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Post by kevkj on Apr 5, 2011 11:54:22 GMT
Just been reading about 61 people being injured at a Stoke Leeds game in 1970 when a crash barrier failed. Fighting Stoke fans pouured down on leeds supporters. I have never heard about this,from what i can gather it was on the Boothen end not the Stoke End. Ive heard before that away fans used the Boothen end in the 60s .Is this true? Anyone attend this game.
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Post by chad on Apr 5, 2011 12:13:35 GMT
Yes I was there.Definately the Boothen End. Well before segregation it was often that the bigger clubs followings got in the ground first and took the space behind the goal. It was then up to the home fans arriving later to take there own space back. This happened that day and Stoke fans got behaind the Leeds fans and surged forward crushing the ones at the front against a barrier. The barrier broke and it was very lucky that no one was more seriously hurt.
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Post by stokiefromalad on Apr 5, 2011 12:13:38 GMT
I went the game,a 1-1 draw if I recall correctly. I was in the Stoke End. If I remember you had to be over 16 to get in the Boothen in those days as the hooligan "cult" started to take root. A few clubs always used to go in the Boothen in those days, Shit, Chelsea, Wolves, Citeh, Everton, Liverpool, West Ham and on this occasion ,Leeds.
Just after this away fans were then made to use the Stoke end unless they wanted a serious fight by which time Spurs started to have a serious away support and regularly paid a "visit" to the Boothen as did West Ham. The "billy big bollocks" Citeh fans often got a seroius kicking when they came in. The funniest one was a few Arsehole fans at the start of 81-82 came in and were escorted out for their safety via the Boothen Paddock. There were loads of Paddock boys giving the gooners plenty of hot tea on their heads to wear.
Going back to the Leeds incident it was followed about nine months later with the Ibrox tragedy!
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Post by ken wins goals on Apr 5, 2011 12:48:02 GMT
that was west ham mate 81 82 smacked the big black lad with afro hair .walked behind them all the way from station.queued with them to get in boothen.
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Post by stokeny on Apr 5, 2011 12:54:18 GMT
I remember it , I was only eight at the time and I was sitting on the paddock wall behind the advertising hoardings. I remember injured people sitting all around the peri track being attended to by St John's or the police. I have a feeling the game carried on but could be wrong. I remember when we got home my gran was fretting because it had been on the news, and my grandad must've forgotten his mobile
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2011 13:01:59 GMT
I think this is the reason why a section of the Boothen towards to bottom behind the goal was sectioned off for a couple of years
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Post by stokeny on Apr 5, 2011 13:03:28 GMT
Because i remember it please can I have some tickets for Wembley
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Post by Gods on Apr 5, 2011 13:24:15 GMT
I was only a kid but it was quite scary in those days.
People used to actually hit one another rather than dance around behind lines of stewards and police waving their arms around and holding video cameras in the air.
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Post by stokhe on Apr 5, 2011 15:39:47 GMT
my brother broke his collarbone in this incident
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Post by choppyc on Apr 5, 2011 16:16:45 GMT
I became mates with someone who it turns out was an Arsenal face back in the day ... That 81-82 incident he told me about years ago and was for once strangely corroborated by the opposing Arsenal fans there that day , he told it "Stoke that day gave us the biggest kicking ever ,fists ,boots and tea flying everywhere " LOL
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Post by gonk on Apr 5, 2011 16:33:41 GMT
As said by Stokiefromalad and chad in those days you would get other fans in the Boothen most would get run out before kick off but the likes of Chelsea[not like the puffs that support them now]Liverpool and a few more took a bit more removing.You would have to get both sides of them and some of the real hard men would infiltrate there ranks then with the cry of oh all together,oh all together and it would all kick off.The day of the Leeds match I think it had been bubbling up all day with the Leeds fans had bricked the wharf tavern before the match and this was a bit of a revenge mission.
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Post by offthewall on Apr 5, 2011 18:39:44 GMT
I became mates with someone who it turns out was an Arsenal face back in the day ... That 81-82 incident he told me about years ago and was for once strangely corroborated by the opposing Arsenal fans there that day , he told it "Stoke that day gave us the biggest kicking ever ,fists ,boots and tea flying everywhere " LOL We were the right side I think the Gooners name was Denton and he became a minder for...... wait for it.......... The Pet Shop Boys ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2011 18:49:21 GMT
Bear ' Denton ' died in Moscow in a car crash couple of years back , fairly sure it was him that walked along the back of the Boothen circa 80's.
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Post by swampySCFC on Apr 5, 2011 18:54:24 GMT
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Post by digger on Apr 5, 2011 18:56:55 GMT
denton ran the door at the worlds end pub camden
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Post by Squeekster on Apr 5, 2011 19:02:46 GMT
So they turn one of Europes biggest hooligans into some kind of modern day hero. Arsenal hey!
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Post by fentonstokie1 on Apr 5, 2011 21:29:34 GMT
Just been reading about 61 people being injured at a Stoke Leeds game in 1970 when a crash barrier failed. Fighting Stoke fans pouured down on leeds supporters. I have never heard about this,from what i can gather it was on the Boothen end not the Stoke End. Ive heard before that away fans used the Boothen end in the 60s .Is this true? Anyone attend this game. I was against the barrier and was buried up to my chest by people falling on me when it went, I lay there for what seemed like minutes hardly able to breath I can still remember it as though it happened yesterday. Luckily I was pulled free and just suffered bruises from being trampled on.
