Tait urges Birmingham City to rekindle the spirit of 1995
May 1 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail
PAUL Tait has urged Blues to remember the spirit of a special past promotion in Sunday’s showdown at Reading.
Blues have to defeat the Royals to be sure of runners-up spot in the Championship, Reading need victory to give themselves a chance of pipping Blues and Sheffield United, at Crystal Palace, have their own agenda as the season comes to an amazing climax.
As Tait can only too well testify, there are remarkable parallels to Blues’ current predicament when you delve back to 1995, just three days after his ‘golden goal’ won the Auto Windscreens Shield against Carlisle United at Wembley.
Blues and Brentford were going head-to-head for the Second Division title and met at St Andrew’s. On a frenzied night, goals by Kevin Francis and Liam Daish gave Blues a significant win and put them level on points with the Bees.
It was a game similar in importance to the Wolves fixture three weeks ago and 14 years ago, as now, Blues subsequently stumbled when they were tantalisingly close to glory.
Blues drew 3-3 at home to Brighton, having had Gary Cooper sent off. But still there was the perfect chance to secure promotion in their game in hand against Bradford City at St Andrew’s.
