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Man City = Maine Road very intimidating when I went there as a 16 year old in 1981 1st Div Season in middle of Moss Side and we lost 4-0. Liverpool = Just after Shankly died and Tosh wore a Liverpool shirt under his Swans tracksuit. Game was 2=2 but like the Wild West outside after the game. West Ham = FA Cup Rd 5 1981 thought we'd claimed a replay before David Cross scored winner .. stabbed by WHU fans with knitting needles and pelted with golf balls. Burnley = What's the time Taff? Oh what joy it was to follow the Swans then.....we used to get a bus from Burry Port which stopped at the Uplands and then Skewen with Huw & Gordon to take us on our travels.....oh what happy days............
Torquay A Peter Guthrie Forged Tickets Wycombe FLT Semi Huddersfield Wembley AT Northampton Wembley Bristol Rovers & City Rotherham FA Cup Reading Elm Park 1993
Elland rd 1970? losing to the cheats 2-1 Port Vale late 60s losing 4-0 Doncaster 1968....the lost weekend! won 2-1 the game before Arsenal in the FA cup/
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Best and Worst Days at the 'Famous Old Grounds' on 01:50 - Feb 15 with 7326 views
St.Andrews 1989.Only about 300 jacks there and we lost 2-0.Brum rioted in the ground over their chairman then Mr Kumar.They were fighting the police on the terraces and i mean fighting them, none of this bouncing about crap and running, they were fist to fist toe to toe with them.I'll never forget a young black dude running up and down the bank next to us with a coppers hat on.Their chairman came out at half time with a megaphone to try and quell the trouble but it made it worse.Before and after the game we were set upon with lads with blades and 8 of us run for our lives.It's a long walk to St.Andrews to New St. Station.It was a rough introduction to football bother as a 17 yr old.
'Fancy a sword fight you Welsh c***s' was the call of the day....Ermmm no thanks, if you don't mind.
St.Andrews was the moodiest ground i've ever visited back then.
Everton A 80/81 being chased through Stanley Park by a bunch of cheeky Scousers brandishing Stanley knives shouting 'we're gonna slash you you taffy cnts'.
Most any away games back then and being approached and asked the dreaded question... "got the time mate"
Happy days
Oh,..Dave, what's occuring?
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Best and Worst Days at the 'Famous Old Grounds' on 07:42 - Feb 15 with 7222 views
Best and Worst Days at the 'Famous Old Grounds' on 07:40 - Feb 15 by marchamjack
Everton A 80/81 being chased through Stanley Park by a bunch of cheeky Scousers brandishing Stanley knives shouting 'we're gonna slash you you taffy cnts'.
Most any away games back then and being approached and asked the dreaded question... "got the time mate"
Happy days
Ah the old 'have you got the time on you mate' line A classic back in the day.
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Best and Worst Days at the 'Famous Old Grounds' on 09:50 - Feb 15 with 7121 views
Preston 81- no explanation required. If you need one, what are you doing on a Swans board?
Wolves 82- going top of D1 with Ian Walsh scoring
Villa 82- the waste of a top 4 finish and a miserable result
Cardiff (good)- any time we won there, plus the 3-3 draw which was gutting in the end, but one of the best South Wales derbies ever!
Cardiff(bad)- any time we lost
Sheffield Wednesday 83/4- 6-1 defeat in the snow- and I almost knocked myself out when Toshack scored after forgetting I'd tucked myself under the concrete lip at the back of the Leppings Lane terrace. I don't remember the rest of the game which was probably a good thing
Bristol City on the open terrace when John Salako scored
Jenner Park in the Welsh Cup about 1985- just plain scary, especially when the bus had been sent off on another job during the game whilst we had to idle away an hour in Barry whilst very large gangs of our eastern cousins fancied a game of touch with us.
Cold Blow Lane 1984- scary scary scary.
Colchester Utd about 6/7 years ago. We won 2-1 on the Tuesday evening, and I don't think I've ever laughed so much at a game.
Orient about 7/8 years ago when the bloke had the harmonica in the main stand so all of the Swans fans had an impromptu blues break during the match. That was pretty surreal.
Oldham 1984- sunny before the game so I put my track suit top on, only for the wind and snow to arrive on that bleak, open terrace by half time. I had never been that cold at a game untl I visited Kidderminster a few years ago when I could no longer feel m feel- or any other extremity come to that.
Hereford when more and more Jacks kept on arriving and they kept moving the locals further and further down the main stand. I swear to God there were more of us there that day than them!
And as the old K-Tel and Ronco adverts used to say in the 70s: 'plus many, many more'
Proudly plastic since 1978!
www.pbase.com/andrew_thomas
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Best and Worst Days at the 'Famous Old Grounds' on 10:25 - Feb 15 with 7076 views
I was at the Man City game at Main Road as well. I must be the same age as you I'm 48 now. Standing there with sharpened coins being thrown and the City crowd snarling at us throughout the game, unbelievable.
