Coventry (H) - 10 May 1998

[SpongeBob brown shoes]

It was raining all day, what a goal, koff Dublin, I got on the pitch noticed everyone pulling up the grass, the good bits where gone like the penalty spot and centre circle so i ripped up a patch of grass and took it home, put it in a pot to look after it, the cat pooed on it

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Urgh, what a horrible afternoon

Great to stay up at the end of it all, but man what a stress it was

 

[Gladystweet]

Urgh, what a horrible afternoon

Great to stay up at the end of it all, but man what a stress it was

It was a weird one. Remember being on the train to the Wimbledon game, everyone was pretty much resigned to the drop, there was no way we were beating them.
This time, people were strangely more optimistic. That was an abomination of an Everton team, and we did our best to mess it all up.
Honestly can’t remember much of the game. Only replays bring it all back. I just sat there for much of it, numb and feeling sick.

 

[Aberblue]

Going to the game convinced we were heading for the Championship (or whatever it was called then).

The atmosphere at the ground being flat when I got in.

The Youth Team and Ladies Team parading their trophies before the game lifted our spirits.

Gareth Farrelly - thank you.

Everyone sweating and worrying.

Mick Madar going down injured and our players screaming at him to get up.

Mad cheers from groups of fans with radios all around the ground when Chelsea scored.

PENALTY!

Barmby missed!

Dublin's header - it's ok, it's going straight at Myhre .... OH NOOOOO!

Some players losing their cool completely - knowing that if Coventry had a shot on target it would be a goal.

Even madder cheers when Chelsea got their second.

"Three minutes additional time"

Final whistle goas.

The stewards try to prevent a pitch invasion - at least 100 fans get on the pitch within 30 seconds. The stewards give up.

"WE ARE PREMIER LEAGUE" changing magically to "WE WANT JOHNSON OUT" by the multitudes on the pitch.

Total strangers hugging.

People kissing the pitch.

Scallies walking away with Goodison Park Turf wigs on their heads.

Getting congratulated by Coventry fans at Lime Street station.

Mad relief all round.

 

[jaycee]

I remember it being a horrible miserable day and after the cowardly displays against Sheff Wed and Arsenal I was convinced we were gone,the game against Wimbledon I was convinced we would stay up even at 2-0 down,but the Coventry game felt like waiting for a death,thought the atmosphere before hand was very flat,I honestly dont remember much about the game,but didnt feel relief or joy when the whistle went I just felt anger that the club had reached that point

 

[RomanReigns]

weird how kendall got manager of the month in January as well

 

[RomanReigns]

weird how we also got 4 points from Liverpool that year too

 

[Alanbileysfeathercut]

Sureal
When big dion scored it was like hang on this isn't in the script
Then Chelsea booing there own team

 

[chrismpw]

Exactly 20 years on, what are your memories of that horrible, frenetic day?

I was visiting my sister's house down south. It was a beautiful sunny day and thev nature family was splashing around in the pool (she married a judge, what can I say) enjoying the sun.

I sat alone, disconsolate in the lounge listening to the radio. The shriek I let out when that final whistle blew had the whole family (not really footie fans) tearing in wondering if I'd died. My god ... The feeling of euphoria to have survived was very similar to that just 10 years earlier winning the league.

 

[TMo1985]

It makes me laugh how the Echo etc often brand this as a 'great escape'. Nothing great about it - we won 2 of our last 15 games and couldn't even win vs. Coventry when the pressure was well and truly on.

 

[Kev The Rat]

The Royle era was very odd, he seemed to have put that rubbish behind us with the FA Cup win, Kanchelskis, beating the likes of them lot and Arsenal away. Then it all fell apart and we ended up with Howard back for a third spell which was disappointing to say the least.

Have heard some (maybe even Royle himself) day that the problem was he tried to move from dogs of war to a more expansive style too quickly.

 

[Saint Domingo]

Mhyre’s crisp packet hands there.

 

[Deleted member 28206]

I think I was sick to death of Everton at that point and knew we would escape it, having almost gone down a few years earlier v Wimbledon we had become experts

 

[No Alla Violenza]

Unlike the Wimbledon game, I don't remember worrying that we would go down that day

Mind you I was probably stoned...

 

[Adamefc1]

My earliest memory of going to a game this, can remember everything about it.

7 Years old and went along with my dad, never really grasping the consequences of that day until looking back now, I thought that was the normal way Everton fans watched football matches.

I remember sitting in the Lower Gwladys, smack bang in line with Gareth Farrelly as he hit that peach of a volley.

I wasn't able to see Nick Barmby's Pen so some random fella lifted me onto his shoulders, i never have forgiven him for that.

Thomas Myhre forgetting to bring a towel and letting a Dion Dublin header slide right between his palms.

And then the noises, that we were staying up, I had no idea it wasn't even due to us, but in fact another game 200 miles away!

Finally being on the pitch and whilst Some woman screaming that we needed the pitch for next season and my dad picking up blades of grass and me claiming a slab of the 6 yard box in front of the Gwladys, after carrying this metre squared piece of turf down Priory and Breck Road we layed it in my Grandad's Garden where it is still going now.

Madness looking back on it now, but it was probably what got me into Everton and had it not been for staying up that day i may actually have lived a happy life so far.