Traveling to away games in the 1970s

[lancs blue]

It was an experience that few people would put up with today.

I think back at what happened when I went to games then, and it seems like ancient history.

The world has moved on.

Forget the idea it was fun going to away games then. It wasn't fun at all. It was a test of brains over brawn.

You always dreaded the question 'Have you got the time'.

When that question came your way you were in a spot of bother.

That really depended on where you went and how many City took. If we were in a decent sized group inside the ground it wasn't bad, you could have a sing-song and get behind the team and if there was trouble it was usually going to be after the match in those circumstances. The worst ones were those already described on here where the City fans were scattered about in ones and twos and had to watch their backs as well as the match for 90 mins and then again on the way back to the transport.

I agree that most fans today probably wouldn't put up with the general experience, the herding around by coppers from the station to the ground used to get on my tits even then so in time I stopped using the specials and went down on the service trains just to avoid it.

But there were only a couple of hundred of us there in those days. Thosands travel all over the country now, but that wasn't the case back then. You must have been posh to travel by service trains!

Not always, we took good numbers to Leeds and the Sheffield grounds, Bolton, Stoke, Derby, Villa, West Brom, Forest to name a few.

I wasn't posh, student railcard, 50% off. ;-)

 

[citymad]

Must be a few of you blues who went to West Ham in the 80`s the last game of season where we got relegated. Went on the very un-special train that broke down somewhere near Watford, we managed to get to the ground about 5 minutes after kick off, but were confronted by about 2,000 city fans still trying to get in, they had underestimated how many blues had made the journey and only had one bloody turnstile open. We got leathered ( on the field ) they put about 4 past us. When the game was over we were locked in, easily 4,000 of us who had sang our hearts out through the game and alll the way through half time too carried on singing afer final whistle, then it turned what we thought was going to be nasty, a few hundred westham invaded the pitch and made their way over to us, there was something of a Mexican stand off, then to all the blues surprise ( many were after getting on the pitch to confront them )they started applauding us for our suport, they were singing city songs and we sang we hate we hate Tottenham etc, then scarves were exchanged ad both sets of fans mingled. but the most unforgettable part was walking back to the tube with litterally thousands of their fans lining the route and clapping us all the way back to the station, they were on balconies, the pubs emptied, all wanting to shake our hands. Anyone of our old `boys` will tell you west ham was possibly `THE` worst place to go.......... got to say i admire and respect them since that day, though i`m sure one or two of you have had very different experiences there !!!! Usually trouble at Arsenal but thats another story.... Have to say football fans today are a very soft lot, antiseptic. yes I have kids and used to take them, if trouble broke out we just stood back, or walked up another street, its that easy.

I was there that day mate and it was exactly as you tell it,it could have been a very different scenario though as city had a big crew in london that day and they were all rounded up somewhere on the tube system and held until after the game,we got a later train from piccadilly due to one of ours oversleeping and we lost 2 nil,anyone remember big deano on the pitch slap bang in the middle of west ham with his trademark miami dolphins cap on?

That's a fantastic story. Credit to the hammers they had a decent firm in those days by all accounts ,could've been a lot worse.

 

[1_barry_conlon]

It was an experience that few people would put up with today.

I think back at what happened when I went to games then, and it seems like ancient history.

The world has moved on.

Forget the idea it was fun going to away games then. It wasn't fun at all. It was a test of brains over brawn.

You always dreaded the question 'Have you got the time'.

When that question came your way you were in a spot of bother.

That really depended on where you went and how many City took. If we were in a decent sized group inside the ground it wasn't bad, you could have a sing-song and get behind the team and if there was trouble it was usually going to be after the match in those circumstances. The worst ones were those already described on here where the City fans were scattered about in ones and twos and had to watch their backs as well as the match for 90 mins and then again on the way back to the transport.

I agree that most fans today probably wouldn't put up with the general experience, the herding around by coppers from the station to the ground used to get on my tits even then so in time I stopped using the specials and went down on the service trains just to avoid it.

