Despite it being almost 20 years ago now, Steve Claridge’s moment of magic at Wembley Stadium is still very fresh in his memory.
But now he is manager of Salisbury the former striker is demanding all thoughts of the famous arch are blocked out of the mind this Saturday when his side face Hereford in their FA Vase semi-final second leg.
Back in 1996 the first division play-off final looked like heading for penalties as Leicester City and Crystal Palace were locked at 1-1.
However, Claridge had other ideas and, in the 120th minute, he struck the winner from the edge of the box to send the Foxes into the Premier League.
Now the 49-year-old is just 90 minutes away from a return to Wembley, provided his Salisbury side can overturn a 1-0 deficit after Mustapha Bundu’s goal settled the opening clash at Edgar Street.
But while he knows how special a day out at Wembley is, Claridge is urging his troops to concentrate on the task at hand with this last-four clash still very much in the balance.
Salisbury v Hereford
FA Vase semi-final second leg
Raymond McEnhill Stadium
3pm, Saturday 19 March
“The first tie was a strange one really because they probably could have been two up at the end and then we could have got back to 1-1 at one stage, so it was a strange feeling at the final whistle,” he said.
“I think 2-0 would have been harsh on us and 1-1 they would feel was harsh on them, so it was probably a fair result and there is still plenty to play for.
“I have done my little bit at Wembley and I’ve had a wonderful time so this is not for me, this is for the players and to be so close is fantastic.
“Not being disrespectful but how many chances do you get? Some seasoned professionals go 20 years without ever getting to Wembley and it is something you can look back on in 10 or 20 years, win lose or draw, and have pride in yourself and say ‘we did that’.
“So that would be great, but if you start thinking about that before kick-off then the game is already over and you are already beat.
“There is still plenty to play for and I think that we have a lot we can improve on from the first leg.
“So I am looking forward to the game and we are eager to have another crack at them.”
Few could resent Hereford’s victory in the first leg with the ‘phoenix club’ in its first season since Hereford United dissolved.
And with the first leg seeing the club enjoy its first complete sell-out in their brief history – with 4,683 packed into Edgar Street – Claridge admitted there was plenty for both sides to be proud of already – even as his side were held scoreless for the first time in seven months.
“It was wonderful to see the ground packed for the first leg because everyone knows that Hereford had been through a lot, and both sets of fans were great,” he added.
“There was a fantastic atmosphere at the place and maybe it was too much for one or two of my players and it perhaps got to them a bit.
“Hereford had a lot of experience and nous about them and that perhaps played into their hands as we didn’t have that.
“But after that first leg we do now and hopefully we can use that to our advantage as it will be a different game at our place.”
