Blackburn Rovers 1 Charlton Athletic 0

[FourLaneBlue]

It had been fifty nine years since the last time we had won a major cup...and to be honest on this day we still hadn't won a major cup. Never mind though...it felt like it was!

The Full Members Cup victory meant a return to Wembley for the first time since the Cup final debacle of 1960. That had been a disaster from before final day (ticket fiasco), on the morning of the game (star striker Dougan handing in a transfer request), during the game (3-0 thrashing with an own goal to boot) and after the game (Dave Whelan's football career lay in ruins).

If ever there is a new forum created named 'Hell, I'm in Hell.....' then that should probably be the first entry.

Instead we had a cup run which saw us beating Huddersfield United, Sheffield United, Oxford United(first division then), Chelsea(ditto) before sweeping aside Ipswich Town 3-0 at Ewood in the semi-final.

So...to Wembley. The game wasn't actually much kop really. Dull, although we had the better of proceedings I felt (although this might be bias as our keeper, Vince O'Keefe, was named Man of the Match) and our fans were certainly the most vocal. Unsurprising really as top flight Charlton could only bring about 8,000 of their fans along. It's not as if it was too far to go either....

Then it happened. The moment. The thing I'd been waiting for. After 84 minutes...I needed the toilet. Thinking I'd be able to rush it quickly and so be back well in time for the inevitable extra half hour and penalties if need be(they were quite a new introduction then so I was quite looking forward to seeing them). The fizzy pop my dad had bought me had caused this need so I left my nice blue Wembley seat (we'd actually paid for the cheaper rubbishy red ones at the front with holes in them but there had been plenty of spare seats) and as I was in the toilet I heard a surge of voices from the Rovers fans. As quick as I finished and as quick as my little legs ran all I saw was Rovers fans jumping up and cheering. I'd missed the goal. Gutted.

Aparently Windy Miller had raced down the right wing and sent over a cross the Charlton keeper couldn't deal before the new Blonde Bombshell striker from Dundee FC, Colin Hendry, swept the ball in. The Rovers winner at Wembley...and I'd missed it,

Oh well that's life...I didn't miss seeing Glenn Keeley lift up the trophy and then dropping the thing on the way down.

Later that week - a large gathering of Roverites to welcome back our victorious team at a Town Hall Reception.

It was only the Full Members Cup...but we were still oh so grateful!

To read more I wrote a little article on Rovers in the Full Member Cup - The Full Members' Cup. If I ever get the spare time I'll try to update that section of the site.

The Rovers team that day was…

Vince o’Keefe,

Chris Price,

Chris Sulley,

Glenn Keeley,

David Mail,

Scott Sellars,

Simon Barker,

Alan Ainscow,

Ian Miller,

Simon Garner and

Colin Hendry.

Mark Patterson came on as a substitute for Sellars and Jim Branagan was the unfortunate unused substitute

Below is a picture of the Rovers contingent at Wembley going...well...a bit barmy!

Edited March 22, 2006 by FourLaneBlue

[Wolverine]

My first ever game - and what a beauty it was!

[FourLaneBlue]

I'm disappointed so few seem to remember this (and worried that it means I must be getting on...)...

Spoilt you lot with your (incredibly short but ah well...) European Campaigns, Premierships (well, the one) and meaningful cup campaigns...!

Edited July 19, 2006 by FourLaneBlue

[Wolverine]

I remember stopping at the services and the whole coach teaching my young mind Rovers songs.

And then Colin Hendry frightening the life out of me when we got there.

Most of all I remember the cheers...

Ah...

[OhmiBRFC]

I would have been four when this happened

[Ozz]

Went down on a coach, came back on the train

National express from Preston, with a bottle of vodka and 12 cans of Skol.

