80s and 90s Fans Memory Lane

[Simi]

They apparently don't have the rolling stock available now.

Although there's a place down south full of unused carriages..

Specials started to get less popular as the policing was so "good" that everyone got herded to the ground...

Be handy sometimes though.

Probably a poppycock excuse to keep them away so they don't need to bother with looking after them.

[Daggers]

Would love to see a return to Football Specials

I absolutely hated them, invariably full of absolute pissed-up wankers looking for a fight or pretending to be macho until something kicked off and they they ran like little bitches.

Even worse was the number of times I got herded onto a train going to Leicester when I never wanted to go there.

Treated like cattle and given less respect. Hell, if you think South Yorkshire, the Met or the West Mids constabulary are bad now you really should have seen them in action in the 80's.

[Simi]

I absolutely hated them, invariably full of absolute pissed-up wankers looking for a fight or pretending to be macho until something kicked off and they they ran like little bitches.

Even worse was the number of times I got herded onto a train going to Leicester when I never wanted to go there.

Treated like cattle and given less respect. Hell, if you think South Yorkshire, the Met or the West Mids constabulary are bad now you really should have seen them in action in the 80's.

Obviously my opinion is from a completely backseat view as I'm not old enough to have experienced them in there previous forms. The way you and some others have talked about them, they were pleasant.

However, if done right I'd imagine it could be a right laugh.

[purpleronnie]

Watford always was terrible... used to have to walk through what amounted to garden allotments to get to the away end!

Cambridge wasn't much better and once you were on that poxy little terrace it was difficult to get out for a slash so most supporters used to do it where they stood!

But none compare to the old Den,now that place was really scary...remember going there in the FA cup one chilly winter's midweek...horrible ground horrible weather horrible fans and horrible game!

Grimsby away though was always good for a giggle and we usually got a result there.

Strangly some of my best times ended with us losing,like playing Charlton at Upton Park,don't know how many city fans were there that day but we must have outnumbered the Charlton fans by at least 2 to 1 and the Swindon Play off at Wembley..we lost but what a comeback and as bad as it was we got to do it all again the next year!

As for Filbo my best memories are Tony James goal against Oxford that kept us up,the Shrewsbury FA cup game of course and giving Shilton some stick whenever he came back!

I remember when we made it 3-3 I was seated near the back and somehow ended up at the front actually under some bloke, I've never seen mad celebrations like that before.

I remember the oxford game too, and running on the pitch after, and if memory serves me right some of the players through their boots and shirts to the fans on the pitch.

They were still good times. But things were already changing.

[leicester ghost]

ched; the specials were brilliant,most of the time.

arriving in a rival city,as soon as you stepped off the train,hundreds singing,[leicester boys,we are here]

then again,you'd arrive at some places and the whole town seemed to be out to get you.

it was a part of football history thats just that,history.

someone with more brains than iv'e got should document as many of leicester fans experiences as possible.

[purpleronnie]

They apparently don't have the rolling stock available now.

Although there's a place down south full of unused carriages..

Specials started to get less popular as the policing was so "good" that everyone got herded to the ground...

Be handy sometimes though.

Here's a great clip of a football special in Italy (present day).

[leicester ghost]

santiago fox.

norwich away,last game of the season.i was on the football special that day.

if my memory serves me correctly,leicester had already been relegated the week before.

leicester fans were unbelievably loud that day,we could relegate norwich if we beat them.

i can still picture it.leicester fans climbing up the fence singing[send them down]

i seem to remember a leicester lad even climbed up the fence and got on to the girder.

we beat norwich 3-2......and relegated them........classic

[melrose]

My first game ever was harlow town in the third round of the cup, not a good start I know but the rest of that season for a wide eyed sixteen year old new to all this it was the business. The away trip would start at eleven o'clock on a friday night' when the boozer shut, we'd all pile into the back of a trany van and it was off to Burnley or Wrexham. The best was saved for last, more than ten thousand Leicester fans celebrating clinching promotion on a warm day down at Orient. The jocks weren't the only ones to break the goal posts down the smoke! And I got to give Jock a hug!

Happy Happy Days.

