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arsenal fa cup 1979


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Yes I was there with my Dad.

This was when football was without prima donna's and huge wage bills. When games were played on ridiculous surfaces and players really wanted to play. When there was passion and pride. When teams weren't made up of loan players. When potential new managers sat in the North Stand to watch the game (JC against Chesterfield - still got the autograph on the programme).

These games were amazing.

And of course 1979 will always be remembered for one other reason...

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Guest LittonOwl

The 3 Filbert Street matches were probably my earliest memories of being a Wednesdayite.

Travelling down the A1 in the back of the car with my Dad and his mate, more in hope than in expectancy, in amongst a huge convoy of Wednesday cars, min-buses and coaches, blue and white scarves and flags hanging out of the windows; really was an awesome sight...

The snow and ice, the fog, the atmosphere, being the underdog but battling against the odds to get a result time and again, Big Jack, Brian Hornsby, and that special Wednesday atmosphere that felt liked we just took over the ground (even though it was the 'mighty' Arsenal we were playing!). As someone's already said, we were truly 'MASSIVE' in those days...

All in all, those nights are probably what cemented me as a Wednesdayite for life. I might not be able to remember much about the games' themselves, but it was more than that for me, it was that 'feeling' of being part of something special...

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Wasn't that the last time Filbert Street saw a crowd north of 30,000?

Does anyone have the poster that the club brought out afterwards, you know the "Marathon Men" one?

Top half/bottom half for closer inspection. Sorry, I'm not very good at this.

post-11404-0-85849400-1352735668_thumb.j

post-11404-0-66504000-1352735705_thumb.j

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Went to all 5 games mate.

Lived in Leicester at the time and gave up a ticket for Elvis Costello at De-Montfort Hall for one of the games.

Remember the replays like they were yesterday, mostly:

Freezing cold. Snow, ice and fog.

Wednesday outnumbering Arsenal ten to one

John Lowey running his socks off every game

"Sunderland's a bishop basher"

20 or so Owls piling out of the back of an old box type transit with no seats in the back.

"We're proud of you" sang at the end of the last game for about 20 minutes non stop - tears rolling down my face.

We were really MASSIVE in them days

I was in that van there were 22 and 2 bales of straw 6 went with tickets the rest without we all got in climbed over turnstile then leged it great days
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I missed the game at Highbury but got to the rest. Fantastic times, I remember getting back from the first game at Leicester late on the Tuesday to find out the next replay was going to be the next day. Just turned round and set off back again. Incidentally, I'm sure that was why the attandence was low for the third replay on the Wednesday, apart from the cost of going back again half of us didn't know about it until it was too late. Epic stuff, it could never happen again though, which is a real shame in my opinion.

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I went to all 5. Loads of us leaving Ecclesfield school early to catch the coach in Chapeltown was a funny sight. :biggrin:

I was absolutely crushed in that first game at Leicester. Wednesday fans travelled in big numbers for those games. Oddly enough I was with the Arsenal fans for the fourth game (went with my brother who liked to follow Arsenal). There was loads of room to spare but not much fun trying to bite my lip when Turner saved Liam Brady's penalty.

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Great memories - after the best part of a dire decade this was the start of us getting a team to be proud of under Big Jack. :biggrin:

Masses of owls fans, as already mentioned, travelled down in shocking weather conditions to create a fantastic atmosphere.

The lads showed that great team spirit,, similar to that which Meggo instilled into last seasons team, and with the tricky underfoot conditions

we thought Arsenal might have an advantage with their superior skillful players like brady,rix and sunderland.

Missed the replay at highbury but went to the rest and remember us matching them - great performances by leman (probably cos of his low centre

of gravity was suited to the frozen pitch) and my hero Brian Hornsby, playing against the team that sold him as a youngster.

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First game highlights

Thanks for this post. Brilliant stuff. Tears rolling down mi face when Johnson equalised again [#softtw@t] Great to see Big Jack's analysis as well as one or two challenges that might have seen red in todays game!

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For the youngsters here, check this out, this is when the FA Cup was a proper competition with as many replays as it took to get a result!

http://soccerlens.co...ry-think/21031/



7. Manchester United v Crystal Palace (1990)

The last FA Cup final to go to a replay was an absolute corker that was a showcase for how great the competition could be and would have been harsh on either side had there been a winner on the day.

Read more at http://soccerlens.com/fa-cup-replays-are-great-no-matter-what-fergie-rafa-and-harry-think/21031/#5MmAcvGCxFe39m8P.99

quite strange, i thought the 93 final went to a replay

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This is my first post. I've been reading the articles on here for months and this topic really got my juices flowing as the first game at Filbert Street was my first away game.

I don't remember much of the game at Hillsborough other than the snowballing of Pat Jennings and Johnsons goal. Listened to the radio for the game at Highbury and was convinced we'd win until Smith sliced a clearance into his own goal. Then, the question that changed my life....."do you want to go to the replay at Leicester?" Didn't I just

I remember struggling to get in, hearing the cheer as Arsenal scored (Brady?). I didn't realise how MASSIVE we were and assumed that the muted cheer was because we had scored. I just got to my seat as Hornsby equalised. Second half, Wednesday were attacking the end where I was sat (just above the Arsenal fans) and with about 10 minutes to go, we were pushing for an equaliser. The ball goes into their fans for a goal kick and Pat Rice screams at them "keep it, keep it" to waste time. Luckily Hornsby equalised and it was back down on Wednesday for the 4th game.

When Turner saved the penalty, I was convinced we'd win, but the Arse scored from the resulting corner. My prize moment though came at half time of extra time, we're battling it out with one of the best teams in the country and the fans are singing their hearts out for one last effort. Then over the tannoy comes the scores from elsewhere...."Aldershot 1 Sheffield United 0". Cue even louder cheering.

I didn't make it to the decider but those matches at Filbert Street will live with me forever and set me up for many years of following the MASSIVE

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