Scanning through "Twitter" yesterday as i battled the realms of boredom, i noticed that trending on the site was the caption #1goaluwillneverforget. Immediately I thought of one certain goal, the standout if you will, which will be revealed later in the list, although anyone who knows me could tell you.
However this got me to thinking, why limit to football, and why limit to goals, so with that in mind, I decided to devise my list of sporting memories. I stuck with just 10, shuffling the order in the duration, but these are my top 10 memories.
10) Everton 0-1 Oxford
Despite this being a great moment following Oxford, one of the first times following Oxford wasn't full of bitter disappoinments and flattering to deceive, it starts sour. The home game prior to the trip to Goodison, the half-time break consisted of a prize draw, between me and another kid. The prize- being mascot and leading the team out. I lost a 50-50! Typical!
The game itself was miraculous, back when the Carling Cup was called the Worthington Cup, and back when the 2nd round was played over two legs. The early 00's, not the dark ages. The first game ended 1-1 at the Manor, a game if i'm being completely honest, I don't have any memory of. The 2nd leg, a Joey Beachaump wonder strike went past the goalie (Thomas Myhre if i remember rightly) and the floundering Division 1 side (Championship to anyone under 15) stun the Premier league big-wigs. The real win is that this got "giant killing of the month" in the Sky sports annual.
9) Twice is nice.
After the Pats beat the Rams in 2001, behind young, unproven Quarterback Tom Brady (amusing looking back), in was the single-greatest underdog victory in Superbowl history (Vegas had Rams 14 point favourites) the Patriots had to prove it wasn;t a one time thing.
Two years later, the tables flipped one-eighty as the Patriots were heavily favoured over the resurging Carolina Panthers (a team who finished 1-15 the previous year, hope for next year for them then?) The game itself, a remarkable game, a game in which Mike Vrabel, a hard-tackling defender showed slick hands filling in at tight end to catch a touchdown (the football comparison is the Tony Adams 1998 goal to seal the title against Everton). The Pats won a high scoring game 32-29 and for the second time in three years, it was Adam Vinatieri's boot whoch won the Patriots the Vince Lomardi trophy.
The following year they repeated, and it officially became a dynasty.
8) Wales 2-1 Italy
After a win in Helsinki to kick-off the Euro 2004 qualification, Wales faced a great test against an Italy team full of world class talent, Nesta, Buffon, Maldini, Totti, etc. I was at this game, and like most times watching Wales (co-incidentally this may be the last time Wales played well), a thought of a win was more pipe-dream than a hint of reality. After 11 minutes, the world underwent a paradigm shift when Simon Davies put Wales in front, and left the Millenium Stadium in a combination of ecstacy and shock. Twenty minutes later order was somewhat restored when Alessandro Del Piero put the ball in Paul Jones net and the inevitable Italian was seeming increasingly likely.
As the second half progressed, Wales playing way way above themselves (like a 6 chatting up a solid 9 in the bar and the charm working), and when Craig Bellamy scored what ended up being the winner with twenty minutes remaining.
A great win for Wales, the poster win of the great 2004 run, which ended in a playoff defeat to Russia.
7) The comeback!
Late on a Sunday night, with school looming the following morning, a Monday, with the inability to fall asleep I went downstairs and flicked the TV on. Working my way through the channels, finding less than nothing on to fill the void of sleep. Going through the sports channels I settled on "Live NFL", and a game between the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants. The game, midway through the third quarter, saw the 49ers trailing 38-14, in what the commentators were referring to as an "unassailable lead".The 49ers began the 4th quarter 38-22 behind and still searching for somewhat of a miracle, and found it with a 17 point quarter, failing a 2 point conversion on their last score to make it a 3 point game. I remember the Giants driving to end the game and getting into field goal range only to botch the snap and lose the game.
6) Beating the Scum.
Something you learn very young supporting Oxford United is to detest Swindon Town, detest the club, the fans, the players, the staff. That's the theory and the first Oxford-Swindon game you attend is like a rite of passage.
