I think there has been a similar thread before, 'cos I remember giving the same answer. Anyway, this needs a little scene-setting. It was the last game of the 1988/89 Division One (as the English top flight was called before the Premiership came along) season. Arsenal, who had lead for most of the season & looked like bringing home the title for the first time since 1970/71 had run into some iffy form & Liverpool (reigning champions & winners of six titles in the 80s alone) were in imperious form, surfing a wave of public sympathy following the Hillsborough disaster.
Arsenal finished their home season with a 2-2 draw against Wimbledon, leaving them three points behind Liverpool with an inferior goal difference & this one final match at Anfield, an absolute fortress & a place were we hadn't won since 1973. It meant we had to go threre & win by two clear goals to give us the title. Alan "Smudger" Smith had given us the lead early in the second half with a glancing header, but despite playing Liverpool off the park, we couldn't find that second. Until....
the last minute of the match.
You couldn't make it up.
Yeah, almost too beautiful, really; I reckon if a writer turned in a script with that denouement it'd be rejected as too improbable! Still gets the hairs on the back of my neck standing up now.Wow, that is epic Brumby. Great sporting story.
a) Yes, albeit through my fingers for a lot of it. I remember it as a high point now, but it was agony, really. Thought I was going to see us win at Anfield for the first time in my life only to be denied by goal difference, so the release after Mickey Thomas's goal was almost ***ual. After the initial ecstasy it took a few days to sink in tho. Just felt unreal.Couple of questions.
A) Did you watch it live?
B) Why on penalties?
a) Yes, albeit through my fingers for a lot of it. I remember it as a high point now, but it was agony, really. Thought I was going to see us win at Anfield for the first time in my life only to be denied by goal difference, so the release after Mickey Thomas's goal was almost ***ual. After the initial ecstasy it took a few days to sink in tho. Just felt unreal.
b) Because I'd want to beat them in the jammiest, most undeserving way possible. Beckham's penalty that Owen "earned" in 2002 was just the start.
Interesting, in the other thread, I picked the semis of the League Cup in 2000, where we beat the filth to get to Wembley. As an overall outcome, yeah, I'll stand by that, but the following two for the actual feeling the goals in question brought in me, undescribable
Ned Kelly equalises for the Whites @ Wembley
The greatest FA Cup comeback of all-time, word
BTW, in the second clip the magical moment itself is around the 4:50 mark. We were bottom of the league (the Championship, though it wasn't called that then), SOuthampton were safely middling in the Prem. It was 3-0 at half-time. The winners got Liverpool at home in the quarters.
I think i marginally preferred Ryan Giggs from the same year. Not 100% sure why.
I think i marginally preferred Ryan Giggs from the same year. Not 100% sure why.
I also have an oddly massive affection for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's winner against Arsenal in the season's penultimate league game.
Australia beating England on penalties to win the world cupShort of England beating Argentina on penalties to win the world cup I can't imagine it being topped.