Page 115 - 368603 LP250721 AWY AWY AWY Book (238pp A5)

I went to watch the game in Ashbrooke Club and my brother Graham and I were in there at 12.45 to make sure we got good seats. We had a few beers in the bar and a mate of our Graham’s imparted a bit of pub knowledge i.e. if a child has its head stuck in railings, the only way to get it out is to turn it upside down. We later adjourned to the room with the big screen but we couldn’t take or buy any drinks in there. Maybe for that reason there weren’t many people around but anyway we took the lead in the thirty-fourth minute with yet another Byrne goal. Graham lived just over the road to the club and he had a load of beer in so at half-time we went to his place to watch the second-half. Norwich never looked too dangerous and though with only a one goal lead it’s always a bit nervy, finally the whistle went and we were into another final. The other semi between Liverpool and had Portsmouth had ended in a 1-1 draw. Liverpool would win the replay on penalties to meet us in the Final.
Anyway, back to the day of the Final. It took a while to track down the World Service on my radio but I managed to maintain a crackly, wavering signal only by means of keeping one hand permanently on the aerial at a certain angle, otherwise it would be lost. Supporting Sunderland had never been too easy for long so I was able put up with that well enough. Our starting eleven was Norman, Owers, Ball (captain), Bennett, Rogan, Rush, Bracewell, Davenport, Armstrong, Byrne and Atkinson. Liverpool had a host of stars in their side that day – Grobelaar, Jones, Burrows, Nichol,
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