Dare To Dream!

[nutty nigel 7,513]

Since when did "realism" have anything to do with the FA Cup?!?!

The FA Cup is about dreams and we should all be thinking the unbelievable and believing the unthinkable.

40 years ago to the very weekend we were 3 points off the bottom of this division. 18th February 1967 we travelled to Old Trafford for an FA cup tie against the best team in the land. The gulf between the two teams was vast just like the one between us and Chelsea today.

Our fans dared to dream but the realists pointed to the facts. Our striker was injured. Their team would include the likes of Best, Law, Charlton, Stiles and Stepney. But we had players who dared to dream. We had Kevin Keelan, Tommy Bryceland and a young David Stringer marking a young George Best. We had Don Heath only playing in the absence of Laurie Sheffield.

12,000 Norwich fans rode their dream to Manchester that day, I was too young to go and have always wished I could have been there too.

And yes the unthinkable, the unbelievable, the unrealistic result happened. Don Heath put us in front with United vainly appealing for offside. Denis Law equalised with a wonder goal but an inspired Kevin Keelan kept United out and Gordon Bolland got the winner from a defensive mistake on a breakaway.

United went on to win the Championship and the following season those same players were the first English team to win the European Cup. Norwich lost to Sheffield Wednesday in the next round but only lost two more league games all season and finished top half.

Come on you lot! Who dares to dream?

 

[Kathy 733]

Its funny Nigel but I have been thinking about that. The parallels are so similar. Incidentally the Sheff Wed game in the next round was my first ever game. I think we lost 3-1 but I was hooked.

I dare to dream.

[nutty nigel 7,513]

Like I said on a different thread yesterday, the Sheffield Wednesday game was my first ever game too. It was an unbelievable atmosphere and nothing came close until 1972! But even then the atmosphere was different and my memories of that Sheffield wednesday game and being in a 42,000 crowd at Carrow road are totally unique, different to anything I have ever experienced since.