Their faces were all tattered and torn. Well they were after the thrashing we gave them. The game started with Chelsea pressure as I took my seat among the Chelsea fans in the east stand and far too many eastern Europeans? Yes, the Chelski boys.
On six mins Newcastle old boy Van Aanholt made it one nil with a crisp finish and all the Polish, Russians and Slovakians went nuts around me. I was sat high up on the half way line just behind the NUFC dugout. To my left was the Toon Army. The singing coming from the away end was enticing and made me think of ways to go join them but the game soon turned from one of fear of becoming a rout to a brilliant game of football and I was singing all the songs under my breath as I found it hard to sit quiet amongst the Chelski boys and girls.
20 minutes in and Newcastle settled and began to compete. With Lovenkrands not up to it all evening and Gutierrez playing some wayward balls early on and almost getting R Taylor sent off by playing a hospital ball, it was hard to see us getting back in. On 27 mins though we created our first promising attack, only for our young forward stuck out on the wing to find himself with an opportunity. He took it impressively to put us level with a half volley. At that point I celebrated quietly not wanting to draw any attention early doors. The Russian next to me gave me a long, dirty scowl and I looked back with a big cheesy grin and a wink. five mins later Ameobi was away when he was brought down and it gave us an opportunity nobody saw coming. Ryan Taylor stepped up and guess what? Haha, yes 1-2 to the NUFC. The Toon Army went mad and my own celebration was that bit bigger than the last as I found it hard to contain my excitement. A punch in the air followed by a "GET IN" and a few glances came my way but I was loving it. The Russian was not happy sat next to a delusional Geordie. Who is this idiot thinking Newcastle can come down here and beat us at home, I am sure he was thinking to himself. The half time whistle went.
"He was going nowhere so I think he decided to shoot from about 25 yards. He seemed to tap it and it curled around the defender and the goalie to make it 1-3 to the Geordies"
Second half I thought, It's going to be long and difficult. The first was-non stop action end-to-end stuff and a brilliant game but Chelsea did look very dangerous on the attack. Both teams were basically playing their bench and a few kids so it was even stevens on that front; something that some Chelski boys would use as their excuse later only to find out we had made 10 changes to their nine from previous games.
"If Shola scores we're on the piss" rang out at some point in the first half and Geordies do like to keep a promise so guess who stepped up next. You got it - Ameobi got himself into some space on the right attacking the away end and received the ball with one defender in front of him. He was going nowhere so I think he decided to shoot from about 25 yards. He seemed to tap it and it curled around the defender and the goalie to make it 1-3 to the Geordies. Now as the away end erupted my celebration grew too. I stood up punched the air and shouted, "COME ON". This time more people turned to look who was celebrating but nobody said a word.
The game was still young and now Chelski had to come up with something but what happened next was a sub. Kalou came on and within 10 mins he was injured going down in our box for a good three to four mins. Not long after that Benayoun went down in the same place as Kalou, again for a few minutes. Chelski were now down to 10 men and with about 20 minutes to go we somehow forgot to play. Chelsea saw an opportunity and used it. They got a goal back to make it 2-3 via Anelka and looking at the clock I remember thinking this is going to be a long night. The fickle Chelski girls and boys then booed our young left back Shane Ferguson for going down. Now 2 players in blue had gone down earlier for a number of minutes but as soon as a Mag goes down they forget their own time wasters. Wankers.
The game still ebbed and flowed like the Thames River just behind us and we held out till the 87th minute.
On six mins Newcastle old boy Van Aanholt made it one nil with a crisp finish and all the Polish, Russians and Slovakians went nuts around me. I was sat high up on the half way line just behind the NUFC dugout. To my left was the Toon Army. The singing coming from the away end was enticing and made me think of ways to go join them but the game soon turned from one of fear of becoming a rout to a brilliant game of football and I was singing all the songs under my breath as I found it hard to sit quiet amongst the Chelski boys and girls.
