Football:. VOX POP: What is your abiding memory of the last day of the football season?
Support truly
independent journalism
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
![Louise Thomas](https://static.independent.co.uk/static-assets/support-us/louise-thomas.png)
Louise Thomas
Editor
GARETH FARRELLY
EVERTON, 1998
Scored the goal that gave Everton a draw last season and kept them in the Premier-ship on goal difference. Still at the club.
I only knew I was going to play on the morning of the game. I hadn't scored in the League that season so I saved it to the end. I scored from about 25 yards out. I couldn't believe it when it went in - I was delighted. I had missed a chance against Leicester a couple of weeks before which I should have scored from, and I started to get some stick from the fans. At the end, to stay up was a relief. It was a terrific thing to do, looking back now. The atmosphere at Goodison that day was better than playing a derby game at Anfield. The significance was massive.
HOWARD WILKINSON
LEEDS, 1990
Manager of Leeds when they won the old Second Division championship on the last day in 1990. Now Technical Director of the FA.
I always try to avoid play-offs, last game of the season relegation battles or last day of the season championship battles. Maybe that's why I've still got some hair. But in 1990 we had to go to Bournemouth and we knew a win would secure us the championship. It was a fantastic couple of days leading up to the game but then there was the trouble afterwards. As those days go, it was very, very exciting, though the trouble marred the memory. We felt intense happiness. We won 1-0 at Bourne-mouth. It was a good day's work.
MARK KINSELLA
CHARLTON, 1998
Played for Charlton when they beat Sunderland on penalties in last season's play-off final at Wembley. Trying to avoid relegation with Charlton today.
We went in against them thinking we had nothing to lose and after we saved their final penalty it was a dream come true that we had won. We always felt we had a chance although if there was one team we would have preferred not to play it was them. When it went to penalties it was just a lottery but the moment Sasa Ilic saved against Michael Gray we knew we were up; everything went blank for about five minutes. At 4-3 down I maybe thought that was it but then we equalised. It all sank in that night.
TONY GALE
BLACKBURN, 1995
Blackburn championship winner in 1995, although watched from the sidelines as they lost to Liverpool. He is now a radio commentator.
I would have preferred by far to have been playing. What was worse a friend of mine was telling me how Man United were doing against West Ham. The boys were playing very nervously against Liverpool because they had one ear on the crowd and once they had lost it was a case of hoping and praying West Ham stopped Man United from winning. Our game finished only a minute before Man United's but it was the longest minute of our lives. It was probably the most exciting game of my life, knowing what was at stake. The memory lives forever.
DAVID PLEAT
LUTON, 1983
Manager of Luton in 1983 when they won 1-0 at Manchester City to stay up. Now Director of Football at Tottenham.
My wife's father had died the day before our game at Manchester City and I was very emotional. It was an incredible finish and almost as though it was God-given. We scored in the last minute through Raddy Antic and there was no way City could come back. It was the unbelievable feeling of emotion that got the better of me. I didn't know what I was doing; I just ran silly. I didn't know who I was running to but I went to my captain Brian Horton and not the goalscorer. We had worked so hard to get into the First Division the previous year.
BRIAN MARWOOD
ARSENAL, 1989
Arsenal winger in 1989. Didn't play against Liverpool because of injury, but he was at Anfield. Now a Sky pundit.
I was on the bench watching; the way the evening unfolded was surreal. George Graham's team talk was that no one expected us to do it, so keep it goalless by half-time and try to nick the two goals we needed. To go to Anfield and win 2-0 was phenomenal. George played us a video of the 1971 double-winning side which was quite a stimulus. We had sort of resigned ourselves to thinking it was too hard a task. It seemed like an eternity when Michael Thomas was one-on-one with Grobbelaar to score the second goal. Time seemed to stand still.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments