I know you predicted Stockport Dancing, but you DID say Hartlepool were the best team you'd seen. And they went up.
I'd take any way of deciding the game, replays, extended extra time, reducing the number of players, golden goal, ANYTHING is better than penalties. Leaving Danny Wright who has been a hero for Torquay feeling he has let down the club is wrong. Football is a sport. It shouldn't be about cruelty! It is a team game. The team should win or lose it together. (I admit my judgement is clouded forever by my own first experience of a penalty shoot-out in a final. I was only 17 or 18. The game ended 0-0 after extra time. I don't think I made a semblance of a mistake in goal. 3-3 after five penalties and it went down to two players taking penalties until one missed. I was up against an ex-pro in his late thirties and the penalties he took were brilliant, changed sides, different heights, I almost got to just one. We lost 8-7, neither keeper saved a penalty, our lad hit the post! I felt I'd let everybody down. Our lads knew I was pretty good, and they thought that gave them the advantage. I've never minded losing and was always a good sport, but I've felt bitter about that for over 50 years. Fckuing horrible! I've told this tale before and it doesn't heal the wound. No mistakes, clean sheet, lost us the game! Innocent but forever guilty.)
I'd take any way of deciding the game, replays, extended extra time, reducing the number of players, golden goal, ANYTHING is better than penalties. Leaving Danny Wright who has been a hero for Torquay feeling he has let down the club is wrong. Football is a sport. It shouldn't be about cruelty! It is a team game. The team should win or lose it together. (I admit my judgement is clouded forever by my own first experience of a penalty shoot-out in a final. I was only 17 or 18. The game ended 0-0 after extra time. I don't think I made a semblance of a mistake in goal. 3-3 after five penalties and it went down to two players taking penalties until one missed. I was up against an ex-pro in his late thirties and the penalties he took were brilliant, changed sides, different heights, I almost got to just one. We lost 8-7, neither keeper saved a penalty, our lad hit the post! I felt I'd let everybody down. Our lads knew I was pretty good, and they thought that gave them the advantage. I've never minded losing and was always a good sport, but I've felt bitter about that for over 50 years. Fckuing horrible! I've told this tale before and it doesn't heal the wound. No mistakes, clean sheet, lost us the game! Innocent but forever guilty.)