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that PO game - 20 years ago 10:21 - May 17 with 3597 views

can remember that entire day like it was yesterday, anyone else able to relive it?

woke up early that day, a 14 year old me had school, but there would be zero focus and attention on anything else but the game.
jumped on my bike, up to Chantry i went.... remember seeing a postie at the top shops in a town shirt, few blue armys were shouted back and forth.
day passed and flew home down aster road hill on my bike talking about the game with my mate.

got in and parents had seemingly sacked off anything productive that day as remember seeing empty beer cans on the kitchen worktop, bbq was on, normal dinner was sacked off.

the replica top, fresh from wash (after wearing it the sunday at the reebok) went on, and the family walked down to the westgate ward social club. was still pretty early but started filling up with the regulars - everyone positive as hell and I remember still there with my shandy absolutely bricking it.

then set off to the ground, ensuring I walked over all the double drains for luck, warm summer evening and it seemed everyone in Ipswich was out that evening, sounds stupid but defiantly something in the air that night.

then came the game, the highs and lows will never be repeated in a single game of football for me. remember being surrounded by the regular faces in cobbold lower, and remember their faces when boltons goals went in, when ours went in, the stewards helping us (kids) back over the advertising boards after the goals when we "accidently" ended up going over.....

then the Reuser moment, tears thinking about it, time stood still, seeing the north stand erupt, absolute carnage.

then the final whistle. I was sat/stood with family, ranging from 7 year old cousin to parents and uncle/auntie, the stand emptied and everyone was on that pitch..... nobody knew where anyone was but nobody cared. we knew we'd be safe - I think, or wasn't that even a consideration?!

did I sleep that night, did I bolloks!

Up the town

	We’ll be good again... one day
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that PO game - 20 years ago on 14:23 - May 17 with 1014 views

textbackup

that PO game - 20 years ago on 13:45 - May 17 by davblue
I distinctly remember the feelings that I had that we’d messed it up yet again before Magilton’s goal. The lift and belief that goal gave us and the players carried us over the line that night. What gets forgotten was the game the year before, that was also a classic but we were on the wrong end of the result.

the dyer lopping header!

	We’ll be good again... one day
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that PO game - 20 years ago on 15:08 - May 17 with 988 views

Blueastheycome

This post has also made me truly realise that we have featured in the champ play offs SEVEN times and only came through once!!

that PO game - 20 years ago on 15:17 - May 17 with 983 views

gainsboroughblue

that PO game - 20 years ago on 15:08 - May 17 by Blueastheycome
This post has also made me truly realise that we have featured in the champ play offs SEVEN times and only came through once!!

Eight if you include the old Division Two.

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that PO game - 20 years ago on 15:26 - May 17 with 976 views

PJH

that PO game - 20 years ago on 15:17 - May 17 by gainsboroughblue
Eight if you include the old Division Two.

Yes lost out to Charlton twice,W.Ham twice,Bolton,Sheff U and them.

that PO game - 20 years ago on 15:49 - May 17 with 950 views

Pinewoodblue

that PO game - 20 years ago on 15:26 - May 17 by PJH
Yes lost out to Charlton twice,W.Ham twice,Bolton,Sheff U and them.

Amazing how many of those would appear on most fans disliked list.

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that PO game - 20 years ago on 16:09 - May 17 with 939 views

Reuser_is_God

Was at school too, albeit primary.

Just remember being very nervous about it all, I’ve never been good with big games.

Everything about the game has already been covered in the thread but I remember everyone beeping car horns when driving back up Bishops Hill.

	Evans out
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that PO game - 20 years ago on 16:21 - May 17 with 930 views

Alexwaddell

that PO game - 20 years ago on 16:09 - May 17 by Reuser_is_God
Was at school too, albeit primary. Just remember being very nervous about it all, I’ve never been good with big games. Everything about the game has already been covered in the thread but I remember everyone beeping car horns when driving back up Bishops Hill.

