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The title was, to all intents and purposes won. But of course, we still have to make that a mathematical certainty. We had our set backs off course. A 1-0 loss at St Johnstone, a 2-1 loss at Hearts. But these were irrelevant blips on our way to a 3rd successive SPL title, and were more than made up for by a 7-1 win at Ibrox, and a few 5-0 wins here and there. And finally, we had a chance to actually clinch the title ourselves for the first time, against Celtic at Station Park on 17th April. With the squad being stretched to its limits, we had to make a lot of changes and I suppose it was fitting that John Morrison, in only his 7th ever game for us, wrapped up the title with his first ever goal in a hard fought 2-1 win.
In the Scottish Cup, we once more marched through to the Final, where our opponents would be a Rangers side who had finished 9th in the League, but had won the UEFA Cup. Such a win suggested that Rangers might well have a decent team, but only played when they felt like it. In the Cup Final, goals on the 3rd and 7th minute from Alan MacDonald, ensured that they didn't feel like it today. Bechmann did pull a goal back on the half hour, but second half strikes from Steven Murray and Scott Craig ensured that the oldest footballing trophy in the world stayed at Station Park.
But of course, the target was still very much Europe. Newcastle awaited in the Champions League, and 20 minutes into the first leg, at home, we had a penalty. Paul O'Neill rarely misses these, and he didn't this time either as we took a vital lead and held it till the break. Five minutes into the second half, we had a 2nd penalty, but this time O'Neill did miss, and two minute later Newcastle were level. The English side were starting to look more and more confident, but 16 minutes from the end, the Italian referee gave us an incredible 3rd penalty, and O'Neill gave us back the lead. Late goals from Adams and Mitchell saw us end up four one winners, but the tie was far from over.
It wasn't outwith the bounds of possibility that we could lose 3-0 in Newcastle and I knew we would have to be on our guard. Thirty eight minute in, Mark Mitchell virtually killed the tie with a fine goal, and when Hugo Viana was sent off on 66, that was it. Our reward was a Quarter Final meeting with Real Sociedad.
The first leg at home again gave us the opportunity to build a lead to take to Spain, and Scott Adams sent us on our way after just five minutes. On 11 minutes, Kevin McMillan made it two, and when the referee awarded us a penalty after half an hour, young Tony Murphym taking it in the place of the suspended O'Neill, sent us three ahead, and thats how it stayed. The second leg would be tough, but a David Davidson strike on 12 minutes, and it was all over. Neither side could score again, and we were into a second successive Champions League Semi Final. Our opponents this season would be Juventus.
Again we had the first leg at home, and in a match that was as tight as you would expect at this stage, David Davidson scored the only goal after 16 minutes, and we had wonder if that would be enough to survive with in Turin. Yet again in an away leg, we strcuk very early, as Steven Murray sent us into a 5th minute lead, and of course we now had that vital away goal. Yet Juventus were by no means out of the game, as Del Pierro pulled them level on 13 minutes.
Four minutes later, we were ahead once more, Steven Murray again, but once more Juve hit back immediately through Del Pierro as the strikers seemed to be having a contest. On 26 minutes, Alan MacDonald sent us ahead for the third time, but two minutes from the break Brighi saw the Italians level again in a match that was certainly enthralling. The second half however wasnt as exciting, and with Juve chasing two goals, they ran out of time, and we had reached out first ever Champions League Final.
Our opponents would be Bayern Munich, and we stood on the verge of imortality....
02-26-2004, 02:00 AM
Bringing Up Baby - A Different Approach to The Lisbon Lions Challenge. Post #52
The UEFA Champions League Final Bayern Munchen versus Forfar Athletic Wednesday 26th May 2010 De Kuip, Rotterdam (51,172)
No-one in their right mind ever thought they would see this day, they day when Forfar Athletic would be in the Champions League Final. And in this day and age when money ruled football, and cheap foreign imports flooded the Scots league, we had arrived here with a team that didn't cost us a penny in transfer fees. A team we had raised ourselves, from kids, most of whom had grown up in the area. It was a remarkable achievement indeed, and if we won today, we would put even the Lisbon Lions in the shade. Its one thing having a team all born in the Glasgow area and leading them to success. Its something else altogther to do that in a small town like Forfar. Yes, if we won today, this would surely be the greatest triumph ever.
But Bayern of course would be no push overs, as they chased their 2nd Champions League triumph in three years. It was true they had an ageing squad, but it was still full of quality.
Bayern (4-4-2): Sascha Witt (24); Willy Sagnol (33), Samuel Kuffour (33), Robert Kovac (36), Tobias Rau (28); Omar Daley (29), Sebastian Deisler (30), Michael Ballack (33), Hasan Salihamiszic (33); Claudio Pizarro (31), Miroslav Klose (32) Subs: Christian Haag (GK)(23), Tobias Gebhardt (17), Marcus Wohlfarth (20), Florian Born (27), Frank Witt (22), Andreas Meier (24)
It was a side which oozed quality, and on the bench was the future of the great club. But we had our own quality, we believed. Mark Williamson though had been sidelined by injury, which was a great shame for him, but that of course meant a glorious opportunity for Jimmy Ross. The other main player missing was David Davidson, and his place in the midfield would be filled by Alan MacDonald with Scot Craig coming in up front. It was without doubt a huge occasion, and one could only wonder just how the still very young side we had would cope.
