Edit; not sure how but my content has amalgamated with your own.
City v West Ham 1981 Semi Final Video (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Leamington Pete
- Start date
Edit; not sure how but my content has amalgamated with your own.
NortonSkyBlue
Well-Known Member
a special night, a special atmosphere from 6 o'clock, the odd battle around town, West Ham were an experienced street smart team with really good players. They were FA cup holders despite being in division 2 and we were a young side with bags of talent but raw.
A horrible night as we went 0-2, self inflicted and no way back. We didn't stop playing though and bit by bit we climbed the mountain.
The roar at 3-2 was deafening(never heard the likes of it at HR) and the battles afterwards set up the 2nd leg to be night where you had to be there to know what fear was at a football match.
It was relentless as they came after us and frankly a last minute loss was the least of your worries if you were a young man, as I was. Never to be forgotten and although the bruises faded the way the West Ham fans behaved never has. It seemed the Coventry fans were positioned to be attacked all the game.
A horrible night as we went 0-2, self inflicted and no way back. We didn't stop playing though and bit by bit we climbed the mountain.
The roar at 3-2 was deafening(never heard the likes of it at HR) and the battles afterwards set up the 2nd leg to be night where you had to be there to know what fear was at a football match.
It was relentless as they came after us and frankly a last minute loss was the least of your worries if you were a young man, as I was. Never to be forgotten and although the bruises faded the way the West Ham fans behaved never has. It seemed the Coventry fans were positioned to be attacked all the game.
tisza
Well-Known Member
" night where you had to be there to know what fear was at a football match."
Wrote early worst I'd been at. Literally fighting to survive for 2 hours. Police swamped. It was incessant.
Normal fans throwing punches to defend themselves.
All that nonsense about only fighting like-minded people out the window that night.
Wrote early worst I'd been at. Literally fighting to survive for 2 hours. Police swamped. It was incessant.
Normal fans throwing punches to defend themselves.
All that nonsense about only fighting like-minded people out the window that night.
NortonSkyBlue
Well-Known Member
There was a Coventry fan who was perhaps mid fifties at the game and he made a comment which stuck with me after all these years. "At least the Germans wore uniforms so you could see who you were fighting"
It was relentless and somewhere down there was a football match going on.
tisza
Well-Known Member
Probably my grandad
went with him and his mates from the cutting room at Jaguar in a minibus.Special Patrol Group, basically a bunch of London Metropolitan police thugs with a free hand to do what they wanted at football matches, picket lines, rallys, demos etc, anywhere there might be a ruck, known as Thatchers soldiers but they were around before she was a foreign national, Blair Peach was killed by reportedly by an SPG baton at some demo, they eventually got disbanded in the late 80s, lots of battered, bruised and arrested Cov fans that night.
The next season West Ham came to Cov in a league game HR was all seater then and our old bill let a few hundred West Ham in with the home fans in the West End, we thought strange but soon as the West Ham lot started taunting and threatening our old bill baton charged him with absolute furiosity I’d not witnessed before and then allowed our lot to wade into them at will. We heard some of our cops got done over at Upton Park so bengence was in the air.
joemercersaces
Well-Known Member
Was in the usual away corner at Upton Park although we had the whole South Bank. West Ham skinheads literally jumping into us, bottles flying around out of the dark. You couldn’t watch the match. Like the film The Warriors afterwards. I was 18. Never liked West Ham as I don’t get all the admiration for thugs. If there was a village in Warwickshire entirely full of vicious bastards would any of us be impressed or would we think the place was pathetic?
Ring Of Steel
Well-Known Member
Didn't a West Ham fan get killed or something after one game against them, or am I imagining that?
The thing that used to make me laugh was the way they purred on TV about West Ham being the "academy of football" and made out it was a cultured, sophisticated club when in reality anyone who went to Upton Park knew full well that they were actually a nasty, indiscriminate, violent bunch of East End villains, who thought that if you weren't decked out in Claret & Blue you were fair game to get attacked.
The thing that used to make me laugh was the way they purred on TV about West Ham being the "academy of football" and made out it was a cultured, sophisticated club when in reality anyone who went to Upton Park knew full well that they were actually a nasty, indiscriminate, violent bunch of East End villains, who thought that if you weren't decked out in Claret & Blue you were fair game to get attacked.
NortonSkyBlue
Well-Known Member
Believe me nobody wore colors that night on either side. It was misty, dark and plan nasty.
