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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2009 19:03:19 GMT
18 years ago the brum game...Fook me.
Great game. Best ever mental I have been to. Also who was their twat of a player with blonde hair??? Was it Paul Tait...Twat
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2009 19:05:50 GMT
Id just like to add my two penneth, as it was me who lost his eye at that game on the fateful day of feb 29th. My memories of that day allthough obviously tainted and then spending the next six weeks of my life in Birmingham hospital as the doctors and nurses tried so hard to save my sight with numerous operations etc were of a really memorable day. At that time travelling away with Stoke was such an adventure for me and my mates, we had been all over England to various grounds and being 18 at the time it was such good fun to drive to a new city, have a few beers, whatever, and then catch the game. Sadly I havent been to an away match since, apart from the autoglass final, something which I hope to put right now that I am a father and to take my son. Ill never forget the merryment at half time as the brummie girls were asking their loved ones to marry them (as it was a leap year) but I have to agree about the comments about the heroic fighting that most of the stokies did that day. Coming from Chess I know some of the lads first hand and respect everyone of them, that is how we grew up in Chess and its a fact of life that some of us like a rumble more than others. I however have never been to a Stoke match looking for or creating any trouble. Ironic how it is I suppose I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and that is how I judge my injury. It could have happened anywhere. I have never ever before spoke about this time of my life publicly, always reading (especially on the old rivals website) about this incident. I can state though that even I do not know what hit me that day. No evidence was found at the time or after. It could have been a Stokie who threw the missile as the chaos that was surrounding us outside the ground that day was a war zone as re-iterated in this thread again. I would like to take this opportunity now that water has long gone under the bridge to thank everybody again for their love and support during that time and since. Especially the lads from Chess / Crackley and all from SCFC. Yep I remember half time. Paul will yow morry moy....6000 Stokie's were pissing themselves... ;D
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Post by starkiller on Apr 16, 2009 19:11:40 GMT
Id just like to add my two penneth, as it was me who lost his eye at that game on the fateful day of feb 29th. My memories of that day allthough obviously tainted and then spending the next six weeks of my life in Birmingham hospital as the doctors and nurses tried so hard to save my sight with numerous operations etc were of a really memorable day. At that time travelling away with Stoke was such an adventure for me and my mates, we had been all over England to various grounds and being 18 at the time it was such good fun to drive to a new city, have a few beers, whatever, and then catch the game. Sadly I havent been to an away match since, apart from the autoglass final, something which I hope to put right now that I am a father and to take my son. Ill never forget the merryment at half time as the brummie girls were asking their loved ones to marry them (as it was a leap year) but I have to agree about the comments about the heroic fighting that most of the stokies did that day. Coming from Chess I know some of the lads first hand and respect everyone of them, that is how we grew up in Chess and its a fact of life that some of us like a rumble more than others. I however have never been to a Stoke match looking for or creating any trouble. Ironic how it is I suppose I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and that is how I judge my injury. It could have happened anywhere. I have never ever before spoke about this time of my life publicly, always reading (especially on the old rivals website) about this incident. I can state though that even I do not know what hit me that day. No evidence was found at the time or after. It could have been a Stokie who threw the missile as the chaos that was surrounding us outside the ground that day was a war zone as re-iterated in this thread again. I would like to take this opportunity now that water has long gone under the bridge to thank everybody again for their love and support during that time and since. Especially the lads from Chess / Crackley and all from SCFC. Hope you are getting to games this season fella. Best wishes.
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Post by dozintheseventees on Apr 16, 2009 19:12:24 GMT
Sansome:
Must be a very painful memory for you mate. Those of us that were there will never forget it but all the more for you. Hope life is treating you well.
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Post by knype on Apr 16, 2009 19:14:08 GMT
Sansome: Must be a very painful memory for you mate. Those of us that were there will never forget it but all the more for you. Hope life is treating you well. Same from me....
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Post by swampySCFC on Apr 16, 2009 19:18:55 GMT
I'll add my support to that.
