Help needed: Your 94 promotion memories?

[robf]

I'm writing an article on the 1994 promotion season and I wondered if any of you would like to help me?

 

I am looking for memorable moments during the season.

 

For me I can remember the following:

 

• Foyle and Slaven's "hat-trick in each half" vs Barnet
  
• Standing in the Hamil End watching Vale's FA Cup giantkilling over Southampton
  
• And of course the game at the Goldstone Ground at the end of the season
  

 

But what else sticks in your memory? It could be a match, a goal, an unusual incident or anything that made that season memorable...

[TheSage]

A couple of things stick in my mind but neither are probably that fascinating.

 

In the Southampton away game didn't Slaven annoy 'keeper Beasant, I think it was, and you got this daft incident where the angry giant Beasant chased little Slaven across the pitch. I remember thinking it was hilarious at the time.

 

The other more mundane event was attending the penultimate away game at Cardiff. I remember travelling down straight after work and feeling a little intimidated by the Cardiff lot - who even then had a bad reputation - but more importantly worried sick that we might not win the game. If we hadn't won I think we might not have got promoted so that match was as crucial in many ways as Brighton and it was just as nail biting.

The sublime Ian Taylor played out of his skin that night and we won comfortably.

It was at Ninian Park, looking quite dilapidated and run down but at 9.30 who cared? An absolutely crucial win and a pint afterwards somewhere near Abergavenny to celebrate!

[onestepatatime]

One of the main things that sticks with me is the travel home in exctacy after the Brighton game. We had a puncture on the way back and it was hell changing the tyre when passing Vale fans were tooting their horns at us!! No one stopped to help, but who cares, we won and that was a truly fantastic day in my life.

[Edge81]

Remember at Brighton with every goal we were on the pitch and at the end of the game us on their pitch and their fans clapping us. Me and my mate (we were 12) on the home dugout, great looking at a sea of Vale fans! If my memory serves me correctly too we were last team in engalnd to lose at home and lost only 1 league game, to Reading (with Shaka Hislop in goal)

[Realism]

I remember not eating for four days so I could afford the petrol to Swansea. I then remember them parading the Autoglass Trophy before the game and singing "you're not champions any more" in a mocking way. We then clapped them and, after a moment's obvious confusion, they clapped us back. Ian Taylor then scored the winner in a hard-fought 1-0 victory.

 

Cardiff was unbelievable, and I remember my mate screaming "score please" at David Lowe just before he banged it in for us to go 2-1 up there, and we all charged down the terracing at Ninian Park. Lots of visits to Wales in those days.

 

Barnet at home was a very odd game. We chanted sumo at their keeper for most of the game, and I remember thinking how good their number 10 looked....turned out to be Brian Marwood! Barnet away was odd too...we won 3-2 and we were terrible!

 

Reading at home...lost 4-0 bizarrely and won at their place 2-1. I went to Elm Park so many times in the 90s and we usually did well there. I always got the feeling they thought they were miles better than us.

 

Such great memories...topped off by winning in Brighton and being hugged by a crying, massive skinhead after Foyle scored the third! And who can forget Foyle's first goal? The goal that never was?

 

Happy days...interestingly Friday was the first time in a long time I felt like I used to...just pure unadulterated joy.

[Santa]

I could write a huge pages and pages and pages of self indulgent waffle about that season. I was 14 years old and at that age when you're properly obsessed with football you soak up so many things that happen at the time and I can remember a lot of it really clearly.

 

My only regret is that I was a bit too young to really appreciate it properly, especially as I wasn't able to put how good a side we were into proper context. The following 19 years have done that for me though.

[Jacko51]

I remember coming out of Edgeley Park having just lost to Stockport. It put them 2 points ahead of us with a game in hand and I heard one of their fans say something like, "That's it, we're as good as up now". Vale proceeded to win their last 5 games while Stockport stumbled badly.

 

We stayed the weekend at Brighton. We stayed after the game and videoed all the Vale coaches setting off in convoy back to Boslem - that bit of video ended up on the official club video of the season!

 

Hartlepool away in March. We won 4-1, Aspin scored and did his dambusters celebration! My nephew, who was about 12, was more excited about listening to the Newcastle game on local radio - they won 7-1!

[Family Stand Terrier]

Why was Foyle's 1st the goal that never was? Heard that before, but never understood why. Look at the video on you tube, can't see much wrong with it.

 

I remember Brighton opening up an area of the ground previously shut to fit us all in. I was in that part of the ground, bouncing around singing boing boing going up.

 

Remember drawing 2-2 at home to Fulham, losing 2-0 at one point with fans singing we're gonna win f all. Think Joe Allon ?? missed a penalty too (might be mistaken).

 

Remember getting about 11000 last home game against Exeter. A repeat against Northampton would be good.

[Realism]

Why was Foyle's 1st the goal that never was? Heard that before, but never understood why. Look at the video on you tube, can't see much wrong with it.

 

I remember Brighton opening up an area of the ground previously shut to fit us all in. I was in that part of the ground, bouncing around singing boing boing going up.

 

Remember drawing 2-2 at home to Fulham, losing 2-0 at one point with fans singing we're gonna win f all. Think Joe Allon ?? missed a penalty too (might be mistaken).

 

Remember getting about 11000 last home game against Exeter. A repeat against Northampton would be good.

 

I saw it from the side we were and my immediate reaction was to be disappointed because it had gone wide...then everyone around me started celebrating so I thought "what the ****...we've scored" and started celebrating too. He missed the goal, and if you watch the video, the ball rolls up the outside of the net in a way it never would had he scored.

[Vital Spark]

I can remember standing near the top of the open terrace at Brighton in total amazement as we watched at seemingly endless procession of coaches arrive at the ground. Truly amazing following for such a long journey.

 

Another memory was being told by our coach driver that I couldn't get back on after the game because I was covered in mud from the pitch invasion. As we charged onto the pitch, my first step on the turf resulted in me slipping head first like superman into the mud. I tried to pretend I'd meant it as you do!

[Vital Spark]

I remember coming out of Edgeley Park having just lost to Stockport. It put them 2 points ahead of us with a game in hand and I heard one of their fans say something like, "That's it, we're as good as up now". Vale proceeded to win their last 5 games while Stockport stumbled badly.

 

We stayed the weekend at Brighton. We stayed after the game and videoed all the Vale coaches setting off in convoy back to Boslem - that bit of video ended up on the official club video of the season!

 

Hartlepool away in March. We won 4-1, Aspin scored and did his dambusters celebration! My nephew, who was about 12, was more excited about listening to the Newcastle game on local radio - they won 7-1!

 

Oh, I'd forgot about that Aspin goal and celebration! What a great day out that was too, from what I can remember - too many Cameron Strongarms in the little pub up the road from the ground. We travelled to Hartlepool in the back of a VW van with no seats and I've still got the bad-back to prove it! :(

[Family Stand Terrier]

Just watched it and it does roll up the net as if it's behind the goal. Weird. The reaction of the Brighton fans, players etc dont seem to hard done to. Must just be some sort of illusion.

[Jimmy]

I felt for that poor sod who cycled to Brighton as we passed him on the way home cycling in the rain.......:(

[Realism]

Just watched it and it does roll up the net as if it's behind the goal. Weird. The reaction of the Brighton fans, players etc dont seem to hard done to. Must just be some sort of illusion.

 

It's not even in the net is it? I could never work out why they didn't go mad either!

[valetillidye]

Didnt we score 3 in 2 minutes against wrexham in the 3-0 win?