Police escorts during the 80's-90's

[droylsdenblue]

Sunderland was always a bit of a laugh in an escort..not!

 

[mcfcirlam]

Sunderland 1990, Open End, November, Raining.
We went in a minibus and got caught in the escort so we couldn't go for a pint.
They parked us up on the Fairground and at about 2.30pm we were driven along the seafront, passed the Roker where all their mob was throwing bottles at us.
We were escorted up the hill to the away end.
The funniest thing was, our driver, Pete (God rest his soul) had to take the minibus back to the funfair and he had to stay with it until 3.15pm.
He met us in the ground at about 3.40pm and we all said our sorry's for him missing the first half.
"Thanks" he said, "but i've got to be back with the minibus by 4.30pm so you can be picked up where you were dropped off"
Luckily, Pete was a lovely man and he was ready for the next away game 2 weeks later.

The game ended 1v1, David White. This was the first game i heard ei-ei- ippy after they sang "If you hate Newcastle, clap your hands"

We went to Anfield 2 weeks later and you could tell straight away, who was at Sunderland as we sang the same about Rags and it took a time to get going.

 

[northstander]

remember leeds away mid/late 80's, met at the ducie bridge by Victoria, loads went on the 12 noon train loads left in pub, heard red scousers had arrived, chased them everywhere then got the 1pm train, at leeds escort was waiting and all other blues that left earlier appeared, it looked near a thousand lads, marched towards ground and everytime leeds appeared went after them, coppers couldn't handle it, a lad with us ( everton fan ) said never seen a crew like it,don't remember any leeds about after for the escort back.

 

[urmston]

It's worth telling youngsters on the forum that 99% of football violence in the olden days was between a small minority of morons.

These morons were only too keen to identify themselves to the police and everyone else.

This meant nearly everyone else could go to matches without any problem at all.

 

[newbluebrazilians]

on a funny note to do with this thread
The luton match with david pleat etc etc we was walking down the white ginnel (alley) at the back of the platt lane and half way down it four of us met two police horses who told us that the luton town escort was proceeding down towards us he said if you stay to the left hand side youll be ok
as we made our way down there was a few comments and shoves and pushes but nothing much haha except one of us who got chinned must have been the only SCUM fan to come to city that unmemorable day but just goes to show shit always stands out hahahaha

 

[the god Gerry Gow]

Miners strike, South Yorkshire police were gagging for it.

a few coach loads went up to frikley to watch Stalybridge Celtic during the strikes a mixture of blues and reds, it didn't end well especially when they unfolded a banner saying fk surgery scargill, the police did nothing to quell what unfolded, basically because they couldn't? They reckon their was more coal thrown that day than what they had dug up in 5 year before, their were guys hiding in the changing rooms at half time with the players? with miners trying to kick the doors in.

I ended up down the tunnel that day. If I recall there were no coppers inside the ground until it kicked off due to obvious tensions between them and the miners.

The ref blew 5 minutes early after Frickley made it 2-1. He waited till he was near the changing rooms, blew the whistle and legged it.

Every single window on our coach was bricked in.

South Elmsall, where the ground was, looked like a wasteland. And that was before Stalybridge arrived

 

[jus moochin]

I remember the night match at Roker in 1980, hundreds of Mackems trying to break the escort and the Wearside Old Bill steaming into their own fans. About 200 blues there, paying £2.40 into a paddock. At Boro they'd let you fight at the back of the escort-their OB were on first name terms with their lads....

 

[dennishasdoneit]

I remember going to West Brom (about 87?) when Adcock scored in a 1-1 draw, when they nicked so many people in the ground, the away end was half empty by the finish. Singing, pointing, gesticulating, unless you were stood stock still in total silence, you were fair game. West Midlands were always the worst, with South Yorkshire not far behind

One of only 2 times I've been kicked out of any ground. 16 at the time. The reason they gave me for being ejected was 'sticking 2 fingers up'. Was promptly marched around the pitch, arm up my back, with 15,000 people flicking me the V's.

Midlands were definitely the worst.

I remember a lad being kicked out at West Brom for waving at his dad who was in the seats, I'm sure the West Midland cops had a quota of away fans they had to nick at each match.,

i can remember a forest fan i know describing a night match at coventry city, with a fan being ejected for complaining there wasn,t enough salt on his chips!!
there was def something going on with west mids footy police in those days.crazy

 

[squirtyflower]

Sunderland 1990, Open End, November, Raining.
We went in a minibus and got caught in the escort so we couldn't go for a pint.
They parked us up on the Fairground and at about 2.30pm we were driven along the seafront, passed the Roker where all their mob was throwing bottles at us.
We were escorted up the hill to the away end.
The funniest thing was, our driver, Pete (God rest his soul) had to take the minibus back to the funfair and he had to stay with it until 3.15pm.
He met us in the ground at about 3.40pm and we all said our sorry's for him missing the first half.
"Thanks" he said, "but i've got to be back with the minibus by 4.30pm so you can be picked up where you were dropped off"
Luckily, Pete was a lovely man and he was ready for the next away game 2 weeks later.

The game ended 1v1, David White. This was the first game i heard ei-ei- ippy after they sang "If you hate Newcastle, clap your hands"

We went to Anfield 2 weeks later and you could tell straight away, who was at Sunderland as we sang the same about Rags and it took a time to get going.

I remember that game well, it was November time and fucking freezing, the wind blowing of the sea went right to your bones.
Got frog marched straight from the coach in to the game about an hour and a half before kickoff, I've never been so cold

 

[cyberblue]

The Police back then treated most fans as scum