IT’S hard to believe that at the end of February it will be the tenth anniversary of Birmingham City winning the League Cup final against Arsenal at Wembley.
It was our first major trophy victory since 1963 - a mere 48 years!
Pre-match, not many gave us a prayer. The bookies, who tend to know a thing or two, had the Gunners as odds-on favourites and a 2-1 win for the Blues was priced at 22-1.
My excitement grew a few days before the game when I finally held in my hands my ticket for the Carling Cup final at Wembley: Entrance K, Section 501, Row 4, Seat 8. On the halfway line, next to the Arsenal fans, and a bargain at £86
The morning of the match arrived and I wore not only my home shirt (with long sleeves) but my scarf from the Millennium Stadium Worthington Cup final in 2001.
As I joined the queue for Platform One at Solihull Station for the 11.22 train, I saw Malcolm Page and Alan Campbell (ex-players) in amongst the excited Bluenoses as the rain came down.
Upon arrival, it was into the Ibis Hotel for shelter and a drink but it struck me that many of the Brummies outside in the rain were unlikely to see the end of the game in anything other than a drunken stupor. Well, the competition was sponsored by a major lager brand!
As I made my way towards the stadium from the hotel, the burning of an Arsenal scarf had brought the unwelcome attention of the police.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February - March 2021 من Late Tackle Football Magazine.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February - March 2021 من Late Tackle Football Magazine.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
PASSING THE BATON
NOTTS COUNTY FAN IAN KIRKE REFLECTS ON AN UNFORGETTABLE DAY AT MEADOW LANE...
CHEEKY CHARLIE
TOM GREEN LOOKS AT THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CHARLIE MITTEN, WHO WENT FROM BURMA TO BOGOTA VIA OLD TRAFFORD
HAPPY WITH OUR LOT
WATFORD FAN JONNY BRICK IS QUITE CONTENT WITH HIS TEAM NEVER GOING UP AND NEVER GOING DOWN...
LIFE AFTER THE CUP HEROICS
BEN SMITH LOOKS AT THE REALITY FOR MAIDSTONE UNITED FOLLOWING THEIR STINT IN THE SPOTLIGHT...
JAMES RODRIGUEZ TEN YEARS ON
DANIEL MOFFAT LOOKS AT THE CAREER OF THE COLOMBIA STAR
AND SMITH DOES SCORE
BARNABY ROSTANT LOOKS AT THE CAREER OF EVERGREEN CENTRE-FORWARD MATT SMITH..
JUST HOW DO YOU REPLACE JURGEN KLOPP?
ROBERT J WILSON ON THE CHALLENGE AHEAD FOR LIVERPOOL AS THEIR INSPIRATIONAL GERMAN BOSS PREPARES TO WALK AWAY...
FIGHT TO THE FINISH
JOHN LYONS LOOKS AT HOW THE PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE RACE IS SHAPING UP AS WE APPROACH SQUEAKY-BUM TIME..
GIANT-KILLING CANARIES
SAM TODD RECALLS WHEN NORWICH CITY ENJOYED A SENSATIONAL FA CUP RUN 65 YEARS AGO...
HOWARD'S WAY
LIFELONG BIRMINGHAM CITY SUPPORTER KEITH DIXON RECALLS WHEN HOWARD KENDALL HELPED SAVE THE BLUES FROM RELEGATION HALF A CENTURY AGO...