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Post by Gods on Apr 5, 2011 21:36:18 GMT
So they turn one of Europes biggest hooligans into some kind of modern day hero. Arsenal hey! Best bit is Lee Dixon turned up for the funeral
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Post by steve66 on Apr 5, 2011 22:33:52 GMT
Kevkj, yes definetly The Boothen End that this incident occurred, I was towards the front of Boothen at the time and yes away supporters would be allowed to all area's of stadia in those day's, when I first started going we enjoyed talking to the followers of other club's, unfortunately the tribalism soon materialised and for some season's the away "mob" would generally congregate to the right of the Boothen [at the back as you faced the pitch] and the police set up a no go zone between them and home support, missile throwing would occur throughout the match with each set of "fan's" trying to get at each other,must make it clear at this point that I was in no way involved in these activities! Stokefromalad I can never remember an age limit being imposed from when I started going in '66 or maybe I was just lucky
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Post by njkk on Apr 5, 2011 23:48:11 GMT
Can't remember being at the game, but remember that it was after this game that they made the Boothen over 16s only, because my dad had a right barny with the bloke on the turnstile because he refused to let me in, he got me in though.
Regarding the cordoned off area behind the Boothen goal, that was something to do with trying to stop people lobbing stuff at the opposing goalkeepers, wasn't just at Stoke though, I'm sure they had it at Leeds,Spurs and Old Trafford
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Post by scfc1863 on Apr 6, 2011 0:09:04 GMT
This incident also gave rise to the famous 'Ooh watch the barriers, Ooh watch the barriers' chant that carried on for a few years thereafter.
Times were very different back then, I remember Chelsea being very clever after one match at Stoke. Stoke lads had seen a small group of Chelsea lads (about 10 young un's) halfway along Selwyn Street (back of the Stoke end)as they passed by on Lonsdale Road. The Chelsea lads started singing so the mob of some 50 odd Stokies ran down at them, the Chelsea lads taunted the Stokies and then turned and ran around the the corner into Butler Street where the the 'hard' lads (Headhunters?)where waiting (about 30 of 'em). The younger Stokies were now in hot pursuit, they ran around the corner into Butler Street straight into the ambush....Wallop,it was total carnage, the Stokies took a right belting, me included! Ahh... halcyon days!!
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Post by withnall on Apr 6, 2011 0:46:56 GMT
I was at the match as well, but was in the Stoke End. It just looked like normal shennanigans from where i was, but when i got home after the match the folks were relieved i was in one piece. Most of the away fans used to stand on the Stoke End, roughly in the center, and there was always good banter, with the odd boot or two, untill about the time of this incident, when it seemed to get a bit more vicious. The following season i started going in the Boothen (alone) and i was 13 then, so the age limit thing wasn't very well imposed, although they did search everyone going in.
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Post by hanibal7 on Apr 6, 2011 3:30:02 GMT
I thought the age of 16 was enforced after the big kick off against Mancity.Got arrested and was fighting in the cop van,then in the police station,with man shitty fans.I remember there were about 40 man c fans that got sent to a& emergency with different ijuries,was a right ruck in the boothen,i was about 16 i think,so i could still get in after this incident
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Post by steve66 on Apr 6, 2011 12:41:24 GMT
njkk, they had turnstiles at the Boothen for under 16's to use but I cannot recall there ever being any under 16 not allowed in,these turnstiles were towards the Trent canal end of Boothen.
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Post by stokhe on Apr 6, 2011 14:28:39 GMT
njkk, they had turnstiles at the Boothen for under 16's to use but I cannot recall there ever being any under 16 not allowed in,these turnstiles were towards the Trent canal end of Boothen. correct,,,i dont know where this over 16s only bollocks has come from
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2011 18:50:35 GMT
There was a huge thread on the old Oatcake site relating to who had ever taken the Boothen- we came down to three West Ham, Leeds and Man untd al before 1971 l- the latter because they turned up and packed it out before any one else could get in. I didnt go till 1972 and after that no one took it and in truth only attempts by Spurs (every year in the 70s) West Ham, Man U Wolves (one year 75?) and Man City- no one else Chelsae only came in when we played United- as back up
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Post by barryboothen on Apr 6, 2011 19:41:22 GMT
8-)Yes the Leeds fans were crushed and the barrier gave way a few had to spend time in N.Staffs infirmary and were photographed, which appeared on the Sentinels front page....Leeds skinheads with black eyes and bruises smiling from their hospital beds. This was revenge for the torrid time Stoke fans had to endure earlier on in that season at Elland Road.......to make matters worse Dennis Smith equalised from a wonderful run and cross from Terry Conroy in the 94th minute and a huge mob of Leeds were waiting outside,no Police protection in those days,you had to use your wits to survive.Stoke were well outnumbered so decided to split up and tagged on to the older Leeds fans so it looked like we with them.When we got back to the bus which was parked in between a mass of Leeds bus's it was really going off a load of Stoke fans were throwing bricks at a mass of Leeds fans,the police finally arrived and everybody was shepered back on the bus,the Police Officer in charge said we were the worst fans to visit Leeds.........it was a cold journey home over the M62 moors because our back window had been put thro'......was anyone on that bus.
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Post by AlliG on Apr 6, 2011 21:32:37 GMT
Stoke did decide not to allow under 16s in the Boothen End the season after the barrier collapsed.
In the end rather than physically stop under 16s going in, they just charged everyone full price.
So, for example, for the 1972/73 season, it was 40p + 20p for Juniors in the Stoke End and 50p for everyone in The Boothen End.
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Apr 6, 2011 21:40:57 GMT
My first ever game on the Boothen End and I definately hadnt reached 16!
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Post by steve66 on Apr 7, 2011 11:18:31 GMT
While we are in the Boothen who nicked scarfs back in those day's! We used to as kid's go to the very back and squeezed behind the stancion and Boothen facade draping our scarve's over said stancion [best view in the ground for us then] then scallywag's would run past and swipe 'em,this also used to occur where the drop down barrier's were too [ie where the collapse happened], ah yes those were the day's!
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