[leicester ghost]

he's not bald.

the memories come flying back.watford away,and that long walk round the allotments.

i went there about 6 times,the last time i went was a night game.i can only remember 2 things about that night.we went in the pub behind their end and discussed going in their end because of that awful walk.

we ended up going through with the walk and missed 1 or 2 goals,we saw ali mauchlins screamer,but as we were on the service traIN WE HAD to leave early.i think the score was 2-2 and we'd seen 1 goal.

cambridge.we never had a drink there for some reason.been 3 times i think,including the play off semi final 1-1,then we stuffed them 5-0 at filbert st.

the old den. millwall.

i personally loved going to millwall,i thought early 80s chelsea was far more intimidating,but i know what you mean.we only went for a few pints near the ground on the third time of going there.

i was on the special train for the fa cup match that you mention.the game was supposed to be played on the saturday.snow,frost i think had caused the game to be cancelled.

we travelled down on the special and still took a good crowd.it was my first trip to the den.what an eyeopener.

after leaving the station,first main road,theres spotters for the millwallbushwacker hooligans.

standing at busstops,it was so obvious,i'm sure lads were giving these spotters stick,bloody hell the walk was then one ambush after another.

leicester never took a backward step if my memories correct.

see if our recollections are the same.after the incident with the spotters we turned a corner on to another main road.

we reached a pub on the right,it emptied and they come out throwing glasses but did'nt do much else.one interesting observation was these chaps were your older millwall growlers.

they could have walked straight off the 1976 panorama documentry.around the same time there was an attack by millwall on the other side of the road.

i did'nt really see what was happenning there as i was the same side as the growlers.

then soon after, we had the proper bushwackers come for us.that was about 150 yards up the road so it was crap if it was an ambush.

the police had us boxed in for about 5 or 10 minutes,so we watched millwall going at the police.there was no problems after that.

i can't remember much else,i think fashanu scored for them,at the final whistle millwall invaded the pitch and marched towards us in the corner.

leicester fans sang[your just a bunch of w######] and that was that,all good experience for later when we'd travel independently to london,sometimes the night before.

incidently,did'nt millwall riot at luton in the next round.

[melrose]

Can anyone remember a game at Oxford in the eighties when a few lads climbed the floodlight and one of them dived off?

On the way back I seen the lad in a pub in banbury, not a mark on him, he must have been caught by the crowd!

[leicester ghost]

melrose.

i did'nt go to harlow,no idea why i did'nt go to be honest,

but i did go to orient,you might have seen me.can you remember the hotdog van being pushed over.

a couple of lads were scavaging in the grass picking up burgers.

i was hungary.

i did get on the pitch,seem to remember martin henderson leaving the pitch in just his pants,someones got some souveniers from that day.

can't remember who scored,i do remember the corby lot,i think they were corby.

all dressed in kilts and tartan. i think they got thrown out enmasse shortly after.

next time i went to orient was a night game.3 of us hitchhiked and got a lift off a tottenhaM lorry driver,he dropped us in millwall leaving us decent directions for busses.

we thought it would be same again.leicester taking the piss.

leicester still took a decent following,this time 20 to 30 west ham were there,we got beat 2 or 3-0.

a few leicester invaded the pitch.if i recall correctly,security was so poor,we left the away end for the seats at one point,then came back later.

we got a lift back on either melton or hinckley supporters coach.they also bailed us out at hereford fa cup one year as well

[Simi]

Leicester Ghost - Do you still go to matches now? If not, why not?

[leicester ghost]

melrose..

iv'e still got photos of the oxford away.fa cup and we lost.

two braunstone lads climbed the floodlight,the coppers were waiting to arrest them when they came down.

leicester fans tried to shift the police,like a rugby scrum.

i think one got arrested,the blond lad jumped for it and i think he got away

[melrose]

Leicester ghost

Yes you're spot on with the memories!

I'm amazed how you can remember such details.

It's certainly good to re-visit the past!

[leicester ghost]

ched.

sorry it took a while to reply mate,i don't go to matches now.

all my money goes on the house and family. most of my time is spent either working or looking after the kids.

iv'e recently got a computer so here i am,totaly reliant on radio,tv,and you lads and lasses for the latest part of leicesters history..

i reckon it'l be another 6 years time before i'm back at the aways,iv'e got patience.