I remember this stunning girl about 16/17 in amongst this City mob (classy!) as ever I thought I was in love!
Arsenal away in the middle of the clock end with Arsenal fans either side, we won 2-0. I swear there was a Swansea fan, a woman, very dexterous, carrying her baby, in the middle of the away bank, with a pram and sticking the old Harvey Smiths to the Arsenal fans.
Stoke away when we went top. It was after the Liverpool away game so after the disasters of train travel for that game very few arrived by train. A huge police presence with only about 80 of us on this football special. I've never been in trouble in my life and always considered myself a lover not a fighter. Equally though when I've been in some scary situations following the Swans it's never bothered me.
That day though in Stoke! They're a horrible crowd
I've never condoned football violence, but I was delighted when following my second love Liverpool in the old Victoria ground in the 3rd round of the cup (the year of the Hillsborough disaster) and Liverpool ran them ragged. They must have taken about 300 out of the home end. Sadly that day it was a precursor to Hillsborough, Liverpool had all of one stand running the length of the pitch and the congestion was frightening.
Bristol Rovers Away 1980 - Midweek mayhem at Eastville and on the trains
Cambridge Away 1983/4 ?? Ending our winless away streak with Steve Mardenborough scoring two
The win at ninian park with Hughes the jock scoring
Peterborough Away new years day maybe late eighties .. everybody having hangovers then 0-2 down at half time the Alsop , Thomas and Cusack scored second half and our terrace went mental behind the goal.
Derby County away - winning 0-1 at the baseball ground on a hot bank holiday Monday when we celebrated by all jumping down from the seated stand on to the terrace below to celebrate the goal
Drawing at Carlisle in L1 on a tuesday night driving from Bournemouth - Carlisle - Bournemouth in one hit.
The Seals midweek trip to Hull in L2 - being invaded by the Hull hoolies in our section
Promotion/Cup wins at Bury , Sheff Utd , Gillingham , Liverpool and West Ham
Worst -
Millwall away first game in 1983 - the worst match ever for trouble and constant violence the whole day not helped by the 100 jacks to tried to take the home end
Wigan away - 0-0 with 20 mins to go standing on a mud bank which started snowing then a storm then we concede 5 then we get attacked outside the ground by the Wigan hoolies
Darlo away - 7-0 thrashing long trip and attacked.
Fulham away in the FA CUP - the only match i've ever left early through utter disbelief
Darlo away at feethams when we drew 2-2 and my car was trashed by home fans
Cardiff away in the infamous match when the stand got ripped up
Lincoln City around 1985 when we played away on a Sunday when around 10 of us were in a pub when the LTE turned up and turned us and the pub over when i actually questioned following the Swans away.
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Best and Worst Days at the 'Famous Old Grounds' on 10:48 - Feb 15 with 7042 views
Best and Worst Days at the 'Famous Old Grounds' on 10:25 - Feb 15 by ymaohyd
I was at the Man City game at Main Road as well. I must be the same age as you I'm 48 now. Standing there with sharpened coins being thrown and the City crowd snarling at us throughout the game, unbelievable.
I remember this stunning girl about 16/17 in amongst this City mob (classy!) as ever I thought I was in love!
Arsenal away in the middle of the clock end with Arsenal fans either side, we won 2-0. I swear there was a Swansea fan, a woman, very dexterous, carrying her baby, in the middle of the away bank, with a pram and sticking the old Harvey Smiths to the Arsenal fans.
Stoke away when we went top. It was after the Liverpool away game so after the disasters of train travel for that game very few arrived by train. A huge police presence with only about 80 of us on this football special. I've never been in trouble in my life and always considered myself a lover not a fighter. Equally though when I've been in some scary situations following the Swans it's never bothered me.
That day though in Stoke! They're a horrible crowd
I've never condoned football violence, but I was delighted when following my second love Liverpool in the old Victoria ground in the 3rd round of the cup (the year of the Hillsborough disaster) and Liverpool ran them ragged. They must have taken about 300 out of the home end. Sadly that day it was a precursor to Hillsborough, Liverpool had all of one stand running the length of the pitch and the congestion was frightening.
I've been at all the main away games (well most) since about 77/78.
A few strange things that stand out. Swindon away when Phil Boersma broke his leg, horrific sound. My dad took me, he was a very old fashioned man, very strict. A Swans fan behind us was talking pretty lewdly about this police woman who was sat down and you could see the top of her stockings. The things this bloke was saying etc Not being a street wise kid, was about 14 I think, just cringing alongside my dad.
One of my favourite memories, Maccslesfield away under Kenny Jackett. Bored witless, John Parkin bossed Tatey around. Lovely day and watched sheep dog trials in the field behind which you could see from the away bank...lovely.
