Going to the match in the 1960s (memories)

[Smudge]

That's correct about the Corby Rangers contingent. I don't remember Forest taking over the Kop but I do remember that people used to put adverts in the papers, (was the Evening Mail still going then)? To notify anyone that wanted to join them for a punch up with the Forest fans could meet up before going to the station. It didn't seem to occur to them that the Police might read them too!

The Evening Mail finished in November 1963

[Woollett's Wellies]

The Evening Mail finished in November 1963

Thanks for that. Jeez! That does make me feel old. Didn't they have a Saturday results/sports edition too? Just going back to the Rangers friendly. The rumour at the time was that the Corby Celtic supporters club had bought a load of tickets on the basis of settling old scores! As most of them worked at Stewarts & Lloyds steelworks then Monday morning must have been interesting!

[Smudge]

Thanks for that. Jeez! That does make me feel old. Didn't they have a Saturday results/sports edition too? Just going back to the Rangers friendly. The rumour at the time was that the Corby Celtic supporters club had bought a load of tickets on the basis of settling old scores! As most of them worked at Stewarts & Lloyds steelworks then Monday morning must have been interesting!

Yes they did, it was called the Green Un. I know, I used to deliver the bloody things, which meant a second round on the bike.

[Freesolo]

I 

 

Yes they did, it was called the Green Un. I know, I used to deliver the bloody things, which meant a second round on the bike.

I live in corby my parents moved down from Glasgow in 55 and 57 there parents where Rangers fans but not the type to go to a football match looking for a fight.

I can just imagine the Celtic and Rangers Club deciding to meet up at Filbert street.

I remember the Rangers club it was the biggests outside of Scotland and Northern Ireland, closed its doorsand got knocked down about 5 years ago


EDIT: I do have a story, If you can remember the Home Internationals between England &Scotland I remember my Uncle telling me that in the 70s or 80s when Scotland beat England at Wembley and stormeded the pitch breaking the goalposts, My Uncle was at the game and dug up the penalty spot HE Planted it Up Stephensen way corby 

[fuchsntf]

The 1st social media outlet...The Buff. Whether at the game, or coming back from somewhere .Trying to guess which

agents near Leicester would sell it.The local leagues and sport were also willingly read.

When 8-9yrs of age, walking to the ground and being looked after a couple of times, from WBA fans, Spurs fans, and Liverpool fans. 3-4 times being bought tizer and some chips.Once when 10, after the game a small group of W.ham fans , I bumped into

with my mate, asked directions to then the new chinese, in Charles st, or Belgrave gate.We told them we are walking that way.

Told them it doesnt open until 6:00-6:30pm.Forgot the pubs name now, but had a garden at the back, near st nicholas circle, going into town.They took us in with them, and they bought us pie and chips from next door, the landlord said it was ok.One of the few pubs that opened at 5:pm, because of garden and childrens room.

I seen my older sister, and told her to tell my mam, we would get the 6:30 bus home.Going to the bus we shown them the

Chinky... ( sorry is that racist) as we called them in the day. From 1968 onwards that would/could not of happened.

The WH-fans were aged ca 20-30, and there were 11 of them inc.2 women.

[davieG]

Apart from Cup Finals the only other match I remember seeing was sometime after the event and it was the 7-3 thrashing of Eintract Frankfurt by Real Madrid and that was on a cine 7 celluloid film system at the YMCA. Not that there were many tv around anyway.

I watched the 66 WC in a friend of a friend in a flat around Clarendon Park Road and we'd congregate in the Clarendon Pub afterwards as I was living in a flat around there with my brother.

As an aside to that I won a bet with the local off licence that we'd win the WC and my prize was his life size world cup willy cardboard cut out which I think was used to advertise waters beer and their party 7 pint cans.

Happy days but totally broke.

[Woollett's Wellies]

Smudge....The point you make here.........

'The rest of the sixties was a time for questioning that order and rebelling against it.

There's always been a sub-culture within the youth of Britain. In the 50's it was the Teddy Boys, the Mods and Rockers in the early 60's. The zenith of violence at football matches in the 60's was the rise of the skinhead culture in 1969, which seemed to extol violence.'

Is very interesting as I'd never really thought of it in those terms. Certainly the Mods and Rockers had a serious culture of violence going on but it was between one another. I don't recall football featuring in it at all. Easter bank holiday at some seaside town for a major league punch up seemed to be the default method of combat. As you say, when the Skinheads came along football was a catalyst for their violence although they weren't alone in using the tribal element of football as a reason for fighting. Before I started on the initial course for my 'real' job. I filled the time by labouring for the local council highways department in Wigston. The guys there certainly weren't skinheads but they would go to particular pubs and on a signal, a glass being turned upside down was one apparently, they'd launch into one another! This wasn't football related of course but probably had a similar 'pack status' thing going on. You know. 'Did you see me lamp that Forest fan/bloke from the Dog and Gun'. Primitive but true.