I was working in Twickenham, so away Monday to Friday. Could not get Radio Suffolk down there so I phoned my son who put the house phone next to the radio. Amazing night!!!!!!! my ears were buzzing for the next 3 days

Poll:

What was today?

that PO game - 20 years ago on 17:15 - May 17 with 896 views

linhdi

The best game I have ever seen, in over 40 years of live football. Made all the better by the ongoing bitterness of Bolton fans!

that PO game - 20 years ago on 18:05 - May 17 with 876 views

Pablokuqi

As a post 2003 blow in perfectly timed for our demise and years of misery I have had to consult my wife on her experience. She was at uni. She just met a new bf. He was very keen to see her. She said now no I am listening to a very important football match and said she would see him next week, when her friends kept trying to come into her room she told them to f off. Sadly it didn't last with with the Welsh Rugby loving posh boy. I think that day meant she fell in love with Jim and only a fellow countryman would ever be good enough!

Super Jim Magilton!

that PO game - 20 years ago on 18:13 - May 17 with 867 views

Libero

that PO game - 20 years ago on 11:43 - May 17 by bluejacko
If they hadn’t lost the plot for some reason they would have beaten us that night! I can still hear Alladyce whinging on about the penalties ðŸ˜‚ But what a night if you were lucky enough to be there ðŸ˜€

I don’t think they “lost the plot” in as much as they came to Portman Road hoping to intimidate and bully us physically to disrupt our passing game.
When they realised that they couldn’t bully us they then turned their attentions to the referee.

Allardyce got his tactics all wrong and the never say die spirit that our whole team embodied that’s night was unlike anything I’ve ever seen in football before or after.

I was 11 at the time and still at 31 I can say with complete confidence that it was without a doubt the greatest game of football I have ever witnessed, it had everything.
I only hope that one day my boy will see a game featuring Ipswich with such intense drama and high stakes.

[Post edited 17 May 2020 18:27]

that PO game - 20 years ago on 18:16 - May 17 with 864 views

le2blue

Likewise can remember it like it was yesterday. One thing from the night I recall is that I don’t smoke, but I went through 10 Marlboro lights from 75 mins till reuser scored thanks to the bloke in front of me who I’d never met. I was convinced we were going to throw it away. We hugged and danced when he did score. On the pitch afterwards was class, think we all thought we would do Barnsley. TWTD.

that PO game - 20 years ago on 07:16 - May 18 with 795 views

lambo77

that PO game - 20 years ago on 12:18 - May 17 by ITFC_Forever
That was the final, this thread is talking about the second leg of the semi.

thanks, my bad. All my fingernails went during that second leg!

that PO game - 20 years ago on 07:41 - May 18 with 788 views

m14_blue

that PO game - 20 years ago on 10:55 - May 17 by textbackup
watching via ceefax...... imagine telling that to a kid of 15/16 now! I went on ceefax after school to see transfer news!

Yep, page 302 as soon a I got in.

that PO game - 20 years ago on 08:45 - May 18 with 758 views

C_HealyIsAPleasure

What a game, I came to the realisation a few years back that my football watching peaked in 2000.
That’s not even a moan about how sh*t things have been for the past 20-odd years, even if we get good again I’ll almost certainly never see a better game

And all having just turned 15 when I couldn’t even really enjoy it fully

As an aside, one of my more vivid memories from that night was running onto the pitch from behind the away dugout (used to sit Block II with my stepdad in those days, f*ck off Allardyce you c*nt etc), being hugged by a few people, and then turning to see Reuser stood on top of a dugout with his arms stretched wide. Thing is I’ve never seen anyone else mention this and looking back it feels rather preposterous - can anyone corroborate that this actually happened or did my 15 year old mind just make something up which I’ve since convinced myself is real?

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that PO game - 20 years ago on 08:58 - May 18 with 745 views

PJH

that PO game - 20 years ago on 08:45 - May 18 by C_HealyIsAPleasure

As I might have mentioned before my ITFC watching days go back about 60 years and that was certainly the most dramatic game that I have ever seen.

I think during that game I (and everyone else) must have gone through every emotion that it is possible to go through at a football match,some of them several times.

I know that I was still emotionally drained 24 hours later because the night after there was a 60's night at The Regent including Gerry & The Pacemakers and I could not get into that I like I usually do.

that PO game - 20 years ago on 09:06 - May 18 with 738 views

Radlett_blue

that PO game - 20 years ago on 08:58 - May 18 by PJH

What made it more dramatic was that it was like an even better sequel (with the right ending) to an almost equally dramatic original 12 months before.

