Post by animallittle on Aug 23, 2008 12:33:04 GMT 1
After a 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane with Spurs in round 4 we then brought them back to Oakwell and demolished them 3-1 with an action packed performance that convinced us we could yet survive in the Premiership,that night we were simply brilliant,on an electric charged evening and with the floodlights providing the atmosphere we blew Spurs away playing the brand of football that had coined the " just like watching Brazil " song,that then set up a 5th round tie at the " Theatre Of Dreams " and the scene of a humbling Premiership experience the previous October when we were thumped 7-0 .....it could and should have been alot more.
But it was to be the last time anyone in this League had a piss taking 90 minutes at our expense,we grew up after that and started to come to terms with the requirements needed at this level,stop been so gung-ho,stop giving the ball away cheaply,and more importantly start dishing some stick out and get tough,our next away game following the " Theatre Of Nightmare's " experience was at Anfield and we came away with new belief and resolve following a 1-0 victory.
So it was with some confidence that the five of us boarded the 9 am train to Manchester that sunday morning,myself,Big Bri,Mick,Dave The Rave and for the first time that season my old man were all quietly confident we could at least give them a game,the plan was to have a few beers in Manchester city centre and then meet two of our season ticket holding Man Utd supporting mates from our local in a pub in near to Old Trafford at around 2pm prior to the 4pm kick off time.
During the journey over the hill to lancashire the old man started holding court as well as cleaning us all out at pontoon,he told us of his last visit to Old Trafford to watch the lads,a 1-0 defeat to mighty Rhyl in 1970 in a 2nd replay,this was in the days when ties were played on neutral ground and concluded with a proper winner,no matter how many games it took,he said there were less than 3,000 fans in the ground that night and he had to walk 50 yards to get a light,a bit different today,when there would be 55,000 in the ground including 9,000 travelling reds.
We arrived in Manchester at around 10.15 and proceeded to a cafe just down the road from Piccadily station and ordered a full english,and then on to an Irish pub next door for the first of many pints that were to come that afternoon.
After about an hour or so,6 or 7 of the Stone Island,Baseball capped fraternity walked into the pub and started giving us the eye,none of us wear colour's,we never have and we all like to wear decent clobber to the match,does not make us hoolies but sometimes it attracts the wrong sort of attention and in any case we had a 60 odd year old bloke with us,experience tells us never show your fear ....or you are dead in the water,the Manc crew decided to stand at the side of the main door to the pub,hmmm this could get interesting we thought,time for us to move on and see whats what,with the old man already outside on the street we got up and made for the door and Big Bri did his time honoured sink or swim routine and lit a cig up,with our eyes firmly fixed on theirs we marched straight towards them with Big Bri at the front, he then proceeded to drop his cig straight at the feet of one of the Manc crew and the message was clear and understood .....if you are game .....so are we ....they moved out of our way and stayed in the pub,we then walked straight to the next bar .....1-0 to the reds and a good sign.
Part 2 To Follow Shortly
But it was to be the last time anyone in this League had a piss taking 90 minutes at our expense,we grew up after that and started to come to terms with the requirements needed at this level,stop been so gung-ho,stop giving the ball away cheaply,and more importantly start dishing some stick out and get tough,our next away game following the " Theatre Of Nightmare's " experience was at Anfield and we came away with new belief and resolve following a 1-0 victory.
So it was with some confidence that the five of us boarded the 9 am train to Manchester that sunday morning,myself,Big Bri,Mick,Dave The Rave and for the first time that season my old man were all quietly confident we could at least give them a game,the plan was to have a few beers in Manchester city centre and then meet two of our season ticket holding Man Utd supporting mates from our local in a pub in near to Old Trafford at around 2pm prior to the 4pm kick off time.
During the journey over the hill to lancashire the old man started holding court as well as cleaning us all out at pontoon,he told us of his last visit to Old Trafford to watch the lads,a 1-0 defeat to mighty Rhyl in 1970 in a 2nd replay,this was in the days when ties were played on neutral ground and concluded with a proper winner,no matter how many games it took,he said there were less than 3,000 fans in the ground that night and he had to walk 50 yards to get a light,a bit different today,when there would be 55,000 in the ground including 9,000 travelling reds.
We arrived in Manchester at around 10.15 and proceeded to a cafe just down the road from Piccadily station and ordered a full english,and then on to an Irish pub next door for the first of many pints that were to come that afternoon.
After about an hour or so,6 or 7 of the Stone Island,Baseball capped fraternity walked into the pub and started giving us the eye,none of us wear colour's,we never have and we all like to wear decent clobber to the match,does not make us hoolies but sometimes it attracts the wrong sort of attention and in any case we had a 60 odd year old bloke with us,experience tells us never show your fear ....or you are dead in the water,the Manc crew decided to stand at the side of the main door to the pub,hmmm this could get interesting we thought,time for us to move on and see whats what,with the old man already outside on the street we got up and made for the door and Big Bri did his time honoured sink or swim routine and lit a cig up,with our eyes firmly fixed on theirs we marched straight towards them with Big Bri at the front, he then proceeded to drop his cig straight at the feet of one of the Manc crew and the message was clear and understood .....if you are game .....so are we ....they moved out of our way and stayed in the pub,we then walked straight to the next bar .....1-0 to the reds and a good sign.
Part 2 To Follow Shortly