There was a West Ham fan who received a serious life changing head injury in a clash with city fans in town , I’m sure he didn’t die.
wantageskyblue
Well-Known Member
As others have said that was one of the best games I ever saw at HR.
we always used to stand in the West Terrace by the drop between the WT and Main Stand. Early on that evening the police asked us to move as there were loads of West Ham being put there. Needless to say it was edgy all evening.
The away match was the most scared I have ever been ( I was only 16 then).Fighting all around us on the South Terrace throughout the match and then what felt like a full scale riot outside.
I remember Gary Thompson retrieving the ball by the side terrace where there skinheads were and getting dogs abuse - he just stood there and gave them his Thomson’s stare which just riled them more
Police were useless and were letting coaches going in groups of about 20. It was like a shooting gallery - our coach was bricked right by where I was sitting thankfully the window didn’t smash. I remember loads of coaches on M1 journey back that weren’t so lucky.
I often wonder what would have happened if we had actually won that night.
I hate their fans and all this media love in stuff and their celebrity followers makes my blood boil. Only ever been back once, 1st game of 86/7 season and didn’t enjoy the experience. West Ham all around us in the away pen. Lost that one too.
we always used to stand in the West Terrace by the drop between the WT and Main Stand. Early on that evening the police asked us to move as there were loads of West Ham being put there. Needless to say it was edgy all evening.
The away match was the most scared I have ever been ( I was only 16 then).Fighting all around us on the South Terrace throughout the match and then what felt like a full scale riot outside.
I remember Gary Thompson retrieving the ball by the side terrace where there skinheads were and getting dogs abuse - he just stood there and gave them his Thomson’s stare which just riled them more
Police were useless and were letting coaches going in groups of about 20. It was like a shooting gallery - our coach was bricked right by where I was sitting thankfully the window didn’t smash. I remember loads of coaches on M1 journey back that weren’t so lucky.
I often wonder what would have happened if we had actually won that night.
I hate their fans and all this media love in stuff and their celebrity followers makes my blood boil. Only ever been back once, 1st game of 86/7 season and didn’t enjoy the experience. West Ham all around us in the away pen. Lost that one too.
glasgowfan
Well-Known Member
I'd forgotten that players used to wear Kylie Minogue style hotpants in those days
Gynnsthetonic
Well-Known Member
I was only 9 at the time went to the home game with my dad, sat in the West Stand, heard stories years later of the trouble at both games, a West Ham fan got taken in by a local family for the night as was to scared to walk back to the station. My brother who was 16 at the time went down with his mate and dad to the 2nd leg, the dad had his watch stolen off his wrist during the game standing on the terrace.
oscillatewildly
Well-Known Member
As 'wantage' commented, I also remember that small group of West Ham on the King Richard St corner of West End - about 30/40? With half a doz or so coppers forming segregation.
Don't recall them giving it large or anything for that matter (Maybe briefed by the cops prior to keep their mouths shut or they'd be ejected?)
The next day at school all the chat was about the West Ham fan that got stabbed or slashed - On King Richard Street. Maybe he was part of that small group?
A few years later, I met someone who claimed to be the perpetrator. He wasn't a particularly nice character so I wouldn't have put it past him.
I knew the perpetrator, so called no longer with us, he was sent down for it but at the end of the day it was a “normal” football scrap, it happened near Pool Meadow. He was an okay guy really he just fought back the other chap fell and bashed his head on the kerb or pavement.
oscillatewildly
Well-Known Member
I think we may be talking about two separate incidents/individuals.
Gynnsthetonic
Well-Known Member
After around 12 HR visits this was the first time I saw us win. Stood on a crate by the scoreboard. Great times! Never saw any footage of the game though.
DannyThomas_1981
Well-Known Member
Just watched this - fantastic! Forgot how good a side that was. If we could have kept that team together, under Milne we had a top 4 side right there. No doubt. Thomas and Gillespie - certainly the best young defenders in the country. Daly, Hunt, Blair and Bodak (brilliant in this game) forming one of the best midfields we have ever seen. Hateley and Thompson - the best young strike partnership in the country at that time. What a finish by Thompson to win the game. Just an aside - running onto the pitch at 34.12 - is that Sillett? Looks like him and he was a coach at the time. What a night. The loudest Coventry crowd I've ever heard.
