Mcatee

Quoted from forza ivano

Very true, but equally I wonder if he'd even make it into a GTFC best non league XI - I'd certainly put Amond & Bogle in front of him, & you could argue that Alan Connell was equally as important

Quoted from forza ivano

Very true, but equally I wonder if he'd even make it into a GTFC best non league XI - I'd certainly put Amond & Bogle in front of him, & you could argue that Alan Connell was equally as important

Quoted from Poojah

For me, the most remarkable thing about that play-off campaign was just how many great individual contributions there were in what was ultimately an incredible overarching team effort. Think back to Wembley '98 and Wayne Burnett and Kevin Donovon spring to mind above everyone else; think of the 2016 play-off final and it's Omar Bogle and Nathan Arnold. You just can't narrow the class of 21/22 down like that.

The Max Crocombe-assisted Holohan equaliser at the death at Notts County, followed by Mani's "I just fúcking threw my self at it" winner in the last minute of extra time, not to mention his goal at Wrexham a few days later. McAtee's worldie in immediate response to Mullin's cheap penalty. Taylor's fantastic diving header. Waterfall's brace, including another winner in the last minute of extra time. McAtee again, bursting through for the equaliser against Solihull, legs bursting with cramp. Maguire-Drew sneaking in at the back post for the winner from a Jordan Cropper missile; his throws of course being iconic moments in their own right.

And all of that's before we even get to the heroic midfield performances of the likes of Clifton and Fox et al, Crocombe's worldie save at London Stadium, or young Andy Smith not only playing through the whole play-off campaign like a seasoned pro, but seeing to our kryponite Kyle Hudlin in the process; yet another pivotal moment in a series of pivotal moments. Easy to forget that Smith was only 20 at the time, and had never played a senior league game prior to signing for us that January.

Remove any one of those incredible moments, literally any one of them, and it's possible if not probable that the final outcome would have been totally different. Holohan shanks his shot wide? We trudge out of Meadow Lane moments later, staring at the ground. McAtee spoons his long range effort over the bar? Maybe we don't find the belief that we can beat Wrexham, and we lose that game 3 or 4-0. Christ, Efete doesn't get injured earlier in the season, and we don't have Jordan Cropper on the pitch to launch his grenades in. Had we not gone up when we did, I think it's pretty likely we'd still be down there now too, and our prospects would look very different.

The whole thing was just so utterly bonkers, I still find it hard to believe that it happened, over a year on, especially when I write it out like that, step-by-step. It's that massive cliché, but you generally couldn't write a fictional story in that way without losing all credibility.

It was, quite literally, unbelievable…

Quoted from diehardmariner

Really good summary and you can't understate the sheer magnitude of what was achieved, but I think there's a bit of recency at play when comparing 2022 to 1998.  Yeah, Donovan and Burnett stand out for their respective goals in the two finals, but for the heroics of Ben Fox and Harry Clifton there was Paul Groves absolutely dominating anyone who came across him in midfield, the Nogan/Lester pairing that just worked in perfect tandem with the cutting in Donovan and the overlapping Macca down the right.   If we're talking moments then Dave Smith anticipating the short pass back at Craven Cottage.  Both Fulham red cards, the one at Blundell Park that set fire to what was already a red hot atmosphere, Lester rolling the Northampton defender to perfection that let Donovan in for the play-off winner....the inspired substitution of Kingsley Black on for Tony Gallimore in the Autowindscreens Final....

2022 is so, so special and I don't think any of us will ever experience anything like it again.  Personally I'm not sure I want to. I remember stating how much I hated football throughout most of the Notts County game and all of the Wrexham game.  The joy at the end was unrivalled but the emotional rollercoaster to get there was horrific.

In terms of sliding doors moments, 2022 trumps anything.  Things like the Crocombe 'assist', the stupidity of the County defender to foul Clifton when it was easier to just stand up and prevent him from turning, the instant reaction from McAtee at Wrexham, the Hudlin removal from the game. 1998, just like 2016 definitely has them, but recency and the greater exposure definitely puts them even further in the shadow.

On reflection, there was some quite distinct parallels between 1998 and 2022.  Returning manager, calls for their head during the season, need/desire to bounce back straight away, the battle against a cash-rich/media loved side in the semi-finals...

Easy as Town fans to think we've had it excrement, to be fair we have!  But there are some truly wonderful moments I'm grateful I've witnessed as a Town fan.  It just adds something to me about a point on another thread about the increased numbers at games in the last 20 or so years. You can't beat live sport. I don't care what sport it is.  The spectacle, the anticipation, the adrenaline in the air, it's just magical.  But to see your team, the team you've worried about more than you really should have done go on and do something like that.  You just can't replicate that by randomly picking a side in the Prem to follow.

Quoted from LocalLadGTFC

It was criminal how bad we were in that first season, Connell was far far too good for that level. He had absolutely 0 pace, couldn't really jump, was built like a cheese string but my god what a footballer. All different type of goals from poaching to worldie free kicks. I wouldn't have Bogle in my NL dream team however, it'd be Amond Hearn and Connell for me. Liam Hearn is the best striker we've had imo, criminal that injuries ruined his career but he was unplayable. Pretty sure there was a run of 5 or so games where he scored like 12/13 goals, he had absolutely everything.

Quoted from sam gy

Feel like Bogle didn't set the world alight in the NL but was incredible in Lg 2

Quoted from LocalLadGTFC

It was criminal how bad we were in that first season, Connell was far far too good for that level. He had absolutely 0 pace, couldn't really jump, was built like a cheese string but my god what a footballer. All different type of goals from poaching to worldie free kicks. I wouldn't have Bogle in my NL dream team however, it'd be Amond Hearn and Connell for me. Liam Hearn is the best striker we've had imo, criminal that injuries ruined his career but he was unplayable. Pretty sure there was a run of 5 or so games where he scored like 12/13 goals, he had absolutely everything.