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What was your first experience of football violence/crowd disturbance. and did that first experience have an effect on you.....not being involved, but as a by stander.
The first was at home to glasgow rangers, pre season friendly in 1969, as an 11 year old it was pretty hairy, and although not very violent in the ground, the atmosphere was intense. outside though plenty of trouble, in later years i've learnt that west ham and tottenham fans were there for trouble. it did have an immediate effect, one terrified but excited the same time, but that was when i was nearly home after.....just to add, 3 of us all 11 year olds went to the game on our own, from sutton esteate off north pole road.
First away experience was at leeds in 1973, 2-2 draw. we went by football special, 400 on the train in all, in them days everyone was a target, wearing your colours or getting caught out by your accent. we had trouble at the turnstiles before the game, no segregation, and lots of leeds fans in what we now call the away end. coming out was even worse, hundreds of leeds fans waiting outside to pick you off, and a few did get caught out and beaten up....thank god for the green buses back to the train station.
Football Violence. on 19:19 - Nov 18 by welwynranger
You always had to be careful where you parked. In the early 70s my mate drove to Bristol City parked near the ground. Don Givens scored twice in a 2-1 win. We got back to the car to find the 2 front tyres slashed. Because a Rs scarf had been left on the back seat. So instead of getting home about 8o'clock we finally got home about 1am sunday morning.
I was in the Leeds end (west stand) for our FA Cup game there in 1987. First and last time I’ll ever go there.
Someone I knew went up in a minibus and a scarf had also been left on a seat. All the windows were smashed in and a journey back south that should have taken a few hours took the whole night as a bitterly cold day meant they couldn’t do more than about 30mph.
When I went to away games I never wore any colours or took scarves etc. Just not worth the aggro. If I got asked anything by a local I just said I’m not interested in football and was just visiting a friend. Saved me on a couple of occasions.
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Football Violence. on 21:24 - Nov 18 with 6481 views
I was in the Leeds end (west stand) for our FA Cup game there in 1987. First and last time I’ll ever go there.
Someone I knew went up in a minibus and a scarf had also been left on a seat. All the windows were smashed in and a journey back south that should have taken a few hours took the whole night as a bitterly cold day meant they couldn’t do more than about 30mph.
When I went to away games I never wore any colours or took scarves etc. Just not worth the aggro. If I got asked anything by a local I just said I’m not interested in football and was just visiting a friend. Saved me on a couple of occasions.
Yes, that was some day, sure I went by coach but most vivid memories were it being maybe Leeds biggest game for a number of years, Mel Sterland (think he may have just been capped), a large crowd on a bank watching the game and
Sure we were in the Upper Tier when half a dozen Leeds who infiltrated then called it on and got whacked + chased out in full view of 30,000 Leeds who promptly went banzai,
Only other recollection was a Copper's hat flying as they fought to repel the Leeds trying to get to us - Lead Copper said don't move till we've got this under control - I was thinking, no worries, I can wait!
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Football Violence. on 21:42 - Nov 18 with 6462 views
Football Violence. on 19:42 - Nov 18 by welwynranger
Yea i put it on here about 3 ago.
Forgive my ignorance, as I didn't go to the Barnet game as my mother banned me from attending away night fixtures as I was too young, but why would other firms from London clubs gang up on QPR fans in 1973?
We were surely not as hated as Millwall, West Ham and Chelsea and we had not played those teams much prior to 1973 to generate much of a rivalry with them or Arsenal/Spurs? In fact in those days I thought a lot of fans from other clubs saw us as their second favourite team in the 70's so I find this puzzling.
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Football Violence. on 21:54 - Nov 18 with 6431 views
Football Violence. on 21:42 - Nov 18 by ManinBlack
Forgive my ignorance, as I didn't go to the Barnet game as my mother banned me from attending away night fixtures as I was too young, but why would other firms from London clubs gang up on QPR fans in 1973?
We were surely not as hated as Millwall, West Ham and Chelsea and we had not played those teams much prior to 1973 to generate much of a rivalry with them or Arsenal/Spurs? In fact in those days I thought a lot of fans from other clubs saw us as their second favourite team in the 70's so I find this puzzling.
the only game in london that night, and fans liked to go to matches especially if you could pay on the door. it was'nt the case of have a dig at qpr, more of protecting a little sister, being barnet.
