[Archived] Race To The Premiership

[Exiled_Rover]

Wow. Just because a goalkeeper touches the ball doesn't mean he should have saved it. We've been completely spoiled by Brad. I thought it was an excellent goal, not much that Speroni could have done about it.

We have been spoilt, but I still feel he should have saved it. It's in the centre of the goal nearly.

As for the question about these two teams, definately Bristol City, though Hull City would be my choice out of all the four teams in the hunt.

[bellamy11]

We have been spoilt, but I still feel he should have saved it. It's in the centre of the goal nearly.

As for the question about these two teams, definately Bristol City, though Hull City would be my choice out of all the four teams in the hunt.

It was, but it's come out from behind a defender, giving him virtually no time at all to see it. Trundle also hit it pretty damn hard. Perhaps I'm just naturally inclined to sympathise with keepers because I am one myself!

I've not seen much of Bristol or Hull but I like what I've seen of Bristol so I'll say them. Should be 6 points either way, to be honest.

[Ozz]

Get Hull up-Relive my day in Hull en route to Rotterdam-classy place.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

Looks like a Bristol v Hull Wembley clash.

[bob fleming]

Looks like a Bristol v Hull Wembley clash.

Certainly does. What about all those Bristol City fans on the side of the pitch though? You'd not see Palace do that would you? (Not that I'm still bitter or anything. Did the Worzels ever cover Glad All Over?)

[yorkblues]

ha ha ha ha thats for 89

[philipl]

Glad all over

[Uddersfelt Blue]

What a shame Palarse!

Now you know how we felt in 89

[Hasta]

Quite ironic isn't it. A mini pitch invasion before the games actually up. Takes me back 19 years.

At least tonight the referee played the full extra time and injury time despite Palace needing two goals and not one like we did.

Tonight, I'm feeling ....

[they_think_its_all_rover]

Get Hull up-Relive my day in Hull en route to Rotterdam-classy place.

Could have done with comments from someone like you for the uni project I've just done.

It was about all the regeneration going on in Hull. Most of the £3billion is being spent on lush apartments, hotels, office space & the new World Trade Centre... with the hope of bringing more jobs, shops & money to the city along with it... yet over 1 million people a year pass through the city to get on the ferries...

My project was basically coming up with extra ideas that would maybe get people to stay a day or two in Hull before or after their days away in Rotterdam/Amsterdam/Zebrugge.

I'll be at the KC tomorrow night, should be a good game.

[cn174]

Quite ironic isn't it. A mini pitch invasion before the games actually up. Takes me back 19 years.

At least tonight the referee played the full extra time and injury time despite Palace needing two goals and not one like we did.

Tonight, I'm feeling ....

I've heard a couple of things about the game which you are referring to, but could someone please tell the full story. Having just turned 4 at the time I have no recollection whatsoever of what happened I'm sure someone has posted about it on here before but I can't find it

[modes98]

Really? I think the keeper should have saved it myself.

IMO most Premiership keeper's would have saved the Trundle goal and the McIndoe free kick but that doesn't take away from the fact that both were superb strikes. Glad to see Palace out. Soares and Watson looked not bad.

[Hasta]

I've heard a couple of things about the game which you are referring to, but could someone please tell the full story. Having just turned 4 at the time I have no recollection whatsoever of what happened I'm sure someone has posted about it on here before but I can't find it

I listened to it on the radio as I was only a teenager. I'll leave it to one of the fans who was at Selhurst that day to recount. I doubt I could do it justice. I do know that everyone who was there that I've talked to recall it as possibly the most sickening day supporting Rovers they've had.

With regards to the Bristol City goals the keeper should definitely have had the Trundle one.

[philipl]

I've heard a couple of things about the game which you are referring to, but could someone please tell the full story. Having just turned 4 at the time I have no recollection whatsoever of what happened I'm sure someone has posted about it on here before but I can't find it

To be honest Clare, it was one of those days that ranks as one of worst days of anyone's life who was there at Selhurst Park that day- no matter what real tragedies and challenges we might all have lived through before or since.

It is still almost too painful to talk about and for me (and I am sure many other Rovers) just to hear "Glad all over" is to summon up the most retched feeling that we'd blown getting back in the top flight for ever and we'd been cheated/robbed blind by a massive "establishment" conspiracy against our wonderful club.

I walked away from Palace too numb to cry, to talk, to do anything whilst "Glad all over" blared out of the tannoys. I kept re-running/ thinking what might have been had that phenomenal Garner flying volley from 30 yards two minutes from the end of extra time just been a couple of feet less central. By that time the Palace fans were all on the touchline in front of the Rovers' supporters and who knows what would have happened had that gone in to take it to penalties. Of course George Courtney who had given Palace the most absurd penalty early in the second half to give them a two goal lead and even it up on aggregate didn't even play the full 15 minutes of the second half of extra time never mind the added time he should have done for the crowd incursions and Palace time wasting.

19 years on, it is really good to see Palace go out in the play-offs but nothing will get even with them for that miserable day in May 1989.

[Presty On Tour]

really pleased for bristol. i seen a fair bit of trundle in his swansea days at the vetch field, he's very good at keeping the ball and has some decent show boating skills. As for his goal i think the keeper should of had it though he deserved it after the effort that hit the bar.

[Paul]

I've heard a couple of things about the game which you are referring to, but could someone please tell the full story. Having just turned 4 at the time I have no recollection whatsoever of what happened I'm sure someone has posted about it on here before but I can't find it

It was one of the worst days I've spent at a football match and is still the worst memory I have of following Rovers. To say I was gutted is a total understatement. I can remember sitting in that bloody shack of a stand weeping at the final whistle. Someone came by and spoke to me to say things would get better, they did but it was hard to imagine how at that point!

