The scenario
Crystal Palace vs WBA last night (the motivated vs the already promoted). A win for Palace sends Sheffield Wednesday down. If not the two meet in the last game of the season. I bought my tickets a month ago.
Not since Bulgaria vs Scotland in 1987 have I watched a game not involving Ireland with such a fist around my heart. The game is on Sky. I settle down in front of the TV. The wife ups and leaves to watch Corrie in the kitchen. She doesn't reappear until the game is over. She knows when to stay clear.
The Game
Usual pre-match interviews. Paul Hart (Palace manager): "Wonderful club". "Great fans" "Amazing players". I hate them all. I hate Hart and his shiny bald head. I hate the Palace fans, I hate the players, I hate London. I love WBA.
Game starts. I hate the referee. Awards frees to Palace all over the place. I hate the linesman who gets three offsides wrong but most of all I hate Stephen Reid who scores an OG for Palace. Why did he ever recover from injury? Why is he on loan at WBA? Why didn't he stay with slapped ars+ face Allardyce at Blackburn? WBA soon equalise but don't get excited. 70 minutes still to go. I keep getting this vision of the Palace fans running on to the pitch and celebrating survival - go away. Albion then miss at least 5 gilt edged chances. I hate their strikers. Half time. 1-1. It's going to be a long 45 minutes.
Second half same as first as WBA miss chance after chance. Palace barely in the game. Commentator says "These missed chances could come back to haunt Albion". I hate the commentator but I know he's right. 10 minutes to go and a Palace player gets sent off for head butting an opponent. Text from my friend: "Surely Palace can't win it now". I know he's only imitating George Hamilton but I hate him.
Palace now bring on 2 more forwards including Alan Lee. He's never done anything for Ireland. What's the betting he'll score a last minute winner. I hate him and his stupid haircut especially since he is proving a handful. 5 minutes to go. The Wednesday manager in the stand can't watch any more. He leaves the ground. Chri*t, Lee is through on goal one and one with the keeper who saves. Carson I love you. No wonder you don't play for Ireland! Another chance for Palace which is headed wide. Meanwhile WBA miss 3 at the other end. It's going to happen. I know it is.
6 minutes of injury time. WBA look vulnerable every time Palace attack. Lots of pictures of Palace fans biting their nails. I am down to my knuckles. 5 minutes gone. Another Palace attack and a desperate last minute block prevents a shot on goal. Surely that was their last chance but WBA can't hold on to the ball. I hate all their players. Everyone is in the WBA box. 5 minutes 55 seconds and the ball breaks to an umarked Palace player to the right hand side of the box. Two Albion players scurry over to try and block the shot. They are too late. He shoots. It beats the keeper. Noooooooooooooooooooo. It can't be. It's going in but from someplace an Albion player arrives and at full stretch clears the ball off the line. God I love that defender. Final whistle. 1-1. No Palace fans on the pitch. Hart is despondent. Hah!
Apres Match:
Wife reappears. Asks what happened. I said a draw. She asks in that good? I explain. She smiles and says she's going to bed. I come up an hour later. She's asleep. I can't sleep. I still see that miss in my mindseye. What must it have felt like for a Palace fan? Who cares?
I hated every minute of it but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
In my 45 or so years I have had very few Carlsberg moments:
(i) Shamrock Rovers beat Waterford in 1968 3-0 in the FAI Cup Final in front of 40,000 people at Dalymount.
(ii) Gary Mackay scored the winner for Scotland against Bulgaria in 1987.
(iii) Ireland beat England 1-0 in 1988.
(iv) Wednesday beat Man U 1-0 in the Rumbleows Cup Final in 1991 (Italia 90 doesn't appear because my father was terminally ill at the time).
(v) Ireland beat Italy 1-0 in the USA in 1994.
(vi) Robbie Keane's last minute equaliser vs Germany in 2002.
Six in 45 years of following football. Would it be too much to ask for a 7th this weekend? Probably.
