...... the old days, the pre all seater stadiums, concourse with their fancy food counters, TV showing sky, fancy seats. I do and I think at times memory plays tricks and we think it was all better than it was. Outside of Roker Park we didn’t find lots of burger vans, it was the fish shop, corner shop and new derby unless you wanted to venture further afield and get one of those pies. I remember players, the manager and Murray arriving without lots of security men escorting them in and can’t say I saw any problems. I stood in the Fulwell end and it was the food shed at the back for a Bovril or pie for pre match feast then a long stand on concrete steps during the game. Winter, summer, autumn or spring you felt that biting wind coming in from the sea and those sea fret days were a wonder. I’m sure we had stewards but can’t remember them; I do remember the toilets, a wonder of hygiene in the modern world. Happy memories of days gone by but if I’m honest I prefer them to be just that, memories.
syd i remember all what you said, but luckly for me i never had to travel, born within a stones throw from roker park, i sampled all these things from an early age, usually unsupervised, cos kids used to play out in them days, and dont tell anyone we used to nick into the old ground in the evening and have a run around the old place, my aunty was acleaner there and got tickets so i was plonked right next to the away teams box and was watched by anyone who took me, then progressed to the roker end and there i stayed, the days of yesterday, fond memories for many
i remember my 1st game at roker, it was 1977 and we beat west ham 6-0, followed by beating west brom 6-1 and beating boro 4-0 and guess what? we were still relegated.I always used to stand on the wooden fence at the back of the fullwell end, great days that will stay in my mind until i die. Sadly even the best atmosphere at the sol will never match a bouncing roker park, never in a million years imo
You are not wrong syd. We all look back at Roker through Rose tinted glasses. And why not? For many of us it was our first taste of what was to become a life time commitment. I've some great memories from the old place. Big Mal flicking the "v's" to the Fulwell. Beating Man U from two nil down and the four one defeat to Villa. What a game. Got to admit though I was taught from a very early age never ever to use the bogs at Roker Park. No matter what. And I never did.
You are absolutely right. It's not that the SoL is bad, it's just the modern design takes away the strong bonds that developed and grew with your mates and other regulars over time. The bad moments were shared, the extremes of weather (I was always a Roker End lad) brought you close to people and the passion for SAFC deepened. When we were playing well, we were literally bouncing - this can't happen in the same way in the modern stadia. Would I swap the SoL with it's modern facilities, comfy seats and protection from the skies for the old Roker Park so I could celebrate a SAFC win, soaked to the skin and freezing, no chance of a beer and in danger of getting splashed fromthe bloke next to you having a slash as he can't move in the crush? In a heartbeat - Haway the Lads, KTF
Can't agree Rokerlad. Roker Park had it's day and I loved the place but I wouldn't want it as our home now.
WHAAAT?? Has the smoke softened you up, made you yearn for the "comforts of a seat, pie/pint and hygenic flushing toilets"?? Only having a gentle laugh with you, and not having a go, but I DO miss many aspects of the old place. The SoL has moved us on (brought a lot more ladies to see us ) but what I wouldn't give for just ONE end to be standing <whistfullongingsmiley>
cyprus youve every right to feel that way m8 but i disagree, modern stadiums wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for the hillsborugh disaster and roker park only looked shabby because of other stadiums been built. there was nowt better than getting tossed about after a goal, 4 different stands singing and whistling the laurel and hardy tune when some coppers walked past your end, and night games at roker park was the best atmosphere ive ever known.(west ham 1980 promotion game will never be beaten imo). i was lucky enough to have witnessed such nights, unlike my children and probably big chris haha
What are you trying to say bonny lad? I'm turning "Southern????" Never. It's an age thing for me. Standing around getting pissed on. OK when your a kid but not for me now. TBH we could play in a shed, it would still be the best ground in the World because of who's in it.
we should have kept the place open for reserve/cup games, would have been better than seeing the sol embarrassingly half empty, or would it have been against the rules having 2 stadiums?
Cyprus - I would never even think of calling someone "Southern" - If I did Syd would probably be having a quiet word in my inbox telling me to cool it with the abuse!! Age does catch us all up and I can see where you're coming from, but the chance to relive a night like '73 against Man City, '80 v WHU?? You can't tell me that games like those doesn't make you long for other nights?
