For the older fans.... I was thinking back to the Alan Dicks era in the few seasons before we got promoted.....and after he'd saved us from relegation with a 2-0 win at Watford in 1970/1 ? A season or two later we were playing teams like the recently relegated Southampton and we won at The Dell 1-0 on Easter Monday in one of those years. On the other side of the coin we also lost 1-0 at York when challenging for a top two finish.....we didn't go up that year. Chelsea came down from Division 1 as well and we drew 2-2 at the Gate and 1-1 away at Stamford Bridge. A season or two before that of course we'd had Tommy Docherty's Manchester United in the 2nd Division after the Denis Law back heel (he didn't celebrate) relegated them. We won 1-0 at AG with a John Emmanual goal (Utd fans trashed Coronation Road and area) and we won 1-0 at Old Trafford in the 92nd minute with a Donnie Gillies goal. Docherty said we were 'the worst team he'd ever seen'. Never was a shrinking violet was he ?? I remember big home games against the likes of Norwich who had Martin Peters playing for them, and that was the first time I had seen/was aware of sponsored games. I think it may have been someone like Bowyers. In that same season we also drew with the Gas at AG 1-1 and again it was a sponsored match. Then there was the cup run of '74 We beat a Fulham side in '75 that had Bobby Moore, Alan Mullery (maybe?), Peter Mellor and co 3-1 at home just a week before the FA Cup Final that they would then lose to West Ham 2-0 at Wembley. Anyone got any more fond reflections of that era ? It would be nice to think that Del could build something similar............................
I was around in the early 70's, but by then had nailed my colours to the Rovers' mast. Nevertheless you had a bluddy good team and did the city proud.
Mid 70's onwards for me when I started going properly although my Dad took me to my first game in 1970 - started in just about the best possible and then reached literally rock bottom in 92nd in that fateful game when we beat the crazy gang 4-0 and our fortunes turned...
I went to that 1-0 defeat away at York,god that was a long day out.Meeting up for the coach,and then driving around Bristol picking up.We couldn't fill the coach because no one wanted to travel that far.I also remember fighting Man U up Coronation rd,and one of our nutters swinging a scaffold pole running into them.Ah the good old days,or were they?No i'm an old git 55 next month.
Hi Angelic. I go back to April 1950 Anno Domini or rather BJA - Before John Atyeo. I'll put my thinking flat cap on and come up with something tomorrow.
Anjeiic, I was there when we done Arsenal at Highbury 1-0,that was class,I was also there in 1953 with my MUM,took me to my first match when, we won 3-1 and I can only remember our team,I've been an Ashton addict ever since,6 years old and I can't remember who we played but it was FAB.....
I am 45 but I was a 'late starter' to the rollercoaster that is BCFC. My parents hated football - my dad is a rugby fan and ex Dings and Bristol player, and my mum's family were all cricketers. In primary school the boys divided themselves into city and rovers sections and beat each other up. My closest friends were all City, so I allied with them without really understanding the football. I was then an 'armchair' fan and followed their progress, but apart from the odd game here and there I never really started going to regular games until the 1980s with Terry Cooper. This was due to working evenings and weekends.
Must confess (again) that my first match was Rovers v Petererborough at Eastville in 1969. I did make several trips to Eastville after that as well. Saw the Rovers draw 1-1 with Man U in the LC which they then won the replay away 2-1, and the season City eventually did go up I also went there to see Rovers beat Sunderland 2-1 (Sunderland were vying with us for promotion in the days when only 2 went up and no plays offs of course) while we were winning 2-0 at Bolton to almost guarantee our promotion. The final time I went to Eastville which was before the fire (maybe??) was a horrible 0-0 draw in the old 2nd division in 1980/1 in a season when both of us got relagated. I don't remember the score at AG that season but they were depressing days.
BCFCREDANDWHITE Yep, every break and lunch time there was a Bristol derby which continued most of the way through Secondary school too... Anyone remember playing the game Wembley at school where there were numerous kids chasing the ball and trying to score ? The scorer went through with one person being eliminated every round until only 2 were left which was 'the final'
Another memory maybe worth a mention,I can remember the roses that grew at Eastville near the goalmouths and a common joke amongst us Reds at the time was with the amount of ****e the rovers play it's no wonder the roses bloom so well and that bloody dog track,I loved it,life's a bitch,ain't it....
Yeah, but wiz remember the view from the open end terracing....and changing ends at half time to the Tote...
I my memory serves the flower beds were behind both goals and were still there when they laid the speedway track in 1977 ? I always loved the view from the top of the Open End at Eastville for football or speedway and often wished the Open (Park End) at City was that steeply raked. That was a big terrace. At Eastville there was also that funny little sticky out bit on the roof of one of the stands like a small control tower....Was never sure what it was for ?
I wonder if the sticky out bit had anything to do with the pre war radio commentaries. The pitch was divided up into a matrix of squares eg A1, B2 etc and the commentator could describe where the play was on the pitch.