Rovers apart, when you follow teams which you expect to lose, winning gives such a buzz until the next week but you fear the worst every game. I cannot understand when I hear Irish fans talking with confidence before a game. Even before games against San Marino or Andorra I worry.
I will hate every moment of next Sunday but whatever the result, I wouldn't trade the experience of going to the game for anything.
Football, when it's in the blood, there's nothing like it no matter who you support.
Last edited by OwlsFan; 27/04/2010 at 9:31 AM.
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
I enjoyed reading that, and a partial congratulations on last night. Hopefully ye can finish the job on Sunday.
Thanks. Why do we torture ourselves because that's what it is for a possible moment or two of ecstacy? I suppose it's a but like marriage
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
G'luck at the wekend.
Okay Palace ....time to come to papa -ONE OF US! ONE OF US! ONE OF US! :-D
" I wish to God that someone would be able to block out the voices in my head for five minutes, the voices that scream, over and over again: "Why do they come to me to die?"
Good luck but the job isn't even half done, that's a mammoth game up there - so much pressure.
By the powers of modern technology I was watching it in Cape Town texting my mate sitting in the Arthur Waite stand at Selhurst Park. He was going through the exact contrasting emotions!
I have a soft spot for Palace having worked in South London for many years & know a fair few Palace fans so while I enjoyed your post, I hope palace stay up, I think they deserve it having been screwed over with administration.
"Your guilty conscience may move you to vote Democratic, but deep down you long for a cold-hearted Republican to lower taxes, brutalize criminals, and rule you like a king"
Sideshow Bob
Great Post Owlsfan
By the way, I should state that I no longer hate Stephen Reid.
Last edited by OwlsFan; 28/04/2010 at 11:56 AM.
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
Great post Beaky........could so easily have written that word for word about myself!!
I was really hoping that it would be a draw on Monday (think that may make Palace slightly over confident) then in the 95th minute, as Palace are almost home, up steps James O'Connor who fires a 30 yarder into the top corner!!
I know you may only enjoy it briefly, but I sincerely hope the Hooters prevail.
Best of Luck
Tact is for people who are not witty enough to be sarcastic
Originally Posted by OwlsFan
I stopped reading there....
Most entertaining post Ive read for a long time Owlsfan. Will definately be keepin an eye on that game at the weekend now
Its really not that complicated!!!
Give me a break! Are you saying you never watch football on TV??? Or are you saying that if a crucial relegation game that affected Rovers was on Sky, you wouldn't watch it?
No, I'd be at the game no matter where.
Even if neither of the teams was Sligo?? Wow, that's committed! I can honestly say that I would happily watch it on the TV unless the game was just down the road.No, I'd be at the game no matter where.
excellent post, really enjoyed reading that, i'll be watching out for the result the weekend and hope wednesday stay up for the simple reason that Neil Warnock used to be in charge of Palace, always had a soft spot for wednesday as well since the days of Sheridan, Waddle, Hirst et all but one player I always remember was Ritchie Humpreys, i remember a cracking volley scored early in a season that put Wednesday top after 4 games or so in the early 90s
Would you like him to travel to England for every game? Or maybe he should just leave his family and move to Sheffied, and camp outside the stadium in a tent?
The 96th minute goal line clearance. Marek Czech could join my Christmas Card list along with Gary Mackay.
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/260420...line-crys.html
Greatest single Carlsberg moment: Robbie Keane's last minute goal against Germany.
Greatest Carlsberg game moment: Scotland vs Bulgaria. Ireland had arrived on the world stage AT LAST.
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
I've done it before. When Pat's played Galway last year in Richmond, a 0-1 if i remember correctly. It affected us big time, we needed Pat's to win. I travelled from West Sligo.
One Iron Cross with Oak Leaves ...comin' up.
" I wish to God that someone would be able to block out the voices in my head for five minutes, the voices that scream, over and over again: "Why do they come to me to die?"
I hate football!
"Can you hear the Rochdale sing, nooo, nooo..?"
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
Posting Permissions
Quote
Bookmarks