Soupy Sam and the Toffee Lady (1 Viewer)

Calista · May 26, 2022

No, not a hilarious new Disney crime caper, but some random recollections from Highfield Road.

Does anyone else remember the bloke who used to wander around the pitchside track in the late 60s or early 70s advertising himself as "Soupy Sam"? He dribbled scalding grey liquid into paper cups from an urn strapped to his back. Hot enough to warm you up on a winter's day, and no doubt packed with vitamins.

I also remember the "Toffee Lady" who walked around in a frilly costume throwing toffees into the crowd when Everton came to play. I'd love to think that still happens, and if not they should revive the tradition.

Any other fond memories of long-lost catering services or pre-match entertainment?

Greggs · May 26, 2022

pint of carling premier in the club before the match
long stairs up to the top tier of the west stand
the sky blue crew
my dad's mate having a shit in an empty bag of crisps on the terrace

Otis · May 26, 2022

Calista said:
No, not a hilarious new Disney crime caper, but some random recollections from Highfield Road.

Does anyone else remember the bloke who used to wander around the pitchside track in the late 60s or early 70s advertising himself as "Soupy Sam"? He dribbled scalding grey liquid into paper cups from an urn strapped to his back. Hot enough to warm you up on a winter's day, and no doubt packed with vitamins.

I also remember the "Toffee Lady" who walked around in a frilly costume throwing toffees into the crowd when Everton came to play. I'd love to think that still happens, and if not they should revive the tradition.

Any other fond memories of long-lost catering services or pre-match entertainment?

Soup wasn't invented when I first started going up.

ovduk78 · May 26, 2022

Calista said:
No, not a hilarious new Disney crime caper, but some random recollections from Highfield Road.

Does anyone else remember the bloke who used to wander around the pitchside track in the late 60s or early 70s advertising himself as "Soupy Sam"? He dribbled scalding grey liquid into paper cups from an urn strapped to his back. Hot enough to warm you up on a winter's day, and no doubt packed with vitamins.

I also remember the "Toffee Lady" who walked around in a frilly costume throwing toffees into the crowd when Everton came to play. I'd love to think that still happens, and if not they should revive the tradition.

Any other fond memories of long-lost catering services or pre-match entertainment?

I remember toffees being thrown into the crowd at Goddison Park.
My 1st trip to Highbury we were treated to a band with a singing policeman in the scoreboard end before kick off.

Calista · May 26, 2022

Any toffee-throwing would obviously require extra safety measures these days. Every fan being issued with a full face visor at the turnstile, and being asked to complete a 3-page disclaimer about edible projectiles.

Colin Steins Smile · May 26, 2022

Calista said:
No, not a hilarious new Disney crime caper, but some random recollections from Highfield Road.

Does anyone else remember the bloke who used to wander around the pitchside track in the late 60s or early 70s advertising himself as "Soupy Sam"? He dribbled scalding grey liquid into paper cups from an urn strapped to his back. Hot enough to warm you up on a winter's day, and no doubt packed with vitamins.

I also remember the "Toffee Lady" who walked around in a frilly costume throwing toffees into the crowd when Everton came to play. I'd love to think that still happens, and if not they should revive the tradition.

Any other fond memories of long-lost catering services or pre-match entertainment?

I was lucky enough to catch a toffee before an Everton game. We also had prematch entertainment with the police dog handlers demonstrations .
I remember buying a pie from walking around the pitch

Bad Boy · May 26, 2022

Motor cycle formation teams and police dog training routines.

wingy · May 26, 2022

Yes pyramid's of copper's or forces personnel supported by a few motorcycle rider's or have I imagined that from a different display

Legia Sky Blue · May 26, 2022

What about those mobility type cars that would park on the cinder track around the pitch at HR. Did that happen at other grounds? Always seemed a bit strange to me, although as a kid I liked the fact that all the cars were sky blue

Bad Boy · May 26, 2022

Legia Sky Blue said:
What about those mobility type cars that would park on the cinder track around the pitch at HR. Did that happen at other grounds? Always seemed a bit strange to me, although as a kid I liked the fact that all the cars were sky blue

The HSE would have a dicky fit nowadays. Mind you a whole fleet around the touchline might prevent a pitch invasion.

