I can't remember mine, it will have been late 70's and I was young and only allowed to go nearby, I suspect it was somewhere like York or Lincoln.
January 1972 won 3 nil away at Norwich FA Cup 3rd round. The magic of the cup! Awesome day travelled with some mates from school on a privately run coach. Too young to get a beer anywhere as I was just 15. Mental on the terraces scary but hooked.
As sad as it may sound, I recall going to that friendly. Think Lawford scored something like7 goals pre-season and looked **** hot. Unfortunately, he ultimately just proved to be ****. Though his scrambled late winner at Shrewsbury (2-3) was much appreciated. Used to quite like Gay Meadow as an away ground. Didn't make the Y&H Cup Final v Hudds. Sure Uriah Rennie sent a couple of ours off though.
Not 100% on mine, but suspect it was York City around 82/83. Was always a Boxing Day / New Year fixture. We won anyway 1-2 Billy Askew scored one.
Stoke away FAC in 1972. John Kaye broke his leg- Greenhoff was in top form for them. Recall City on 3 sides of the ground and a 'Ti-gers' chant echoing round the ground. Made no odds- we lost 4-1.
My first away game was: Bramhall Lane – late 80s. First time I heard them sing Fannies Song – thought they were singing a hymn.
Bury 1969. 0-0. Awful match. I think the excitingly named Alf Arrowsmith played up front for them. You don't get names like that nowadays. I was at the Stoke match. We had lots of injuries leaving us with no strike force. I was in the Butler Street Stand. I got my 50 Years of watching City Award in 2012.
Gluepot of a pitch, not a blade of grass on it. Called Victoria Ground for a reason, dark wooden stands and a gloomy smog wraithing the ground. Proper football.
It was a good day, despite the result but not as good as winning at Coventry in the cup with Chris Chilton playing for them.
It's just occurred to me that I've been to more league grounds in Stoke (3) than any other city apart from London.
Same here: Vale Park, Victoria Ground and Brittania. I suppose if you included Great Manchester (as you would with London's conurbation), I’d have more than three (thinking of including Stockport, Rochdale & Bury) – but maybe that’s stretching it.
Think Chester played at Macc for a bit, rather than another ground in Chester (Sealand Rd/Deva). Deva is THE worst ground I've ever been to.
My first away game was against Coventry, at Highfield Road, in August 1966. It was our first game in Div 2 after the promotion season. My cousin and I washed cars for two days to make money for the train fare. We lost 0-1 as I recall. I had a proper black, silk top hat with an amber ribbon and City rosette on it. Some sky blue bitch stood behind me whacked it off my head and others trampled the **** out of it. First time I've thought of that in years and crazy to think that in those days, they didn't segregate the supporters. Another away game I recall was on Boxing Day v Huddersfield in 1967. I think we lost 0-2 but all that I recall was it was a cold, dreary day. There was grey and black snow falling and Huddersfield was a dirty hole. My last City game, and only one since moving to Canada in 1975, was away at Darlington in around 2001 or 02. I was visiting my mother and City were playing the Quakers. My son was with me and I remember him saying, "I thought you said this was professional football." When I assured him it was he replied, "You mean they get paid for this ****." It was pretty brutal but City won 2-0. These days I have to be satisfied with what I see on TV. Just watched Fulham v Everton with Liverpool v Spurs to come. The game v Swansea is on next Saturday so while you're eating pies and supping pints, I'll be having breakfast! Cheer us on to a win, UTT.
