Intimidating grounds

[DrBlueBob]

I never drank in there. We would drink in the city centre, not a football pub, we had pals who worked there. Our city centre local. Even if we were over that way, we went to a pub called The Squirrel. But that was rare.

I got treated to the full Baird's bar experience once. Shall we just say it was raucous. I'm not usually one for singing IRA songs but I thought, given my accent, that "When in Rome" was a good policy.

 

[bennyboy]

Queen of the South away with Hearts back in the old first division was just a war zone.
In fact any Hearts game 70's and early 80's there was an bad atmosphere most times.
Feyenoord away was the last time you had to be on your toes at a Hearts game.
Their casuals got a surprise though when they stormed the big Ben pub and the Hearts fans in their colours fought back.
Luckily the police waded in to stop it pronto.
Weirdly not once have I been intimidated at a hibs game.

 

[LGWIO]

West Ham away only time I have had any worries with scuffles.

Having gone to many games against Rangers, 80 Cup Final Riot, insude the ground snd even worse outside, big battle outside Ibrox in 80's, Many City Centre and pub pitched battles. When we used to get over 20,000 tickets for away games, especially at us, we would walk back into the City centre and it would all kick off. Those experiences and the level of actual fighting, not the pussy stuff of chasing, you were never going to get much worse anywhere. If you are in numbers and those numbers are game to go, you get an adrenalin rush, helped by a pre match top up of your choice, it was actually quite enjoyable. Been to Arsenal, pussies, Wrexham in a pre season, tasty and stood their ground. All in all had great times, but after us against Rangers, everything seems second division. Juve fans at their ground were cunts, throwing stuff, but when we charged them after the game they shat it.

Couldn't be arsed with any of that now. There's a time and a place. That time has gone.

But...went home from Uni in London one weekend and a mate announced he had tickets for the Old Firm game the following day. Thought it would be an interesting experience!
Went up on the day and found an atmosphere of pure hatred that I have never encountered before or since. Stood in the main stand with Union flags and wall of noise to the right and tricolours and another wall of noise to the left.
Certainly intimidating for the uneducated.
And when Mo Johnston scored at the death it got even madder.
Avoided any scuffles but certainly intimidating.
Certainly worth going though

 

[Magicpole]

West Ham away only time I have had any worries with scuffles.

But...went home from Uni in London one weekend and a mate announced he had tickets for the Old Firm game the following day. Thought it would be an interesting experience!
Went up on the day and found an atmosphere of pure hatred that I have never encountered before or since. Stood in the main stand with Union flags and wall of noise to the right and tricolours and another wall of noise to the left.
Certainly intimidating for the uneducated.
And when Mo Johnston scored at the death it got even madder.
Avoided any scuffles but certainly intimidating.
Certainly worth going though

The intimidatory element gives it a certain tang. As for Judas scoring late on? That was a sad and terrible moment.

 

[Tbilisi]

Leeds in 75 and Boro 80 were fcuking horrendous.

 

[LGWIO]

The intimidatory element gives it a certain tang. As for Judas scoring late on? That was a sad and terrible moment.

Despite being in with the Rangers fans, both me and the mate I went up there with were completely neutral.
It was purely for the spectacle.
One of my abiding memories was of the really fit looking girl stood behind me. Thinking she looked so sweet yet hot and then something happening on the pitch and her coming flying over my shoulder spouting complete sectarian bile.
Besides everything else, it was that which shocked me most...and then 10years later I end up moving to NI!

 

[@BluePhil8]

Napoli’s is intimidating in the sense that you don’t want to go in case you get stabbed in the arse. Same for Roma. The rest, fucking shit.

 

[Bobby the blue]

I have never found Upton Park to be intimidating visiting as a City Fan although I feel that they quite like us and respect us. However I know that Upton Park was a pretty awful place to visit for a lot of visiting fans over the years. I remember going there in the 2002 season and arranging to meet a mate in a pub. I was wandering about looking lost when a west Ham lad shouted out. "All your mates are in here" being a dick I walked over and got to the door and clocked it was full of West Ham. They had a giggle but were ok with me, they then pointed me in the direction of the pub I should be going to.

I have heard tales though regarding visiting fans at Upton park over the years and can definitely see how rum it could be there.

 

[Cornish_Blue]

Where have you guys been to away that has felt hostile and worrying? I didn’t grow up in the 70/80s so missed the real bad times. I always thought there was a funny vibe about white hart Lane, and for some reason bramall lane can feel hostile. Abroad, an Ajax Feyenoord game is particularity unfriendly

Stokes Victoria Park was horrendous, and was Villa, they were throwing cups of piss over us from above. Cops stood there laughing.

 

[Bobby the blue]

Spurs was always quite edgey. Never felt completely safe there but never had any real issues.
Palace. No real issues there following City, they try way to hard with all that ultra crap and waving flags.
Chelsea is far less intimidating now than the 80s..I remember going there as a kid late 80s and even then sensing it wasn't a place that was the most inviting.
QPR,Fulham and Arsenal I've never had any problems.

Millwall is definitely still a nasty place to visit and I've neve felt as ease there.

Obviously these are just my take on things and others have way more experience especially early 80s of some of these places.