Memories From '87 (2 Viewers)

[TrueSkyBlueLiam]

This one is for those lucky enough to have been around on that famous day. The start of the FA Cup is the start of a journey to Wembley for 2 sides. Granted, it's unlikely to be us, but Bradford have caused a few upsets these past 2 years, so anything can happen. We had our moment back in 1987, but sadly, a lot of us weren't around to see it. So for this week's Cooks Question, i want to hear your memories from our Cup journey and the final itself in 1987. For those too young to have attended that famous game, let us know what your parents have told you about it. The best answers will be read out on Sports Lounge this Thursday. The show kicks off at 10am on 98.6 Hillz FM. You can also listen via www.hillzfm.co.uk or the Tune In Radio App. If you cant make the live show, you can catch up via my Mixcloud page, www.mixcloud.com/liamcook. This week's show will include a special interview with Coventry United manager Edwin Greagves, as part of our new partnership with the club. Enjoy the show and thanks for your support. PLAY UP SKY BLUES!

 

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[usskyblue]

I was stood on the terrace, in-line with Benno when he made 'that' cross....In my mind, I was mid-sentence through; 'Who the fūck was that to?', when Houch launched in to view...the rest, is history.

After Allen scored early for them, I was worried we were going to get slaughtered....but after Benno equalized, we really started to play some good stuff....at that point I was just relieved we were making a fight of it. The longer the game went on, the more confident we looked...even at 2-1 down I still thought we could go on to win it.

I was 19, a month away from turning 20....and even now at the ripe old age of 48, I can still see Killer's clenched teeth smile through the flags and scarves...it was all quite surreal.

Making it to Wembley was a great achievement, but to win it ? Against Spurs? It was, and in a way, still seems, quite unbelievable.

 

[jimmyhillsfanclub]

I was 15 & stranded about 160 miles away from Wembley & Coventry in the depths of the South-West.....

Gutted I never got a ticket.....especially as I had been to watch us beat Stoke in the 5th round....but them were the breaks pre-internet when the only link I had to ticket access was the manager of the U16's youth side I played for.....and obviously all the spares he often got offered had all been snapped up by the glory-hunters.....

So I watched it on the telly at my mates house while drinking diamond white cider & raiding his ma's drinks cabinet......

..by the time Mabbutts knee had cheekily lobbed Clemence, its was cinzano/advocaat/tia maria cocktails all round....

 

[chiefdave]

Watched at home. Remember at the end of the game people flooding into the streets and celebrating. Huge queues of people waiting to buy the Pink.

 

[bringbackrattles]

Me and my mate were at the Cov station stuck in a massive long queue waiting to board a train, and when we finally got on we heard we were being held up by someone putting something on the line or other. Anyway due to this hold up we arrived late at Wembley and just got in to find Spurs were already one up, and to make things worse as behind the goal was just a huge mass of City fans we ended up somewhere near the back squashed in like sardines and hardly able to see the pitch. But our discomfort was soon forgotten about as we got back in the game and as they say the rest is history.It's funny how you can be among a huge contingent of fellow supporters with hardly any room to breathe,but when your team is playing well and winning you hardly notice and when the final whistle went my pal ended up about six rows in front of me,and I ended up in a mass huddle with other ecstatic Sky Blue fans. What a memorable day and I also remember going in the Rocket pub on our return and having a party of a lifetime in there,and also lining up on the Sunday hungover watching the players on the open top bus parading the Cup along with thousands of other cheering supporters. I doubt if we'd ever reach a Cup Final again but at least I can say I was there the day my football club won the Cup against the red hot favourites !

 

[Sick Boy]

I was 15 & stranded about 160 miles away from Wembley & Coventry in the depths of the South-West.....

Gutted I never got a ticket.....especially as I had been to watch us beat Stoke in the 5th round....but them were the breaks pre-internet when the only link I had to ticket access was the manager of the U16's youth side I played for.....and obviously all the spares he often got offered had all been snapped up by the glory-hunters.....

So I watched it on the telly at my mates house while drinking diamond white cider & raiding his ma's drinks cabinet......

..by the time Mabbutts knee had cheekily lobbed Clemence, its was cinzano/advocaat/tia maria cocktails all round....

Hahaha probably the one time that diamond white ever tasted good eh?!!

