Your most memorable sport-watching experiences, talk about them here

In my 50+ years of watching professional sports, I'd never come close to being so close to the action or the "actors"....it was a treat.

Of course, a couple of weeks ago, Jan Stephenson, who WAS the first golfer I remember to have promoted not only her talent but her looks decided, at the age of 40-something to rip the Koreans for "destroying the tour" by not being "fan friendly" enough.

Also, going to all three races in the Triple Crown this year was great, although Funny Cide couldn't pull out a sweep.

It was like being in a room full of people who just won the lottery or something. VERY VERY satisfying. Especially since the US team and coach were doing some shit-talking earlier in the tournament that Canada wasn't all they were cracked up to be. Oh really?

The Spurs-Arsenal semi-final of the same year was more satisfying, for obvious reasons, but I didn't have any sweets for that one. Other than that, the only thing I can think of is England 4 Holland 1 on my 16th birthday, although i've never been very good at being patriotic.

'Andy Goram broke my heart.'

calvin schiraldi had just thrown a wild pitch and hit a batter and everything was obviously slipping away

then my dad came in and told me the news, and i was totally unsurprised

(NB Wallingford finished 4 points above us and we missed out on promotion. Unfortunately, so did they.)

Also non footie related watching the suzuka grand prix in the middle of the night where schuey messed up & lost the title, woo!

Suffice it to say they looked a little silly by the final whistle.

Once the hockey game ended, they tried to shut down the stadium to no avail. The flipping off of the bar tv nearly results in a riot so security has the bar staff turn it back on. When the Mets win--Piazza hits the homer, I think?--suddenly everyone is hugging each other like it was the greatest thing that has happened in any of our lives, jumping and screaming and hugging loads of weird guys who I've never met before.

Then security promptly started screaming on bullhorns for us to get the fuck out of their stadium and let them clean up.

*American football natch

Other memories: the sheer dreamlike quality of Michael Johnson's 19.32 200m in Atlanta (did that just happen?), hollering for Ed Moses in the '87 world championships as Schmid and Harris closed and closed, my Dad's unconfined, near-violent joy at Lineker's hattrick vs Poland in '86, an eruption in the living room as Wiltord equalised for France in the Euro2000 final.

Live: Everton 2-1 Ipswich, March 8 1980, FA Cup 6th round. A minute's silence before the whistle in memory of Dixie Dean, who'd passed away at halftime at the previous Saturday's Goodison derby. Gordon Lee had failed to replace the talent who'd flooded his office with transfer requests in the summer of '79 and we were a team heading for Division 2. The Cup was a nice diversion but I'd been there five weeks earlier to see Mariner, Gates, Brazil, Muhren et al tear us to shreds 4-0 in the league. No one gave us a chance. From the start the place was in uproar - they could probably hear us in Southport. Latchford nodded Gidman's far post cross beyond Cooper just before half three in homage to the late William Ralph, Brian Kidd walloped a second late on from a deflected freekick. Ipswich halved their arrears and the referee added on five, six, maybe seven minutes of injury time - corner after corner, throw in after throw in, we held out. Dancing in the streets of L4. We even avoided Liverpool and Arsenal in the semifinal draw. West Ham? Easy...

In the stadium: my first Milan derby, feeling the San Siro shakety shake as 85,000 tifosi jumped up and down in unison. And seeing hero-of-the-moment Carl Lewis at Crystal Palace in 198x.

In general: any rowing, my Mum and Dad (both former rowers) unconsciously rocking backwards and forwards on the sofa in time with the British crew.

Do you want to do the semi-final, Michael?

Close second to the Blue Jays whipping the Braves ass to win the their first World Series.

England 5 Germany 1 in Disco Daves old flat - the g man above was there too, that was ace, getting plastered on rum straight from Cuba.

The Holland game, the whole pub erupting, me pinching myself, my then-grilfriend sitting impassively (for that read sulking)as I wanted to go to the pub and watch footie instead of going for a walk in the peak district, and one of my friends lecturing her on priorities.

Actually there - only one moment - Jamie Hewitt's last minute header, slightly eclipses the beautiful goal that never was (which almost had me in tears on Friday night as I watched it again)

Only if I can have a refund for 23 years of therapy should I suffer a relapse.

I'm not mentioning "It's up for grabs now!" on this thread to spare the Pinefox. Whoops.

Ireland 1 Holland 0, possibly even better as it was more important. I had to drive my Granny from the train station home at the time, and was on the way through a rough part of town when McAteer scored the goal, I proceeeded to beep the horn and scream out the windows and someone crossing the road was screaming and punching the air while looking at me. Granny not impressed.

A few Irish rugby victories, over England often.

Ireland have given me many moments though.

Liverpool, FA Cup Final against Arsenal in the treble year, absolutely sweet.

The drink and drugs made us believe we were there.

Mind you we've had a few nights like that

G: "Well, what it a penalty?"
Chris: "No, he was in his own area."