One of the lads we went with was a lorry driver and turned out Pontefract had a big lorry park Where they would overnight. We regularly parked up in the lorry park and kipped in the cars after a skinfull There was a great truckers cafe on the park did the best hangover busting greasy breakfasts Mind you like you say some of these weirded little places have the best nights out ever
For some insanity, for about a year in the 70's, we'd drive up from Mansfield to Seaham, on a Friday night, drink in the Mallard and sleep in the car park ... ... none of us are from Seaham and the Mallard was shyte, wtf
How Smug don’t you be having a go at the Mallard of 50 years ago , it’s totally different now and even the car parks better you cheapskate , their are laws against indiscriminate parking particularly by hillybillys from your parts . Only joking but Seaham Hall car park or Noses Point are more scenic .
One memorable time... England v Scotland in the 70s, McDonald's 5 goals. When my mate and I got into Wembley, we thought we were the only English supporters there, as only the scots were yelling and singing. We were standing next to this huge Scotsman holding a flag in one hand and wearing a big whiteish coat, the inside pockets of which were full with cans of lager and whiskey. When MacDonald starting banging them in, we thought we would get thumped, although as the goals were scored we like a lot of the crowd went ballistic, we were not the only English supporters there. The Scotsman instead of thumping us, offered us drinks, we did not refuse. The other strange thing was he and most of the Scots around berated their own team not the English team, saying how useless they were... A very strange mood switch cos just before the game started he was on about how they were going to thrash us.
Used to stay with some west ham lads in Barking, likewise they'd stop at ours for corresponding fixtures. Great set of lads, but christ, they lived in abject poverty.
The lad who runs the Mallard now is a top bloke and I enjoy watching bands on there.. Or I did before the Covid arrived..
Has some good and terrible experiences with fans from other clubs, but the Milk Cup Final against Norwich was special....game turned into a "Love in" very weird but also quite refreshing. One the other side ..I remember going to Wembley for the Liverpool final...Their fans were "fine" as long as they won, You could sense the tension was simmering if that game went tits up for them...That said, never looked likely to happen...but they are horrible bunch of people
West Ham from early 80s. One of my earliest memories and the reason I hate them!! (They broke a kid's arm "throwing" (was a big bloke who gave the kid a big push) him across the room in a pub)
I was on a coach trip to West ham'.. Probably early 1980s too. After the game a group of West Ham fans decided to put bricks through the bus windows resulting in glass everywhere. A few of us jumped off the bud to confront them and they ran off, but we managed to catch one of them. he would have got a kicking, but the police arrived on the scene just as we caught him. The organiser asked the police if we could take him on the bus and drop him off in the north east. The cop looked as if he would like nothing better, but had to decline our offer. The lad was arrested, but I never found out what happened to him. We had to drive up tp Loughborough to get the windows replaced and it was bloody freezing.
Hull Away 1976. Rowell scored his 1st goal for us. We won 4-1. Drove to match in my Austin 1100. After match we were queuing in traffic in built up area with R&W scarves hanging out of window. This old woman came out of her house carrying a tray with 4 glasses on it. The glasses contained tots of Whisky. She knocked on car window and said here you are lads, enjoy these! Never ever forget that albeit 44 years ago
At the away match me and my son had a hotel after the game. We were asking the waiter, while having breakfast, about how to get to the train station. A United supporter offered us a lift as he was leaving to drive back to Exeter. The station was miles out of his way but he insisted, on the way he said our support was in the top 10 he'd seen in the past 20 years
I had an interesting experience with our friends up the road. Cut a very long story short, met Frankie W (Shields one, not Easington) at 6.30am in pub in preparation for midday kick off at Sid James. This was long time ago. Lots of fortifying vitamins were passed around and we were in high spirits. Mine were a bit too high and managed to get thrown out of Leases end, Gallogate and John Hall stand twice. That is a story for another day. I ended up in the Strawberry pondering my next move at the bar when a Mag came in, who had been ejected. We swapped tales and he had no problem with my proclivity. Another and another came in, and all were very amenable. However, as more came in they became less tolerant and I was forced to scarper sharpish. Ended up back at Leazes end as the boys came out but was advised to bigger off by plod, so wandered up the road to Black Bull, still fortified by vitamins. Ran in pub, sang Sunderland then got chased out. Went to client site on the Monday, a little bleary, and fella I knew came over and asked - what were you thinking? I looked blank then he explained he was having a pint in Black Bull and a deranged Mackem, me, came in and starting singing Sunderland. He was a bit nonplussed but pleased I was alive. Things you do.
Might that pub have been Winskells (I drank in there a few times with Frankie & the 'Sheels branch on our way to away derby games)
