It was 20 years ago today

[antman]

Well, tomorrow actually. We beat Southend at home on May 3rd, 2003 but could not avoid the dreaded drop to non-league football and all the struggle that entailed. I was living a very happy life during my first period in Barcelona at that time, but I remember walking out of the Internet café (remember them?) and just listlessly wandering around the streets feeling very sad and kind of numb.
The five years that followed were a testament to our great supporters and how much people really cared about the club. There have been a few years since then when we haven't progressed fast, but the basic structure of the club has been improved constantly to the point where we are not even punching above our weight particularly in the third tier. I never would have thought we'd be averaging 6k for home games, which is a huge proportional increase on past years at this level.
What were you doing on that day and how do you feel about the last 20 years?

 

[Banksy]

Whereas , for example , I can remember what I was doing the day Kennedy was assassinated, I’ve absolutely no recollection of what I was doing on 3/5/03. I did however enjoy supporting City throughout their non league sojourn as I’d just at that very time finished my commitment to the local team I’d been involved with and therefore had much more time to commit to City on a Saturday.

 

[Grecian Max]

Bloody hell, that's a long time.

I was 16, about to do my GCSEs, stood with 2 mates on the Big Bank. One had a radio with headphones in tuned into the Swansea game which would seem alien to a 16 year old now!

Got in early around 2pm and it was already packed and swaying, the green guide just a twinkle in the eye of some pen pusher.

For me, it was probably the first "big game" feeling I'd had on the new Big Bank. We'd not sold out v Argyle when they went up the season before. The run-in and the untouchable Gary Peters meant I had the belief we'd do it.

Worst thing about that day was the delayed kick off. Flacky's goal meant nothing as we'd already been down for 10-15 minutes, most muted celebration I've seen at the Park.

Almost the entire time I'd supported City we'd done a great escape, I never thought we'd actually get relegated so was pretty shocked when it happened.

Going into non-league at that time felt like the abyss. There was barely any reporting on it and I'd never seen a Non-League Paper. Weird to think how familiar we'd get with it all over the 5 years.

 

[Leads]

Wow, that is a long time indeed.

I can't remember a huge amount. I was 11 at the time, I remember Flack scoring but no one quite knowing how to react. I was looking forward to getting on the pitch at the end, I recall people in tears but didn't probably understand the magnitude and wasn't fully aware of how dire the financial situation was. I started going regularly from around 2000, so I was used to us being rubbish. The next season definitely felt like a breath of fresh air.

 

[Grecian-on-Tyne]

& 14 years ago TODAY (not tomorrow)

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

The first season of two up two down from the bottom of the Football League to Conference. Sod’s law the Grecians would cop that 2nd spot.

I thought the game was up with the defeat at Cambridge a few weeks before.. Played as well as at any time during the season, sitter missed by Flacky. The home side win in Injury time.

 

[Super Ronnie Jepson]

The first season of two up two down from the bottom of the Football League to Conference. Sod’s law the Grecians would cop that 2nd spot.

Replaced in the league by Yeovil. How times change.

 

[dontpassback]

Didn’t kevin Miller save a penalty in the Southend game ?

 

[Benguin]

My friend's sister was running the bars at the Park and she smuggled us in.
We sat near the directors seats and what an odd bunch were there that day!

My Dad was in the Queue to get in but gave up, it was a roadblock.

 

[Super Ronnie Jepson]