1998

[allezlesbleus]

Missed 94 because of birth of mademoiselle Allezlesbleus numéro deux. Terrible listening on radio but it was a stirring fightback at least.
98 we just had such a poor side from the word go that season. Felt like crying when our only signing was Gareth Farrelly from Villa reserves that year but he was an unlikely hero. They looked finished the week before losing vs Arsenal. That was as close to regretting bringing up my son a blue as I ever got. No brains fight or passion. We did not play that well vs Cov. Barely deserved to stay up although the Bolton moaning is a joke. southall was fouled. I think in the build up to their famous goal. That said we were lucky Chelsea did us a favour.

 

[Tubey]

Missed 94 because of birth of mademoiselle Allezlesbleus numéro deux. Terrible listening on radio but it was a stirring fightback at least.
98 we just had such a poor side from the word go that season. Felt like crying when our only signing was Gareth Farrelly from Villa reserves that year but he was an unlikely hero. They looked finished the week before losing vs Arsenal. That was as close to regretting bringing up my son a blue as I ever got. No brains fight or passion. We did not play that well vs Cov. Barely deserved to stay up although the Bolton moaning is a joke. southall was fouled. I think in the build up to their famous goal. That said we were lucky Chelsea did us a favour.

Christ, remember that? Tony Adams gallavanting through our non-existent defence for the fourth...

 

[Groucho]

Christ, remember that? Tony Adams gallavanting through our non-existent defence for the fourth...

We were awful. Simply awful.

 

[strummer]

After the miracle of 94 I thought we could never be in that much trouble again.i put it down to the board leaving Gabriel in charge for about 8 games where we barely scored a goal never mind win a game.
The 98 season was different.easily the worst everton team I've ever seen and mediocrity seemed to be inevitable for years to come.Moyes had his faults but I'll always be grateful to him for pulling us out of that seemingly endless slump

 

[allezlesbleus]

Christ, remember that? Tony Adams gallavanting through our non-existent defence for the fourth...

Got my Allez les Bleus banner to encourage Mick Madar who, to his credit, did acknowledge it when I shouted to him. Terrible terrible sinking feeling as we left the ground. Tony Adams taking the Mick!!!!

 

[jaycee]

I honestly thought we would go down that year,in my eyes that final day compared to the Wimbledon one felt like a funeral,it had an air of defeatism about it,as if everybody accepted that our time had come

 

[Aberblue]

I honestly thought we would go down that year,in my eyes that final day compared to the Wimbledon one felt like a funeral,it had an air of defeatism about it,as if everybody accepted that our time had come

That was how I felt coming into the ground, but the club did a clever thing by having the Youth Team and the Ladies team parade round the ground with their trophies before the game. The Youths had won the Youth Cup and the Women's team had won their league, and cheering them on did hep raise the crowd's spirits.

Farrelly scored early on and we had a couple of other close efforts. There were a sea of worried faces at half time, then in the middle of the second half a great cheer went up around various parts of the ground; the news spread around the ground that Chelsea had scored, and there were chants of "Vialli, Vialli". Ten minutes from the end we were awarded a penalty; Barmby's shot was saved! Then with a few minutes left Burrows crossed and Dublin headed - I remember thinking, "Myhre's got that one covered" but it went through his hands into the net! You could see the panic setting in and it was clear that if Coventry could get a shot on target it would be curtains. Then, another roar erupted all over the stadium; Chelsea were two up! I can remember Ferguson passing to a team-mate, Cadamateri I think, and he just booted the ball as far into the Coventry half as possible. We brought on a sub in injury time, then the final whistle blew! Within thirty seconds a hundred fans were on the pitch, and after two minutes it must have been thousands, including yours truly. We all chanted "We are premier league" which changed at some point to "We want Johnson out and we want Johnson out". People were kissing the pitch, and some fans helped themselves to a portion of the grass; I saw several lads with grass wigs leaving the ground. At some point I can remember hugging two female Coventry fans who congratulated us on staying up.

 

[MikeH72]

That was how I felt coming into the ground, but the club did a clever thing by having the Youth Team and the Ladies team parade round the ground with their trophies before the game. The Youths had won the Youth Cup and the Women's team had won their league, and cheering them on did hep raise the crowd's spirits.

