United v City 1974 - The Rags go down.

[Blue Streak]

Be interested to read the views of Blues at the match? Been watching the highlights on YouTube with all the pitch invasions etc. What was the City following like in terms of numbers? did we stay away given the potential circumstances? did our section of the ground get invaded? I have a friend from Warrington who reckons he locked himself in a toilet in the scoreboard end to get away from the violence. Watching the footage it just looks like kids that invaded? Lovely to see Mike Doyle just wading through the masses of idiots. What was it like outside after the game? I live in Whalley Range and as that's almost half way between Old Trafford and Maine Road I'd be interested in peoples views who were actually at the game and walked home.

 

[NPBlue]

I've heard lots of bullshit from blues who reckoned they were there that day, doing congas after the goal went in, taking on the Stretford End, that kind of thing.

There was no section of the ground in those days as there was no segregation. You went where your ticket said you were going to go, and unlike today, tickets for games there were easy to obtain. I went to every derby between 1972 and 1976, including that game in 1974.

I was there, and it's not a day I remember with any great affection. I saw too many people getting their heads well and truly kicked in, some of whom never moved after being assaulted, and that was red on red.

It was not a place to be advertising you were a blue, let's put it that way, and I can well understand your friend taking cover in the scoreboard end toilets.

Of the many people I have met over the years saying they were there, I have only met two who I have believed were at the game. One said they were so shit scared they kept very quiet and left, and the other said pretty much the same thing.

I also kept very quiet as well.

As for getting away after the game, it was probably easier then than it is now due to there being no away section which could be targeted by the home fans.

You didn't wear colours at away games in those days, so you could just blend in, and I didn't have any problems going home.

It may seem a bit of a giggle on youtube these days, but it was without doubt the scariest moment I have ever known at a football match in my life.

 

[whp.blue]

As a young Teenager coming out of the ground that day I was trying my best not to smile But a Mature woman of about thirty five walking towards me came right up to me and stopped me in my tracks. She just said one word to me "Bastard" and open handed slapped me right across my face. I have to this day never been hurt so much by a single blow off anyone and at the time. I wasn't a bad boxer and boxing clubs in Wythenshawe didn't hold back on the training so I was used to being Hit.
I regained my composure and the lad at her side was about eighteen and I just hit the twat as hard as I could and just walked over him as soon as he hit the floor. I disappeared into the crowd. About fifteen minutes later I met a few of my mates on chester road they asked me how I got twatted as they could count every finger on the mark across my face.

I was asked about the kid I snotted and on reflection when asked if I thought it was the woman's son? I had to say, I didn't even know, and still don't, if he was even with her but I remember taking his scarf and that was probably the only way I got on to Chester road in one piece having the rag scarf in my hand everyone just presumed I was one of them.
There was a group of about six of us on Chester road all of them older than me and being a group of wide boys off the Estate we were wise enough to get the fuck out of dodge as we saw some serious fighting that day and lot's of it was Rag on Rag, but we were wise enough not to distract them, and it wasn't until we were at southern getting the bus home we felt truly safe.
Great day in Hindsight but very very hairy at the same time.
Funny but this is my abiding memory of the day

 

[lancs blue]

I had a fair idea how bad it was going to be on the Scoreboard for this one and managed to get hold of a South stand ticket, a few Blues I knew decided not to bother at all and a couple went in the Scoreboard paddock and described it afterwards much the same as FPM above. There were probably a few hundred or so Blues in the South stand but not all in one section like today but dotted around in bunches. I didn't see much trouble in there - the rags near me were mostly middle-aged/older blokes who weren't interested in violence and didn't react much when we cheered the back-heel. The Stretford End got a bit giddy early on as news filtered through that Norwich were winning at Brum, a result they needed to have any chance of staying up but just before HT a Blue with a radio shouted that Brum were winning 2-1 which we all cheered of course and I think that was when they realised there was no way they could escape the drop. From where we were in the seats the pitch invasion and Mike Doyle seeing them off was all a bit of a laugh which added to the delight at seeing them relegated but I imagine it was more worrying for any City fans left on the terracing.

After the match I saw no trouble as few if any Blues were wearing colours and some rags even had Manc accents in those days so I walked back to the bus stop on Chester Rd to get the 112 back to Sale, the hardest part was keeping a big smile off my face. There was one City fan on that bus who was giving it out verbally to the rags, he was braver (or more pissed!) than me but none of them fancied taking him on.

 

[sir baconface]

As a young Teenager coming out of the ground that day I was trying my best not to smile But a Mature woman of about thirty five walking towards me came right up to me and stopped me in my tracks. She just said one word to me "Bastard" and open handed slapped me right across my face. I have to this day never been hurt so much by a single blow off anyone and at the time. I wasn't a bad boxer and boxing clubs in Wythenshawe didn't hold back on the training so I was used to being Hit.
I regained my composure and the lad at her side was about eighteen and I just hit the twat as hard as I could and just walked over him as soon as he hit the floor. I disappeared into the crowd. About fifteen minutes later I met a few of my mates on chester road they asked me how I got twatted as they could count every finger on the mark across my face.

