FROM THE ARCHIVE May 27th, 1999:IN A finish destined to be recalled with awe as long as Manchester United radiate their special charisma, Alex Ferguson's team were crowned champions of Europe in Barcelona last night.

Only minutes separated Bayern Munich from their biggest success in 23 years when Teddy Sheringham hauled the English champions back from the abyss 40 seconds into stoppage time.

That was a reprieve on a grand scale, but even as the disbelieving Germans contemplated the hazards of extra-time, a second, even greater disaster, was about to engulf them.

This time it was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, like Sheringham a second-half replacement, who twisted the steel, reaching with an outstretched leg to connect with Sheringham’s knock-on for the goal which caused the stadium to erupt in a vast explosion of sound, which wrote a fitting epitaph to this tumultuous night.

United, living on the brink after Mario Basler had fired Bayern into the lead after only six minutes, were kings of Europe for the first time in 31 years and those of us privileged to see both were quick to see the parallels.

At Wembley in 1968 they were forced into extra-time before sheer persistence and the mercurial skills of George Best ground out a 4-1 win over Benfica in one of the most enduring of all European finals. Now the margin of survival was chiselled still more finely.

And yet it merely served to illustrate the splendour of the occasion as Ferguson’s team finally achieved the unprecedented treble of European, FA Cup and Premiership successes.

When the passion of Barcelona has subsided, calmer minds may offer a more sanguine assessment of this 90-minute drama which at times progressed all too slowly for the hordes of German supporters.

Yet, while it lasted, this red-blooded struggle, fuelled as much by fervour as unease, was riveting. At times the errors mocked its billing as a classic confrontation of styles.

Through it all, however, ran the thread of heroism as bodies were put on the line and one of sport’s most captivating prizes demanded that the tanks be emptied before it was resolved.

It was the type of game in which Roy Keane might nave excelled. United’s suspended skipper could only watch and worry as the plot unfolded before his eyes.

Rocked by that early goal, United came back to dominate the game territorially. At times, many times, there were eight red shirts in the German half of the field as United sought somehow to tunnel a way through a defence which looked impregnable for so long.

There are those who will dismiss this victory, achieved in the most extraordinary circumstances, as another indication of the good fortune which has blended with skill to make this the most remarkable of all seasons in the club’s long history.

A more realistic appraisal may be that it was down in the first instance to the work ethic which Ferguson has instilled in his players. Even at the height of their frustration, as wave after wave of attacks were rolled back, they never abandoned the principle of working for each other. In the end their brave outpouring of energy got its just reward.

One could only sympathise with the Bayern players as they looked on incredulously as Peter Schmeichel, captaining United in Keane’s absence, climbed the presentation podium to take possession of the silverware in his last appearance for the club.

After being caught cold by that early strike when Marcus Babel, in the classic ploy, leaned on the last defender in the wall to give Basler the space to rifle a 20-yard free-kick into the corner of the net, the big Dane recovered to produce two crucial saves late in the second half. Add in the two occasions that Bayern struck the woodwork there was justifiable cause for the dominant feeling on the night that the German club had been harshly treated by fate.

With every seat in the huge Nou Camp filled and a worldwide television audience of millions, the setting could scarcely have been more inspiring. And as United supporters would later grudgingly acknowledge, Bayern were first to catch the mood.

Yet, out of that jarring start, which reduced Schmeichel to the indignity of having to bend his broad back to retrieve the ball from his net before a cross word had been exchanged by the heavyweights in either team, United fashioned a superb recovery.

It would be facile to dismiss their subsequent midfield dominance as a case of the Germans protecting what they had. The more valid reason by far was David Beckham’s growing influence in an emergency central role and Ryan Giggs’ early success down the right against Michael Tarnat.

Beckham, dwarfing Stefan Effenburg as the game’s most influential player, was always capable of changing the direction of the attack with just one subtle sway of the hips. And with Giggs explosive in short, sharp bursts, the outlines of reprieve had already begun to come into focus after only 15 minutes.

