Given the context of the game for them, I think Bristol Rovers on that last day in D3 are the ones that impressed me the most. Unless I've got the wrong game I seem to remember them bringing a lot of fans for that level, for a nothing game, at a promoted side who were always likely to beat them. But it wasn't just that, it was the fact they just got involved in the atmosphere of the day as well, and even after getting the expected beating a good number stayed in the ground to show respect to our players. We did quite well that season with opposition fans to be honest, the Yeovil fans after we sealed promotion had their end of year presentations rushed through so we could get on with ours and they stuck around as well. Unless Whittling has the date wrong I think you're talking about a different game. I wasn't at the game in question due to a family holiday, but your description sounds more like it would have been the game against them in Spring of the 98/99 season. That's the game where our official attendance was higher than the stadium capacity at the time so it would tie in with the too many fans comment. I only remember that detail because I liked that our defence for exceeding the safe capacity of the stadium was that we did it on the grounds of Health and Safety due to the number of people trying to get in, which sounded like the most feeble defence ever. (Parts of BP were obviously closed due to crumbling terracing, I guess the authorities sensibly agreed that letting fans encroach on the edges of those unsafe areas was less of a threat to safety than shutting the gates with hundreds of fans on the driveway behind South Stand trying to get in would have been, it's just "we let too many people in because too many people were there" is weak on the face of it).
Good thread this..... I really cant think of any off the top of my head. I rarely remember ever being 'blown away' by visiting fans either at BP or KC. I was at the Bolton game a lot have mentioned already but all that sticks in my mind is the pitch invasions and Miller getting smacked. I dont recall being blown away by the numbers or noise. I remember Wendies being good when we gave the the Kempton too, it was a promotion season under Racist Ron from memory. Luton were good at BP in (I think) Molby's first game in charge when they murdered us on their way to promotion under Mike Newell. Whatever happened to him?
I think he was eventually buried under a pile of ''controversial'' quotes - seem to recall him slagging off a female lino and getting a hefty fine for it, he went under after going to the press with unsubstantiated claims of corruption & match fixing. He finished his career at Grimsby ............ a fitting end some might say !
It was the Scarboro match. City, or should I say stadium manager John Cooper was having kittens because the ground only had a safety certificate for about 13,500 and the club were 'nervous' about announcing an official attendance way above that. I think they settled on about 14,000 which wouldn't attract too much attention. I was there and the crowd exceeded that figure by a good 4/5,000. I heard from a good source that the crowd was 21,000 which would have either got the club a huge fine or somebody sacked.
1971 and the Battle of Bramall Lane match. Sheffield Utd 1 v. Hull City 2 Bloodsport or what ? Proper football.
One of the most painful memories at City in my time going. I hated Bratfud at the time: regular divisional rivals – player/manager links but we’d had the pleasure of relegating them to Div 3 a few years before this. Anyway, Fish gave them (under the duress of police apparently) Bunkers which made me feel physically sick. Giving Bunkers away was unthinkable but to Bratfud of all teams at the time. They actually filled it, what did it hold? Circa 7,000? Not sure. We stood like twats in the ****ing North Stand. Rumours afoot pre game (think I was in Bass House) that the goalposts were going to be ripped down forcing the game to be abandoned. I do recall a lot of trouble: pitch invasions, on pitch fighting (many arrests before, during and way after the game). But it was truly gruesome seeing them go beserk as they won 2-3 to make the Play Offs (the Div 3 Play Offs at the time felt like the promised land after two near misses in the seasons before under Dolan). Of course, we were already down, rock bottom and had been relegated by Easter. After the game, not sure if they’d just been told, but I heard of some players like Abbott and Jimmy ‘Jimmy’ Graham talking about their shock at being released. Abbott for one was in tears. As a footnote I also recall a massive pile of horseshit at the side of the penalty box for at least the full first half. Which was an apt way to sign off from that horrid game and utterly ****e season but it got better... news came out the Dolan/Lee had each been given a new 3 year contract.
Many teams had great one-off support at BP in the 70s. Forest in 76 must have brought about 4,000, Billy Bremner's debut.
A City Skinhead, resplendent with scarf around his wrist, ran past me before the match shouting, "Christ, there's fousands (that's how he pronounced it) of 'em!" He was right.
I was there. It was on the Tuesday night after we'd lost to Stoke in the cup. A teacher from school who supported Sheffield United organised a coach. He had a very uncomfortable trip back to Hull!! We were all convinced that we would go up after that result. We couldn't find the coach after the match!!! It took an hour to get back to it. It was in the days when Bramall Lane was still a cricket ground as well and you could watch from the Pavilion side, at least 75 yards from the pitch. I remember an advertising hoarding behind one goal for Sexy Rexy. Disappointingly, it was a gents hairdressers. I often saw the ad as Yorkshire Television showed highlights of regional matches on Sunday afternoons in those days.
What a memory. Mine are of what went on "on the pitch" and even Waggy got stuck in that night. As you say we were going up after that game but i feel that the 4-0 thrashing @ Millwall that soon followed derailed our promotion train big time.
[video=youtube;J7LOgmN2jU0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7LOgmN2jU0[/video] About 2:50 in. What about Chelsea mid 70s with their 'Emanuelle' ad behind the goal?
I'll always remember the crowds Wednesday brought mid 70s. Spent more time watching over to the Kempton / South Stand border then watching the game. And avoiding the battles outside the ground (which looked awesome to a young 12-13 year old).
