A game i'm sure did nothing good for my health

I was looking around a few sites, particularly reading all the articles on epltalk.com that have recently been posted and they have been looking back over what has been an amazing decade for football. You can go to any sports related website and you will have an abundance of critics and experts telling you what their favourite moment of the past ten years was. And what is so great about reading them is that everyone has a different opinion as different moments in football can mean different things to people. It could be easy of me to make a countdown of what I think are the X greatest Y’s of the decade but no one can ever agree on different things. And that is why instead I decided I’d just write about what for me was my favourite moment of the decade as I realised everyone has their own say. I know this is a Championship related website and I try to filter through news and opinion related to the league but here at Championship talk we value any sort of opinion and any article people want to write. And if everyone else can do it then so can I!

November 13th 2002 – Champions League Group Stage One – Feyenoord 2-3 Newcastle United:

This was one of those games that can only back up any claim that football is the most exciting sport in the world. Sir Bobby Robson helped Newcastle climb back to the top of the table and make it into the Champions league once again, but unlike our woeful efforts in Europe under Keegan, this time we were up to the challenge. When having a bit of a search to see if I could bring back even more memories of the match, I found the Guardian’s minute by minute updates of the match and just reading through that gives me goose bumps.

This was such in important game in a very open group between Juventus, Dynamo Kiev, Feyenoord and Newcastle. Juventus looked comfortable at the top but the other three teams most certainly had something to play for and they were ready to give it their all. It was a packed house on a cold night in Holland and Newcastle were hoping to become the first team in history to qualify for the next stage after losing their first three group games and it wasn’t easy considering that we were relying on a Juventus win against Kiev in Ukraine as well as winning our own game. Even more hairs were standing on the back of my neck as the players walked out to a cauldron of flares, streamers, flags and an electric continental atmosphere.

The first half had a few chances and most of them were Newcastle. We were dominating the game and the pace of our team seemed to be catching Feyenoord out every time. But I watched on, as our 2-0 lead all of a sudden became 2-2. In the middle of Newcastle and Feyenoord goals, it was all kicking off at Kiev as Dynamo had went 1-0 up only to be pegged back to 2-1. The game in Rotterdam had turned and Newcastle were starting to get over run by a heart-pounding atmosphere and the new found Feyenoord confidence. If things stayed the way they were in Kiev, the winner would be through to the second group phase.

Clive Tyldesley was commentating on the match and I remember him saying something along the lines of ‘a goal here is so important for either of these teams, especially when you consider it could be worth £10 million pounds’. That was what was at stake here, but more importantly for me it was for the chance to play in the next round, stay in the greatest competition in club football and meet more of Europe’s elite.

Feyenoord were pressing and it just seemed like it wasn’t going to be Newcastle’s night. We were 2-0 up and in control and had thrown it all away. But in the 92nd minute we thumped the ball forward where Shearer managed to head the ball to Dyer who shot was saved. Craig Bellamy latched onto the ball and could of held it up, but instead shot from a difficult angle and the keeper could do nothing about it. It was absolutely amazing and what football was all about. A pure battle which had a blockbuster ending and I think it was a couple of days before I stopped bouncing off the walls in my house after that one. One of my favourite games ever.

I had someone ask me a few months ago, obviously not trying to be offensive, why do Newcastle fans chant Sir Bobby Robson’s name all the time and why was there such a monument for a manager that didn’t win anything for Newcastle. Well apart from being from the local area, it is moments like this that we love Bobby for. He brought excitement to the team and moments like what I’ve mentioned above. He made us into a side that did amazing things and we had some great games with him at the helm. Sacking Bobby was a terrible mistake, but the fans will always love him and its games like our 3-2 victory against Feyenoord that we will remember him best for.

So there you have it! That was my personal favourite moment of the decade. And here at Championship Talk we would love to hear your opinion on what was your favourite moment. And also as a new year (and decade) looms, we are looking for new writers to help add their opinion on all matters Championship and Football League! If you are interested in writing for the site and would love to have your say, please send an e-mail to:

thegaffer[at]epltalk[dot]com

We hope to hear from you!