[Archived] Play-offs 89

[Palace_john]

Palace; Afterwards we yo yo,d up and the leagues,sold ian wright, got an italian legend down here for a season and abit,only managed to develop one stand,went pretty much extinct until we got saved by jordan,went back to the premier but fell down due to a manager who was expose as being abit of a pleb.

Blackburn; Afterwards went on to get promotion, buy one of the nations most legendary strikers in shearer,won the league,developed 4 sides to there stadium,played in europe a couple of times,went down but recovered rather well and are now carrying on with their mission to grow as a club.

[Fife Rover]

Palace; Afterwards we yo yo,d up and the leagues,sold ian wright, got an italian legend down here for a season and abit,only managed to develop one stand,went pretty much extinct until we got saved by jordan,went back to the premier but fell down due to a manager who was expose as being abit of a pleb.

Blackburn; Afterwards went on to get promotion, buy one of the nations most legendary strikers in shearer,won the league,developed 4 sides to there stadium,played in europe a couple of times,went down but recovered rather well and are now carrying on with their mission to grow as a club.

Sounds like you want to become a Rovers fan PJ!

[S15]

Don't worry about us and our long term grudges.

Give it a couple of years and discussion will change to how we should spend the Shearer (Or is that Judas?) money.

[Beckenham Blue]

Football fans have long memories John. I don't think it's Palace that people have the hump with, they were just the opposition when Mr Courtney worked his magic. Still, he partially redeemed himself at Wembley in '92 and with hindsight we were better placed for the top flight then.

[Gav]

Can honestly say it was the worst day of my footballing life

[Will]

Mine too, an awful day all round.

Couldnt belive the other season at the Rovers when they played 'Glad all over' on the tannoy before a game.

I hate that song.

[philipl]

Agreed Gav- I still feel that numb nauseous pit-of-the stomach gut- renching utterly helpless frustrating overwhelming misery and sense of desolate dejection whenever I hear "Glad all over".

Courtney was an utter **** that day- no way was that ever a penalty.

Mind you quite how Howard Gale managed to hit the corner flag with his penalty when we should have gone 3-0 up at Ewood is another matter.

I've also detested Joe Lovejoy for the last 16 years for his preview of that game at Selhurst Park.

Apart from that, yes it was fun winning the Premiership, the Worthington Cup and six forays into Europe.

[Scotty]

Why have we got the hump?

You've got to remember the context. This was pre-Jack Walker remember and the thought of little old cash-strapped Blackburn Rovers getting into the top league was almost inconcievable. We'd bounced around the (old) 2nd and 3rd divisions for nearly 30 years and had only really come close to getting into the top division once during that period. However, the year before we'd made the play-offs (got beat in the semi by Chelsea) and our then manager, Don Mackay, had put together a good team - probably our best since the early 60's.

We scraped past Watford in the play-off semi-final and absolutely murdered your lot in the home leg at Ewood. It finished 3-1 to us but it could easily have been 5 or 6 (we missed a penalty as well if I remember right).

Still, no worries, off we all trooped to Selhurst Park full of confidence that we could hold onto our two goal lead. Then it all started to go horribly wrong:

- It was my first visit to Selhurst and I couldn't believe how hard it was to find

- We were crammed onto an open, crumbling terrace as far into the corner as was humanly possible giving us a totally crap view of the match

- George Courtney gave you the softest of penalties

- When you got the equaliser (on aggregate) a load of your fans piled onto the pitch. Instead of forcing them off and back onto the terraces, the police just allowed them to stand on the touchline. The ref should have taken the players off, but he allowed play to continue and every time the ball went out one of our players was treated to close quarter physical and verbal abuse.

- When you got the 3rd goal all the fans piled onto the pitch again and this time they wouldn't leave it for ages. Again, the ref refused to take the players off.

- Garner missed a chance in the dying seconds that would have taken the match to penalties.

- At full-time f<(king "Glad All Over" was played repeatedly, at high volume, for what seemed like an eternity.

- After the match, when we were all feeling so depressed it was untrue, we were treated to all sorts of abuse from Palace fans who were supposed to happy at gaining promotion.

I've got nothing against Palace as a club, I just hate Selhurst Park. I've been back 4 or 5 times since and I still hate the place - too many bad vibes. As Gav says, it was my lowest moment as a Rovers fan and one I'll remember until my dying day.

