Play Off’s Memories

4FCB

4FCB

Fans' Favourite
10th May 2003

Bury v AFCB - Play Off Semi First Leg

On our way to the Millennium Stadium final, we played Bury away at Gigg Lane in the first leg of the play off semi’s. A mostly uninspiring 0-0 draw where we played the second half against 10 men following a red card for Bury defender Jamie Stewart who claimed that Wade Elliott had elbowed him in the face resulting in a broken nose. Handbags followed and Stewart was sent off.

So an uninspiring game unlike the second leg at Dean Court three days later of course.

What has stayed with me was the memory that having driven up to Bury that morning, I’d arrived at the ground just before mid-day, managed to park on the concrete apron right outside the ground and set off to find a cuppa. On crossing the road from the ground, there was an old guy who had just finished clearing up after trimming his hedge. I asked him if there was a cafe nearby and as there wasn’t I was just about to look for an alternative when he said he was going to have a brew himself and did I want one and then wouldn’t no for an answer. So sitting in his back yard, his wife not only produced a mug of tea but insisted on putting a cheese and tomato doorstep sandwich in front of me. We sat there for near on two hours talking football and anything else that came to mind and honestly, I don’t think I could met a nicer couple than those two. Good but simple memories of that day.

Was anyone else from here at Gigg Lane that day?
 
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Yep, I was there, drove up with three mates. It was certainly a bit bleak when we got there, and the game seemed to match the rest of the day, pretty much 89 minutes of noneventfulness. “It was a long day, but at least we didn’t lose” was the main feeling that night.

Wish we’d found your sandwich couple.....
 
I was there with my friend and lapsed poster on here “BlackCountryCherry”.
don’t remember much about the game at all except thinking we may have blown our chances....
 
4FCB said:
10th May 2003

Bury v AFCB - Play Off Semi First Leg


We sat there for near on two hours talking football and anything else that came to mind and honestly, I don’t think I could met a nicer couple than those two. Good but simple memories of that day.
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Lovely story, I can just picture the old guy and his wife, the cheese sandwich and a cuppa.

When I was a young 'un back in the 70s I used to hitch around a lot, in the UK and Europe, and I often met people just like this, really friendly, generous characters.

Sort of restores your faith in humanity a bit.
 
Just remember the game was totally forgettable......but it was my first experience of Burys excellent meat pies .....think they even won awards for them..(y)
 
I have a feeling a bunch of us went by train and we'd exhausted the booze before reaching Crewe, when further supplies were loaded.

I did a telephone interview for Solent (this in the days they allowed fans to speak live, to the likes of Alan Ball/Tristan Pascoe) and the Solent team seemed very nervous, that in my somewhat inebriated state, I might trip their profanity sensors.

Don't recall much of the game, except the pitch resembled a ploughed field?
 
davidwhitehead said:
Lovely story, I can just picture the old guy and his wife, the cheese sandwich and a cuppa.

When I was a young 'un back in the 70s I used to hitch around a lot, in the UK and Europe, and I often met people just like this, really friendly, generous characters.

Sort of restores your faith in humanity a bit.
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I guess it’s all about the way you approach people David, but you’re right, there are some decent people in the world today.
 
I remember Purches had a deflected shot that was trickling in, in front of our end second half but a Bury defender got there just in time to clear off the line,the git!
 
Went on the supporters club bus
it arrived 15 mins before kickoff
so no chance for a few pre match beers
bloody hell - you really needed pre match beers to get through that - it was a shít game.
 
afcdibby said:
We went to Bury for the 2nd time that season. I can't remember anything about either game. I just remember thinking it was a very middle class area around the ground.
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Me too, I was expecting grim North and got suburbia with whippets.

Did Wader get sent off in one of the games?

I'm sure something of note happened.


Just found this report.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/3014043.stm

Wader should have been sent off, but the bloke he took out was sent off for retaliation.
 
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Surely there was a mob waiting outside the pub at the end of the road when we exited, don't think they hung around though.
 
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