20 minutes in and Newcastle settled and began to compete. With Lovenkrands not up to it all evening and Gutierrez playing some wayward balls early on and almost getting R Taylor sent off by playing a hospital ball, it was hard to see us getting back in. On 27 mins though we created our first promising attack, only for our young forward stuck out on the wing to find himself with an opportunity. He took it impressively to put us level with a half volley. At that point I celebrated quietly not wanting to draw any attention early doors. The Russian next to me gave me a long, dirty scowl and I looked back with a big cheesy grin and a wink. five mins later Ameobi was away when he was brought down and it gave us an opportunity nobody saw coming. Ryan Taylor stepped up and guess what? Haha, yes 1-2 to the NUFC. The Toon Army went mad and my own celebration was that bit bigger than the last as I found it hard to contain my excitement. A punch in the air followed by a "GET IN" and a few glances came my way but I was loving it. The Russian was not happy sat next to a delusional Geordie. Who is this idiot thinking Newcastle can come down here and beat us at home, I am sure he was thinking to himself. The half time whistle went.
"He was going nowhere so I think he decided to shoot from about 25 yards. He seemed to tap it and it curled around the defender and the goalie to make it 1-3 to the Geordies"
Second half I thought, It's going to be long and difficult. The first was-non stop action end-to-end stuff and a brilliant game but Chelsea did look very dangerous on the attack. Both teams were basically playing their bench and a few kids so it was even stevens on that front; something that some Chelski boys would use as their excuse later only to find out we had made 10 changes to their nine from previous games.
"If Shola scores we're on the piss" rang out at some point in the first half and Geordies do like to keep a promise so guess who stepped up next. You got it - Ameobi got himself into some space on the right attacking the away end and received the ball with one defender in front of him. He was going nowhere so I think he decided to shoot from about 25 yards. He seemed to tap it and it curled around the defender and the goalie to make it 1-3 to the Geordies. Now as the away end erupted my celebration grew too. I stood up punched the air and shouted, "COME ON". This time more people turned to look who was celebrating but nobody said a word.
The game was still young and now Chelski had to come up with something but what happened next was a sub. Kalou came on and within 10 mins he was injured going down in our box for a good three to four mins. Not long after that Benayoun went down in the same place as Kalou, again for a few minutes. Chelski were now down to 10 men and with about 20 minutes to go we somehow forgot to play. Chelsea saw an opportunity and used it. They got a goal back to make it 2-3 via Anelka and looking at the clock I remember thinking this is going to be a long night. The fickle Chelski girls and boys then booed our young left back Shane Ferguson for going down. Now 2 players in blue had gone down earlier for a number of minutes but as soon as a Mag goes down they forget their own time wasters. Wankers.
The game still ebbed and flowed like the Thames River just behind us and we held out till the 87th minute.
The weak Referee was in tatters too, bowing to the pressure of the so-called big boys and awarding one of the softest pens you will ever see. Alex actually fell down - nobody touched him but no Chelski fan wanted to talk about that incident after the game.
They were back in, 3-3 and extra time now looked likely. If it did they had the momentum but there was a feeling about Newcastle, one I had before the match.
It had to be Ameobi to get the Toon Army going. He rose the highest for the corner kick late in the 90th minute and put the ball into the back of the net. Well, you can imagine the sight of the Geordies. This time I stood up, raised both hands and jumped up and down. The lads celebrated as a whole team in front of the Toon Army and the Chelski fans now started to make their weary way home to the sound of an ironic song from the Geordies: "THAT'S WHY WE'RE CHAMPIONS THAT'S WHY WE'RE CHAMPION THAT'S..." It was not over yet as the 4th official put 6 minutes up on the board. The boys held firm and took the win. We went to the pub to decipher Ameobi's first goal and have a few in celebration. After all, "If Shola scores, we're on the piss...".
TOON TOON...
TOON TOON...
Bloody brilliant!! Takes me back to that night at Stamford Bridge hahhaah oohh the dirty looks...
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