Boro v City 40 years ago today.

[A57 the snake]

I was one of the many who got lifted (wrongly) at the 8-1 boro match ... mrs snake was 8 months pregnant, also we was due to move house in 7 days time....I eventually got home 7am too late for my 6-2 shift had to ring work for a day off .
Got the court date which happened to be our moving day or there a-bouts so that got put back ...appeared in court not guilty.
Got home and made a pact to the wife that I’ll leave the football for a couple of months which got me back in the good books ...she never realised it was the last game of the season ;)

Not my finest hour too be honest But we’re still married . It got worse at Arsenal away though a couple of seasons later I’ll have to save that for when someone opens a ‘ worse injury watching football thread....

 

[jimharri]

Leeds used to be frothing at the mouth for revenge when we visited.

They're always frothing at the mouth.

#barkatthemoon

 

[manclad]

They're always frothing at the mouth.

#barkatthemoon

Beware the moon lads
Keep of the moors.

 

[superwatsonwatson]

I went to ayresome park in 1979/80. First away of the season, a night match we lost 3-0. Stood in that paddock supposedly for the away fans and was surrounded by Boro fans. My worst experience by far at a football match.

 

[NPBlue]

Ayresome Park. What a place. I went there on a football special train in 1974,and got chased all the way to the ground from the station, but met some pleasant locals once inside. No problems at all.

On the way home, the train was unlit because the batteries were flat, we were advised to pull the blinds down when we passed through Eaglescliff (apologies if that's the wrong spelling) (Nah, not really)station, we did as requested, there was a hail of missiles hitting the train, windows were smashed, there was a gale passing through the carriage as a result, and some young Blue got a piece of glass in his eye.

As with all away days in those days, we lost. I don't know why I bothered looking back, but those special trains with their comfy seats and wooden frames garnered a degree of security for some reason. The Wolves fans never hit us, all their bricks and stones went over the top, but the WBA supporters were a bit sneaky. They entered the opposite platform and hurled rocks and stones at us. We had just relegated them so I suppose they were understandably a bit peeved.

Was I bothered with that? No, not really, it was par for the course and it never put me off going. I went to lots of away games in those days, and there was always a moment of madness, a bit of tension. Being young means being numb to the consequences looking back. I can't say I'd relish being on a station platform now with missiles heading my way, but it didn't bother me then.

I wouldn't want to go back to those times as it's much easier now visiting away games but I'm much older now. I still have that inbred DNA inside me, like never showing your scarf or colours. which will never leave me, even on a trip to Wembley. Old habits die hard.