Maine Rd terrace characters

[lancs blue]

I did both the Bristol & Sunderland games and you're right, I wonder if it was down to reputations, although I came close to getting knifed at Bristol when I was expecting it to be a walk in the park. As for Sunderland, went on the special and I reckon there was less than 50 on it, the walk from Seaburn station to the ground was ok but they all came out of the pubs to laugh at our following, I asked one of them who joined our escort if we were going to 'get it', he said no as there weren't enough of us, fair play.
I'm fairly sure we all went in the paddock with the big open end to our right.

Yes, I also went to Bristol City and Sunderland that season on the specials - you're right we ended up in that small paddock at Sunderland as you described, no more than 150 in total including those off the coaches. There was also QPR away in midweek later that season where we only took a couple of hundred despite being in contention for the title.

 

[mancityvstoke]

Yes, I also went to Bristol City and Sunderland that season on the specials - you're right we ended up in that small paddock at Sunderland as you described, no more than 150 in total including those off the coaches. There was also QPR away in midweek later that season where we only took a couple of hundred despite being in contention for the title.

Was that 1977? I went to QPR one Tuesday night....hardly any in that open end. Scuffles with Chelsea fans too.

 

[lancs blue]

Was that 1977? I went to QPR one Tuesday night....hardly any in that open end. Scuffles with Chelsea fans too.

That's the one.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

RIP Pete Britton who along with his wife Anita, ran the Leicester & Rugby branch.
@DenisHasDoneIt

 

[nw42]

Was that 1977? I went to QPR one Tuesday night....hardly any in that open end. Scuffles with Chelsea fans too.

Unsure which season but around the same time we played a night game at Highbury, again there were hardly any blues there.

 

[Midlands Blue]

I've always been fascinated by City's away following in the 1970s, essentially because it seemed to vary from 10,000 to a just couple of coachloads.
Denis Law scores at Birmingham and you can literally hear a pin drop on You Tube, as one fan claps in the background. However, the following season, we lose 4-0, and you see a whole group of City fans refusing to celebrate their 2nd goal
Similarly, we seemed to take thousands to Ashton Gate in 76-77, but hardly anyone to Roker Park earlier in the season.
I've often wondered how you even knew which stand to go to. At least by the time I started going regularly (80-81) there always seemed to be a specific away end.

I'd just gone through the turnstile at St Andrews before the 4-0 game, and a load of our lads came running from the stand and out of the stadium. No segregation and it had kicked off. I thought fuck that, I've just paid 50p to get in here and I'm going nowhere!
Stuffed on and off the pitch that day.

 

[xgorton]

Unsure which season but around the same time we played a night game at Highbury, again there were hardly any blues there.

Remember night game at Highbury 77 League cup lost 1-0,58,000 not many blues that night.

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

I did both the Bristol & Sunderland games and you're right, I wonder if it was down to reputations, although I came close to getting knifed at Bristol when I was expecting it to be a walk in the park. As for Sunderland, went on the special and I reckon there was less than 50 on it, the walk from Seaburn station to the ground was ok but they all came out of the pubs to laugh at our following, I asked one of them who joined our escort if we were going to 'get it', he said no as there weren't enough of us, fair play.
I'm fairly sure we all went in the paddock with the big open end to our right.

Obviously you'd know better than me, but I don't recall it being that different for games at Maine Road with some teams occasionally bringing thousands, but often just a couple of hundred.

There's also been a huge shift in population demographic with far more second generation City fans now residing all over the country, whereas in the mid 70s, the vast majority still lived in Greater Manchester, and probably didn't even own a car.

Somebody mentioned the LC Replay at Highbury in 1977-78, which was staged just six days after the original tie. That would have been a huge effort in an era when it was far more difficult to get time off work at short notice.
Plus I don't recall many Arsenal fans at the original game, or indeed any game v Arsenal at Maine Road around that period.

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

I think in those days it came down to money.
I was on £6 a week so I had to choose my away games

I always think that in those days it was easier to jump on a matchday special without a match ticket, but equally it was easier to just stay at home and not bother. There was no peer pressure, and you literally decided whether you were bothering the previous night in the pub.

One attendance that always fascinates me is the 1-0 defeat at Leeds Rod in 64-65, just a few weeks after the infamous 8,000 attendance v Swindon at Maine Road.
Neither team had anything to play for, yet Huddersfield still recorded their highest crowd of the season.

 

[Corky]

I always think that in those days it was easier to jump on a matchday special without a match ticket, but equally it was easier to just stay at home and not bother. There was no peer pressure, and you literally decided whether you were bothering the previous night in the pub.

One attendance that always fascinates me is the 1-0 defeat at Leeds Rod in 64-65, just a few weeks after the infamous 8,000 attendance v Swindon at Maine Road.
Neither team had anything to play for, yet Huddersfield still recorded their highest crowd of the season.

Or Christmas Day, you hammered a team at home, so went to the reverse fixture on Boxing Day.

I think City would have been Hudds closest team that year.