SkyblueDad · May 26, 2022

The old days : Soupy Sam that soup was tasty and bloody hot.
Went to Everton in the mid-sixties and remember the ladies walking round the pitch throwing toffees into the crowd from their upturned umbrellas also the nuns at the turnstiles with their collection tins, in those days there was a church in the corner at the Gladys Street end might still be there.
Also remember going to Charlton a night game and when you went through the turnstiles there were blokes selling jellied eels and hot chestnuts sitting with their lit braziers imagine that now.

Calista · May 26, 2022

Otis said:
Soup wasn't invented when I first started going up.

You pre-date the primordial soup?

ovduk78 · May 26, 2022

Legia Sky Blue said:
What about those mobility type cars that would park on the cinder track around the pitch at HR. Did that happen at other grounds? Always seemed a bit strange to me, although as a kid I liked the fact that all the cars were sky blue

It did happen at other grounds. If you ever see old footage from games at Stamford Bridge there were normal cars parked behind the goals as there was a massive gap, maybe a running track, between pitch and stands.

Otis · May 26, 2022

Calista said:
You pre-date the primordial soup?

No, just Campbell's and Crosse and Blackwell.

robbiethemole · May 26, 2022

Greggs said:
pint of carling premier in the club before the match
long stairs up to the top tier of the west stand
the sky blue crew
my dad's mate having a shit in an empty bag of crisps on the terrace

Did he hoy it at anyone???

SkyblueDad · May 26, 2022

ovduk78 said:
It did happen at other grounds. If you ever see old footage from games at Stamford Bridge there were normal cars parked behind the goals as there was a massive gap, maybe a running track, between pitch and stands.

People don’t realise how big the old Stamford Bridge ground was.

Travs · May 26, 2022

From a later era,, but i do remember some of the characters from the West Terrace in the 90's....

There was some posh student with a home counties accent, really loud, an absolute wanker if i'm honest but the main attraction was his absolutely stunning girlfriend (who never spoke a word)...

Some old boy who must've been pushing 90.... after the crowd had gone mad at a foul or decision, he'd still be going mad in his croaky voice 30 seconds later... "you bloody stupid idiot...."..... obviously labelled Victor Meldrew by us.

An asian fella who would scream "hit immmmm" in the highest-pitch voice imaginable, about 20 times a game.

Sbarcher · May 26, 2022

Would get to the main stand and in the bar would be told the water hasn’t heated enough for a cup of coffee. I would always say didn’t you know there was a game on today!

Terry Gibson's perm · May 26, 2022

The pop and crisp nights when you got to queue up to meet the players.

The smell of piss coming past the toilets that were under the sky blue stand.

joemercersaces · May 26, 2022

Travs said:
From a later era,, but i do remember some of the characters from the West Terrace in the 90's....

There was some posh student with a home counties accent, really loud, an absolute wanker if i'm honest but the main attraction was his absolutely stunning girlfriend (who never spoke a word)...

If she was blonde me and my old man had season tickets right behind them and yes she was stunning alright. Just before kick off one match they turned up and the old man said really loud ‘here’s the blonde son’ didn’t know where to put myself

SkyblueDad · May 26, 2022

There were two brothers worked on a farm, both proper characters who went to every away match Saturday or mid-week they lived on a farm way past Corley and often we got dropped off at Pool Meadow after the buses had finished and they walked all the way home in all weathers, hardly any taxis either in those days, I remember going to Carlisle one Friday night and got back to Cov about 2am and walked up the Radford Road with them as far as Light Lane they were arguing whose turn it was to do the chickens in the morning. Hard work being a Sky Blue in those days.

And does anybody remember the two guys who used to stand on the perimeter wall at away games with Arab head gear on facing the fans doing hocus pokus and the fans copying the hand signals.

