|
|
Post by bristolpotter on Apr 16, 2023 19:38:14 GMT
I have somewhat hazy memories of our followings to the smoke back in the 70s as a youngster going with my old man but just had a chat about the old days and the old man reckons we had fairly healthy followings at QPR, Palace, Charlton and Millwall but meagre ones at Spurs , Chelsea, West Ham, Arsenal back then can anyone recall large followings at West Ham or Spurs back then the old man reckons we suffered a bit of London flu back then which definitely seemed to be the case during the 80s as our followings at Chelsea and West Ham were poor is he right and if so what was the reason for this?
|
|
|
|
Post by benjaminbiscuit on Apr 16, 2023 20:20:57 GMT
Can endorse greatb following at QPR over a series of years , and poor ones at Arsenal the year of durbans comments I think there was only two of us in the clock end and we still got a bit uncomfortable outside
|
|
|
|
Post by durbanscircus on Apr 17, 2023 8:04:22 GMT
I went to Orient on 27th Dec 1977 and we took 400 ish and got ambushed by Spurs at seven sisters. The I went to West Ham in the Autumn of 78, took about 500 and just about everyone got a slap. London was difficult because of its geography and for some reason we were unpopular- probably becuase we liked to dish it out at home
|
|
|
|
Post by benjaminbiscuit on Apr 17, 2023 8:15:53 GMT
I went to Orient on 27th Dec 1977 and we took 400 ish and got ambushed by Spurs at seven sisters. The I went to West Ham in the Autumn of 78, took about 500 and just about everyone got a slap. London was difficult because of its geography and for some reason we were unpopular- probably becuase we liked to dish it out at home Problem was fashion wise it was very difficult to blend in 😀 |
|
|
|
Post by durbanscircus on Apr 17, 2023 9:32:46 GMT
I went to Orient on 27th Dec 1977 and we took 400 ish and got ambushed by Spurs at seven sisters. The I went to West Ham in the Autumn of 78, took about 500 and just about everyone got a slap. London was difficult because of its geography and for some reason we were unpopular- probably becuase we liked to dish it out at home Problem was fashion wise it was very difficult to blend in 😀 All those donkey jackets with NCB on the back. Might as well have had a face painting with a sign saying "please Kick here" |
|
|
|
Post by felonious on Apr 17, 2023 9:41:01 GMT
Problem was fashion wise it was very difficult to blend in 😀 All those donkey jackets with NCB on the back. Might as well have had a face painting with a sign saying "please Kick here" Just reminded me of seeing Ken Dodd back in the day he opened up targeting someone on the front row with " That's a lovely jacket you're wearing Mr McAlpine" |
|
|
|
Post by felonious on Apr 17, 2023 9:42:43 GMT
I went to Orient on 27th Dec 1977 and we took 400 ish and got ambushed by Spurs at seven sisters. The I went to West Ham in the Autumn of 78, took about 500 and just about everyone got a slap. London was difficult because of its geography and for some reason we were unpopular- probably becuase we liked to dish it out at home Late 70s? QPR away several hundred Chelsea fans turned up after the match not a pleasant experience when you factored in the police horses. |
|
|
|
Post by Scouse on Apr 17, 2023 11:05:49 GMT
the reasons for low , sometimes frighteningly low numbers is obvious , some of it perceived , some of it real
London due to its size had a couple of additional issues ..firstly the police and segregation were well behind the times , the police often turned a blind eye or went missing entirely .. as above there was also the tendency for other clubs mobs to turnup at other smaller London clubs ..
Charlton league and league cup ( Millwall ) QPR ( Chelsea ) , Fulham ( Chelsea ) , Orient ( West Ham ) Palace ( rumoured Chelsea ) .. clubs were very active and into ambushes on the tube at the time ..even if they were away
The tube could be your friend or your deadliest enemy , you quickly learnt the tube map was a diagram and not a geographical representation of distance or necessarily the quickest route between two places .knowledge of who else was in town and were your paths might cross as well as those pursuing them was also vital .. as was how to check an underground map on a crowded platform or train without it being obvious was the key to survival ..and knowing if and where it was safer to get off the tube if things were getting iffy ..many times you just gambled .sometimes letting one train go could be your saviour or drop you in a whole heap of trouble
And of course worst of all , there was no internet to ask if London had any pubs 🤣
|
|
|
|
Post by bayernoatcake on Apr 17, 2023 12:31:25 GMT
What is "London flu"?
