Memories……

FA Cup 5th Rd, 1989, Barnsley 0, Everton 1

 

That crowd and a thrashing for the massive

 

Big Nev was on fire that day - despite, or probably because, everyone was laughing at him for his wife leaving him...

 

Can you imagine that today? You'd get the quintessential "limbs! Scenes!" Youtube fan video, from a roving neutral spectator from Milton Keynes who miraculously managed to get a ticket at the last push despite it selling out on the first day of sale. "Chansiri/manager/tea lady out!" shouts from the crying pigs - plus making out they'd have made up 30k of the total crowd, so they "technically won" anyway. And Derrick Parker would've still sounded like an undertaker

 

My Dad was at that game.

 

Aren’t you supposed to credit the originator of these pictures (Facebook group Barnsley Football 1970s/80s)

 

Was there. Great atmosphere. We gave them a hell of a game.

 

He meant well did Derrick Parker, but as a co-commentator he could bore the skin off custard, from 100 yards away.

 

Without googling, I know the attendance for that game was 32,551. What a senseless waste of brain cells...

 

Yes he saved a long range effort from Paul Futcher at the foot of the post when we all thought it was unstoppable. The nearest Futch came to scoring for us I think.

 

I thought he/Southall had to do a brilliant flying save from somebody, and tip it over. It might have been that save from Futch though, where he tipped it around the post.

 

I remember going into the Brewery Stand with my Uncle that day unusually early and there being taped sections to stand in, which is the only time I'd ever seen them do that.

Easily the biggest crowd I was a part of at Oakwell by some distance.

"Neville Southall, where's yer wife?" ringing out from the Ponte for what seemed like the entire game, plus a few variations on the theme.

 

I came up from university in Colchester with a Sunderland supporting mate for that game. The stick that Nev took that day about his wife was brutal.

 

That's about the only one repeatable in polite company. There's at least a couple of other ones that were more questionable - but funny.

 

Actually it was 32,552 as my dad could only get two tickets, so the nice man on the turnstiles let him carry @Chef Tyke over, and sit him on his knee.

I suppose I should point out that he was a lot smaller in 1989 than he is now.

 

Chants of "she's a slag" and "she only sings when she's f##king" spring to mind. Very amusing to a 14 year-old at the time.

It was absolutely relentless and, to his credit, it didn't impact his game in the slightest.

 

I remember the spion kop which held the Everton fans looked uncomfortably full that day.A lot swaying back and forth and some standing on the crash barriers to get some relief.