cheeseboy: classic!

Got the train from Nottingham with all the Barnsley fans - great people there and back.
Don't remember much about the game except catching the young lad who fell off one of the crappy old wembley seats behind me when we went 2-1 up. Reuser with the wig was fantastic at the end. The only downside for me was the Wembley PA drowning out the celebrations with Status Quo when we were perfectly capable of making our own entertainment.

Those were the days! I can't believe it was 10 years ago, I can still remember it like yesterday. I was 12 then, it was one of the best days of my life. I think my favourite bit was on the bus back home seeing all the people on the bridges of the A12 with the banners was amazing. All of our goals were really well taken and the fans got a really good game, considering pretty much all of the playoff finals after us were 1-0 games. The first season back in the prem was amazing as well. I dont think any other newly promoted team will ever replicate our season. I wish I watched MOTD in those days, would've loved to know what the pundits thought of Town.

What was sweeter was we should never have been there. Totally outplayed by Bolton over two legs but thanks to two classic Stewart strikes and a, let's face it, "homer" of a ref in the 2nd leg we made it.
The win was never in doubt even after Hignett's great strike. Stewart's header is one of my all time favourite Town goals, superb move, what football is all about.
After the game I was the only Town fan in a carriage of Barnsley fans but they were great, best set of fans I have ever come across. After a tube journey back to Walthamstow and a drive back to Norfolk, I was in the pub just in time for the re-run and as the owners of the pubs were Town fans at the time, they left it on and I managed to sink a fair few pints waking up with a major hangover the next day.
Oh, and "If I can dream", played out at the end of the Sky coverage, now ruined by the Sun for the World Cup. A truly amazing song for a great day!

Shame we will never get to those dizzy heights ever again.....

Sat right next to the tunnel wall. Before the game a few players were on the pitch in their suits, when i noticed Harry Basset walking toward the tunnel. I then remembered his comment about town doing a lap of honour if they got out of their own half from when we got a draw at palace some years previous.
Because of this, the North used to sing "Basset you're a C**T, Basset Basset you're a C**T", so I gave him a solo rendition, which he acknowledged with a wry smile. I then nearly got chucked out, but with a few apologies and promises to a steward, stayed to watch the greatest football occasion of my life! - Then got bladdered in Watford, cheers!

I was 13 and don't remember anything about the actual football that was played i.e. goals, penalty save etc. but I remember everything else strangely. The drive to wembley on the coach with banners hanging from bridges, the coach missing the turning off the M25 and going throguh red lights to make up for it (he got a decent tip for that!), then the players coming out to fireworks which were right in front of me and when the game started I remember some poor old fella that couldn't stand not being able to see because the idiot in front wouldn't sit down, tehn status quo when we won and magilton or maybe it was johnson in his pants celebrating. Then when we got back to ipswich we nearly got run over but we or the driver didn't care, we just shared a smile and started an ipswich chant.

What a day, i only hope we can repeat it one day!

Agree with naa. Wembley was amazing but for me, the home semi-final against Bolton was the high-light. The game had everything and I have never felt happier at the end of a match. Que sera sera over the tannoy as we all flooded onto the pitch. Am getting goosebumps just thinking about it.....

As the name of this site says "Those Where The Days" or maybe that was the day!

What memories. The semi final win over Notlob, all the sudden lifelong fans scrambling for tickets and then the day itself. All four of us travelled down on coach number 42 (4-2 result), talking to the players by the tunnel before the game and then a collective sigh as Jermaine Wright's name was read out. David Johnson struggling again with injury, Hignett's goal going in off Richard Wright's back and then the penalty. The second half went by in a blur with great entertainment from both sides which culminated in my 11 year old son bursting into tears when Reuser's goal went in. And all this on my birthday !!

Best day as a ITFC fan I was 16 at the time. The atmosphere was brilliant. The thing I remember most was the guy in front of me he was aged about 60 he looked at me and started crying with happiness just hope this feeling happens again

Yeah I have to say the Barnsley fans were very gracious, when I was sat on the bus after the game all of the Barnsley buses were full of supporters clapping us. I sort of knew that we were going to win the final when I found out we were playing Barnsley and not Birmingham. I think I can remember that season on aggregate we beat Barnsley 8-1. It might have been a different story if Birmingham met us in the final. I have to agree though that that ref in the home leg of the Bolton game was awesome! They must have had at least 9 yellows.

Interesting to read that so many Town fans were completely confident we would win the game, I was exactly the same, even when they scored first my faith was barely shaken. I had only been watching Town for three seasons and had only been a season ticket holder for one, but i'll never forget the feeling of what it meant to be up. Also the surprisingly quiet walk back down wembley way after the game sticks in the mind, it was almost as though no song was fit for the occasion and no celebration could express what we had achieved. I'm sure there have been few playoff final victories that meant as much to the winning fans as ours did. It's fair to say that Wembley 2000 is one of the main reasons I renew my season ticket every year, because maybe, just maybe...

Fantastic Fantastic day. Packed tube trains across London, packed Globe pub at Baker Street, Wembley way half blue half red, wonderful atmosphere, great game, great result, great fun back in the pub in Thurston watching the re-run. Let's hope it happens again in 2011.

