AFC Wimbledon (H) 29th March, 3pm kick-off

Well it was a 3pm boxing day fixture and you could smell the lager from the away end, if i remember rightly the ref even stopped the game cause of a scrap in the corner. :joy:

All good fun unless your the Wednesday fan i saw get planted on the deck.

I was sober that day, my wife came with me, and she was pregnant with our George, so I was on my best behaviour. I saw some funny things that day though!

You don’t come across as a dick at all Mark. Although these seasons don’t come about very often, when they do, the emotions are ridiculous.
Gut wrenching tension coupled with euphoria when the final whistle goes after a narrow victory or despair after a loss. Only true fans experience these emotions.
I can think of numerous, close, important games over the years, which due to the stress of the occasion, I didn’t actually enjoy the 90 minutes, which might sound bizarre. It was only when the whistle blew that I could relax and enjoy
Bury
Reading
Preston
Sheffield Utd
Notts County

To name a few

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I feel quite calm, ask me again when we go 1 nil down though…my head will fall off probably

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Thank you sir.

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I think when we played Bristol City in the play offs sums up the roller coaster of emotions following Walsall. I was the same age as our George then. Went to their place and beat them 3-1 and you think we are up. Then the Saturday we go and throw it away. I can still remember how upset I was that day. I was completely heartbroken, and my Dad was even though he tried not to show it.

Every Sunday I went to my Nan and Grandad’s. My Grandad was a Walsall fan but had stopped going cos of health problems. He was a bit of a wind up and used to play me up a bit when we lost. I thought he was going to put me through it a bit but he obviously saw how upset I was and he said " I think we will win tomorrow our Mark" I was shocked but I have never forgotten it.

Then we put them away in 20 minutes, the best feeling ever. Back to the Miners Arms in Rushall, it was bouncing. Then, walking down Pelsall Lane trying to keep up with my Dad’s huge strides, with the biggest grins on our faces.

You can’t put a price on memories like that. I want a bit of that with my boys. That is where the fear is coming from. If we blow it we blow it, nothing changes. Still Walsall FC.

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Reminds me if that game we got relegated against Rotherham.

Just started f in and blinding in front of my dad for the first time ever, he never said a word :joy:

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I have another story about the first and only time I ever swore in front of my Dad, I won’t bore everyone with another one though. I was 23 at time after we lost to Preston towards the end of Graydon’s first promotion.

I respected my Dad more than I ever have anyone else. I wish he was here to come with us tomorrow.

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Remember that 3-match roller coaster only took well - sums up the highs and lows of football right there. Wasn’t there a penalty shoot out at the after the away leg ended to decide where the decider would be held?

I was at the front of the Street End for the third match - being in that crowd 3-0 up after 19 minutes was unbelievable. After the pitch invasion at the final whistle I got into the grandstand and shook Barry Blowers hand - and then bumped into my Dad back on the pitch.

Oh for a memory like that this season.

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I played cricket for Pelsall in those days. I played on the Sunday between the Bristol City games. I didn’t speak to anybody apart from the odd necessary singular word that was needed to get through life between those games I was so upset we’d knacked it up, I took 4 wickets on the Sunday, including 2 LBW’s that I didn’t even appeal for - my pal behind the sticks, a Wolves fan did it. When we won, me and my brother who is long since dead went to Michaels in Pelsall and bought two bottles of champagne and walked back down in to Rushall. We must have rubbed shoulders with you! we went in the Miners for a pint and then Georgies - now Mcdonalds.. It was a great party and a lad I was at school with had got Brizzles full-backs shirt during the pitch invasion…Llewyellyn number 2. Some little pissed shyte with a blood stained £2 Walsall promoted T shirt started on him, and to save the bother he swapped shirts!!! I couldn’t believe it. Great day though, and like you I treat those memories like gold, and can remember everything.

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Let’s bring our scarves and hold them aloft proud before kick off :scarf::scarf::scarf:Come on you Saddlers :soccer::pray::fire:

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I’ll bring me scarf then :red_circle::white_circle:

Might even bring the new flag

UTS

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I’m 73 and I cried when we won promotion at the millenium stadium. I think emotion will overcome me today if we win. I will shout and sing out for the lads from the kick off to the final whistle whatever the score is.

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Haven’t been this nervously excited for a game in a long time.

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They’ve got a good defence , can’t see us scoring 2-0 loss for me hope I’m wrong ffs

Their recent results, just like our own, show they aren’t as consistent at the back as they were earlier in the season - they’ve been a bit leaky lately. And despite our wobble, we’ve failed to score in a home league game only once so far.

Only positive vibes allowed today … I have admittedly struggled to stay positive given some of the performances since the turn of the year but I feel there is a slight uptick in both performance and belief amongst the squad and hopefully us as supporters. If required I will be critical of poor selections, substitutions and in game tactics post 5pm but from the first to the final whistle today as is any paying supporters right but I will keep it within before then as the players need us to stay with them as the game will not be plain sailing. I hope for 3 points but desperately want a great performance that will inspire us all for the 7 to follow. Team and Squad selection will set the tone in the bars around the ground so keeping fingers crossed for the inclusion of Chang, Wheatley and maybe Hall to show a positive intent. We cannot “draw” our way to promotion any longer so the home games are all “must wins” for me. Come on Mat give us the pre match boost we need at the 2pm announcements and we will all be with you from the off … COYS

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Can remember the millennium stadium like it was yesterday. Me and my lad after full time looked at each other started crying and hugged. The best footballing moment of my life

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Perfect day for it - and perfect opportunity to put one giant foot forward into league one.

With the big crowd, what better way to get the casual 2-3000 fans to come again, with a strong performance and win.

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When our players come onto the pitch today the size of the crowd is bound to give them a massive psychological lift and the noise we make will hopefully unsettle the opposition.
Every single one of us has to get right behind them and I believe if we do it will push them to another level.
A home victory seems a long time ago. The suns shining, a big crowd, players and fans united for the last lap.

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