Your Bad Days At A Match (16 Viewers)

[theferret]

Missed a lot of the early to mid-80s stuff. I can vaguely remember it as a young kid and was at that Leicester game. Looking back, I'm amazed my old man took me up at all, some crazy shit.

Two worst experiences were at Maine Road. I remember a league cup game in the late 80s. I was only about 13 and went to the game on a mini-bus. Me and my mate got separated from the older group, and coming out we were spotted by a group of about 5 youths. They followed us and then started to lead us away. Ended up in a deserted terraced street in Moss Side convinced I was about to die. Out of nowhere, 3 blokes emerged and chased the lads off. Turns out they were United fans who just happened to be at the game and had spotted what was happening and followed us. We played Sunderland away in the next round at Roker Park, that wasn't pretty either.

Mid 90s we played Man City on a Friday night. Went on all-dayer with the SBA (to Granada Studios weirdly), the Rovers Return was bouncing that afternoon. Man City were going through shit times and there were protests. Whole atmosphere was toxic. We scored a last minute equaliser and coming out took a right-hander from nowhere. Mate had something sprayed in his face. Scary place that.

Have seen stuff over the years, but have largely managed to avoid it. Never been my thing and I'd be a liability anyway. Apart from that Pompey home game when I ended up in A&E, but they were in my seat and I was trying to eat a pie.

 

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[Sky_Blue_Daz]

West Ham away in league cup second leg semi. Open war fare between Cov, West Ham ICF and coppers. We did okay and that night is mentioned in one of Cass Pennants books. In those days you were arrested and put before a court immediately. I know a mean dude Cov fan put in a cell with 3 West Ham in and he hospitalised two of them in minutes.

My dad who is now 79 and my two older brothers and both in their early 50s went to that game and said it was the scariest atmosphere they’ve encountered at football

 

[1nilandwe...]

I seem to remember trouble at Maine Road in the late 90's maybe?
I've got an image in my head of seats being broken and chucked about and the police wading into our fans.

Football fans are great, eh?

 

[M&B Stand]

Missed a lot of the early to mid-80s stuff. I can vaguely remember it as a young kid and was at that Leicester game. Looking back, I'm amazed my old man took me up at all, some crazy shit.

Two worst experiences were at Maine Road. I remember a league cup game in the late 80s. I was only about 13 and went to the game on a mini-bus. Me and my mate got separated from the older group, and coming out we were spotted by a group of about 5 youths. They followed us and then started to lead us away. Ended up in a deserted terraced street in Moss Side convinced I was about to die. Out of nowhere, 3 blokes emerged and chased the lads off. Turns out they were United fans who just happened to be at the game and had spotted what was happening and followed us. We played Sunderland away in the next round at Roker Park, that wasn't pretty either.

Mid 90s we played Man City on a Friday night. Went on all-dayer with the SBA (to Granada Studios weirdly), the Rovers Return was bouncing that afternoon. Man City were going through shit times and there were protests. Whole atmosphere was toxic. We scored a last minute equaliser and coming out took a right-hander from nowhere. Mate had something sprayed in his face. Scary place that.

Have seen stuff over the years, but have largely managed to avoid it. Never been my thing and I'd be a liability anyway. Apart from that Pompey home game when I ended up in A&E, but they were in my seat and I was trying to eat a pie.

Lynx Africa!

 

[Ashdown]

Countless escapades as a yoof. Mainly all from about 1983-1990 but been in and saw lots of other stuff. Got threw out of Molyneux one night in 1984 at a cup game. It was the FA Cup and went into extra time. Quite a few of us had to be on guard for Wolves outside as I waited for a mate. He came out early as we had to catch a train and we got legged back a damn long way by a segment of the tubeway army, it was like a scene from ZULU as they came down that hill after us and mostly black lads.............. except we were pegging it for what seemed like miles. Good job I could run back then as a 17 year old.

 

[ajsccfc]

Went on all-dayer with the SBA (to Granada Studios weirdly), the Rovers Return was bouncing that afternoon.

I love this, the image of a load of Cov fans piling into Dev's kebab shop afterwards.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Apart from that Pompey home game when I ended up in A&E, but they were in my seat and I was trying to eat a pie.

The one in about 2001? Got banned from all the city centre pubs just because I'd been seen drinking with some Pompey fans. Then the police wouldn't let me rescue my car to get out - took a detour via the station to pick up my mates who didn't want to be packed off on the train back to Portsmouth - interesting atmosphere at the station, bumped into a friend's wife who was just going on a trip away, and had suddenly seen loads of noisy angry fans and police descend!

