The thing I remember most from the old standing terraces was the sway. It only needed somebody to slip and you were squashed against others or the barrier. At WHL we used to get there for opening, which was noon. As we were little kids we wanted to get down the front so we could see. Several times we got lifted out by the old bill when a bad sway started. We thought it was a bit of a laugh cos we got to sit on the ashfelt, but in retrospect it was frightening and a miracle more people weren’t hurt or killed.
We used to call it a surge. I always used to make sure I stood right with a crush barrier right behind me on the terraces, so that if there was a surge I didn't get pinned up against one. But yeah I remember them well, they were a good laugh when you're a teenager, but dangerous as ****.
And like I say, probably because of the cover up and the families pushing for justice, it's taken almost 30 years for anyone to face trial. True football fans know about most of them anyway.
I haven't been to a Sunderland game since 2016 and about 3 before that in 2015. People's life and situations can't always justify a 'be there fanatic', I just look at the old days for my memories of being a do all fanatic, doesn't make me any different from any other fan. Now this lad @Smug in Boots will go heaven and high water to get to a game but our circumstances are different. This lad must have done 20+ games in our promotion season commuting from the South of France
Yeah its generally cyclically for most people and you have times in your life when you can go a lot and times when you can't so much or even not at all. I find it strange everyone saying Hiag has never been anyway tbh, seems a wild assumption based on nothing.