Hooliganism and Violence Maine Road 80's/early 90's

[Invisible Man's Bandage]

One of the maddest things I saw even earlier than this time was at a game against Blackpool in 1970. I was 16 and in the Kippax with a mate as usual and we got talking to a lad stood next to us. We were talking about trouble at games and he said 'If I get any mither I hit 'em with this' and pointed to the scarf he was wearing. It reached both ankles and that was a very popular style at that time. We were both really puzzled until he got us to hold it. He'd sewn a golf club into each side!!

 

[yeseye]

One of the maddest things I saw even earlier than this time was at a game against Blackpool in 1970. I was 16 and in the Kippax with a mate as usual and we got talking to a lad stood next to us. We were talking about trouble at games and he said 'If I get any mither I hit 'em with this' and pointed to the scarf he was wearing. It reached both ankles and that was a very popular style at that time. We were both really puzzled until he got us to hold it. He'd sewn a golf club into each side!!

Haha!

 

[Fordyboy46]

They brought thousands to Maine Road that night as I think a victory almost guaranteed them promotion as they were running away with the league.

People talk about the ICF and the likes but for me Chelsea were the top London firm in the late seventies and early eighties. They took it everywhere.

Remember the March 89 game at Maine Road, huge battle on the Main stand forecourt and fights outside the stadium before the game. Remember a City fan with blood pouring from his head kicking this Chelsea lump on the ground, somehow him and his mate had managed to upend him and were giving him a right leathering

 

[Invisible Man's Bandage]

I remember walking back to town after a game against Birmingham late 70s / early 80s and there were loads of Birmingham fans spark out on the wasteland near the Denmark pub.

 

[bluesteve1964]

They brought thousands to Maine Road that night as I think a victory almost guaranteed them promotion as they were running away with the league.

People talk about the ICF and the likes but for me Chelsea were the top London firm in the late seventies and early eighties. They took it everywhere.

We were in The Brunswick at lunchtime. 5 or 6 of us from Blackpool and 4 Chelsea fans from Portsmouth came in. We got chatting to them for an hour or so. Sound lads. As more City fans came in they left. About 5pm hundreds of Chelsea walked down from Piccadilly Station. Kicked off big style in Piccadilly Gardens. Actually saw a couple of the lads we'd been chatting to trading blows with City fans.
Think it was a couple of months later the same 4 lads came into a shop I was working in in Blackpool. It was the day before Scotland v England match at Hampden and they were stopping the night in Blackpool Ended up having a great night out with them.

 

[Indaparkside]

I remember walking back to town after a game against Birmingham late 70s / early 80s and there were loads of Birmingham fans spark out on the wasteland near the Denmark pub.

Did the guy with the scarf wallop them

 

[yeseye]

I remember walking back to town after a game against Birmingham late 70s / early 80s and there were loads of Birmingham fans spark out on the wasteland near the Denmark pub.

Would that be the original Denmark?
Plenty of away fans come unstuck around Denmark Rd in them days.
A load of Chelsea found out near the Old Abbey after that Friday night game iirc!

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

They brought thousands to Maine Road that night as I think a victory almost guaranteed them promotion as they were running away with the league.

People talk about the ICF and the likes but for me Chelsea were the top London firm in the late seventies and early eighties. They took it everywhere.

That night was a perfect storm really. City were unaware Chelsea would bring such numbers, it was Friday night live on TV, which was unheard of in those days. Loads of lads just went out on their normal Friday night out with their mates instead of going to the game because City had blown promotion and were badly out of form. The crowd was nowhere near the size it would have been, had it been a 3pm the following day.

I remember talking to one of utd's firm who told me the following night he'd been waiting in the car for his mam outside Piccadilly train station early afternoon when Chelsea arrived. Told me he absolutely shit himself, kept his head down trying not to make eye contact with anyone. Said it was the biggest firm he'd ever seen in town.

 

[JGL07]

There was an estimated 20,000 City fans at Newcastle that day, basically sited all around the ground ..... three of my next door neighbours went up in their van, and said that City fans were everywhere.

I was there and can certainly confirm that.

The matches back then had no segregation and were rarely all ticket. It was pay-at-the-gate and get there early if you wanted to be sure to get in.

I suspect that most of the time they would admit vastly more than they were supposed to do but record the attendance at around the licenced capacity.

Not that Peter Swales would ever have done that with City!

 

[paulchapo]

Amazingly came unstuck at Cambridge of all places, and Leeds and Boro went to the Bridge and gave them a right seeing to in the 80s. Like our neighbours they liked big numbers and easy targets.

Yes anybody who was around in those days knows you could be done absolutely anywhere in the most unexpected places. Even at home if you walked around the wrong corner and bumped into a little mob you could get a kicking.