FA Cup Final loss in 1981 or Luton 83?

[Rocky1]

Luton easily, the worst day of my football life (been worse since mind). Going into it I really didn't believe we could go down and then the horror of them scoring and it suddenly being real.
Halifax and Shrewsbury away were bad but realised that day that we were in a mess.
Next couple of seasons were good fun but we weren't one of the big boys anymore and its taken a long time to come back.

 

[Skip Donoghue]

I would say the 81 cup final for me as it was a chance to win something and possibly build on it
Which as we all know didn't happen and it all went down hill rather quickly after that culminating in relegation in 83, even after relegation though I thought we would come back stronger but that didn't go as planned either

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

Luton was the worst. Both matches in 81 were great days out with lots of ale taken to soften the blow but the David Pleat jig was certainly the worst day of my football life. Got home to Withington in a stunned state and split up with my girlfriend of three years when she told me: "It's only a game." None of the other relegations have come close in terms of anguish.

 

[SXBLUE]

Luton for me easily especially as i thought we were safe,far worse for the club.

 

[MANC LOYAL]

Losing the Luton game hit me harder.

As above, first time i saw grown men cry.I was 14 at the time.Didn't known i'll be doing it 29 years later.

 

[Blumers Bloomers]

This thread will be lost to a lot on here!

 

[Dirty Harry]

Although the Cup Final loss was disappointing it was still two great days out at Wembley.

The Luton relegation was devastating and summed up what Swales had done to the club after bringing back Allison and letting him dismantle a good team.

Pretty much my thoughts at the time, must admit though, if someone would have told me then that it would be another 30 years before we had another serious chance of winning anything I may have felt a little different, at the time it seemed inconceivable.

 

[isab23502]

I'll go for the Luton one.
One thing I remember about the 1981 Cup Final Replay was my late father - who hated football - coming in from the pub just as Crooks had equalised, sitting down and saying "Is there anything else on?"
He was serious as well, I think.

 

[jonmcity]

Luton by a mile, but one thing i do remember was the big crowd singing "we'll support you evermore at the end. I was only young but this made a massive impression on me.

 

[CityEssex49er]

FANTASTIC TOPIC ROCKY !!!!

Losing to Luton was unbelievable - a few years earlier, we'd been going to the title and buying the best players. No, this is NOT Barry Davis/John Motson......

IMO - we didn't get over this until Shinawatra took over - I really do believe that the effect of going down was that deep. Since then, we kept fliting between the top 2 divisions until '98 when the truly unthinkable happened.......

Still, we turned up in our droves and I just looooovvvvvvv it with what has happened since '08.............