Have avoided trouble in the main, and that suits me! Occasionally ended up on the wrong train and a trip back to Cardiff after our Bristol City cup game was fun, ended up in the carriage with Spurs hooligans arranging their meetup with the Cardiff lot just before their cup game. Pretended to be asleep all journey as they reported where the Old Bill were blocking them from going. Obviously wasn't, but we all bought into the lie! Then the bloody police forced me to march to Ninian Park with the Spurs fans. Wasn't sure who'd kill me first, Spurs or Cardiff! Managed to sidle off halfway and managed a ve-ry long walk home.

But I'll leave the fighting to others!

 

[Tommo72]

I seem to remember trouble at Maine Road in the late 90's maybe?
I've got an image in my head of seats being broken and chucked about and the police wading into our fans.

Football fans are great, eh?

Cov lost 1-0 in the FA Cup to a late Goater winner. Plenty of Cov lads up there that day and it felt toxic from the very off..

Following the goal about 100 or more Cov stormed the nearest stand to them (Main Stand) and went after some lads that had been giving it all game. The next ten mins were carnage with seats chucked etc as the police struggled to contain it....

Afterwards was not fun at all and we were staying in Manchester and had to walk back to the middle. They were waiting for us outside and Cov were held back for what seemed ages while they cleared the streets.

 

[theferret]

Lynx Africa!

He swears to this day it was 'Ammonia'. 100% a can of Lynx.

 

[withnail]

1999 - Tranmere away.
1 nil up at half time gleefully chanting "you'll never get past willo" then watching them get 5 past willo in the second half.
this followed by having to sit in some god awful wirral pub with my tranmere supporting mate and his other mates listening to them banging on and on and on about the game.

 

[Magwitch]

Wonder if anyone remembers loads of City being kicked off a train coming back from Wolves one night match around 1971/72. Made national headlines. We had a massive following that night and one of the trains coming back was wrecked and the emergency stop cord being pulled all the time. Train stopped again at small station and loads of cops got on and threw loads off who didn’t have seats, I knew some who had to thumb it back from god knows where but with a bit of luck it was a road with lots of Cov cars travelling back home.

 

[CV8_SkyBlues]

Blackburn away in the cup, Had Mifsud to score first and City to win 3-1 at about 25-1 or something silly
Stoppage time Mifsud had scored and we were 3-1 up. Mifsud picks the ball up and all the city fans are urging him to shoot, he shoots, scores and costs me £250 quid, never been so gutted at city scoring a goal

 

[Magwitch]

Yes I remember that now. I knew one of the Cov lads involved. The West Ham fan was actually a probation officer; not a hooligan just walking back to his car with friends after the match. He ended up with brain damage, and in a wheelchair. The lad I knew because of his age only got a few years for his involvement. He was remorseful later on and he died a few years ago through liver disease, but it was out of order attacking the West Ham bloke. But West Ham seemed to dislike us well before then.

That incident happened by Pool Meadow near the old fire station, the West Ham fan’s name I’m sure was Barry Hedges. It was a fight between to groups and the unfortunate West Ham fan fell and hit his head on the kerb, causing some permanent brain damage, two Cov lads got bird for it, I knew both. The lad injured was game for a ruck, just unlucky.

 

[bringbackrattles]

I reckon we've got these clubs who dislike us. Leicester, West Ham, Villa, Sunderland,Sheffield United. My late father once told me that in the 50' s at Highfield Road a load of Cardiff City fans caused a punch up in the stands, and as some were getting arrested they shouted
" we hate the English ! " So add Cardiff ?

 

[bringbackrattles]

That incident happened by Pool Meadow near the old fire station, the West Ham fan’s name I’m sure was Barry Hedges. It was a fight between to groups and the unfortunate West Ham fan fell and hit his head on the kerb, causing some permanent brain damage, two Cov lads got bird for it, I knew both. The lad injured was game for a ruck, just unlucky.

It was said he wasn't looking for a fight just in the wrong place.

 

[clint van damme]

I reckon we've got these clubs who dislike us. Leicester, West Ham, Villa, Sunderland,Sheffield United. My late father once told me that in the 50' s at Highfield Road a load of Cardiff City fans caused a punch up in the stands, and as some were getting arrested they shouted
" we hate the English ! " So add Cardiff ?

Don't think West ham and Cardiff have any particular animosity towards us, they were just up for a row and saw an opportunity.

 

[bringbackrattles]

Don't think West ham and Cardiff have any particular animosity towards us, they were just up for a row and saw an opportunity.

My mate who " supports" Celtic said the reason so many dislike Cov is that the city has a reputation. So fans who Like a punch up have latched on to that at matches. He said Celtic wherever they go especially in Scotland are disliked.

