She was born 1897, but on today, May 13th 1997, she was finally laid to rest. It started with a 1-0 win over Liverpool, and 100 years later thats how it finished again..John Mullin getting the final goal ever at Roker Park RIP Roker Park.
I was at the Liverpool game and took what was at that time my only son to the game with me even though he was only two, just so he could say in later life that he had been there..
It was a **** hole at the end mate..In my opinion it was never quite the same once they decimated the Roker End..
I can only just remember the big Roker end Couldn't help but think about Roker Park as I watched the Bradford City disaster program on Monday night
I was at the last game v Liverpool. Only hours beforehand I was caught at college smoking a joint. I had to wait till the next day to find out my punishment. At the time, being only 16, I thought it was the end of the world. As I had a lot on my mind I cant remember much about the game except when somebody from the crowd threw something at Robbie Fowler (I was really embarrassed, as was the crowd cos they gave out an almighty boo towards the perp) and noticing the fact that Chris Waddle just seemed a cut above the rest of the team, despite his advancing years. He just seemed so comfortable on the ball and he seemed to zip his passes with accuracy rather than trundle them to his team mates.
A couple of season ticket holders took me to the SoL for the first time as a birthday present. We walked down one of the side-streets off Crozier St. and round the bottom corner. And I just stood and gawped. The Fulwell End had a wooden fence round it till about 1960 - upright creosoted planks with wooden supports at the back. O.k., I could take the wooden fence being replaced by a brick wall. That was progress. But what the hell was this ... THING in front of me? I couldn't believe my eyes the first time I saw SoL. It was a dream, just a dream. But it never has equalled the fun of the Fulwell End. There was a world class comedian every five yards in it's hey-day. And THE clown prince was on the field. We had a lot of laughs in Roker Park.
88 I never heard the roar again after the height was reduced, it must have been the acoustics, it was a gripping sound once heard never forgotten.
That fence was something else, my first vantage point in the late forties, smooth hand holds and secure back rail for small feet, and a wonderful view, what more could you want.
Roker end nipper in 1948, men in collar and ties, players with only numbers, but you knew who each one was. Still six of the cup winning team on the pitch and all on an August day when the pitch looked like a billiard table. Told to keep on the No 10 who was just known as our best player - Len Shackleton. Remember being scared of the noise when we scored.
Eeeh, there's some awld codgers on here.....great memories, lads. Wish i'd experienced the old place at its maximum before the Roker End was 'reduced'. When did that happen, by the way?
My fave memory was when I was a nipper and we played Bolton Wanderers and beat them 2-1 (I think) with 52,000 in the crowd to clinch promotion in 1976. Awesome...I had use of my Grandads season ticket in the main stand that day, the year before I entered the ranks of the Fulwell end. Magical. Loved it
I would have gone to my first game late 70s as a nipper, so I'd have thought it was before that. I don't really remember much before I started going on my own, or with pals from around 83/84 onwards, so 82 could have seen a big change.
My first match was a night game against City sometime in the early 70's I think. We got stuffed 0-4 at home but I was still hooked. I brought my oldest up on the train to see his first game first the SoL's opening season, against Norwich (we lost 0-1, there's a pattern here). He was about 6, had never seen a bigger crowd than his class at village school and was bloody terrified when it got a bit raucous!