|
|
|
|
Post by Scouse on Apr 17, 2023 12:45:22 GMT
An excuse to swerve going a game |
|
|
|
Post by durbanscircus on Apr 17, 2023 13:22:21 GMT
the reasons for low , sometimes frighteningly low numbers is obvious , some of it perceived , some of it real London due to its size had a couple of additional issues ..firstly the police and segregation were well behind the times , the police often turned a blind eye or went missing entirely .. as above there was also the tendency for other clubs mobs to turnup at other smaller London clubs .. Charlton league and league cup ( Millwall ) QPR ( Chelsea ) , Fulham ( Chelsea ) , Orient ( West Ham ) Palace ( rumoured Chelsea ) .. clubs were very active and into ambushes on the tube at the time ..even if they were away The tube could be your friend or your deadliest enemy , you quickly learnt the tube map was a diagram and not a geographical representation of distance or necessarily the quickest route between two places .knowledge of who else was in town and were your paths might cross as well as those pursuing them was also vital .. as was how to check an underground map on a crowded platform or train without it being obvious was the key to survival ..and knowing if and where it was safer to get off the tube if things were getting iffy ..many times you just gambled .sometimes letting one train go could be your saviour or drop you in a whole heap of trouble And of course worst of all , there was no internet to ask if London had any pubs 🤣 It feels every bit - 45 years ago. London particularity has changed so much from a giant impoverished post industrial city, to being at least on the surface affluent and young. I was 14 when I went to Orient and just before my 15th at West Ham and I went with my mates. I would never let my kids do that now and they would only have been in a fraction of the danger we were in |
|
|
|
Post by NassauDave on Apr 17, 2023 13:29:03 GMT
I went to Orient on 27th Dec 1977 and we took 400 ish and got ambushed by Spurs at seven sisters. The I went to West Ham in the Autumn of 78, took about 500 and just about everyone got a slap. London was difficult because of its geography and for some reason we were unpopular- probably becuase we liked to dish it out at home I was at Orient too. Cold drive back to Stoke with windows smashed by Spurs fans. |
|
|
|
Post by durbanscircus on Apr 17, 2023 13:44:06 GMT
I went to Orient on 27th Dec 1977 and we took 400 ish and got ambushed by Spurs at seven sisters. The I went to West Ham in the Autumn of 78, took about 500 and just about everyone got a slap. London was difficult because of its geography and for some reason we were unpopular- probably becuase we liked to dish it out at home I was at Orient too. Cold drive back to Stoke with windows smashed by Spurs fans. It was snowing as well, the only thing that cheered me up was when we drew level with that Leeds coach coming back from Arsenal which had fewer windows than us and an additional two hours journey. We were all too cold to even flick the Vs....thousand yard stares everywhere |
|
|
|
Post by pavel on Apr 17, 2023 14:55:30 GMT
Can’t ever remember any great followings at West Ham, though one instance sticks in my memory. Living in London and still here I went to Upton Park , probably in the late 70,s/80’s and drove there from South London, traffic awful, nowhere to park and arrived at the turnstiles just before half time and asked for a fairly neutral seat to which the reply was, good luck. Anyway they said I should sit with Stoke ‘s southern supporters club (Monica was involved, I think), they then said you can go in free considering the time and that we were 3-0 down, it was a very quiet bunch when I joined them and it got worse, from memory I think we lost 5-0
Edit looks like it was 1982, lost 5-1
|
|
|
|
Post by march4 on Apr 17, 2023 15:52:13 GMT
Up until the late 70s, there wasn’t much segregation between opposing supporters in football grounds. I stood on the Stoke End right up until our relegation season surrounded by away fans.
Consequently, it was much more difficult determining the scale of away followings. During one of the 70s cup ties at Old Trafford, I thought my Dad and me were the only Stokies in the ground until we scored and the roar came from all 4 sides of the ground.
