70's and 80's

[Bob Weasel Fox]

Does anyone remember the Leicester v Burnley game in around 1983 i think? when we had around 30'000 in the old Filbo, drew 0-0 and got promoted? Fabulous memories

[old koppite]

I was in my mid teans in the late 70s, so best memories for me. For a few seasons under Jimmy Bloomfield I went to every home game and as many away as I could afford.

All the comments about the kop are spot on. When they brought the pens in, the "cool" section was pen 3 - all singing, packed in even when rest of ground partly full, loads of pushing forward, scarfs, sweaty, 99% men! I remember the "Rangers/ Celtic" chants- started when the play on the pitch was a bit boring - it was really a jokey thing. Pen 4 had those who couldn't get into pen 3, who stood at the back and as close to the fence as possible, and some younger wannabees (including me!) who weren't old /tall/"hard" enough for pen 3. As pen 4 went round the corner flag and down the side of the pitch, the singers tended to end 10 -15 yards to the right of the pen 3 fence.

I think the biggest shame for anyone starting to go to games after the 70s is they'll never experience the sheer excitement of the brand new idea of hearing sustained group chanting, and being around as it grew (and the constantly changing songs; might sound naff now but someone witn imagination would start off a song from the current charts) . My first memory was as a young boy and sitting on the front wall of the kop, with Gordon Banks in goal- there was no chanting then, just a roar if a goal was scored, and applause for good play. How different my next game a few years later with a friend whose dad had a season ticket in the double decker. Bloody 'ell, walking up the steps at the back of the kop to get up to the DD and hearing the singing from the kop...... cor still sends shivers down me spine - completely hooked.

Another great memory, was at Villa Park. We had drawn with Liverpool in the FA Cup semi final at Old Trafford the Saturday before. The reply was mid week and they won it with the famous Keegan/Toshack goal. We filled the Holt End ; massive and all terracing. We equalised, and where I stood I could see local kids outside the ground. We started a "never walk alone", and remember in those days hundreds of scarves above heads, and the look at those kids faces looking up at us and gawping- eeee, I was so proud -brilliant.

[Karljohn]

Does anyone remember the Leicester v Burnley game in around 1983 i think? when we had around 30'000 in the old Filbo, drew 0-0 and got promoted? Fabulous memories

Yes remember it well, dad took me along as a 9 yr old and we got locked out, I remember it p1ssing down with rain and sheltering in a doorway then this bloke comes out of nowhere with 2 spare tickets for upstairs in the DD, remember Lee Dixon clearing off the line and Ian Wilson with his arms raised in the main stand during the celebrations at the end, think we had to wait on Derby v Fulham for a few days because Fulham reckon they could have scored twice in 2 mins but the ref ended it early as the Derby fans invaded the pitch!

[davieG]

I was in my mid teans in the late 70s, so best memories for me. For a few seasons under Jimmy Bloomfield I went to every home game and as many away as I could afford.

All the comments about the kop are spot on. When they brought the pens in, the "cool" section was pen 3 - all singing, packed in even when rest of ground partly full, loads of pushing forward, scarfs, sweaty, 99% men! I remember the "Rangers/ Celtic" chants- started when the play on the pitch was a bit boring - it was really a jokey thing. Pen 4 had those who couldn't get into pen 3, who stood at the back and as close to the fence as possible, and some younger wannabees (including me!) who weren't old /tall/"hard" enough for pen 3. As pen 4 went round the corner flag and down the side of the pitch, the singers tended to end 10 -15 yards to the right of the pen 3 fence.

I think the biggest shame for anyone starting to go to games after the 70s is they'll never experience the sheer excitement of the brand new idea of hearing sustained group chanting, and being around as it grew (and the constantly changing songs; might sound naff now but someone witn imagination would start off a song from the current charts) . My first memory was as a young boy and sitting on the front wall of the kop, with Gordon Banks in goal- there was no chanting then, just a roar if a goal was scored, and applause for good play. How different my next game a few years later with a friend whose dad had a season ticket in the double decker. Bloody 'ell, walking up the steps at the back of the kop to get up to the DD and hearing the singing from the kop...... cor still sends shivers down me spine - completely hooked.

Another great memory, was at Villa Park. We had drawn with Liverpool in the FA Cup semi final at Old Trafford the Saturday before. The reply was mid week and they won it with the famous Keegan/Toshack goal. We filled the Holt End ; massive and all terracing. We equalised, and where I stood I could see local kids outside the ground. We started a "never walk alone", and remember in those days hundreds of scarves above heads, and the look at those kids faces looking up at us and gawping- eeee, I was so proud -brilliant.

I'm not sure I understand or agree about the 'group chanting' I started going in the early 60's and there were no end of examples of large sections of the crowd singing songs / variations from the current charts including the Hollies - Oh wont you stay just little bit longer when McLintock was leaving for Arsenal, Manfred Mann's - Mighty Quin for Mighty String (fellow) so I wouldn't call it new in the 70s.

[EnderbyFox]

I'm so jealous, being born in the 90's i missed all of this

[Pegosteve]

I was in my mid teans in the late 70s, so best memories for me. For a few seasons under Jimmy Bloomfield I went to every home game and as many away as I could afford.

All the comments about the kop are spot on. When they brought the pens in, the "cool" section was pen 3 - all singing, packed in even when rest of ground partly full, loads of pushing forward, scarfs, sweaty, 99% men! I remember the "Rangers/ Celtic" chants- started when the play on the pitch was a bit boring - it was really a jokey thing. Pen 4 had those who couldn't get into pen 3, who stood at the back and as close to the fence as possible, and some younger wannabees (including me!) who weren't old /tall/"hard" enough for pen 3. As pen 4 went round the corner flag and down the side of the pitch, the singers tended to end 10 -15 yards to the right of the pen 3 fence.

