40 years ago tonight

[sir windon]

The 1-1 draw at Highbury in the League Cup which paved the way for the incredible 4-3 replay win.

[NotHarryAgombar]

I remember that game - we were near the back on the open end (Clock End ?)
When we conceded early I thought we could be heavily beaten. My recollection is we held on with a mix of good luck, some good goalkeeping and then Billy Tucker headed in from a corner in th a last 5 minutes.
Brilliant night!

[Flashheart]

I was four years old, you old bastards.

[RobertT]

Same here, we'd turned to shit before I started watching.

[Red Frog]

I can precisely date my STFC infection back to the return leg, on an icy December night when I came off stage after the school play to hear that we'd beaten Arsenal. That was the night that "they" became "we", and I was hooked. Bastards.

[Reg Smeeton]

I can precisely date my STFC infection back to the return leg, on an icy December night when I came off stage after the school play to hear that we'd beaten Arsenal. That was the night that "they" became "we", and I was hooked. Bastards.

The return leg is lodged in my memory.... I had a hot young gf at the time, who wasn't much interested in football, so I went to the match and arranged to meet her in the Brunel post game... it stayed open til 2.

A metal band.... Iron Maiden were playing in the ampi, we watched  a bit but not my or her thing, but fun watching the head bangers.  They did OK for themselves.  Lot of Town fans in their celebrating for the duration.... happy days.

[Peter Venkman]

A brilliant away performance against a really strong Arse team, a night I will never forget, I was 13

The home replay though was a step up on that, best game ever I have seen a Town team play.

[Peter Venkman]

The day after the home replay win I was interviewed on Points West outside the CG by the sports reporter at the time.

Yes a 13 year old riding his bike past the County Ground on the way to Drove School and they stopped me and asked me a few questions on camera.

I was a bit like Bryan Wade in his interview "I aint never known a night like it" I am sure I said at one point.

The interview was shown on BBC Points West that evening!

[THE FLASH]

The day after the home replay win I was interviewed on Points West outside the CG by the sports reporter at the time.

Yes a 13 year old riding his bike past the County Ground on the way to Drove School and they stopped me and asked me a few questions on camera.

I was a bit like Bryan Wade in his interview "I aint never known a night like it" I am sure I said at one point.

The interview was shown on BBC Points West that evening!

Did Roger Malone put his arm around you!?

[4D]

HTV Flash 

[Peter Venkman]

Did Roger Malone put his arm around you!?

I have been interviewed by Roger Malone too in the later 80s, hes actually a really nice bloke.

But no, it wasn't RM back then.

[Legends-Lounge]

Missed the Arsenal goal queuing to get in. Great night, replay even better. The replay teams that night.

Swindon: Jimmy Allan, Russell Lewis, Andy Ford, Ray McHale, Roy Carter, Kenny Stroud, Ian Miller, Chris Kamara, Andy Rowland, Alan Mayes, Brian Williams. Sub: Billy Tucker (for Mayes, 83 minutes)
 
Arsenal: Pat Jennings, John Devine, Steve Walford, Brain Talbot, David O’Leary, Willie Young, Liam Brady, Alan Sunderland, Frank Stapleton, John Hollins, Graham Rix.

[Exiled Bob]

My first season watching Swindon, and what a season......I wasn't at the away game, but I certainly remember the replay. My first big game with a +20000 attendance, and just after the demolition of Bury. Queued for ages to get and when I got to the turnstile I saw that the price had been increased (from something like 70p to £1.10 I think.....) and realised I didn't have enough. Luckily the bloke I was with gave me the rest.

Apart from the result, what I remember most was that I thought I was going to die. I was stood in the Town End, just to the side of the goal, leaning forward on a crush barrier. At the end of the game everyone surged forward and I was pinned against the barrier so hard that I couldn't breathe and I couldn't do anything except wave my arms a bit. I remember my feet weren't even touching the ground. A terrifying experience and I really thought that was it. And then, suddenly, it stopped. The crowd behind obviously eased off and I dropped to the floor, quickly dipped under the bar and I was off. I never stood behind a barrier after that - always in front.

Although there were some magical games that season I recall it as being disappointing at the end. We were, apart from the cup games, mostly poor away from home (only winning 4 games I think) and once we were knocked out of both cups in the space of a week or so we collapsed completely, finishing about 10th. With the team we had we should have gone up, no doubt about it.

[JBZ]

The return leg is lodged in my memory.... I had a hot young gf at the time, who wasn't much interested in football, so I went to the match and arranged to meet her in the Brunel post game... it stayed open til 2.

A metal band.... Iron Maiden were playing in the ampi, we watched  a bit but not my or her thing, but fun watching the head bangers.  They did OK for themselves.  Lot of Town fans in their celebrating for the duration.... happy days.

Would like to hear more about the Maiden gig ...

[Reg Smeeton]

Would like to hear more about the Maiden gig ...

Not a lot more to tell... did you ever go in the ampi?  It was a small side venue and on a Tuesday you'd get up and coming sort of bands who weren't signed to labels etc. So you'd wander in and out, maybe watch a bit, stay if it floated your boat.

Wasn't particularly full, but there were obviously some who were there cos they knew the band. I do remember some lad who had his head in the speaker, probably got bad tinnitus now.

In 79 I was more of a synth type... Human League, Joy Division + reggae and post punk Clash.... never averse to a bit of Motown or anything dancable like Chic