Gibbo · May 26, 2022

I thought Soupy Sam was JH's idea, but that he dispensed with it after Ian Gibson raked a crossfield ball strait to the feet of....Soupy Sam

Irish Sky Blue · May 26, 2022

Trampoline demonstrations in front of the Main Stand

Johhny Blue · May 27, 2022

bad boy said:
Motor cycle formation teams and police dog training routines.

Always loved it when the dog chewed down on the baddie in the wolves kit

Johhny Blue · May 27, 2022

Terry Gibson's perm said:
The pop and crisp nights when you got to queue up to meet the players.

The smell of piss coming past the toilets that were under the sky blue stand.

It literally was the piss coming past the toilets

kg82 · May 27, 2022

Seems weird to me now that we were allowed to do something so mundane as get on to the pitch side track and be allowed to walk around it to get out in the corner of the west terrace and main stand. Just wouldn’t happen now, but it was every week up until maybe the mid-90’s

oscillatewildly · May 27, 2022

I remember the toffee lady on my first visit to Goodison in 1982.
Full retro Victorian regalia and that parasol wasn't just for costume effect - It served as a handy defensive shield to protect her from the toffees as they came back at her.
Very early 1980's midweek game at HR and prematch there was a bucking bronco set up on the main stand touch line. I think it was Ted Edgar's and undoubtedly JH would have had some influence in convincing him to set it up on this occasion.
I remember a young woman getting flung from it and she stayed down for some time. One for the St John's and I think she left in a neck brace.

The Great Eastern · May 27, 2022

ovduk78 said:
I remember toffees being thrown into the crowd at Goddison Park.
My 1st trip to Highbury we were treated to a band with a singing policeman in the scoreboard end before kick off.

Yes. It was the Met Police band with a Sergeant Bullshit as the vocalist. Was a very old fashioned way of keeping the crowds entertained pre-match and probably quite cheap for the club too.

skybluesam66 · May 27, 2022

bowling pin at the ricoh
Sonya singing at HR in one of the 1st monday night sky games
pitchside sellers - Pies / Crisps/ Tea/ soup
programmes with letters by the other games - and the half time scores would only refer to the letters
Disabled section the front and length of the sky blue stand
The paddock area in front of the main stand
The days when games were over by 4.40pm , and half time could have been 7 or 8 minutes if they played over in the 1st half

ovduk78 · May 27, 2022

Did our home games kick off at 3:15 for a while and if so why?
Our home night games kicked off at 7:30 and my Dad, who worked permanent nights at Masseys, told me it was so night shift workers could go to the game before they started work, not sure how true that was.

Hobo · May 27, 2022

ovduk78 said:
Did our home games kick off at 3:15 for a while and if so why?
Our home night games kicked off at 7:30 and my Dad, who worked permanent nights at Masseys, told me it was so night shift workers could go to the game before they started work, not sure how true that was.

Was it Juimmy Hill's idea - just to piss off Sunderland fans?

Irish Sky Blue · May 27, 2022

Hobo said:
Was it Juimmy Hill's idea - just to piss off Sunderland fans?

I think the idea was to give those working a morning shift on a Saturday the chance to get to the game

Nick · May 27, 2022

Always a woman with bright bright pink short hair sat in front of me just behind the goal.

Nick · May 27, 2022

Greggs said:
pint of carling premier in the club before the match

SkyblueDad · May 27, 2022

ovduk78 said:
Did our home games kick off at 3:15 for a while and if so why?
Our home night games kicked off at 7:30 and my Dad, who worked permanent nights at Masseys, told me it was so night shift workers could go to the game before they started work, not sure how true that was.

I think it was because in those days talking early 60s the factory working week was 44 hours , five 8 hour shifts Monday to Friday and 4 hours Saturday mornings. Lots of car factories in Cov those days it just gave fans from these factories an extra 15 minutes to get to the game.
From 2pm onwards to was chocka block anywhere near the ground and nowhere to park. We used to be parked up in Hartlepool Road at the Stone Stanton road end of Harnell Lane East every home game by 2pm which is a good distance from HR. Thankfully I had a season ticket but by the time we got to the ground there were queues all round the ground. Looking back the regular crowd announcement of 26/27000 was bullshit.

Soupy Sam and the Toffee Lady (1 Viewer)

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