Weird Away Days

[BlueT]

A weird one for me was Cardiff away in the 1980’s in whatever fucking division the championship used to be and at a time when Cardiff fans were utter cunnts (worse than now!). It was a blue hot bank holiday Monday, in the days when shops didn’t open on a bank holiday so nobody to blend in with. I was living in London at the time and travelled with the London branch and as we were coming into Cardiff there was a tall gangly lad with bright ginger bushy hair and a City shirt and scarf - I asked him to make sure he hid the shirt and scarf under his coat, at which he said “coat, what coat”? Needless to say none of us went anywhere near him when we got off the train! One of the lads said he knew a good pub from his student days (I think it was called the Old Arcade?) which he said would be safe - we get outside it and there is the biggest hardest bunch of Cardiff fans stood outside drinking, and 15 of us walking past with no shoppers to blend in with. For reasons that I couldn’t fathom they just looked at us and didn’t batter us, and we walked about 2 miles to find a safe pub with lots of old fuckers in it. After the game was fucking murder, the police escort back to the station of 3 coppers and a dog was never gonna stop a few hundred Cardiff fans he’ll bent on mayhem. I remember saying to a lad next to me “we need to stand and fight here” at which we said “too fucking right mate” in a broad welsh accent, just as he twatted me. Fucking awful journey back to the station and onto the train. The ginger lad wasn’t on the train and I never ever saw him again either!

Went to both these games in the car. We drove to Weston Super Mare straight after the Palace game. We enjoyed a night out in the resort, and then set up a shitty little tent in a near by field, and camped out.
When we woke up in the morning someone or something had done a very large dump right outside our tent. We all knew who had done it but he swore blind it must of been the large dog being walked we had seen earlier in the evening.
The game it self we lost, and I think Alex Williams dropped a bollock for one of their goal's?

 

[xgorton]

Anybody remember the 4th round of the FA cup when City beat Newcastle 3-1 at their ground, 29th January 1977? The ground was packed and some Newcastle kids were getting crushed so the police put them in the City end, as the game kicked off, and of course they were followed by the bigger lads -result chaos. The police chucked about 1,000 Newcastle and City fans out, I didn't get to see the game and sat in the local pub. To make matters worse, the Geordies smashed our coach windows on the way home and we froze all the way back to Manchester. The coach got pulled over at the services as some lads were throwing shards of glass at passing cars and we were relieved of one or two individuals, one was exclaiming "occifer, occifer it wearn't me" . Got back about 2 am. Great result, shit day!

Went on the football special that day,Manor park station.

 

[If I die in the Kippax St]

Anybody remember the 4th round of the FA cup when City beat Newcastle 3-1 at their ground, 29th January 1977? The ground was packed and some Newcastle kids were getting crushed so the police put them in the City end, as the game kicked off, and of course they were followed by the bigger lads -result chaos. The police chucked about 1,000 Newcastle and City fans out, I didn't get to see the game and sat in the local pub. To make matters worse, the Geordies smashed our coach windows on the way home and we froze all the way back to Manchester. The coach got pulled over at the services as some lads were throwing shards of glass at passing cars and we were relieved of one or two individuals, one was exclaiming "occifer, occifer it wearn't me" . Got back about 2 am. Great result, shit day!

Yes remember it well we went up on the service train with a good firm. Always avoided the football special so the cops couldn’t sus us and created an element of surprise for any welcoming committee. Fierce battling in the gallowgate end but our little crew stood its ground as many left. Big Adrenalin rush mixed with some fear getting back to manor station. I live here now and have often walked past manor and had a wry smile. Nowadays city are everywhere in town when we play up here. No mither and probably no bad thing but then it’s different world up here these days although my geordie wife is still a bit handy.

 

[ob]

I remember a friendly away to stoke, think ended 0.0. I got national express coach from london. No idea what to do or where to go. No colours on Northern Irish accent thought be safe enough in pub by ground (think was a harvester). No mither before the game but seemed like mayhem after it. Remember guys kicking crap out of each other in a children's play area of the pub.I ended up getting taken out of pub via the kitchen as staff recognised me as chatting to them before match. Made way into city centre and a pub near station. Touching cloth most of time until back on national express

 

[Harlaching Sky Blue]

"Weird" away was a preseason freindly vs Dynamo Dresden in Innsbruck few weeks after our Mancini championship. Nir Bitton was playing for us (think he was on trial). the game was an absolute non event (it was either 0:0 or we lost 1:0 cant remember) Just remember Dynamo Dresden turned up as if it was a cup final, singing and going mental at an absolute dross of a game.
We ended up spending 90 mins taking the piss out of David Platt for some reason and then diverting our attention to some lovely arabian ladies who were there supporting a Saudi team who was also invited to the tournament. Until one of them went mental when my mate tried to take a photo of her. We then spent 3 hours getting hammered doing the Yaya Kolo song (it was in then!!) in the stadium bar and having a slurry drunken chinwag with Mancinis mam and dad (who didnt speak a word of the queens but got the common jist!) Was an odd day all round truth told

 

[trevorriley]

Peterborough on the 1981 cup run. Fighting Gippos.

haha was hoping somebody would bring this up... Behind the goals full end, we also had fans down the side plus dotted about. Tommy Booth scored, we went mad.

About 3 years ago bumped into tommy booth at a book signing. Said to him "can we have a chat about one of your best ever goals for city Peterborough away". Had a good laugh about it and he told me about travelling down there, the full day and game. How things have changed now.

 

[peoffrey]

Pre match beer in a Nigerian social club before Palace away (one of our gang blagged us in) is a memory. One or two excessively friendly people and half the place was dancing.

Whitechapel for West Ham too. Posing for a photo where one of the Krays murdered George Cornell.

 

[nw42]

Pre season away at Morecambe, maybe 77/78, a few of us went up for the weekend, stayed at my sisters who lived there, mad weekend all round but the abiding memory of the game was Helen Turner trying to get about 50 of us young blues off the pitch so the players could come out for the 2nd half, some had climbed the floodlight pylons too, gloriously sunny day, no idea of the result.

 

[berryblue]

Pre match beer in a Nigerian social club before Palace away (one of our gang blagged us in) is a memory. One or two excessively friendly people and half the place was dancing.

Whitechapel for West Ham too. Posing for a photo where one of the Krays murdered George Cornell.

The Blind Beggar.

 

[peoffrey]

The Blind Beggar.

Correct. I think Cornell called one of the Krays “a fat poof” and he took exception to it. Jack the Ripper had history in Whitechapel too.