 

[Sick Boy]

I was only 2 at the time, nice to hear the tales

 

[oscillatewildly]

I was in Iserlohn, Germany. 1987 was my final year in the army. I, along with a few others went round to a colleagues married quarters flat. His missus had been well briefed and was nowhere to be seen.
I'll cut to the chase - Final whistle goes after 120 mins and sheer drunken delirium is the order of the day as I'm mobbed by five or six (pre-match) neutrals. A lone voice mutters in a strong North Staffs accent, "I don't f#~*in bleeve it, Coventry have won the f*$!in cup!
Slumped amongst the pile of empties in the corner and with a glazed expression on his face was Fin, tenant of the flat and ardent Stoke City supporter. He'd even travelled home for the 5th Rd tie. He was the only one in the flat who'd been cheering on Spurs throughout.

 

[blueflint]

i had to watch on telly at home in carlisle had a few cans tho

 

[pete212]

Quarter final vs Sheff Wed, Keith Houchen sinks to his knees after scoring in front of delirious Sky Blue army at Leppings Lane end

 

[skybluetony176]

I was 14 and not into football that much at the time, I didn't even watch it on the telly and didn't support any team. I knew that Cov had won from watching the news.

But what I do remember was the huge amount of sky blues fans that turned up at the school I went to in Rugby on the Monday after.

 

[Houchens Head]

I couldn't get a ticket to the game but like many, many thousands of Cov fans, watched it at home with family. I was 34 at the time and working as a bus driver for West Midlands Travel. A week-end off was a rare thing but my shift that week gave me the week-end off! Unbelievable! I felt really sorry for my workmates who had to do a shift throughout the match. Buses weren't that busy on that Saturday though! Don't remember much after the game (too pissed!). Next memory was of standing along Walsgrave Road at the Wyken Croft junction waiting for the open-top bus to come along with the lads!

 

[DazzleTommyDazzle]

Bolton - I remember it being bloody cold. Frozen pitch and a fairly easy win. It snowed on the drive back home (Bristol in those days).

Man Utd - Houchen scoring right in front of me and the second half being a continuous chant of "George & John's Sky Blue Army".

Stoke - Rang up to get my tickets to be told they'd only got a few seats left. It's OK, I'll pay on the gate to stand says I. No - those seats are the only tickets left!! I'll have them please. Muddy pitch, not a classic game but a great win. We were kept in a fenced in pen after the game while the Stoke fans cleared the area (well, most of them...). Someone started making animal noises and then there was a cacophony of moo's and baa's until they let us out. Well, it seemed funny at the time.

Sheff Weds - Was travelling from my folks in Shropshire. Big hold up on the M6. Started to panic and for the only time in my life drove along the hard shoulder. Left my car at my Brother-in-law's just outside Leicester and he went up the M1 at about 130 - sales rep you see. Dumped the car on a verge near the ground and ran in - got there about 10 past 3. In time to see Cyrille score though. Fantastic atmosphere and WE were in an FA cup semi final!

Leeds - Wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. I think I was about the third person into the ground. The most nervous I've ever been in my life. Micky Gynn's equaliser was greeted by the loudest noise I've ever heard.

Spurs - Set off early to enjoy every minute of the day. Lots of cars with Sky Blue scarves on the way down. Waiting outside the ground for the gates to open. Jimmy Greaves walked by - he'd tipped against us in every round, though really cos he was Sillett's mate - everyone patting his head and telling him his team was going to get beat! Into the ground - we really are here. Spurs early goal - please don't let us be embarrassed. But once Benno equalised, we were going to win. My confidence only faltered in the last two minutes which took at least two hours to go by! At the final whistle the guy next to me bursting into tears. Shedding a sly one or two myself as Killer lifted the cup. Not wanting to leave the ground - just another 5 minutes... Every bridge on the M1 seeming to have people hanging from it waving Sky Blue flags and scarves. Home to watch Match of the Day and realising that it was actually a really good match.

Other than that, can't remember much....

 

[Gazolba]

I was working in New York, USA and someone told me the result after they heard it on the BBC radio station (Remember 1987 was before the internet). At first, I did not believe it. I was not keeping up with the FA Cup and did not even know we were in the final. The game was not televised in the USA.

 

[Sick Boy]

Haha I remember as a child having to scan the paper every morning while away on holiday desperately looking for our friendly results, how times change!

If we had lost the cup final I would probably have started supporting Spurs as my family are Yids

 

[Calista]

Leeds - Wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. I think I was about the third person into the ground. The most nervous I've ever been in my life. Micky Gynn's equaliser was greeted by the loudest noise I've ever heard.
.

You are not exaggerating - that's my recollection too!

 

[skyblueheaven]

I remember queing 7 hours for my final tickets, was one of the last few to get one, , remember George Curtis counting 20 people after me in the queue and saying"i cant guarantee anybody after this point a ticket" I remember getting 2 tickets and shoving them down my Y fronts and running all the way home to Radford, being a skinny 17 year old was worried I would have them taken off me as there was Bedlam outside the ticket office, the rest my sky blues brother's and sisters is history.

