25 Years at the Riverside

Humpty

Humpty

Well-known member
What are your over riding memories?

Your first visit?
Favourite game?
Worst game?
The game you wish you could experience again?
Personal memories from a game not overly memorable. Perhaps your kids first game?
What improvements would you make to the ground or surrounding area?
 
Your first visit? Somewhere around 98-99.
Favourite game? Steaua
Worst game? A few candidates but Cardiff in the cup takes some beating.
The game you wish you could experience again? Basel or Steaua again.
Personal memories from a game not overly memorable. Perhaps your kids first game? Incey hitting the corner flag. Frank Sinclair's backpass.
What improvements would you make to the ground or surrounding area? A train station halt near the Navi, then build a few more decent pubs around that.
 
Just had a bit of a chuckle about this with my good lady this morning - we fell out.

I lived about an hour away and wanted to be away by noon - I was with the kids.
She didn’t get back til about half past 12 and I was going bonkers. Our young un had been diagnosed with Asperger and she was out with a couple of her friends trying to make sense of it all.
As soon as she got home I just legged it - didn’t say a word.

it was a brilliant day but, suffice to say, I had a bit of work to do when I got home to remedy the situation.
 
Your first visit? Chelsea 1995.
Favourite game? Tough one, the 4-3's against Basel and Steaua were very entertaining but getting promoted against Brighton had the pent up emotions of all those years suffering in the Championship.
Worst game? Cardiff FA Cup, that was our opportunity to win the FA Cup.
The game you wish you could experience again? Man City 8-1, everything just went in!
Personal memories from a game not overly memorable. Perhaps your kids first game? Banik Ostrava, first European game. A random home game against Wigan which was the last game I went to with my dad.
What improvements would you make to the ground or surrounding area? More to do around the ground pre and post game, pubs, restaurants etc. Bigger concourses inside the ground (probably not even possible).
 
Riverside said:
Your first visit? Chelsea 1995.
Favourite game? Tough one, the 4-3's against Basel and Steaua were very entertaining but getting promoted against Brighton had the pent up emotions of all those years suffering in the Championship.
Worst game? Cardiff FA Cup, that was our opportunity to win the FA Cup.
The game you wish you could experience again? Man City 8-1, everything just went in!
Personal memories from a game not overly memorable. Perhaps your kids first game? Banik Ostrava, first European game. A random home game against Wigan which was the last game I went to with my dad.
What improvements would you make to the ground or surrounding area? More to do around the ground pre and post game, pubs, restaurants etc. Bigger concourses inside the ground (probably not even possible).
Click to expand...

On your last point, there's actually an undeveloped 1st floor above the north stand concourse. Was always meant to be developed into a fans bar but it's never took off.
 
Your first visit? Charlton 1997
Favourite game? Chelsea 3-0 - Jose's biggest defeat as a manager at the time and we absolutely destroyed them from the 1st minute to the last. The whole game we bossed them off the park. Incredible team performance.
Worst game? Cardiff in FA Cup - it was our best chance of lifting the FA Cup....only to be thrown away like that.
The game you wish you could experience again? Steaua. The sheer emotions and the rollercoaster was incredible.
Personal memories from a game not overly memorable. Perhaps your kids first game? Strangely enough, I always think of the B'ham 5-3 win. Going into the game both teams had the best defensive records in the league I believe, so I was expecting a tight affair, only to end up watching an absolutely corker of a game!
What improvements would you make to the ground or surrounding area 1 or two more pubs...but I understand that probably wouldn't work.
 
Your first visit? Chelsea 1995.
Favourite game? Lazio. We totally bossed it against a top European club and it just felt like we'd arrived
Worst game? I missed the Cardiff FA Cup game - away with work. The one that I remember with horror was Arsenal (1-6) we were totally outclassed
The game you wish you could experience again? Apart from Steaua, Man Utd 4-1. Probably the best I've ever seen us play , and against a real top side. Mendieta was outstanding and I took my daughter to the game.
Personal memories from a game not overly memorable. Perhaps your kids first game? Swindon Town 6-0. Took us top of the Championship and I won a shed load of money on the 6-0.
What improvements would you make to the ground or surrounding area? Ground - more concourse space and bars/bar staff so you can actually get served at half time. Surrounding area - Shouldn't have been built there in the first place
 
Capybara said:
Our best chance to win the FA Cup was when we got to the final.
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I disagree, in 2007/08 Man Utd and Chelsea had been knocked out the day before the Cardiff game - the competition was wide open.
At the time of the Cardiff match the only teams left were: Portsmouth, Barnsley, Cardiff, Middlesbrough, West Brom and Bristol Rovers. Us and pompy were the best teams left and we beat them twice home and away that season.
 
Riverside said:
I disagree, in 2007/08 Man Utd and Chelsea had been knocked out the day before the Cardiff game - the competition was wide open.
At the time of the Cardiff match the only teams left were: Portsmouth, Barnsley, Cardiff, Middlesbrough, West Brom and Bristol Rovers. Us and pompy were the best teams left and we beat them twice home and away that season.
Click to expand...
All of this contributed to the horrific atmosphere in the second half of that game. Southgate never recovered.
 
Your first visit? Chelsea 1995
Favourite game? Liverpool 3-3 - Seeing Rav in a boro shirt having watched football Italia for years as a kid was just unbelievable
Worst game? This is the hardest question there are a few, Aston Villa back in 09 sticks in my mind, needing to win, taking the lead only to then draw. You knew that was relegation confirmed as the final day of the season miracle was never going to happen.
The game you wish you could experience again? Brighton Home Promotion to the Premier league
Personal memories from a game not overly memorable. Perhaps your kids first game? Barton losing his shirt so couldn't come on as a sub
What improvements would you make to the ground or surrounding area? Tarmac the ground carpark, simple improvement that would make my matchday experience better especially on a rainy day. A bit of a rain and it floods. The club could then give people a designated parking spot. Simple improvement that works well at such clubs as Bolton.
 
