Planet Swans Archives|
Autoglass Memories – The Jacks Eyes (Part I) |
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Exile Jack My memories of that wonderful day started on the Friday Arriving in Swansea on the Friday night with my family with my son at the time only 4 yrs old, staying with my grandmother down the Mumbles, the build up was out of this world. The night before we gathered at the Builders about 30 of us then founder members of T.I.T.S THE INDEPENDANT TRAVELLING SWANS to run over the major operation in place for the Sunday to make sure everyone got their seat on the coaches booked down to the T SHIRTS that had been printed to this day I still wear when abroad on hols. I remember my Gran telling me how close we had been in 1964 to getting to Wembley but now her words were take it all in your going to enjoy this day until u die ( the anthem that was sung on that famous day 10 yrs ago ..Swansea till I die and take my hand) in the end we lifted that trophy and to return to Swansea that same night to a party on the sea front at a hotel venue to celebrate then see Andy Mac ride a push bike totally amazing. But now this is were I get my claim to fame, on the Monday I called in the Vetch on my return to the post code of NP44 my son of 4 yrs wanted a Roger Freestone picture I wonder why ? Maybe because all he heard for 24 hrs was that Penalty save, then when at the Vetch I bump into Frankie Burrows, on this I thanked him for a wonderful day something I shall never forget until Frank says come with me, you are the FIRST FAN to do this on which he passed me the coveted trophy itself I stood their in disbelief something the lads had won 24 hrs earlier I’m holding in the Managers office in my hands. I think I drove the 60 miles home in a dream land thinking I was super JONNY CORNFORTH I still keep the winning team picture to this day, as a famous Welshman once said I KNOW COS I WAS THERE…..A DATE IN HISTORY NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN. Taffsawelshman How can we forget that day my memories are that of firstly our coach driver getting lost in London and getting in the stadium just in time to see andy Mcfarlane score. Ten seconds later and we would have missed it. After that I didn’t sit down all game and watching a freekick being tipped onto the bar in the second half i thought that was it, penalties, cue big roger to save the day and ultimately put us into delirium. I couldn’t sleep for two days after or speak through the fact i had a stinking headache and sore throat all through shouting and singing but it was well worth seeing, something i hope we could do again and again for our future supporters. We had our day in the sun, hopefully the younger generation of swans fans will have theirs. Rob What a day. I remember jumping on the train at Newport the coaches were jammed packed with Jacks. Then I saw the biggest bloke you can imagine in his 50s hard as nails he looked. He then got up to go to the buffet and put on a hat with a three foot lifesize Swan on it. I knew from that moment onwards it was going to be a day to remember. Swansea_Jack_84 wow that day was incredible – i was only 9 years old and i remember the day before i was in town with my brother and my parents and we walking past The Vetch and the Swans bus was outside the ground, waiting to take the players up. I remember having my photo taken with all the players and having a little chat with Kwame Ampadu, Mark Clode etc. I remember going up on the train reading a paper with loads of Swans songs in them and giggling about it with my friend and his family who came up with us. I’d never been so excited in all my life! When we got there, i remember seeing a girl walking infront of me wearing a shirt which had Bowen, 7 printed on the back, and i remember being insanely jealous cos he was my favourite player and i wanted my shirt printed too! We also bought Swans flags and i remember going into the stadium and finding our seats. From Macfarlane’s first goal to the penalty shoot out i was a bag of nerves, and i remember the Mexican Wave making me laugh aswell! I also remember watching Roger, as he couldn’t watch us taking some of our penalties and the immense noise coming form our fans! When we walked up to receive the trophy, and i remember as it was lifted into the air and the stadium just erupted and i had shivers all of over! I was so proud! That is a moment i will never forget, and watching it on the video of Wembley we’ve got, i still get the same feelings of pride. Natasha Smith My first ever experience of a football match was at Wembley on that day!! I was seven at the time and up until then i had never sat down