Personal Note: Please read to the end for the touching finale it is worth it Today is May 19th. It's also the day we beat Watford to win the Cup in 1984. How do I remember that so easily - well, it is, or in reality was, my brother's birthday. And he would have been 66 today were it not for his sudden death in 2005. My brother, Gary, wasn't really interested in football. He obsessed over cars and generally being a really nice guy - because that's what a lot of people with a type of Asperger's (or something approximating to AS) do. We did go to a few matches - and two in particular stand out in my memory across the first days of 1979 - Bolton away on New Year's Day - abandoned at half-time (1-1, Peter Reid injured for Bolton) - ice cold. 5 hour journey home slip sliding all over the road (which he obviously enjoyed) and Sunderland FA Cup (1-2) travelling by Football Special (or more precisely a 2 carriage ice box with no heating on). Not hard to forget those privations. Anyway I thought I'd take his picture of us (as children) with me tonight because we might need some extra support in the ground
And three or four times I brought this picture of us aged maybe 11 and 6 out.. and, really as the free kick for the winner approached I reached down into my pocket and touched the photo... As my son, unprompted and without any real knowledge also reached to hold me.. I don't know what I believe in but right then I felt raw emotion..