 

[Buster]

Waiting for the train to come home on the platform in the best mood of my life ,i told the copper nearby what a great game it was. He said he knew , he had seen it on the telly before he started his shift. When he said it was the best final he'd ever seen i nearly wet myself with pride.
The silence at half time was deafening ,all you could hear was the spurs fans at the other end of Wembley (where thy came off).
Great homecoming when the train came back to the outskirts of cov ,every man woman and child was out the back of their houses waving and cheering .
Hope we get something like it again for the remaining 12000 plus Sky Blue faithfull. They deserve it!!!

 

[bezzer]

I was lucky enough to go to all the games in the 87 cup run apart from the QF against Sheff Wed (confined to bed with a nasty infection).

I remember sleeping overnight at Highfield road waiting to get tickets for the final. It was a long night.

On the day itself we left Cov at 8am. The car festooned with ribbons and scarves and we even had a picture of the team sellotaped to the rear window!

We parked at what was Hirst Research in Wembley. At the time it belonged to GEC who I worked for and the company arranged free parking. We were there by 11 along with hundreds more.

We walked down Wembley Way to the ground and then back up and down it again The atmosphere was brilliant. Outside the ground we found our turnstile entrance and sat outside eating our sarnies. I think it was 1pm when they opened and we went straight in. Stood about halfway up against a barrier about 45 degrees from the goal.

It was unbelievable in the ground as the kick off approached. The amount of flags was amazing. When the teams arrived the noise was deafening. We all sang Abide with me and then the anthem.

Like US above said, when Waddle skinned Downs and Allen scored I thought we'd get hammered. But after Benno scored I knew we'd win. When Houch scored it was surreal. Did he really score with a diving header, in a cup final!!!! It wasn't until we saw MotD which we'd video taped, did we appreciate what a superb goal it was.

Watching Killer lift the Trophy brought tears to my eyes. When the team came round with the Cup it was so special. They spent ages at our end. The Spurs fans who were still in the ground gave the City players a great round of applause.

When we eventually left the ground the walk back to the car was brilliant. Lots of singing and lots of handshakes from Spurs fans.

Back up the M1 and seeing people on the bridges waving as we drove under them. Then the queue down Hinckley Road/Ansty Road to home. We then headed out to the Painted Lady. It was party time.

What a great day for our City, one I'll never forget.

 

[skybluelee]

My most abiding memories of the day (as an 11 yo) were;

Gazing at the score board during ET and repeating over and over again - Coventry City, FA Cup winners, and thinking how weird it sounded.

Walking through the train carriages on our way back to Weymouth and it seemingly being full of distraught Spurs fans.

My dad and his mate John letting me have some of their champagne which they drank on the train to start the celebrations.

Walking back into my dad's local at about 10:30 to a cacophony of cheers.

Struggling to get up the stairs to bed as a result of a third of a glass of champagne and the sheer magnitude of the day.

And if I wasn't an atheist I would pray every day that I get to make the same trip with my daughters for a play-off final in the coming years so that I can experience something similar with them.

 

[smileycov]

I was in the Navy, used to travel home for the odd match, i would say i was a loyal and frequent supporter. But in 87 i sailed off on Jan 5 for a 9 month deployment. My mates queued up for me to get a ticket to the final. I remember phoning home to be told i had one, but as the ship was in Portugal i could not get home and back before it sailed. I cried. I watched it in a bar in Lisbon, problem being was the full coverage was played an hour after the match started, i listened to the radio up until 2-2. then one of the lads threw it out the window as it was spoiling the enjoyment. I remember jumping up and around when big cyrille scored to put us 2-1 up.....only to quickly realise we didn't go 2-1 up!! bizarre. i missed all the celebrations the home coming even the build up beforehand. It is hard listening to my mates who never went to games go on about the day. but it was amazing, even from a distance, so so proud. Sadly those days are a very distant memory, lets hope the feel good factor that TM is installing continues. PUSB

 

[Malaka]