First visit - Was to see Craig Hignett score the opening goal and Fjortoft put it to bed 2-0 v Chelsea 1995.

Favourite game - Tough one as said before. Liverpool in the Carling Cup semi, Basel was dramatic, promotion v Brighton joyous, but for me the comeback v Steaua that put us into a European final was .

Worst game - There have been a few, Cardiff FA Cup was bad, the cup was there for the taking. The 1-6 Hammering off Arsenal, but the toxic atmosphere at the 0-4 Villa game and Luke Moores hattrick rankles with me still as the worst for some reason.

Game I wish I could experience again - Man City 8-1 Is up there, as are the ones mentioned in the favourite games section, but I am going with the 4-1 smashing of Man Utd in October 2005

Personal memories from a game not overly memorable - Boro 0-1 Everton, last home game of the season, we had just beaten Steaua 2 days earlier. I thought we would rest the players and awaited the team news. we were favourites to win. On hearing the team I went to the concourse bookies and put all my cash on me on Everton to win. I can’t remember how much exactly but i think it was about £50. We were safe in the league and got to the Uefa final so let my head rule my heart. Well from a financial perspective on 86 mins and the score at 0-0, I thought to myself I was getting my just desserts. My dad always said never back the Boro to win, lose or draw. A minute later, up pops an on rushing Brad Jones with no chance of getting near McFadden who lobs into an unguarded net.

What improvements would you make to the ground or surrounding area - I would like to see all the depressing faded seating replaced when finances permit, it’s an eyesore.
 
Riverside said:
I disagree, in 2007/08 Man Utd and Chelsea had been knocked out the day before the Cardiff game - the competition was wide open.
At the time of the Cardiff match the only teams left were: Portsmouth, Barnsley, Cardiff, Middlesbrough, West Brom and Bristol Rovers. Us and pompy were the best teams left and we beat them twice home and away that season.
Click to expand...
At the start of the Cardiff game we needed to win three games to win the Cup. At the start of the 1995 final we needed to win one. That's all the information you need really.
 
Capybara said:
At the start of the Cardiff game we needed to win three games to win the Cup. At the start of the 1995 final we needed to win one. That's all the information you need really.
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That is true and be argued against really. The biggest thing that annoyed me was missing the chance to get to play at the new Wembley in the semi final. I went home and booked a tour of Wembley for the morning of the away game against Arsenal because in my head I was so adamant that I would get to go. I have a picture of me in the Wembley changing rooms next to Downings shirt :LOL:
 
coluka said:
I would like to see all the depressing faded seating replaced when finances permit, it’s an eyesore.
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This is a good point. It does look bad in some areas. Sunderland did a replacement job a couple of years ago and got the fans involved to do it, looks much better than the faded pink seats.
 
Capybara said:
At the start of the Cardiff game we needed to win three games to win the Cup. At the start of the 1995 final we needed to win one. That's all the information you need really.
Click to expand...
And give me those 3 fixtures (Cardiff, Barnsley, Pompey) any day of the week over 1 fixture against Chelsea.

It was our best chance of lifting the trophy.
 
I'd just like to add that start to the 96/97 when we banged four past West Ham on the Tuesday and another four past Coventry on the following Saturday. We played sublime football and I honestly thought we were on the verge of something very special.

If you'd've told me that Saturday we would be relegated I would have laughed you out of the ground!
 
Your first visit? Bolton 1995 season.
Favourite game? UEFA semi final.
Worst game? I was luck to be away for the FA cup debacle already mentioned. Apart from that it was against Charlton, can't remember the season (about 7/8 years ago ?) last home game of the season, it was freezing cold and the team just weren't bothered so bad I went home at half time.
The game you wish you could experience again? UEFA semi final.
Personal memories from a game not overly memorable. Spent a while going on crutches and they used to let me in the main entrance to use the lift, met Arsene Wenger in it. Also on crutches, fell up the stairs into the stand rushing back from the toilet when I heard cheering :) Went to the match straight from a long haul flight and fell asleep (not me who was in the news for doing this :) )
What improvements would you make to the ground or surrounding area? A railway halt directly adjacent, use some of the spare land for car parking and just do any sort of development with the rest.
 
Riverside said:
I disagree, in 2007/08 Man Utd and Chelsea had been knocked out the day before the Cardiff game - the competition was wide open.
At the time of the Cardiff match the only teams left were: Portsmouth, Barnsley, Cardiff, Middlesbrough, West Brom and Bristol Rovers. Us and pompy were the best teams left and we beat them twice home and away that season.
Click to expand...

I think we would have started the final second favorites vs Pompey; they were a good team that season, finishing 8th compared to our 13th. We would have had a decent chance though, and It did feel like a once in a lifetime opportunity slipping through our fingers. Part of it was the big clubs crashing out the day before.
 
Just to add in 2005/2006 season we only had to beat West Ham in the semi final of the FA Cup and we would've been in Europe again the following season but fixture congestion was against us that year. In hindsight that was disappointing although at the time we were in Uefa Cup dreamland! I think we played in Bucharest on the Thursday before, Villa Park for the FA Semi on Sunday and the 2nd leg against Steaua the following Thursday. 64 games that season!
 
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