Previous FA Cup Semi Final's

[StuartL]

This should be an interesting smorgasbord of memories going back......

My first FA cup semi was, unfortunately in 1991, when something or other stopped us completing a potential double We didn't turn up that day, and Seaman would've been unhappy with his display that day I am sure.

Still, "it only took us 2 years, and the scum were in tears" as we gained revenge with a hard fought 1-0, with a back post header by Tony Adams to seal another trophy gained against Sheff Wednesday (tango man and all) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFtwvqo ... detailpage



Next Semi I can recall going to was again v the scum, this time at Old Trafford, to witness Sol's last game, oh and Paddy and Bobby Pires scoring to take us to Cardiff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... c_bZOtA72I
(Gooner Sherwood, gets a mention in the commentary, which will please him)

I've actually been to more finals than I have semi's !

Looking forward to hearing you recall your personal recollections

[Daycat]

Only semi final ive been to was the replay in 1999 hope this Saturday turns out better

[Henry Norris 1913]

1983 was the first one from memory. we had a pretty average team and previously got thumped by the mancs in the league cup semi final so hopes were low. the crushing thing was, we took the lead and they got two late goals, in reality we should have lost comfortably but on the day we were a match for them.

1991 was a fucking disgrace, didn't show up at all but 1993 was the revenge match, typical george graham era performance.

I remember going to old trafford in 2001 and that has to be the best atmosphere at a game I can remember, most of the ground were stood , and going behind always makes it sweeter when we win. Pires got the winner and we went mental

[Bradywasking]

First vague memories of Cup semis were the three in a row 71-72 and 73..sketchy memories in fairness...First clear memory was 1978 against Orient when two pinball goals by Supermac sent us to the final v Ipswich..Rix added a third later on in a semi that was switched from Villa Park to Stamford Bridge when two London clubs qualified. 1979 against Wolves was fairly straight forward but the following year against Liverpool went to four games with us wining a semi final just nine days before the final. Actually we played six "semi-finals" in the month of April 1980.
Horrible performance against Man Ure in 1983 even though we lead at half time defeat was inevitable and it duly came.
Incidentally they beat us in the League Cup semi also that season.
The Spurs semi finals of 91 and 93 took us to the lows and highs of football. Horrible experience losing a semi final.

[This Is The Daybreak]

My first one was 2002 at Old Trafford against Middlesbrough....I can barely remember anything from the game apart from winning 1-0, they may have scored an own goal and Patrick Vieira went at centre back for some of the game.

Of course 2003 was the one where David Seaman pulled off perhaps the best save I've ever seen. Was at the other end of the ground and didn't realise what a save it was until we got back to the hotel and saw it on the news. I remember Sheffield United fans celebrating and for a few seconds thought they'd scored.

2004 was the last one played at a neutral ground. Was confident we'd get revenge for 1999 but it wasn't to be, remember being all over them for the first 10 minutes and could have been three nil up but they never gave us a sniff. Henry was on the bench for Aliadiere that game as well....complete joke in a semi final against your strongest challengers at the time.

2009 was the first time I think I started to question Wenger for leaving out an absolute bang in form Arshavin against Chavski...a total non performance...awful game and was sat amongst a family of day trippers who were moaning and grassing to the stewards about us standing.

[nut flush gooner]

1983 was the first one from memory. we had a pretty average team and previously got thumped by the mancs in the league cup semi final so hopes were low. the crushing thing was, we took the lead and they got two late goals, in reality we should have lost comfortably but on the day we were a match for them.

1991 was a fucking disgrace, didn't show up at all but 1993 was the revenge match, typical george graham era performance.

I remember going to old trafford in 2001 and that has to be the best atmosphere at a game I can remember, most of the ground were stood , and going behind always makes it sweeter when we win. Pires got the winner and we went mental

Ive been to every semi final since 1991, and the 2001 semi vs the spuds stands out as the one with the most intensive atmosphere. I remember some geezer over the tannoy saying it was an electric atmosphere at half time and it got even more noisy in the second half.

When pires scored in the second half our end literally lifted the roof off OT, we was soo dominant it was just a matter of time before we took the lead. Great weekend capped off my a phone call from a spud mate to one of our gooner group on the way home saying their hired mini bus had been stolen, cue delirium, you couldn't make this up we pissed ourselves laffing.

