Here is another Blues fan’s experience from Sunday, his time Mortonblue.
If you want to do yours, I’ll be posting them all week, so get them sent in! Send it to me via the contact page.
Also do read a Gooner’s take on the final.
I managed to get tickets for both my sons who share a ST as one lives in Lincoln. We set off and had breakfast on route before arriving in glorious sunshine and headed for the Green Man to meet a few mates. When the rain came we sheltered under a large pine tree but nothing was going to spoil our day as we headed off to the stadium and Wembley Way, which was a sea of blue and white. We just wanted to enjoy the day, our day, none of us expected to
win but we always had a hope that we might.
We got into the ground early and were determined to savour every second. The atmosphere was electric, the fans deafening (my ears are still ringing) and everyone was together and behind the team. The lads were magnificent, its
easily the best performance of sheer guts, effort and team spirit I have ever seen, we simply wanted it more than Arsenal and deserved the win. It was so sweet when the second goal went in, I knew we had won and had a
little tear in my eye thinking of my Dad who followed Blues for 50 years and hopefully was watching from above. I am so happy that I could share the day with my boys, my head is still banging and my ankles are so sore from jumping up and down so much. This is a memory that will last forever, thank you Alex and the lads, KRO.
My Wembley Experience.
We are the Dutch supporters club. We attend as many games as we can; especially away games were we love the atmosphere.
On this occasion we drifted in from different places using different transport methods. The majority on flights from Holland where we live and work, but some already in the UK on other business came down by train, bus, whatever. We gathered in Central London on Saturday night. We watched the rugby and yes, we were happy about the result but all of us were clearly distracted. Chinese food and then back to the pub. None of us wanted to talk about the final. It was there, on us, in us, around us but we didn’t want to mention it. It was a curious mixture of fear and enormous anticipation. We all were privately thinking about how it would be if we won but were terrified of the enormous pain that would come with a defeat. The pain that has come so many times before. Semi-Finals, The Albion, Fulham, League cup – Liverpool… Relegation, Third division. I don’t need to remind you.
On the day itself we met bright and early. Again nerves were getting the better of us and no one was drinking like they normally do. I think everyone wanted to fully savor the atmosphere, take it all in, after all it might be another 50 years…We met some Blues supporters from Norway on the tube. Their membership is mostly Norwegian whereas we are almost all ex-pats but here we all were, Bluenoses from all over Europe coming together. There was an enormous sense of occasion
Off the tube and standing looking at Wembley way. We took photo’s When I look back at them now the excitement in the eyes is palatable. You can see the apprehension and the tension but also the sheer joy at being there. Into the ground early. Again, trying to soak it all in, trying to live every second. If I sound over dramatic, forgive me but that’s just how it was. Pre-match they played some motivational videos. Arsenal showed past glories and players, followed by an interview on the pitch with Charlie Nicholas. He mumbled something about how great Arsenal was and how much he hoped they won. Then it was our turn. They showed the “This is our City” video and finished with a call to the fans to sing “ KRO”, which they did with pride. Standing in the middle of it all it is difficult to know how much louder we were than the Arsenal fans but I really couldn’t hear any noise from them at all.
And then the game….
I would like to tell you that the strategy of drinking less, soaking up the atmosphere and appreciating the moment really worked…..but it didn’t. I can’t remember that much about the game! We sang and danced and shouted all the way through. When our goal went it of course we went crazy, but it was early days. Then they equalized and for a moment there was a sense of “here we go again”. Half time. I didn’t leave my seat. Completely drained by the excitement. Then the second half started. And then there was 10 minutes left. (Don’t ask me what happened to the rest of the half – it just flew by!). Arsenal were on top. They had several chances. For the first time we went quiet. The sick feeling in the stomach that had been building was becoming intense. You could taste the roof of your mouth. There was a sense of inevitability. One of these shots will be on target. One of them will go in. Then – substitution. Martins. Don’t bring Ziggy off, Don’t bring Ziggy off! No, its Fahey! What a great call we all thought. He’s done well but come on! lets go for it! Immediate impact. With him up front Arsenal are forced to defend a bit deeper. ….and then the goal. Possibly the most surreal experience of my life. The time between the defenders making the error and the ball being put into the net genuinely seemed like ages. In slow motion, agonizingly it moved. As it did so thoughts were going through my head. This cannot be real. This does not happen to us. He is offside, he fouled the goalkeeper. I am dreaming – But suddenly the net bulged and then the noise came! The noise! Unbelievable. It exploded all around us. I could hear this crazy person shouting GOAL!, GOAL! GOAL!…..and then I realized it was me. I turned to my son and my nephew. We came together in a huddle jumping up and down. We were sitting underneath a slight overhang with a mettle roof. We started banging on the roof. I thought the light fittings were going to come out!. It went on and on. By the time we looked at the pitch again the game had restarted. Four minutes of added time. To be honest I didn’t see much of that four minutes. Everyone was jumping, flags were waving, scarves were held high. Couldn’t see much, but you could hear. Man could you hear Everywhere people singing, shouting, crying and lots of “blow the whistle!” “blow the **** whistle!” Then it came. The end. The relief was incredible. Of course we were happy, of course we were singing and dancing and crying, of course we clapped and cheered and jumped, but somewhere deep down inside of me a voice was just saying, very quietly, over and over again. “Yes”