[Archived] Full Members Cup

[CAPT KAYOS]

Just one for the nostalgias amongst you and bring back some memories (there is a thread on the HEAVEN I'M IN HEAVEN Thread but thought it deserved its own thread here)

I know its a day late - but meant to post this yesterday but it was 20 years ago 29/03/87 that we last proudly lifted a cup at Wembley - could history be about to happenn again beating another team in Red and White after beating a blue n white team in the Semis? MEMORY LANE - FULL MEMBERS CUP

[Alan75]

Excuse me, but it was the 29th March. News Link. 20 Years Ago.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Whoops sorry typo .... amended now (however mods the date needs changing in the History section on that link)

[Alan75]

No probs Capt,

Rovers supporters came out of the woodwork that day, we took over Wembley. Cant remember seeing any Charlton fans before the game, it was just blue and white.

[ABBEY]

20 years ago wow....doesnt seem that long ago.

30000 rovers ish ..and 2 thousand from london ,if my beer memory recalls.

[Manc Rover]

Did the song go like this?

It was on that famous Sunday the 29th of March

We met a bunch of Charlton fans on the marble arch

We said we'd kick their heads in and yeah we f**king did

Keely picked up the cup and he dropped the f**king lid

na na na na

Brilliant day out but was 20 years ago is scary!

Vince O'keefe was absoultely outstanding if I remember rightly.

[mike at picture]

Jeez 20 years, scary!

A truly great day to be a Rover. 30,000 plus heading South, a victory and a proper drink.

We stopped at Toddington and were served with the flatest beer ever. One of the lads told the barman he could give it back to the horse that p*ssed it and we were asked to leave.

Happy days!

[FourLaneBlue]

Our last win at the old Wembley...

...20 years before our first win at the new one?

[cn174]

Just a quick question. I was always under the impression that the Full Members Cup was the then equivalent of the LDV/Johnsons Paint/etc trophy and not for teams in the top division. But as we played Charlton from Div 1, I assume this wasn't the case?

[Manchester Blue]

No there was 1st division teams in it as well, it went under various guises, Simod cup, Zenith Data Systems are two I can remember. It was my first ever away trip at 12 years old and was a great day out.

[jim mk2]

Poor game but great result. Full Members wanky Cup or not, watching Rovers walk out at Wembley for the first time since the 1960 debacle was tear-jerking. Reaches for hanky .....

[only2garners]

No there was 1st division teams in it as well, it went under various guises, Simod cup, Zenith Data Systems are two I can remember. It was my first ever away trip at 12 years old and was a great day out.

It was a cup for the old 1st and 2nd Division teams - only lasted a few years as many clubs didn't take it too seriously.

[mike at picture]

Just a quick question. I was always under the impression that the Full Members Cup was the then equivalent of the LDV/Johnsons Paint/etc trophy and not for teams in the top division. But as we played Charlton from Div 1, I assume this wasn't the case?

Ahem....In the pre-Premiership days the clubs in the top two divisions were "Full Members" of the Football League. The rest were "Associate Members" and they also had a knockout comp with a Wembley Final, The forerunner of today's paint thingy.

The year after we graced the Twin Towers The Dingles fouled the North London air with an agricultural stench in what had then become the "Freight Rover trophy". They played Wolves and naturally enough got gubbed.

[cn174]

Ahem....In the pre-Premiership days the clubs in the top two divisions were "Full Members" of the Football League. The rest were "Associate Members" and they also had a knockout comp with a Wembley Final, The forerunner of today's paint thingy.

The year after we graced the Twin Towers The Dingles fouled the North London air with an agricultural stench in what had then become the "Freight Rover trophy". They played Wolves and naturally enough got gubbed.

I see, cheers for that!

I have no recollection of it as I was only one! But I've got it on video somewhere, might have to dig it out

[AlanK]

I` ll never forget that day. I was only 14.

I had a bleedin pillar in front of me for the whole game and was swaying from left to right to left with the action.

The Rovers do give us a lot more days out than most clubs don`t they!

[whittle blue]

It was a bloody early start that Sunday because the clocks had gone forward an hour. ( Was it Mother's Day as well?)

We went on one of the special trains from B'burn.

I remember the journey from Leyland via Brindle and was fantastic.

There was one huge, continuous convoy of coaches heading in the opposite direction.

As well as the video of the game, I've actually got video recordings of BBC & ITV N/West news pre & post match specials tucked away somewhere.

[Derby Blue]

Like so many others I can't believe its 20 years ago. Oh the memories of thinking I was going to the best stadium in the world only to find it looking tired and aging......but could not in any way take the gloss off one of the finest days in recent history. Not even the fan belt going on the coach on the way home and an agonising wait on the bank of the M6 could spoit it.

[philipl]

Full Members Cup came in because the English clubs were banned from European competition.

We knocked out some first division clubs on our way to Wembley and beat Chelsea in the semi-final with a three goal burst in six second half minutes. Charlton were First Division in those days.

[mike at picture]

Like so many others I can't believe its 20 years ago. Oh the memories of thinking I was going to the best stadium in the world only to find it looking tired and aging......but could not in any way take the gloss off one of the finest days in recent history. Not even the fan belt going on the coach on the way home and an agonising wait on the bank of the M6 could spoit it.

It was great wasn't it? Little did we know what was to happen just 4 years later.

It's easy to forget that in those intervening 4 years we had a decent team and some good times. We had a long unbeaten run under Don McKay during which we took some huge followings to places like Stoke, Huddersfield and Leeds. Our local even ran a coach to Plymouth for Ossie Ardiles debut. Cant see that happening now!

[Alan75]

Full Members Cup came in because the English clubs were banned from European competition.

We knocked out some first division clubs on our way to Wembley and beat Chelsea in the semi-final with a three goal burst in six second half minutes. Charlton were First Division in those days.

How Rovers got to Wembley.

R1 – Huddersfield Town 1 ROVERS 2 (aet)

R2 - ROVERS 1 Sheffield United 0

R3 - ROVERS 4 Oxford United 3

QF - ROVERS 3 Chelsea 0

SF - ROVERS 3 Ipswich Town 0

[Perth_Rover]

Excuse me, but it was the 29th March. News Link. 20 Years Ago.

I was born a few months after this............

[Alan75]

I was born a few months after this............

I suspect there were 1 or 2 more born 9 months after the game.

[Ray-Von]

Chelsea, Charlton and (unbelievably) Oxford were all Division 1 sides at the time. The home game against Oxford was a great game - 4-3 after extra time in thick fog !

[bob fleming]

The home game against Oxford was a great game - 4-3 after extra time in thick fog !

Wasn't that the one when "Alan, Alan Ainscow" came on as sub and scored with a diving header at the BBE? Great stuff that was. I remember the Ipswich game and Ewood being absolutely packed (there was probably about 12,000 on but you know what I mean).

As for Wembley. Brilliant - although a poor match. Who cared though when Big Col scored?

[mike at picture]

I dont remember us making a valiant defence of our trophy. Didn't we got knocked out at home by Swindon the following season in the first round?