In my years of this rivalry, i've had the opportunity to go to one game between the two teams (until August 20th). The one game, an FA Cup 2nd round tie, live on BBC, full house at the Kassam Stadium, a deafening, partisan atmosphere. Swindon, who were a league above Oxford were favourites heading into the game, led by striker Danny Invincible (by name, not nature).
I remember it as a nip and tuck game, with precious few chances, the solitary goal scored by Jefferson Louis, although Steve Basham claimed it, cue wild celebrations and a nervy finish to the end. Relief and pride circled around Oxfordshire after the win...oh, and the small matter of Arsenal in the third round would of been a welcome bonus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hce7oyZ7__E (highlights from the second half)
5) Seventeen!
For the Boston Celtics, there had been very little to cheer about since Larry Bird retied in the early 1990's. In 1998, the Celtics drafted forward Paul Pierce out of Kansas. Pierce spent the first 8 years of his career being the "franchise player" for the Celtics. However, with not much support, and few playoff appearances, it was no surprise when there were rumblings of a disgruntled Pierce wanting out of Boston after a terrible season, where they earned a lottery pick in the draft.
With that in mind, the front office got to work, acquring Ray Allen, a three point shooting machine (who become the all time 3 point king this past season) . They didn't stop their however, and sent ripples all across the NBA when they shifted pieces to Minnesota and packaged a deal to the Timberwolves for "The Big Ticket" Kevin Garnett. With the newly named big 3 in toe, the Celtics stormed out the blocks, going 20-3 in their first 23 games.
Ending with 66 wins, the Celtics struggled early in the postseason, needing 7 game to get by the Atlanta Hawks. They needed 7 more games to beat LeBron James and some other guys who made up the Cleveland Cavaliers (The Pierce-LeBron battle which was severely underrated). In the conference final, they got past the Detroit Pistons in 6 games, booking a date (or 6) with the old enemy Los Angeles Lakers.
After the first three games went with home court (Celtics 2-1), the C's won game 4 in the "Staples Centre" before winning there first NBA title in 22 years with a 39 point massacre in game 6 back home in the "TD Garden". The win was the Celtics 17th NBA Championship, and fitting that Paul Pierce was the Finals MVP.
4) 90 minutes away!
After the heartache of the Exeter play-off semi final 4 years previous, where Exeter beat Oxford on penalties after recovering from a 1-0 first leg deficit to win 2-1 at the Kassam Stadium and reaching Wembley on penalties.
Fast forward to 2010, after a 1-1 draw at Nene Park, Oxford and Rushden did battle again for the right to go to Wembley to play in the play-off final. Like all games of this magnitude, it was tense all around the ground, moreso for Oxford fans, for whom promotion was far more crucial for than Rushden & Diamonds (those reading in the future, Rushden and Diamonds are a football club who used to play in Irthlingborough
and at one point made the 3rd tier of English football).
With the game still all square early in the second half, two goals in 4 second half minutes from James Constable, then Matt Green (those two combined for 36 goals that season) put Oxford within touching distance of the playoff final.
When the final whistle went, a pitch invasion ensued, however with the sceptic in me taking over, I didn't celebrate this game, as winning a semi final is pointless unless you win the final, it's like watching a movie, and leaving just before the end.
3) Lord Stanley's return.
Our most recent addition to the group. The whole playoffs for the Bruins was like the Rocky saga (well the first 5). The first round, they finally overcame the old foe, the Montreal Canadiens, or the Apollo Creed of this metaphor. Moving on to the Philladelphia Flyers, who like Clubber Lang won the first fight/series, only for the Bruins/Rocky to gain vengenance and retribution.
Next should be Drago, but this metaphor isn't chronologically accurate. Next it's Tommy Gunn, or the Tampa Bay Lightning, the young up and coming superstar(s) (ok, maybe not Marty St.Louis) took the first blow, only for the wily elder veteran to step up and put the kid in his place.
Last up, the Drago, or the Vancouver Canucks. To be more specific, I thought up this metaphor thinking about Luongo's transition from home to road games, I found it to be similar to the part in Rocky IV when Rocky hits Drago, and once he's hit, he's easy prey. For the first two games, Luongo beat up on the Bruins, and looked set to be difference-maker in the series, but once the Bruins hit him once, they didn't stop hitting, and eventually put the knock-out blow on the Canucks.