By the way guys I'm not sure it was the Ref that helped us against Bolton at Portman Road. If Big Sam hadn't sent his team out to act like complete thugs all night they would probably have kept 11 on the field and it may have been different. The blame for that night was squarely with Bolton, not the ref.

Brilliant times - when marcus stewart nodded in the 3rd I knew that we'd finally made it & we did it playing sublime football,an absolute pleasure to watch in those days..George Burley will forever be an ipswich legend - my worst moment as a town fan when he got sacked ..I for one hope he's back here again very soon in the manager's seat.

I remember being on front of evening star for being 1st in que for semis against Bolton a being two down up there I thought here we go again! Then out of nowhere Stewart hit this amazing shot into top corner and from then on we were a different animal I remember him equilizing 2-2 back to our place and what an amazing night had everything every time we scored they hit back my nerves were all over the place until that 'legend' Reuser scored at the end I ran on pitch met mates in north stand goal swinging on the bar wat a night wembley at last. And of the day of final was so excited my 1st a only visit to the stadium wat a game had everything the crucial moment for me was when at 3-2 up Wright produced that amazing save from hristov's header then moments later Reuser premiership they were the best words I have heard in comentary ever on the highlights programme that evening Ron Atkinson said Richard Naylors touch for one of the goals was amazing you would never think Richard Naylor in that way but he turned the game for us. It was such lovely day a signing we are the champions I just couldnt wait until the start of our premiership season I dont think we will ever get that back again just shows you what teamwork and no big time charlies can do

WadzillaBhoy : I recorded all highlights from Match of the day that premiership season (the season after was itv). Lawrenson always praised us, they always talked of 'playing football the right way'. We were also mentioned as everyones favourite 'second' team.

Best day of my life too (baring weddings & births)

I also came down from Leeds the day before - met up with some of the lads that I used to go to school with and remember being almost pissed as the train left at 9am.

Day out was amazing - have never seen such an amazing game of football and the legal high that it produced was incredible !!

Going back up to Leeds, I plain forgot that I would be travelling with Barnsley fans and thought that I would have to keep my head down but... fair play to them - as a man they were very gracious in defeat and we had a good laugh on the way back up.

Mate of mine is a Blackpool fan and I know he has just been through the same sort of thing. I know that we'd all take second place over the play-offs but secretly I am sure we would all love another day out like that.

What an amazing day. I wrote a piece for the TWTD fanzine about my journey and day at Wembley. It's on another website here;

http://www.hackwriters.com/Wembley.htm

A hangover.

I remember it clearly... the ovetnight queue to get the tickets, the buses and cars decked out in blue and white, going one-down but knowing it was ours when Mogga equalised, the elation of Stewart's header, the anguish when Wright saved Hristov's header at point blank range and myself, brother and Dad throwing our arms around each other followed by hugs from everyone around us as Reuser hit number 4. May 28 2000 was the greatest day of my life, let alone a Town fan, when I think about I can still feel every emotion. I'm confident we will have more days like this in the not too distant future.

Best Day Ever.

My mates 1st Wedding Anniversary - describing it as the best day of his life, Feeling totally confident at one nil down (unlike me), Naylor being described by Big Ron as "like Marco Van Basten", Reusers goal, Journey home up the A12 with one mad old girl standing on the south bound carriageway waving in the wrong direction, 5 pints in the Black tiles at Martlesham in an hour - Superb - Sadly will never happen again, as the 3 previous failures made it oh so sweeter..... Only the day at the Manor Ground in 91/92 comes remotely close.....

It was amazing on both accounts as I had tickets for Pearl Jam at Wembley. Watched on the telly and also had that feling when Wright saved the penalty that it was our day. Remember Stewart's face almost crying when he nodded in the header, the fact my Dad was in the loo when Reuser scored and have watched it over and over again. Best day in my life of a Blues fan! Pearl Jam were awesome too and there were loads of Town and Barnsley fans drinking together in the boozers :)

I was at the cup final in 78, but was only a kid and a bit overwhelmed by it all. This was far better, and I had a much better view. Marcus Stewart's goal will always be the greatest memory for me, such a slick move, the cross inch perfect and the header like a bullet. Ron Atkinson described it as "picture book" on the ITV commentary. When we got home to Nottingham me and my wife spent £26 on a bottle of Moet, justifying it by saying: "How often does this happen?"

A great day, I am lucky enough to have seen Mr Mills raise both the FA and UEFA Cups, but this was right up with them, mainly because of the heartache the previous years. Being in The Globe before the game, a sea of Blue & White in the middle of London, took ages to get served but did not really matter, atmosphere was great. Tube to Wembley, lump in my throat and tear in my eye when teams came out and fireworks went off. Running into so many people I knew, dodgy start to the game but ran out worthy winners, train journey home, full of blue and white, couldn't stop smiling the next day......Happy days

"Puskus, Matthews, Naylor!!" you could never beat a bit of Ron Atkinson hyperbole, but Naylor, best game he ever played for us, great day, great memories, being on the tube surrounded by Barnsley fans (and even a budgie) but getting to Baker St and it was like the whole of Ipswich suddenly arrived in London, going down Wembley way, when we went 4-2 up the old wembley bouncing like we were going to bring the place down that day,Reuser doing a lap of honour after the game, the post match celebrations and being hungover for the next two days. fire up the video, its time to get nostalgic