A Request For The Older Generation

[mikey54]

This is fascinating.

I think the image of football in a lot of people's minds is dominated by the colour television era and what went before that (apart from possibly the 1966 World Cup) is pretty much unknown to those that weren't alive then, which is a bit strange given that you've got the best part of a century of football history before that period.

There was an interview a year or so back in the Mercury with some very old fella who'd been a City supporter all his life, and that was really interesting. It's hard enough to get your head around the fact that there was a point there was no segregation and no bother (which some on here are old enough to remember) but this old chap was recalling the era before the crowd started singing at games, the sort of thing you would think had always happened.

Mikey, you said that the first time you experienced violence at a game was in the mid 60s. Did this sort of thing quickly become commonplace or was it more gradual? My other question to the older posters (forgive me if I'm hijacking the thread, I'm just really interested) but during what period did you enjoy going to games the most?

As far as I can remember, hooliganism in football reared it's ugly head in the late 1960's - but didn't really 'kick off' until the early 1970's. Manchester Utd and Leeds Utd were by far the worst back then.

The mid-sixties were a great time for me - Leicester included internationals from all four home nations in Banks (England) Rodrigues (Wales) Gibson (Scotland) Dougan (N Ireland) in their line-up. David Gibson was a class player and deserved more recognition - I think he only won a handful of caps.

The Bloomfield era was one to be remembered and we really played some attractive football

[smudger63]

OH GOOD LORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Out of interest - did many women used to go to games at that time? Obviously we're bought up thinking football is watched and loved mainly by men, up until recently - but I wonder what the reality was.

Well i remember being in the kop, back in the 70`s, and feeling a wet sensation on the back of my leg, turned to find a big bloke relieving himself!

Being a spotty, and slightly timid schoolboy at the time, i just moved to one side, and let him get on with it.

This, as it happens, wasn`t an uncommon occurance back in them days!

As for women at the game, there were certainly women at games, but certainly not anywhere like in the numbers you get now.

Since all seater stadiums, better facilities, and next to no violence inside of stadiums, and more media coverage of football, leading to some footballers to be looked on as celebrities, as much as footballers, the amount of ladies at the football has incresed significantly, which i actually welome.

I like abit of totty down there, .

Only trouble is, now thousands of us blokes, have to wait for our tea, when we get back from the football!

[mikey54]

Rattles - now theres something I haven't thought about for years

Dangerous in the wrong hands - many times I got clattered on the back of the head with them. Bloody noisy too.

Rosettes, blue and white bar scarves, enamel badges. There used to be street vendors around the ground before the club had the shop selling souvenirs.

[okie fox]

[

You could buy the Sports Buff up town around 6pm after the game for the full results and a report of the[/b][/u] game.

Don't forget 'The Green 'un'. This was The Leicester Mercury's Saturday early evening sports paper. I think it used to hit the shops around 6.00pm and all of the football results were in it, plus reports of several matches. Fantastic how they got it out on the streets so quickly. The street newspaper vendor would be shouting out "GREEN UN, GET YER GREEN UN !!!"

That's when The Mercury was a decent paper & a proper local paper.

The Buff was the Mercury sports paper, the Green 'un was the Leicester Mail.

[AmyLGK]

.

Only trouble is, now thousands of us blokes, have to wait for our tea, when we get back from the football!

Or you could get a chippy on the way home with your Mrs Thats what me and the other half do on our way home from matches.

I can't believe some guy actually wee-ed on you!

[Vacamion]

It seems that getting pissed on was an occupational hazard at Filbert Street.

1979 as an 8 year old, me and my Dad were at a game. I can't remember which part of the ground - we alternated between the Double Decker and East Stand.

The toilets were packed at half time and there was a queue several people deep for the urinal. While me and Dad were waiting to get to the front, he nudged me and pointed at a bloke standing at the urinal having a piss with the guy behind him pissing down the back of his trouser leg. It seemed to go on for ages. The guy getting pissed on didn't turn round or say a word, despite a warm drenched leg. Afterwards, they both just walked out and went their separate ways.

Weird.

[okie fox]

I went a lot (often by myself) between 1953 (when I was 10) & 1964 (when I emigrated to the US). There was seating in the upper deck of the double decker stand. The way out was constricted and I was always careful not to fall and be trampled in the crush. Most of the time I stood in the Poplar stand or behind the goal in the Kop (the lower deck of the double decker). I was scared of pickpockets so I tied a piece of string around my watch band. It went up my sleeve and ended up tied around my neck. The crowd in the Poplar stand used to sway back and forth alarmingly when it was packed. I remember 10 or so teddy boys from Liverpool creating some trouble. At the end of the game, I saw one -- looking very sorry for himself -- in police custody, his mates had deserted him. But there was hardly any violence in those days -- otherwise my parents would have stopped me going.