Farrelly scored early on and we had a couple of other close efforts. There were a sea of worried faces at half time, then in the middle of the second half a great cheer went up around various parts of the ground; the news spread around the ground that Chelsea had scored, and there were chants of "Vialli, Vialli". Ten minutes from the end we were awarded a penalty; Barmby's shot was saved! Then with a few minutes left Burrows crossed and Dublin headed - I remember thinking, "Myhre's got that one covered" but it went through his hands into the net! You could see the panic setting in and it was clear that if Coventry could get a shot on target it would be curtains. Then, another roar erupted all over the stadium; Chelsea were two up! I can remember Ferguson passing to a team-mate, Cadamateri I think, and he just booted the ball as far into the Coventry half as possible. We brought on a sub in injury time, then the final whistle blew! Within thirty seconds a hundred fans were on the pitch, and after two minutes it must have been thousands, including yours truly. We all chanted "We are premier league" which changed at some point to "We want Johnson out and we want Johnson out". People were kissing the pitch, and some fans helped themselves to a portion of the grass; I saw several lads with grass wigs leaving the ground. At some point I can remember hugging two female Coventry fans who congratulated us on staying up.

This makes me laugh, my dad took me to the game and we apparently went on the pitch at the end and took some grass, we had that little piece of turf sat in our back garden for about 5 years! I can't remember anything from that day though, as I was only 6 and was too young to be into football or know what was really happening. Apparently I was blocking my ears as the players came out of the tunnel due to the noise being so deafening!

 

[Khalekan]

Missed 94 because of birth of mademoiselle Allezlesbleus numéro deux. Terrible listening on radio but it was a stirring fightback at least.
98 we just had such a poor side from the word go that season. Felt like crying when our only signing was Gareth Farrelly from Villa reserves that year but he was an unlikely hero. They looked finished the week before losing vs Arsenal. That was as close to regretting bringing up my son a blue as I ever got. No brains fight or passion. We did not play that well vs Cov. Barely deserved to stay up although the Bolton moaning is a joke. southall was fouled. I think in the build up to their famous goal. That said we were lucky Chelsea did us a favour.

Allez.....did we not sign John Oster, John O'Kane and Danny Williamson in the same pre season as GReth in '97?

Not great players for sue but I don't think Farrelly was Hiward's only signing.

Then did Super Kev not weigh in early in the New Year?

 

[l4toffee]

Leicester away is in my top 5 best games following Everton . 90th minute Gary speed pen to win our first away game in 12 months a few games before Christmas

Big dunc hat trick v Bolton was great as well.

The cadamarteri derby

The comeback at home v a flying arsenal ball and Danny boy again

I've never felt so low coming away from a game than after arsenal away as well .

Coventry away in the league cup was utterly grim as well. One of the lowest away supports I've ever been in. Few hundred tops were there. Though we sold out the league game 3 days later

Ian Rush haunting us for the Geordies as well.

 

[Minimeister]

It was an awful atmosphere in town after the game in '98. Got in a couple of scraps with them lot, the bitterness because we stayed up was unbelievable.

 

[l4toffee]

It was an awful atmosphere in town after the game in '98. Got in a couple of scraps with them lot, the bitterness because we stayed up was unbelievable.

if we went down there would off been riots I have no doubt about it .

I remember Coventry fans in the blue house singing going down and getting murdered. The place was evil

 

[maccavennie]

Anders Limpar macca,what was he thinking when he gave the pen away on the edge of the box?Then he went and won a pen with a kopitesque dive at the knocked down Park End which got us back in it,I can never forget how desolate I felt when we were 2-0 down,I honestly could not see a way back,but the crowd won it IMHO,Vinny Jones and co literally pooped their pants at a frothing,baying GP particularly in the second halflol

I was in a tree in Stanley Park Dario and all I could see was the street end goal. When Horne shot went in I've never seen anything like it, fellas falling out of trees it was nuts. Legged it round to family enclosure and got on the pitch at the end. One and only time I've been on the hallowed turf

 

[COYBL25]

It was an awful atmosphere in town after the game in '98. Got in a couple of scraps with them lot, the bitterness because we stayed up was unbelievable.

Weird that, as I had one of the best nights of my life around Hardman Street, remember cars with fellas hanging out ,flying flags beeping their horns etc. Dont remember seeing any bother either ?.

 

[allezlesbleus]

Allez.....did we not sign John Oster, John O'Kane and Danny Williamson in the same pre season as GReth in '97?

Not great players for sue but I don't think Farrelly was Hiward's only signing.

Then did Super Kev not weigh in early in the New Year?

Just checked wiki which said Oster Bilic and Farrelly but you are right about williamson, found it on another page.well done mate, great memory.
Remember gary Speed leaving?? His last minute pen away at Leicester was one of the few highlights of the season for me.
Kevin Cambell signed March 1999 so he saved us the next year!!! Dark days. The state of poor Howard Kendall on last day too. Thought he would have heart attack.