for a full 90 minutes to watch a match. It didn’t interest me but that was soon to change. The atmosphere was electric even before the match. My parents, my sister and i went to the pub down the road from Wembley, there were swans fans outside one pub on one side of the road and Huddersfield fans outside the other pub on the other side of the road. Both sets of fans were chanting, but it was a friendly atmosphere! We got inside Wembleystadium and the atmosphere was more electric, if that was evenpossible. There were Swans fans everywhere, talking, chanting, but then every single swans fan burst into the chant of, "There’s only oneAlan Curtis!!" Alan Curtis waswalking through the crowd to get a drink or something and he just grinned. That was my most vivid memory of that day, apart from us actually lifting the cup, and the crowd roaring in excitement. After the daysevents of winning the cup, the ecstatic atmosphere and the excitementthat every swans fan shared, I became a season ticket holder the following season, and i have been for ten years this week!! And i will continue to be a season ticket holder for the rest of my life!! Those were my memories of Wembley anyway, Lorraine Corbett The hundreds of memories that can fit into one day is incredible, I am going for just a few. We went up (about thirty of us) for the week-end, and Jimmy Hadziabdic had arranged to come to the game with us rabble. We all went to a restaurant belonging to Jimmy’s former agent which was somewhere in Soho,some ofmy family from the London side squashed in to join us inthis tiny downstairs restaurant which was ringing with Swansea football songs all evening, but Jimmy was missing–he was worse for wear when he arrived, and what an entrance he made–falling down the staircase, to land on a table messing up his immaculate clothes and ending his evening a little earlier than the rest of us. The next morning, one of the pubs near our hotel opened very early (some of our party had contacts in the area) and a few hours were spent drinking and a lot of intricate face painting took place. There is a photo of our lot in the H.G. bar–but you wouldn’t know us as we have so much face slapon. We took thetrain to Wembley station and climbed the hill to the pub, but by now–I just wanted to get in and savour the atmosphere! and when we at lastgot into the ground, I seemed to meet every one I knew from Swansea, some of them at their first football match. The airhad beenelectric walking up Wembley way, and on getting to our seats, and hearing the singing, I knew,that beautiful noise could have only been –Swansea supporters, I noticed that some of the men were crying when the team came out. I’ve never felt so emotional in a football match as at that moment. I checked out the Swans shirts,the reason being thatI had sewn all the ‘autoglass’ badges on them (I hadsent up a wish, while workingon each shirt) it took a lot of grovelling to keep the spare badge for my hubby’s jacket I can tell you! You would think I was asking for gold dust. By the way, the referee’s badge was sewn on crooked, which to some is useless information, but for a tailoress it’s very important. Andy Macs goal sent us into a frenzy, the singing was some thing that I know will never be repeated for me, unbelievable. I wrote a song later about ‘our lovely day’ but I am the only one that can sing it, because the tune is so old–no one knows it! The matchwas well documented, and everyone’s memories are different……these are just a few of mine. Billy Williams We travelled up by train on Saturday morning and had a hell of a night on the West End, outside pubs with Huddersfield fans singing "If you all hate Leeds and Cardiff clap your hands". Unfortunately over zealous Met Police soon put pay to that. A night of absolutely no sleep followed and we made our way to Wembley. Then came the ultimate nightmare for a football fan. I had lost my ticket. Outside Wembley for the Swans’ first ever visit there and I was ticketless. Luckily the lads I was with, together with some kind hearted Jacks had a whip round and got me a replacement. I cant remember a great deal about the game, apart from the end, and Corny going up to get the trophy with "Are you watching Cardiff scum?" ringing around the stadium. The journey home was superb, everyone really drunk, I cant remember a thing after Reading, and a "sickie" was pulled the next day. I don’t think my Cardiff supporting boss was too pleased……… Click Here For More Memories From Swans Fans Pictures courtesy of Colin Jones and Jamie Robinson |
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Why not check out the latest Vetch Verdict on the BBC site? |