After a drab first half, I sat down on the terraces and actually said "McKay Out"

[jumpin']

I remember setting off at 5 in the morning (my dad wasn't the fastest in his morris marina estate)

and heading down the m66, seeing blue and white scarves strewn across the road even at that god

foresaken hour. My mum gave me and my brother a lecture on forgetting Mothering Sunday too, all the way down, but did we care?! We stood reet at the back of the goals and I still remember the smell, not unlike

the Bbe urinals circa April 1983. Foggy as on the wayback o'er thr Grane and we missed our turn off home.

I always pinpoint that game, as the one where our mighty Blackburn Rovers finally turned the corner from

the 60's downward spiral. Magical and innocent times. Also got a warning for missing school the next day!

[tmap]

Ahhhh, I've gone all shivery just looking at the photos again.

My wife doesn't seem to mind me describing this as the best day of my life. We'd had a grimly miserable season - bottom of old div 2 at Christmas, then Saxton was fired and they brought in McKay, then he brought in Hendry and, er, Sully. and then this. I think I went to every round except Huddersfield - notably a farcical game against Oxford where you could hardly see the other goal from the Blackburn end. Started getting excited against Chelsea (it's funny to think we hated David Speedie once, until Keeley took him out), and the semi was just amazing.

I loved the game itself - I loved the flags, I loved Garner's near miss in the first half, I loved everything. I think you're wrong saying O'Keefe was man of the match - he should have been, but that went to Simon Barker (I remember my dad commenting on that). Then the goal - over the other end, Miller at last beat his man, you could sense something when the cross came over, then next thing we see the net bulge, and mayhem. They nearly equalised too right at the end, but it was our day.

I honestly have tears in my eyes thinking about it, and that wonderful impromptu bash in the town centre when we all got home. Winning the Championship was nothing like that. Not for me anyway.

[Redrose49er]

First visit to Wembley. Went on the coach with Ewood WMC with my dad. Great day out, crap view, superb goal. Remember watching a pre-match game, schoolboys or something, and the sound delay from the other end of the ground was amazing - seemed to take about 5 seconds.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Oh I remember it ... questions as to why so few Charlton fans, crap match but atmosphere was excellent especially when they paraded the cup at the end. The difference between one step to another on the terrace especially higher up towards the back and when we scored a number of supporters went literally from top to bottom.

Another one I have the video for somewhere

as OJ comments on - those where the days of Skol.

[Ozz]

[Alan75]

Paid on the gate at Wembley, can you believe that.

The first ever game that my son went to. Remember him finding a rosette, that he kept in a box for years afterwards.

[McClarky]

Remember getting to London so early we had to wait outsiode that Thwaites pub in Islington for hours before they eventually opened early to mark the occasion. What a day. I still have the ticket for the game, it was £5.

[ewoodblue]

Went down on a coach, came back on the train

National express from Preston, with a bottle of vodka and 12 cans of Skol.

After a drab first half, I sat down on the terraces and actually said "McKay Out"

You Said Mackay out,lol,and i said Colin Hendry was useless. He didn't half make me eat my words,and after scoring the winning goal he became a legend and an hero,and he did us all proud.

I wondered what happened to Big Col, i met him at St Albuns club one nuight, doing a presentation and handing out trophies for footballing youngsters.

I never saw the goal proper until i got home and watched it on Granda reports,i was so high up in stand, all I so was a ripple in net.

Great days, and I'll never forget the reception at the town hall.

I always felt sorry for Don Mackay , when Rovers ended his mangement, but we needed somebody more high profile, the rest is history.

[Billinge End Blue]

<that Thwaites pub in Islington > = the George IV

what a trip...after a quiet and restrained (!?) night out in Blackburn, caught the 02:00 train from Preston to London Euston (with a decadent few cans of Thwaites Pale Ale)...cold bacon baps for brekkie, playing footie in the Islington park v 20 young Arsenal fans while waiting for the nearby pub to open (London's only Thwaites house, dunno if it's still there)...Sh*te but strangely majestic Wembley, Big Col's goal....Punch & Judys in Covent Garden after...no recollection of the journey home

Happy days

[Ozz]

More images from my loft recently.