The Bruins parade garnered the support of 1.5 million people in the streets of Boston, the most attended parade of all 4 of the major sports in the New England area.
For 86 years, Red Sox fans had to suffer, watch the Yankees win numerous titles, and listen to ramblings and rumblings of "The curse of the bambino". I started supporting the Red Sox in May 2003, so my first postseason was that season, or as Red Sox fans remember it, "Grady f*****g Little and Aaron f*****g Boone".
The following year, the Yankees and the Red Sox met again in the ALCS, the Yankees took two close game at Yankee Stadium (the old charismatic one, not the bandbox they play in now), with Mariano Rivera getting the save in both. Game 3, looked like it was the death warrant for the Red Sox, after they were humilated 19-8 at Fenway Park.
The next night down a run in the 9th inning, Rivera on the mound, it looked curtains. The rest of the series, why don't i just quote the abominaton that is "Fever pitch" to tell you the rest of the series.
"Rivera walked Millar...Roberts pinch runs and steals second...Mueller drives him....Ortiz wins it in extra innings.... Ortiz in extra innings the next night...Lowe and Pedro find there form....Schilling's bloody sock in New York...Damon's grand slammy...Bye Bye Bambino."
Yes, the Red Sox became the first team to overturn a 3 game deficit, and rallied to win four straight and go to the "World Series" and face the St.Louis Cardinals. The Red Sox swept the Cardinals in a series where game 2,3 and 4 were dominated by Red Sox pitching, and the superhuman effort by Keith Foulke, the closer , who fielded the bouncer right back at him, which led to Joe Buck calling this bit of commentary...
The Red Sox won the Championship again in 2007, and this could easily have slotted in th top 10 (around 5 or 6) but I thought I would group them together. The Red Sox had antoehr comeback in the ALCS in '07 (from 3-1 down to the Cleveland Indians) then sweeping the Colorado Rockies.
The days of curses are long gone, like a decent Adam Sandler film.
1) Oxford United are back in the Football league !!!
The game that followed the Rushden game, at Wembley, in a sea of yellow and blue, 33,000 Oxford United fans taking over London. Everything about the day, from the train ride, to the pre match, to the game itself was nerves personified. Oxford scored two early goals, a great strike from Green and an accomplished finish from Constable had Oxford 2-0 up within 20 mins. The delirioum in the stands was reciprocated all throughout the yellow half of the ground, although a shock to the system occured when 'keeper Ryan Clarke dropped a Ben Purkiss cross (who ironically signed for Oxford about 6 weeks later).
2-1 half-time
Second half saw York have the majority of chances and possession, and had a golden opportunity to level through Michael Rankine, but he blazed over. Then in injury time, from a york corner, Rhys Day won a header and...well this is the ogal i won;t forget, my dad won;t forget, no Oxford fan will forget.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fvMtHhhr5I&feature=related - Just note the crowd reaction to note the amount of relief.
For me, who had held my dad accountable for his "come and watch Oxford" talk when I was 5. 5? What could I say, "no Dad, i'd rather watch "countdown". I went, I become an addict, he told me it wasn't always great, but it wasn't always bad. For 12 years thought it was mainly bad, three relegation, from the second tier, to the third, to the fourth, in the midst of anonymity, we fell further, completely off the football radar.
Well all this was happening i was envious, envious that all older Oxford fans had a promotion in the mid 90's, the Milk Cup in 1986, the days in the top flight. I watched other teams have success, sat waiting for it to us.
For a long spell, in the drab months of the football season, the ones where you go to places like Grays and Tamworth, because you can, when you're in mid table nothingness playing the seaosn out. Those months felt longer, there was neve rmuch to shout and sing about, but finally that's begun to change, from winning at Wembley, to being back in the league, and even being tipped for another promotion. I can now say, my Dad made the right decision taking me to the Manor.
*Sidenote, if the day comes where Oxford gain promotion to the premier league, or the 49ers win a superbowl, this list should, I imagine remain the same. And given the two examples i've given, it seems more likely we see Amy Winehouse sober and Lindsay Lohan in a stable home-life before either of my examples come through.
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