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God I miss the vetch on 21:05 - Jan 6 by vetchonian
like everything football changes
I lived the vetch,especially the night games walking up the tunnel to the north bank a great feeling. Lived the fact you could rock up pay at the gate and then stand with your mates and those who had been there around you for many years. Calling in the market for cockles on a Saturday afternoon then a pint in the Gari all part of the day,looking in one of the TV shop windows for the results on Grandstand after the game.....the Tosh years were great but towards the end especially after the double decker went the old girl was past her best and the move to Landore brought a new chapter and bigger crowds.... the world has.moved on and so has football....I still have fond memories of the old girl but I wouldn't swap her for what we have now
Even now my first time walking up the ramp into the North Bank for an evening game is seared into my brain. It was for a game against Shrewsbury, or someone else equally irrelevant.
Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair, or f*cking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man... and give some back.
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God I miss the vetch on 00:17 - Jan 7 with 1236 views
Bus to Singelton , ex Wilko now , too young to drink ,was only 11 years old , my Late Mum going mad with worry , mixing with the boover boys and skinheads on the North Bank .
Walking up the gentle rise into that stand , lush green turf , sometimes goalie areas sand .
After my mother realised I was not going to be filled in , relented and allowed me to get the bus into Swansea , cars were a luxury back then , evening game under lights , wow .
This is the era of Tony Millington , Herbie , Len Allchurch and Harry Griffiths . many more .
Agree Football has now become a Business and Entertainment , money figures absurd .
Just give me the atmosphere , and edginess of standing on the North Bank , feeling safe even as a youngster watching live football for the first time .
Sure there was a Chip Shop outside the old Swansea Bus Station , Macaris maybe named . Their chips were so fresh and steaming hot , loved it .
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God I miss the vetch on 00:34 - Jan 7 with 1227 views
God I miss the vetch on 21:23 - Jan 6 by Dr_Winston
Even now my first time walking up the ramp into the North Bank for an evening game is seared into my brain. It was for a game against Shrewsbury, or someone else equally irrelevant.
That game v Shrewsbury you mention , maybe a few years later though .
Joe Hart , goalie was on their books and sampled The Vetch as a youngster that game .
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God I miss the vetch on 07:55 - Jan 7 with 1170 views
It was a lot more than just football for me and non football fans will never understand that even modern day football fans in the last 20+ years might not get it as much .
About 50% of my love for the club moved when we went to Landore the other 50% is still in the Sandfields and always will be.
AMF
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God I miss the vetch on 08:16 - Jan 7 with 1160 views
I miss the Jewson Stand, seeing the Kenco coffee hut [away terrace] and rust falling from the centre stand roof everytime Roger kicked the goal towards the prison.
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God I miss the vetch on 08:41 - Jan 7 with 1136 views
God I miss the vetch on 08:16 - Jan 7 by QJumpingJack
I miss the Jewson Stand, seeing the Kenco coffee hut [away terrace] and rust falling from the centre stand roof everytime Roger kicked the goal towards the prison.
We used to call the Jewson stand the Ted Rogers stand because it had 321 seats in it.
(Ask your parents)
[Post edited 7 Jan 8:42]
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God I miss the vetch on 08:53 - Jan 7 with 1126 views
Bus to Singelton , ex Wilko now , too young to drink ,was only 11 years old , my Late Mum going mad with worry , mixing with the boover boys and skinheads on the North Bank .
Walking up the gentle rise into that stand , lush green turf , sometimes goalie areas sand .
After my mother realised I was not going to be filled in , relented and allowed me to get the bus into Swansea , cars were a luxury back then , evening game under lights , wow .
This is the era of Tony Millington , Herbie , Len Allchurch and Harry Griffiths . many more .
Agree Football has now become a Business and Entertainment , money figures absurd .
Just give me the atmosphere , and edginess of standing on the North Bank , feeling safe even as a youngster watching live football for the first time .
Sure there was a Chip Shop outside the old Swansea Bus Station , Macaris maybe named . Their chips were so fresh and steaming hot , loved it .
Bellis by the bus station , Macaris on Dillwyn Street,both visited either before or after a game ... Walking down Oxford Street and hearing the vetch roar if you were late to the game....Great days but wouldn't swap them for the play off semi,the PL win against Man City,those PL years and the league Cup win...but some great memories and times without which my love affair with the Swans would not be
God I miss the vetch on 19:49 - Jan 6 by RhonddaSwans
Accept what?
The current thing 😂
I am still here aint I!
Pretend to be someone all you want pal, The rest of us men remain unapologetically our selves.
Can anyone remember the huge gay pride flag at the vetch?
I can't 🤔
can anyone remember taking the knee at the vetch 🤔
I can't.