[AggyBlue]

Courtney was an utter **** that day

Not what I'd expect from you Philip

[philipl]

I restrained myself, believe me.

[Ray-Von]

Scotty, you're spot-on, Howard Gayle missed a penalty which would have put us 3-0 up. He had scored an absolute hat full all season. Palace got a jammy goal in the last few minutes (Eddie McGoldrick I think) to make it two one but Garner slid one in almost straight after to make it 3-1. We couldn't fail this time.

Rovers just didn't get going at all - it was all downhill after Windy Miller missed a golden chance early on.

It was difficult as a 15 year old fighting back tears as grown men were openly weeping on that terrace. Anyone who wasn't there and says "its only a game blah blah" should be quiet.

[DP]

From someone who wasn't at the game, I've never felt comfortable listening to Rovers on the radio and I blame the experience of this match for it.

[pleasure]

Can honestly say it was the worst day of my footballing life

nothing comes close. absolutely horrific.

sadly, my abiding memory of simon garner is of him pinging the crossbar in that game!

i was 9 at the time, and all the nonsense and injustice of that day has scarred me for life.

recent rovers dont know how good we've got it.

[Flopsy]

I just hate Selhurst Park.

Still, beating Fulham there 3-4 was good fun wasnt it?

oh wait, no it was one of the most nerve wracking football games since 1995. Plus I was sat next to the drummers who gave me a cracking headache

Still at least Jordan got on Telly

[pleasure]

Still, beating Fulham there 3-4 was good fun wasnt it?

oh wait, no it was one of the most nerve wracking football games since 1995. Plus I was sat next to the drummers who gave me a cracking headache

Still at least Jordan got on Telly

loftus road you mean

[Flopsy]

It ruddy was wasnt it?

Who the hell did I watch at Selhurst park then?

[GiddyGoat]

It ruddy was wasnt it?

Who the hell did I watch at Selhurst park then?

Wimbledon or Charlton

[toogs]

Scotty - your post really brought it all back to me - I think I had mentally blocked it out.

Awful memories walking back to the car with my Dad, palace fans gloating every step of the way. Not just run of the mill banter either.

Easily my worst day supporting Rovers - I dont think anything will ever come close.

Garner tells a story how Ian Wright had some kind words after the game so at least one person on the Palace side had some class in victory. Shame a good proportion of the fans didnt.

I remember the ball being prevented from going out of play by the wall of fans standing at the side. Scandalous set of circumstances that should never have been allowed to develop for a game of that stature, or indeed any stature.

Ooh, it's all coming out. I could go on for hours but I'll stop now.

[14May1995]

Why have we got the hump?

You've got to remember the context. This was pre-Jack Walker remember and the thought of little old cash-strapped Blackburn Rovers getting into the top league was almost inconcievable. We'd bounced around the (old) 2nd and 3rd divisions for nearly 30 years and had only really come close to getting into the top division once during that period. However, the year before we'd made the play-offs (got beat in the semi by Chelsea) and our then manager, Don Mackay, had put together a good team - probably our best since the early 60's.

We scraped past Watford in the play-off semi-final and absolutely murdered your lot in the home leg at Ewood. It finished 3-1 to us but it could easily have been 5 or 6 (we missed a penalty as well if I remember right).

Still, no worries, off we all trooped to Selhurst Park full of confidence that we could hold onto our two goal lead. Then it all started to go horribly wrong:

- It was my first visit to Selhurst and I couldn't believe how hard it was to find

- We were crammed onto an open, crumbling terrace as far into the corner as was humanly possible giving us a totally crap view of the match

- George Courtney gave you the softest of penalties

- When you got the equaliser (on aggregate) a load of your fans piled onto the pitch. Instead of forcing them off and back onto the terraces, the police just allowed them to stand on the touchline. The ref should have taken the players off, but he allowed play to continue and every time the ball went out one of our players was treated to close quarter physical and verbal abuse.

- When you got the 3rd goal all the fans piled onto the pitch again and this time they wouldn't leave it for ages. Again, the ref refused to take the players off.

- Garner missed a chance in the dying seconds that would have taken the match to penalties.

- At full-time f<(king "Glad All Over" was played repeatedly, at high volume, for what seemed like an eternity.

- After the match, when we were all feeling so depressed it was untrue, we were treated to all sorts of abuse from Palace fans who were supposed to happy at gaining promotion.