Bolton: I was stood on the Kop it was freezing
Man U: didn't go as we were shit the week before (West Ham I think)
Stoke: Really tough game, I remember Gynn's screamer
Sheffield Weds: Thought I was gonna get killed with a bunch of Willenhall hooligans. A brand new Hired Ford Sierra got wrecked while we were in it
Leeds. I just remember sitting on the floor in the terrace Leppings Lane (I think) after we went in front in extra time, I couldn't take anymore, I just wanted to go to wembley. I remember a car with a skeleton tied to its bumper going down the M1 with a sign around its neck saying 103 years I've been waiting
Queue for Tickets: I remember they started queuing after the match on the Saturday so I rocked up with my stubs. Made a few quid in dealing with stubbs as you need a set of six I think to buy your ticket. Due to my wheeling and dealing I bought a ticket from a season ticket holder for face value, a set of stubs and a spare Man U one so that he could get two tickets together, I also charged people £3 ( I was unemployed) to queue for their tickets. I bought 11 and I remember people being really pissed off as they said we would not be able to queue until the Sunday, and so they were well down the queue.
Wembley, massive queues at the station, the noise we made in the ground, the roar when we scored, grown men crying and hugging each other after the final whistle. The deathly silence on the train coming home, it was surreal, everyone was just in shock with a stupid grin on their face (me included). When we got back to Coventry after a delay on the train something to do with an overhead cable being brought down, I remember getting applause from people waiting at the station for us. Went back to the Glade and the only song being played was Sky Blues shooting to win.
Day after; I was stood on Zales the jewelers in Broadgate, my mates made it to the very top of the roof of Lloyds bank, it was only then that it dawned on me that we had won

 

[Macca]

In short, if you think football matters now, it really really mattered back then

 

[James Smith]

We'd bought a video recorder for recording the final off the telly to keep whether we won or lost. Dad had also bought a stack of tapes and trained my mum on what to do if something went wrong.

Had bought a giant flag off of a vendor outside Wembley and boy were my arms tired at the end from waving that. Got depressed when Allen scored minutes in and stayed worried until Dave Bennett equalised. My worry was compounded by the fact that I'd bet a Spurs school mate £10 we'd win and was feeling super confident until then.

When Mabbut hit in his first I was now convinced that we were going to win and nothing was going to shake me from that. Couldn't drink anything at half time which was okay as the queue was massive. Didn't see Keith Houchen flying towards goal as the person in front of me stood up just before. But I remember the roar that erupted and it was obvious what had just happened. When it went to extra time and then GM scored his second I could see us actually winning. I cried at the final whistle and when Killer climbed the steps to collect the cup.

I remember vividly getting home and watching the entire match again on the video with a glass of Champagne which I was allowed because of our win - only 13 at the time.

My mate at school refused to give me the tenner because he said own goals didn't count - bastard.
I still cry when I listen to Sky Blue Magic and the day I don't is the day I die.

 

[olderskyblue]

Due to family health issues, and a 3 year old to help look after, and a 60+ hours a week job away from home, I had to give up my season ticket for 2 seasons... and the cup run was the 2nd of them... So, didn't get to any of the matches .After the first 3, I considered myself a jinx so didn't even try to get to the rest. Wasn't even in Cov when the tickets were on sale, so watched the final at home.

Memories of that were how nervous I was watching it, and thinking how many times a teams cup final song was actually sang by the fans.

Absolute joy at the final whistle, and great scenes while waiting for the pink later, and getting tea from Cheylesmore chippy. Had a few that night, and went to watch them next day in Walsgrave with a headache...

Funny memory. A couple of weeks later we went to Milton Keynes shopping, and when trying to find a table for lunch, the only seats available were sharing with a bloke and his wife. Did the "are these seats free" bit and the bloke said yes and seemed to have a London accent. Did the usual where you from, who do you support bit, and of course he was a spurs supporter and was at Wembley. Made for an interesting lunch. He was ok, but just talking about the match nearly brought him to tears.. and, well, I couldn't stop talking about it...

 

[hotrod]

Amongst all the many well documented memories of that WONDERFUL day, another one for me, was seeing the banner on the first bridge on the M45.


IT TOOK 104 YEARS TO GET THERE NOW ONLY 90 MINUTES FROM WEMBLEY!!!


Regards.

 

[tisza]

Went to every game (in what was a season that should also be remembered for some really good football including the Spurs league game at Xmas 4-3).
Couldn't get tickets for the final until a Luton Town director came to stay in the hotel I was working at the week before the final and gave me his two stand tickets which I then swapped for 2 behind the goal.

 

[Malaka]

I don't know if this is true, but i heard that four city fans went to wembley by car but one died on the way. They covered him up, sold his ticket and went to the match, their logic was that he would not have wanted them to miss the game. Probably a myth but it is a good one.

