Was the Kippax of the 60s/70's overrated?

It never looked better than when it didn’t have a roof and the the big ‘CITY FC’ flag.



Putting the roof on in 1957 certainly took away from its beautiful aesthetic, but I bet it improved the atmosphere with that huge deep roof right over everyone’s heads.
 
My home from 1960s until they pulled it down.
Some of my greatest memories were from the Kippax.
 
got a half-brick in the face as a hail of coins, darts, piss and compasses descended on us before the game against the rags on 27 September 1975 - crowd surfed/carried to the front and off to St Mary's or Manchester Royal (can't remember now) 10 mins before kick-off - missed the whole game obvs - broken nose and two shiners - Jimmy Nicholl lobbed Stepney for a spectacular own goal on that day, if anyone else remembers
 
Kinkybyname said:
got a half-brick in the face as a hail of coins, darts, piss and compasses descended on us before the game against the rags on 27 September 1975 - crowd surfed/carried to the front and off to St Mary's or Manchester Royal (can't remember now) 10 mins before kick-off - missed the whole game obvs - broken nose and two shiners - Jimmy Nicholl lobbed Stepney for a spectacular own goal on that day, if anyone else remembers
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.db. said:
It never looked better than when it didn’t have a roof and the the big ‘CITY FC’ flag.



Putting the roof on in 1957 certainly took away from its beautiful aesthetic, but I bet it improved the atmosphere with that huge deep roof right over everyone’s heads.
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Fantastic footage, Don Revie getting our winner.
 
Spurs quarter 69 said:
It was the league cup semi final second leg played in the February of that year I think. We had beaten Boro at home in the league 4 0 earlier that season. We were 1 0 down from the first leg at Ayresome Park and Jack Charlton promised the Boro fans it would not be 4 0 again. Result City 4 Boro 0. The Kippax was rammed and deafening, no one was blasé about getting to Wembley in those days. Outside of a derby I can never remember an atmosphere like it, one of the greatest ever Maine Rd nights. 19 then 70 in a few weeks, where did the years go.
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I was there that night v Boro as a young teenager. Your last sentence certainly resonates with me, so true.
 
JGL07 said:
I couldn’t stand the place. I am still puzzled by the attraction it has for some. The sightlines were poor due to the lack of rake and the pillars blocking views. The rear of the stand didn’t smell very nice either!

The toilets were a serious health hazard. They appeared to consist of walls with some bitumen paint and a hole in the ground. There should have been a sign for those departing to “Now wash your feet”.

I much preferred the Scoreboard End and subsequently the North Stand. The only time I really went in the Kippax was when the North Stand was being constructed.
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I could have told youJGL

The Kippax was not made for one as beautiful as you.
 
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ColinBellsjockstrap said:
I know everyone likes to look through rose coloured spectacles, including myself, but:-

It was cold and windswept.

The steps up to it were a death trap in winter

The paintwork on the metalwork was faded and in need of a refresh

The toilets were a disgrace and should have been condemned, the smell was disgusting.

The burgers and hot dogs were shit

On the plus side, the atmosphere in the middle was fantastic, watching Big Mal emerge from the tunnel in his Fedora, and it was far better than the monstrosity that went up in it's place.
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And whilst some of this may well be true in terms of "facilities", it was magnificent nevertheless.

Yes there were games where it was a bit cold and windswept (usually the likes of Norwich, QPR, Fulham etc).

But when we played the rags or Liverpool or Arsenal for example, that stand was literally alive and you felt it in your veins because you came alive with it.

As for the state of the bogs, the paintwork, the steps - I don't know about anyone else but growing up that was my Manchester and so felt very normal to me.

So not overrated at all.
 
1961_vintage said:
And whilst some of this may well be true in terms of "facilities", it was magnificent nevertheless.

Yes there were games where it was a bit cold and windswept (usually the likes of Norwich, QPR, Fulham etc).

But when we played the rags or Liverpool or Arsenal for example, that stand was literally alive and you felt it in your veins because you came alive with it.

As for the state of the bogs, the paintwork, the steps - I don't know about anyone else but growing up that was my Manchester and so felt very normal to me.

So not overrated at all.
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When i started going in the 60s. The bogs were inspirational to the prefabs in Blackley where I did my first poos.
A choice of Izal or Daily Mail.
 
JGL07 said:
I couldn’t stand the place. I am still puzzled by the attraction it has for some. The sightlines were poor due to the lack of rake and the pillars blocking views. The rear of the stand didn’t smell very nice either!

The toilets were a serious health hazard. They appeared to consist of walls with some bitumen paint and a hole in the ground. There should have been a sign for those departing to “Now wash your feet”.

I much preferred the Scoreboard End and subsequently the North Stand. The only time I really went in the Kippax was when the North Stand was being constructed.
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It wasn’t about what it was, it was about who was on it and the experiences we shared.
 
Apart from it being stuff full of blues the best thing about it was it wasn't an "end". Ok , so I had a big steel pillar blocking part of the pitch but I used to stand near the halfway line and got a decent view . Only one women's toilet, iirc, and never a queue . Not so many women back in the day though .
 
I remember standing in the Kippax with my 3 cousins about 10-20 steps up from the pitch around the halfway a City player had been fouled and the crowd was going mad when the player who committed the foul booted the ball hard as fuck into the crowd, the ball hit this women full on in face and knocked her clean out.
 
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