Best football match ever seen live...
Discussion
This thread may sink before it starts or could generate a decent amount of replies, so let's see! 
I'm lucky enough to be still going to matches through my part time work and yesterday, I was sent to cover Torquay United v Crawley Town in the FA Cup First Round. An unassuming tie but one that now, looking back, was the best match I have ever seen live!
There was no sign of the outlandish drama yet to come when non-league Torquay charged into a two goal lead inside 25 minutes. Half time came and went before in the second half, Crawley's keeper was knocked unconscious after challenging for the ball. It took 16 minutes to treat him & stretcher him off. Even when Crawley pulled a goal back on 83 minutes from the penalty spot, it was an average game.
Then the fourth official put the board up showing 18 minutes. Here we go....
Crawley equalised on 90+14 mins but Torquay go 3-2 up on 90+17 mins, only for Crawley's centre back to come up for a corner and shovel one in on the back post for 3-3 on 90+19 mins. Extra time then...
The first period of extra time saw a Torquay penalty on 101 minutes to which they then added another penalty on 106 minutes to make it 5-3. Game over? Not a chance... Tom Nichols scored on 108 and 113 minutes to level the tie at 5-5 before Ash Nadesan grabbed the winner on 118 minutes to finally settle the game 6-5 to Crawley.
Utter scenes and it is such a shame that fans weren't allowed into the games as was originally planned. I compile the stats for Opta at the game and incredibly, in addition to the numbers mentioned above, there were 35 shots (19 on target), 19 corners, 8 yellow cards, 8 substitutes and 43 free kicks. Despite that last stat, the game didn't feel like a stop start affair really, credit to the referee.
And the best stat of all? The ball was in play for exactly two and a half hours.150 minutes in total (120 for the game plus 30 for the stoppage time periods at the end of each half + extra time).
Best game I've ever been to. What's yours?
I'm lucky enough to be still going to matches through my part time work and yesterday, I was sent to cover Torquay United v Crawley Town in the FA Cup First Round. An unassuming tie but one that now, looking back, was the best match I have ever seen live!
There was no sign of the outlandish drama yet to come when non-league Torquay charged into a two goal lead inside 25 minutes. Half time came and went before in the second half, Crawley's keeper was knocked unconscious after challenging for the ball. It took 16 minutes to treat him & stretcher him off. Even when Crawley pulled a goal back on 83 minutes from the penalty spot, it was an average game.
Then the fourth official put the board up showing 18 minutes. Here we go....
Crawley equalised on 90+14 mins but Torquay go 3-2 up on 90+17 mins, only for Crawley's centre back to come up for a corner and shovel one in on the back post for 3-3 on 90+19 mins. Extra time then...
The first period of extra time saw a Torquay penalty on 101 minutes to which they then added another penalty on 106 minutes to make it 5-3. Game over? Not a chance... Tom Nichols scored on 108 and 113 minutes to level the tie at 5-5 before Ash Nadesan grabbed the winner on 118 minutes to finally settle the game 6-5 to Crawley.
Utter scenes and it is such a shame that fans weren't allowed into the games as was originally planned. I compile the stats for Opta at the game and incredibly, in addition to the numbers mentioned above, there were 35 shots (19 on target), 19 corners, 8 yellow cards, 8 substitutes and 43 free kicks. Despite that last stat, the game didn't feel like a stop start affair really, credit to the referee.
And the best stat of all? The ball was in play for exactly two and a half hours.150 minutes in total (120 for the game plus 30 for the stoppage time periods at the end of each half + extra time).
Best game I've ever been to. What's yours?
Wow, that sounds amazing.
Back in the 90s, had a friend over from New York who'd never been to a "soccer" match, so as his visit coincided with the mighty Chelsea, v Spurs, off we went to The Bridge.
Spurs raced into an early 2 goal lead but we pulled it back to 2-2 after about 30 mins. Then our player John Spencer committed a dreadful foul on their player Justin Edinburgh (latterly manager of Orient who sadly died aged 49 last year.). Spencer somehow stayed on the pitch, Edinburgh went off to hospital where they had to remove a testicle! (I said it was a bad challenge.) Then, to rub salt into the wounded testicle, Spencer put us 3-2 up by HT.