 

[The Great Eastern]

In the 70s, HR was always a popular target for the London clubs. Easy to get to from Euston with the 'shag-your-women, drink-your-beer' mind set. Many times saw the West End terrace full of polished heads wearing Chelsea scarves. Any city chants were usually quickly snuffed out. Not an enjoyable atmosphere when you couldn't vocally support your team at home for fear of getting a visit from the opponents.

 

[tisza]

In the 70s, HR was always a popular target for the London clubs. Easy to get to from Euston with the 'shag-your-women, drink-your-beer' mind set. Many times saw the West End terrace full of polished heads wearing Chelsea scarves. Any city chants were usually quickly snuffed out. Not an enjoyable atmosphere when you couldn't vocally support your team at home for fear of getting a visit from the opponents.

part of a rubbish myth that they only used to fight other hooligans. End taking and they'd steam into everyone and anyone

 

[Mask]

Most big moments sound like they were before my time and fortunately I've not experienced much trouble at games, but being at the match at Villa Park where we got relegated wasn't pretty. The away fans were sat directly under the higher tier of home fans (kind of like the reverse for the Sunderland situation this past weekend), so bottles, spit and all sorts were getting chucked down.

 

[Forever_Blue]

A West Ham fan got beat up badly by a Cov fan who was well known as a bit handy with his fists at the time The lad was in intensive care for a while,he recovered,but died a couple of years later.The lad who did it was sent down for couple of years I think.

I heard a similar story from a Portsmouth fan, after City and Pompey fans collided at Whitley Bay in the north East after both teams had been playing up there. One of Pompey’s top guys was badly hurt. That’s why it kicked off a couple of times afterwards at Highfield Road, one which was during half time.

 

[Fergusons_Beard]

My bad experiences usually from being in stands where away end is below a home enclosure. Namely Notts Forest and Blackburn-got hit a few times by coins and been gobbed! Usually from the family stand!!

Been to Maine Road quite a few times & luckily avoided trouble but going through Moss Side is bloody hairy.

Just like the housing estate around Millwall (which I’m surprised no one has mentioned) bloody intimidating!



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[rob9872]

Weird thing is that I've been to most of the games mentioned on this thread and seen trouble but avoided it. I guess some of you lot are just hoolies - I O LEGION!

I wasn't at the West Ham one though and at Maine Road, no mention of the police keep wading in heavy handed and pulling out one at a time so that it would all kick off again. Early days of CCTV and they were loving the agro more than the fans.

 

[tisza]

My bad experiences usually from being in stands where away end is below a home enclosure. Namely Notts Forest and Blackburn-got hit a few times by coins and been gobbed! Usually from the family stand!!

Been to Maine Road quite a few times & luckily avoided trouble but going through Moss Side is bloody hairy.

Just like the housing estate around Millwall (which I’m surprised no one has mentioned) bloody intimidating!



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Millwall just not worth the hassle. used to be like going into a war zone with all the police etc. Just as likely to get thumped by someone not even at the game.
Old Den was a grim place,

 

[OffenhamSkyBlue]

There were definitely fences still up in 84/85 (probably came down after the Taylor Report into Hillsborough), but i recall a number of away fans "remodelling" the open end by liberating it of its seats in the early days - Newcastle and Leeds spring to mind, with most of the penalty area at that end being covered in sky blue plastic.
The 80s were the days of trying to "take" the home end ("You'll never take the West End" being a popular chant!). I remember one game against Spurs where they had figured out that all the old bill would still be outside the turnstiles having a fag as the match was starting, assuming everyone would be too busy taking their seats, etc.
This was when the M&B (Sky Blue) Stand was segregated by an 87 foot galvanised steel fence about a quarter of the way along. About a minute after kick-off, the Spurs fans all pushed and shoved at the fence until it collapsed, then came tearing along the walkway at the back of the SB terrace seating to try to get to the West End, only to come up against the stewards in the corner with the wheelchair area. Loads of the SBA were piling over the seats in the WT to get at them before the OB turned up. It was like the fuckin' Alamo - but they never took the West End!
Only place you see stuff like that these days is Millwall (who have been fighting at football since the 1920s, when they were all dockers!!).

 

[OffenhamSkyBlue]

Millwall just not worth the hassle. used to be like going into a war zone with all the police etc. Just as likely to get thumped by someone not even at the game.
Old Den was a grim place,

New Den isn't much better. They will still happily beat the living shit out of anyone who comes near, no matter what the result of the game. And just as happy if it's the police. Seen TV programmes and youtube clips of them punching police horses, kicking police dogs, chucking paving slabs and even park benches at police vans. Absolute lunatics.

 

[Legia Sky Blue]

Yep I did that one too and another similar Brum trip in 1983 or was that the one you meant. Never seen owt like it, the old wasteland round St Andrews was like a scene from Waterloo.

