If you mean that's where I got the wrong impression from, I think you might be (w)right. Can't find the book though.
The Rotherham league game 1948? reportably sold 58,000 tickets but only 50,000 + turned up on the day. Without getting the history books out I believe the game was played over the Christmas holidays, maybe even Christmas Day and there was either a bus strike or no service buses available on the day, hence the slight drop off in the actual attendance. Not many had cars in those days so it was either walk or get the bike out to get to the ground. Remember too this was for a Third Division North league game for a club who had never won a major trophy or played in a Final.
Had this discussion yesterday and I agree with you those who big them selves up club wise are usually the black and white minority, and it's usually 'I support Fc and Leeds Utd/Liverpool/Man Utd/or name any other Premier League football team you wish' me. Adding 'because ****ty City never win anything'
This and the other snaps are superb, shame we can’t recreate these crowds, but as already said before, our lack of success for long periods of time is a good enough excuse to create plastics. Also the wide coverage football gets in all forms of media, probably gives people with low self esteem the ability to mistakenly align themselves with a more successful team, to which they have no real ties.
Was buying tickets in advance even possible back then? And if so did many do it? Can't remember ever buying a ticket in advance back in the 70s and 80s not even for away games.