Spurs came out 2nd half, fired up by injustice, all guns blazing, and soon got a pen to make it 3-3. Then they got another, a 90th min pen, Andy Grey took it from memory, and missed. Then, a few mins later, we get an injury time last kick of the game pen, the 3rd of the game, and Mark Stein smashes it home for a 4-3 win.
My friend from NYC was hooked, assuming this was standard fayre!
7 goals, 3 pens, 1 lost testicle, one red card not given, 0-2 to 3-2 in the first half, just crazy stuff.
Back in the 90s, had a friend over from New York who'd never been to a "soccer" match, so as his visit coincided with the mighty Chelsea, v Spurs, off we went to The Bridge.
Spurs raced into an early 2 goal lead but we pulled it back to 2-2 after about 30 mins. Then our player John Spencer committed a dreadful foul on their player Justin Edinburgh (latterly manager of Orient who sadly died aged 49 last year.). Spencer somehow stayed on the pitch, Edinburgh went off to hospital where they had to remove a testicle! (I said it was a bad challenge.) Then, to rub salt into the wounded testicle, Spencer put us 3-2 up by HT.
Spurs came out 2nd half, fired up by injustice, all guns blazing, and soon got a pen to make it 3-3. Then they got another, a 90th min pen, Andy Grey took it from memory, and missed. Then, a few mins later, we get an injury time last kick of the game pen, the 3rd of the game, and Mark Stein smashes it home for a 4-3 win.
My friend from NYC was hooked, assuming this was standard fayre!
7 goals, 3 pens, 1 lost testicle, one red card not given, 0-2 to 3-2 in the first half, just crazy stuff.
Edited by TwigtheWonderkid on Monday 9th November 09:36
Edited by TwigtheWonderkid on Monday 9th November 09:37
Edited by TwigtheWonderkid on Monday 9th November 09:38
Tottenham vs Reading 29 Dec 2007. 6-4.
I'd flown over from Bermuda for our annual Xmas jaunt to WHL. Never expected the game to be so exciting !
https://www.skysports.com/football/tottenham-vs-re...
I'd flown over from Bermuda for our annual Xmas jaunt to WHL. Never expected the game to be so exciting !
https://www.skysports.com/football/tottenham-vs-re...
My lad stopped playing sunday league, so 2012 was the first year we were able to commit to season tickets at the Etihad (CoMS back then IIRC). MCFC v QPR. 90 minutes of watching typical cityitis, people around us leaving the stadium in tears, followed by 5 minutes of utter madness and a huge eruption when Aguerooo happened........... Right in front of us.
Maybe not the best game I've seen live but the best first half for sure. Falkirk 4 v 0 Hearts in the Scottish cup third round, January 2003.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGCpfYiFt0I
Falkirk were a first division side, playing Hearts who were sitting 3rd in the premier league. It was the last season at Brockville, a dump by all accounts but a true old style football ground with terracing all the way around and a wooden stand, so close to the pitch you could touch the players and hear ever smart arse comment.
4 nil up before half time and I felt physically ill from shouting and cheering that much.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGCpfYiFt0I
Falkirk were a first division side, playing Hearts who were sitting 3rd in the premier league. It was the last season at Brockville, a dump by all accounts but a true old style football ground with terracing all the way around and a wooden stand, so close to the pitch you could touch the players and hear ever smart arse comment.
4 nil up before half time and I felt physically ill from shouting and cheering that much.
Leeds vs Derby, play off semi final second leg.
Ticket wasn't on the cheap side, went with a couple of lads from a forum I use, late decision to go.
For those that aren't aware, we (Derby) were 1-0 down from the first leg. Had lost twice before that in the season to Leeds, battered both times. What hope did we have?
There must have been a glimmer there for me.
Sat in the car park after the game not really knowing what to do or say.
I didn't care about the wait to get out of it. I didn't care about getting home late.
I only cared about how happy I was to be a ram at that point.
Well, how times change...
Ticket wasn't on the cheap side, went with a couple of lads from a forum I use, late decision to go.
