F A TROPHY


WEMBLEY STADIUM - FA UMBRO TROPHY FINAL - MAY 17th 1998

CHELTENHAM TOWN 1 SOUTHPORT 0

Thousands pay tribute to heroes in open top bus parade...... Thousands of Robins fans lined the streets and applauded thier heroes. The large gathering outside the Town Hall, sang and cheered their heads off as they went through their repetoire of songs and chants. The Western Daily Press estaimate around 10,000 fans turned out to greet their heroes. A large gathering were at the Carlton Hotel to give the team a send off on their route around the town. Most of these fans then made their way to the Town Hall, as traffic in Oriel Road was brought to a standstill. The journey was geared to take about half an hour but in reality it was more like an hour as the bus toured the red & white lined streets. The players then got off the bus and made their way onto the Town Hall balcony and the cheering conitinued as the players took turns to show off the Silverware (GMVC Runners up cup and of course the FA Trophy). Clive Walker was toying with the crowd lifting the cup up, and enticing cheers, and had the fans guesssing several times!!. Steve Cotterill was taking a back seat, leaving it up to the players to soak uo the accolades, but in the end gave in to constant pressure from the fans and got the biggest cheer of the night as he held the Trophy aloft. A super night to add to all the other memories of what has been an outstanding season. I will post pictures when I get them. THIS IS THE GREATEST FEELING IN THE WORLD Thousands of Cheltenham supporters (over 17,000) went home to Cheltenhamshire still applauding the clubs victory over Southport in yesterdays FA Umbro Trophy Final. Played in brilliant sunshine, it was never a classic, but a double substitution after 76 minutes when Milton & Smith replaced Knight & Walker brought almost immediate benefit. Smith won a free kick and Milton's deft inswinging free kick was headed by Victory, and Eaton stooped in at the far post to nod home. It was greeted by a cheer that could have been heard all over North London, by the sea of red & white garbed travelling Robins fans. TEAM FOR THE BIG GAME -- TEAM WAS
Book

Duff - Banks - Freeman - Victory

Knight - Bloomer - Howells - Walker

Eaton - Watkins

Subs : Smith(for Knight), Wright,Milton(for Walker)

Cotterill youngest manager to lead team out at Wembley Steve Cotterill was the youngest manager to lead a team out at Wembley. At 33, He is 11 days younger than Chelsea's Gianluca Vialli, who lifted the Coca-Cola Cup this season. "It will be my proudest moment in Football, so far, said Cotterill, who has had a remarkable first full year in charge of the Robins.

WEMBLEY FINAL - MAY 17th - MATCH REPORT CHELTENHAM TOWN 1 - SOUTHPORT 0

Cheltenham Town skipper Chris Banks lifted the FA Umbro Trophy at Wembley yesterday afternoon to cap the greatest season in the club's 106-year history.Jason Eaton scored the only goal of the game with just 11 minutes minutes remaining to send the 17-18,000 travelling fans into raptures. At precisely 4:29 on the Wembley clock Robins' hearts lifted as Southport's sank.

The next 10 minutes fizzed by (as had the whole match) and the celebrations began. Cheltenham did not play well to be truthfull, and Southport made far more use of Wembley's wide open spaces as they mounted several challenges early on with Duff giving his winger oodles of space to get in crosses, but several such chances went begging as players tried to adjust to the lush surface. The heat played its part as well, some say the temperature on the pitch was 90 degrees, and Cheltenham chose to soak up the pressure of a Southport side playing in a 3-5-2 formation. Early on Watkins crossed to eaton and his knock back to Knight was blasted high and wide. From one of the chances that fell to winger Formby, he cut inside from a Kielty pass and hit a shot that stung Book's hands, but the danger was cleared. Howells and Bloomer were struggling against the more eager Southport midfield and a poor pass from Howells intended for Victory was picked up by Thompson, who fed man-of-the-match Butler, whose shot went over.

Cheltenham however were soon screaming for a penalty - not given - when Eaton was stopped by a muscular challenge and a bit of shirt tugging. Watkins had a chance to shoot but instead overstruck a pass to Walker and the ball went out of play. The game swung from end to end for a few minutes with Southport's Farley shooting over just before Watkins had a shot blocked from close in. Southport though were knocking the ball around well and won the first corner after 21 minutes. watkins then found himself in space, but his shot dipped over. Stewart in the Southport goal then punched a Knight cross onto walker's head and Walker did well to direct his header with some pace back toward the keeper but it dropped handily for a relieved keeper, still back-pedalling after his punch out.

A beatifull through ball from Eaton put watkins through one-on-one but as he lunged watkins could not get enough on the shot and in the end was hurt in the collision with Stewart and needed traetment. Bloomer drove high after Futcher cleared a ball straight to him and in the last minute of the first half Banks lost posession to Thompson, and his ball back to Butler was spot on but Bloomer slid back to rescue his captain with a well timed tackle. The second half started with the same pattern, although the Robins were beginning to come back into the game, and should have taken the lead when good work down the left by Knight set up watkins but his left foot missed the kick altogether and he probably wished a hole would appear for him to disappear into. Ross went through on goal and shot over but a few minutes he wrestled past Freeman and delayed his shot long enough for Book to take the ball off his feet. Freeman then attoned for his mistake when he blocked a Formby shot bty the post , and at the other end old man Walker got in his only telling run of the match his long floated cross was kicked away by the other old man Futcher.

Freeman then tackled Formby just as he was about to shoot and after 78 minutes came the double substitution that had an immediate impact on the result of the game. Knight and Walker who had both struggled somewhat were replaced by Smith and Milton. Immediately Smith wriggled his way down the right and was dragged down.

From the resulting free kick taken by Milton, Victory got his head to the inch perfect cross and it went to the far post for Eaton, stooping as he advanced at the far post nodded inside Stewart's far post. The sight of the ball nestling in the back of the net sent the Red & White Army wild with delight. The last 11 minutes fizzed by, with not surprisingly a few scares from Southport, who brought on Whittaker and Bolland (to replace Formby and Thompson), but Cheltenham held on and the celebrations began.

Before the match our 5 lions were presented with their England Semi-Professional Caps for the game against Holland at Crawley (2-1). The chanting and singing went on for a long time and the convoy of coaches, cars and minibuses trailed back to Cheltenhamshire with horns tooting and red/white scarves & flags bellowing in the warm May air. What a victory, what an occasion....what a season. If justiceprevails SC should be named Mail 'Manager of the Season'....which would be a fitting end to the best season in 106 years.

RED ARMY...RED ARMY....RED ARMY....
There sadly is not a decent video on Youtube of the game - but there are videos of the semi finals against Dover that I have put on the "other video" page