davieG Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 Leicester City FANZONE COLUMN: Do you remember the good old, bad days? asks Gary Silke By Leicester Mercury | Posted: January 29, 2016 Leicester City's former secretary Alan Bennett Comments (0)In these times of Leicester City sitting proudly on top of the Premier League, and sell-out gates at every game at the King Power, The Fox recently conducted an interview that reminded us of the good old, bad old days. We met up with Alan Bennett, the club secretary who guided the club through some rough seas between 1979 and 1994. Alan arrived in the middle of the Jock Wallace-era and left just as the Carling Stand went up, the Premier League began, and huge changes to the game were under way. Older fans may remember his programme notes from the time, where he seemed to be constantly tackling a huge range of problems, from fixture congestion to hooliganism, government pressure to install expensive safety levels and snow on the pitch. All these problems had to be solved on a shoestring, at one point in the early '80s just over 6,000 trickled through the turnstiles for a Second Division game against Shrewsbury. In an atmosphere of fighting and fences, many had turned their backs on the game. "It was a constant problem," says Bennett. "It wasn't just a football thing, those gangs would have been there whether there were football clubs or not. "We had to handle it, and at that time fences, which nobody liked, were the answer. Pre-Hillsborough they did seem to be the logical way of controlling things. If the police said 'we think you ought to have fences' then you didn't argue too hard. "No club wanted to put fences up, but they didn't refuse. Hooliganism caused a lot of problems and cost us a lot of money. I would estimate that we spent about a quarter-of-a-million. And that's not taking into account the fans who stopped coming during the worst years." Alan can only smile ruefully at the situation in 2016. "Sell-out crowds every week. That would be a problem we'd have loved to have had to deal with. You were torn between making as much revenue as you could to keep the club going and maybe even get a transfer kitty going, because the TV money wasn't flying around in those days – and putting prices beyond what people could afford. We probably got ours about right, near that happy medium." Alan was constantly pushing for stadium redevelopment, which eventually led to the impressive Carling Stand going up in 1994. "Our first proposition was to turn the pitch around and use the Double Decker as a full length stand. "Then build a new Main Stand along Filbert Street, there would have been room with the pitch switched around. Then build two new ends. Burnmoor Street would have been tight, but there was plenty of room at the car park end. It would have worked, but it didn't get planning permission. So we had to think again." The club did eventually have to move and Alan is now a King Power regular. Perhaps he still has his secretary hat on when he says: "The Europa League would almost be a disappointment from here. And look at all those added fixtures!" The full interview appears in the new issue of The Fox. Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Leicester-City-FANZONE-COLUMN-remember-good-old/story-28624806-detail/story.html#ixzz3ye8ZUxOS Follow us: @@leicester_Merc on Twitter | leicestermercury on Facebook
Izzy Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 Life at Filbert St. wasn't always great. But the odd time when it was great, it was bloody brilliant.
Langley Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 Who pissed on his barbecue? and put a fence around it
The Horse's Mouth Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 cant we do all this doom and gloom stuff next season
MPH Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 Life at Filbert St. wasn't always great. But the odd time when it was great, it was bloody brilliant. Cambridge united at home in the play offs semi final 5-0 win Who pissed on his barbecue? What a bizarre response!
Izzy Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 Cambridge united at home in the play offs semi final 5-0 win Just watch and listen to that atmosphere - and not a clapper in sight!!
Sol thewall Bamba Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 Just watch and listen to that atmosphere - and not a clapper in sight!! Love the surges in the crowd when we score at the Kop end! Bet no one moaned about that
Izzy Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 Love the surges in the crowd when we score at the Kop end! Brilliant scenes. I'm in there somewhere amongst all the mayhem! Great times...
pleatout Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 at one point in the early '80s just over 6,000 trickled through the turnstiles for a Second Division game against Shrewsbury. I was in pen 4 that night. It was colder than a cold thing on a cold day. So at least 26,000 of you next tuesday are plastics I met Alan once. Seemed a very nice chap. Told us how the club had been nudged by the bank [nat west I think] to sell Kevin MacDonald to Liverpool.
MPH Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 Just watch and listen to that atmosphere - and not a clapper in sight!!
MPH Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 Brilliant scenes. I'm in there somewhere amongst all the mayhem! Great times... NO ONE could shout " ROOSTER! ROOSTER!" louder than me!
Wymsey Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 It's a pitty it's student accommodation now. Looks out of place, and the land should've been used for a fan's village etc on matchdays.
purpleronnie Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 Just watch and listen to that atmosphere - and not a clapper in sight!! That's still my favourite game I went to. We'd have beat anyone that night.
UpTheLeagueFox Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 Got some great memories of Filbo but I love most of the new stadiums. It's called progress.
Izzy Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 Got some great memories of Filbo but I love most of the new stadiums. It's called progress. Nowt wrong with progress mate. And nowt wrong with reminiscing about old times. Looking back makes us appreciate how far we've come I guess..
one F in Fox Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 Wow! that gave me goosebumps watching that. 21,000 sell out at filbo was fantastic at times. watched that in the double decker and don't remember the atmosphere being as good as that at the time. Oooohhh.... Tommy Wright!
