2008 hurt the most out of all the finals i've been too since the mid 90's, totally robbed, 2014 was a disgrace of a performance looking at the team we had.
Looking at all our finals... Which should really read Dundee United that do not due to horrendous decisions as opposed to just messing it up on the day or not turning up or being well beaten
For me there are 'just' three
1981 League Cup Final vs Rangers
1-0 up a Luggy scores one of the best Cup final goals you'll see 25 yards thunderbolt into top corner to make it 2-0, disgracefully disallowed.. it changed the game completely, We lose 2-1
1987 Scottish Cup Final vs St Mirren
Score a perfectly good goal in normal time, disgracefully disallowed, St Mirren win it in extra time.. Which is not a surprise as we would have been fatigued giving it was fixture 66 in the season and sandwiched between the uefa final
2008 League Cup Final vs Rangers
1-0 midway through the second half, we're by far the better side on the day at that point when Cuellar impedes, fouls and wrestles Kalvenes in the box to prevent him getting in on goal, as blatant a pen as you'll ever see, Kenny Clark the ref disgracefully barely acknowledged it, they were not coming back from 2-0 that day and the Kerr backpass didn't happen.. this one slightly less as you can't say for sure we'd score the pen but Hunt was dispatching them that season and had opened the scoring.. The emotions that say are hard to describe, experienced it all, the best Utd final support I've been in in terms of atmosphere and noise (on the back of THAT semi vs the sheep at Tynecastle) , the celebrations at the devries goal wow, the despair at the end, still never been as sick after any game before or after, not even close.. 2010 did numb this though.
2008 hurt the most out of all the finals i've been too since the mid 90's, totally robbed, 2014 was a disgrace of a performance looking at the team we had.
The 1981 League Cup Final,still cannie believe that John Holt was deemed offside,they said he was interfering with play but all he did was duck out the way as Sturrock's exocet flew into the top corner.The Glasgow Rangers(RIP)keeper Jim Stewart had a clear view of the ball as it flew past him and made every effort to save it.
We were in complete control of that game but fell to pieces because of the disallowed goal,we were also going for 3 League Cups in a row.It was due to injustices like this that the Hampden hoodoo came to pass,FACT.I am not looking back with rose tinted specs when i say our major honour's count should be around 10.
'91 deserves an honorary mention too. Had a perfectly good goal chopped off (Hamish French) and their winner was a blatant foul on Alan Main. Still, we were in great position to win that in extra time with Maxwell goosed and we fcuked it up.
I spoke to an old Rangers fan years ago about the '81 LC Final and even he, as a staunch blue nose, said we were robbed that day.
Roma, cheated out of a European cup final. We might not have won it though
Shedka's description of the 87 cup final 'goal' is spot on. I watched the footage again (just to remind myself) and the decision to disallow Ferguson's goal is absolutely astonishing. Even with the offside rule as it was at the time, it is truly baffling.
That day was the last time in my life I placed a bet on a United game.
I remember how non plussed they were outside that day, we were utterly dejected and yet proud, played so well, looked like a really good team, I remember we went to Celtic Park three days before the final and drew 0-0, then back to Hampden the Sunday and played Rangers off the Park, even in extra time holding our own and battling for everything, floods energy, Conway, bauben etc
18000 arabs with the one shoe chant in extra time all with the shoe off is also a stand out moment, the hvns looking over in silence
Video of our end at the opening goal
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=a9XMbAW_j5o