[VAVAVOOM 14]

2004 was the last one played at a neutral ground. Was confident we'd get revenge for 1999 but it wasn't to be, remember being all over them for the first 10 minutes and could have been three nil up but they never gave us a sniff. Henry was on the bench for Aliadiere that game as well....complete joke in a semi final against your strongest challengers at the time.

If I recall correctly he had recently arrived back from International duty and was fatigued.

What a dreadful week that was: lost the FA Cup semi to United, got knocked out of the CL by Chelsea, and Liverpool would've ended our unbeaten run had it not been for the brilliance of Thierry.

We could've so easily won the treble that season, will always be one of my biggest regrets...

[Gunner Rob]

the first one that i have vague memories of would be in I think 1980 where we had about 4 replays i think v Liverpool?

that final was the first I can really remember too - I hate Trevor Brooking

[StuartL]

Of course 2003 was the one where David Seaman pulled off perhaps the best save I've ever seen. Was at the other end of the ground and didn't realise what a save it was until we got back to the hotel and saw it on the news. I remember Sheffield United fans celebrating and for a few seconds thought they'd scored.

For those of you too young to remember, it went a little something like this.....https://uk.video.search.yahoo.com/video ... =12hsv4sft

[northbank123]

I went to both games in 1999, although I was only young at the time I remain scarred by what happened. Completely sickening. I went to Old Trafford in 2003 for the Sheffield United semi-final, was a cracking day actually. I do remember Sheffield United fans inundating the phone-ins in true bitter small club style whining that the ref blocked Michael Brown or Tonge maybe for our goal. I've got an A4-sized framed photo of that save from Seaman with a personal message he wrote on it on my bedroom wall at my folks' house, absolute legend.

I also went to the Blackburn semi in 2005. We rolled over them and although Andy Todd knocking van Judas out stone cold seemed like a huge injustice at the time in hindsight it wasn't that bad I do also remember it was a good atmosphere in Cardiff that evening with four sets of fans as a lot of Newcastle and United fans had come for the weekend ahead of their semi-final the next day.

The 2009 semi was just shit. Shit day, shit ground, shit game, shit result, shit journey. Shit shit shit shit shit.

[Perryashburtongroves]

I've been to 1991, 1993, 2001, 2002 and 2005. Hated every second of 1991, loved 1993 and 2001, should have gone to 2003 when Seaman made that save but the trains up were cancelled and couldn't have got back so sold my ticket and watched it on TV. In Cardiff in 2005, I took the train down early in the morning, it got stuck for hours in the middle of nowhere and ended up missing the first half-an-hour of the match.

[topcat]

I've got 100% win record ..only been to two though.

Arsenal 2-1 Spurs in 2001 at old Trafford

Remember the traffic being ridiculous on the way back, it did seem a bit daft having two London clubs playing up in Manchester. I was so bored in the car stuck in traffic that I did a theo walcott salute (obviously a 2-1 salute not a 2-0) to a car of spurs fans. It did NOT got down well. I was only 13 and boy I thought they were guna get out of the car and kick my head in.

And Arsenal 3-0 Blackburn

Not as good atmosphere wise, it was when we were the dogs bollox. I thought Blackburn out sung us quite a lot of the game despite being 3-0 down. I think we were so used to getting that far in the FA cup back then we kind of took it for granted and perhaps didn't get behind our team as much. Still good memories though.

[SteveO 35]

I'm still haunted by the last one when on an fire Arshavin was rested despite being ineligible for the CL, and where Flapper decided to do his Wembley walkabout to let Drogba (who probably didn't do much) roll us over again

United '99 was an even worse one to take

Beating that Tottenham scum at OT and seeing my mate give one of their mutants a right hander was top of the shop....closely followed by beating the vermin scum in 1993 when the Donkey won the derby !

[StuartL]

Last season had a fab seat in the front row, close to half way next to a couple of very fit Irish lasses

We were pretty shit, and Sanogo (remember him ?, wasted 2 good opportunities) before the BFG redeemed himself for giving away the penalty. Ox smacked the bar / post late on which would have been a worthy winner but it went to pens......where
Fabianski justified his place by saving 2 pens to see us through in the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... 8gvzLfRfgc

[StuartL]

5 points if anyone can name our 4 penalty scorers, without looking them up / viewing the clip