A View from Afar part 3 - The Late Show

By Albatross
August 14 2002

"It's not all over until the Fat Lady sings" as the saying goes. In the latest "A View from Afar" article, Albatross relates some stories that will make sure you never leave a match early - and that you'll be very careful what you say....

One dark night, at a Breeze Block and Corrugated Iron Stadium on the edge of an ill-lit Industrial Estate, a Football Match is in progress. There are about 900 people present, watching in near silence from the one open stand. It's getting late. Chester and Pools are locked at 1-1 in an Auto Windscreens game. Chester have had Andy Crosby sent off, but it's Golden Goal extra time and no-one seems to be able to take the initiative. The 30 or so Poolies are getting restless; some of them travelled down by Minibus and haven't had a drink - and last orders is ticking nearer and nearer. "Howay Lads, we want to go to the pub!" And then it happens: Stuart Brightwell collects the ball on the far touchline, and cuts inside. He beats one man... then another.... he's on the edge of the box, swings his right foot at the ball, and........GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL! 30 Poolies are cheering, jumping up and down, hugging each other, and experiencing the adrenaline rush that only a late goal can bring. Life is sweet - for now at least!

There's always something special about a late comeback, especially when it's unexpected. I've been fortunate to witness several for Pools away from home, one or two of them in the company of a few travelling fans who've made the game, others with a big crowd, occasionally with some Poolies having already given up and left the ground.

For example, there was a Friday Night game at Wigan a few years ago, which I went to by Train from Lancaster. Pools haven't made the breakthrough, and it's close to the end and getting desperate. A long ball is pumped forward, knocked down, and breaks to a Pools player in the box who puts it away, the few of us go mental, and a very surprised John MacPhail is the hero of the night! TV Footage later reveals a stunned expression on his face as he turns away having scored, for us Poolies the moment is all the sweeter because the goal came from such an unexpected source.

Or being two goals behind at Craven Cottage with a few minutes left; up pops Joe Allon to score twice and level the game. 1-0 down at Orient, Howard and Di Lella already having seen red; an outrageous dive by Craig Midgely earns a Penalty that he promptly puts away as we get an unlikely point. Another game at Wigan where Steve Howard nodded home to earn us a 2-2 draw and promptly pulled his shirt over his head Ravanelli style, while all 32 of us jumped about like lunatics.

However there's one that will stick in my mind for a long time - partly because of an overheard conversation in the crowd. The scene: Moss Rose, Macclesfield. We're 3-1 behind with about 10 minutes to go, and Poolies are heading for the exits. Somewhere behind me in the crowd two men are talking. "We could still get a point out of this!" "If we get anything out of this game, I'll give you a blow job!" The time is nigh for Ian Clark.....

We pull one back, almost out of the blue. 3-2, and all of a sudden there's something for Pools to go for. Two minutes are left when Clarky abandons his left wing, receives the ball on the edge of the area and somehow gets past a block tackle before smashing the ball into the net. The remaining Poolies go mad, it finishes 3-3, and one Pools fan is no doubt wishing he'd kept his mouth shut....