My nightmares are filled with mid 70's monsters in steel toe cap boots and donkey jackets with ICI (Middlesbrough) and the Coal Board (Derby) emblazoned on the backs charging down SAR like a horde of Orcs
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Football Violence. on 11:22 - Nov 19 with 6129 views
Football Violence. on 11:22 - Nov 19 by rrrspricey
Any Dartford v Gravesend and Northfleet (now Ebsfleet Utd) game in the late 70s/early 80s.
As well as kicking off pre and post match, literally 90 minutes of fights breaking out during it.
I must have been in the right/wrong place at Rangers over the years as I have no memories of anything particularly heavy - mainly loads of "after you Claude" and lots of posturing (not saying it didn't happen). Now Hayes FC (we're Hayes, not Yeading, we'll kick your feckin 'heads in) was a very different proposition mainly when the FA Cup came to Church Road and also away games. The only place I have ever been video monitored (every fan filmed on entry) was at Northampton Town in a cup replay match - people turning up in big mobs right throughout the match.
Did I ever mention that I was in Minder?
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Football Violence. on 11:41 - Nov 19 with 6095 views
A northern mate told me Tow Law Town games were legendary. Any one banned from St James Park, Roker Park, or Ayresome Park would convene at a Tow Law Town game in the Northern Premier Coal-Shaft League (or whatever it was called) at Ironworks Road and all hell would break loose. He said more than once when the ball went out of play for a throw, rather than get on with the game, the players would spectate the action in the crowd.
Fascinating bit of forgotten history is the Battle of Barnet stuff btw.
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Football Violence. on 11:55 - Nov 19 with 6076 views
I must have been in the right/wrong place at Rangers over the years as I have no memories of anything particularly heavy - mainly loads of "after you Claude" and lots of posturing (not saying it didn't happen). Now Hayes FC (we're Hayes, not Yeading, we'll kick your feckin 'heads in) was a very different proposition mainly when the FA Cup came to Church Road and also away games. The only place I have ever been video monitored (every fan filmed on entry) was at Northampton Town in a cup replay match - people turning up in big mobs right throughout the match.
3 times i've seen hayes.
once at fulham.....remember a bit of trouble once at brentford, where i think they played cardiff, quite a bit of trouble.
and us at hayes and yeading in a pre season friendly 2018.....lovely day all round, probably hottest day of the year, but we lost 1-0.....well it was the u23's. england played in the quarter finals that day i think, we had to rush back to the premier in to catch ko.
Was at those Millwall (home and away) and Luton cup games.
The Millwall one I remember well. Big, noisy away following but no trouble in the ground until half time when it kicked off in about 5 different parts of the ground at the same time, seemed to be co-ordinated. We won 2-1 and they got their goal near the end. It was like they'd won the world cup, they went mental, on the pitch etc. It carried on outside after and a bunch of them ran onto the platform at White City (I was luckily on the other platform) just slapping anyone that happened to be there, I remember them chanting "bush whackers" which I think was one of their firms.
The away leg at the old Den was scary. I was expecting at least 1500 Rangers to be there as would be the norm for a midweek away game in that part of London at the time. People must have been put off by the fighting at our ground as probably 200 max QPR were in the old away corner terrace up against a sizeable home crowd. Rangers then played a ultra defensive 90 minutes to get a 0-0 featuring endless back passing etc and winding up the home fans a treat. It took ages to get them all out of the ground after the game as they were intent on hanging around to have a go at us. Very glad to get on a train out of there.
The Luton one was unpleasant. Got in the ground to hear stories that two QPR had been stabbed before the game. The away terrace was next to a Luton section and coins were flying during the game. We lost to an own goal and then had to get back to the station afterwards. Tense is not the word. I was on my own and along came a group of maybe 100-150 QPR clearly looking for revenge but with Police following them to make sure they got to the station and on a train back to London. I decided my safest option was to tag along with them. There were a few bottles flying outside the station as a bunch of Luton appeared but the police made sure we were herded onto the train.
