Ed’s note – Issue 256 of The Gooner is on sale for the final time today before the new issue is released against Hull next weekend in the FA Cup 5th Round game. In the current issue, there is a special feature recalling penalties for and against Arsenal, both converted and missed. We had two submissions for the same spot kick, so ran one in the issue and are now using the other for a bit of issue promo. Buy a copy for £2.50 on your journey to or from the game from one of our sellers. Details of how to buy online are below. Plug over, on with the trip down memory lane…

Peter Storey, Arsenal v Stoke, FA Cup semi-final, Hillsborough, 27 March 1971

Back in the dark days of 1971, a load of us managed to get hold of Cup semi-final tickets by clipping off the tokens from the corners off our programmes. We jumped into an ancient stinking "football special" cattle truck and with Watney's Party Sevens under our arms, we crawled up to Sheffield to play Stoke City, who were still a football club back then.

We were packed like sardines behind the far goal from where all four goals were scored. We were rubbish in the first half and were 2-0 down at the interval. Come the second half, come the man, Peter Storey, an earlier version of Francis Coquelin, was generously described at the time as a ball winner. He banged in a good'un from the edge of the box before time started running out. We were well into what was then known as injury time when we were awarded a corner. There was a huge amount of pushing and shoving before Frank McLintock headed the ball towards goal. Out came an arm from a defender on the line, our players all screamed for a penalty and the ref gave a spot kick. Up stepped Peter Storey who was facing England hero and World Cup winner Gordon Banks. I could hardly watch as our hitman slowly rolled in the equaliser. The ball took forever to hit the back of the net before we all went ballistic and queued up for more Party Sevens to help us on the train journey back to London.

Stoke were still shell shocked as we strolled through the replay at Villa Park, and on to win our first Double.

The current issue of The Gooner can be bought at the forthcoming home match v Leicester. It can also be bought online here.

DIGITAL ISSUES
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