Autoglass Memories Pt V

Autoglass Memories: The Clive Hughes Report

It may be around 10 years too late, but for those that want it, this is the Clive Hughes report

"My thoughts on the Autoglass at Wembley start a few weeks earlier on a warm night at Wycombe. Of those that were there, who can forget those extra 5mins when the final was so close but those thoughts pushed to one side. We couldn’t let in a goal or we were out. The final whistle saw a massive outpouring of emotion as we sang that we were off to Wembley. We sang, and we sang, and we sang. It was only later, when we were being kept in the ground while the rest of the ground departed that it finally hit home. As we looked out on a line of police on the pitch (everything was good natured) that it sunk in. We WERE off to Wembley.

Being in the Midlands there was very little build up to the game apart from the odd snippet on Radio Wales, so not much. On the Sunday it was a drive down the M1, hardly a fan to be seen. Even as we got to Wembley the car park was nearly empty. This didn’t last long as coach after coach arrived. The atmosphere was building as we walked around the stadium. I had been there to see Wales, but for my 2 sons, it was their first visit. It was not the Wembley that I remembered as it needed a good tidy up. More disappointment as our ‘seats’ were just a bench. All this disappeared as the ground filled, it was a carnival atmosphere. The Swans took the field in their new kit to a sea of 18,000 black and white scarves, flags and banners and balloons. The Welsh National Anthem was sung load and clear. All this and the game hadn’t even started. It did of course, and a highly contested match it was, as it started at a very high tempo. It was only eight minutes in, when a massive kick from Rog nearly reached the Huddersfield penalty area. Andy McFarlane chested it past the keeper and from a tightish angle slotted home. Eruption time. ‘Falling in love with you’ echoed around Wembley. The Swans were there. In fairness Huddersfield fans must have been singing but from ‘our’ end you could only hear the sounds of the Vetch

The rest of the first half saw us the more dominant team with a few scares at both ends in what was a very good game. The second half saw a change as Huddersfield took control and on the hour got the equaliser. A bullet header from the penalty spot, following a corner. We were under the cosh for long periods but defended well. The best shot on goal came from left back Mark Clode, who cutting in from the left, sent a curling shot heading for the top corner until a desperate hand appeared from Francis, turning it clear. Clode was in the thick of things when he was also involved in another attack breaking into the area, going down under a heavy tackle. He hobbled for a while, and soon later was back in our area saving a certain goal but again went down heavily and was replaced. The hot day took its toll as play became more open and mistakes appeared. 10 minutes from the end Rog pulled off a massive save, turning a shot over the bar. There was just about enough time for Jason Bowen to cut in from the right, sending a powerful shot towards goal. It rebounded off the post to safety. I can still hear that metal thud now. No more scoring so extra time was played. In the first minute Rog went down after a clash with our defender Basham. It looked bad, but he soon recovered. The rest of extra time was mostly without incident as players were dead on their feet. So it was down to penalties. Taken at the tunnel end away from the Swans fans. Huddersfield were first to go. A cheer went up from the Swans fans as it hit the post (Confusing us as from our angle it looked as if it had gone in) John Cornforth stepped up and coolly blasted into the top corner of the net. Huddersfield scored to make it 1-1 Ampadu scored the second. 2-1 Huddersfield hit the bar with their next. Still 2-1 Torpey blasted home the third. 3-1 (The players and fans started to celebrate) Huddersfield’s fourth was save by Rog. The cup was ours. The roar went up as John Cornforth lifted the cup. As the Huddersfield end emptied the players lined up for the press photos and joined in with ‘Falling in love with you’

The full Swansea song sheet was sung in the next minutes. With Roger doing his own dancing jig holding the trophy, to the sound of ‘Roger, Roger, Roger, Roger, Roger, Roger Roger Freestone’ As the ground emptied you could still smell the atmosphere. The Swans ‘Came, Saw, Conquered’ Talking to Huddersfield fans after the game was mutual back slapping it was then that I realised that I had waited 40 years for this moment and my sons had done it in a quarter of the time. The journey back up the M1 was slow until Luton and then hardly any fans to be seen. Monday was an anti-climax as again there was very little news in the press and nothing on Midlands TV. This was pre-internet days. It would be much, much different now. For those who missed it, it was a magical day out. It’s what football is all about."

Click Here For The Main Autoglass Celebration Index

Pictures courtesy of Colin Jones and Jamie Robinson

Why not check out the latest Vetch Verdict on the BBC site?