At what stage did you realise we would be bottom of the league going into the last game of the season? To be honest I never allowed myself to believe it. I just couldn't allow myself to believe it. All season I put it down to bad luck, bad refs, bad management, I kept expecting us to turn it round and climb to safety (all this is beginning to sound horribly familiar). Even with a just a few weeks to go I was still optimistic.
How did you cope getting through that last week?
Not well, I'm normally a pretty placid person but found it very hard to cope when born and bred Cumbrians with mythical allegiances to Man United treated Carlisle's position as a joke. All I could think about was the game to come, dreading it and wishing it was over.Did you hesitate about going to the game?
Yes, firstly I didn't want to be there if we went down, it was going to hurt too much but I really wanted to go and support the team, I hoped for a good turn out and hoped it would lift the players. Also I was looking after an 11 year old girl, she was keen to go to the match but I thought there might be trouble if we went down so I was nervous about taking her. I finished work at 12.30 and only decided I was definitely going at around 1 pm.How did you feel as you walked into the ground and where did you stand/sit?
The atmosphere hit you as you walked in, there was a group of seven of us standing in the paddock, the Warwick Road end side of the tunnel. there was a lot of nervous chatter, people you didn't know came to talk. I saw a few regulars just standing drinking in the atmosphere. I think a few of them were thinking this is it, this may be the last time we play in the league.When did you hear that Peterborough had scored?
My son who was standing behind me had brought his radio with him and was listening to radio Cumbria, He suddenly thumped me on the back, I knew before I turned round that they must have scored, I shouted to daughter, people standing near asked if it was true and the news spread around us, all around the ground you could see the same thing happening, it lifted the crowd.When the Dobie goal was disallowed, did you feel it wouldn`t be our day?
This was the first half, I wasn't letting myself think ahead to the end of the game, I still feel many refs would have given the goal but I thought the ref had a good game all in all. I was more worried that Plymouth and particularly McCall were well on top first half than that we'd had a goal disallowed.At half time were you optimistic or depressed?
I still couldn't think ahead to the result. I felt amazingly hyped up, scared nervous, angry, I desperately wanted it to be over the suspense was awful.When Plymouth scored what were your feelings?
Absolutely gutted, couldn't see us scoring one goal never mind two. I came out with the usual platitudes "We've plenty of time etc" but I thought we'd had it.When Brightwell scored how did you feel?
Disbelieve, I mean laid back Brightwell wasn't known for his scoring ability and suddenly he hit a shot with power straight into the net. I thought well if he's fired up and found his will to win things are looking up. Everything all square again we can do this. Anthony had by this time got into the game and was making space and passing the ball around. Then after the goal and McCall was subbed we seemed to getting on top, I felt we had a chance.At the end of normal time Colin Carter came on the tannoy announcing the Scarborough final score and tried to lift the crowd, what were your feelings then?
The last few minutes of the game we were pushing forward but I think most of the crowd had resigned themselves to going down. The atmosphere had dropped, the only chants "Knighton out". Near me was a man, one of the committed regulars, he was the type that probably last cried before he started school, he was crouching down not able to watch, tears rolling down his face. Others had turned their back on the game, their only interest the directors box. I got hold of Fiona's hand ready to make a swift exit, the game had become secondary for a lot of fans. The announcer did a tremendous job. He brought every bodies attention back to the pitch I think he said something like " Come on, give the lads one last cheer, win or lose we are CARLISLE UNITED" ( it chokes me up just typing it) and the whole crowd rose and shouted and willed a result.What were you thinking as we won the corner and Pearson waved Jimmy forward? Standing nearer the Warwick Road End we saw Jimmy take a few steps forward. the Warwick instantly started shouting at him to go, then our end of the paddock, we were all shouting and waving him up. I was trying to shout but by this time my mouth had gone too dry to speak. Jimmy sort of ambled hesitantly forward looking to see if Pearson would wave him up. this seemed to take 5 mins when there was only seconds on the clock and Anthony might not wait and this seemed so terribly important but of course no one knew how important. Pearson sort of shrugged his shoulders as if to say "well you might as well" and waved him up and Jimmy set off at speed towards the box.
What was your thoughts when Glass scored?
I think everyone in the ground knew this was it. We HAD to score off the corner or it was over we knew it was now or never. I saw Anthony's ball come in and it looked a reasonable ball. I saw Dobie jump and head it. I saw their keeper half collect it and the ball go loose and I saw Jimmy hit it into the net. As it happened I SAW Jimmy score and yet somewhere between my eyes and my brain this information was rejected as far too unbelievable. I turned to my son in law and screamed "Who scored?" "Jimmy" says he. "Who?" "the keeper Jimmy Glass" he repeats. Only then could I believe what I'd just seen. A few agonising moments whilst the pitch was cleared and then the marvellous sound of the final whistle.Did you go on the pitch after the game?
After the final whistle it was like a great thundercloud of tension had lifted over Brunton Park, all around people were half laughing half crying and hugging each other. The man who had previously been crying gave me such a bear hug I feared broken ribs! Fiona the eleven year old I had taken to the game said to me " I've been to matches before but I never knew they could be like this!!" We all went onto the pitch and stood cheering the players as they came out. there was many chants of "Knighton out" but that wasn't important to me just then. What was important was CARLISLE, we had survived against all odds. To be part of that crowd, to look at the faces, some tear stained, some laughing, all dazed. A day more special than any Premier club will know.How did you feel after it was all over that day? It had been previously arranged that we were going out to dinner that night. I didn't really want to go, I would have preferred to be on my own to savour the days events. However off we went and had a nice meal at a local restaurant. A local said to me "I see Carlisle won on a flook". My intense momentary anger turned to pity, my team had done it, their inability to understand was their loss.
Looking back on that day now, how important do you feel that game was?
In the close season after the game it seemed very important. We had survived, we could go forward. That we would be in the same position on the last game of the next season was totally unthinkable. That the following season we would save ourselves not with a bang but with a whimper, sickening. We still have the chance to save ourselves. Jimmy Glass gave us that. It has to be crucially important. The day was the biggest emotional roller coaster of my life, never to be forgotten.Back to Fans Views