Memories of the Kippax

[Always Ali]

My first time on the Kippax 1978, age 12 with my mate Clive Young v Liverpool.
We were so excited we got to the game at about 1pm and hung around eating chips and generally being very giddy, that was until a mob of about 100 Scousers turned up without a Police escort, and proceeded to batter anyone in site!
Never ran so fast in my life but remember not dropping any Chips and then turning round at the top of the Kippax carpark to see City fans getting a bit of a kicking by the turnstiles. Then the Police turned up and calm was restored!
Went into the ground at about 1.30 and sat on the white wall behind the little blue fence and at that moment I thought I was the coolest kid in the world, being in the Kippax, surrounded by my fellow Blues in this enormous stand. The smell of fags, beer and Westlers Water Burgers was so strong!

The day was not about the football, more about my awakening as a City supporter (I had always had to sit in the Platt Lane till my Dad thought I was old enough to stand with the "Nutters"). #
For the record, City then proceeded to self destruct and lose 1-4 with Liverpool just opening us at will, in a real men against Boys encounter!

Dave H

 

[alibee73]

PUSH UP!! PUSH UP!! anyone remember him? late 80`s i think

the silence and some bloke fainting when lakey swallowed his tongue

goin to the outside bogs and wading through a river of piss

jumpin on the bottom wall when we scored against the rags when i was a kid and some copper shovin me off backwards and all the blues behind threatening to drag him into the crowd and give him a good hidin

bananas, gorillas, sex dolls, dingys almost and anything else you could inflate

takin my 10 year old niece (her dad was a rag) in the kippax for the first time the day it all kicked off against the yids in the cup and she loved it and has been a blue ever since

cryin my eyes out from behind a concrete pillar in my temp seat in the north stand watchin the famous kippax get knocked down

 

[ColinBellsjockstrap]

Big Mal emerging from the tunnel in the main stand wearing his long coat, fedora and puffing on a giant havana, after Tony Book had lead the team out.

The smell of piss, farts and Bovril at half time, plus Capstan full strength.

All the Platt lane and main stand standing up when City scored, (or when the pies had come) accompanied by a massive roar.

 

[Danny Hoekman]

When we were kids, we used to get to the ground around 11.30am As soon as we were through the turnstiles, at around 1pm iirc, we ran down the tunnel to get our position sat on the wall at the half way line (at the front at first then the wall half way up as we got older). The buzz when we could see the teams appear in the tunnel.

Used to love the vibe behind the Kippax (the terracing days) at half time, sat on the steps with a pint of Greenhalls pish.

Could go on forever - eee them were t'days.

 

[clp1000]

On busy days in the Kippax, lads would stand on the fence right at the back - so you could almost touch the roof - I was looking for a space there one game but as I walked along I saw that everyone who was up there had a massive hole in the bottom of their trainers from the spikes in the fence - ha ha I soon changed my mind !

 

[ONTHERUNWITHTHAKSIN]

Cup game in 1980 against crystal palace and stood on the Kippax when Big Mal returned to a standing ovation and when he turned to walk back to the dugout the Kippax started singing

"Johnny Bond, Johnny Bond, Johnny Bond"

1985 and lifting my little brother over the wall to the police as he was being crushed as we played Charlton in our promotion winning game. we were taken to stand where the away fans were supposed to be (their coach was late) and later this corner area must have been filled with young blues and aroun 500 Charlton fans.

Always remember as a kid in the late 70's being perched at the bottom of the stand and looking back seeing shadows/silhoettes of fans flailing arms having a pop at each other.

 

[dennishasdoneit]

My first clear memory of standing on the kippax was the last home game of the 90/91 season v sunderland. We won 3-2 think david white got a couple and sure for some reason martyn margetson was in goal. I was 10 at the time and still recall this season more than most. Maine road was packed including the away end i was stood at the front and seem to remember a few cases of sunderland fans being escorted past bleeding not sure how or why. We sent them down and also finished 4th or 5th above the rags the players did a lap of jonour the kippax chanting were the pride of manchester. From then on i was hooked wed be stood outside before the gates opened before home games Pay 4 quid and go sit above one of the tunnels on a bar / wall 2 hours before kick off. As you looked at the kippax it was about 3/4 to the right quite close to where standing away fans went. Although it wasnt every gamed that away fans were in the kippax from what i remember maybe it was overspill from the old platt lane wooden benches !

