6th May 2005 - Carlisle United Away, Play Off Semi Final

[Martin Patfield]

Years ago when ShotsTalk was actually a fully fledged website there was a section on the site with poems written by someone. I always remembered the Carlisle one distinctly as it put into words that exact night.
For years I've hoped it was not lost, but I've just found it - http://footballpoets.org/poems/carlisle-away/

More Aldershot related ones here - http://footballpoets.org/poets/poet-shot/

https://www.facebook.com/AldershotFootballAttic / https://x.com/shotsremembered

https://x.com/shotsremembered/status/19 ... 8806792574

I will always remember the sixth May
Play off Semis, Second leg, Carlisle away
We all travelled north to see our team
Strive and battle to achieve our dream

From the first leg we held such a slender lead
Only scoring one but didn’t concede
It should have been more but we cursed our luck
If only Holloway’s shot had been better struck!

As we queued up outside Brunton Park
The Police would let their dogs’ snarl and bark
A mood of fear they wanted to create
Their plan seemed to be to intimidate

But once we get inside the ground
Some friendly faces are to be found
We stand and chat and compare notes
The sound of anticipation in our throats

Straight from the kick off, Carlisle attack
Hearts in mouths as we are pinned back
Hang on in there, get hold of the ball
But we are defending with our backs to the wall

Wave after wave comes at our end
And we are forced to desperately defend
How much longer can we hold on?
Where has all our confidence gone?

And then it happens, they go and score
And they way its going, there could be more
Sure enough, they get another one
Now they really have us on the run

Half time is here and we look down and out
The heads have fallen and are full of doubt
But hang on…. We are only one goal down
We start to believe we can still pull this around

So up goes the beat on Flagboys drum
Despite the blisters that make his hands numb
We clap our hands and make even more noise
In the Second half, we try and lift our boys

Like an old mystical chant from days gone by
“Come on the Shots” is our cry
Over and over and over again
Forget the tiredness, forget the pain

Keep on clapping, keep on singing
I know your hands are tired and stinging
But just don’t stop, keep on going
See.. look.. the teams confidence is growing

And now it is our turn to attack
And now it is their turn to be pinned back
All over the pitch we are winning the fight
Oh no!….Watto’s cross-shot hits the upright

Up goes that chant from our crowd once more
“Come on the Shots” our voices roar
For whilst we chant, we still believe
That our dreams and ambitions we can achieve

“Give us more time” with God, I plead
But the minutes tick away with alarming speed
The electronic scoreboard seems to mock
As it displays a big 90 on its clock

All their fans start to celebrate
As masses of stewards appear at our gate
No it can’t be over, sing, you Shots, sing
A cross flashes over, a head rises….. ITS IN!!!!

I dare not believe what my eyes are telling me,
My heart is going to burst, my legs turn to jelly
I have no control over the words that I shout
All my emotions come flooding out

We dance around and punch the air
To the highest of highs from the depths of despair
To my last living day on this Earth, I do reckon
I will never be more alive than I was at that second

But penalties shootouts are a cruel mistress
From total elation to utter distress
It looked so good when we had taken three
But in the end it was not to be

So, with such a joy there must be a cost
And we paid in full because we lost
We did not deserve it after such a gallant fight
But we will all remember, “what a night!”

Through heartache and sorrow, laughter and tears
I will recollect that match for the rest of my years
And win, lose or draw, promoted or not
I will always be proud to be called a Shot

[lowerbourneshot]

I had to go and lie down accross some seats after that equaliser.

[Aldershot_Rob]

Great find that, Martin, thanks for sharing.

SLABBBBBBEEERRRRRR!!!

[Josh]

What a night!
Battered most of the game.
Movement when Slabber scored.
3-1 up on pens and blew it. Gutted.
The highs and lows in around 30 minutes.

[Martin Patfield]

What a night!
Battered most of the game.
Movement when Slabber scored.
3-1 up on pen stand blew it. Gutted.
The highs and lows in around 30 minutes.

All those verses of well thought out words and rhythm and you've busted it open in just 4 lines!!!!

[redblueuptoyou]

What a night!
Battered most of the game.
Movement when Slabber scored.
3-1 up on pen stand blew it. Gutted.
The highs and lows in around 30 minutes.

Can you remember who missed our penalties?

[brian bloomfield]

What a night, 860 fans to Carlisle on a Friday night was superb support.

[CH]

What a night!
Battered most of the game.
Movement when Slabber scored.
3-1 up on pen stand blew it. Gutted.
The highs and lows in around 30 minutes.

Can you remember who missed our penalties?

Chris Giles was definitely one

[Martin Patfield]

What a night!
Battered most of the game.
Movement when Slabber scored.
3-1 up on pen stand blew it. Gutted.
The highs and lows in around 30 minutes.

Can you remember who missed our penalties?

https://youtu.be/H25fanT1YhQ?si=DK3wpnct_WS6PWIn

Skip to 5 mins, 55 seconds.

Giles and Crittenden missed

[Kidderminster Shots]

I wonder if some of the people made famous amongst fans by their various links to Aldershot will be at Wembley on Sunday? People who had positions of responsibility or cared for the club.

Tony Sharpe
Karl Prentice
Gav Dennison
Bully
Terry Brown
Cashy
James Wade
Justin Rose
Flagboy

Pretty random list and I don't know any of these people personally, know where they live now, or if they remember us like I remember them, but I wonder if they'll be there... Hope a few will.

[Peter macdonald]

Left brunton park at 11 o’clock with the late Eammon smith RIP my driver, home at about 3 o’clock and work at 5-15 in those days so extremely pissed off no sleep and off to work