Someone mentioned there was no diving. But Jimmy Bloomfield used to trip himself up in the penalty area when there was no way through by putting his foot behind the heel of his other foot and diving. forward. I saw him do this a few times for Birmingham when I was at uni there (1961-4). The crowd used to roar with laughter and I don't remember the refs being conned (probably because they were forewarned). In those days diving was not a bookable offence.

[mikey54]

Some blokes used to roll up their programmes to preserve their dignity.

So heres a warning to anyone buying a job lot of City programmes on ebay. Don't be afraid to ask what condition they're in - anything less than mint AVOID !!!

[Spudulike]

My first match was Boxing Day 1965 (beat Fulham 5-0 ) but didn't become a regular until 1970-71 when my Dad retired from being a Leicestershire Senior League referree.

Always remember having to arrive very early (noon sometimes) for the big matches so that I could get a place on the wall on the front of the old Main Stand. It was the only chance that I had to actually see any of the match. Just before kick-off the a policeman would come along and tell all the kids sitting on the wall to face their legs towards the terrace side (not sure why) which meant having to watch the match twisted around looking over your shoulder. Of course, as soon as the copper was down the other end of the Main Stand we'd all flip our legs back over to face the pitch

Getting out at the end of the match was always trial. The area outside the Kop/Double Decker leading up towards Brazil Street often got packed/gridlocked by the exiting crowd. As kids, you'd often get so tightly wedged in you could actually lift your feet off the ground and get carried along by the crowd. Not a place for claustrophobics and H&S had'n been thought of.

My earliest memory of violence was a cup match (1970??) vs Arsenal. 42,000 crowd and it kicked off in the Pop Side. Don't remember large numbers of away fans at Filbert Street except one night match against Forest the following season. Nasty atmosphere that night. of course, it got worse and worse as the 70's and 80's wore on with Liverpool fans being some of the nastiest. Something that still annoys me now as they were always portrayed by the media (especially the BBC) as being the most knowledgeable, cheeky, loveable, salt of the earth types. We didn't see evidence of that at Filbert Street.

[accessory]

My earliest memory of violence was a cup match (1970??) vs Arsenal. 42,000 crowd and it kicked off in the Pop Side. Don't remember large numbers of away fans at Filbert Street except one night match against Forest the following season. Nasty atmosphere that night. of course, it got worse and worse as the 70's and 80's wore on with Liverpool fans being some of the nastiest. Something that still annoys me now as they were always portrayed by the media (especially the BBC) as being the most knowledgeable, cheeky, loveable, salt of the earth types. We didn't see evidence of that at Filbert Street.

Liverpool had a nasty reputation from the 60s onwards. Some of the worst trouble was at Hillsborough of all places after we beat them in the 1963 FA cup semi.

Some of their fans made a habit of nicking kids' scarves. They were also among the first to bring Stanley knives to games. For many years, until the mid-80s at least, away fans travelled alone to Anfield at their peril.

Yet the beeb's love affair with Liverpool shows no sign of ending, nor will it do so while Alan Hansen, Mark Lawrenson or Allan Green are on their payroll.

[Head Honcho]

I go as far back as 74, if thats any help. 49p to get in then ..incredible.

I can remember paying 20 or 30p to get into the east stand in early 70's.

[Woollett's Wellies]

On the toilet stories front...I well remember after an FA cup game with Man City. As the crowd poured out of the Kop. Suddenly, there was a loud crash and someone threw a toilet cistern and down-pipe out of the Double Decker upper level toilets! Fortunately it didn't hit anyone as it was one of the old cast iron ones. There were loads of stories about people who couldn't get through the crush of the crowd having a wee in other fans pockets but fortunately I never had it done to me.

By the way, I seem to remember, during a break in play, Birchie being offered a beer by someone in the the 'enclosure' and drinking about half a pint before play resumed! I'd guess that was around 1971/72 ish?

By the 1970's Chelsea had a pretty evil reputation and I well remember the police used to escort the away fans to the station by putting a line of policemen at the front and rear of the away fan mob as they walked slowly up Walnut street. About 50 yards behind would come the home fans...Suddenly there was a huge roar and the Chelsea fans turned and ran through the rear police line straight at us! Brave me, I jumped through somebodies hedge and hid in their garden whilst the riot took place! Suddenly the front door opened and a woman appeared and asked me what I thought I was doing! I just pointed at the melee and she went in again! The police ran in mob handed to stop the fighting and it was the only time I can remember them being cheered by the City fans! Sometimes being a football fan could be seriously scary in the 70's.

[demon_dog]

I followed city for most of the sixties / early seventies. That was until walking up filbert street on my own I heard a crowd of around 20 city fans cry out "there the bastards are lets get them".

