I knew some Derby County fans quite well back in the 80's(my friend lived near Nottingham in those days)and the whole group of them swore that it was a far more nerve wracking experience visiting Maine Road than it was following Derby to Old Trafford.
Does anybody else know of visiting fans having similiar views about Maine Road.

Interesting one this! I have a mate who is an Everton fan who swears down Maine Road was the most intimidating ground he's ever been to.

The well known (in Hooligan circles) Bill Gardner of West Ham says similar in his book about Maine Road being worse than Old Trafford. He claims whilst United always has the superior numbers the lads at City were always more game.

I think the location of Maine Road psyched many out I should imagine. The words Moss Side did tend to send a shiver down the spine of many Cockneys and Scousers.

The Passages were a nightmare for visiting fans. Blues poping in and out of back yards then disappearing, it must have been like trying to fight Chorlton and the Wheelies.

Can imagine it being a bit like this.

Living 'darn sarf' I meet a lot of different fans and every one of them that went to Maine Road, particularly in Winter time, or night games, reckoned it was a fearsome place to be an away fan.

I certainly wouldn't have liked to have been set upon in some of them streets!

I put a story up on here that I got from a Villa forum a couple of years ago about Villa fans at Maine Road in the 70's. They had to wait in Moss Side after the game and it was hell for them. Someone on here remembered the game, by all accounts there had been a fair on in Moss Side that afternoon or something and all the nutters were out.

was very intimidating, you had to come in numbers to have any chance of getting in & out, got caught out once myself, running like a headless chicken round the back streets, remember that big old boozer on the corner cant remember its name, got sussed walking passed it, fuck standing and fighting when theres only half a dozen of you, run like you life depended on it, and it usually did

how sad that football was ever like that, or worse it could return.

There wasnt a safe way in or out. It was like a warren for away supporters. The only way to survive was to number up, but that envited trouble, lose lose situation. I once saw a badge that said I survived Maine Rd.

Remember the season we were promoted at Bradford?

A little earlier that season we played Chelsea at home in what was billed as the championship decider. The game finished in a very unflattering win to them 3-2 because they killed us on the pitch.
Anyway, I worked for a southern company a few years later and was talking to a Chelsea fan. He said after that game, he and his mates ran from Maine Road to Piccadilly and were chased all the way.