Lowest away following.

[mancityvstoke]

Jesus, that would be the year we won it then and it still didn’t ring any bells until I watched the highlights. Thanks for that.

Although I can name not only the results but all the scorers in the correct order from every game in the ‘81 cup run.

Funny old thing the human brain.

Spurs.....shudder....cunts

 

[Stephen230]

I imagine it’s been covered on here before but I’ve often wondered why the crowd for the Cup Winners Cup Final was so low?

Obviously travel around Europe wasn’t as easy or affordable as it is today, but were there more specific reasons? I’ve no idea how many we took. But even if we’d made up 90% of the crowd, it still wouldn’t have been what you might expect for a well supported club’s first European final.

The competition was still pretty much in its infancy. So was it even thought of as much of a big deal at the time?

 

[maccieblue]

Yeah, as the other guy says, you’re misremembering that one mate. Was loads crammed into the far corner furthest away from the turnstiles. With one little sliding door at the top to keep the natives out. Was the weirdest set up there. I think all the turnstiles for the whole ground were behind one net and you just walked round to which stand you were in.

I remember having to go through the home turnstiles but I seem to remember something about the away turnstiles being shut due to gypsies being camped outside them

 

[M18CTID]

Not the lowest away following we've ever had but was anyone at the Arsenal away game in the inaugural Premier League season? It was a Monday night match live on Sky in September 1992 and as the North Bank was being redeveloped at the time capacity at Highbury was reduced to 20-odd thousand meaning away fans received far fewer tickets than usual. IIRC we only got around 800-900 tickets and we were located in the corner of the Clock End. It was an utterly forgettable 1-0 defeat with the only highlights being off the pitch. Before the game we were drinking outside the Drayton Arms and an eagle-eyed Craig "Shez" Shennan from Wythenshawe spotted Gillian Taylforth in her car at a junction further down, shouted "Gillian" at the top of his voice to which she turned around and smiled and waved at him as though she'd known him all her life! At half-time The Shamen came on the pitch miming to Ebeneezer Goode which prompted shit loads of abuse from City and Arsenal fans alike.

 

[Stephen230]

I remember having to go through the home turnstiles but I seem to remember something about the away turnstiles being shut due to gypsies being camped outside them

You know that rings a very distant bell now you mention it, something about gypsies. Christ knows though. I’m trying to picture the ground and I have it in my head that you couldn’t walk down that side of the ground at all outside the perimeters of the walls. But I can’t picture what was stopping you.

 

[Bluview]

Not the lowest away following we've ever had but was anyone at the Arsenal away game in the inaugural Premier League season? It was a Monday night match live on Sky in September 1992 and as the North Bank was being redeveloped at the time, capacity at Highbury was reduced to 20-odd thousand meaning away fans received far fewer tickets than usual. IIRC we only got around 800-900 tickets and we were located in the corner of the Clock End. It was an utterly forgettable 1-0 defeat with the only highlights being off the pitch. Before the game we were drinking outside the Drayton Arms and an eagle-eyed Craig "Shez" Shennan from Wythenshawe spotted Gillian Taylforth in her car at a junction further down, shouted "Gillian" at the top of his voice to which she turned around and smiled and waved at him as though she'd known him all her life! At half-time The Shamen came on the pitch miming to Ebeneezer Goode which prompted shit loads of abuse from City and Arsenal fans alike.

Yes I was there, only realised when you mentioned The Shamen! Highbury pay on turnstiles under the houses, we paid junior prices well into our twenties for a few seasons, that was usually the highlight of the day then. Lowest aways were Norwich and Spurs in 80’s both night games no idea what years but couple of hundred at each.
Oh and Luton away but when away fans were banned so doesn’t count but I saw a few faces there on that day regardless.

 

[mancityvstoke]

You know that rings a very distant bell now you mention it, something about gypsies. Christ knows though. I’m trying to picture the ground and I have it in my head that you couldn’t walk down that side of the ground at all outside the perimeters of the walls. But I can’t picture what was stopping you.

the railway line ?

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

I imagine it’s been covered on here before but I’ve often wondered why the crowd for the Cup Winners Cup Final was so low?

Obviously travel around Europe wasn’t as easy or affordable as it is today, but were there more specific reasons? I’ve no idea how many we took. But even if we’d made up 90% of the crowd, it still wouldn’t have been what you might expect for a well supported club’s first European final.

The competition was still pretty much in its infancy. So was it even thought of as much of a big deal at the time?

The Polish fans were not allowed to travel - as an Eastern Bloc country travel restrictions were limited back then so it was City fans and locals only.
Sadly it pissed it down all day so even the locals gave it a miss.
One rag twat I know gleefully reminds me often that it was the lowest attended Euro final ever. However I am quick to remind him that it was the biggest support an English team had taken abroad at the time.

 

[Stephen230]

the railway line ?

I have the rail track running alongside the open terrace opposite the main stand in my head. But if truth be told it’s all getting more blurry the more I try thinking about it.

 

[sktooblue]

I went to Southend Utd away in the League Cup in 1986.

Midweek game, nothing happened 0-0.

Hardly any City fans there from memory

Jibbed on the special, bladdered & thought it a good idea to go in the Southend end, City scored & we ran on the pitch. Goal then disallowed & 2 of us kept in the cells until final whistle where they kindly let us out & catch the special home.