I well remember Roker Park, having lived close to the old place and hearing the "Roker Roar" before I was old enough to go to matches. I was at the FA Cup game v Spurs when we equalised and caused Danny Blanchflower to come out with his quote about "earsplitting noise". Unfortunately they thrashed us 5-0 in the replay! That was with Brown's Babes - Willie McPheat, Dominic Sharkey and Johnny Dillon. I was there at the replay with Man Utd. We were 3-1 up in the first game until Monty got injured. They came back to 3-3 and the replay at Roker was a sell-out. It was said that 150,000 people were trying to get in even though it was all ticket. They were on the roofs of houses and up the floodlight pylons, absolutely amazing! The atmosphere was electric and Charlie Hurley was trotting up for every corner. We drew 2-2 after extra time but were thrashed 5-0 in the replay at Elland Road. That team included Best, Law and Charlton and went on to win the European Cup. Many a time I suffered the warm (briefly) wet leg syndrome and don't miss that at all but I am proud of my Roker memories.
"the food shed at the back for a Bovril or pie". yes i can remember being regularly scalded by the bovril and you needed an asbestos gob to eat the pies sometimes, although i'm not entirely sure what was in the pies!
Oh yes I remember the Roker Park days.I can't remember the year but Bobby Moore was playing for West Ham and he scored in the 1st half. We went in at half time 1 - 0 up. Yes it was an og. Mind you the Hammers did score 5 in the second half and one was from Bobby Moore iirc. The WHU game others have mentioned brings back particularly painful memories for me. There was I queueing up at the Roker End to go in. The police on horseback were controlling the crowds and a police horse stepped on my foot. Luckily I was wearing shoes with steel capped toes which saved me a bit but I still was walking with a limp for quite a while after that! The match after the 1973 FA Cup Final with the cup on a table outside the tunnel until a QPR player hit the ball out of play and knocked the cup over. Then, later on, the crowd singing 'We're coming on the pitch' after a few bad refereeing decisions and the ref threatening to call the game off. Oh Happy days!!
Roker Park - packed in - didn't put hands in pockets durong the match because you wouldn't be able to get them out again because of the crush. First real memory v. Arsenal 1948 60,000+ and Leslie Compton but not brother Dennis for the visitors. Kids being passed down from the back to the front as well as those who had fainted who were treated by St John's ambulance. On another occassion Trevor Ford breaking the bar with a fierce shot (or did I just dream that). Later Brian Clough in the air horizontal scoring a cracking goal - the only match I ever saw from the Roker end. Great memories but thanks Bob Murray CBE for the new place and handing over to Drumaville Consortium and so on to Ellis Short and the beginning of a great time for all Sunderland fans. Keep the faith.
Plodging through the puddles of piss behind the Fulwell End, nipping up the road to my Nana's at half time for something to eat, busting a gut to get back for the second half. Cigarette burns in your new Levi's, slipping where someone had thrown up. Surrounded by huge skinheads with BO and bad attitudes, frightened for your life every time a surge hit the Fulwell ! Go back to Roker Park............... Most definitely.
This is what I like about the Forum, you have all resurrected a thousand memories that we can all share and good memories too, even the defeats. Boys turnstile was 1/- when I started in 63. I started in the Fulwell end with my Dad and his mates in line with the touchline - watching George Mulhall skipping down the touchline. My Dad and his mates took turns lifting me up for the corners in the Fulwell End to the chant of Charley! Charley as he lumbered up to the penalty area, and if he scored they tendered to drop me in their celebrations. I spent some time as I got older with mates in the 'boys enclosure' getting there early to stand at the front, and then usually in the roker end behind the goal 2/3rd of the way up. Best night match has got to be 3-1 against Man City in the cup run, I jumped in the air when Halom scored and my feet never touched the ground again for ten minutes!! I was in the ground when they brought the cup back and unashamedly cried with Joy as they carried Stokoe shoulder high passed the Fulwell End. Great memories of the Roker Park, but also of the SOL and I believe we have some even greater ones to come.
Pie,warm piss on the back of your trouser leg, burning hot bovril, crushing surges that made your ribs creak and the noise! And what about Billy Hughes? One of my all time favourites Thanks for great memories