I think the biggest shame for anyone starting to go to games after the 70s is they'll never experience the sheer excitement of the brand new idea of hearing sustained group chanting, and being around as it grew (and the constantly changing songs; might sound naff now but someone witn imagination would start off a song from the current charts) . My first memory was as a young boy and sitting on the front wall of the kop, with Gordon Banks in goal- there was no chanting then, just a roar if a goal was scored, and applause for good play. How different my next game a few years later with a friend whose dad had a season ticket in the double decker. Bloody 'ell, walking up the steps at the back of the kop to get up to the DD and hearing the singing from the kop...... cor still sends shivers down me spine - completely hooked.

Another great memory, was at Villa Park. We had drawn with Liverpool in the FA Cup semi final at Old Trafford the Saturday before. The reply was mid week and they won it with the famous Keegan/Toshack goal. We filled the Holt End ; massive and all terracing. We equalised, and where I stood I could see local kids outside the ground. We started a "never walk alone", and remember in those days hundreds of scarves above heads, and the look at those kids faces looking up at us and gawping- eeee, I was so proud -brilliant.

I could have written this, do you remember when the Man Utd fans got in on the enclosure side and made their way into Pen 4 I think it was about 1976. There was also the Cup game v Leatherhead 2 nil down to the Leatherhead Lip (kelly was his name i think) we won 3-2. I also remember when we equalised against Liverpool the atmosphere was special, I think we out sung Liverpool that night!!

That walk up the double decker too...

Fabulous memories..

[OzFox]

The ever present threat of a good kicking certainly made it interesting. I narrowly escaped one at Orient of all places. Would never have lived that down.

Pretty sure the football was more open back then with more chances created, probably due to lumbering defenders. Flair players were considered the norm, rather than the luxury they are now

There was also a hell of a lot more mud around in those days

[old koppite]

I could have written this, do you remember when the Man Utd fans got in on the enclosure side and made their way into Pen 4 I think it was about 1976. There was also the Cup game v Leatherhead 2 nil down to the Leatherhead Lip (kelly was his name i think) we won 3-2. I also remember when we equalised against Liverpool the atmosphere was special, I think we out sung Liverpool that night!!

That walk up the double decker too...

Fabulous memories..

Yep, I remember Man United, Leatherhead ( you're right, it was Kelly) and loads of other things. Were you at the West Ham game at home, and there was a panic at the end of the game ( supposedly ICF were coming up the exit steps to the kop), there was a bit of a crush, a wall collapsed at the back and a City fan had a broken leg - that was scary at the time for me as a teenager.

And, for a time some of the kop went down the side terracing and next to the away fans? I hated it because it diluted the kop noise a bit, but then it most have been intimidating for the away team and fans to have 2 sections of separate singing home support.

I agree with you about Villa Park, we defin out sung Liverpool - they had that old crappy opposite end - plus they were already a successful, big club, but the excitement for us was much more intense.

Still hoping the City will one day have a successful flair team ala Weller, Wortho, Glover etc.

My sister took me to the Villa replay and looked after- shes at the game today ( rare for her) so hope she brings us luck.

[STEVIE B]

I coach a kids team. One of the dads has just brought a book out ( called 'Got,Not Got' ). Derek Hammond is his name. It's all about footie in the 60',70's and 80's. He's a huge City fan, so we feature a fair bit ! Loads of pictures and great articles of how football once was. I'm not his P.A. But it really is worth looking at !

[Nickfosse]

Does anyone remember the Leicester v Burnley game in around 1983 i think? when we had around 30'000 in the old Filbo, drew 0-0 and got promoted? Fabulous memories

Yes, I was there. Ended up in SK4 fairly early and they just kept packing the fans in. In the end, you couldn't move. I could lift my feet of the floor and remain stationary. A little crowd swell and we moved all of the place. The odd person had to get out at the front on the verge of fainting.

Saw littleof the game, enjoyed the outcome and then was glad to get out.

When the events of Hillsborough unfurled my mind immediately returned to that game and thoughts of "there but for the grace of God".

I didn't know until reading this thread that some had been locked out that day. Interesting.

On a brighter note, my favourite memories of these decades were the skill of Frankie, the wing play of Weller, and later Lynex, and the delight at watching a young Gary Lineker who really was a far greater player than his self-deprecating public image would suggest. His partnership with Smith was outstanding and his movement and goal-scoring quality was so much more than a glorified goal-hanger.He deserves to be held in the highest esteem in my book as he did that most rare thing for an English footbller in any era, he played with intelligence.

[I am Rod Hull]

I was trolling youtube last night looking at some 80`s/ 90`s home and away games to see if i could see myself...

I`m on this one (0:30 / 0:37) about 5 rows up above the "Z" on the "KALAMAZOO" advertising board, brown suede coat and beanie hat. My mate always used to jump all over me when we scored...

Celebrating a goal was mental back then.. You can stick your seats up your arse...

[liamsm]

I can go as far back as Leeds Road, Huddersfield's old ground in it's glory, was very very young but that ground looked massive, much bigger than Filbert Street!

Is that the one that was was on a hill and we had to climb up lots of steps? if it is then i went there when they were doing building work, they let the away fans go 1st and the home fans pelted us with house bricks, good old days

[liamsm]

Invading the pitch at Pompy after the game, we took loads of fans on the football special as we had already won the league before the game ( the old Div 2), and mad celebrations after making it 3-3 at Wembley in the play-offs, only to lose to some cheating little twat who fell over