You could be right, it was a long time ago. I first spotted Dave because one of my younger brothers played in the same team and I sure it was Cooperians ? which later became Orchard Park United. From memory OPU were invited to play at Forest's ground against their academy side and beat them. Dave was a left winger in those days and was outstanding in a very good team.
Used to stand at Bunkers end John, when it looked like this before the South Stand was built, even saw a couple of reserve team games played on a very wet and windy night when I would think there were more people on the pitch than in the stands. Even though I had on a long mack I was still soaked to the skin, good job I only lived round the corner in those days, down Hawthorn Ave. Those floodlight seem primitive compared to what was built along with the South Stand, if you are thinking why I didn't shelter under the east or west stand, 6d was the answer, a fortune to me in those days.
I seem to remember there was a little wooden hut were you could pay a transfer fee so you could change ends at half time. I relocated to the South stand once it was built, as that is where the singing took place.
Looks like we're playing Blackburn Rovers. First I thought, because of the size of the crowd, it might have been the Feb '54 Fa Cup 4th round replay (we drew 2-2 away, winning the replay at home 2-1), but the replay would have been in mid-week so it would have been under floodlights. Perhaps it would have been the same year's ('54) home league game against them (we lost 0-2, but beat 'em away 3-1 that season). We ended 15th, they ended up 3rd, just missing promotion by 1 point to Leicester (1st) and Everton (2nd). After a home draw (1-1) with Spurs in the 5th round, we lost 2-0 away in the replay. We were getting bloody good crowds those days. Looking at the picture, there's more kids in the front row behind the N. stand goal than we probably get in the whole of the KC for matches these days. ALLAMS OUT !
I'm pretty sure you re right, unless we played Bristol Rovers, but I don't think we would have had a crowd like that. You're right about kids, there was a lot that went, in those days I was 9 when I first went to a game in 58, and we went by ourselves. That would happen these days.
I wondered about Bristol Rovers John, they were in the 2nd Division in '53-'54, but their shirts were blue & white but in "quarters', rather than "halves" as Blackburn's were. Mind you, my eyesight's pretty bad and it's hard to tell from the photo.
Hadn't thought about it before but you are correct, we went on our own in those days. Wouldn't dream of letting a child go on its own these days.
Look at the shadows, they are long and only one per person so it is sunlight and not floodlights and is late in the afternoon. By the way there looks like two footballs on the pitch. If the real one is at the top of the roller handle, then that is a pretty futile dive by Billy Bly ( sorry Billy!). On the other hand if the real football is the one immediately in front of the attacker's right arm then Billy's dive is much more relevant. Any ideas anyone?
I think the one at the top of the handle is the real ball, but looking at it, it could be missing the goal and going wide of the post, where the attacker is and where the ball is travelling, so Billy maybe is pulling out of a full dive. Pictures can be misleading at times.
We used to get the bus from Anlaby Common to the games, and Johnny Stephens would be on the same bus, and we would get off at Calvert Lane and walk down North road with him to the ground. Times have changed.
Used to catch the same bus - grandparents lived on Spring Gardens, 2 houses in from Anlaby Rd, close to the bus garage. Grandad first took me to BP in '53. The old bugger sometimes insisted on walking back to Anlaby Common after the match if the crowd was big and the queues at the bus stop were too long. Was always a miserable walk back if City had lost ! Happy memories - we're still losing We used to stand behind the N. stand goal with his mates in those days like you said you did.
I lived down Spring Gardens also, but down the left hand side when you come in from Hull Rd. Well, we did walk back also, as that gave us more money for sweets, which we spent in the shop at the corner of Boothferry Rd/North Rd.