Richard Gibson

At what stage did you realise we would be bottom of the league going into
the last game of the season?  The week before, after the game against the Monkey Hangers, I always had a sneaky feeling that we could have survived without the last game, although I don't think I said that at the time, even after being beaten at the McCain Stadium, although 1 month before the season ended, a lot of pessimists were
saying that was us, we were finished, me included, but after the shock of the Scarborough defeat, I had the sneakiest feeling.


How did you cope getting through that last week? With all the hype surrounding the day, it seemed to be a very long week.  All my so called "mates" up here were getting their tuppence worth in, and it did start to get to me, I just avoided people and kept myself to myself.


Did you hesitate about going to the game? I had no choice but not to go, I was working at 4:45pm on that day, and even the way I drive, it would be impossible to travel the 135 miles in that time :-)

How did you feel as you walked into the ground?
as above :-)

When did you here that Peterborough had scored? It came over through the commentary in the cufconline chat room that the Scabs were getting beat, then there was some hope.

When the Dobie goal was disallowed, did you feel it wouldn`t be our day? I didn't think it would be our day after about 10 minutes of the game.


At half time were you optimistic or depressed? Neither, it was more stress, sweaty palms, nausea, lack of concentration.  If I recall correctly, I also felt that we were Doooommmmeeeddd :-)

When Plymouth scored what were your feelings?  I though that was it, game over, absolutely no chance of a comeback of any kind whatsoever.

When Brightwell scored how did you feel?  With not being there, and getting the text through the chat room, it always seemed to be a wind-up, but when it finally sunk in, the half time feelings were blown away, this was it, we're back, come on Carlisle lets do it!!!!

At the end of normal time Colin Carter came on the tannoy announcing  the Scarborough final score and tried to lift the crowd, what were your
feelings then? As I've said earlier, I was not at the game as I was working. When I left
the house, we were down and out.

What were you thinking as we won the corner and Pearson waved jimmy forward?
Why aren't there any deliveries in the shop?

What was your thoughts when Glass scored?  I wish they'd hurry up and give me these lottery tickets, I'll have to get back and see if there are any deliveries.

Did you go on the pitch after the game?
Slightly impossible, although I'm a big guy, I'm not that big :-)

How did you feel after it was all over that day? I did not know that we were safe until I received a telephone call informing me that Jimmy had scored. When I received that telephone call, all hell broke loose, for the second time in 15 minutes I lost the ability to speak, and feelings of elation, relief and joy.  I never realised just how much
emotions can be felt following a football club.

Just by sheer coincidence, one of the songs on the tape I had in my car was
the Undertones Jimmy Jimmy.  I lost count of the amount of times I rewound
that tape that night, and blasted around Levenmouth, delivering chips,
bouncing around and chirpy as hell, the folk must have though I was on
drugs, I'm usually a grumpy bugger.

Oh, and I got well and truly smashed that night, just for the sake of it.

Looking back on that day now, how important  do you feel that game was?
Probably the most important day in the history of the club, more important
than winning the league title, getting to Wembley twice etc.  All of those
would have counted for nothing at all had the club been relegated, and I
also feel that it could have spelled the end for Carlisle United Football
Club, and Brunton Park would be a giant housing scheme by now, Cumbria would
be without league football, or worse than all of those, plying their trade
in the lower reaches of the Scottish League, now that would be a nightmare,
although I'd be able to see a bit more of the club :-P, I would still
despise the management if they had done that.

Long live Carlisle United.

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