You are spot on about going in the home sections in those days. It was often much safer to go in those areas before proper away sections were created. I watched all those 70s/early 80s games at Anfield from the right hand side of the Kop and there were plenty of City fans in there keeping their mouths shut. It was deadly in the Anfield Road end. It was the same at Old Trafford and we always went in the Stretford End Paddock. Funnily enough the only time I got any trouble was in the West Ham end in 76.Football was much more fun when you could pay at the gate, before segregation and having to buy tickets months in advance. For a couple of seasons around 1969/1971, three or four of us used to go in the recognised 'home end' at every away game we went to, just for the 'thrill'. The only exceptions were all-ticket games and Upton Park - There was no way we were going in with late 60s West Ham fans!
Very rarely had any serious trouble - Mostly friendly banter and the odd slap off the local yokels. When we were 'thrown out' by the police, we pleaded ignorance of the stadium and were invariably moved into what they advised us the 'away' section of the ground. If they didn't do that (or throw us in a meat wagon), we used to wait until the gates opened 15/20 minutes from the end, and go back in for nowt.
The most intimidating places (other than West Ham) were the Shed at Chelsea, the Shelf at Spurs, and that barrel of laughs that they called the Kop at Leeds - We kept our mouths shut and learned to celebrate internally when City scored. Forest used to be good for running over the bridge to get over the Trent - Proper fun until you got thrown in by the greasers - Hello Billy if you're reading. Billy was thrown in but made the mistake of swimming to the wrong bank and having to cross the bridge again... He made it 2nd time!
Most ejections from a ground..? The Swamp - FA Cup 2nd replay Huddersfield v Stoke. Thrown out three times during the game, walked back in three times through the same door the police were throwing fans out of. Manchester police were'nt employing the brightest buttons in the box at the time when it came to crowd control!
Post-70s fans really have no idea what it was like to go to a football match in the good old days - Segregation and fences just increased the hostility and moved the trouble outside the ground. It was a daft idea.
Where’s the guy with the Repent Before It Is Too Late’ sign?
Or the 'Final Sroceshhh' guy who looked like he was in Hawkwind and used to sell The Pink Final after the match?Where’s the guy with the Repent Before It Is Too Late’ sign?
The devil took himWhere’s the guy with the Repent Before It Is Too Late’ sign?
David Moyes? He's currently at West Ham.Where’s the guy with the Repent Before It Is Too Late’ sign?
Football was much more fun when you could pay at the gate, before segregation and having to buy tickets months in advance. For a couple of seasons around 1969/1971, three or four of us used to go in the recognised 'home end' at every away game we went to, just for the 'thrill'. The only exceptions were all-ticket games and Upton Park - There was no way we were going in with late 60s West Ham fans!
Very rarely had any serious trouble - Mostly friendly banter and the odd slap off the local yokels. When we were 'thrown out' by the police, we pleaded ignorance of the stadium and were invariably moved into what they advised us the 'away' section of the ground. If they didn't do that (or throw us in a meat wagon), we used to wait until the gates opened 15/20 minutes from the end, and go back in for nowt.
The most intimidating places (other than West Ham) were the Shed at Chelsea, the Shelf at Spurs, and that barrel of laughs that they called the Kop at Leeds - We kept our mouths shut and learned to celebrate internally when City scored. Forest used to be good for running over the bridge to get over the Trent - Proper fun until you got thrown in by the greasers - Hello Billy if you're reading. Billy was thrown in but made the mistake of swimming to the wrong bank and having to cross the bridge again... He made it 2nd time!
Most ejections from a ground..? The Swamp - FA Cup 2nd replay Huddersfield v Stoke. Thrown out three times during the game, walked back in three times through the same door the police were throwing fans out of. Manchester police were'nt employing the brightest buttons in the box at the time when it came to crowd control!
Post-70s fans really have no idea what it was like to go to a football match in the good old days - Segregation and fences just increased the hostility and moved the trouble outside the ground. It was a daft idea.