Forfar (4-4-2): Jimmy Ross (17); Craig Campbell (22), Tony Murphy (16), David Barker (17), Paul O'Neill (20); Kevin McMillan (18), Alan MacDonald (21), Mark Mitchell (18), Scott Adams (23); Steven Murray (22), Scott Craig (16) Subs: Kevin Smart (GK)(20), Scott Gibson (19), John Ferguson (21), Mark Parker (21), Pat Kenny (20), Peter Martin (21), Alan Lynch (17)
It was probably the youngest ever line up of any team in the Champions League Final, and yet this was a team that had won three successive domestic titles and had won three national cup competitions. We may be young, but we certainly didnt lack big game experience, and we had the gallousness of youth. As the match kicked off, I couldn't help but feel the pride swell. These were my babies, and they were about to go out into the fire, and if they came through it, they would be legends. In my eyes though, they already were....
02-26-2004, 10:56 AM
Bringing Up Baby - A Different Approach to The Lisbon Lions Challenge. Post #53
The match, as you would expect, stared nervously. Of course Bayern had been over the course before, but even the most experienced players will suffer nerves on such a massive occasion. The first real chance of the match fell to Ballack on six minutes, but his effort was weak from long range, and Ross easily held it. A couple of minutes later, we had our own first effort on goal, but again MacDonalds effort was easily held.
The match was taking time to warm up, as both sets of players sussed each other out. on 16 minutes, Daley progressed down the line but O'Neill managed to thump his cross out for a corner. Salihamidzic's corner was poor though, and was missed by everyone, being picked up by Ballack as Bayern tried to probe for an opening, but we managed to keep them at bay.
On 20 minutes, Craig burst through the Bayern defence, setting up Murray with a great chance, but Kovac was equal to it and the chance was lost. On 21 minutes, Adams found himself on the recieving end of a yellow card for a challenge on Daley. Sagnol sent a free kick across the area, but again it was too long, and McMillan was able to boot it clear.
The ball feel to Ballack, who played it back to Deisler and he sent it to Rau as once more Bayern tried patiently to prise an opening. Rau found Kuffour, who played it forward to Deisler. Bayern were enjoying losts of possession, but as long as there was no end product, we wouldn't worry too much. Deisler laid the ball off for Ballack, who had a much better long range effort which Ross made a brilliant save from. Unluckily for the young keeper, it broke to Klose and he thundered his shot home. Bayern were ahead.
02-26-2004, 05:59 PM
Bringing Up Baby - A Different Approach to The Lisbon Lions Challenge. Post #56
It was a gut wrenching, heart stopping moment, as the ball thudded into the back of the net, that would be replayed over and over in my mind forever. A devastating blow to our hopes of success, but there was still a long way to go. We could still do this, but we had made it so much more difficult, and it was tough to ask such a young team to lift themselves to a higher level after such a long hard season. We would soon find out just how much maturity our kid had developed.
On 27 minutes, we won a free kick about halfway inside the Bayern half. Murphy floated the ball towards Mitchell in the area, but his weak hearer was easily saved. Nevertheless, we knew we could create chances to get back into this game, we simply had to learn to take them. Yet Bayern were not going to simply sit back and allow us to play, and they started to a grip of the match.
Eight minutes from half time, Deisler had another pop at goal, but Ross was able to hold the ball, then played it to Murphy as we started a move of our own. Murphy found O'Neill on the left, who sent Adams racing down the left wing, unchallenged. Adams got a cross in which Murray thundered towards goal. Witt couldn't hold the shot, but the German defence somehow managed to scramble it away, and another good chance had gone begging.
That was the last real chance of the half, and we went into the dressing room trailing by a goal to nil. But there was still another 45 minutes, and we still had a chance. We could do this, and now we knew it.......
02-26-2004, 07:31 PM
Bringing Up Baby - A Different Approach to The Lisbon Lions Challenge. Post #58
We weren't depressed as we discussed the first half in the dressing room. Fact is, we had played fine, we had more than matched our more illustrious and far more experienced opponents. And we still had a chance. It was important that the players remembered that. One goal is nothing, we can more than make that up. Having such a young team, people tend think they will freeze on the day, but the truth is probably that this team is simply too young to realize what they are on the verge of.
We somehow though had to shake the solid German defence. Eight minutes into the second half, we had a free kick which O'Neill sent into the box. Ballck nodded it away, but only as far as the advancing Barker who laid the ball off to O'Neill, but his effort was saved by the keeper. This was the kind of pressure we needed much, much more of.
Bayern were not overly content to sit on their single goal lead, and on 63 minutes, Salihamidzic hit a shot at goal, that took a wicked deflection, but somehow Ross got a hand to it and the defence scrambled the ball clear. Perhaps, just perhaps, the tide of luck was turning in our favour.
The Germans though were still in command, and on 65 minutes I decided it was time for change. Mark Mitchell and Scott Craig had done themselves proud, but it was time to freshen it up, and they came to an ovation from the Forfar section of the support, and their places were taken by Peter Martin and Scott Gibson.
But Bayern still dominated the possession, althought their end product was pathetic at best. And still we clung to hope, and prayed to the footballing gods to lend us a helping hand. Time though was running out, and we entered the last 10 minutes of the match, so was our hope. We had played well enough, but it seemed that this just wasn't to be our night after all........
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