Nice to read how good-bad we were back then from a Sunderland forum.....

http://www.readytogo.net/smb/showthread.php?t=550513

This for me was the worst night of fv i have ever seen at the Bridge and surrounding areas.It wasnt just about Chelsea and Sunderland that night there was a heavy presence of West ham about as they were playing Wimbledon at Plough Lane that same night.One thing i wont forget is standing on the platform at Southfields station and seeing a tube pull in and it had a few West ham on it and a bloke stood next to me turned to see mate and said "there is gonna be a lot of trouble tonight" he was'nt wrong.

Just for the record i did'nt get in that night but what happened outside was mental.

Edited September 9, 201213 yr by Lambeth Walker

The most hostile atmosphere I've ever witnessed at the Bridge,forget being a neutral,it was bonkers really.Hated Clive for playing so well for them northern numpties & knocking us out of the cup, (even though they deserved their win over both ties).

That night made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up,a bit OTT to be honest,but at least you felt the vibe,in many ways,it's the much more memorable because of the passion felt rather than todays all to sterile, sensible stuff.

I was in the OLD west stand....Yep it was mental...There were a family of sunderland seated amoungst us but they were looked after by Blues...I didnt know Wet Spam were there...Stupid question but whos side were they on

West ham were on their way to/from Wimbledon the same night.

Since first going in 1983 to football, this game more than any other, including our cup finals etc has left the biggest impression on me to this day.

I was 15 at the time, and me and my mate left my old man and his mate at the car,( we used to park near the old Fulham power station). Outside the ground the atmosphere was like no other I"d ever known and have ever known since at the bridge. The que and squash at the bovril gate trying to get into the shed was unbelievable!!. Once in the the shed we just about got to the old tea bar and basically couldn"t move either way from there on. Early on speedie scored and the place erupted. It seemed a comeback and victory was inevitable. But no this was Chelsea of old and the heart was broken by one of our own! ( i"ve forgiven you clive) Didn"t really watch much of the second half of football as the shed invaded the pitch, Gate 13 came from the East and the benches started to rip up the wooden benches and use them as spears towards the old bill! I"m sure I also saw police join the Sunderland attack for their final goal! On the way back to the car a few Sunderland fans were giving it large going towards their coach, me and my mate walked past them and then 30 seconds later heard a noise as they were seen off the premises by some disgruntled chelsea. The following day back at school in west sussex me and my mate were sort of mini celebs with our mates as we"d been there the night before and it was across all the papers, the clubs night of shame etc. Fast forward 5 years to a holiday in greece in 1990 and talking to a lad at the bar, he was a newcastle fan, but had come down that fateful night with some Sunderland mates on one of their coaches. He said time they left London there wasn"t a single window left on their coach. Him and his mates still talked about it to that day and had never seen a night like it!!

I now go to football with my teenage sons and have to say in some ways they have missed out on what going to proper football used to be like.It just seemed much more of a buzz and exciting back then compared to the disney experience of todays home games!!

Since first going in 1983 to football, this game more than any other, including our cup finals etc has left the biggest impression on me to this day.

I was 15 at the time, and me and my mate left my old man and his mate at the car,( we used to park near the old Fulham power station). Outside the ground the atmosphere was like no other I"d ever known and have ever known since at the bridge. The que and squash at the bovril gate trying to get into the shed was unbelievable!!. Once in the the shed we just about got to the old tea bar and basically couldn"t move either way from there on. Early on speedie scored and the place erupted. It seemed a comeback and victory was inevitable. But no this was Chelsea of old and the heart was broken by one of our own! ( i"ve forgiven you clive) Didn"t really watch much of the second half of football as the shed invaded the pitch, Gate 13 came from the East and the benches started to rip up the wooden benches and use them as spears towards the old bill! I"m sure I also saw police join the Sunderland attack for their final goal! On the way back to the car a few Sunderland fans were giving it large going towards their coach, me and my mate walked past them and then 30 seconds later heard a noise as they were seen off the premises by some disgruntled chelsea. The following day back at school in west sussex me and my mate were sort of mini celebs with our mates as we"d been there the night before and it was across all the papers, the clubs night of shame etc. Fast forward 5 years to a holiday in greece in 1990 and talking to a lad at the bar, he was a newcastle fan, but had come down that fateful night with some Sunderland mates on one of their coaches. He said time they left London there wasn"t a single window left on their coach. Him and his mates still talked about it to that day and had never seen a night like it!!

I now go to football with my teenage sons and have to say in some ways they have missed out on what going to proper football used to be like.It just seemed much more of a buzz and exciting back then compared to the disney experience of todays home games!!

Great post.