Leicester 5-2 Shrewsbury FACQF 1982

[CrazyKopCorner]

4 minutes ago, smudger63 said:

Anyone who has read Alan Youngs book will know how much he despised Melrose.

I reckon it was because Melrose took his childhood mate Martin Hendersons place.

He certainly doesn't have a good word to say about him, whatever the reason.

I liked Melrose personally as a player, and was fuming when Milne swapped him for Tommy English.

 

 

 

Shudder Melrose for English! 

 

I remember Tom English scoring a hat trick for Cov at Highfield Road and they beat us 4 -1 in 1981. (If I remember rightly we were 1 - 0 up as well with a goal from Youngy)

 

Then we signed him and he was absolutely dog shite 

[SkidsFox]

5 hours ago, DoveValleyFox said:

I was there, watching from the family enclosure because like you said, the Shrewsbury fans had been given pen 2. When the third and fourth goals went in for us and after all that had happened; I went so crazy that I was sqealing with joy. I was 15 years old and had seen nothing like it. 

I was exhausted after watching that game. 

I was in that end (was it all called the family enclosure, or just that corner sections? I was more behind the goal) because I couldn't get a ticket for my normal Main Stand location.  Giving Shrewsbury fans pen 2 made it difficult to get tickets anywhere in the ground. I was slightly older at the time (into early 20s) but was also exhausted after watching the game.  

Quote

Even though we were drawn to play Tottenham in the semi, and being in the second division, we were massive underdogs, i was convinced we were going to win, because we had beaten the same Tottenham home and away, the season before when we were relegated.

As it happened, we really didn't turn up on the day, and it was a bit of a turgid game as I remember.

Yeah me too. Over-optimistic.  We were destroyed on the day by Hoddle's passing, despite Ardiles being a bit flakey (on account of the Falkland booing). Didn't help that Ian Wilson scored a golazo in the wrong net. 

[st albans fox]

46 minutes ago, SkidsFox said:

 

Yeah me too. Over-optimistic.  We were destroyed on the day by Hoddle's passing, despite Ardiles being a bit flakey (on account of the Falkland booing). Didn't help that Ian Wilson scored a golazo in the wrong net. 

Didn’t help trying to come back against a team with hoddle pulling the strings with ten men after William’s leg break. 
 

enjoyed singing about the Falklands though (not that I appreciated much about what I was singing ) 

[CheeseHead]

21 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Didn’t help trying to come back against a team with hoddle pulling the strings with ten men after William’s leg break. 
 

enjoyed singing about the Falklands though (not that I appreciated much about what I was singing ) 

Yes I remember standing in the Holte End, singing about how we were gonna sink the Argie's ships. And also bizarrely enough, singing about the Leicestershire-trained horse Grittar who had won the Grand National that day!

[st albans fox]

2 minutes ago, CheeseHead said:

Yes I remember standing in the Holte End, singing about how we were gonna sink the Argie's ships. And also bizarrely enough, singing about the Leicestershire-trained horse Grittar who had won the Grand National that day!

I think you’ll find it was grrrriitarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

when grand nationals were grand nationals - proper fences rather than privet hedges ! 

[CheeseHead]

32 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

I think you’ll find it was grrrriitarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

when grand nationals were grand nationals - proper fences rather than privet hedges ! 

Does anyone remember a song we used to sing back then - it was called 'Goodbye Horse' ?

[Bob666]

4 hours ago, Vacamion said:

 

I was there.  Double decker.  

I was also in the Double Decker - always enjoyed the roar from the Kop as a youngster.  This was an epic match / hair raised on the back of your neck stuff.  No one leaving on 80 mins 

 

It's a pity the semi at Villa went all pear shape.

[Graceroad]

5 hours ago, Gamble92 said:

I interviewed Alan Young for my Uni course and he said quite a lot about this game. Anyone know what he's up to now? Seemed to just vanish after being quite active on social media.

Now in a wheelchair  sadly suffered  a major stroke around 4 years ago

[Graceroad]

2 hours ago, smudger63 said:

Anyone who has read Alan Youngs book will know how much he despised Melrose.

I reckon it was because Melrose took his childhood mate Martin Hendersons place.

He certainly doesn't have a good word to say about him, whatever the reason.

I liked Melrose personally as a player, and was fuming when Milne swapped him for Tommy English.

 

 

 

Melrose dislikes Youngy just as much

[Graceroad]

2 hours ago, CrazyKopCorner said:

Shudder Melrose for English! 

 

I remember Tom English scoring a hat trick for Cov at Highfield Road and they beat us 4 -1 in 1981. (If I remember rightly we were 1 - 0 up as well with a goal from Youngy)

 

Then we signed him and he was absolutely dog shite 

Played just about every match in the season we got promoted  though

[CheeseHead]

13 minutes ago, Graceroad said:

Melrose dislikes Youngy just as much

Always loved both of 'em. Youngy scored 2 in my first ever visit to Filbert St. And I always remember Melrose getting a superb hat-trick in a 3-0 friendly win over Red Star Belgrade - still have the matchday 'program' for this one - a 4 page leaflet!

[CheeseHead]

It would be fascinating if a Shrewsbury fan who was there that day could come on here to share his/her memories of that wild day - view from the opposite stands and all that

[CrazyKopCorner]

21 minutes ago, Graceroad said:

Played just about every match in the season we got promoted  though

Yes, he did. 

 

Did he get better or is my memory playing tricks with me and he came good. 