For those that aren't aware, we (Derby) were 1-0 down from the first leg. Had lost twice before that in the season to Leeds, battered both times. What hope did we have?
There must have been a glimmer there for me.
Sat in the car park after the game not really knowing what to do or say.
I didn't care about the wait to get out of it. I didn't care about getting home late.
I only cared about how happy I was to be a ram at that point.
Well, how times change...
Fastchas said:
Can’t remember if World Cup or Euros but Germany v Holland (Mattheus, Muller, van Basten etc).
Absolulte end to end. Near miss at one end, ball cleared then players races to other end, hits the post.
Must have been 1990-ish. Maybe 94.
They met in the 1990 WC (2-1Germany, Rykaard spitting at Voller etc, probably the game you're reffering to). They also met in the 92 Euros, 3-1 Holland. That was it for 90s tournament meetings. Absolulte end to end. Near miss at one end, ball cleared then players races to other end, hits the post.
Must have been 1990-ish. Maybe 94.
Thinking in terms of entertainment rather than satisfaction as a fan (from us winning something, rare, I must confess!), Luton’s FA Cup game against Liverpool in 2006 was pretty sensational.
https://youtu.be/WQ6b2zny4Eg
Still remember Ian Wright going nuts in the BBC MOTD studio set up in one of the “executive” boxes near the Kenilworth Road stand when Nichols tucked our penalty (which we shouldn’t have been awarded, the foul was outside the box) away.
It’s the only time I’ve ever seen Florent Sinama-Pongolle (or however it’s spelt) do something, when he came on and tore us apart
Watching that has reminded me how much I miss live football, especially on a Tuesday night.
https://youtu.be/WQ6b2zny4Eg
Still remember Ian Wright going nuts in the BBC MOTD studio set up in one of the “executive” boxes near the Kenilworth Road stand when Nichols tucked our penalty (which we shouldn’t have been awarded, the foul was outside the box) away.
It’s the only time I’ve ever seen Florent Sinama-Pongolle (or however it’s spelt) do something, when he came on and tore us apart
Watching that has reminded me how much I miss live football, especially on a Tuesday night.
Couple of them for me going back to the 89-90 season when Leeds were last promoted
First one was Leeds 4 Hull City 3. Vinny Jones scored an absolute worldy and Leeds were 3-2 down with about 2 minutes to go before Imre Varadi equalised and Strachan got a winner in injury time
Closely followed by an Easter mauling of a Sheffield United side that we were fighting for the title. A young Gary Speed going the length of the field and scoring a beauty
First one was Leeds 4 Hull City 3. Vinny Jones scored an absolute worldy and Leeds were 3-2 down with about 2 minutes to go before Imre Varadi equalised and Strachan got a winner in injury time
Closely followed by an Easter mauling of a Sheffield United side that we were fighting for the title. A young Gary Speed going the length of the field and scoring a beauty
Maybe not the best, but one of the most momentous maybe.
I was at the first professional game played on a Sunday. I can't begin to tell you how weird & exciting it was at the time
6th January 1974 saw the first-ever professional football match played on a Sunday when Cambridge United met Oldham Athletic at the Abbey Stadium in the FA Cup. The game kicked off at 11:30am and ended in a 2-2 draw. Almost 8,500 people turned up for the game, easily the best crowd of the season for Cambridge.
I was at the first professional game played on a Sunday. I can't begin to tell you how weird & exciting it was at the time
6th January 1974 saw the first-ever professional football match played on a Sunday when Cambridge United met Oldham Athletic at the Abbey Stadium in the FA Cup. The game kicked off at 11:30am and ended in a 2-2 draw. Almost 8,500 people turned up for the game, easily the best crowd of the season for Cambridge.
Stoke 4 Luton 4
Stoke were down to 10 men having had goalkeeper Peter Fox sent off......Luton missed a last minute penalty to win the match
https://youtu.be/EpFltjo7I0w
Stoke were down to 10 men having had goalkeeper Peter Fox sent off......Luton missed a last minute penalty to win the match
https://youtu.be/EpFltjo7I0w
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