Looking round I saw two of the opposition fans pushing a scooter up the road. The lads dropped the scooter and began to run like hell.

Some of the city fans stopped and kicked seven bells of shit out of the scooter, while the others chased after the lads to who knows where.

This made me start to realise that since being on my own, it was a risky business going to games.

I stopped going for about fifteen years until the problems had been sorted.

I saw many a time in the early seventies trouble between the fans. Why they did it I could never understand.

Prior to that as some have said, in the sixties you could stand next to opposition fans and discuss the game like sensible human beings.

What a poor society we lived in during the seventies / eighties.

Despite what many people think, trouble still occurs to this day, only this time it's away from grounds where they are less likely to be caught.

All I can say is the sad bastards that like a punch up in the name of football are all scum and the sooner we get rid of them the better.

To me it's a game that should be enjoyed by young and old alike, male or female doesn't matter, colour, race, creed or religion.

It's a game for all to enjoy. hopefully we can keep it that way.

[OzFox]

By the 1970's Chelsea had a pretty evil reputation and I well remember the police used to escort the away fans to the station by putting a line of policemen at the front and rear of the away fan mob as they walked slowly up Walnut street.

I remember a game in the 80s at stamford bridge where the city fans were locked in for 20 minutes, escorted to Fulham Broadway tube and put on a non-stop train to Kings Cross. The police then attempted to heard people into st pancras and onto a mainline train to Leicester. The reason I remember this so vividly is that I lived in London and was doing everything I could to get through the cordon. Ridiculous really.

Haven't had any "toilet incidents" at Leicester but accompanied friends to many Spurs games in the 70s and 80s. Standing in the Shelf It was so hot, packed and claustrophobic it was commonplace for people to urinate where they stood. Usually you wouldn't realise till you got out. Not pleasant. I recollect similar things happening at Wembley.

In July 1988 I was in leicester and took a drive to filbert street. No-one was around apart from the groundsman so I walked through a gate into the stadium. I wandered around the edge of the pitch, down the tunnel into the dressing rooms where there was a big sign on the wall saying "Team before Self". There was a small gymnasium inside the main stand, and some sort of boardroom with lots of oak panelling and a surprising amount of silverware in a cabinet. I remember thinking "When the hell did we win that?". Took a bunch of pics which I still have...can post them if anyones interested. On the way out I walked past keeper Paul Cooper in the corridor, who smiled and said hello. Security wasn't too tight in those days!

[AmyLGK]

. Took a bunch of pics which I still have...can post them if anyones interested. On the way out I walked past keeper Paul Cooper in the corridor, who smiled and said hello. Security wasn't too tight in those days!

Yes please post them!

[acooling08]

I can't believe the attendances used to be so high.

[OzFox]

I can't believe the attendances used to be so high.

I was at school in the 80s when a teacher asked the class if they thought football crowds were bigger now or in the 1920s and 30's. Almost everyone stuck their hands up for the 1980s, then looked surprised when he told us crowds of 40-50,000 were commonplace back then.

It made me realise that things aren't necessarily "bigger and better" in the present. At least in regards to football.

[Trav Le Bleu]

Fascinating reading, it's not often I read an entire thread once it's got this long. Someone mentioned (think it was DavieG) that you could pay at the turnstile and I think I can remember doing this even into the 80s (though I may be getting confused with Tigers).

My dad says that when he was a kid he (and other youngsters) would be passed over head by supporters on the terraces down to the front so that they could see the game. That would have been in the early 50s.

[Woollett's Wellies]

I can't believe the attendances used to be so high.

So high in fact that it was quite common for people to climb on the roof of the popular side and sit on the roof ridge for the game! Sometimes they'd even climb the floodlight tower in the NE corner. The Police didn't like it but found it difficult to stop as people got access through the gardens of the houses that backed on to the popular side, no doubt after paying a small 'fee'.

Once, when I was away on a job course in Bournemouth, I decided to go and see Man Utd v Southampton at the Dell. This was in the age of Best, Charlton etc, (1970). Unbeliveably it was a turn up and pay at the turnstile game and the crowd was astonishing! There were people sitting on walls and roofs everywhere! Part way through the first half a load of lads fell through the asbestos roof of one of the toilets. Just outside the ground at one end there were a row of Poplar trees and there were even people up them! As the number inceased and the trees got top heavy they whipped around like something from a cartoon! The next weekend it was Bournemouth v Hartlepool. Needless to say, the ground wasn't crowded out and Bournemouth won 4-0.

[Woollett's Wellies]

Fascinating reading, it's not often I read an entire thread once it's got this long. Someone mentioned (think it was DavieG) that you could pay at the turnstile and I think I can remember doing this even into the 80s (though I may be getting confused with Tigers).