By far the worst violence I've seen though was at Chelsea when they got relegated in a playoff v Boro in the 80s. It was the early days of the playoffs where a top flight team would play sides from the second division. Chelsea had lost 2-0 at Boro but 40,000 turned up to see them try and turn it around. They won 1-0 but it wasn't enough and they were relegated. I was in the Boro end among maybe 5,000 or so away fans, only there to see the scum go down! After the game they wanted to get to the Boro fans but couldn't cross the 3 mile gap between the pitch and the away end due to police blocking them off. So they then turned on the police. In particular it absolutely kicked off in the benches to the right of the away end and took a long time to restore order and get the home fans away before we were finally let out. It only added to the joy of them going down to see them so angry!
first trouble i saw was wreham away early 80s think andy king scored the winner early on , was at the station after waiting for the train back to london and the police werent the most friendly anyways one drew his a batton out and whacked the guy across the head split t it open , claret everywhere , the guy who go hit turned out to be in later life one of my best mates to this day ,
the boro vchelsea game i was at along with other Rs fans but we went into the shed that day think walker scored the winner as well which made the chelsea fans even more upset , the group of Rs i was with were struggling to keep straight faces as they lost the plot at the end , we made a sharp exit trying not to give the game away
first trouble i saw was wreham away early 80s think andy king scored the winner early on , was at the station after waiting for the train back to london and the police werent the most friendly anyways one drew his a batton out and whacked the guy across the head split t it open , claret everywhere , the guy who go hit turned out to be in later life one of my best mates to this day ,
the boro vchelsea game i was at along with other Rs fans but we went into the shed that day think walker scored the winner as well which made the chelsea fans even more upset , the group of Rs i was with were struggling to keep straight faces as they lost the plot at the end , we made a sharp exit trying not to give the game away
The Boro v Chelsea game.
Two things I think I remember, It was reported that Chelsea stewards were laying into the Boro away fans.
And it was shown in some cinemas, where, of course, it kicked off.
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Football Violence. on 16:13 - Nov 19 with 5826 views
first trouble i saw was wreham away early 80s think andy king scored the winner early on , was at the station after waiting for the train back to london and the police werent the most friendly anyways one drew his a batton out and whacked the guy across the head split t it open , claret everywhere , the guy who go hit turned out to be in later life one of my best mates to this day ,
the boro vchelsea game i was at along with other Rs fans but we went into the shed that day think walker scored the winner as well which made the chelsea fans even more upset , the group of Rs i was with were struggling to keep straight faces as they lost the plot at the end , we made a sharp exit trying not to give the game away
I went in the shed twice for qpr games with my Chelshite work mate.The 1-1 draw when speedie went in goal and the milk cup game,but we had to leave at 0-0 to get to work at Waterloo.I’d loved to have seen those 2 extra time goals go in live. My brother was in the home end when Ray Jones scored the winner at Southampton and he had to stifle a laugh or two.
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Football Violence. on 17:08 - Nov 19 with 5778 views
When we've played there, I've been in the home end at; Chelsea (1-1) Arsenal (3-0) Man Utd (3-1) Leeds (2-1) Charlton (1-1) Spurs (0-0) West Ham, twice (2-2 [the Clive Allen goals] and 2-1, I think)
Can't say I really enjoyed any of them but not once did we win so that saved me from potentially giving the game away by being the only one leaving the stand with a big grin.
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Football Violence. on 17:23 - Nov 19 with 5746 views
I seem to remember QPR playing at Wimbledon the same day West Ham were at Chelsea.
Earls Court station District line platforms were a tad lively around 5.45pm.
Yep, I remember that one. Was in a QPR shirt on the tube after the game, pulling into the station to a scene of absolute carnage, running battles everywhere, people flying on and off the tube. My mate, who was not in colours, sloped off and left me. To be honest they weren't interested in us.
Also remember the Palace quarter final as an 11 year old in the lower Paddock. That was a bit lively.
[Post edited 19 Nov 2020 17:27]
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Football Violence. on 20:03 - Nov 19 with 5615 views
Football Violence. on 11:22 - Nov 19 by rrrspricey
Any Dartford v Gravesend and Northfleet (now Ebsfleet Utd) game in the late 70s/early 80s.
As well as kicking off pre and post match, literally 90 minutes of fights breaking out during it.
Wembley v Dartford - FA Cup 6th Qualifying or something, maybe 1975. Me and a half a dozen of the local urchins decided to walk over to Vale Farm, cheer on the Lions in what was their best ever run in the competition. Blow me down but there’s buses of south east London types pulling into the car park and, they’ve been drinking. The Dartford occupied the covered terrace opposite the stand and we, not fancying our chances, stood below that stand with a big group of middle aged men. Anyway, good atmosphere, bit of singing, bit of banter and a 0 - 0 ht scoreline, which is when things started to go belly up. One of their followers throws a football on the pitch and fifty or so decided to have an impromptu match of their own. There’s muttering around me and I look over my shoulder to see Kev Parker and a goodly sized group of ‘the Wembley’ glowering at the antics, aforesaid Parker and one one his mates then step off the terrace and inform some of the oppo that there’ll be a chat after the match, the two or three coppers in attendance not going to be an impediment to the proposed straightener. Final whistle, Wembley goes down 1 - 0, then the Dartford started to go down, windows of their coaches go in and all sorts of merry mayhem until reinforcements arrive from Wembley Police Station. Incredibly, only arrest was a Dartford fan who couldn’t keep his mouth shut.