My other over-riding memory of the day was walking into the ground and getting a terrible feeling we would lose. It was the atmosphere, sunshine, balloons everywhere I seem to recall, and "Glad All Over" belting out of the tannoy - the DJ really did wind up the crowd and to this day I remain convinced this had as much to do with our defeat as George Courtney's outrageous decisions.

I think we'd had some pretty good battles with Palace over the previous season and the play-off one with Palace usually coming out on top? Mind you it would all have been irrelevant if our friendly dealer had scored that penalty at Ewood, his name escapes me right now.

Clare you know the grey-haired chap who sells lottery tickets at the top of the stairs for the Family Stand (the end nearest the JW stand)? Sat next to him and his son on the train home, really interesting guy with great Rovers memories. I think he used to organise the travel in some way.

[Uddersfelt Blue]

I recall that Howard Gayle missed the penalty which would have put us us 4-0 up in the first leg. Palace went on to snatch what would prove to be a priceless goal as the home leg finished 3-1.

The match at Selhurst is probably best remembered for the dubious penalty given against Rovers by referee George Courtney who ironically went on to give us a similarly dubious penalty for a foul on Speedie in the play off final of 1992 which took us into the Premiership.

[Alan75]

Well I have no sympathy for Palace, more so because of their manager.

I had the misfortune of sitting behind him, in the Little Cheff in Haslingdon, prior to a mid week game against Rovers in our promotion year. From the snippets of conversation I heard between him and his companion, regarding getting into players faces and rough house tactics I thought it was wwf not football.

During the game which we drew 1-1 (Berg early doors) Jansen took the brunt of the worst treatment.

[Hasta]

I recall that Howard Gayle missed the penalty which would have put us us 4-0 up in the first leg. Palace went on to snatch what would prove to be a priceless goal as the home leg finished 3-1.

The match at Selhurst is probably best remembered for the dubious penalty given against Rovers by referee George Courtney who ironically went on to give us a similarly dubious penalty for a foul on Speedie in the play off final of 1992 which took us into the Premiership.

I think the penalty would have put us 3 up. Gayle missed and then palace scored to make it 2-1. Garner then slammed one in near the end to make it 3-1. A lot of people had missed that goal as they had already left to get in the queue for tickets for the 2nd leg.

[Blackburn Ender]

God, how many hundreds and thousands of Rovers fans all had the same thought last night?

Come on City!

Nearly 20 years on, being at Palace is easily the worst I've ever felt at a football match.

For those of us of a certain age at the time (I was 23) it was the end of innocence.

It was the last time I KNEW we would win. No doubts, nothing lurking at the back of my mind.

We were going up. Simple.

That's why, when the Leicester match came around a few years later I was sick in the stomach throughout the day and couldn't even enjoy the feeling when we won.

Bloody sad really...

[bob fleming]

I think the penalty would have put us 3 up. Gayle missed and then palace scored to make it 2-1. Garner then slammed one in near the end to make it 3-1. A lot of people had missed that goal as they had already left to get in the queue for tickets for the 2nd leg.

That was it.

Briefly.... I think we set off on the official way travel at about 7.30 from the Boulevard. To get to Selhurst at 3.10. missing the kick off. Shoved in a very small corner of the ground - open end - crap acoustics. Courtney gave a ridiculous penalty against Hendry when he wasn't even in the box. Their fans were all round the edge of the pitch during extra time, I dread to think what would have happened if we'd scored.

At the end - Palace fans invaded the pitch and there was general goading of the away fans - "Glad All Over" was played louder over the tannoy at the final whistle than Motorhead. We then had to sit on coaches whilst the Palace fans rubbed it in even more. We eventually set off "home" - the coach driver took the wrong motorway and we set off towards Brighton. Eventually got home what felt like a week later.

All in all - not a good day out.

[they_think_its_all_rover]

Guess everyone watched the Rangers game?

Hull City won 4-1.

Great atmosphere. including a mexican (Humber) wave that went round the stadium about 6 times.

1st half was a poor game, full of nerves. 2nd half was out and out football.

[CAPT KAYOS]

That's why, when the Leicester match came around a few years later I was sick in the stomach throughout the day and couldn't even enjoy the feeling when we won.

Bloody sad really...

Same here Blackburn Ender but when we went to Selhurst I was far from beyond thinking we where going up.

It all started up at Ewood with the missed penalty to me being the classic typical Rovers ... after really not being in any trouble at all I just knew it would cost us.

As for the game a bloody ground that the coaches struggled to find and get away from after( think they had official directions but sent a long way around) , a blaster over the bar early on when we should have scored , nervous play by Rovers all match continuously giving the ball away and just couldn't seem to get anything together , bloody Wright and Bright, that damn bloody tune, penalty that wasn't , useless ref, rainfall of coins at NOT the final whistle

as with others defintely the worst time following Rovers

[nellybc]

Guess everyone watched the Rangers game?

Hull City won 4-1.

Great atmosphere. including a mexican (Humber) wave that went round the stadium about 6 times.

1st half was a poor game, full of nerves. 2nd half was out and out football.

It was e very enjoyable second half. I am cheering for hull at wembley. Would make for the easiest away game in the world for me.

[philipl]

Not for the top flight but I reckon Carlisle v Leeds at Brunton Park tonight could be the tastiest of this season's play-off matches.