My dad says that when he was a kid he (and other youngsters) would be passed over head by supporters on the terraces down to the front so that they could see the game. That would have been in the early 50s.

He's not fibbing! They also used to pass anyone who passed out due to the crush over the heads to the front so the St Johns ambulance could treat them.

[Kurrif]

My memories go back to 1967 although I didnt go very regularly until 69 when we famously got to the FA cup final and lost to Man city and got relegated same season. I recollect that was the year that we paid the then british record transfer fee of £100 000 for Alan Clarke ( game had gone mad!).

We were known as Liverpools bogey team in those days often knocking them out of the cup ( a lot of older scousers will still always quote this).

I started in the pop side and then moved to The old Kop in the early seventies. Travelled from Hinckley on Robinsons coaches ( bus fair and entrance to match 25p).

My first memories of violence are from around 1970. Didnt remember much around the ground early days but the train back to Hinckley was often trashed. Remember a stabbing on the train by a Man utd fan during that late 60s season. The kick offs around the ground were more early to mid 70s with Chelsea being the worst in my memory. You could get caught in a "run" very easily. So much so that I stopped going late 70s ony returning in 1990 and have been a regular since.

[Bellend Sebastian]

So many delightful urine related tales.

When people talk about a lost golden age of football I never appreciated they were talking about everything being soaked with piss

[mikey54]

Clarke actually cost £150K (Frank Large went to Fulham as part of the deal). At the time, this was a record transfer in British football, which lasted until the end of the season, when Clarke moved on to Leeds for £165k.

Forty years on - and thats a weekly salary for some of today's footballers.

[Sampson]

I went to my first match in '59, it was just after Arthur Rowley left the club, though I later saw him play for Shrewsbury (and he had a rare off day that day) he was a player I really wish I'd have gotten the opportunity to see for Leicester.

Although what a lot of has been said about the off-field aspects such as no advertising, less fan segregation and that fans would applaud great opposition attack play is true, I don't think the actual game has changed that much, certainly not at this level anyway.

In terms of memories about Leicester, that side in the early 60's will always be the best Leicester side for me. Jimmy Bloomfield's and Martin O'Neill's sides were good, but Matt Gillies side in its prime was something else. Some of the younger fans who remember us being good mid-table teams in the top flight under O'Neill and Bloomfield may not be aware of this, but in 62/63 under Gillies, Leicester actually challenged for the title and in fact the double. We were top of the top flight with about 4 or 5 games to go til we got a lot of injuries and then fell away and reached the FA Cup final, which we lost to Manchester United. Even now I still find it remarkable that a Leicester side nearly won the league in my lifetime.

The best players I ever saw were Gordon Banks and Davie Gibson. Banks was technically the best in terms of his position I ever saw. On his day he was absolutely unbeatable. I remember one particular game against Sheffield Wednesday in the league (though I can't remember the year), that was the best single performance I ever saw from a City player, some of saves took your breath away. I think he made about 8 or 9 saves which 99% of goalkeepers never would have gotten to. Also, he had this way of somehow saving shots when the ball looked like it had gone past him. I don't know how he did it but he could somehow arch his back backwards and claw the ball back. I'm sure I remember reading in the Mercury a few days after that Sheffield Wednesday game that it was the first time The Times sport section had ever given a player rating of 10/10.

Gibbo was the most exciting player I ever saw though. mikey54 mentioned it earlier, but he really doesn't get enough acknowledgement from the club. Fans talk about outfield players like Keith Weller, Frank Worthington, Gary Lineker and Steve Walsh and while all of those were great players, none of them were as good as Gibson was and I think a lot of fans who saw him would fully agree. Paul Scholes is probably the best modern player I can draw comparison with, his close control and passing was extraordinary. He used to pick out passes that not a single other person in the crowd could see.

[wigstonexile]

My memories goes back to the early 50's two matches stand out, 53 54 season beating Lincoln 8 - 4 (old 2nd div) and 57/58 beating Man. City 8 - 4. many games in the 50's were high scoring. Cost of entry no more then 1/- (5P), programme 21/2P. Parking my bike in someones back yard on Walnut street 1P. approx. As a kid I used to either sit with legs dangling over wall near the dugouts, legs behind the old half time score boards or Filbert street corner of the popular side, standing or sitting on the wall at the back.

Home and way fans mixed, i remember going to Forest and paying on the gate, no problems between groups of fans.

Season ticket holders also got in free for reserve games. So used to sit on the wooden planks (what passed for seats in the 50's) in double deck stand for reserve games. I had a blue and white bobble hat knitted by my mum!! but no scarf. Minimum stewarding and police presence at games, very littlle agro from any fans.At the end of the match the streets were filled with hundreds if not thousands of bikes instead of cars as now.

As the song (from the 50's) says "Memories are made of this".