Wembley v Dartford - FA Cup 6th Qualifying or something, maybe 1975. Me and a half a dozen of the local urchins decided to walk over to Vale Farm, cheer on the Lions in what was their best ever run in the competition. Blow me down but there’s buses of south east London types pulling into the car park and, they’ve been drinking. The Dartford occupied the covered terrace opposite the stand and we, not fancying our chances, stood below that stand with a big group of middle aged men. Anyway, good atmosphere, bit of singing, bit of banter and a 0 - 0 ht scoreline, which is when things started to go belly up. One of their followers throws a football on the pitch and fifty or so decided to have an impromptu match of their own. There’s muttering around me and I look over my shoulder to see Kev Parker and a goodly sized group of ‘the Wembley’ glowering at the antics, aforesaid Parker and one one his mates then step off the terrace and inform some of the oppo that there’ll be a chat after the match, the two or three coppers in attendance not going to be an impediment to the proposed straightener. Final whistle, Wembley goes down 1 - 0, then the Dartford started to go down, windows of their coaches go in and all sorts of merry mayhem until reinforcements arrive from Wembley Police Station. Incredibly, only arrest was a Dartford fan who couldn’t keep his mouth shut.
[Post edited 19 Nov 2020 20:04]
Bugger my charlies, I went to this game! Dartford won it in injury time. That and the fact Dartford brought a large following are the two things I reca.
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Football Violence. on 22:50 - Nov 19 with 5438 views
Bugger my charlies, I went to this game! Dartford won it in injury time. That and the fact Dartford brought a large following are the two things I reca.
Under a thousand in attendance if I remember correctly. No problems until the crowd were leaving, the first punch’s thrown by the Village Inn regulars as Dartford walked out of the ground, escalating on the dirt parking to the right toward the old Wasps stadium. We’d been to the previous rounds fixture away at Dunstable where a posse of Luton tried to have a go at our bus, the older gents told them to piss off, which they did.
Football Violence. on 15:53 - Nov 19 by izlingtonhoop
The Boro v Chelsea game.
Two things I think I remember, It was reported that Chelsea stewards were laying into the Boro away fans.
And it was shown in some cinemas, where, of course, it kicked off.
Could have happened but I didn't see it. I was in the away end and from memory the Chelsea lot didn't manage to get particularly close, although I was up the back approx 5 miles from the pitch. Not for the want of trying though!
I'd been to the Bridge a few times before but never seen a big crowd or any kind of decent atmosphere there. That day was different, big away following and I think over 40,000 in total. Was a bloody awful ground back then.
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Football Violence. on 13:36 - Nov 20 with 5108 views
When I was about 15, queuing up at Carrow Road with then teenagers Justin and John Fashanu, for Norwich vs Man U. Lots of mouthy Mancs roaming around giving people agg. But they took one look at the brothers and decided to give them a wide berth.
100% of people who drink water will die.
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Football Violence. on 15:22 - Nov 20 with 5030 views
who was at this one. no mobiles to phone home to say you were going to be an hour late, and the rest.....
I was there but I don't recall it being violent, quite the opposite.
Polices & horses were there to keep order and I think it all passed off OK.
QPR fans in the west paddocks got moved into the Loft so the West Ham fans could go into there. I think there were even pockets of hammers in the loft but it was all quite good natured. I think that as this was still relatively soon after Heysel and Hillsborough, people were actually being civil for a change.
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Football Violence. on 15:33 - Nov 20 with 5000 views
I was there but I don't recall it being violent, quite the opposite.
Polices & horses were there to keep order and I think it all passed off OK.
QPR fans in the west paddocks got moved into the Loft so the West Ham fans could go into there. I think there were even pockets of hammers in the loft but it was all quite good natured. I think that as this was still relatively soon after Heysel and Hillsborough, people were actually being civil for a change.
Pre Hillsborough, but another occasion to thank our lucky stars that we never had fences. I think the horse manure-related entertainment calmed everyone down.
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