Newcastle 11th May 1968 let's have your memories...

[Gingers Dad]

I still cringe when I think about that game. I was 17 and with a mate jumped a Friday night train from Manchester along with many more. Got on the brown ale too early and ending up buying a bottle of sherry. My last memory was chatting to two Sunderland girls in the Leases end before I was woke up in a cell at 10 o'clock at night to be told we lost and charged with drunk and disorderly after wandering onto the pitch during the game.
Penniless I managed to get back jumping trains via Carlisle and later received a court letter that I had been fined £3.
The greatest game of my life at the time and I totally fcuked it up.

That is the best story so far

 

[bluestevei]

Was in my first year at university and for weeks before the Newcastle match I'd been fancying a lovely lass who I thought was out of my league but let me know I was in with a chance if I'd turn up to a party on the Saturday night. Even so I set off early morning to hitch-hike to Newcastle. Got stuck by the side of the road in pissing rain, no cars stopping, so gave up at 2 p.m and got a train back in time to hear Sports Report with the good news. Then much later that night was asked "aren't you glad you came to my party instead of going to the football match? "

but did you

 

[ray21]

As per thread title.

I was fourteen at the time and saved up my pocket money for the 32s/6d return rail fare from Stalybridge. The ground was absolutely jam packed and the atmosphere was electric. United were breathing down our necks so it was a must win game. As it happened, they lost the last game of the season to Sunderland at the swamp 2-1.

However a few days later they won the European cup beating Benfica 4-1 so the disappointment was short lived.

A great time, when teams wore proper kits and commentators didn’t need a boring sidekick, just commentated on the game.

 

[Spurs quarter 69]

Fuckers took it out on us in the fa cup game 1977 ish

Yet they were fantastic at Wembley in 76, didn't see any mither except with cockneys and they applauded City on the lap of honour. We did the same for them but far easier to do after a win.

 

[nw42]

I swear the guy who wrote the screenplay for The Warriors was a City fan walking back to Central Station after that game.

You were lucky to have seen the whole game, plenty of us got forced out of the ground when they started coming in our half of the Gallowgate, it was a mad day, our minibus was in serious danger of being rolled over while we were in it after the game. Next round, Leeds away, another Rourke's Drift.

 

[AliBobbyJ]

Interesting.
A year or so ago I wrote to David Mooney to ask him to do a special podcast on Newcastle 68. Those who were there are now old or no longer with us. That generation is fast disappearing. What I wanted him to do was not the match – which has been talked about – but an oral history of the supporters' experience of the run-in to that final game, and above all the trek up to St. James's Park that day, then the experience of the match from their point of view, and afterwards.
Understandably, he was reluctant. He's a working journalist, and he said, rightly, that it would be a lot of preparation and very time consuming. Which it would. If I lived in Manchester I'd do it. I'd put out an appeal on this forum (with Ric's permission). I've got time on my hands, and I feel strongly that there should be some record, as social history, of that day. There's now a whole generation of City supporters who know almost nothing about that day, except as an important date. 36-37 is just too far back, I don't imagine any eye witness is alive from that. And with the advent of social media, 2012 is covered backwards, forwards and sideways. But the collective memory of 68 is still there to be saved for posterity.
I'd go and interview people, a bit on the model of Studs Terkel and his excellent oral histories, like Working and Division Street: America (if anyone knows them). Get in touch with anyone who was willing and who was there, go round and interview them. The stories on this thread are exactly the sort of thing I'd be hunting down.
There'd then be quite a lot of skilled editing to make it radio friendly, obviously. Technical advice would be needed for that. But anyway, it's not on as far as I'm concerned. I don't live in the U.K.
Takers?

Made for Gary James or Ian Cheeseman?

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

You were lucky to have seen the whole game, plenty of us got forced out of the ground when they started coming in our half of the Gallowgate, it was a mad day, our minibus was in serious danger of being rolled over while we were in it after the game. Next round, Leeds away, another Rourke's Drift.

We were in a minibus as well and attracted some unwelcome attention going over the Tyne Bridge towards the ground. But we had seats, unusually, as we'd anticipated trouble. One of the lads I was with had a bit of a gob on him and yelled out "Come on you Blues" at the top of his voice as we got to our seats. Quite a few Geordies around him gave him some grief and threatened to do him, so he kept his head down for the rest of the game.

I still remember the police forming a line across the pitch when it kicked off in the Gallowgate corner, then someone charging out of the Leazes end, throwing himself on the police in the line and getting a good kicking for his troubles.

 

[BringBackSwales]

Yet they were fantastic at Wembley in 76, didn't see any mither except with cockneys and they applauded City on the lap of honour. We did the same for them but far easier to do after a win.

Also in the 80s we used to play quite often away in London when they were away in London and were always a good lot, but that day in 77 was payback for the takeover in 68

 

[VP81]

Also in the 80s we used to play quite often away in London when they were away in London and were always a good lot, but that day in 77 was payback for the takeover in 68

I was there in 77 fuckin horrendous got off the finglands coach got chased through Woolworths torrid day always thought it was for 76 League cup final and Malcolm MacDonald going to arsenal plus beating them on the day pissed them off big time

 

[Gray]

The ground in 1968, I was in the far end where Newcastle scored their 3rd and put the shits up me.