I've got nothing against Palace as a club, I just hate Selhurst Park. I've been back 4 or 5 times since and I still hate the place - too many bad vibes. As Gav says, it was my lowest moment as a Rovers fan and one I'll remember until my dying day.

Well done Scotty - sums it up perfectly.

Seeing "grown men" in tears, throwing away their blue & white scarves at the end - the lowest point in my Rovers career too.

We'd waited so long and then - it was snatched from us ... and in those circumstances. It's difficult to explain to a third party but my non-Rovers friends who were with me on the day still don't let me forget it ... they'd never seen anything like it either.

It started to go wrong during the warm-up in my opinion - we just didn't look confident enough.

Been back lots of times since but still hate the place.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Scotty, you're spot-on, Howard Gayle missed a penalty which would have put us 3-0 up.

Rovers just didn't get going at all - it was all downhill after Windy Miller missed a golden chance early on.

Indeed Scotty .. and much to my annoyance I still cringe at what I said that night ' that will probably cost us' -I ain't no psychic but it has happened too many times ...

Windy Miller ... in terms of how the game was going to span out,this to me was the defining moment on reflection.

As mentioned previously ... 'Glad all Over' - you must be $%%$%^& joking

I too hate Selhurst Park ... but then again I don't like Palace either but don't know whether its down to this or not .. could be Vince Hilaire

[stuwilky]

Whichever halfwit played it on the tannoy at Ewood last season brought all the memories back of that awful horrid day.

[bob fleming]

Blackburn; Afterwards went on to get promotion, buy one of the nations most legendary strikers in shearer,won the league,developed 4 sides to there stadium,played in europe a couple of times,went down but recovered rather well and are now carrying on with their mission to grow as a club.

Three sides actually.

As others have mentioned this really was the pits. The lowest of the low. Nevermind relegation from the Premier League, that didn't even come close somehow. The 3-1 win at Ewood was surely enough this time round we all thought. We missed out the season afterwards as well (Swindon) but to me that didn't seem quite as bad.

All of what Scotty said with the addition of leaving Blackburn boulevard at around three in the morning (it was more like seven actually but I can't remember exactly what time it was and it was early) on the official away travel to eventually get to the ground 10 minutes after kick off. We lost. Courtney. Fans on the pitch. Glad All Fecking Over by The Dave Clark Fecking Five. Oh and after sitting on the coaches for three days, waiting to leave and getting grief by the fabulous Palace fans, we eventually set off. An hour later we saw a sign: "Brighton - 30 Miles" - the driver had taken us on the wrong motorway.

I appreciate that none of this is your fault Palace John, neither is it Dave Clark's, but there was a set of circumstances and a chain reaction of events that took place that day that I blame Crystal Palace for and always will do.

Courtney tried to make amends three years later by awarding us a couple of penalties against Leicester at Wembley when we eventually got promoted. He also retired straight after the game. He knew.

Buying Kuqi for £2.5 million is just a start. You've a long way to go.

Edited September 11, 2006 by bob fleming

[Exiled in Toronto]

Fair do's to Gayle - he did score two good goals that gave us a chance anyway, his second was a cracker. Was a miserable penalty though.

I listened to the 2nd leg on the radio - as mentioned before by someone else, it gave me an aversion to radio footy that has lasted to this day.

And Courtney did pay us back with interest at Wembley, so hard to hold a permanent grudge there.

I also think it would have been a disaster had we actually gone up; a Burnley-esque plummet could well have followed.

[AndyR]

Does anyone remember the game away at Bradford, I'm sure it was Courtneys next Rovers game and there were thousands of Rovers fans their that day armed with Blow Up Dolls etc and the whole away end spent the game berating him?

Place_John - as I said on the other thread I can't stand that DC5 song any more I get goosebumps and have to walk away - still breaks my heart!

Fair play as you say we have gone on to better things since but without the pain you can never enjoy the glory and that day was painful.

[ad0102]

Worst day in my footballing life. Full of gloating dingles on way back up M6 who had been to watch England at Wembley. 7+ hour journey on a double decker bus. My Dad listening ay home on the radio had to go the park for a walk rather than listen to the game. Pubs did not open saturday afternoon then.

I too remember the bradford game, vivid memory of a very old rovers fan in a flat cap giving courtney the finger when he walked on along with ever other rovers fan. It was a great away end at bradford, could swing on the roof it was that low.

I always have and always will have a hatred for palace and dave clarke five.