Stevenage - Stoke memories

[Footymad]

Brings it all back before we play then ay the weekend. Happy to say I was there, up at the end, nervous as a virgin on her wedding night. The drive back was AWESOME.

Crowd scenes. - External Link

[Piglet_Phoenix]

I hated the whole experience, in fairness.

It was a disgrace a club like ours ever fell into the Conference in the first place. Fail to get out at your first attempt and the implications are there for all to see - Darlington, Stockport, York, Wrexham, Hereford etc etc - once you slip down there it's a real battle to get out.

So for me, the trip to Stoke was too nerve racking an experience to ever enjoy - and the implications of losing this game could very well have been terminal. At the final whistle it was entirely a feeling of relief than celebration - we'd been on the brink against Aldershot in the semi-final and the whole season and future of the club was on a knife edge.

So what would I have been celebrating? A return to level of football we should never ever fall below and I'm disappointed we're playing at anyway? The real time for celebration was during the the following season when the team came together and we played exciting, attacking football. I'd be happy to forget Stoke forever, but it's a sobering reminder of how close we came (and how close we currently are) to the abyss.