Lap of honour

First visit to Wembley. Went on the coach with Ewood WMC with my dad. Great day out, crap view, superb goal. Remember watching a pre-match game, schoolboys or something, and the sound delay from the other end of the ground was amazing - seemed to take about 5 seconds.

You can see the mini pitches for the pre match kids games here

Paid on the gate at Wembley, can you believe that.

The first ever game that my son went to. Remember him finding a rosette, that he kept in a box for years afterwards.

£5.00 Alan.

Edited September 7, 2011 by ozziejones

[Ozz]

Scott Sellers signing autographs pre match through the fencing at the edge of the running track.

A much younger me outside the stadium, with can of lager!

Me on the steps to our entry turnstile.

[Doug]

Went down with a couple of Wanderers fans for this as we were visiting a mate in London at the same time. Got absolutely slaughtered on the Friday and all day Saturday, so was in a poor state for the game. My memories are of a great following from Rovers that far outnumbered the Charlton fans, and of course Hendry's goal, brilliant day but seems to have lost it's importance over the years.

[m1st]

Went down with a couple of Wanderers fans for this as we were visiting a mate in London at the same time. Got absolutely slaughtered on the Friday and all day Saturday, so was in a poor state for the game. My memories are of a great following from Rovers that far outnumbered the Charlton fans, and of course Hendry's goal, brilliant day but seems to have lost it's importance over the years.

But, of course, it was important in two senses.

One was for a whole generation of us who were teenagers in the late 50s/early 60s because I'm sure we all thought we'd never be at Wembley, watching Rovers. Let alone see them winning there!

The other was that, having done it, it was only 5 years later before we were back for the play-off final, with what felt like about 6 minutes' stoppage time [no Fourth Official holding up a board in those days!]!

Then a bit later on came what was then called the Charity Shield. Then the visits to the Millennium Stadium, while Wembley was being rebuilt.

The rest is history!!

Edited December 28, 2011 by m1st

[Exiled in Toronto]

I found my copy of the programme from this signed by all the players only yesterday. Remembered that I cried when the teams came out.

[jim mk2]

Great day out with my old Dad. After the 1960 debacle never thought I would see Rovers play at Wembley in a cup final again.

27-year gap means we are scheduled to be back at Wembley in 2014.

[Doug]

But, of course, it was important in two senses.

One was for a whole generation of us who were teenagers in the late 50s/early 60s because I'm sure we all thought we'd never be at Wembley, watching Rovers. Let alone see them winning there!

The other was that, having done it, it was only 5 years later before we were back for the play-off final, with what felt like about 6 minutes' stoppage time [no Fourth Official holding up a board in those days!]!

Then a bit later on came what was then called the Charity Shield. Then the visits to the Millennium Stadium, while Wembley was being rebuilt.

The rest is history!!

You are correct, I live in Bolton so nobody even remembers the full members cup. I've never had mates who are Rovers fans so Its never discussed unless I bring it up as a notable game in footy conversations. It was massive for me, first time at wembley with Rovers, never thought I'd see the day after watching us struggle through the 70's.

Was there for play off also, with Wife and Father that time. That was a brilliant day even though I was struggling with a tooth abscess that was agony! After the shocking play offs against Chelsea and the dreaded Palace (which I also attended), I couldn't even hope to reach the top flight for the first time in my life watching Rovers, but we did, and so I enjoyed the best period of success we will ever have!! Went to Millenium with wife and my two young sons, brilliant. Who'd have thought this would happen back in the dark days..... NOT ME!!

Edited December 29, 2011 by 12milesfromewood

[liamg14]

Went down with my dad on coach and it was a week before my 10th birthday. I remember being stood up at the coach window with my rovers shirt on as we got near to wembley and all the Rovers fans on the streets were applauding us as we drove past and i auctally thought that they was clapping me!!!