Have you ever touched the match ball..?

[VillaSpen]

I was down the very front of the Witton Lane stand for the 2-2 against Everton at the end of 1990/91. The ball bounced over the advertising hoardings and I beat my little brother to it. I looked up in wonderment to see which of my heroes I could throw it back to - Platt, Cowans, Daley, McGrath..... I was greeted by the sweaty, moustachioed face of Everton's Polish striker Robert Warzycha. A disappointed 11 year-old,  I called him a twat and my Grandad smacked me on the shoulder for swearing.

[Yossarian]

Twice - once at a game at Luton in the pre-match warm up which almost broke my fingers and the second at the Madjeski Stadium in Reading.

Ooh, I caught it at Reading once too. I caught it and threw it back in one swift styleish movement. I thought I was doing everyone a favour but they had a multi-ball system and the ball boy threw a new ball to the player taking the throw in. The player quickly took the throw in but the ref had to bring it all back because there was two balls in play. When I write my memoirs I am going to make sure this story is in there.

[philthebar]

6th March 1971 - The Hawthorns - West Brom 4 Man Utd 3.  ( I looked the date up)

Went there with my father and standing just to right of the goals at the Brummie Road end.  Bobby Charlton unleashed one of his shots, just missed the post and into the crowd. I put both hands in the air and took it from above my head like a pro.

A few years later I was playing against him in a 5 a side game, talking to him after he, didn't remember anything about it.  Not surprising really 

[SteveN]

As a young lad, at the Witton Road end, down right at the front with my hands through the little fence that used to be there.

Shot from Harry Burrow, wide of the post smacked into my hand, hurt like hell but being a brave soldier I just smiled when Harry asked if I was ok. 

[DesBremner]

NO but when the lad was selected as mascot last year his mom came to watch
Sitting there right at the front, ball lands in her lap she stands up and hands it back to King Carlos who smiles says thank you and carries on playing................Me and the lad gutted

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Never in 46 years of going to football. For about the last 10 seasons I have sat in the Trinity lower about mid way between the Holte and half way line. Prime territory for a central defender or the left back breaking up an attack and clearing to touch. Has it even come near ? Not a sniff ! Its now become a standing joke with my brother when the ball is kicked into our side we complain about the defender not getting his clearance right.

[peter w]

In the late 70s we lost 3-0 at home to Liverpool. I always stood next to the away dugout. I threw the ball back to Phil Neal once.

[Ian.]

My mom had the match ball hit her in the face at Plymouth Argyle.

[willywombat]

We used to welly an old case ball round the back garden as kids until it fell apart. Spoke to my Dad about it years later and turns out it was one of the balls used in the warm up kick in before the 57 cup final and was autographed by several players from both teams. The old man, being an unsentimental old curmudgeon, couldn't understand why I was so shocked that we were allowed to hoof it to death

[Corleone]

At the Molineux - possibly a League Cup game? - in the early 80s. I threw it back to Peter Withe after it ended up in the crowd. 

I remember you doing it - it was the match where we went 2-0 down and come back to win 3-2

[Sheldon_Villa]

Villa v Blues, got chucked out for it by a steward ;-)

When was that?

[Chico Hamilton III]

I've caught the match ball twice. First time was in the Platt Lane stand at Maine Road and the second was at Stamford Bridge. I was sitting in the front row and Celestine Babayaro came over to me to get the ball back and I chucked it in the opposite direction. He gave me a glare and I thought he was going to jump over the advertising board and do a Cantona on me.

[russon]

Standing behind the goal away at Oxford I was reading the programme while the players warmed up. Dunno who it was, but I took a pot-shot in the face and when looking to my fellow supporters for sympathy found not a jot as they proceeded to piddle themselves laughing.

[geeeenius1971]

twice in pre match warm ups,first time at forest in 2 all draw under dr jo and secondly at villa before a uefa cup tie when bozzie and gk coach tried to kick balls into the top tier of the holte.i was sat near the back of the lower tier when i caught a ball but as i threw it back the ball slipped and turned into a pretty feeble throw which made bozzie look and curl a lip up and sneer at me before shaking his head and saying something to the gk coach 

[BC54 VFC]

Yes, in a friendly game against Walsall at Fellows Park on 6th May, 1981, four days after we'd won the League at Arsenal. I was standing behind the right hand post, behind the goal which Nigel Spink was defending, when a Walsall player shot just past that post. I caught the ball with both hands and clutched it to my chest like a true goalkeeper, to a round of applause, and threw it back to Spinksy.