussian]

where abouts in foxesplayer do you go? The foxes archive only goes back this season

Yeah, the silly thing doesn't have a proper search function (yet).

All you got to do is scroll down to the very bottom, then wait until the earlier videos appear (watch the scroll bar on the right hand side move automatically after a while).

Do this a couple of times and you should get to a point in late 2009, where the Crystal Palace match is listed as a "Great Game".

[lildave3]

Oh, and I too might just dig out my dvd of the game and stick it on after this

[Cobbo]

One of the best days of my life.

But mainly remembered for me and me mum having a full 2 litre bottle of irn bru. Well, they of course took the top off us, so my mum not wanting to waste any made me drink it all before we left.

The relief of a tree on Vicky Park when we arrived home on the coach was probably the best piss I have ever had.

In other news, you can see my mum and my own heads in the slow motion replay when Muzzy is brought down we had front row seats, which was great, except a small 12 year old child could not sit on them stools and see over the top! So I spent the entire game on my knees peering over. Claridge's winner was something else.

[Sampson]

1956! The first year I ever saw city.

Oh to be a young'on.

No not really , I saw the best ever City side, and was privilaged to attend their games, both home and away,

Memories of the likes of Gordon Banks, Davie Gibson, Frank McLintock, Ken Leek, Len Glover, Ian King ,Mike Stringfellow, Keith Weller, Allan Clarke, Frank Worthington, Graham Cross, David Nish,Derek Dougan, and of course the Birch himself, along with countless others, that had real quality.

They would wipe out any city players since the nineties. Fact, not fiction.

Now come on, no need to be a stereotypical old bugger. I am also old enough to remember the same side and I still consider Matt Gillies to be a better manager than Martin O'Neill, but I can appreciate that side in the 90's as much as anyone else. While I don't think we ever had players as good as Banks or Gibson in that side, I would definitely put players like Walsh and Lennon up there with the best players I've ever seen in a City shirt.

I was at Wembley for all 3 FA Cup Finals during the 60's and can remember them vividly, and perhaps even more vividly I can remember the victorious semi-finals, but the 1996 play-off final ranks alongside any of those. In fact for the pure heart stopping moment, I don't think anything comes close to Claridge's goal. Seeing your side score the winning goal in the 121st minute at Wembley is one of those things that it's really hard to put into words.

[Teeno]

I was 7 years old at the time. I don't think I fully understood the full importance of the game at the time, but the experience of the day and the moment Claridge scored will be something I never forget.

I remember setting off early to the game, it was on my dads birthday so we were up early doing the whole opening cards and present thing. Stopping off at a service station on the way I remember my dad buying my younger brother and I a Leicester flag each, to go with the hats, scarf, shirts and facepoint we were already sporting.

Not far from Wembley I remember being at a stand still in the car approaching a roundabout. Me and my brother were waving our flags from the sunroof with all the cars around beeping their horns.

I was gutted before the game after the poles of our flags were taken off us from a steward outside the ground, despite the fact inside the ground there were thousands of flags being waved.

We were in our seats for what seemed like an eternity before kick off and being confused as to who the hell was warming up for City with bleached blond hair clearly sticks in my mind.

I don't remember much about the game, however throughout the summer of 96 I was for ever copying the Gary Parker slide.

Although being only 7 years old the day is something I still remember clearly today, the experience of the occasion really flamed my passion for football, and Particularly Leicester City Football club. My nephew is 5 years old at the moment and is already Leicester mad. I would love nothing more than for City to get to Wembley this May and for him to experience something similar. He is already repeatedly asking myself and my dad when Leicester are going to play Forest at Wembley. Fingers crossed!!!

[Mike the Metal Ed]

Anyone remember Walsh's challenge on David Hopkin? Can't remember if it resonated around Wembley, but on the video, all you hear is *clatter* "AAAARGH!"

[Ilkeston_Fox]

Now come on, no need to be a stereotypical old bugger. I am also old enough to remember the same side and I still consider Matt Gillies to be a better manager than Martin O'Neill, but I can appreciate that side in the 90's as much as anyone else. While I don't think we ever had players as good as Banks or Gibson in that side, I would definitely put players like Walsh and Lennon up there with the best players I've ever seen in a City shirt.

