Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Fires, fightbacks and great escapes... Best of the final day drama
WHATEVER happens in north London tonight, we do know that the Premier League title race will be going down to the last afternoon this Sunday. We asked our reporters what was their most memorable football final day?
As escapes go, they don’t come much greater – or more, er, bizarre – than Everton’s last-day reprieve in 1994.
From my back garden the night before, I could smell the smoke from the blaze that was once the Wimbledon team bus. “Suspicious circumstances,” said the police. Yep, that would be right.
Charred but seemingly not scarred, the Dons stunned the three sides of Goodison Park – the Park End had been demolished and a few punters watched the match from the trees in Stanley Park – by taking a two-goal lead before an Anders Limpar dive gave Everton a lifeline.
Graham Stuart (right) scored from the spot and Barry Horne equalised with a worldie midway through the second half, although it is worth remembering that Dean Holdsworth had missed a sitter for Wimbledon just before half-time. And Everton got the win when Stuart’s timid, effort found its way past Hans Segers.
Results elsewhere confirmed Everton’s survival and there was the sort of pandemonium on the pitch that even the likes of Vinnie Jones could not wait to get away from. One of the more surreal final days of a season, to be sure.
SIMON BIRD
Oh, the joy, the celebration, the drama, the pain, the defiance. All played out on the pitch, 30 yards from where I sat in the Stadium of Light press box in 2012.
Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United had won the title! They’d beaten Sunderland, their game was finished, and they were top of the league. Here was Wayne Rooney, Ferguson and co all bright eyed, ready to unleash their joy. There’d already been hugs, smiles and high fives.
Elsewhere Manchester City had blown their chance, 2-1 down in stoppage time to QPR, then even at 2-2 a draw still meant United had the trophy. Then a ripple through the home crowd. “What?” Gestured the United players. Ferguson turned to a Sky Sports match producer and said: “They scored?” A nod. United had been Aguero’d (right).
Hands on heads. Curses. Blank faces. Despondency. Title, then no title. A season’s work undone in an instant, on goal difference. Winners, then losers. All played out in public. Every expression visible. Sport at its best and most cruel.
When Ferguson got that devastating nod, I’ll never forget his reaction. Stoic, not an emotion given away that could be a sign of weakness for rivals to exploit, he strode towards the visiting fans, gesturing players to follow him, and led the applause for their support.
Magnificent. A general who would not let the enemy see his disappointment. Sunderland fans taunted United by doing the Poznan. “I’ll not forget that..” Ferguson later said. Remarkable and unforgettable.
JOHN CROSS
Nothing beats a final day for drama. But I’m taking this Big Debate on the premise of actually having to be there.
Otherwise I’d probably go for Agueroooo, lasagne-gate, West Brom’s great escape in 2005. And Anfield 1989 is surely the greatest ever final day drama. But I’ll stay within the Premier League era.
Instead, I was at Manchester City on the final day of the 2021/22 when Pep Guardiola’s men entertained Aston Villa knowing a win would be enough to crown them champions ahead of Liverpool.
City went 2-0 down and the title was slipping away. No one saw that coming. Until Ilkay Gundogan inspired an incredible fightback and City ended up winning 3-2 and were crowned champions.
Pep Guardiola has built the best team in the Premier League era. They are full of entertainers and have pushed football to new heights, raising the bar and inspiring the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal to raise their own standards.
But that final day drama just shows that strange things can happen… City surely only have to turn up to beat West Ham. Or do they?
MIKE WALTERS
For drama on the final day of the season, we go live to Steve Mcqueen hurdling some barbed wire on a stolen motorbike.
Great escapes are as much a part of the landscape as Sergio Aguero or Michael Thomas moments in the title race. So in no particular order, let’s hear it for West Bromwich Albion in 2005, Fulham in 2008, Oldham (1993), Luton (1990) and West Ham (2007).
A personal memory – by no means the fondest – was the traumatic night in April
1975 when Watford lost
3-2 at home to Walsall to suffer relegation to the old Fourth Division, and the pitch invasion by disgruntled patrons calling for chairman
Jim Bonser to vacate the premises. Within 12 months, the fans’ wish was granted. A pianist from nearby Pinner, in his bright pink hair, six-inch heels, praying-mantis glasses and outrageous outfits, had already been co-opted on to the board of his boyhood club and took over as owner.
But apart from appointing Graham Taylor as manager, presiding over five promotions, finishing runners-up behind Liverpool, taking the Hornets into Europe and the FA Cup final, and raising £2million by playing gigs at Vicarage Road... what has Sir Elton John ever done for Watford?
JAMES WHALING
Both Sheffield clubs competed in League One in the 2011-12 campaign. While Charlton romped to the title, the Steel City duo battled for the second automatic promotion spot.
Over 38,000 packed into Hillsborough for a fixture against already-relegated Wycombe Wanderers in the knowledge that victory would secure safe passage into the Championship.
Michail Antonio (below) struck in the first half to settle any nerves, and almost simultaneously news flashed up on the scoreboard that United had fallen behind at Exeter.
What followed was a party atmosphere final-day dreams are made of.
Nile Ranger added another for the Owls in a 2-0 win, while their cross-city rivals laboured to a 2-2 draw at St James Park.
To make things even sweeter for those fans in blue and white, United would go on to lose the play-off final on penalties to Huddersfield.