Thetownend.com

Today is the 46th anniversary of Town's Wembley success over Arsenal. My question is what does it mean to you as a Town fan? Does it mean anything or nothing to you?

For me it's almost mythical. I was raised listening my dad's tales of that squad (who himself was quite young in 1969). My grandad didn't allow my dad to go to Wembley, which is oft-mentioned.

Over to you...

As I've got no family history in Swindon and 1969 was 17 years before I started to follow Town, it probably doesn't mean as much to me than it would to either those that were there, or those whose fathers, grandfathers, etc were.
It's a great piece of history, from a time when smaller clubs could and quite often did, shake up the big boys in Cup Competitions. That period ended when the financial disparity between the top tier and the rest become so vast, although with both The FA Cup and League Cup being so devalued these days, with the elite clubs seeming to take little interest in them (especially in early rounds) upsets are once again becoming more frequent.
I imagine I feel towards our victory in 69 in much the same way that younger fans who missed out on our successes in the late 80's and early 90's feel.

Went with a friend whose dad drove us up there. No M4 then so it was crawling along the old A4 with the rest of the Swindon convoy.

Only 14 and had been following the Town for about 18 months so I had the notion there would always be days like these. To be there for that day was what kept us going in the dark days to come when we were scratching around to get 3-4000 in the CG.

The pitch made Bradford's seem like a bowling green.

Looking forward to getting Alzheimers so I can watch it again without knowing the score

:D

I was brought up on tales of Wembley from my dad who went and my mum who didn't as I had just turned 3 at the time.

It was almost like the Holy Grail of all things STFC, we went and shocked one of the best teams in England who were nailed on favourites on a wet muddy appalling pitch (days after the horse of the year show was held on it apparently making it a great leveller) and several Arse players suffering from bad colds/flu still.

Mum often told me that the town was a ghost town that wet afternoon with virtually no men around at all in the town centre.

Swindon heroes were made that day to a man but also brought Don to the attention of the country.

Peter Downsborough
Rod Thomas
John Trollope
Joe Butler
Frank Burrows
Stan Harland
Don Heath
Roger Smart
John Smith
Peter Noble
Don Rogers
Sub: Willie Penman

Not sure if it means anything to the newer younger fans but it certainly meant a lot to my dad and hence to me, in my dads dying year he always kept that memory with him and always talked about The Don and the day out when we "fucked up the big boys party" and that means more to me as a memory than anything.

An amazing day!  My mum (RIP on your special day!), and my girl friend (now my wife) drove up to Wembley in my Morris 1000!!  I suppose we all went in hope and the prospect of a great day out rather than with a lot of confidence - the bumpkins had got to Wembley, something I thought we would never repeat!!  Remember those old bench seats and dancing on them at the end, the Don scything through their defence for that 3rd goal - wonderful days and great memories.

The weather is quite similar....for me though anniversaries which don't fall on the same day, don't work.

The LC day was a Saturday....today a Sunday....thankfully 46 years on still just about maintaining their different feel.

So today would be more about the players displaying the cup from the tiny balcony of the Town Hall, to the biggest throng seen in Regents Circus, since VE day.  Then very much a community feel, a small town largely forged on the collective skills of its working people, represented by its football club.....a moment in time to be proud of, recalling the ghosts of William Pitt, Sam Allen, Harold Fleming and many others.

Did you go though, Reg?

A fantastic day which will stop with me forever. To see my old dads face was a beauty to behold and a great memory to think of when he finally passed away.Always remember my Uncle Mark saying at the end 'Take a look at that scoreboard because it is long time till you will see that again'. People make to much of the pitch and flu factor, Arsenal were way to confident and the cup was already won. On a different pitch and time we would have still done it as you have to remember this was team way above Div 3 standard with one of the best players in the country. We had already dumped Coventry, Cloughies Derby and a very good Burnley out of the cup!

Yes....

No links to Swindon at that time, but still proud our club won a major trophy when it was still considered as such. Its a shame the competition has been diluted over the last decade or two, such is life.

Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin 1969, on League Cup final day........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMYLj7kEJxc

I think it has to mean at least something to you if you're a fan.  It happened several years before I was born at a time well before my family had any connection with the area...so I didn't grow up hearing about the day, or the team or the title.  But it resonates.  What happened in 1969, 1990 and 1993 is all part of who we are/what we are as a club.

it happened a long time before I was born, and we don't have any family connections in Swindon, however it still fills me with a huge amount of pride. As Ardiles said, it is part of who we are as a club

I was there, aged 14, with my dad. Fantastic day out, will never forget it.

Bored my 15 year old daughter to tears with all the details this morning, again !

It still means everything to me, and yes I was there (train 21? Or was it 12?). But context is all. At that time money was coming in to the game with the abolition of the maximum wage, however it was still sensible, relatively. Teams wanted to win cups rather than stay in the money ball league, the LC (and FAC) was played with as much seriousness as the league.

But I think it'll fade away in importance to younger fans because all you see now is Prem league reserve teams. It wasn't like that back then, it was serious!

Still reckon the 3rd game in the semi v Burnley is my favorite match though:1-0, 1-2, 3-2 aet.

Went up as a family. Was 4 years old. Sister and Mum went shopping I believe. Me and Dad went to the football. Not sure if I remember through being told so much or if I remember myself TBH. Appartently when the winner went in I was tossed 5 six rows of terrace towards the pitch and got passed back to me old man once the madness had quelled.

We met up with me Mum and Sister sometime later in Leicester Square and went to see chitty chitty bang bang so I've been told.

The one thing I deffo remember was some scary big nose fucker with a net.

Yes....was there with my mum and dad all from East Hagbourne.

Very special day and even today I still believe in miracles.... :)

COYMR's

Robson Green?

Joined the village social club where we moved to recently. The Chairman is a Palace fan, all he wanted to talk about was 1969 and the Don, my wife thought I was sad bringing it up! I was too young to go, but it's certainly my old fella's best day on this planet.

I didn't start going until 1975, but the League Cup was still spoken about. By then we'd dropped back to the third division but everyone expected us to be back up again soon despite a lot of those great players having gone. There was still a kind of buzz about that win.

Even though it was before my time, looking back now it's our finest hour.

Apart from the day you were born maybe

Grandad and dad went up from Warminster....

Finest hour.

City's last title win was only 14 years earlier!

Long before I was born, my mum was 6 and my dad was 5 so they didn't go. Older Aunties and Uncles have told tales of it though and my Uncle kindly gave me a 'road to wembley' programme signed several times by every player.

Agree with the comments that it seems almost mythical.

Older Arsenal Fans I have spoken to over the years are almost like Holocaust deniers when it comes to discussing the match. It never happened I tell you.

Younger Arsenal Fans have never even heard of the events of 1969. There older denying brethren have never even mentioned the events of that day.

A friend of mine went with his mum and dad, he was 8 or 9. I was too young to attend, in fact I wasn't born  :)

I still have the scrapbook ( remember them ) of newspaper cuttings from the quarter final to the final - will never forget the excitement - having an addictive personality it has hooked me in ever since.....

When I watched my copy of the game I still found myself cheering us on and getting nervous – despite knowing the outcome of the game.

My Dad was 14 but was at the final.

Him and his mates skived off school to go up the semi final (replay?) against Burnely. They go up on the train....and as soon as they step off the train....Adver photographers there ready to take pictures of our fans arriving.....front centre, front page of the Adver my Dad and his 3 mates who were supposed to be at school!

Bollocking the following day!