The Natzis tried changing the national history aswell.
I don't give a monkeys on how progressive you think you and the other liberals are.
you expect people to respect your view because you offend them?
One sort your head out!
Chippy is a dying breed (a socially honest man) sadly.
I am not being funny but football on the weekend was for the lads due to how violent it could end up.
Stop trying to re write history or you are no better than 🟨
This post has been edited by an administrator
That's part of the problem, we're not allowed to be socially honest any more. We have to conform, we have to fit in and agree with the "new" way of doing things. Freedom of speech is still allowed as long as you don't say anything "they" don't like.
On here there are things we are not allowed to discuss.
Being socially honest is something you can only do with like minded people in quiet corners these days. Otherwise you'll end up in trouble.
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God I miss the vetch on 10:50 - Jan 7 with 1058 views
I remember one night game, this was around the time they introduced the 'Passport to Leisure' scheme which massively discounted Swans entrance fee.
You had to be either a student or on the dole to get one as I recall.
Bloke in front of me handed the turnstile operator his laminated folded in UB40 and said 'orite m8, dole card'. Turnstile operator looked at him stupid and says 'and?' Guy says 'you got to be on the dole to get a Passport to Leisure.
He thought, just because he was eligible for a PTL, this qualified him for cheap entry to the Vetch.
Happy days.
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God I miss the vetch on 11:41 - Jan 7 with 1024 views
God I miss the vetch on 08:53 - Jan 7 by vetchonian
Bellis by the bus station , Macaris on Dillwyn Street,both visited either before or after a game ... Walking down Oxford Street and hearing the vetch roar if you were late to the game....Great days but wouldn't swap them for the play off semi,the PL win against Man City,those PL years and the league Cup win...but some great memories and times without which my love affair with the Swans would not be
Belli’s was a wonderful chippy. I was in school with their son Tino who is a huge Swans fan even though he lives across the pond working in Indy Car racing. A lovely guy.
Over the years it became a run down dump with a capacity of around 11000 in its later years but it was our dump. My first game at the Vetch in 1971 was a Christmas division 3 league game v Aston Villa. We lost I think 2-1. I’m told there were close to 30000 there. I was only 9. What an experience it was albeit in the Double Decker behind the goal. It’s hard to believe that 30000 were packed into the Vetch probably 10000 plus in the North Bank.
Only an idiot would eat a turkey curry on Christmas day
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God I miss the vetch on 13:13 - Jan 7 with 977 views
That's part of the problem, we're not allowed to be socially honest any more. We have to conform, we have to fit in and agree with the "new" way of doing things. Freedom of speech is still allowed as long as you don't say anything "they" don't like.
On here there are things we are not allowed to discuss.
Being socially honest is something you can only do with like minded people in quiet corners these days. Otherwise you'll end up in trouble.
I know butt I had a few beers last night and made the decision to log off for the night.
Why do we all get so bloody defensive over things.
If the lads on here are talking about the past I like the raw versions .
The whole new woke agenda just reminds me of the film 1984, We have all been through so much with covid and our beloved Swans regression over the last few years.
Mate you got it in one the way it is now these days.
The far right are Muppets+ far left are Muppets.
That leave us centralist position people having freedom after freedom taken. (through the point scoring of snowflakes off both sides)
back on to the thread...... Back in the day we all knew there were some games that it would be silly to take you're family to.
Would you have taken a mrs or kid to Swansea v Cardiff.
Football has become more of a family friendly environment. We have all cut out the violence (most of it)
when go to the Swans every match I attend I leave with no voice, I swear out of frustration. But it's never anti anyone other than the ref or Cardiff.
Back in the vetch the atmosphere was better I can remember learning our songs. The buzz of all the other stands taking it in turns singing. The ground was run down but god alive it was electric there.
I loved division 3 and the Lee Trundle + oh andy andy show.
jacks collecting with bucket 🪣 towards Leon Britton.
We have all become spoilt and distant from the type of club we use to be.
Think now If I went back in time to the hull game when james thomas scored, I showed people we would be paying 10 mil plus for players soon.
No one would of believed me.
The vetch was special the facilities were terrible but that was part of the true football experience.
That was passed down no doubt from generation to generation.
To stand where your grandad stood supporting the swans was special.
I would love to stand in the spot we use to watch games.
The vetch should of been turned into a 4g pitch with the stands left up.
As that would of been inspiring for the younger generations.
Over the years it became a run down dump with a capacity of around 11000 in its later years but it was our dump. My first game at the Vetch in 1971 was a Christmas division 3 league game v Aston Villa. We lost I think 2-1. I’m told there were close to 30000 there. I was only 9. What an experience it was albeit in the Double Decker behind the goal. It’s hard to believe that 30000 were packed into the Vetch probably 10000 plus in the North Bank.
