1970's MCFC

My first ever away game was Leeds 77, December, with my brother and his mate Bob. I was 12 and really excited but a bit nervous.

We lost 2-0 and I was really disappointed by the time we got back to the Finglands coach. Halfway back to Manchester they did the 3rd round draw on BBC radio. Leeds away!
 
I didn't miss many games in the 60's & 70's, and when I left the Northwest, I could still drive up, pay at the gate, and watch a game again whenever I wasn't working on a Saturday. Now it's far more controlled and complicated, for several reasons, most games now, for me, are televised. But, I had a great 25+ years from mid 50's through to end 70's watching City at their best (and also at their worst). I often criticised, but never, ever insulted the team or a player.
 
It was Fred who used to hire the mini-buses so I presume he was a bit older than me as you had to be 21 to hire a mini- bus in those days, and I was 20 through out the 76-77 season when I did about 10 away games.
He always went to Salford Van Hire and then he would pick us up in town before carrying on and collecting the south Manchester lads from various pubs in Chorlton and Burnage.
The 2 trips that stick in my mind was Bristol City away in early 77 when City were on a 16 game unbeaten run.
We went down overnight and ended up in Bristol around 6am ,slightly the worse for wear after sleeping in the bus on the way down.
We had a stroll around the city centre and met a few Bristol City fans who were bricking it that 10,000 City fans were about to descend on Bristol and tear it apart.
We ended up in a bier kellar at 10.30am and got pissed by midday, pity about the result as City lost their unbeaten run.
The other match was a few weeks later vs Derby County(the one when Big Joe made them paint the penalty spot) and we got beat 4-1.
Fred couldn't get a mini- bus from SVH so we all ended up in the back of a Transit Luton.
We had the rear shutter up and we were all hanging onto cargo straps for dear life.
As we made our way down the A6 we went through all the little towns like New Mills,Whaley Bridge, Buxton etc.
And at the bus stops going to OT were United fans in their red scarves.
We gave them loads of abuse,plus threw a few apple cores and empty drink cans at them,which really wound them up but they couldn't do anything about it.
Happy Days, to be young and daft again!!
Funny because living in Whaley Bridge throughout that period we used to get the same treatment when United were travelling to Derby/Nottingham/Leicester.

A couple of decades later, the "chicken man" in the Platt Lane, and also the lad who nicked Goater's boots after the Friday night game v Birmingham (when Goater had to make a plea for their safe return on Sky Sports) were both from Whaley Bridge.
 
My first ever away game was Leeds 77, December, with my brother and his mate Bob. I was 12 and really excited but a bit nervous.

We lost 2-0 and I was really disappointed by the time we got back to the Finglands coach. Halfway back to Manchester they did the 3rd round draw on BBC radio. Leeds away!
Remember that like it was yesterday.
We had run the gauntlet of Leeds hoolies and got away unscathed and then to be informed we had to return in 3 weeks was the last thing we wanted to hear !!!
 
Remember that like it was yesterday.
We had run the gauntlet of Leeds hoolies and got away unscathed and then to be informed we had to return in 3 weeks was the last thing we wanted to hear !!!

My brother and his mate went to the FA Cup game. After the nonsense in the league game, I was told it wouldn’t be safe for a kid.
 
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My away trips were usually the North and the Midlands with Dad from the early Seventies, with the very rare trips further away, principally during the 1976/77 season (Ipswich, Spurs, Bristol City).
I remember going to Leeds, and the pair of us stood on the open terrace supported by scrub grass, and being taken aback at the price shown on the turnstile for entry (6s 6d) - this was several months before decimalisation.
'Tra la la la Summerbee!' from one end, and 'Who the fucking hell is he?' in reply from the other. One Leeds fan with his lad turned round and roared his head off laughing.
Bramhall Lane in Sheffield when it was still a three sided ground due to its' use by Yorkshire cricket, with the imposing pavilion in the background and a temporary television gantry built on the side of the football field.
Towards the mid Seventies our travelling group expanded to the four of us, including two lads from our cricket club, Dave, and Alan. Dad was always the wheels. The tradition of tying a knot in your scarf and flying it out of the side window, and acknowledging fellow Blues you'd pass on the motorway.
Also tying my scarf around my waist under my coat on leaving the ground, and being paranoid about keeping quiet and not answering any local enquiries for the time until you got back to the relative safety of the car.
Going to Newcastle in October 1973 on the 'League Liner' special train on hire from British Rail, that included a disco carriage, and early video/TVs that showed 'The Big Match' introduced by Brian Moore/Jimmy Hill.
Happy, but violent days.
 

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