Sky Blue Pete
Well-Known Member
I was 9 and too young to go. Amazing game. Hunt and Thomas fitness was unbelievable. I remember staying up for the second leg and crying when we let the second goal in
wantageskyblue
Well-Known Member
Just to add - I went to London 3 times that week 0-0 draw at Highbury (iirc), West Ham mid week and the we went out of the FA Cup (5th round?) at White Hart Lane losing 3-1. Such high hopes at start of the week........
DannyThomas_1981
Well-Known Member
One interesting anecdote from that night at West Ham is that a mob of West Ham's 'finest' pre-game tried to attack a family group from Cov.
A couple of young black lads from Cov saw what was happening and ran over to stand between the West Ham thugs and the family. The Hammers mob charged in completely outnumbering our lads - and in a matter of seconds the Hammers were sparked out and backing off. The Coventry lads cool as you like told the family to stick with them and they'd look after them on the way into the ground. The late great Errol Christie and one of his brothers.
letsallsingtogether
Well-Known Member
What a night that was and with the reply made some special memories.
DannyThomas_1981
Well-Known Member
That's fantastic support wantage - a true Sky Blue.
DannyThomas_1981
Well-Known Member
Nice bit of nostalgia hearing a few air horns in the crowd whenever one of our players did something decent - must have been a few crossover fans from the Coventry Bees - every second kid watching at Brandon had an air horn back in the late 70s/early 80s. Might have had one myself.
tisza
Well-Known Member
Kinda irony about this considering his thing with Kaylor later on.
DannyThomas_1981
Well-Known Member
Very true. Christie and Kaylor did make their peace many years later and ultimately had incredible respect for each other.
Errol and his brothers were also known to take the battle against the NF to the front lines - and gave some of that mob some harsh boxing lessons on the streets of Cov. A true boxing and Cov legend in my eyes.
fernandopartridge
Well-Known Member
The second leg is also on. Pretty sure you can hear monkey noises at Danny Thomas early in...
DannyThomas_1981
Well-Known Member
Very true unfortunately Fernando. It's all in the book. The abuse of our two black players that night was horrendous.
fernandopartridge
Well-Known Member
He seems a really grounded bloke
usskyblue
Well-Known Member
He totally is. Super nice guy, always happy to talk.
The Great Eastern
Well-Known Member
I was at both legs of that semi-final. 1st leg was just one of the most spectacular games I had the pleasure of being at. West Ham fans were so bitter pouring out of the Sky Blue stand at the end. Me and two mates were hanging onto the fence at the back of the Sky Blue terrace having a good laugh at their anger when one of them raced towards us and took two of us out with one swinging punch. I only got a half blow so it didnt do me much damage. My mate took most of it and went from a normally placid City fan to a raging tyrant in a nano second ! We were having to listen to much screaming of 'wait until we get you at Upton Park'. Sadly, they did just that in the 2nd leg. It was truly scary and some of the ICF were reported to have left early to ambush groups of our fans at Euston. Horrible, horrible atmosphere and I've detested West Ham ever since. Think we took something like 85 full coaches and 75% got windows smashed by bricks or flying bottles. I had a bottle hit the window just behind me but, luckily, the window stayed firm. As someone said, God only knows what it would have been like if we'd won.
Also went to the Spurs cup game the following Saturday and that was brimming over with bad atmosphere but at least the Met kept this one in order having been heavily criticised about their tactics in the West Ham game.
Also went to the Spurs cup game the following Saturday and that was brimming over with bad atmosphere but at least the Met kept this one in order having been heavily criticised about their tactics in the West Ham game.
olderskyblue
Well-Known Member
except you could see who you were fighting. There were about 50 of them in our end from the start of the game, all congregated together, all wearing the same clobber. It was obvious who they were. I told a copper next to me that all hell was going to kick off, he looked at them and basically told me to shut up.
They caused trouble all match, and headed to the exits just before the final whistle. Except the doors were locked, so they were then trapped as the city fans headed towards the doors. Mayhem ensued.
Disgruntled Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
I remember that game well. Think it was a reasonably entertaining 0:0 draw against Southampton who had Shilton in goal for them. There was literally a midfield battle between him and Steve Williams and it came to the natural conclusion of Hunt head butting Williams and getting sent off for his troubles. It didn't seem a full on head butt from where I was standing but Williams went down like he was shot and got carried off.
Later that month Shoot (footy magazine of the era) did a profile on Steve Hunt who asked him who his favourite actor was and he claimed it was Steve Williams!! - made me laugh back then!