THE FLEET AT WEMBLEY: My Wembley experiences changed my life, reflects Gary Stevens - EXCLUSIVE

WEMBLEY GOALSCORER Gary Stevens believes his experience playing underneath the famous Twin Towers changed his life, writes Stephen McCartney.

Stevens, now 46, and living in Tunbridge Wells, made the first of his five Wembley Stadium appearances in the FA Cup Final in 1983, when his Brighton & Hove Albion team-mates took on the giants of the English game, Manchester United.

Stevens was 21-years-old at the time, and in an EXCLUSIVE interview with www.kentishfootball.co.uk recalls the pride, jubilation and heartbreak of his first two games at the Venue of Legends.

Defender Stevens scored Brighton’s equaliser in the 2-2 draw in the first match but the Seagulls couldn’t repeat their heroic performance in the replay, going down 4-0.

“Well, it was a huge day for the club, because if you lose in the semi-finals, it’s a bigger defeat in the semi-final as you’ve missed out on Wembley,” recalled Stevens.

“We were all thrilled that we were going to Wembley. It’s the first time for everybody in the Brighton squad.

“On a personal aspect, I felt that I didn’t play well in the semi-finals (against Sheffield Wednesday), so my feeling was that I had to show my true potential in the final, which was a bigger audience.”

“Manchester United in 1983, got beaten 4-0 in the replay but it was 2-2 in the first match and I scored the second goal.

“We went 1-0 up, 2-1 down and I scored the equaliser to take it into extra time, and after extra time it was still 2-2.

“As a Brighton team we were fighting relegation, which ultimately we succumbed to relegation and without doubt you had an eye and a though on the Cup Final every single day in training.

“There was 100,000 fans and worldwide coverage and a first for us, the club and the players - it was monstrous!

“I don’t think any of the players have been there as a player. Some players in world football have never played at Wembley.

Stevens know what the Ebbsfleet United players and staff are going through in the week leading up to a Wembley Final.

“Back in those days, every single say we had something happening,” he said.

“The Fleet Street photographers were down in training. On the big press day, they wanted to take us down to the seafront, everybody and anybody wanted to speak to you.

“Long lost relations turning up wanting tickets, life-long fans of the club begging for a ticket.

“When we got on the coach after Friday training, it was a relief to get on the coach. That’s when you start to really focus that there was a game in amongst the circus.”

But Stevens admits playing in a major final is a shop window for players to show off their talents and entice clubs of a higher standing to take an interest in them.

“I hadn’t scored all season and what it tells you, it doesn’t matter how you have been playing, good, bad or indifferent, it can be your day,” he said.

“And it was late on, we were 2-1 down. I wasn’t even going up for corners and the manager waved me, just get up there.

“Jimmy Case took a corner, and it came straight to me. I controlled it with my left, concentrated on hitting the target on my right, and I buried it.

“What were my feelings? One of amazement! One of the lads, who congratulated me, said “that’s your first of the season!” and what it meant to the team and the club was that we were still in the Cup Final, we got a replay out of it.

“It was a huge bonus for everybody. As it happens Steve Foster, who was suspended for the first game, was available for the replay. Had I not scored the goal, he couldn’t play in the Cup Final.

“There was huge benefits for me, the club, the town, the fans, the whole lot.”

Stevens’ heroic display at Wembley Stadium sparked a £300,000 move to giants Tottenham Hotspur, a club that wanted to sign him during the season.

“Well, the Cup Final and the replay were my last two games at Brighton and I moved to Tottenham,” recalled Stevens.

“It was a big step up the ladder for me. Tottenham had tried to sign me during the season.

“I’m sure players that are destined for greater things than Ebbsfleet are earmarked but it could influence a few people in the right direction if they perform on a big stage.

“Tottenham wanted to buy me but what happened was the club didn’t let me go because we were still in the FA Cup.

“Having been voted man-of-the-match in the Cup Final it inflated my salary I earned, the transfer fee, and my profile.

“A good Cup Final can put on the pressure and people assume you do that week in week out!

“A Cup Final for anybody is an opportunity more than anything else. It’s a great opportunity for them in the shop window to show people and give them a platform to build on.”

Stevens has experienced the highs and lows of playing at Wembley.

“I drew a Cup Final and scored in it, and got beaten 4-0 in the replay. At the end of each game the emotions were very, very different,” he said.

Stevens has given Ebbsfleet United’s HEROIC players some advice ahead of the club’s first ever appearance at the new Wembley Stadium.

The Fleet lock horns with their Blue Square South rivals Torquay United in Saturday’s final, hoping that they bring the silverware to Kent for the very first time.

The only Kent club to reach the FA Trophy Final was the Dartford team of 1974, who were defeated by Morecambe.

“My advice would be go there, enjoy it, and just make sure that after the game you have no regret,” Stevens said.

“You have to give it everything. As well as giving everything you have to try and be relaxed and be yourself.

“Just because it’s Wembley, don’t go and try and do anything different.”

Playing for England is the pinnacle of any footballer.

“Three lions on your chest, you can’t get much higher up the ladder than playing for your country, can you?” said Stevens.

“They were fabulous occasions for me personally, how many years ago did I make my Wembley debut? 1983? We’re talking 25-26 years on and people still want to talk to me about it.

“That tells you how mighty an achievement it is, playing in a Cup Final and for your country at Wembley.”

Visit these websites:

www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk

www.wembleystadium.com

www.thefa.com

FA CARLSBERG TROPHY FINAL
EBBSFLEET UNITED v TORQUAY UNITED
SATURDAY 10 MAY 2008
KICK OFF 2:30PM
AT WEMBLEY STADIUM, WEMBLEY, MIDDLESEX HA9 0WS