Page 129 - 368603 LP250721 AWY AWY AWY Book (238pp A5)

of matches like the aforementioned Goodison Park game in May 1977, I was very wary of believing what was being reported from the Preston v Birmingham game. However, about ten minutes from full-time a tremendous explosion of joy erupted in stages around the ground and the mobile phones among the group of fellow Sunderland fans who’d arrived in the vacant seats behind me confirmed that Preston were one up. For me that was the best moment of the afternoon. I know there were rumoured to be twenty thousand Sunderland fans heading for the game but I’d say that there were around five thousand there.
I don’t agree with the F.A. policy of not presenting trophies at away grounds but as it could have gone either to us or to Birmingham, up in Preston two hundred and fifty miles away, I don’t see how it could have been handled in our case....or am I missing something? The post-match celebrations were marvellous and I found that it was possible to be very mobile within the ground to make the most of what was happening. Nos was photographed with loads of the faithful around him and one of the Hatters’ boaters on his head. Niall came on for a brief wave after much chanting of ‘Disco Pants’. Shirts were thrown into the crowd and players shook hands endlessly as they returned to the tunnel. Two Luton fans shook hands with me and, after a quick cider in The Bedfordshire Yeoman, two more locals stopped me for a friendly chat as I headed homewards.
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