 

[dadgad]

Went to every march enroute to Wembley, they were all memorable. The final was probably the best for many years and the zenith of our long and tortured history.
Singing 'Abide with Me' and seeing the whole stadium heaving
and swaying in sky blue made me realise that the yid army was subdued and that emotionally we'd already 'won' the day. This was definitely a factor in the result. Our lads grew in strength and belief as the match wore on, for Spurs it was the other way round.
It was a great team, they played in the right way, brilliantly led by Snoz and George and to cap it all they united the city in pride and joy. Epic day.
Pusb

 

[Mcbean]

Stranded at the wife's best friends wedding ( he was a Tottenham fan) - no telly in sight so I kept nipping out to the car to the radio - wifes mother asked me if I was ill

Biggest pleasure was quietly announcing to the top table that Coventry had won as they couldn't get out of the formalities during extra time

Went to the parade saw the bus and got properly pissed

Would be a dream to happen again in my lifetime ( hopes)

 

[spwaverley4916]

Me and my mate were at the Cov station stuck in a massive long queue waiting to board a train, and when we finally got on we heard we were being held up by someone putting something on the line or other. Anyway due to this hold up we arrived late at Wembley and just got in to find Spurs were already one up, and to make things worse as behind the goal was just a huge mass of City fans we ended up somewhere near the back squashed in like sardines and hardly able to see the pitch. But our discomfort was soon forgotten about as we got back in the game and as they say the rest is history.It's funny how you can be among a huge contingent of fellow supporters with hardly any room to breathe,but when your team is playing well and winning you hardly notice and when the final whistle went my pal ended up about six rows in front of me,and I ended up in a mass huddle with other ecstatic Sky Blue fans. What a memorable day and I also remember going in the Rocket pub on our return and having a party of a lifetime in there,and also lining up on the Sunday hungover watching the players on the open top bus parading the Cup along with thousands of other cheering supporters. I doubt if we'd ever reach a Cup Final again but at least I can say I was there the day my football club won the Cup against the red hot favourites !

i was on the same train - travelled up from Rugby instead of catching one from there and got caught out by the delay. after the game and back home i was outside Brownsover Hall where half the team were staying - well canned and fell off a big wall outside the hotel when the coach arrived - later i was allowed in through the kitchens (knew the owner) and spent about an hour with team members on the p*** - great day and night.

 

[bringbackrattles]

i was on the same train - travelled up from Rugby instead of catching one from there and got caught out by the delay. after the game and back home i was outside Brownsover Hall where half the team were staying - well canned and fell off a big wall outside the hotel when the coach arrived - later i was allowed in through the kitchens (knew the owner) and spent about an hour with team members on the p*** - great day and night.

What a great memory to have drinking with the team after the biggest day for our club. As for the hold up in the morning I heard some idiots put something on the line at Willenhall,which really pissed us all off on the train. Do you recall the drinking ban was on then ? No beer on the trains or at Wembley and it was a hot day as well and had to make do with overpriced soft drinks at Wembley ! Still when me and my mate came out floating on air we got some cans from a shop on the way back to the train,and sunk them before getting plastered in the Rocket back in Cov.Writing about it again it feels like it was last year !

 

[Haigha]

As for the hold up in the morning I heard some idiots put something on the line at Willenhall,which really pissed us all off on the train.

I went to the final with my dad (who is no longer with us) and we were also held up by the jokers putting something on the railway line. We missed the teams coming out and 'Abide with me', but got to our seats just in time for the kick-off.

I wonder if anyone else remembers Andy Blair being at Coventry railway station on cup final day. The queue of fans stretched over the railway bridge in Stoney Road back into Michaelmas Road and people were becoming restless because word had spread about the object on the line. Andy was at the station and seemed to be prepared to stay there until he had made sure all the queuing fans were going to get on a train. I know Andy eventually made it to Wembley himself because we saw him on the journey home. Top bloke...

 

[westcountry_skyblue]

I waited for a train at Cov station,Queue went on for what seemed like streets.
Had my copy of the Today paper and paper hat inside( Remember that?)
Got stuck on the train between Cov and Rugby and arrived at Wembley Central at 2.30 and ran to the twin towers arriving just as the teams came out.
Made my way to the upper terrace behind the goal,The steps seemed to go on forever.
The game says it all really deflated twice then Sky blue heaven.
Stunned and very quiet coming out of the stadium.
Fair play to Spurs they said well done.
Train home fantastic and a few beers in town after.Only pub we got into was the penny black and then we stood outside.
Great times let's hope they return.

 

[sotonskyblue]

I had the misfortune to leave Cov in1986 to start a new job in Southampton where I have lived ever since. However through friends I was able to get tickets for quarters, semi final and final. Travelled up to Wembley via waterloo station. After a truly momentous day I finally arrived home late Saturday nite,well oiled and almost voiceless from screaming my head off. Would love to have been able to get to cov city centre for what would have been best nite out ever. Following season also managed to go to charity shield. Now at last there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. Great credit to TM and the boys.