[Simi]

ched.

sorry it took a while to reply mate,i don't go to matches now.

all my money goes on the house and family. most of my time is spent either working or looking after the kids.

iv'e recently got a computer so here i am,totaly reliant on radio,tv,and you lads and lasses for the latest part of leicesters history..

i reckon it'l be another 6 years time before i'm back at the aways,iv'e got patience.

When did you stop going? Sounds like you had the best times in the 80's.

I go to most aways now and can guarantee it's competely different to what you would have been used to.

[Daggers]

When did you stop going? Sounds like you had the best times in the 80's.

I go to most aways now and can guarantee it's competely different to what you would have been used to.

The 80's became shit because of the amount of fuknuts who thought that covering up for their lack of cock by fighting and smashing things up was a clever thing to do.

They sucked the humour and enjoyment out of following the club.

[Corky]

The 80's became shit because of the amount of fuknuts who thought that covering up for their lack of cock by fighting and smashing things up was a clever thing to do.

They sucked the humour and enjoyment out of following the club.

Now it's just the moaners, whingers and Chelsea Dagger that do that

Fortunately the team are doing their best to compensate

[leicester ghost]

ched.

i stopped going about 2001,best thing about the 1990s was travelling about the country meeting up with other small groups of leicester,

sometimes it would be 2,3,4 in the group.

prime example.does anyone remember doing the conga up the train on the way back from ipswich,no idea what year.90s.

also,it was interesting travelling in a small group and going behind enemy lines so to speak,drinking in their pubs and what have you.

we were boisterous but did'nt go looking for bother.sometimes things did'nt work out but thats life.

a couple of examples,i mentioned earlier tonight a trip to watford,being in the pub behind there end.

we chose the lounge as the bar was rowdy.

the landlord only announces to all in the bar[leicester fans in the lounge]git.

arrive in portsmouth 8 hours before kick off,park the car,gentle stroll fom the ground,left at the fratton arms,get to a park,nice sort of family pub,that'l do,proper long session in a nice quiet pub.

5 hours later we realise its the local boozer for the pompey 657 lads.there was a family of leicester there as well,course,by then we did'nt really care.

bit later more pompy 657ers come in covered in beer and some with blood on them,they were getting aggitated so we made a move.

on the odd occasion we'd go in the opposing seats or stand,sometimes you could have the banter,sometimes not

2 of us for a laugh went in the main stand at bristol city.we get the locaL fanzine and theres loads of letters arguing over away fans turning up in bristols mainstand.

west ham had been fighting in there the previous game.we had'nt gone looking for trouble,2 of us,it looked like we'd stepped in a wasps nest.

bloody hell,leicester only score inside 5 minutes,and you've got to go daft hav'ent you.

bristol city was one ground where something always happenned.

either a parking ticket,a crash,missing goals cause we stay for a last drink and leicester hav'nt scored for weeks,chased all over bristol like a scene from the warriors.

loads of fans did the same.

sometimes we'd have a bus as lots wanted to go,sometimes we got invites to go with others.

it was a laugh and a lot of these people who'd sometimes get slagged off,they'd spent years putting up with hardship following leicester.

last time i walked in the peel i heard old songs from the backroom,old city songs,brilliant.

[leicester ghost]

don't forget,theres lots of people who don't go down the city for whatever reason.

once upon a time they did and they were passionate,its still there just quieter,

last year i was working at a blokes house,i got talking about leicester city.he was in his 90s and he was going away games over 50 years ago.fantastic stories and momentos he had.

[Ultra]

the old den. millwall.

i personally loved going to millwall,i thought early 80s chelsea was far more intimidating,but i know what you mean.we only went for a few pints near the ground on the third time of going there.

i was on the special train for the fa cup match that you mention.the game was supposed to be played on the saturday.snow,frost i think had caused the game to be cancelled.

we travelled down on the special and still took a good crowd.it was my first trip to the den.what an eyeopener.

after leaving the station,first main road,theres spotters for the millwallbushwacker hooligans.

standing at busstops,it was so obvious,i'm sure lads were giving these spotters stick,bloody hell the walk was then one ambush after another.

leicester never took a backward step if my memories correct.

see if our recollections are the same.after the incident with the spotters we turned a corner on to another main road.

we reached a pub on the right,it emptied and they come out throwing glasses but did'nt do much else.one interesting observation was these chaps were your older millwall growlers.