But there were only a couple of hundred of us there in those days. Thosands travel all over the country now, but that wasn't the case back then. You must have been posh to travel by service trains!

Not always, we took good numbers to Leeds and the Sheffield grounds, Bolton, Stoke, Derby, Villa, West Brom, Forest to name a few.

I wasn't posh, student railcard, 50% off. ;-)

Student railcards, they were the future in the 80's coupled with a platform ticket! Persil tokens also helped for the odd foray into europe.

 

[citymad]

Student railcards, they were the future in the 80's coupled with a platform ticket! Persil tokens also helped for the odd foray into europe.

Will never forget Mum saving up her Persil tokens to pay for rail tickets for the 3 of us to go to my first home game Vs Wolves back in the early 80's. Was living in Herts at the time.

 

[jonesy65]

been telling lads who are younger about west ham coming on the pitch after we were relegated singing to us and they all look at me as if i've got old timers desease. just glad I aint now its on here! seem to remember them singing "you'll be back"?

 

[BlueRockape]

Also remember W/H getting together with us in 1974 cup final we got into London at 10am on the coach made our way to Huston to wait for the specials.
The next thing we heard was a chant that would be applicable today arsenal and united then after that cum on u ammers
we had the red and white shite stuck between us and W/H what a day they came with us all the way to wembley massiv scrap on wembley way with wolves
After the game W/H waited outside the ground and virtually escorted us to Victoria bus station i think we had run ins with every crew in London along the way back by fuck i was glad to get back to Manchester blooded bruised and we lost

 

[Goater666]

Why was Arsenal a bad day out back in the 70/80's? did they have a firm back then?

I went this season and couldn't believe how many suits/kids/women were knocking about. Never been to a game where i felt as safe as that.

 

[levets]

Why was Arsenal a bad day out back in the 70/80's? did they have a firm back then?

I went this season and couldn't believe how many suits/kids/women were knocking about. Never been to a game where i felt as safe as that.

Why was Arsenal a bad day out back in the 70/80's? did they have a firm back then?
====
fcuking right they did......

Early 80's they brought a massive mob to maine road for a League Cup game... (Charlie Nicholas scored twice if I remember rightly)...

 

[red 2 hats]

The frightening thing about Arsenal away in the early/mid eighties ( sorry didn't go in the seventies ) was that you had to go through the same turnstiles as the home support.

We used to go in the clock end, always heading for the middle section, I remember on one occasion making our way through their firm, we had no choice, a whack on the back of my head, staggered up, looked round and a lad laughing givin it the big come on who just smacked me with the handle part of a golf umbrella, blood coming down the back of my head. Police did absolutely nothing.

At the mentioned West Ham game, last game of the season, myself and three mates found ourselves arriving about 15 minutes after kick off, cut a long storey short we got mullered outside the ground, it was has previous posters have said, you sometimes had to stand and fight even if it wasn't in your nature, frightening at times, but looking back in a sick kind of way it made the day more exciting.

The worst one for me was at Cardiff, we played them on the August bank holiday, we'd played at Palace on the Saturday, I remember getting off the train at Ninian Park right next to the ground, about 150 City got off the train, as we walked down the path to the ground you could hear Cardiff waiting for us, there must of been about 1500 waiting for us at the bottom of the path, we all stopped turned to the police and said we ain't going out there, the police turned round and said, you wanted it you English bastards go and get it and forced us off the station, we ran a gauntlet of punches, kicks, stones,bottles someone got slashed, it was the only time I never wanted a game to end cos we new what was waiting for us outside, I remember getting locked in for about an hour, a City fan stood on the railing with an harmonica and played the last post tune, everyone started the most nervous laugh you ever heard.

 

[cyberblue]

I must have been mad but the 2 grounds i loved going to was Arsenal & Leeds. While a bad picture is painted of other grounds NO ONE & I mean NO ONE enjoyed comeing to Maine Road .Including the rags. They usd to give it plenty of gob then end up behind the Police between the Kippax & North Stand