Yet, it would not be until the 80th minute that Oliver Kahn in Bayern’s goal knew tension for the first time when he had to haul himself across the line to keep out Solskjaer’s header.

That was eloquent testimony to the manner in which Lothar Matthaeus orchestrated his defence and the ample response that Thomas Linke and Samuel Kuffour delivered on either side of him.

United’s defence by comparison never had to sustain the same level of pressure until Ferguson gambled on all-out attack and exposed his team to the risk of being caught on the counter.

It was then that Mehmet Scholl, a second-half replacement for Alexander Zickler, might have made the game safe for Munich, but on the first occasion he was denied by the width of an upright and then by Schmeichel’s point-blank save.

Denis Irwin, in the manner of his career, got through his work unhurried and it mattered little that Dwight York and Andy Cole never made an impact. When the call came and heroics were required, Ferguson delivered the solution by sending Sheringham and Solskjaer into battle. And it was this masterly double substitution which eventually unlocked the door to history.

Great team with great spirit produces cataclysmic finish

AS 22 players got ready to play a game of football, millions seemed to lose the run of themselves. Even people you normally wouldn’t expect to.

“The Red Army expects – Can Man U deliver,” asked ITN’s Trevor McDonald smugly as pictures of hordes of pink United fans cavorting in the Spanish sun were beamed.

RTÉ’s Gareth O’Connor had the somewhat greyer background of Galway but, despite the gloom, the night ahead was described as a “night of destiny”.

The cold shiver of smugness had millions of available spines to run up. Even Alex Ferguson seemed to quiver, but then maybe he knew something we didn’t.

“I’m quite relaxed about it . . . I trust them because they are good enough . . . You always look for demons and problems, but I believe they are good enough,” declared the Govan Guv’nor. Ultimately he was right, but good God was it nerve-wrecking.

To be fair, RTÉ’s A-Team appeared spot on for so long.

“Alex Ferguson is the most optimistic manager I’ve ever seen,” said the incomparable John Giles, and you weren’t sure if the gravelly voiced one meant it as a compliment.

With Roy Keane and Paul Scholes ruled out, Ferguson had to juggle the midfield. In the studio they weren’t sure if the balls had landed correctly.

“David Beckham is the best crosser of a ball in Europe but in central midfield he isn’t half the player. Putting Giggs on the right means he will be coming infield all the time and Blomqvist is a pretty tepid player. It weakens the side, but I can understand why he has done it,” said Eamon Dunphy doubtfully.

“I’ve always thought Man Utd will be up against it without Roy Keane,” said Liam Brady sagely, while Gilesy finally forecast: “I had been very undecided but Beckham in midfield leans me to Bayern.”

As punditry goes, it was impressively analytical and calculating. Last night, however, was not about analysis and calculation. Surreal drama never is.

In truth, United were poor for most of the game, but those who thought the soul had been ripped out of the side by Keane’s absence were answered in the kind of style that only Manchester United seem able to provoke.

Style is nothing without substance, though, and those who were crowing loudest before Basler’s sixth-minute goal seemed to run for the excuses quickest.

“Manchester United have been trying to cram everything into 10 dizzy days. This is a handicap race they are trying to win and now they have given themselves one more handicap,” said ITV’s Clive Tyldsley dolefully.

Unlike the opposition, at half-time the RTÉ team had recognised that United were still in it. Still, nothing could have prepared us for those cataclysmic final minutes. Bayern had it wrapped up, with Lothar Matthaeus looking smug on the bench.

A puce-faced Ferguson released Sheringham and Solskjaer, the team twisted every intestine to breaking point and then total and complete joy was released. “I told you it wasn’t over,” exulted Ron Atkinson.

“Football, bloody hell,” beamed Fergie. “They just wouldn’t give up and they kept on trying to play football, which was important.”

Eamon looked at that and agreed. “They’ve proved themselves a great side with great spirit,” he said.

From the television point of view it was impressive to hear Liam Brady stand by his view that United had “stolen it. I don’t think they deserved it. Bayern played very well in the second half and United were very, very lucky”.

Fair play to Liam, but for most the reply will be: “Who cares?”

Man U have delivered.