Ray Parlour - Talksport

[mr.hobblesworth]

I remember Jon McCarthy watching the replay in the Bycars, screaming himself hoarse. Top man was our Macca.

[Shropshire_Valiant]

Happy Days. My PE teacher at the time was a big Arsenal fan and used to give me stick for supporting Vale all the time(which I hated as he was one of those who would always belittle Port Vale, and I didn't particularly like him as a teacher anyway!) However I could tell he was then as nervous as a kitten after the draw came out as myself and the other kids(despite not being Vale fans they all knew I was!) would never have let him live it down had we won. After the replay I wasn't looking forward to going to school the next day however he came up to me after assembly and shook my hand and said 'fair play your boys gave us one hell of a game' or words to that effect. And I think from that day he learnt to respect Port Vale!:D

 

I went to both games although we borrowed a friends season ticket who was an Arsenal fan for the game at Highbury. I think I've posted before when Naylor rolled in the disallowed effort we jumped up to celebrate before realising it was offside, I think we pretended to berate the Arsenal defenders for letting Vale get so close in the first place!!

I think we were the only side apart from maybe West Ham in the semi who pushed Arsenal that year?

 

Nice post from Tone above, and probably our last major memorable Cup tie at VP if we're honest? Can't believe it's 17 years ago in a week or two since that replay! It would have rounded Rudgies reign off something special if we could have sneaked the win after Spurs, Southampton, Everton, promotions and the wins over Stoke!

I just hope we can get there again someday!

[valetillidye]

Not sure anyone caught it this morning but Mick Quinn interviewed Ray Parlour on his show this morning. Whilst discussing his good and bad FA Cup memories he mentioned the two games Arsenal played against us - 0-0 at Highbury and 1-1 (aet) at VP. He was very complimentary about Vale and recalled how difficult those games were for the eventual winners that season. He even name checked Alan Tankard as being unlucky with his missed penalty.

 

i heard it too, it was one of those moments that makes you proud to be a vale fan

[Aussie Rules]

Great stuff, Rob. Thanks for posting that. Doesn't Arsene look young!!

 

What Jean said :D

[LancyTony]

I was there with the other 20,000 sorry I mean 13,000 fans !!

 

Hahaha - yeah...that was on a par with the gate against Liverpool!

[JOHNNYAITCH]

I had to watch the Highbury game in the North Bank surrounded by Gooners. They were one worried bunch as the game wore on

 

On the tube afterwrads one of them was giving Vale a load of stick (esp Aspo as i recall) but other Ar$e fans soon shut him up..a relatively insignificant but proud moment. The replay was one of those great nights when I was able to travel up for midweek matches as we were so good..no luck or just hard work..we were that good that night.

 

Returned to London and work next day and it was a great day with so many telling me they'd watched it un the pub under the office and how good we were and how so many in there were supporting Vale that night.

 

Musselwhite, Hill, Tankard, Bogie, Aspin, Snijders,

Ainsworth, Porter, Talbot, Naylor, Corden

 

What a team that was!! :)

[mr.hobblesworth]

 

Musselwhite, Hill, Tankard, Bogie, Aspin, Snijders,

Ainsworth, Porter, Talbot, Naylor, Corden

 

What a team that was!! :)

 

About half of them were consistently slated too.

[Yukon]

I was at both Arsenal games- two very good performances against an exceptionally good side

[60degree_wedge]

My mate and I have a standing joke everytime (not that often) Vale have had a penalty since this game. I shout 'penalty' when it looks like it's goin to be given, he then says 'you don't do penalties'..........'oh yes I don't do I.....Alan Tankard, Arsenal, 96.' It's become a superstitious thing over the years that I do not watch the taking of any Vale penalty, during play or in a shoot-out....think my record is pretty good.

[TheDerbyValiant]

Musslewhite was brilliant in game at Highbury, we should have won the replay, we hit the woodwork in extra time, went both games.

[ELDERBEZZA]

About half of them were consistently slated too.

 

So true!!

[andy jones]

We certainly packed the midfield that night.

 

We're any of that midfield 6 foot or over? Cos the lone front man needed high heels to make 5 foot never mind 6 :D

[Bald Eagle]

Oh that feeling when Dixon missed the first penalty.......

[Trampilot]

Yes there was about 20000 in the ground! People were sitting on the steps I recall.

 

I think I'm right in saying that there was only Vale and West Ham that didn't lose (maybe concede a goal?) to Arsenal over normal 90mins. ET and pens not counted.

 

I remember everyone giving Ian Wright a standing ovation when he left the pitch.

[robf]

Yes there was about 20000 in the ground! People were sitting on the steps I recall.

 

It was absolutely packed. But didn't Billy Bell come up with some explanation for that 14,000 gate? Wasn't it something to do with Vale's ticketing system breaking (presumably the abacus couldn't cope) so the club only reported the attendance as what had been counted before it went kaput?

 

On that note, is Vale Park some sort of Bermuda Triangle for ticketing systems crashing? Has any other club had as many ticketing/turnstile problems as us?