I have no reason to believe our followings to London were much different than they were when we were in the Prem. The only caveat I would put is that all attendances dipped in the late 70s, early 80s due to the mindless violence so often seen inside and outside of grounds. I don’t think our percentage of the total crowd size will have changed much though.
|
|
|
|
Post by leekie1959 on Apr 17, 2023 16:55:10 GMT
Q.P.R, away, think it was 75/76, good following, was on match of the day, with cameras right above us, lost 3_2, think David Webb scored the winner, we were indeed ambushed by Chelsea fans after the game, it was carnage trying to get back to the coaches.!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by march4 on Apr 17, 2023 17:02:05 GMT
Q.P.R, away, think it was 75/76, good following, was on match of the day, with cameras right above us, lost 3_2, think David Webb scored the winner, we were indeed ambushed by Chelsea fans after the game, it was carnage trying to get back to the coaches.!!! That was the game where the ball boy ran onto the pitch to place the ball for their last minute free kick. It left us unprepared for the resultant set piece and they scored. |
|
|
|
Post by stayingupforbigbazza on Apr 17, 2023 17:29:53 GMT
Q.P.R, away, think it was 75/76, good following, was on match of the day, with cameras right above us, lost 3_2, think David Webb scored the winner, we were indeed ambushed by Chelsea fans after the game, it was carnage trying to get back to the coaches.!!! That was the game where the ball boy ran onto the pitch to place the ball for their last minute free kick. It left us unprepared for the resultant set piece and they scored. Think that's the game I went to..They scored near the end .. |
|
|
|
Post by felonious on Apr 17, 2023 17:44:51 GMT
Q.P.R, away, think it was 75/76, good following, was on match of the day, with cameras right above us, lost 3_2, think David Webb scored the winner, we were indeed ambushed by Chelsea fans after the game, it was carnage trying to get back to the coaches.!!! Just checked 29th November 1975 I remember hearing Bohemian Rhapsody on the radio for the first time on the coach. |
|
|
|
Post by stayingupforbigbazza on Apr 17, 2023 17:55:57 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by march4 on Apr 17, 2023 18:49:22 GMT
|
|
insect
Youth Player
Posts: 311
|
Post by insect on Apr 17, 2023 19:55:16 GMT
I went to Orient on 27th Dec 1977 and we took 400 ish and got ambushed by Spurs at seven sisters. The I went to West Ham in the Autumn of 78, took about 500 and just about everyone got a slap. London was difficult because of its geography and for some reason we were unpopular- probably becuase we liked to dish it out at home I was at Orient too. Cold drive back to Stoke with windows smashed by Spurs fans. I was on this coach. One of them anyway. Most of our windows were put through. Remember cockney Steve being on our coach with his girlfriend. He got off about the time the windows got smashed. I presume he was heading home. What happened to cockney Steve. Anyone know ? |
|
|
|
Post by NassauDave on Apr 17, 2023 19:58:19 GMT
the reasons for low , sometimes frighteningly low numbers is obvious , some of it perceived , some of it real London due to its size had a couple of additional issues ..firstly the police and segregation were well behind the times , the police often turned a blind eye or went missing entirely .. as above there was also the tendency for other clubs mobs to turnup at other smaller London clubs .. Charlton league and league cup ( Millwall ) QPR ( Chelsea ) , Fulham ( Chelsea ) , Orient ( West Ham ) Palace ( rumoured Chelsea ) .. clubs were very active and into ambushes on the tube at the time ..even if they were away The tube could be your friend or your deadliest enemy , you quickly learnt the tube map was a diagram and not a geographical representation of distance or necessarily the quickest route between two places .knowledge of who else was in town and were your paths might cross as well as those pursuing them was also vital .. as was how to check an underground map on a crowded platform or train without it being obvious was the key to survival ..and knowing if and where it was safer to get off the tube if things were getting iffy ..many times you just gambled .sometimes letting one train go could be your saviour or drop you in a whole heap of trouble And of course worst of all , there was no internet to ask if London had any pubs 🤣 I was at the Charlton cup game. Millwall were indeed around afterwards. Millwall also showed up after a league game at Palace in the 80s. The events in the station and on the train at Norwood Junction, ( the train didn't move for around half an hour) were entertaining. The same game was my first experience seeing a knife being waved around in a football ground. |
|
|
|
Post by Scouse on Apr 17, 2023 19:58:30 GMT
I was at Orient too. Cold drive back to Stoke with windows smashed by Spurs fans. I was on this coach. One of them anyway. Most of our windows were put through. Remember cockney Steve being on our coach with his girlfriend. He got off about the time the windows got smashed. I presume he was heading home. What happened to cockney Steve. Anyone know ? Steve sadly passed away about 8 years ago |
|
|
|
Post by NassauDave on Apr 17, 2023 19:59:13 GMT
