| Memory Lane - The 1997 FA Trophy Run |
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| After the memorable 4-3 victory over Durham side Bishop Auckland, City reached the semi-finals of the FA Trophy for the first time in the clubs history. |
| On Saturday April 5th 1997 Gloucester City FC and almost 800 fans made the awkward trip across the Capital to Dagenham to witness City draw 0-0 in the semi-final, first leg. Gary Thorne came closest for City with a header that narrowly cleared the crossbar in a game that provided few chances for us having seen David Holmes limp off after only ten minutes. |
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The fans arrive early & in carnival mood! |
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| However, the second leg at Meadow Park gave us a game to remember! We had a party atmosphere with the Severn Sound roadshow, Gregg Upwards included among the near capacity 4000 crowd. Who could forget the T-End singing who ate all the pies at him live on-air? We had no fewer the three cameras high above the touchline filming the game, although I saw action from one on Sky Sports and it looked shite because of the shadow from the T-End. After we'd taken in the social club we made our way into the ground only to be stopped along the way by a TV Presenter who we didn't recognise (I now know he is Matt from HTV sport). He said that as we were all bedecked in City colours, would it be OK to film us walking in behind him? Shit yeah, photo-opportunity! And we were one of the "lucky" few that went in through the makeshift turnstile in the far corner of the ground! There were that many people there that even I had to make do with a spot on the far corner of the T-End (regular T-Enders ought to have been given special treatment!) |
| Then we had the game...... |
| It was always going to be hard getting past the combination of Glyn Creaser, Steve Conner and goalkeeper Paul Gothard (all three had played for the England semi-pro team) as we had seen in the first leg. And to that end it was Dagenham who had the first chance, Courtney Naylor shot well over after David Johnson had bell caught dwelling on the ball. Gladly though it was City that took the lead just before half time. Under pressure, Creaser and Gothard went for the same cross and the ball fell to Dale Watkins, who gleefully squeezed the ball in at the near post. |
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David Holmes on the ball & Dale Watkins scores City's first |
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| In the second half, the Tigers defended resolutley. Although, we held our breath early in the second half as ex-Dover & Chelmsford camel Tony Rogers twice hit the bar. But it was with only minutes to go that Dagenham struck the killer blow. |
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Simon Cooper & Steve Fergusson in the thick of the action |
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David Holmes, Chris Burns & Dale Watkins (far right) are disappointed as a City free kick goes begging. |
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| A throw in was awarded to Dagenham on the left hand side (a strange decision, because I thought it was our throw). One of their players hurled the ball into area where it was met by a flick from the head of Rogers and volleyed beyoned the static David Coles by Steve Conner to make it 1-1. I will never forget the eerie silence of 4000 people and the sound that the ball makes as it hit the net followed by the 300 or so Dagenham fans in the distance. SHIT. No more than three minutes later, we would have been at Wembley. |
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Then we had extra time..... |
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| City saw the extra thirty minutes as their opportunity and took about attacking Dagenham. From a City corner, the ball fell to Andy Kirkup, but he made a mistake and a long ball ended up with David Pratt making it 1-2 to Dagenham. Extra-time, half-time. It seemed as though chance after chance went begging in the pursuit for the equaliser, and I was ready to concede defeat when.... Well, I can't really remember how but we had three players burst past the penalty spot (Adie Mings, David Webb & Dale Watkins) and Mings SLAMMED the ball high into the top of the net. |
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The greatest goal in the history of football! Adie Mings wheels away in delight after giving City a 2-2 Victory!!! |
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| And this is the moment when Minger choose to litter the airwaves with his four letter expletives! Radio Gloucestershire were covering the game from the pitchside instead of the usual pressbox position that day, and after the big man had scored the oh so important equaliser he ran in the direction of my brother Steve, the roving radio reporter. 'How do you feel?' asked Steve, 'F**king great' came the reply as the delighted Mingsy continued his lap of honour around Meadow Park! |
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and the look on his face says it all! |
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| A classic scene indeed! At the same time, Gerry Crockford (a work colleague of mine at the Post Office) was being interviewed by HTV Matt on the T-End. "What do you think of that asked Matt?". "I didn't even realise they'd [Dagenham] equalised!" replied Gerry, spoiling what could have been a moment of television history!!!!! |
| Of course, the 2-2 draw gave us the replay at Slough and we all know how that ended, but the Dagenham game will always be a classic in my mind. And what a memory the replay gave me, watching more than twenty coachloads of City fans arrive. Oh to think of what could have been..... |
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| All the photos on this page are taken from Team Talk and the Gloucester Citizen |
