What things do you remember from Maine Road?

[Bluebee2]

At the bar in the Main stand we used to order our drinks for half time and the girls used to know our names etc, not much has changed at the new place ;)

 

[mancityvstoke]

Can you hear us on the BOX

 

[lazza]

Seeing the floodlights from the car. Parking up with my Dad. The walk past Platt Lane Training Complex, turning the corner and seeing the ground before me.

Then the long queues in the Juniors whilst my Dad was in the Adults then seeing him waiting for me on the other side then up the steps and the best sight, the green pitch and the huge crowd - for a kid.

Occasionally we'd leave early and I'd be listening hoping for a goal. I think it happened once when we played Norwich in the FA Cup. We left at 5-0 and a 6th went in late on.

My first game, that!

And similar memories for me. Parking up out along Yew Tree Lane, over past the railway bridge, walking towards the ground in all weathers, always nearly getting run over crossing Wilbraham road, stopping at the shop there for some toffees, with the crowds growing as we passed Platt Lane, then the excitement of shuffling down the alleyways between the terraced houses to come out into the seemingly massive coach park, and hearing the muffled singing from the crowd already in the ground as we queued up, heading down to the right of the Kippax and making sure we got a place directly ahead of a barrier. Then, leaving, my Dad telling me to keep my arms folded in the crush to leave so you made room to breathe!

 

[philiph20]

The crap PA in the kippax, the lights swaying in the breeze, giant waggon wheels, the dodgy burger carts outside, the religious nut telling us all to repent,the Pink final van, the north stand/kippax bottleneck, being lifted off your feet trying leaving the kippax steps, Moss Side kids cycling down the kippax tunnels when they opened the gates...I miss the place still.

 

[Gorton_Tubster]

Getting in at half time for free
minding cars for people outside
Oasis 1995
David White
Dickov having a shouting match with one fan in the crowd
misery :(
Kinky
bananas and blow dolls
oh so much more

 

[mancityvstoke]

local kids dipping pockets in the leaving crowd........oh the memories

 

[mikey4]

We were shit most of the time but the place only holds happy memories. It was as much a social thing as a football club to us. No mobile phones and 3 o clock sat kick offs so can remember discussing the previous nights conquests after spending Friday night in the Conti then sortin a time to meet in top Yates for the sat night. Few pints in the social club before the game and everyone was the same. It was like you belonged. The worse we were the more we bonded. Fuckin strange.


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[Englisc]

Shit teams,Good players
Kappa Shirts
Dogshit Alley
Far too many,all in all some good times.

 

[s1ty m]

friendly chit chat with the away fans on the kippax (eg the dart incident)
singing "rangers!, celtic!" as I didn't realise you were supposed to choose one.
buying away programmes in the shop in '81 to attach the covers to cup final ticket application
"you'll never walk alone" used to be sung by all teams' fans, scarves aloft and everyfink.
walking to the ground with a silk scarf tied round each wrist, blue white and maroon scarf round my neck (that the eldest This! still wears to the match now) and a bush hat covered in badges...
that light bulb in the kippax just above where we stood that used to flicker and go out to great roars
trying to find the right voucher number in your season ticket book
perching on the barriers so you had a chance to glimpse something of the game
helen, helen, ring your bell!
the surge towards the front when we scored
Piccadilly 261 logo
floodlights - whether first glimpse on the way to the ground or staring up at them from inside
the pink final van
swales out!/sack the board!
AC milan
pulling my mate's jumper up as he was wearing a scum shirt after they scored in the derby
queuing up all the way round the ground to get '99 wembley tickets
cantona coming on as a sub (I think?) in the derby when we were winning...
colin bell's comeback game
why was the queue in the kippax car park soooo much more exciting than the queue for the family stand?
my brother's mate losing a contact lens after we scored - and me finding it on the floor
dog shit alley - particularly at night...
in the same vein, horses used to have proper shits in the olden days
cheering (either villa or west ham) when they scored at my first match - as their kit matched the maroon bench I was sitting on in the platt lane
wearing a rosette
the lights in the kippax swinging in the wind
the excitement if the bbc vans were outside the main stand - we were going to be on match of the day!
the anticipation of walking up the steps outside the kippax next to the away - particularly on a night match - and coming back out again either taking the piss or looking glumly at the floor
gene kelly
that home game in the rola-cola cup (was it stoke or something?) where there were only about ten people there
taking my mum and dad to their first game when they were old biddies - newcastle at home, main stand. We won. Mum fell on the steps as we were leaving and cracked her head open on the end of the handrail, blood everywhere.

and sooooo many more...

Brilliant.

 

[s1ty m]

I took a handheld sound recorder to the Kippax last stand. Recorded a staggering version of Blue Moon. I'll try and record it somehow and post it. There's about 40 minutes of sound pre-game, songs for Franny, etc. Weirdly great.

How I get the sound off a mini tape cassette into a digital format...I dunno.