From September 1996 to May 2002, S 92 and 93 were TLF’s (not that she was TLF back then) Filbert Street constant footballing companions. This week, one of their conversations was recorded for posterity:
92: Well this is nice. A bit of greenery and a set of goalposts to look at.
93: Restful. Not quite the size we are used to obviously.
92: Obviously.
93: But calmer. Fitting for our time of life. Not that I regret a moment….and there were some.
92: Highs and lows.
93: She was quite sweary wasn’t she?
92: Still is if you ask me.
93: But always passionate. Remember that 3-3 against Arsenal? August 1997. Her first game after she’d left the football-loathing husband.
92: I never did get that.
93 (huffs at being interrupted): It was an evening game. She came with that mad mate of hers, Lisa. Bergkamp scored the best hat trick ever. And they thought he’d scored an exquisite winner in stoppage time only for Lesta to squeak an even later equaliser. I thought the roof would come off. And I thought she’d have a stroke.
92: They never gave up under O’Neil did they? Two League Cups and a succession of top half finishes.
93: They loved him. It was loud and it was proud and they didn’t need those ruddy ‘clackers’.
92: And as for those homemade ‘Don’t go Martin’ banners against Spurs? Leeds were desperate for him to replace George Graham and the fans were all there with photocopied signs begging him to stay. Worked too.
93: For awhile….. That Stan Collymore hattrick against Sunderland at the end of the season. We were all sure the only way was up and then O’God was gone. And so was hope.
92: Well we all thought Peter Taylor was a good idea.
93: I didn’t. Never trusted him.
92: You never said at the time.
93: I didn’t like to give my opinion. I was only a support service.
92: Well either way, apart from that brief sojourn at the top of the table, because everyone else was losing, it was downhill all the way.
93: We were so keen to make that last season at Filbert Street a celebration. And how do we start? Opening day of the season, there with her mum, and they watch a 5-0 defeat to newly promoted Bolton.
92: I think she nearly had a stroke that day too.
93: Still once he’d gone at least they tried. Harry Bassett almost pulled off a great escape.
92: Aye. And when they did go down it was with pride.
93: Oh yes. At home to Man Utd. The Red Devils score and everyone knows its over. Some lad stands up and starts, “Stand up if you love Lesta.” She of course joins in straight away. And rather than it fizzling it out like it usually does, slowly but surely everyone in the ground gets up and they serenade relegation with pride. An ‘incredible reaction’, SKY sports said. It was over but it was inspiring. Not a dry eye in the house, or maybe she just had a bit of dust in her eye.
92: The future Mr TLF (FMTLF) was with her that day. You’d have thought he’d have sussed out the lay of the land there and then really.
93: I don’t know…..All that support, all those memories and where have we been for the last 16 years?
92: Gathering dust in a garage….
93: And then a bike shed.
92: That’s gratitude for you.
93: Those new seats; they don’t know they’re born.
92: Premier League Champions!
93: Champions League!
92: Mind you they did go through administration and at least we weren’t there for City’s first ever relegation to Division One.
93: True. And there she is. Still going. Still hoping.
92: She is a bit daft like that. I mean 16 years to work out we’d make a nice bench.
93: Bit slow that one. All that blogging and TLF-this, TLF-that. It’s turned her head.
92: Wouldn’t catch me in her ruddy blog.
93: Nor me
FIN