[ChrisJager]

The Rangers match was unlike anything I'd been to.  The Rangers supporters who had come from Corby seemed to take over the place.  I can't remember much fighting but I'd never seen people turn up at a match completely drunk.  There were several coaches parked on Western Boulevard with writing on the side.  One said "Remember the Boyne 1690".  Another said "F*** the Pope" (without the asterisks).  This was of course before the Northern Ireland troubles, so was a complete eye-opener.  The match ended 1-0 to us, but I can't remember much about it.

[enmac]

I know I went to a Rangers game. Didn't we play them again under Jock? I knew at the time they had a top rated winger. Was it David Cooper or Willie Henderson? I know there was trouble, but if it was 1967 I would have been in the Filbert St end- mainly kids and older people, so it was pretty safe.

Remeber watching us play Millwall in the late 60s (1969 after looking it up). The Mercury did a write-up about their 2 star players- Derek Possee and Keith Weller!

I knew I must have been in the Filbert st end, and I don't remember any trouble. As everyone knows Millwall went on to have the worst reputation. Not only that I used to walk from Highfields by the station to Filbert St. No memory of any trouble either. Maybe I was just lucky, or very few

Millwall fans turned up.

By the way the match was rubbish Even Keith didn't stand out!

[Smudge]

Smudge....The point you make here.........

'The rest of the sixties was a time for questioning that order and rebelling against it.

There's always been a sub-culture within the youth of Britain. In the 50's it was the Teddy Boys, the Mods and Rockers in the early 60's. The zenith of violence at football matches in the 60's was the rise of the skinhead culture in 1969, which seemed to extol violence.'

Is very interesting as I'd never really thought of it in those terms. Certainly the Mods and Rockers had a serious culture of violence going on but it was between one another. I don't recall football featuring in it at all. Easter bank holiday at some seaside town for a major league punch up seemed to be the default method of combat. As you say, when the Skinheads came along football was a catalyst for their violence although they weren't alone in using the tribal element of football as a reason for fighting. Before I started on the initial course for my 'real' job. I filled the time by labouring for the local council highways department in Wigston. The guys there certainly weren't skinheads but they would go to particular pubs and on a signal, a glass being turned upside down was one apparently, they'd launch into one another! This wasn't football related of course but probably had a similar 'pack status' thing going on. You know. 'Did you see me lamp that Forest fan/bloke from the Dog and Gun'. Primitive but true.

You are quite correct that the Mods/Rockers issue wasn't football centric, if fact far from it. But by 1969, that rebellious trait had found itself in football in the guise of a skinhead wearing a Chelsea scarf around his waist and Dr Martins boots to kick your head in.

[Woollett's Wellies]

I know I went to a Rangers game. Didn't we play them again under Jock? I knew at the time they had a top rated winger. Was it David Cooper or Willie Henderson? I know there was trouble, but if it was 1967 I would have been in the Filbert St end- mainly kids and older people, so it was pretty safe.

Remeber watching us play Millwall in the late 60s (1969 after looking it up). The Mercury did a write-up about their 2 star players- Derek Possee and Keith Weller!

I knew I must have been in the Filbert st end, and I don't remember any trouble. As everyone knows Millwall went on to have the worst reputation. Not only that I used to walk from Highfields by the station to Filbert St. No memory of any trouble either. Maybe I was just lucky, or very few

Millwall fans turned up.

By the way the match was rubbish Even Keith didn't stand out!

 

Re the Rangers game. My memory of the fighting was that it was all in the Popular side. I was in the Kop and do remember that the game was indeed poor. 

 

I also don't remember any trouble at our home games against Millwall but going to 'the Den' was another matter! I haven't been to Millwall for years but gather the New Den still has a bizarre group of inhabitants! Of course, in the 60's and even the early 70's the social make up of their fans was completely different to now. Alf Garnet was still alive and kicking in the East end then, probably your head if they could get you on your own! One of the most iconic hooligan press pics of the era must be the one of the Millwall fan being escorted out of the Den with the cop holding the Machete that had been taken off him. 

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

It's all been said above, but being in grounds that looked the same as they did when they were first erected, put one in awe, visualizing the ghosts of many legends, who had trodden their hallowed turf, so many years before. It was wonderful feeling to experience.

 

Standing with supporters of the opposition, added to the occasion, and every young fan would have their football rattle (lovely sound), which would add to the din when a goal was scored. The scorer of each goal would be greeted with a hand shake by his team mates, and the game would continue.

 

The game itself was far more attacking in those days, and players were allowed to use their natural skills, in their own way, rather than be drilled to play a certain role. 

 

Eleven players played the whole game, sometimes on boggy pitches, shrouded with mist. The heavy leather boots and of course the sodden leather football, that could feel like a sledge hammer when headed.

 

Great days, now long gone, but the memories live on.

[Freesolo]

Sadly because of stuff like this

 

 

I can understand two sets of fans fighting although it doesn't interest me, but when people are getting stabbed and hit hover the head with bats that's too far you could kill someone you seen all the weapons they took of them UTD fans in the 70s Meat cleavers, Knives, clubs. thats just insane. 

I suppose with no CCTV these so called fans thought they could get away with anything