Heroes from Carlisle United’s iconic 1994/5 season are returning to the city for a special anniversary event.
Players who led the Blues to the Division Three title and the club’s first Wembley appearance will be back in Carlisle to mark 25 years since the feats.
Stars like David Reeves, Rod Thomas, Dean Walling and Derek Mountfield will relive memories of one of the club’s most memorable campaigns.
The event at the Shepherd’s Inn on Saturday, April 25 focuses on the unforgettable maiden Wembley appearance, when United and Birmingham fans packed the national stadium for the Auto-Windscreens Shield final.
It is entitled ‘A trip down Wembley Way in a deckchair’ – a reference to the famous green, red and white away strip the Cumbrians wore that season.
The reunion will be hosted by Nick Barnes, BBC Radio Cumbria’s Carlisle United commentator that season, and a host of players will be invited on stage to relive the stunning season.
There will also be footage from United’s cup run, with director of coaching Mick Wadsworth also due to attend, and an auction held for Eden Valley Hospice in memory of the much-missed former Blues player Tony Hopper.
The celebration night has been organised by Colin Carter, with help from ex-Blues midfield favourite Paul Murray.
Murray told the News & Star: “We’ve talked about the 25th anniversary for a while now and discussed the idea properly with Colin last year.
“Over the last couple of months we’ve got in touch with lots of the old players.
“It was a cracking group, and it’s no surprise that so many of them are enthusiastic about coming back.
“It should be a cracking night, full of nostalgia.”
Murray said players such as captain Reeves, Walling, Thomas, Mountfield, Tony Caig, Darren Edmondson, Jeff Thorpe, Steve Hayward, Joe Joyce and Tony Elliott are expected to attend.
They are also hoping Cumbrians such as Richard Prokas and Lee Peacock will be there – and have invited former attack favourite David Currie to make a rare appearance back at Carlisle.
The former players have also been asked to bring auction items either from that era or other pieces of football memorabilia. “We always wanted to do something to remember Tony [Hopper] and felt an auction for Eden Valley Hospice was the best idea,” Murray added.
Tickets are already being snapped up through word of mouth. “It just shows how people love that era,” said Murray, who added that United had offered the ex-players tickets to attend that day’s game against Stevenage, and plan to introduce them to the crowd on the pitch.
Tickets are £20 including food. For more details contact Colin Carter on 07737265831.