Best match you have ever been to?

[GIMH]

Was just thinking about this. The League Cup Final makes me a little...emotional...every year when i think about 2000 and Tranmere playing in it, can't actually believe we got to a cup final looking at where we are now. And then the greatest british manager thread had me thinking about some of my favourite moments in football.

For me, the greatest match i've ever been to, though, wasn't one of our sensational cup wins under King or Aldo, it was a league victory that at the end of the season didn't really mean anything.

it was December 4th 1999, and we were playing Bolton (spit) away, hate them so much, and that was the height of the rivalry, as Aldo and Allardyce also hated each other vehemently (still do by all accounts), and I had sstill never seen us win away at this point.

It was my first visit to the Reebok, hate the stadium, piece of **** that it is, but the thing was, it was cold and rainy, and the cement was lifting at the front. A bit like if anyone has ever been in blackpool's "temporary" away end. Well anyway, we played some good football, and managed to go in at the break one up. In all reality, as much as I hated Bolton, they were clearly a better side than us on paper and you'd have been mad not to take a point, so going in at the break ahead was fantastic.

It kept getting colder and colder but we would soon forget about that as Dave Challinor scored to put us 2-0 ahead, I think with about half an hour to go. We went effing mental, what a great moment! Three points, in the bag, thank you, good night.

They went up the other end and got one back, straight away though. So, all is still to play for. Then, Gareth Roberts, our left-back, well he got sent-off for a second yellow. Poor decision, anything goes against Bolton tbh (he got sent off against them the following season as well, might well be why i loved him so much). So it's 2-1, we're down to ten men, the momentum is clearly with Noblot. And, lo and behold, it didn't take too long for them to make it 2-2. By my reckoning, there were 15 minutes to play, we had squandered a two goal lead and were down to ten men. Nightmare, dreams evaporating everywhere.

So it's pretty obvious what happened next. Scott Taylor had come of the bench. We had signed him from the scum, and it was pretty obvious that he was up for it. About the only games he ever was up for tbh, but I'll take that. On 79, he gets the ball outside the box, hits one with the outside of his foot that stays low and goes into the bottom corner right in front of where I was stood (should have been sat, naughty naughty). i was on the front row, a few of us were, and my god did we go mad, it was mega.

The next ten minutes were awful, painful. They piled the pressure on, Joe Murphy, our keeper, he was worked so hard, made about 3 or 4 fingertip saves in the last 5 minutes. When the whistle went, what joy. Aldo ran onto the pitch pumping his fists everywhere, the delight on the players was amazing. Gareth Roberts came back out to greet the fans, they ain't supposed to do that!! i think reyes did it when Arsenal won the cup in 05 mind...

In the following couple of months, we beat West Ham and Middlesbrough, both good premiership sides back then (West Ham had Ferdinand, Cole, Lampard, Boro had some stars as well), and we beat the scum again over two legs to get to League Cup final, but this game is one I always remember, for my own reasons, as being the best of my life. I remember being at my Dad's the next morning and watching goals on Sunday, what a feeling.

Share your best ever match with us It doesn't have to be football, it could be any sporting event that you have been at that was your best ever!

[headhunter]

All-Ireland Hurling Semi-Final 2005 Cork v Clare, Clare came so close to upsetting the favourites, fantastic game of hurling.

[Smudge]

Otago beating the Springboks at Carisbrook in 1994. Otago had forged their reputation in the previous two years (including a win over the Lions in 1993) with flowing, running rugby. But on this day, the weather was awful in Dunedin - it was persisting down. Remarkably, a gutsy Otago pack took the Boks on up front and won 19-10. I stood on the terraces with my mate for all 80 minutes in the pouring rain and loved every minute of it.

[Somerset]

New Zealand beating South Africa by 2 runs at Eden Park in an ODI in 2004 to secure the series victory over SA for the first time.

[pasag]

This match - http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/f...stics?mid=1301

We had like seven of our best players at the time out and were playing possibly the best footy side in the game's history. I thought we were no chance and when we pulled it off in the last quarter I couldn't believe it. Atmosphere leaving the ground that night was unreal.

[sledger]

Southampto vs Arsenal in the 2002/2003 season, despite Arsenal losing it was a fantastic match, plenty of goals, and seeing Robert Pires play was absolutely unforgetable.


Also the first day of the 2005 ashes at lords, amazing, was a pleasure to see Glen McGrath at his absolute best even if it was at the expense of England, best days sport ever.

[aussie]

In cricket definately the 2005 Ashes test @ Old Trafford, while in football the 2003 Champions league quarter-final between Real Madrid & Manchester United @ OT trafford again, so much star players & a very high scoring game.

[Tom Halsey]

Spuds 3 United 5 IMO.

[PhoenixFire]

Last day of the England Pakistan Test at Headingley in 2006.

[NUFAN]

State of Origin

Game 1 2001 - QLD 34 - NSW 16

Wikipedia report
In game I Queensland blooded no less than ten new players and Wayne Bennett gambled on the likes of Brisbane Broncos forward Carl Webb and North Queensland Cowboys John Buttigieg and John Doyle who were relative unknowns. But they each announced their representative arrival in dramatic style with a try each in the first game, won 34-16 by the Maroons in the last match played at the "old" Suncorp Stadium. The most spectacular was Webb's two minutes before half-time when he brushed off three defenders before powering his way across the line.

[sledger]

Originally Posted by Tom Halsey

Spuds 3 United 5 IMO.

haha I remember that game, loved Hoddle's excuse after the match, " we scored too many goals, had we only scored 2 by half time we would have won the match", what a berk.

[Chubb]

Originally Posted by sledger

Also the first day of the 2005 ashes at lords, amazing, was a pleasure to see Glen McGrath at his absolute best even if it was at the expense of England, best days sport ever.

I was there too, with my grandad... Warner Stand, with the toffs and their champagne. McGrath and Brett Lee were fielding down there (at fine leg). Every time McGrath finished his over we stood up and gave him a standing ovation... I will always remember that day. The anticipation, the electricity in the air, with hindsight the knowledge that I was there at the start of the finest series of all time... nothing compares to it.

[sledger]

I thought it quite uncalled for that when McGrath walked out to bat on that day there was a chorus of boos around the ground. I remember being very impressed with Pietersen on that day, and Geraint Jones as well actually....the euphoria of england bowling out australia before tea, then the sheer disbelief at what followed. Was a magical days play, seems like a distant dream now, wish I had a camera at the time to take some pictures.

[Burgey]

Cricket: last day of the 5th test of the 2006/7 Ashes series was amazing. I was int he Members, and although the match was as good as over, to see McGrath, Warne and Langer play their last test together was amazing. Was also there when Bevo hit Harper for 4 to win a one-dayer 9 down off the last ball of the night.
Soccer - River Plate Stdium 1996 - Piver 5, Sporting Crystal of Peru 2 - Copa Libertadores. There were 65000 there, and the atmosphere was absolutely incredible.
League - 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1986 Grand Finals were awesome to be at, as was that Origin game in the rain when O'Connor banged one over from the touch line to win it for NSW.

[Matteh]

Did Nobby Solano play that day for Sporting Cristal?

EDIT: Found some evidence to suggest that he scored that day.