I had a perfect view of Nigel Reo-Coker's header. It was the last minute of extra time in the 2006 FA Cup final, the score was 3-3 and West Ham had a free-kick on the left wing. It was their last chance to win a game they had already won twice. The ball came in, Reo-Coker glanced it on and from my position behind the Liverpool goal at the Millennium Stadium I was certain it was going to loop into the far corner.
I picture it sometimes: the ball hanging in the air, the fans getting ready to celebrate West Ham's fourth FA Cup win, Pepe Reina leaping to his left. There were fingertips in it. Reina just managed to push the ball onto the inside of the post and the dream died when Marlon Harewood, who had been hobbling on one leg for most of extra time, slashed the rebound wide.
Liverpool won on penalties because, well, how else was it going to end? The guy next to me had burst into tears when Steven Gerrard scored in the last minute of normal time.
Most fans never see their team win anything. Since 2006, West Ham have been relegated under Avram Grant, blown one League Cup semi-final against Birmingham City, lost 9-0 on aggregate to Manchester City in another and conceded in the first minute of a Europa League semi-final against the eventual winners, Eintracht Frankfurt. It has always been someone else's turn to celebrate.
Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin June 09, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin June 09, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Hundreds attend vigil for boy, 14, killed in Hainault attack
A candlelit vigil in tribute to Daniel Anjorin, a teenaged boy who was killed in a sword attack while walking to school in east London, was attended by more than 300 people yesterday.
Liberal Democrats Davey: "Tories will be looking over their shoulder terrified'
The Lib Dems have added more council seats than any other party over the last parliament, gaining more than 750 in the last five years, largely in the south-west and south of England.
'Own the mess'? PM likely to shun centrists and dig deeper into hole
As the terrible council and mayoral results rolled in for the Conservatives on Friday night, was there any part of Rishi Sunak that regretted sealing Boris Johnson's fate as prime minister by resigning as his chancellor less than two years ago?
Gaza stance Party will 'work hard' to regain Muslim support after losing votes
A senior Labour official has insisted the party wants better lives for Palestinian people as it prepares to shift its campaigning to win back voters opposing its position on Gaza.
Kind of a big deal: Will Ferrell invests in Leeds as A-list actors fall for football
The Hollywood actor Will Ferrell has enhanced Leeds United's newfound status as a celebrity magnet by becoming the latest household name to invest in the football club.
Republican rally marks coronation anniversary as support for king rises
A 15-foot dinosaur called \"Chuck the Rex\" was the centrepiece of a rally yesterday calling for the abolition of the monarchy ahead of the first anniversary of King Charles's coronation.
Israel shuts down local offices of AI Jazeera
Israeli authorities shut down the local offices of AI Jazeera yesterday, hours after a government vote to use new laws to close the satellite news network's operations in Israel.
Labour sets sights on 'blue wall' seats at next election
Labour is planning to target the south of England heavily at the general election as the local election results show some “blue wall” seats are turning red, Keir Starmer’s election chief has said.
Ruined town re-emerges as Philippines dam dries up
Ruins of a centuries-old town have emerged at a dam parched by drought in the northern Philippines.
"This was a crisis': Hope Hicks tells of panic over Trump recording at hush money trial
Hope Hicks, Donald Trump's 2016 campaign secretary, described the former US president's staffers' panic when a recording emerged in which he had bragged about groping women, saying \"this was a crisis\" for his presidential campaign, as she took the witness stand yesterday in Trump's criminal hush money trial.