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Should horse racing be banned in the UK?

that PO game - 20 years ago on 09:15 - May 18 with 726 views

PJH

that PO game - 20 years ago on 09:06 - May 18 by Radlett_blue
What made it more dramatic was that it was like an even better sequel (with the right ending) to an almost equally dramatic original 12 months before.

Yes that is very true,the game the year before COULD have been the one that we all remember if the outcome had been in our favour.

that PO game - 20 years ago on 09:37 - May 18 with 705 views

Radlett_blue

that PO game - 20 years ago on 09:15 - May 18 by PJH
Yes that is very true,the game the year before COULD have been the one that we all remember if the outcome had been in our favour.

When Dyer scored that last-gasp header, I thought we were certain to win the game!
So when Jim completed his hat trick at around the same time (even eerier) I tried to stop myself from thinking that we must now win.

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that PO game - 20 years ago on 09:46 - May 18 with 693 views

Churchman

I’ve been lucky enough to see most of the key games played at PR since Robson’s time and that night was the most intense atmosphere I ever recall there. It was an astonishing game.

I was working in Cobham in Surrey and really couldn’t afford the time, but hell would have to freeze over before I was going to miss that. I got away at about 3.30 and after duelling with the M25/A12 actually made surprisingly good time, dropped my car off at my dads and after a quick tea, we went to the game.

The atmosphere was all nervous anticipation. We were better than them so how could we lose? But we weren’t on the night and after they scored I had that ‘here we go again’ feeling. But our team had a bit of grit, as had been shown in the 1st leg. We equalised and it was a feeling of great, let’s kick on. Then the dreaded Holdsworth plonked in the free kick. Oh...

But the game just got madder and madder. Bolton’s discipline was all over the place and by the end were lucky to have 9 on the field. The incident where their whole team were pushing the ref after the penalty award said it all. I was encouraging them to thump Barry Knight to lose a player or two, but he showed admirable if annoying restraint.

The game went on it’s merry way and when Magilton squeezed in the equaliser, I knew we’d be alright. The second sending off was ludicrous. It was more of an assault than a bad challenge. What Elliott was gesturing at when the card was waved, I’ve no idea. The Reuser finish at the end was pure ecstasy. On the pitch we went, a chunk of which is in my garden along with a bit from the 92 promotion game.

Back to my dads for a cup of tea, home in Kent by about 2.30am, at work by 8 the following morning feeling dead but happy.

I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. What a night.

that PO game - 20 years ago on 10:10 - May 18 with 673 views

Chutney

Loved reading through this thread, thanks.

I can't remember sh1t all about the day itself, no idea how I got into town, but boy can I remember the game. I remember the heartache when Holdsworth whipped that freekick into the bottom corner and when Johnston scored a screamer for them. That Magilton moment too, lying on his back celebrating. the fan on the pitch, Croft standing over Jim. The place erupted. As for Reuser, what a bit of forward play that was by Naylor by the way who was a player I loved. When that final whistle went, absolute scenes. Managed to bump into my brother and a few of his mates on the pitch who were sat elsewhere in the ground. Pretty sure I joined a conga at one point.

That was a special night. Wembley was special too, in a very different way. It had all the excitement and promise of the Premier League. Everything about it was textbook, from the sun shining on the walk to Wembley way, Reds vs Blues, and a real sporting atmosphere thanks to the good folk of Suffolk and Yorkshire. But Bolton had an electricity in the air. A kind of gritty, buzzy, spark that I can't quite put my finger on.

that PO game - 20 years ago on 18:48 - May 18 with 633 views

RAH4

Yes in the spirit of nostalgia, and senior lockdown, have watched both legs of semi and the final on Youtube.First goal from Stewart in 1st leg was unbelievable and the time and confidence for the 2nd remarkable.2nd leg was one of those games.In those days we had regional TV coverage so Youtube has both Granada and Anglia.....2 different games from the commentaries. Following on from promotion was at Leicester v ITFC in 2000. Old Filbert St when away fans were in a corner,(with v dangerous exits). Barry Knight was ref, as he warmed up with his team, every time they jogged past us he got a standing ovation. He took it well. TWTD's !

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