How intimidating was Maine Road ??

[Seosa]

When I mentioned earlier about ball popping, I was reffering to some blues using nut crackers to permanently damage away fans down the back alleys, anyone else heard about this?

 

[1_barry_conlon]

I can only hazard a guess but I'd say very intimidating purely because of the area, a very blue but very rough area, and because of the streets and alleys surrounding the ground. Just a staggering amount of opportunities to ambush opposition fans whilst avoiding police intervention and escaping to fight another day.

On the money...even the little local robbers used to use it to that affect when concerts were on. The prime example were the oasis gigs held there. You shouldn't laugh really but it was funny,if you were there and witnessed it you'd know why.

 

[Warwickhunt]

Shittyfying, and that's coming from a city fan myself. i think it was more to do with walking through moss side and it's reputation.

however, i still preferred the atmosphere at maine road to the COMS stadium.

 

[coleridge]

I remember some chelsea fans getting in the Kippax in the early 70's, being escorted out by police one of them had a dart sticking out of his head ,they never tried that one again

that was the manchester deby at the swamp.

It was at the swamp. It was a 'mixed race' City fan in a scarf and denim jacket, as I remember. I was with my Dad not so far away. I was so young that I just thought it was normal although it is one of my earliest City memories and has obviously stayed with me.

 

[BlueKingEll]

Remember leaving Charlton's ground early (I think we were 4-0 down after going back up with them into the prem) and this meat head crossed the road and asked us if we were City.me and my mates thinking here we go, when he asked if it was always like that at Maine Road as it was the scariest place he'd ever been to. Including the Den. In retrospect, he'd have been at the door's of the north stand looking out on 2-3000 City fans pushing and shoving in the dark and mouthing banter at them to come on!!!

 

[Skashion]

that was the manchester deby at the swamp.

It was at the swamp. It was a 'mixed race' City fan in a scarf and denim jacket, as I remember. I was with my Dad not so far away. I was so young that I just thought it was normal although it is one of my earliest City memories and has obviously stayed with me.

According to Mickey Francis, his name was Hamrick Bryan and the rag bastard who threw the dart got off because he claimed it was threw from the City end first and he just threw it back. What the fuck. Even if it did come from the City end first, that's no justification for throwing back. Unless you're fucking Phil Taylor you're not gonna hit the person who actually threw it at you. Disgrace.

 

[1_barry_conlon]

It was at the swamp. It was a 'mixed race' City fan in a scarf and denim jacket, as I remember. I was with my Dad not so far away. I was so young that I just thought it was normal although it is one of my earliest City memories and has obviously stayed with me.

According to Mickey Francis, his name was Hamrick Bryan and the rag bastard who threw the dart got off because he claimed it was threw from the City end first and he just threw it back. What the fuck. Even if it did come from the City end first, that's no justification for throwing back. Unless you're fucking Phil Taylor you're not gonna hit the person who actually threw it at you. Disgrace.

It was the 70's, we were more chilled then and not as much litigation going on. If you got a smack or anything you dusted yourself down and got on with it and not go crying to teacher like the mard arses today. Brutal but that's the way the world worked.

 

[Skashion]

According to Mickey Francis, his name was Hamrick Bryan and the rag bastard who threw the dart got off because he claimed it was threw from the City end first and he just threw it back. What the fuck. Even if it did come from the City end first, that's no justification for throwing back. Unless you're fucking Phil Taylor you're not gonna hit the person who actually threw it at you. Disgrace.

It was the 70's, we were more chilled then and not as much litigation going on. If you got a smack or anything you dusted yourself down and got on with it and not go crying to teacher like the mard arses today. Brutal but that's the way the world worked.

I'm not talking about a smack though. I'd rather live in a world with less health and safety nonsense, accident lawsuits and ambulance chasers etc. but a dart could easily kill someone or blind them for life. Same goes for people who went round stabbing people. If grown men want to fight each other, that's their business in my book but throwing missiles in a crowd where it can hit anyone, especially as something as dangerous as a dart, is cowardly and disgraceful.

 

[1_barry_conlon]

It was the 70's, we were more chilled then and not as much litigation going on. If you got a smack or anything you dusted yourself down and got on with it and not go crying to teacher like the mard arses today. Brutal but that's the way the world worked.

I'm not talking about a smack though. I'd rather live in a world with less health and safety nonsense, accident lawsuits and ambulance chasers etc. but a dart could easily kill someone or blind them for life. Same goes for people who went round stabbing people. If grown men want to fight each other, that's their business in my book but throwing missiles in a crowd where it can hit anyone, especially as something as dangerous as a dart, is cowardly and disgraceful.

I take it then you weren't born in that era and it's a subject that you have little knowledge of apart from reading a 'micky francis' book? A dart in the head would have been considered quite tame compared to what could have happened to you at certain away games.

Unfortunately your politics degree or whatever it is would have been of little help to you whereas a degree in the university of getting the shite kicked out of you would have helped more.

 

[bluefish]

very scary for a young lad on his own.i used to travel from the shawe by bus on my own (didn't know anyone who supported the blues but i was passionate about the club) at about 12 or 13 years of age-you could do it in them days.
first hurdle... was getting from the bus depot on princess road to the ground.
second hurdle..getting through the turn-stile without someone trying to nick your scarf or extort money from you.
third hurdle..standing somewhere on the kippax that didn't invite:
a)bricks, bottles,golfballs(some with nails in them),coins etc from opposing fans
b)your own city fans putting airfix glue,chewing gum in your hair when there was a surge forward.
c)the steel toe-capped pissed up arsehole who wanted to fight the world
d)someone trying to nick your half-time burger..yes it happened!!
fourth hurdle..getting out of the ground early and running like the clappers otherwise you would be ambushed by gangs of scroats..scarf nicked,programme and any money (although this was quite rare)nicked.
All this experienced by a blue ...heaven help the visiting fans