Most intimidating London Ground in years gone by?

[Blue Streak]

Watching footage from City games especially in the 70's it seems we never took large numbers to the capital (although I believe we bucked the trend a few times in the early 70's at Stamford Bridge). Just wondering seeing as we took huge numbers to the likes of Elland Road, was it a cost factor or something more?

Which were the worst London grounds to visit? I've been to a lot of them in the last 20 years and haven't felt overly bothered at all.

 

[BringBackSwales]

Watching footage from City games especially in the 70's it seems we never took large numbers to the capital (although I believe we bucked the trend a few times in the early 70's at Stamford Bridge). Just wondering seeing as we took huge numbers to the likes of Elland Road, was it a cost factor or something more?

Which were the worst London grounds to visit? I've been to a lot of them in the last 20 years and haven't felt overly bothered at all.

The Old Den was fucking horrible (just like the New Den really)

 

[Anonymous]

During the 70's trips to West Ham , Arsenal , Tottenham and Chelsea were definetely dodgy .... and later on trips to Millwall definetely joined them !

I'd say 70's West Ham and Chelsea were probably the worst .... there was little to choose between them , both were infested with serious hooligans gangs , and police numbers were conspicuous by their absence at either place.

We never really took the numbers to any of those grounds back then that we take today .....

 

[happychappy]

Can't believe I've never been given a dig in London, come close on a few occasions, but done most bar Barnet, Orient and wouldn't say Any of them compare to Leeds

 

[mmadave1]

the old den even though I saw alot city's old boys go down in big numbers for that one.edgley park could also be pretty intimidating during an evening game. I only started watching city back in 95 but I have been to pretty much every ground in the country.if you keep your head down and don't attract attention to yourself you will always be fine in my opinion.

 

[Anonymous]

Can't believe I've never been given a dig in London, come close on a few occasions, but done most bar Barnet, Orient and wouldn't say Any of them compare to Leeds

I'd put 70's/80's Leeds at the top of the list too , it seemed like half of yorkshire wanted to rip you to shreds when you went there ..... i had a mate who was hit over the head with a brick half an hour before a game there , and landed up in hospital ....... yet we took probably THE biggest away following ever to visit that particular ground.

but West Ham was definetely a bad place to go too , durin' their ICF days , as was Chelsea ....... you could almost count on trouble if you went to either.

Newcastle was another really intimidating place to visit ....

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

I went to Chelsea in 1983 / 84 season, when Jim Tolmie hit the games only game.
We were kept back an hour, and I was still hoping the cops would keep us in longer....
We were led through various streets to where ever our coaches were, with Chelsea trying to break through into the escort, but the police held firm. Thankfully!

 

[happychappy]

Can't believe I've never been given a dig in London, come close on a few occasions, but done most bar Barnet, Orient and wouldn't say Any of them compare to Leeds

I'd put 70's/80's Leeds at the top of the list too , it seemed like half of yorkshire wanted to rip you to shreds when you went there .....

but West Ham was definetely a bad place to go too , durin' their ICF days , as was Chelsea ....... you could almost count on trouble if you went to either.

Newcastle was another intimidating place to visit ....

Only went the once to west ham, one of the first Monday night games, city's service crew turned back at Euston as every cockney firm was out, 200 in the away end, think west ham finished 4th that season, daft Donald came skipping out of the tunnel onto the pitch when they started playing "I'm forever blowing bubbles", we lost 2-0 and with 10 mins to go city started singing who the fucks the icf, got kept in for an hour and when a 100 of us got escorted back to the tube we were met by 300 west ham waiting for us, when they started singing "loyal supporters" and trying to shake our hands we couldn't oblige quickly enough

 

[oakiecokie]

Went to West Ham a few times in the 70`s and for me,they were by far the worst supporters in terms of "aggro" as it was known then.

 

[Anonymous]

I went to Chelsea in 1983 / 84 season, when Jim Tolmie hit the games only game.
We were kept back an hour, and I was still hoping the cops would keep us in longer....
We were led through various streets to where ever our coaches were, with Chelsea trying to break through into the escort, but the police held firm. Thankfully!

Yeah , by the time we'd reached the the mid-80's the police had definetely improved their 'awareness' of football hooligans , and being kept behind at grounds was becoming commonplace , as was the greater police presence before , during and after games .....

but during the 70's , as hooligan gangs manifested on a large scale , police have long admitted that they were caught 'on the hop' , and had little idea how to cope .. overall police 'intelligence' was lacking , and there just weren't enough of them to deal with many situations of violence back then.

I was at Old Trafford back in 1974 , when it all kicked off , and the cops had absolutely no idea how to cope .... there was a pitch invasion , and prolonged fighting all over the scoreboard/ scoreboard paddock areas.