Just looked it up and yes I think you're right, the Birmingham game was 1983/84 season. I remember we won and Terry Gibson scored, which also happened in the 1985/86 season, but the clincher was the report saying that Sam Allardyce broke Mick Harford's jaw. Until I read it again it was an incident that had slipped from my memory, but I definitely associate it with that game and the aggro around it.

 

[M&B Stand]

Got there very late to that Man City Friday night game that Ferret mentions above, it was just coming up to half time and me and my mate decided to walk all the way around the stadium to find the away end and hoped they might have a late turnstile. Unfortunately you couldn’t just walk round the ground, it was a bit like Highfield Road you had to walk down an alleyway and behind some houses, walking down this alley or ginnell we see a small fire burning away and some geezers stood around, thought this looks a bit weird, as we approach one of the blokes asked where we going, I put on a terrible manc accent and say trying to get in the game, we get a bit closer and he’s cleaning this massive fuck off knife, looked at my mate and he was trying to act all streetwise, I was thinking this ain’t the best situation I’ve ever been in, the knife wielding manc then tells us to follow him, and we walk around to the kippax, he shouts a steward who comes over, tells him to open the gate and let theses two lads in, the gates open slightly and the steward ushers us in, we watch the second half stood on the kippax and Wegerle equalises near the end. Happy days

 

[theferret]

Got there very late to that Man City Friday night game that Ferret mentions above, it was just coming up to half time and me and my mate decided to walk all the way around the stadium to find the away end and hoped they might have a late turnstile. Unfortunately you couldn’t just walk round the ground, it was a bit like Highfield Road you had to walk down an alleyway and behind some houses, walking down this alley or ginnell we see a small fire burning away and some geezers stood around, thought this looks a bit weird, as we approach one of the blokes asked where we going, I put on a terrible manc accent and say trying to get in the game, we get a bit closer and he’s cleaning this massive fuck off knife, looked at my mate and he was trying to act all streetwise, I was thinking this ain’t the best situation I’ve ever been in, the knife wielding manc then tells us to follow him, and we walk around to the kippax, he shouts a steward who comes over, tells him to open the gate and let theses two lads in, the gates open slightly and the steward ushers us in, we watch the second half stood on the kippax and Wegerle equalises near the end. Happy days

I thought that was the same night . The Lynx Africa got me thinking about that pre-season game at Blues. Bunch of animals in the corner of the pub about to eat us alive, we down our pint in seconds ready to make a sharp exit and G just takes a sip and sticks another quid in the bandit. Not sure how we got out of there alive.

 

[M&B Stand]

I thought that was the same night . The Lynx Africa got me thinking about that pre-season game at Blues. Bunch of animals in the corner of the pub about to eat us alive, we down our pint in seconds ready to make a sharp exit and G just takes a sip and sticks another quid in the bandit. Not sure how we got out of there alive.

That fella accused me of wearing West Brom shorts, as you do at a Blues v Cov pre season game.
That was only pub I’ve been in that has pool cues aplenty and no table.

 

[Hobo]

Liverpool A League Cup
West Ham A League Cup
Everton A
Stoke A
Birmingham A on several occasions
Leicester A on several occasions but especially in Cambridge on the way back from Norwich.
FA Cup Semi v Leeds. Travelled on train with them from Doncaster....then they rumbled I was Cov at Sheffield Train Station. The police dog was pretty handy, I don't think it had been fed?

Football is much better without all this bollocks to be honest.

 

[Forever_Blue]

New Den isn't much better. They will still happily beat the living shit out of anyone who comes near, no matter what the result of the game. And just as happy if it's the police. Seen TV programmes and youtube clips of them punching police horses, kicking police dogs, chucking paving slabs and even park benches at police vans. Absolute lunatics.

Hence the “Harry Roberts” song they used to sing about killing coppers.

 

[oscillatewildly]

Just googled match details and we lost 3-1 and Craig Hignett sent off! Could have sworn it was Stephen Hughes.

No aggro, just a series of amusing/unfortunate events throughout the whole day.

 

[CV22SBA]

Everton away had mini bus smashed up 2 years running in late 90s. Similar incident at Filbert Street too so never bothered going on a mini bus to an away game again.

Man City in the cup was crazy before, during and after. When Cov stormed the home end they had guys running across the pitch to join in.

Derby away was also tasty at the Baseball Ground especially night games.

 

[Magwitch]

Forgot Liverpool away league cup quarter final, thousands of Cov went had the whole Kremlin Road stand and half the Anfield Road terrace, those sporting scousers smashed coach windows galore but failed to impress in the hand to hand stuff.