Traveling to away games in the 1970s

[Prestwich_Blue]

I've also heard tales of City and Newcastle fans knocking shit out of each other in the Leazes End at St James Park before the 1968 title decider. When City took over the ground very early and the Geordies who did manage to get in got very pissed off with the amount of City fans in that end.

Anyone remember an FA Cup game at Newcastle in Jan 1977? There was over-crowding in the Gallowgate end where the Geordies were and the police had to take people out and were putting them with the City fans. Eventually it kicked off and spilled onto the pitch. The police formed a cordon across the pitch but some loony came charging out of the Gallowgate end. He must have thought loads were behind him but no one else followed. He leapt on a coppers back (who didn't see him coming) then loads of coppers kicked the shit out of him in the middle of the pitch. God knows what they did to him when they got him in the cells.

I don't think there was a single City fan I saw on the way back that didn't have a black eye or bloody nose.

 

[Scottyboi]

Wolves away! I hated the place, Narrow escapes a few times including me & a mate late as usuall Parking the car up a side street & legging it to the ground, The only safe way out of the ground was being herded with other blues by the police to the train station, we decided to break away when it looked fairly safe (despite police advice) only problem was we had no idear where the car was & only found it after about a hour of searching, wolverhampton was (probably still is) a dump!
Also remember being in a group of blues having to take cover in gardens, sheds & hedges at cardiff (probably in the 80s?)

I hated going to Wolves too ......... particualry in the days when we had to stand unsegregated with them on the South Bank , some of them were armed with knives .... it was a threatening atmosphere to say the least!

There was also a night match there when two Wolves fans were stabbed , so they ambushed our special train as it left the station with bricks ...... a couple of City fans were very badly hurt in that incident.

did a brick fly threw the window and hit a kid? Proper messed his face up but the police would not stop because it was too dangerous?

 

[Balti]

I've also heard tales of City and Newcastle fans knocking shit out of each other in the Leazes End at St James Park before the 1968 title decider. When City took over the ground very early and the Geordies who did manage to get in got very pissed off with the amount of City fans in that end.

Anyone remember an FA Cup game at Newcastle in Jan 1977? There was over-crowding in the Gallowgate end where the Geordies were and the police had to take people out and were putting them with the City fans. Eventually it kicked off and spilled onto the pitch. The police formed a cordon across the pitch but some loony came charging out of the Gallowgate end. He must have thought loads were behind him but no one else followed. He leapt on a coppers back (who didn't see him coming) then loads of coppers kicked the shit out of him in the middle of the pitch. God knows what they did to him when they got him in the cells.

I don't think there was a single City fan I saw on the way back that didn't have a black eye or bloody nose.

Yeah I was there although we were in the side with the Geordies next to that paddock where Blues were spilling onto the pitch cos they were cramming too many in and it started kicking off. Kicked off where we were too as we celebrated the second and the punches flew. Got chased all over Newcastle after and was completely lost. A friendly Geordie eventually helped us relocate the coach park area and thank Christ it had waited or we'd still be there now!!

Lots of the memories in this thread. Stanley Knives at Liverpool/ lumps of coal in Leeds, have you got the time mate at Spurs, scarves inside wrangler jackets etc. Ipswich in '76 when City rioted and rampaged all round the ground kicking Ipswich and even coppers were getting a good hiding. Hadn't seen our boys kick off like that before. Scary stuff!

Anyone else used to get the coaches from that Travel Agent in Cheetham Hill on the corner of Bury Old Road/ Crescent Road (or if the memory has got that wrong then the one that goes down to Abraham Moss)?

 

[BlueRockape]

We use to get our coach at the back of the birch villa on Dickinson road they always came back needing some repairs

But one of the best scraps i remember was sunderland i think it was an f a cup game and they tried all night to take the kippax to no avail because in those days these colors didn't run

 

[cyberblue]

We use to get our coach at the back of the birch villa on Dickinson road they always came back needing some repairs

But one of the best scraps i remember was sunderland i think it was an f a cup game and they tried all night to take the kippax to no avail because in those days these colors didn't run

1973 the year they beat Leeds in the Final .I just walked up the stairs at the top of the kippax & they were all there i got involved in a minor skirmish & got thrown out .had only been in the ground 2 mins

 

[cyberblue]

I used to live Going to Leeds in the 70s it was like a drug .We used to always take thousands .& Fu*k me comeing out of the ground & going back to the Coaches was an experience & a halfe

 

[Blue Streak]

I used to live Going to Leeds in the 70s it was like a drug .We used to always take thousands .& Fu*k me comeing out of the ground & going back to the Coaches was an experience & a halfe

Was it the Lowfields Road Paddock we used to have at Elland Road (or half of it anyway) down the side?

I also believe another dodgy ground back then was Ayresome Park. I've read the Hull City book when someone describes a game in 1969 when Boro fans come in the Hull End with Coal Miner Helmets on and brandishing bike chains. That is insane to think happened at a football match but it obviosuly did.

 

[Anonymous]

I used to live Going to Leeds in the 70s it was like a drug .We used to always take thousands .& Fu*k me comeing out of the ground & going back to the Coaches was an experience & a halfe

Was it the Lowfields Road Paddock we used to have at Elland Road (or half of it anyway) down the side?

I also believe another dodgy ground back then was Ayresome Park. I've read the Hull City book when someone describes a game in 1969 when Boro fans come in the Hull End with Coal Miner Helmets on and brandishing bike chains. That is insane to think happened at a football match but it obviosuly did.

Ayresome Park WAS a dodgy ground to go to back then ..... when you exited the ground you either had to walk past their end to get to your coaches , or you had to walk through the town centre to reach the station ...... it wasn't ideal and Boro were 'lively' and always well up for trouble.

They even came into our end one season as we were stood on the corner terrace , and it kicked off ........ but things changed there from the time a Boro fan was killed walking past the away end as rioting rags knocked down a gate on top of him ........ the cops took things seriously from then on.

 

[Anonymous]

Didn't they keep the away fans behind after most games to avoid trouble?

They started to keep visiting fans in after games sometime around the late seventies ..... but before that it literally was evry man for himself ..... both inside and outside the grounds , as segregation hardly existed in any shape or form.

If you turned up at Everton or Liverpool you would find them surrounding you at some point during the game , asking you the time as you tried to leave , and threatening (and slashing) you with stanley blades .

 

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

I used to live Going to Leeds in the 70s it was like a drug .We used to always take thousands .& Fu*k me comeing out of the ground & going back to the Coaches was an experience & a halfe

It kicked off in an FA Cup game against them at Elland Road in 1977 I think, they invaded the pitch trying to get the game postponed I remember Gary Owen coming over to us pleading with us not to get involved. It was a scary walk back to the coach after, horrendous.