Post by hamish on Feb 3, 2003 22:22:45 GMT
The family drove down to Wembley 75 in good fettle. We had beaten England 2 - 0 the year before courtesy of 2 Joe Jordan own goals, a nearly brilliant World Cup and a stuttering Euro campaign glorified by a 2 - 1 defeat by Spain. Bremner missed a penalty.
However the Home Internationals were still strong and we had drawn 2 - 2 in Cardiff. In the absence of the Wee red Book I think beat Northern Ireland at Hampden midweek.
Rod Stewart had just released Smiler , an album with a red Stuart Tartan Cover, and this was to be the theme tune of the trip.
Living in Carlisle afforded a head start although the City had seen the Taratan Hordes venture through starting on the Wednesday.
A quick note, in 77, Wed night before the game we had sat in a pub in the company of 2 Scots both Celtic fans. Their discussion turned into a fierce row over the number worn by Kenny Dalglish on his debut for the Hoops! This of course nearly turned into fisticuffs as both claimed to have been at the game and no agreement could be found.
Any way our journey to London in a Hillman Hunter was in good spirits and my brother Scott spent his time sewing a home made patchwork flag.
We spent the Friday afternoon in London, the streets swarming with Scots and there were impromptu marches down the streets and avenues leading to Trafalgar Square. It was the traditional Wembley weekend with a high number of older chaps.
Saturday saw us head off to Wembley with a spare ticket and a cunning plan to sell it to a Scot.
The complex negotiations saw my father retain a ticket for the other end!
Months later I saw a film of the bedlam outside the stadium as a ticketless Scot in climbing in leap from a drain pipe to a window, certain death being averted by an outstreched hand. How the crowd cheered. 2 hours later the lad was held back from leaping out of said window having witnessed a not unusual humiliation.
The terraces were awash with Lion Rampants and I suspect that there were more of us than them!
I spent the entire 90 minutes watching my brothers flag swing to and fro and I suspect so did Stewart Kennedy the hapless goalie.
From a vantage point behind the goal I watched in horror as we fell 3 behind , each goal better than the next. Each making Stewart look duffer than the last although to be fair his crime was in the manner of the dive. Gordon Mcqueen was posted missing as he had headed upfield in search of glory. Frank Munro the 2nd centre back was slower than Tam Coyle in turning.
Still my brothers' flag danced in the breeze and Bruce Rioch scored with a penalty. England wrapped it up with a 4th and 5th. Alan Ball imitated Slim Jim with some keepy up, the worst of all horrors!
At the end we were gutted and the Wembley hoodoo had wrecked another Braw Scottish Goalie. Alan Rough was to demolish this on 2 seperate occasions. Hoorah!!!!!
At the end there was a pitch invasion and I made my way to the other end peacefully.
We set off home stopping for 6 hours at Charnock Richard service station as the lights failed in the car.
This was my second Wembley, the first in 69 saw a 4 - 1 drubbing,- Colin Stein scored with a cracking header.
Willie Ormond was under extreme pressure. He had faced England without Billy Bremner who was in Paris for the European Cup Final. He forced a few changes a week later and we drew 1 - 1 in Rumania. Euro hopes were salvaged. Willie survived for 2 more years. My brothers flag was replaced 2 years later as he bought a St Andrews and I a Lion Rampant.
Next year at Hampden Kenny trundled the ball through Ray Clemneces legs. He was wearing the number 7 shirt.
However the Home Internationals were still strong and we had drawn 2 - 2 in Cardiff. In the absence of the Wee red Book I think beat Northern Ireland at Hampden midweek.
Rod Stewart had just released Smiler , an album with a red Stuart Tartan Cover, and this was to be the theme tune of the trip.
Living in Carlisle afforded a head start although the City had seen the Taratan Hordes venture through starting on the Wednesday.
A quick note, in 77, Wed night before the game we had sat in a pub in the company of 2 Scots both Celtic fans. Their discussion turned into a fierce row over the number worn by Kenny Dalglish on his debut for the Hoops! This of course nearly turned into fisticuffs as both claimed to have been at the game and no agreement could be found.
Any way our journey to London in a Hillman Hunter was in good spirits and my brother Scott spent his time sewing a home made patchwork flag.
We spent the Friday afternoon in London, the streets swarming with Scots and there were impromptu marches down the streets and avenues leading to Trafalgar Square. It was the traditional Wembley weekend with a high number of older chaps.
Saturday saw us head off to Wembley with a spare ticket and a cunning plan to sell it to a Scot.
The complex negotiations saw my father retain a ticket for the other end!
Months later I saw a film of the bedlam outside the stadium as a ticketless Scot in climbing in leap from a drain pipe to a window, certain death being averted by an outstreched hand. How the crowd cheered. 2 hours later the lad was held back from leaping out of said window having witnessed a not unusual humiliation.
The terraces were awash with Lion Rampants and I suspect that there were more of us than them!
I spent the entire 90 minutes watching my brothers flag swing to and fro and I suspect so did Stewart Kennedy the hapless goalie.
From a vantage point behind the goal I watched in horror as we fell 3 behind , each goal better than the next. Each making Stewart look duffer than the last although to be fair his crime was in the manner of the dive. Gordon Mcqueen was posted missing as he had headed upfield in search of glory. Frank Munro the 2nd centre back was slower than Tam Coyle in turning.
Still my brothers' flag danced in the breeze and Bruce Rioch scored with a penalty. England wrapped it up with a 4th and 5th. Alan Ball imitated Slim Jim with some keepy up, the worst of all horrors!
At the end we were gutted and the Wembley hoodoo had wrecked another Braw Scottish Goalie. Alan Rough was to demolish this on 2 seperate occasions. Hoorah!!!!!
At the end there was a pitch invasion and I made my way to the other end peacefully.
We set off home stopping for 6 hours at Charnock Richard service station as the lights failed in the car.
This was my second Wembley, the first in 69 saw a 4 - 1 drubbing,- Colin Stein scored with a cracking header.
Willie Ormond was under extreme pressure. He had faced England without Billy Bremner who was in Paris for the European Cup Final. He forced a few changes a week later and we drew 1 - 1 in Rumania. Euro hopes were salvaged. Willie survived for 2 more years. My brothers flag was replaced 2 years later as he bought a St Andrews and I a Lion Rampant.
Next year at Hampden Kenny trundled the ball through Ray Clemneces legs. He was wearing the number 7 shirt.