1993/94 - the two games that
mattered
Plymouth 1
Burnley 3, Play-Off Semi Final, Second Leg, Home Park, 18th May 1999
Although the Wembley final was indeed THE
occasion of the 93/94 year for the Clarets, the game of the year was undoubtedly the
second leg play-off game at Home Park. Lots of people claim to have been at that match on
a fairly dismal midweek evening, but the Claret following was actually relatively sparse,
but vociferous. Not totally surprising after the first leg, 0-0 at the Turf. The Plymouth
fans were certainly out in force, for one of the biggest games seen at Home Park for many
years. They were boisterous, aggressive and very confident, to the extent that the
‘Wembley 1994’ T-shirts had already been printed, and were selling in large
numbers. The press had written the Clarets off, excerpts from which Jimmy Mullen had taped
to the walls of the away dressing room for motivation. As if they really needed it.
The atmosphere as you might expect, was
electric. The football was played at 100 mph, and initially we were getting the worst of
it. It is often forgotten in the euphoria of the ‘super’ Johnny Francis length
of the pitch brace, that we were at one stage a goal down to a Dwight Marshall strike, and
looking down the wrong end of the barrel. The character that was displayed to rally round
and eventually silence the Argyle masses, was something the Clarets have not shown very
often over the last few years. Walter Joyce’s little boy had a massive game,
celebrating with the third goal, but the night belonged to JF, who quietened the racist
chants in the best manner possible. The Argyle fans weren’t finished by the third
goal however, and the half bricks rained down on the away end from Home Park. Getting back
to the station for the night sleeper to London was something that belonged to the bad days
of the 70’s. Nothing however will take the magic of that night away from all who were
there. Thanks JF!
Burnley 2 Stockport 1,
Play-Off Final, Wembley, 29th May 1994
I actually saw the play-off final from a very
unusual vantage point, after a chance conversation with a sports reporter from the
Independent. Aforesaid hack was in the Swiss Cottage pub, which had opened early on
Sunday, before the game, specifically for the London Clarets. He was keen to find one or
two sensible looking Claret types to take to the match, but was having trouble finding
anyone sober enough, or indeed who hadn’t had their faced painted specifically for
the day. I was not keen at first, wishing of course to stay with the faithful, but the
prospect of the press box was quite literally mouthwatering, with its free food and beer
and piles of statistics, as much as you could stomach. Andy Turner, another sensible type
(?) elected to do the same.
The quid pro quo of course was that the
journalist didn’t know any of the players on view, and I provided the running
commentary. The press certainly have the best view in the house at Wembley complete with
TV monitor and a telephone to call mother. What I hadn’t counted upon was sitting
next to the doyen of all soccer writers, Brian Glanville. Don’t think he was all that
pleased this proximity to an oik, but I kept a lid, to a certain extent, on the quite
natural feelings of great joy as the game progressed. This was fine until the second
Claret goal, and of course the final whistle, when he merely smiled condescendingly at the
great leap in the air, and the tears streaming down my face. Think he enjoyed the game,
but not anywhere as much as I did. Didn’t stay too long afterwards to partake of the
freebies or listen to the Glanville lecture, as the Swiss Cottage beckoned for a night of
pure joy directing the traffic down Finchley Road.
Hego
February 2000
Links
- Super Johnny
Francis, the hateful Peter Shilton and more from those days
at Plymouth and Wembley