I was at Wembley for all 3 FA Cup Finals during the 60's and can remember them vividly, and perhaps even more vividly I can remember the victorious semi-finals, but the 1996 play-off final ranks alongside any of those. In fact for the pure heart stopping moment, I don't think anything comes close to Claridge's goal. Seeing your side score the winning goal in the 121st minute at Wembley is one of those things that it's really hard to put into words.

Have to agree with that.

I had the very great pleasure of seeing Walshy breaking Derby hearts very late on in '94. I never dreamed I would endure far more nerves of potential penalties and witness a better goal, but Claridge proved otherwise.

I was 11 in '96 so remember this very well indeed. We were stood towards the back of the stand and had a great view of the ball hitting the back of the net, remember the City fans putting Palace to shame (though granted we'd had alot of practice - Blackburn, Swindon, Derby).

THAT goal and the following pandemonium will stay with me forever. The silence was alomst deafening, the roar when everyone realised we'd scored the winner was enough to bring the house down. Truly magical experience that cannot be bought.....Where's that DVD

On a side note, did anybody else play in that game against the Middlesborough fans in the coach park at the cup final?

[Milans Foxes]

Am loving this thread!!

I remember the day so vividly, was only 7 years old but had my first proper season as a Leicester fan. We left really early that morning giving us time to find somehwhere to eat on the way, scarves hanging out all 4 car windows, face covered in blue and white looking forward to the game! I remember it so well, we went to a mcdonalds in London, think it was about 1 o clock. We came bounding out, full of Big Mac and chips and went to get in the car...............It wouldn't start! We tried and tried but it wasn't starting! I was starting to get worried, are we gonna miss the game?? I was asking. About half hour later we gave up on the car and decided to find the nearest tube station.

After a long walk (seemed like hours), we were lost! No sign of a tube station and no sign of the Twin Towers. We asked a man who was tending to his front garden for directions. He told us we were nowhere near the tube station and we would never make it in time for the game (It was about half 2 now). However, he then offered us a lift, he said it would only take 20 minutes. I just remember being so relieved!! He went in to tell his wife and took us to the ground, the ironic thing was he told us he was a Derby fan and still hated us for the final he had attended 2 years previously. SO we rolled up to the end of Wembley way with about ten minutes to spare.

Then we ascended those characteristic old steps up to the turnstiles and went in to find our seat just in time for the fireworks of the players coming out. I just remember being in complete awe at the sea of blue and white, flags everywhere, I think all 30,000+ Leicester fans were waving one. The match was a blur but for three moments! Muzzy Izzet was put through by a ridiculous Walshy pass, I just remember the trip and the roar when we realised we had a penalty. Cue Dad lifing me up on to the seat, as he had done all season when something was about to happen and then the celebrations as Garry Parker held his nerve.

Next, the most surreal moment I have experienced in football. 70,000 fans looking on nervously pondering the prospect of a penalty shoot out and suddenly what seemed like a 7ft giant stood up from the bench and removed his tracksuit top. Murmurs of disbelief rang around the ground as Spider Kalac took to the field!! Palace players peering round seeing the monster they were going to have to fire their penalties past.

Then, the ball falls to Claridge, I remember him hitting the ball so clearly. It was another surreal moment. I remember thinking the keeper was going to save it as it wasn't struck cleanly at all!! I swear time stopped at this moment for what seemed like 5 seconds, the keeper literally hadn't moved, it was going in the bottom corner!! Then, silence, followed by an absolute eruption in the Leicester end, was incredible, will never forget that moment!

Spider Kalac played his part, I still think that sub completely put off the Palace players enough for them to lose concentration for that minute, allowing Claridge to find the space to shin it in!

What a day!! This is what football is about!

[CosbehFox]

I can not talk about it. I will begin tears of joy...and then them tears will remind me of Swindon final!

Watched it again this Summer....absolutely brilliant. When the ball went off Steve's shin - beautiful!

We all went on a bus ran from Braunstone. Remember me wearing our shirt with the Premiership badges from the previous there and pointing at them to the Palace fans.

Magic days (in fact all of them were - never did the League Cup victories).

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

I feel like I have no choice now - it's time the Wembley dvd boxset came out again!

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

I was at 'Just a Jungle' (quality place, sadly missed) for my older brother's eighth birthday.

I just remember my dad going completely apeshit and screaming at a load of kids, shaking me and scaring me shitless.

I vaguely remember looking up at a small TV mounted on a wall and distinctly remember the words 'promotion' and seeing a 2-1 scoreline, but I was too busy supporting Blackburn at the time.