Liverpool and west ham were the worst of those 1981 away trips imo. The walk back to the coach from scallyfield through the park was unreal. Stanley Park...stanley knife more like....cowardly scummy scouse cabbages.
Also the best was a the 1991 pre-season tour of Scotland -
Playing Raith , Ayr and Stirling Albion seeing the debut of John Williams and drinking with players after each match and on the days the Swans wasn't playing that week we saw ------ St Johnstone - Real Valalodid , Queens Pk v Rangers , Hibs v West Ham and St Mirren v Luton.
Sadly this was the demise of Alan Davies who spent the time sitting on the players coach on his own after the matches which we though odd at the time
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Best and Worst Days at the 'Famous Old Grounds' on 11:06 - Feb 15 with 7010 views
Best and Worst Days at the 'Famous Old Grounds' on 10:54 - Feb 15 by monmouth
Liverpool and west ham were the worst of those 1981 away trips imo. The walk back to the coach from scallyfield through the park was unreal. Stanley Park...stanley knife more like....cowardly scummy scouse cabbages.
I've been told all about that. Fortunately I didn't get in due to some idiot pulling the communication cord in Crewe (train), got to Liverpool late. Away end full, so went back to Lime St and away from all the aggro. Sounds horrific.
Best and Worst Days at the 'Famous Old Grounds' on 11:06 - Feb 15 by ymaohyd
I've been told all about that. Fortunately I didn't get in due to some idiot pulling the communication cord in Crewe (train), got to Liverpool late. Away end full, so went back to Lime St and away from all the aggro. Sounds horrific.
First trip to West Ham was week before last.
Lot of time for Liverpool as a club - at least then when they were a real club; I think their writing off of the transfer fees in the mid 80s was a genuine attempt to help us in a desperate hour. Unfortunately that day soured me forever towards their "wonderful fans".
Best and Worst Days at the 'Famous Old Grounds' on 11:07 - Feb 15 by Swanzay
This was my most surreal away game, fire extinguishers spraying, fans climbing the floodlight.
Thankfully football has changed.
That was a bonkers day. I'm ashamed to say I found it all amusing which isn't right. Saw a bloke I used to work with in County Hall, was in a different department to me. Good job, shirt and tie, acknowledge each other during our working day.
He was like a fuc*ing idiot at Elm Park, couldn't believe my eyes. Charging into the Reading fans in their end.
Always remember this chopsy Reading 'lad' giving it the usual nonsense from the safety of his bank and entourage, a lump of concrete was thrown from the Swans end, watched this bit of masonry with radar like accuracy landing on this blokes head! Again I'm ashamed to say I found it hilarious. He was ok, the sound though!. He was led away to a chorus of cheerio, bow legged.
I remember the trip to Gay Meadow in 2004. Awful journey up by train on the mid-Wales line. Almost refused entry to the ground because we'd had a few shandies. Absolute schite-hole of a ground with overflowing toilets. Crap game too.... Monk & Robinson sent off, and we lost 4-2 I think.
Escorted back to the train station by a load of over-zealous coppers with every Shrewsbury wannabe giving it large from the side streets.
"Lead me from tortured dreams
Childhood themes of nights alone...."
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Best and Worst Days at the 'Famous Old Grounds' on 12:18 - Feb 15 with 6880 views
Another bizzare away day experience was Lincoln 8/9 years ago. Under Kenny Jackett. It was at the time of my wedding anniversary around April 10th. Made a weekend of it. Left work at about 3.30 (Swansea) Friday, got to Lincoln, dropped the wife and daughter off at the hotel reception while I parked. Wife came back to the car and accused me of planning everything as the Swans were staying at the hotel.
Had a few pints with Doug Sharpe on the Friday night in the hotel. On the Saturday walked around the Cathedral area with my Swans fleece on, had know idea Lincoln had a bit of a rep. Could hear all kind of commotion from the city centre, police sirens etc. Didn't think it would be anything to do with the game. Apparently Swans fans had thrown a smoke bomb into a pub!
At the game horrible atmosphere, we lost when a Swans defender went to clear it and the ball caught the top of his boot and looped over Willie.
Afterwards!!! Was with the main Swans mob being taken back to the station 50 yards by 50 yards as Lincoln fans were kept at bay! All the time trying to plan my get away back to my hotel not being noticed by Lincoln fans.
Those of you who went away to all those types of games back in the day I'm sure it was the norm, but for me, a bit of culture, Lincoln Cathedral, cobbled streets, nice hotel. Really caught me by surprise, had no idea Lincoln would be like that.
To top it off, had a drink with Nasty Nick, think was his name from one of the first Big Brother's who was also staying in the hotel.
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A classic back in the day. 
