Traveling to away games in the 1970s

[Anonymous]

Bill Gardner who was a very respected face at West Ham for years talks in his book of Maine Road being one of the very worst grounds to visit in the 70's.

I've also read accounts from Villa fans of a trip of terror to Maine Road for a night match in the 70's. And what happened outside the ground being bedlam.

Anyone have any thoughts on these?

Maine Road wasn't a good place to visit ...... after each match ended City hooligans were usually to be found lookin' for rival fans on the foercourt behind the Main Stand ...... i remember two Middlesboro fans taking a really bad beating , and Leeds fans were often ambushed by City skinheads in nearby alleys.

I was at the home game with Villa you mention ...... we won 2-0 on a summers evening , and the Villa fans were sneaking out as best they could early , but plenty of City fans were already waiting ........ at least two Villa fans were stabbed and others beaten up as they tried to reach their coaches , which back then were parked at Hough End playing fields.

 

[Blue Streak]

Bill Gardner who was a very respected face at West Ham for years talks in his book of Maine Road being one of the very worst grounds to visit in the 70's.

I've also read accounts from Villa fans of a trip of terror to Maine Road for a night match in the 70's. And what happened outside the ground being bedlam.

Anyone have any thoughts on these?

Maine Road wasn't a good place to visit ...... after each match ended City hooligans were usually to be found lookin' for rival fans on the foercourt behind the Main Stand ...... i remember two Middlesboro fans taking a really bad beating , and Leeds fans were often ambushed by City skinheads in nearby alleys.

I was at the home game with Villa you mention ...... we won 2-0 on a summers evening , and the Villa fans were sneaking out as best they could early , but plenty of City fans were already waiting ........ at least two Villa fans were stabbed and others beaten up as they tried to reach their coaches , which back then were parked at Hough End playing fields.

It was mentioned that the coaches were away from Maine Road actually and some sort of fair had been on in Moss Side that evening?

In another book I've read a Chelsea nutter also talks about Maine Road being the worst ground he ever went to. I'm 34 so have seen some stuff obviously but nothing on the scale of the 70's etc.

 

[blue1969]

Every game was an adrenalin rush. Getting to an away ground was a 'challenge' if you got in unscathed it was a result but you knew you were going to have to run the gauntlet again. I became like a drug, untill you came unstuck!

 

[Anonymous]

Bill Gardner who was a very respected face at West Ham for years talks in his book of Maine Road being one of the very worst grounds to visit in the 70's.

I've also read accounts from Villa fans of a trip of terror to Maine Road for a night match in the 70's. And what happened outside the ground being bedlam.

Anyone have any thoughts on these?

Maine Road wasn't a good place to visit ...... after each match ended City hooligans were usually to be found lookin' for rival fans on the foercourt behind the Main Stand ...... i remember two Middlesboro fans taking a really bad beating , and Leeds fans were often ambushed by City skinheads in nearby alleys.

I was at the home game with Villa you mention ...... we won 2-0 on a summers evening , and the Villa fans were sneaking out as best they could early , but plenty of City fans were already waiting ........ at least two Villa fans were stabbed and others beaten up as they tried to reach their coaches , which back then were parked at Hough End playing fields.

It was mentioned that the coaches were away from Maine Road actually and some sort of fair had been on in Moss Side that evening?

In another book I've read a Chelsea nutter also talks about Maine Road being the worst ground he ever went to. I'm 34 so have seen some stuff obviously but nothing on the scale of the 70's etc.

Yeah ...... visiting coaches used to park on Hough End playing fields , about a mile or so away from Maine Road (on Princess Parkway) , and after games visiting fans often had to get back to them without escort ....... the fair you mention might well have been on at those fields too.

i can remember one particuarly bad night with Chelsea , when we were going for the second division title with them one season , eighties i think ....... it kicked off bigstyle in town and all around the Maine Road ground , they were in good form and they brought thousands down ....... a violent night!

 

[Blue Streak]

I remember the second division match against Chelsea when they won at Maine Road in the 88/89 season.

And that was bad but by all accounts there visit in the 83/84 season was worse. I was only nine then though.

Both games Chelsea had huge numbers.

 

[Blue Streak]

Looking at the accounts on here sums it up that away trips in the 70's were bad.

But which was the worst? Leeds, Everton, Liverpool, Scum, Wolves or London grounds?

 

[Anonymous]

I remember the second division match against Chelsea when they won at Maine Road in the 88/89 season.

And that was bad but by all accounts there visit in the 83/84 season was worse. I was only nine then though.

Both games Chelsea had huge numbers.

The 83/84 season match is the one i'm referring to in the post above ..... it WAS bad , and aside from trouble outside the ground i also saw trouble on Portland Street in town when rival fans clashed.

I'm sure the game which you mention in 88/89 between the two clubs at Maine Road the Chelsea fans were actually banned from attending if my memory serves me right ......... but quite a number of them still got in , and made themselves known.

They won 3-2 after being two goals down.

 

[Anonymous]

Looking at the accounts on here sums it up that away trips in the 70's were bad.

But which was the worst? Leeds, Everton, Liverpool, Scum, Wolves or London grounds?

Different fans will come up with different answers ...... but in my opinion Leeds was the worst place to go to.

They were always waiting for you when you got there , and always tried to jump the escort ....... and getting back to the station afterwards was a nightmare.

They also ambushed fans on coaches both walking to , and coming away from the ground.

 

[Blue Streak]

I remember the second division match against Chelsea when they won at Maine Road in the 88/89 season.

And that was bad but by all accounts there visit in the 83/84 season was worse. I was only nine then though.

Both games Chelsea had huge numbers.

The 83/84 season match is the one i'm referring to in the post above ..... it WAS bad , and aside from trouble outside the ground i also saw trouble on Portland Street in town when rival fans clashed.

I'm sure the game which you mention in 88/89 between the two clubs at Maine Road the Chelsea fans were actually banned from attending if my memory serves me right ......... but quite a number of them still got in , and made themselves known.

They won 3-2 after being two goals down.

The game in 88/89 there was thousands of Chelsea fans - they had all the old Platt Lane. Kippax / Platt Lane corner etc. I remember it well.

As you say they won 3-2 and I remember the Aussie leftback they had (who later played for England & Leeds) ran half the length of the pitch and scored.

 

[Blue Streak]

And talking of Chelsea I'm sure I remember my Dad telling me he was in the Shed at Stamford Bridge for the 1971 European Cup Winners Cup Semi-Final first leg (he had moved to London in 1969) and it was the most scared he had been at a game ever.

I'll ask him tomorrow but it was a few years ago since he told me and as he's now 70 it might be a bit misty.