Thracian Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 Filbert Street had a cracking atmosphere when full - particularly in the Gillies era - but there's been plenty of buzz at the King Power lately, and, save for the soulless concourses which I never do anything but walk through, the general experience is good-to-outstanding now and the fans are a credit to the place. It does help to have football worth watching mind. For all the talk on here about "taking 0-0's or 1-0's" against anyone half decent, the atmosphere can dip markedly when there's nothing to get excited about and at times when we weren't in a position to achieve anything anyway. Before segregation of home and away fans there was always a bit of colourful banter but even Filbert Street could be quiet when the games were, although there's was usually something to grab the attention on the muddy or puddle-soaked pitches of winter. Generally it's been no different in the new era except in special situations - lousy games still see fans sitting there in virtual silence - but I do think the current team has a special spirit like the team of the early 60s and our owners have done what they can to foster that spirit. Consequently even a 0-0 can be well enough received because there's never any doubting the effort of today's players and, sometimes, they're electric. I just hope we keep remembering the positive approach which has made all the excitement come about and made every game so important now that we can and do achieve things.
Kitchandro Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 Got some great memories of Filbo but I love most of the new stadiums. It's called progress. Progress in terms of size sure, but regress in terms of design. We never found a middle between a small, exciting stadium and a large, boring stadium. Most of the new stadiums are pants in comparison to the developed old ones. Would be nice if we could also find a middle ground between violent hooliganism and people complaining about 'over-zealous celebrations'.
Foxstone Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 I would love to see the next development at the KP being an extra tier at one end with the lower tier converted to safe standing - now that would be progress...
Guest bss9401 Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 Leicester City FANZONE COLUMN: Do you remember the good old, bad days? asks Gary Silke By Leicester Mercury | Posted: January 29, 2 Leicester City's former secretary Alan Bennett Comments (0) In these times of Leicester City sitting proudly on top of the Premier League, and sell-out gates at every game at the King Power, The Fox recently conducted an interview that reminded us of the good old, bad old days. We met up with Alan Bennett, the club secretary who guided the club through some rough seas between 1979 and 1994. Alan arrived in the middle of the Jock Wallace-era and left just as the Carling Stand went up, the Premier League began, and huge changes to the game were under way. Older fans may remember his programme notes from the time, where he seemed to be constantly tackling a huge range of problems, from fixture congestion to hooliganism, government pressure to install expensive safety levels and snow on the pitch. All these problems had to be solved on a shoestring, at one point in the early '80s just over 6,000 trickled through the turnstiles for a Second Division game against Shrewsbury. In an atmosphere of fighting and fences, many had turned their backs on the game. "It was a constant problem," says Bennett. "It wasn't just a football thing, those gangs would have been there whether there were football clubs or not. "We had to handle it, and at that time fences, which nobody liked, were the answer. Pre-Hillsborough they did seem to be the logical way of controlling things. If the police said 'we think you ought to have fences' then you didn't argue too hard. "No club wanted to put fences up, but they didn't refuse. Hooliganism caused a lot of problems and cost us a lot of money. I would estimate that we spent about a quarter-of-a-million. And that's not taking into account the fans who stopped coming during the worst years." Alan can only smile ruefully at the situation in 2016. "Sell-out crowds every week. That would be a problem we'd have loved to have had to deal with. You were torn between making as much revenue as you could to keep the club going and maybe even get a transfer kitty going, because the TV money wasn't flying around in those days – and putting prices beyond what people could afford. We probably got ours about right, near that happy medium." Alan was constantly pushing for stadium redevelopment, which eventually led to the impressive Carling Stand going up in 1994. "Our first proposition was to turn the pitch around and use the Double Decker as a full length stand. "Then build a new Main Stand along Filbert Street, there would have been room with the pitch switched around. Then build two new ends. Burnmoor Street would have been tight, but there was plenty of room at the car park end. It would have worked, but it didn't get planning permission. So we had to think again." The club did eventually have to move and Alan is now a King Power regular. Perhaps he still has his secretary hat on when he says: "The Europa League would almost be a disappointment from here. And look at all those added fixtures!" The full interview appears in the new issue of The Fox. Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Leicester-City-FANZONE-COLUMN-remember-good-old/story-28624806-detail/story.html#ixzz3ye8ZUxOS Follow us: @@leicester_Merc on Twitter | leicestermercury on Facebook[/size]
Illusion35 Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 I was also at this game, standing in pen 2. I was at the time a 15 year old girl barely five feet tall. I loved it! Never felt unsafe or intimidated by anyone except the police on some occasions . Never experienced any sexism whatsoever. Surges were fun and not at all dangerous. I never got hurt once. People talk about the 80's/early 90's like it was all just hooligans fighting but the Kop was mixed and a fair number of women and older children were there too. Great atmosphere and many amazing memories!
coolcol Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 Just watch and listen to that atmosphere - and not a clapper in sight!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PrC-fBS2gE I looked at this misty eyed as I was at the match...watching Rooster Russell..'Larry' Grayson, Sticks Oldmondroyd, 'Oooh Tommy Wright'...Cambridge had Dion Dublin, Stevie Claridge and Lee Philpott and we also had TERRACES....goal celebrations on the terraces are things that kids don't understand these days ( yes I know that I DO sound like an old git..) Wembley 92,93,94,96,97,99,2000 ....ahhh those were the days
cambridgefox Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 Just watch and listen to that atmosphere - and not a clapper in sight!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PrC-fBS2gE Can you imagine how I felt,especially travelling with a car full of Cambridge and knowing loads who were there that night.Absolute quality.
Bayfox Posted 29 January 2016 Posted 29 January 2016 Life at filbert st. May not have always been great. But it had character.
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