they could have walked straight off the 1976 panorama documentry.around the same time there was an attack by millwall on the other side of the road.

i did'nt really see what was happenning there as i was the same side as the growlers.

then soon after, we had the proper bushwackers come for us.that was about 150 yards up the road so it was crap if it was an ambush.

the police had us boxed in for about 5 or 10 minutes,so we watched millwall going at the police.there was no problems after that.

i can't remember much else,i think fashanu scored for them,at the final whistle millwall invaded the pitch and marched towards us in the corner.

leicester fans sang[your just a bunch of w######] and that was that,all good experience for later when we'd travel independently to london,sometimes the night before.

incidently,did'nt millwall riot at luton in the next round.

They did indeed..

The old Den was a vile place, very intimidating to visiting players and fans. I went there four times and witnessed four City defeats.

The worst experience there was in 1991 in the Cup. I recall an incident when Tommy Wright lay injured on the touchline and around a dozen kids, no older than ten, ran to the front of the main stand to spit on him.

To make matters worse, we led 1-0 for most of the game, but ended up losing 2-1 after the ref, for reasons best known to himself, decided to give Millwall control of the game by sending two of our players off (Walshy and Paul Ramsey).

Millwall has always been a haven for vermin of the lowest order. It was no surprise that when we kicked out the poison dwarf, they were first in line to sign him up.

Suffice to say, I wouldn't exactly mourn if they went bust.

[MPH]

So many memories of the 1980's how brilliant and terrible it was. But most of my early 90 memories are a bit of a alcoholic blur.

I do remember a night at Notts County around 91/92 where it seemed we had more fans inside the ground than the home team, it was Zenith Data Cup thingy, semi final I think, we won in extra time, it was an amazing night, we ended up losing to the other nottingham side in the final.

This was quickly supassed the same season when we beat Cambridge utd in the semi final play offs 5-0, which remains one of the best nights I had at filbert street and one of the best performances I've ever seen from Leicester.

absolute quality game - John Beck was their boss around then wasnt he? we drew the first leg at cambridges ground 0-0 or 1-1 i think and cambridge were being billed as the long ball perfectionists.. had a group of really good, aggressive players playing for them that night including a young Dion Dublin with the silliest chess board haircut you ever did see. I was actually scared before this game as i really didnt want leicester to be bullied by their aggressive style of play and first 5 -10 minutes they had us rocking with a few long punts down the wings... but then the lads took over... Gary Mills with his great defending, tommy wright down the wing... and their goalie made one of the best saves i have EVER seen... he was diving one way, ball was deflected and he still somehow managed to palm it away. It was SUCH a good game that even though they lost 5-0 even cambridge got a round of applause after the game from everyone for getting so far for such a small club...

magical night

its because of memories like that which kept me going last season as a leicester city fan!

[MPH]

Paul Fitzpatrick diving header to win it !!!! 1st ever away match for me !!

themost unlikely of people to do a diving header as well! what a game!

[purpleronnie]

I remember one of my first away games was at chelsea 1986, I think it was a draw. Most of my time was spent avoiding various missiles being thrown over including golf balls (I remember them bouncing off the concrete). Chelsea back then was a tough place to be an away fan (how times have changed eh?). I think it was the season when we stayed up on the last day beating Newcatle. I think we were relegated the following year.

I know people on here will say how terrible the 80's were with all the trouble etc...But Trouble was a lot less frequent than people may think, especially if you knew what you were doing, i.e. Which pubs to avoid, not wearing colours etc... Most of the time it was amazing fun and when trouble did happen it was mainly a lot of gestouring and posing and running around, it added to the excitment and there was always a story to tell the next day. Especially as I was the only one amongst my friends who went to away games.

It was a million times better than today where one lego stadium merges with the next, where everyone sits down in silence. I stopped going to home games regually in the late 90's. I continued to go to away games but they were getting as dull as home games. Plus work now took me abroad and I had less time to go. If I moved back to england I wouldn't go to leicester again, all the fun has been taken away. I'm just glad I was around when it was still great to be a football fan.

[leicester ghost]

purpleronnie

i agree with all you say,1980s was more about large groups of fans travelling away.1990s a lot more small groups.

also the role of fanzines should'nt be underestimated,they helped fans take an interest in other teams and other fans.