Googled it, 24,419 officially.
Like a lot of grounds that were dumps, it belonged to the fans and the fans loved it. It was where I fell in love with football.
As much as I understand moving to the Liberty brought us to where we are now and we wouldn't be without the new ground, the Liberty is where I have gradualy been falling out of love with football.
I miss the Vetch tho. Curtis and the james boys.
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God I miss the vetch on 16:01 - Jan 7 with 911 views
Like a lot of grounds that were dumps, it belonged to the fans and the fans loved it. It was where I fell in love with football.
As much as I understand moving to the Liberty brought us to where we are now and we wouldn't be without the new ground, the Liberty is where I have gradualy been falling out of love with football.
I miss the Vetch tho. Curtis and the james boys.
Probably was 30,000 then with the two for one at the turnstiles.
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God I miss the vetch on 16:08 - Jan 7 with 905 views
Over the years it became a run down dump with a capacity of around 11000 in its later years but it was our dump. My first game at the Vetch in 1971 was a Christmas division 3 league game v Aston Villa. We lost I think 2-1. I’m told there were close to 30000 there. I was only 9. What an experience it was albeit in the Double Decker behind the goal. It’s hard to believe that 30000 were packed into the Vetch probably 10000 plus in the North Bank.
I miss the atmosphere and those around where we stood, the banging of the sheets/boards on the NB , where away fans thought ir sounded like a train, Zulu comes to mind!
My first night game, not sure who it was,underneath the DD, wet green grass gleaming under the lights, smell of wintergreen, and a cloud of cigarette smoke rising from the NB .
Miss it yeah like hell, no modernisation can replace that.
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God I miss the vetch on 17:03 - Jan 7 with 864 views
God I miss the vetch on 16:52 - Jan 7 by swan65split
I miss the atmosphere and those around where we stood, the banging of the sheets/boards on the NB , where away fans thought ir sounded like a train, Zulu comes to mind!
My first night game, not sure who it was,underneath the DD, wet green grass gleaming under the lights, smell of wintergreen, and a cloud of cigarette smoke rising from the NB .
Miss it yeah like hell, no modernisation can replace that.
Standing with your mates, at the football, not a care in the world. Priceless.
A great believer in taking anything you like to wherever you want to.
God I miss the vetch on 17:03 - Jan 7 by KeithHaynes
Standing with your mates, at the football, not a care in the world. Priceless.
It was the whole thing, Keith, as you said before. On a match day going to your chosen pub where you knew mates would be. It was a ritual, it was being with mates, having a laugh without a care. As somebody else said, walking up the North bank tunnel raised the hairs on the back of your neck, specially if you were a bit late and the crowd was in full voice when you got there. When it was a big crowd making lots of noise it energised you.
Bouncing around on the North bank after we scored, unaduterated joy shared with mates. People recognising you in the street at away games and saying things like yjb and jack army to you as they passed and then in the pubs around the Vetch, it was chosen family and when names pop up on here of people who have passed away, we recognise them even if we weren't great mates.
it's why those of a certain age will largely prefer the terraces.
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God I miss the vetch on 14:03 - Jan 8 with 694 views
Stop talking shit again Football was a tribal thing back in the day between two sets ofmen most women wouldn’t be seen dead down the vetch. So be quiet
In all the old pictures I see of us there are never any woman or young kids….just blokes in their 20’s or 30’s…..no female toilets on the Bob bank aliken to the north bank I’m sure….our shiiiitest days ever 80’s/90’s but there was just something about it, edgy, police everywhere, plenty of space to move around, standing, chanting, football echo, making it home from an away game unscathed…..
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God I miss the vetch on 14:08 - Jan 8 with 689 views
God I miss the vetch on 14:03 - Jan 8 by bennytheblue
In all the old pictures I see of us there are never any woman or young kids….just blokes in their 20’s or 30’s…..no female toilets on the Bob bank aliken to the north bank I’m sure….our shiiiitest days ever 80’s/90’s but there was just something about it, edgy, police everywhere, plenty of space to move around, standing, chanting, football echo, making it home from an away game unscathed…..
Yeah, there's a song for this,
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God I miss the vetch on 15:04 - Jan 8 with 673 views
God I miss the vetch on 14:03 - Jan 8 by bennytheblue
In all the old pictures I see of us there are never any woman or young kids….just blokes in their 20’s or 30’s…..no female toilets on the Bob bank aliken to the north bank I’m sure….our shiiiitest days ever 80’s/90’s but there was just something about it, edgy, police everywhere, plenty of space to move around, standing, chanting, football echo, making it home from an away game unscathed…..
There were ladies toilets under the Ann actually, next to the burger/ pastie / Bovril trailer.
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