Last time you cried after a match?

[therock67]

Following on from an earlier comment (by bandage I think) when was the last time you cried after a match?

For me it was after the UEFA cup final when Celtic were beaten. Locked by the time the game was over and left Frazers at closing time and sat down on Abbey Street by the 32 bus stop and the tears started flowing.

[bandage]

That game in 1991 was crushing for the 9 year old Bandage (coming on the back of the county semi final loss to Shamrocks the previous midweek). I'd been to the 1988 final where we lost to Offaly, lost to Dublin in the semi in 1990 the day Ireland drew 0-0 with Egypt in the WC. We had hit rock bottom but throughout this fog and murkiness one man stood out as a beacon of hope and light.

His name was Liam Dunne. I recall the masterclass he gave that day as my father pointed out his sidestep, how you don't have to be big to succeed, how the flick of the wrist is nearly always a better option than the full swing of the hurley, how out of pure habit he nearly always played the diagonal ball to his club mate Storey. We were now going to be champions, we had waited so long and then DJ in the last minute! It was too much to take - we decided to wait for the crowd to leave and I sat there crying my eyes out. Surely this had not happened. But it had. And it always seemed to happen to us.

'It's okay son - we'll win one soon with people like Liam Dunne on the team' reassured my father as my tears continued to flow. How right he was. How right he was.

[whyohwhy]

bandage said:

That game in 1991 was crushing for the 9 year old Bandage (coming on the back of the county semi final loss to Shamrocks the previous midweek). I'd been to the 1988 final where we lost to Offaly, lost to Dublin in the semi in 1990 the day Ireland drew 0-0 with Egypt in the WC. We had hit rock bottom but throughout this fog and murkiness one man stood out as beacon of hope and light.

His name was Liam Dunne. I recall the masterclass he gave that day as my father pointed out his sidestep, how you don't have to be big to succeed, how the flick of the wrist is nearly always a better option than the full swing of the hurley, how out of pure habit he nearly always played the diagonal ball to his club mate Storey. We were now going to be champions, we had waited so long and then DJ in the last minute! It was too much to take - we decided to wait for the crowd to leave and I sat there crying my eyes out. Surely this had not happened. But it had. And it always seemed to happen to us.

'It's okay son - we'll win one soon with people like Liam Dunne on the team' reassured my father as my tears continued to flow. How right he was. How right he was.

That made me laugh

[eamo]

For me it was Liverpool vs Man Utd in the 1996 FA Cup final.

[therock67]

Was that the Cantona goal? That was a horrible game to watch.

[whyohwhy]

Rock, you have brought a tear to my eye. I see the great man Pat Spillanes name under my user name!!

I'm honoured, but it'll be a sad day when I go past 250 posts!

[eamo]

admin said:

Was that the Cantona goal? That was a horrible game to watch.

Thats the one. I still remember George's commentary.'Cantonaaaaaaa - yes indeed'. I felt like putting my fist through the television. They were going for their double double and they did it.

That was a shocking match. The infamous white suits came out that day. Spice boys etc... Keane had a stormer though.

[cully]

i don't recall ever crying after a game i've watched, am i unique in this ?

[timofte]

Don't think I've ever cried after a game. Maybe tears of joy when Liverpool won the Champions League last year or when the Deise beat Cork in the 2004 Munster Final.

I do however remember the Hillsborough tragedy. As a young fella I proabaly didn't realise fully what was happening. I think most people were in a state of shock watching the scene's unfold that day in 1989. Alot of tears were shed for sure.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh siad

[lyonsee]

I cried after Liverpool's last game of the season in 98/99 against Sheffield Wednesday. Finished seventh. What a pile of poo.

The worst I've ever felt after a match was probably Ireland v Spain at WC2002 although I managed not to cry.

[iamthelaw]

Don't think I've ever cried after a match either.

Worst I felt was in the North Terrace in Lansdowne as Humphries missed a last minute peno straight at us to lose to France by a point. But the memory was soon wiped away in the Stade the following year.

The one that still sticks in the throat for me was Scotland in the '91 World Cup. For most Irish rugby supporters, Finlay Calder's name, like that of Neil Back, only evokes one thought, no matter how great he was before or after, the memory in Calder's case being him clothes-lining Jim Staples in the second half in Murrayfield, with Ireland leading. A few minutes later a still-shaken Staples spilled an up-and-under and the Scots scored the try that effectively sent us to glorious defeat in the next round against Australia and saw them into the semis past Western Samoa. Still haven't forgiven them for that, have loved seeing the fookers doing sh!t in recent years.

[bandage]

Since that 1991 game I've never come close to crying. There's been loads of terrible disappointments but it's been replaced by other emotions such as anger, bitterness, numbness. disillusionment, resignation, pride, acceptance etc. Maybe it's cos I'm getting a little bit older.

1998 Leinster Hurling semi final: Johnny Dooley's last minute goal - numbness.
2001, 2003 and 2004: All Ireland Hurling semi final replay defeats - disillusionment and acceptance because we were beaten so comfortably second time round on each occasion.
2002 World Cup shoot out: On J1 in the US. ESPN had been showing all the games live but because it was a Sunday NBC had the rights for the game and were showing full deferred coverage about 4 hours after the game was due to end. There we were in a shoddy motel watching Sport Center and the little info bar across the bottom of the screen waiting to get the result. MLB scores, NHL, NFL, NBA news, Indy Car Racing etc etc. Just give us the soccer scores you fookers! And there it was: Spain 1-1 Ireland AET; Spain wins on penalties. Crushing disappointment but no tears - was barely able to watch the game later that day as I knew what was coming.
2003: UEFA Cup Final - anger at the cheating of Deco, Derlei etc. Anger at rab Douglas. Proud of the rest of the team and Larsson in particular.

Nearest I've been to crying have probably been on occasions when we've won such as the Kilkenny game in 2004 and the All Ireland final in 1996. I know what Shankly said was ott but sport matters.

[iamthelaw]

think i'd be more likely too to shed tears after a victory than a defeat, but not sure how great that victory would have to be: ireland winning the grand slam? beating the all blacks in the millennium stadium in the world cup quarter-final next year?
My school winning the cup (rugby) could possibly do it; a couple of junior finals in the last few years after a 15-year wait since our last final, but still no silverware.

[pagey]

Henrik Larsson's farewell game for me. Don't think there was a dry eye in Paradise that night. A real emotional night.

Hail Hail to the King.

[therock67]

iamthelaw said:

think i'd be more likely too to shed tears after a victory than a defeat, but not sure how great that victory would have to be: ireland winning the grand slam?

David Bobin - the old sky sports rugby presenter - cried live on air after the Lions won in South Africa. Fool. Don't get me wrong I was well up for the Lions but Christ I'm not going to cry if they win - especially if I'm presenting the fuckin coverage.