Memories of Saturday, 20th May 1995

I was on holiday in the States; I remember being in the Sequoia National Park, an amazing place, but couldn’t enjoy it till I knew the result. Called back home when I finally found a phone (pre-mobiles era!), expecting the worst and got the best news instead. Holiday would otherwise have been ruined! Still have a VHS of it somewhere.

That semi was just the best though!

Yes, got it somewhere on VHS myself, with the 24 hours with Joe’s Army.

The Semi was brilliant, whoever agreed Everton would have 3 sides of Elland Road was a masterpiece. The place rocked, and even when we had a goal disallowed, within a minute we’d scored again.

I still remember the late Gary Ablett flying down the left wing to cross for Amokachi for the 4th! What a day "Dogs of War!" as well!

Thanks again.

Went to every home game that season bar the ones on tv (about 5) and the game against Blackburn Rovers due to coming down with flu on the morning of the match. Living in Burnley a home game is like an away game. Ish.

Absolutely LOVED that season, despite the awful start. So many fond memories of me and my Dad going to the match , Amokacki being our big money signing fresh from the World Cup , some big Scottish guy who was meant to be a bit of a nutter...Duncan something his name !

We were there for the dire game against Derby County in rd 3. Listened to commentary on the radio for the lucky win at Bristol. Went to Goodison to watch the demolition of Norwich City in rd 5 (which I still believe relegated them that season). That was the last of the Cup games I went to.

By the time we reached the final I was scared of getting murdered by Manure. Irremember thinking we had started badly but after the goal we looked really good for the next 15 minutes. Graham Stuart nearly scored our second and Anders Limpar played a cross field pass that was mesmerising.

The second half was like the Alamo ( Des Lynam) but we held on for a deserved victory. I've still got the VHS tape which I've watched at least 50 times as this is still the only trophy I've seen us win in 25 years of following Everton.

94/95 is still and will probably always be my favourite season. Wonderful memories of running into school on Monday morning after we beat Manure so I could stick it to the glory hunters. And thatc was after the league game in the Feb. I never dreamed I'd be doing the same after the Cup final only 3 months later.

On paper, a shit season with a good ending but much more than that to me.

BtW , Amo definitely should have shot in the in last minute when Schmeichel was up the other end of the pitch. I screamed at the tv but he didn't hear me.

Seemed like glory days were beckoning once more but it was not to be. Nevertheless, it’s still been a joy to stick with Everton through the ups and downs.

I know that might sound nothing, but to be able to say to my mates that I’d been to see us win a final AND touched the ball in the process was a real feather in the cap!

The weekend we played Bristol away, most other games were cancelled due to flooding (waterlogged pitches etc).

At King's Cross it was all 'It it still on? Has it been called off?" etc.

When we got there, we went into the nearest alehouse which was all blues - thousands had made it there in the wettest most miserable weather.

We played cack but got through and I then started to at least allow for the possibility of Wembley.

When you look back at crazy stuff like Amo substituting himself in the semi and scoring two, plus some of the saves Southall pulled off in the final (both times against 'superior' opposition) our name being on the cup that year starts to seem like a less mad notion.

Remember the T/Shirts going round at the time? We beat The Rams, The Robins, The Canarys, The Magpies, The Cockerels, and just had The Red Devils left to slay, at Wembley!

Remember staying in a hotel near Heathrow, and Fulham, we’re having a fund raising night, because it had been 20 years since they had played in the cup final and they were skint at the time.

Hadn’t been well for a while (I was diagnosed with TB in July that year) so, although I was drinking, I was taking things a little bit easier. Anyway I was sitting in the room with a few Fulham directors, and the Replica FA Cup was on the table.

Started the fannying with them, saying I’d just love Everton to win that cup tomorrow. Had a little laugh, I’d gained their trust, and I said do you mind if I just pick the cup up to see what it feels like? They were wary, but they let me. "Be careful," I heard one of them say, but I was already half out the room, running into the bar next door which was full of bladdered Evertonians.

They all ran over and robbed the cup off me, but it was a funny sketch. The directors were disgusted with me, but no harm was done, and it gave me another funny memory, to go with all the others in the name of Everton FC!

The semi was my favourite ever Everton game and gave us the belief.

The final. Necessarily dour. I was 15 and lived / grew up on the same road as the Royal Lancaster Gate Hotel which turned out to be the venue for the teams after party.

That being 1995 this wasn’t common knowledge and so after spending the game drinking Hooch (anyone remember that? A precursor to Smirnoff Ice) with four Toffee mates and then going for a celebratory drunken kick about with them vs some Saudi guys we encountered in Hyde Park I ended up having a late night.

