This FA Cup Semi Final

[RP]

Now I can't go (family commitments) but I was just thinking about it.

 

If I was able to go, I'd probably take my lad - he's 10 now. And the weather forecast is good for this weekend.

 

Jon-Paul Gilhooley was 10 when he went to watch the Reds in an FA Cup Semi-Final. He woke up that sunny April morning, he must have been the most excited lad in the world - I was pretty excited myself and I was 10 years older than him.

 

 

 

Just makes you f'king think, doesn't it?

 

 

And so I'll watch the game on telly with my family but I'll tell you what, I'll keep a tight hold of my lad all the way through. And I'll be as desperate as anyone for us to win. But I'll tell you something else - if we lose, I'll walk home from the pub with my lad and life will go on.

 

 

 

God bless our 96 friends.

Edited April 12, 2006 by RP

[anny road]

was thinking about that as I am taking my lad to his first game tomorrow night

[RP]

I'm proud of my two. They've been away at their Grandparents (the dragon and her long-suffering husband) for a few days and when they came in the door tonight they both had their wristbands on - they don't normally wear them. So I asked them why they had them on and they said "it's because Hillsborough happened about now, didn't it?".

 

They're 8 and 10.

[anny road]

I'm proud of my two. They've been away at their Grandparents (the dragon and her long-suffering husband) for a few days and when they came in the door tonight they both had their wristbands on - they don't normally wear them. So I asked them why they had them on and they said "it's because Hillsborough happened about now, didn't it?".

 

They're 8 and 10.

 

 

[Guest Kev]

I'm proud of my two. They've been away at their Grandparents (the dragon and her long-suffering husband) for a few days and when they came in the door tonight they both had their wristbands on - they don't normally wear them. So I asked them why they had them on and they said "it's because Hillsborough happened about now, didn't it?".

 

They're 8 and 10.

 

Nice to hear Paul

 

Ant chews the ones he's had and Liam's wrist is to skinny to wear one.

[Joshytoohotty]

Not got any kids because I'm only 18 but I was thinking along similar lines earlier.

 

I'll be going the match next week and if I was 17 years older I'd have probably been at Hillsborough.

 

Obviously at this time of year you tend to think a lot about Hillsborough but especially with an FA Cup semi coming up it just drums it into to you how lucky we all are.

 

If we get beat I'll be walking out the ground gutted as f*** but as you say, life will go on, but for 96 people 17 years ago it stopped there and then.

 

Always worth a thought, especially with all the ideas people are coming up with about fighting the mancs and smashing the ground up.

[RP]

Just reading Aldo's story on the Official Site and thinking some more about it. It was the noise, or rather lack of noise, that made it clear that it wasn't a pitch invasion caused by hooligans (which was everyone's immediate natural reaction - everyone who wasn't in Leppings Lane, I mean).

 

I'd been in and around grounds when it had all kicked off and it was invariably accompanied by lots of shouting and screaming (mainly posturing). At Hillsborough, my memory tells me it was really quiet. No idea if it was or not, but that's how I remeber it. Aldo mentions it and it jogged a buried memory.

[Tetti]

I know of quite a few Chelsea fans who are making a "family day out" of the semi.

I can't imagine ( and told them so) a worse fixture to take a young child or wife / husband who doesn't normally go to games.

[RP]

Up until about 5pm on APril 14th 1989, I had a ticket for the Leppings Lane end. Then my Uncle phoned me and said he had managed to swap it for a seat in the stand along the side of the pitch - because his son had been in the Leppings Lane the year before and "he said it was murder in there".

 

I hated my Uncle for that. For about 22 hours.

[Joshytoohotty]

Just reading Aldo's story on the Official Site and thinking some more about it. It was the noise, or rather lack of noise, that made it clear that it wasn't a pitch invasion caused by hooligans (which was everyone's immediate natural reaction - everyone who wasn't in Leppings Lane, I mean).

 

I'd been in and around grounds when it had all kicked off and it was invariably accompanied by lots of shouting and screaming (mainly posturing). At Hillsborough, my memory tells me it was really quiet. No idea if it was or not, but that's how I remeber it. Aldo mentions it and it jogged a buried memory.

 

That's certainly what I've noticed from the limited footage I've seen of it as well.

[anny road]

Very similar to me that Paul

 

We had three tickets....but we needed four.....our three tickets were for the Leppings Lane......We put the feelers out for a spare for my Old Fella and we specified a seat ticket as I knew what it had been like the year before, when i was scared s***less..............

 

Anyway, come 5pm on the Friday and we got a call at home off a mate of my dad's saying we had the option of two tickets but we had to take them both......So we did......I decided to sit with my dad and sold my other ticket to another mate.....

 

Fortunately the three of them came back safe and well...

 

Others were not so fortunate....

 

God bless Colin, Gary and "Ronnie" and all the 96

[Huyton_Red]

On a non hillsborough note, slight change of subject

 

Does anyone remember FA cup semi finals in the 80's, for me they where THE biggest game of the season, the one I got really, really nervous and excited about

[Gravy]

You know I would normally take my kids anywhere, but OT is definately out of the question, Semi Final or normal game.

 

It'll be fine Kev. It's my lads 8th birthday the day of the semi and he's coming with me, my old man and my cousin. There won't be any problems IMO.

[anny road]

On a non hillsborough note, slight change of subject

 

Does anyone remember FA cup semi finals in the 80's, for me they where THE biggest game of the season, the one I got really, really nervous and excited about

 

 

i remember the 85 semi and the 86 semi's making me all giddy

[Gray - YPC]

So many stories of lucky escapes, I thought I'd add ours.

 

My brother had a ticket in the Leppings Lane and was going to go with the same 2 lads he went with every week.

 

Brian Clough of all people was, at the time, a family friend and he actually sorted us some tickets which were on Row 1 (it turned out to be Row 1 of the second tier, but we didn't know that at the time) I can still remember my Brother arguing with my Mum as he wanted to go with his mates and my Mum was adament he had to go in the stands, simply because it was Row 1 so she was worried that we'd be near the dugout in case Clough saw he wasn't there and didn't us get tickets in the future.

 

Whilst I hate Clough for what he said, I cannot hate him myself as part of me thinks he saved my brothers life.

 

Regarding my brother's 2 mates. One made it back, and the other didn't. I can't even begin to imagine how I'd cope if Ben or Kev or any of the lads never returned from a match. I honestly don't think I'd be able to ever go to another match - I'm sure deep down the reason my brother has moved abroad and stopped going the match (apart from the odd game when he's back which is about once a year) is because of that day.

 

RIP Paul Clark

[Paul B]

was thinking about that as I am taking my lad to his first game tomorrow night

 

 

Good, you need someone sensible to look after you.