I was at Orient too. Cold drive back to Stoke with windows smashed by Spurs fans. I was on this coach. One of them anyway. Most of our windows were put through. Remember cockney Steve being on our coach with his girlfriend. He got off about the time the windows got smashed. I presume he was heading home. What happened to cockney Steve. Anyone know ? He sadly passed away. |
|
insect
Youth Player
Posts: 311
|
Post by insect on Apr 17, 2023 20:08:31 GMT
I was on this coach. One of them anyway. Most of our windows were put through. Remember cockney Steve being on our coach with his girlfriend. He got off about the time the windows got smashed. I presume he was heading home. What happened to cockney Steve. Anyone know ? Steve sadly passed away about 8 years ago Kinda feel like I do remember it been mentioned back then. I always remember him getting off the coach and just walking past spurs fans and disappearing into the distance. The window he and his partner were sitting next to was virtually one of the only ones that hadn’t been put through. I remember a lad asking if he could sit next to her as he said he was freezing ! Any idea how old he would have been and what he died of ? |
|
|
|
Post by Scouse on Apr 17, 2023 20:11:50 GMT
Orient 78/9 .. decent numbers , but West Ham in our end .. ( bottom right )
Pulled into Mile End after the game and they were there waiting ..older lot held our carriage together and they backed off .. next train 2 Stoke got stabbed
West Ham a few weeks later went in the paddock rather than the away section… same group of WH that were at Orient were in the paddock , we started near their end .. moving further and further along as kick off got nearer .. gave up around the half way end when we realised the paddock was just one huge mob .. Richardson’s late equaliser made things bowl movingly interesting in the paddock and carnage in the away end
|
|
|
|
Post by kevkj on Apr 17, 2023 20:14:19 GMT
Let's be honest it wasn't just London but a lot of big city clubs.
Liverpool,Everton,Brum,West Ham,Arsenal,Chelsea Man City,Newcastle ,Leeds bar once.
You would be lucky to find a contingent of Stoke fans together.
It was the same at Stoke mind,some teams came in numbers some didn't.
A cup game could change it mind as Liverpool away did early 80s.
Segregation changed everything.
I was also at Palace at Norbury junction and on the open end .
Likewise Charlton in the cup when wall turned up.
As for the Orient game those hammers got scuttled out around half time.They said they had missed their special to Burnley I think .
|
|
|
|
Post by longdistancekiddie on Apr 18, 2023 23:10:04 GMT
the reasons for low , sometimes frighteningly low numbers is obvious , some of it perceived , some of it real London due to its size had a couple of additional issues ..firstly the police and segregation were well behind the times , the police often turned a blind eye or went missing entirely .. as above there was also the tendency for other clubs mobs to turnup at other smaller London clubs .. Charlton league and league cup ( Millwall ) QPR ( Chelsea ) , Fulham ( Chelsea ) , Orient ( West Ham ) Palace ( rumoured Chelsea ) .. clubs were very active and into ambushes on the tube at the time ..even if they were away The tube could be your friend or your deadliest enemy , you quickly learnt the tube map was a diagram and not a geographical representation of distance or necessarily the quickest route between two places .knowledge of who else was in town and were your paths might cross as well as those pursuing them was also vital .. as was how to check an underground map on a crowded platform or train without it being obvious was the key to survival ..and knowing if and where it was safer to get off the tube if things were getting iffy ..many times you just gambled .sometimes letting one train go could be your saviour or drop you in a whole heap of trouble And of course worst of all , there was no internet to ask if London had any pubs 🤣 I was at the Charlton cup game. Millwall were indeed around afterwards. Millwall also showed up after a league game at Palace in the 80s. The events in the station and on the train at Norwood Junction, ( the train didn't move for around half an hour) were entertaining. The same game was my first experience seeing a knife being waved around in a football ground. I was at that game, night game at Charlton Big old ground where you could walk from one end to the other at half time, West Ham where there as well, |
|
|
|
Post by NassauDave on Apr 18, 2023 23:45:37 GMT
I was at the Charlton cup game. Millwall were indeed around afterwards. Millwall also showed up after a league game at Palace in the 80s. The events in the station and on the train at Norwood Junction, ( the train didn't move for around half an hour) were entertaining. The same game was my first experience seeing a knife being waved around in a football ground. I was at that game, night game at Charlton Big old ground where you could walk from one end to the other at half time, West Ham where there as well, The end behind the goal was literally a building site. At one point the shitty fence was pushed over and we walked onto the area behind the goal before getting moved back by the Mets finest. Won 3-2. Ball ache drive back with 5 of us in my old Mini Clubman. Happy days. |
|