I was asked about the kid I snotted and on reflection when asked if I thought it was the woman's son? I had to say, I didn't even know, and still don't, if he was even with her but I remember taking his scarf and that was probably the only way I got on to Chester road in one piece having the rag scarf in my hand everyone just presumed I was one of them.
There was a group of about six of us on Chester road all of them older than me and being a group of wide boys off the Estate we were wise enough to get the fuck out of dodge as we saw some serious fighting that day and lot's of it was Rag on Rag, but we were wise enough not to distract them, and it wasn't until we were at southern getting the bus home we felt truly safe.
Great day in Hindsight but very very hairy at the same time.
Funny but this is my abiding memory of the day

The true Corinthian spirit of a derby match.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

My first Derby was 71/72 at the swamp as a 8 year old with my dad. I sat on the fence at the front if the scoreboard in what seemed to be a full City end. My dad decided the '74 game was a game to swerve.

One of the first posts on the thread suggests there were no 'ends' in those days.....surely City would have had tickets etc, where tokens were needed? Did City return them and then the rags sold them?

 

[rossie]

i was there in the scoreboard end that day ,I remember having one of the city silk scarves around my wrist but after we scored I saw 2 lads watching me, they didn't take their eyes off me and was sniggering to each other, I took my scarf off my wrist and hid it in my pocket.. I was about 15 at the time ,I remember a lot of blues in the scoreboard end but there was also many scummy reds in there also ,very bad atmosphere and it was a genuinely scarey game to be at and I remember not being able to believe united had been relegated it was very surreal although I didn't know what surreal meant in those days im sure.. just wish it would be repeated one day

 

[lancs blue]

My first Derby was 71/72 at the swamp as a 8 year old with my dad. I sat on the fence at the front if the scoreboard in what seemed to be a full City end. My dad decided the '74 game was a game to swerve.

One of the first posts on the thread suggests there were no 'ends' in those days.....surely City would have had tickets etc, where tokens were needed? Did City return them and then the rags sold them?

I can remember derby games that were pay at the gate for the terracing if the tickets hadn't sold out. City fans mostly used to congregate on the open Scoreboard terrace before the East stand was built in '71 but it was never strictly segregated, there were always some rags in there. The 71/72 game that you mention was the first with the smaller Scoreboard Paddock and it was mostly but not all City in there.

 

[cashmereundies]

Be interested to read the views of Blues at the match? Been watching the highlights on YouTube with all the pitch invasions etc. What was the City following like in terms of numbers? did we stay away given the potential circumstances? did our section of the ground get invaded? I have a friend from Warrington who reckons he locked himself in a toilet in the scoreboard end to get away from the violence. Watching the footage it just looks like kids that invaded? Lovely to see Mike Doyle just wading through the masses of idiots. What was it like outside after the game? I live in Whalley Range and as that's almost half way between Old Trafford and Maine Road I'd be interested in peoples views who were actually at the game and walked home.

I was in the scoreboard end standing which was seemed to be sectioned into pens. Went behind the goal,surrounded by rags who just jumped over the barriers,being a kid I got knocked over and when they finished fighting What few City fans that were in there had gone.To be fair an older rag helped me up and just said get yourself out of here but being a naive youngster I stayed. At half time I found a stairwell that led up to the seats, sat on the steps next to a wall where I could look into the scoreboard paddock ( where the away section is now ).The police couldn't cope with the number of fights breaking out that's when ( said I was naive )I realised that this was more serious than any other derby.Denis Law back heeled and a roar went up in the seats,the City fans that were left celebrated the goal and mayhem ensued. Saw the crowds invading the pitch and decided that maybe it was time to leave started to go down the stairs just as about a hundred rags charged up to get at the City fans in the seats, I shit myself, just stepped aside stood with my back to the wall and fortunately they just ran past and I left and ran home. Disappointed with the turn out by City fans that day, a lot bottled it especially considering when we played there a few months later in the League cup around I think around 10,000 turned up.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

I can remember derby games that were pay at the gate for the terracing if the tickets hadn't sold out. City fans mostly used to congregate on the open Scoreboard terrace before the East stand was built in '71 but it was never strictly segregated, there were always some rags in there. The 71/72 game that you mention was the first with the smaller Scoreboard Paddock and it was mostly but not all City in there.

Fair comment I was young and at the front but I did think it was all blue that day.

Anyway I'm taking the thread off topic. I was gutted my dad wouldn't take me to that game. I remember we were just passing St.Annes school on Cavindish St in Ashton in his mini traveller when Law scored, car horn being 'blasted' and plenty of shouting.