On surfacing the next day circa noon I saw Tony Grant of all people tucking the cup aboard the team coach which departed from the hotel earlier en route to the Mersey victory parade that morning.

Was that Hyde Park in the background there I asked myself? It was.

Jumped on my bike and cycled the 30 seconds to the hotel. "Na, they’ve gone, mate."

It’s become a fond memory after 20 trophyless years.

The semi-final remains my only trip to Elland Road. We were in the Leeds Supporters Club on the corner of two of the stands - not a Tottenham fan in there. I was at the opposite end to OP Andy (Matt Jackson goal end), but was also amazed that we had 3 sides of the ground - I really think that made a difference - certainly the Spurs fans felt it did.

The final itself, we were in a pub near Wembley, and got talking to a couple of Man U fans. They really didn’t want to be there, having lost the League the week before to Blackburn - Andy Cole’s last minute miss away at West Ham cost them.

Couple of observations from that run:

- It really did prove to be a distraction from the league - only goal conceded on that run was the dodgy penalty in the semi.

- Matt Jackson was a star throughout - with his goals and assists, yet he was only playing as Earl "The Pearl" Barrett was cup-tied. Joe Royle was great for us, but I don’t think that was his most popular signing.

- The media were absolute twats in the build up to the semi-final and final. Somethings never change...

- Like a few others, the semi remains for me one of the most memorable games I have ever witnessed, and exhilarating performances (totally at odds to the league form)

Lee – I agree, Amo should have shot in the last minute when Peter Schmeichel was well out his goal just walking back. I don’t think Amo had the energy to be fair.

Micheal – strange how you were floating towards Spurs until that great day and as you say life is never ever dull supporting Everton with our ups and downs.

Tim – I will have to dig out VHS myself mate, definitely a feather in the cap that, not many people can say they have seen their team win at Wembley having touched the ball in the process. Seems like nothing but would mean the world to me little things like that! :-)

Eugene – yes, I forgot about Amo substituting himself in the semis and I've never been one to believe our name is on the cup, maybe after the event looking back, but never during the cup itself. What is your feeling for this season?

Tony – that is brilliant... I can just imagine that sketch now ha ha...!

Andrew – yes, the Newcastle game was a turning point; very edgy, cagey game and I still remember the ball bouncing up to Waggy as he looped it home. Great days.

Matt – great shout; I had forgotten about Earl The Pearl! Everton having 3 sides of the ground that day was immense, it is in my top 10 games we just took over the place and it rocked. I did get slightly nervous when Sheringham equalised as I know they were favourites and had knocked Liverpool out in the previous round. Needless to say, we won in the end – fantastic day that and will long in the memory as will the final.

Thanks again for sharing all your memories.

My first game was as a very young child around seven years prior. Around the early 90s, I began to learn the players names and understand who were the good teams and who were the bad. Radio City Sport on the radio every Saturday afternoon undoubtedly helped.

The return of Joe Royle and the derby win of late ’94 really accelerated my interest, particularly in the cup games. I remember watching the semi-final on a small portable and even then, at 10 years old, I knew I was witnessing something special.

The day of the final came and the girls were expelled from the house. A man’s den was set up in the living room, complete with refreshments. The rest is history but for months afterwards I knew every detail about that cup run and the final in particular. I still remember the referee was Gerald Ashby, and the goal went in with 29:50 on the clock. I played ’Altogether Now’, bought on CD for me by my parents, for months.

I feel sorry for today’s youngsters who didn’t have the introduction to football or to Everton that I did. But every year we don’t repeat our success, we’re one year closer... :)

Personally, it marks the high point of my being a Blue. I saw Joe Royle a couple of years back with his family in a restaurant in Ormskirk. I wanted to go over and thank him but just didn’t want to disturb him. He’s a great blue. I forgot how much we owe Rideout for the Ipswich goal and the winner.

I didn’t get to the final, but strangely I’m glad I didn’t go. I would have jinxed us. Don’t ask... just my superstitious mind. It’s a shame that was our last trophy (excluding the charity shield). I went to that though.

Chris – got to ask the question, although I am probably reading between the lines that you had had bad experiences in previous finals, hence your superstitiousness! We did well with you there at the Semis... what a day that was eh!

Ste – I can imagine the journey back home up the motorway passed the United coaches was immense.

Tim – I am not sure why we got all three sides of Elland Road? All I remember was the place was rocking. If the ball went our for an Everton corner at either end the roar was amazing! The Tottenham stand hardly made a noise as all you could hear echo’ing’ around Elland Road was very, very load Evertonians!

Great memories, thanks!