 

He always looked so ungainly which didn't help him 

[fazzyfox]

Like others have said couldn't get tickets where we normally sat, instead had standing tickets in from of Main Stand between half way and the double decker (would that have been family enclosure, I know the other end was?). My dad was worried about me not seeing anything or getting knocked over so somehow we took along a plastic milk Crate to stand on - "What's this..... a potentially throwable trajectile with sharp edges. OK, so long as it's not a large Sandwich you're sneaking in". The combination of success (the goals) and jeapordy (their goals and our goalkeeping situation) made it what it was but it's strange on paper to think we won by three clear goals, maybe the "best form of defence is attack" motto was in force. I can safely say Youngy and Lynex showed better positional awareness than Danny Ward. I remember during the latest injury stoppage bravely stepping up and suggesting I went in goal when it seemed like everyone else was getting a go, don't know if the ref had a policy on the use of Milk Crates though? How different could it be to protecting the "hedge end" of our Lancaster Place "pitch", but without the tricky flower beds and curbs to navigate through, it's only Shrewsbury after all? Steward disagreed and wouldn't let me on so we'll never know.

 

[worth_the_wait]

A few other memories from this great match ...
 
The TV microphone never did any favours to Filbert St.   It always sounded a bit like it was in a cardboard box, or pointing towards the away fans.   You also have to remember that most of the singers stood at the back of the Kop, whilst the Double Decker had a very low overhang, which trapped a lot of the sound underneath it.  A bit weird, but it's true.
 
The highlights above never really did justice to that day.   The atmosphere and noise was unbelievable.   The packed terraces, singing all around the ground.   Those glimpses of the Main Stand enclosure going nuts.   It was absolute pandemonium.    I can only think of 2 other games close to that atmosphere.   The 5-0 win over Cambridge Utd in the 1992 Playoff Semi Final 2nd leg.   And whilst I wasn't there, most oldies say that the 4-3 win over Man City in the 1968 FA Cup 4th round replay was the best they'd ever experienced.
 
The other slightly weird thing that day, was that the club hadn't really got the ticket selling right.  That's why the official attendance is a bit under 30,000 even though it was a "sell out".   They'd given Shrewsbury Pens 1 and 2 and the East Block corner block seats.   The trouble was that Shrewsbury didn't sell out Pen 2 (in fact, they didn't sell out their seats either).   What LCFC should've done is just give them Pen 1, but then make up the extra with some extra seats.
 
The club couldn't do anything about the spare Pen 2 tickets, but they did get back a 100 or so seats in the East Stand.   They put these back on sale to City fans, which might sound bizarre as we're talking early 1980's hooligan days.  The club obviously thought that Shrewsbury wouldn't cause any trouble.  When we score our 3rd goal, you can clearly see lots of City fans celebrating in the middle of the Shrewsbury fans!

 

[Wortho]

I went with my brother to this game. Absolutely brilliant.

[worth_the_wait]

10 minutes ago, fazzyfox said:

Like others have said couldn't get tickets where we normally sat, instead had standing tickets in from of Main Stand between half way and the double decker (would that have been family enclosure, I know the other end was?).

No.   The Family Enclosure was only the one in between the halfway line and the Filbert Street end.

 

The one on the other side (towards the Kop/Double Decker) was just called the Main Stand Enclosure, and was open to anyone.    For this match, even more lads than usual in the corner ... see the highlights after the 1st goal, and one of the other later ones.   I think today we call it "limbs".

[boots60]

There's even a book about it

 

[Graceroad]

37 minutes ago, CrazyKopCorner said:

Yes, he did. 

 

Did he get better or is my memory playing tricks with me and he came good. 

 

He always looked so ungainly which didn't help him 

I know  youtube clips can be very misleading but he looked pretty decent  in the highlights against Oldham and Burnley

[Jacafox]

I was in Pen 3, amazing game, easily in my list of the top 5 most memorable City matches. 

 

[fazzyfox]

29 minutes ago, worth_the_wait said:

No.   The Family Enclosure was only the one in between the halfway line and the Filbert Street end.

 

The one on the other side (towards the Kop/Double Decker) was just called the Main Stand Enclosure, and was open to anyone.    For this match, even more lads than usual in the corner ... see the highlights after the 1st goal, and one of the other later ones.   I think today we call it "limbs".

Yep, that makes sense why my Dad was more wary of me than usual. I remember it feeling different to the other end, that explains it.

[alanyoung]

I was in the Main Stand Enclosure - we got there early around 1:30 so we could stand right by the dugout...

Still one of the greatest games I've ever been to...

Particular highlight was running on the pitch at the end - as I tried to clamber up I fell back and a copper helped me up!

 

Semi final at Villa Park was a let down - our coach broke down on the M6 and we didn't get to the ground until 3:10....

Looking up at a wall of people on the Holte End was quite intimidating when you're 15 and at your first away game...

Singing about sinking Argentinian ships to the BA theme was the best it got....

[marcymarc666]

I was there in the main staind at the front of them standing area, around 15yrs old at the time. What I was witnessing just seemed unreal, I think it's a one off game in the history of English football, having three keepers , two of them our forwards ! and the nature of us coming back from what looked like a disaster. Definitely  in my top ten of Leicester's greatest games.

[Gamble92]

2 hours ago, boots60 said:

There's even a book about it

 

Greatest ever match might be a stretch

[CrazyKopCorner]

7 hours ago, Vardesque said:

Was there anything n Pen 3 also. 
Nothing like it before or since , although for atmosphere Seville was pretty special. 

Yes Seville is the other one to spring to mind 

 

I think we should do a Pen 3 re-enactment - I remember Pen 3 going absolutely mental