I had one mate with me in 134 - he was pot 2 but had managed to get a ticket in the standing section and was able to squash in with me at the front.
I turned to him after about 20 minutes, and said “we’ve turned up. The fans, the players - I don’t even care that much if we lose, we’ve turned up and we’re going at them”.
He just looked back at me and said “nah. We’re fucking winning this”
Didn’t even see Isak’s “Angel of the North” because I was too busy climbing over seats to hug everybody within a 30 foot radius. Utter carnage, and I think probably my single best ever moment as a football supporter!
Like a lot of fans I was figthing back tears for most of this match. But my resistance was finally broken by a player I have constantly slated.
87 minutes. Murphy picks a ball up just outside our box and tries to break down the right, but a fresh Chiesa takes the ball off him and tries to counter. Murphy is on the ground out by the touchline. Legs have completely gone. A few seconds later you see him trying to limp back to help out where he could but Liverpool waste their possession and the ball goes out for a goal kick.
Murphy has collapsed again. Gakpo sportingly helps him to his feet but all his legs will do is let him strut about like a chicken. Longstaff is readied to replace him. Murphy realises he is being brought off and starts to clap the crowd but in his complete exhaustion and confusion instinct kicks in and he turns to go back into the fray. Can’t run. Nothing left. But the brain still tells him he has to get back in there.
His brain is puddled. 70 years. Nearly there. Nearly there. 3 minutes. 3 minutes. Must go on. Must go on. Fight. Fight. Fight. That’s when I broke.
Strutting like a chicken, the game restarts but the ball goes out almost immediately and finally Murphy understands what’s going on and struts over to the touchline to be replaced.
All of us fans say we want players to give 100%. Jacob my boy, you surely did that and more.
In the 23 final I was at was at the top of a Wembley escalator and bumped into a school friend I hadn’t seen for twenty or more years. A needle in a haystack moment. On Sunday after the victory, amidst the jumble of fans and tube stations, I felt an arm on the shoulder. “We did it!” Same lad again! Incredible day never to be forgotten.
That was a magnificent read and the feeling won't die. It really does mean the hope won't kill you anymore.
I was actually in two minds as to whether I could actually watch this after so many years of hurt (over 50 in my case), but my boy came round and we watched it together and the sheer commitment, strategy and skill on display in those first 30 minutes was exceptional. The last 5 or 6 was close to torture, but the keeping of the ball out of our half was magnificent.
Still not sure how big Joe didn't get sent off at the end of the game mind (not even a yellow card).
The scenes were unreal. I would like to bet there will be about 150,000 people who were "actually there" in years to come, but never mind. You were and the words are great. Get innnnnn.
It seems that unless you share it with equally mad and starved of success NUFC fans it doesn’t exist. Whisper it .. but we are going to be OK. The hope no longer kills you but maybe it elevates you higher. Just this once - it did! HTL
Great piece Matty. I had the offer of a ticket but I wasn't sure it was 100% so I flew back to Newcastle to watch it with my boys, one of whom came down from Troon.
Fantastic day in the Bodega. Wembley would have been great but celebrating with my boys was better.
Ace article. So true: "If we never win another football match, I can live with that. There will never be a first again. Never will it taste so sweet. Never will the emotion be quite as pure, quite as strong." For a non-hugger there will be hugs aplenty in and around Brentford at home and all sorts of other post-Wembley meets.
Dunno if everyone knew this anyway but I was delighted to read today that Mandy and Merdhad were there as well.! Perfect. Im frightened I’m gonna wake up any second now….!:)
I had one mate with me in 134 - he was pot 2 but had managed to get a ticket in the standing section and was able to squash in with me at the front.
I turned to him after about 20 minutes, and said “we’ve turned up. The fans, the players - I don’t even care that much if we lose, we’ve turned up and we’re going at them”.
He just looked back at me and said “nah. We’re fucking winning this”
Didn’t even see Isak’s “Angel of the North” because I was too busy climbing over seats to hug everybody within a 30 foot radius. Utter carnage, and I think probably my single best ever moment as a football supporter!
Like a lot of fans I was figthing back tears for most of this match. But my resistance was finally broken by a player I have constantly slated.
87 minutes. Murphy picks a ball up just outside our box and tries to break down the right, but a fresh Chiesa takes the ball off him and tries to counter. Murphy is on the ground out by the touchline. Legs have completely gone. A few seconds later you see him trying to limp back to help out where he could but Liverpool waste their possession and the ball goes out for a goal kick.
Murphy has collapsed again. Gakpo sportingly helps him to his feet but all his legs will do is let him strut about like a chicken. Longstaff is readied to replace him. Murphy realises he is being brought off and starts to clap the crowd but in his complete exhaustion and confusion instinct kicks in and he turns to go back into the fray. Can’t run. Nothing left. But the brain still tells him he has to get back in there.
His brain is puddled. 70 years. Nearly there. Nearly there. 3 minutes. 3 minutes. Must go on. Must go on. Fight. Fight. Fight. That’s when I broke.
Strutting like a chicken, the game restarts but the ball goes out almost immediately and finally Murphy understands what’s going on and struts over to the touchline to be replaced.
All of us fans say we want players to give 100%. Jacob my boy, you surely did that and more.
In the 23 final I was at was at the top of a Wembley escalator and bumped into a school friend I hadn’t seen for twenty or more years. A needle in a haystack moment. On Sunday after the victory, amidst the jumble of fans and tube stations, I felt an arm on the shoulder. “We did it!” Same lad again! Incredible day never to be forgotten.
That was a magnificent read and the feeling won't die. It really does mean the hope won't kill you anymore.
I was actually in two minds as to whether I could actually watch this after so many years of hurt (over 50 in my case), but my boy came round and we watched it together and the sheer commitment, strategy and skill on display in those first 30 minutes was exceptional. The last 5 or 6 was close to torture, but the keeping of the ball out of our half was magnificent.
Still not sure how big Joe didn't get sent off at the end of the game mind (not even a yellow card).
The scenes were unreal. I would like to bet there will be about 150,000 people who were "actually there" in years to come, but never mind. You were and the words are great. Get innnnnn.
Superb Matt, I'm blubbing like a bairn again.
It seems that unless you share it with equally mad and starved of success NUFC fans it doesn’t exist. Whisper it .. but we are going to be OK. The hope no longer kills you but maybe it elevates you higher. Just this once - it did! HTL
Great piece Matty. I had the offer of a ticket but I wasn't sure it was 100% so I flew back to Newcastle to watch it with my boys, one of whom came down from Troon.
Fantastic day in the Bodega. Wembley would have been great but celebrating with my boys was better.
Couldn’t be there, in the toon neither - but Sam Fender on Sunday night in Berlin was magic ✊😁- HTL
Brilliant piece of writing this 🎩
Great piece, Matt. And there was me thinking I was done being choked up with emotion.
Ace article. So true: "If we never win another football match, I can live with that. There will never be a first again. Never will it taste so sweet. Never will the emotion be quite as pure, quite as strong." For a non-hugger there will be hugs aplenty in and around Brentford at home and all sorts of other post-Wembley meets.
Such a brilliant piece. Spine tingling…..
Dunno if everyone knew this anyway but I was delighted to read today that Mandy and Merdhad were there as well.! Perfect. Im frightened I’m gonna wake up any second now….!:)