That was some day..an end of season relegation decider for the mackems whilst we were riding high in the top 5. We were desperate to win to finish above utd. Sunderland fans basically took over moss side that day-they were everywhere and they ALL wore the shirt. platt lane was completely full(8.000?) with away fans and another 2 thousand on the end of the kippax nearest platt lane. atmosphere was brilliant,helped by the deafning noise the mackems made.

We won 3-2, but the best goal was scored by them-still one of the best goals i,ve ever seen live..city were attacking the north stand when sunderland countered at pace,ball was fed to their left wing,ie in front of the kippax,and their winger dashed down the length of the pitch,to the byeline before swinging over a high cross ,where big marco gabbiadini threw himself into a full scale diving header ,powering the ball high into the net,right in front of 8,ooo mackems who exploded with noise.

Felt a bit sorry for mackems after,but soon remembered the dodgy times i,d had at roker park in the 80,s.fuck em!!

 

[Lucky Toma]

Brilliant lads. I can't wait to write it up. Keep em coming.

My own one is -

From the age of 12 onwards I had the same spec every game....halfway up, near the centre, leaning against the same crash barrier. For the United 5-1 I was 14 and, following Tricky Trev poking home the second, the place went berserk. My older brother was just gone....one second he was there...then he'd vanished in a surge of bodies and limbs.
Once it had settled down a bit I wanted to share the moment with my bro but he was still nowhere to be seen. Seeing me look a bit lost an old bloke - late 70s at least - ruffled my hair and said 'Magic eh....fucking 'ell'
That little snapshot remains one of my favourite ever moments and always will.

 

[charliebigspuds]

Some excellent stuff, I could read these all day. Its like being in the pub and reminiscing with all yer mates

 

[SWSB]

THE KIPPAX STREET STAND : I think the first memory for me was around the 83 season against Huddersfield Town, i was about 9 years old, we lost 3-2 i recall, My older brothers took me and stood next to the open air bit in the corner near the North Stand, it was really loud, i remember seeing a middle aged bald headed bloke stood on his own with his scalf tied around his rist drinking a small bottle of whiskey shouting and jumping about.
To this day i have'nt lived this down but it all went quiet during the Match, as Alex Williams was about to take a goal kick, i shouted at the top of my voice, GIVE IT A GOOD KICK ALEX, the brothers still rib me to this day.
KIPPAX STREET : On the way home after the Match a mini bus was stuck in a bit of a que with a load of Huddersfield fans singing 3-2, 3-2, 3-2, they shouted at the wrong time because a load of lads just swarmed it and turned the bus over on its side and battered them as they were trying to climb out.
Sign of the times i reckon.

I remember that minibus well, being turned over,but there was no one inside at the time.The lads were around the bus waiting for the Huddersfield lads,got fed up waiting then turned it on its side.If it was the same bus,it was parallel to Upper Lloyd St going towards town.<br /><br />-- Thu Jun 23, 2011 8:35 pm --<br /><br />

THE KIPPAX STREET STAND : I think the first memory for me was around the 83 season against Huddersfield Town, i was about 9 years old, we lost 3-2 i recall, My older brothers took me and stood next to the open air bit in the corner near the North Stand, it was really loud, i remember seeing a middle aged bald headed bloke stood on his own with his scalf tied around his rist drinking a small bottle of whiskey shouting and jumping about.
To this day i have'nt lived this down but it all went quiet during the Match, as Alex Williams was about to take a goal kick, i shouted at the top of my voice, GIVE IT A GOOD KICK ALEX, the brothers still rib me to this day.
KIPPAX STREET : On the way home after the Match a mini bus was stuck in a bit of a que with a load of Huddersfield fans singing 3-2, 3-2, 3-2, they shouted at the wrong time because a load of lads just swarmed it and turned the bus over on its side and battered them as they were trying to climb out.
Sign of the times i reckon.

I remember that minibus well, being turned over,but there was no one inside at the time.The lads were around the bus waiting for the Huddersfield lads,got fed up waiting then turned it on its side.If it was the same bus,it was parallel to Upper Lloyd St going towards town.

maybe there WAS 2 buses,this was parked up not in traffic.