Your post is very poignant mate
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2009 19:19:10 GMT
Grimsby was another strange day! I can see now the faces of the Grimsby fans when the gates burst open and Stokies got onto the pitch.... That was a classic. They spent 90 mins throwing coins at us ant baiting us from the safety of their seats, then came to taunt us on the pitch and ran like f*** when the gate went !! Incidentally,can you remember when they came to the Vic later that season ? I had to laugh when I saw two Grimsby players cowering in the away end with a few scared Grimsby fans as the paddock spilled onto the pitch to show them how it should be done..
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Post by johnsmithsupper on Apr 16, 2009 19:24:54 GMT
Id just like to add my two penneth, as it was me who lost his eye at that game on the fateful day of feb 29th. My memories of that day allthough obviously tainted and then spending the next six weeks of my life in Birmingham hospital as the doctors and nurses tried so hard to save my sight with numerous operations etc were of a really memorable day. At that time travelling away with Stoke was such an adventure for me and my mates, we had been all over England to various grounds and being 18 at the time it was such good fun to drive to a new city, have a few beers, whatever, and then catch the game. Sadly I havent been to an away match since, apart from the autoglass final, something which I hope to put right now that I am a father and to take my son. Ill never forget the merryment at half time as the brummie girls were asking their loved ones to marry them (as it was a leap year) but I have to agree about the comments about the heroic fighting that most of the stokies did that day. Coming from Chess I know some of the lads first hand and respect everyone of them, that is how we grew up in Chess and its a fact of life that some of us like a rumble more than others. I however have never been to a Stoke match looking for or creating any trouble. Ironic how it is I suppose I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and that is how I judge my injury. It could have happened anywhere. I have never ever before spoke about this time of my life publicly, always reading (especially on the old rivals website) about this incident. I can state though that even I do not know what hit me that day. No evidence was found at the time or after. It could have been a Stokie who threw the missile as the chaos that was surrounding us outside the ground that day was a war zone as re-iterated in this thread again. I would like to take this opportunity now that water has long gone under the bridge to thank everybody again for their love and support during that time and since. Especially the lads from Chess / Crackley and all from SCFC. Great stuff mate, so many things that day were a shame on football. Thank god football has moved on a touch since then.
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Post by sansomonhisarse on Apr 16, 2009 19:26:46 GMT
Lifes very good thanks, and in hindsight losing 1 vision hasnt been so bad. Obviously Id rather have 2 still but you have to make the most of what youve got irrespective of what you may have lost.
I am still oh so passionate Stokie, always have been and always will, SCFC are a part of my life continually. Any Stokie knows that we are what we are and it will never change.
However I have to confess I havent beent to watch a game since we moved from the vic something that I am ashamed of but I did used to get nervous about being in large crowds after the accident. However as stated I now have a little un to indoctrinate into our religion, something that I have already started and will pursue in the future by taking him down to the ground when I think he can sit still for longer than five minutes!!!
Oh and please dont feel to sorry for me, like I say it could have happened anywhere to anyone, life is life and everyone should live theirs as best they can, no matter what cards are dealt them. We are only here once. GO ON STOKE!!!
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Post by dozintheseventees on Apr 16, 2009 19:30:21 GMT
Great attitude sansom and typical of our City and our club. Good on ya.
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Post by imallstokedup on Apr 16, 2009 19:38:53 GMT
Did anybody go the game on train and go to the pub near to the station ( miles from the ground and pretty early doors ).
There were approx 100 Stoke fans and within minutes off arriving loads of Birmingham appeared outside and tried to get in through the adjacent hotel lobby which was locked. Stools, bottles, glasses flew through the windows, the pub was trashed. Police arrived quickly to move on the Birmingham fans and to escort us across Birmingham straight into the ground.
Waste of a pint !!
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Post by CalgaryPotter on Apr 16, 2009 19:39:56 GMT
Grimsby was another strange day! I can see now the faces of the Grimsby fans when the gates burst open and Stokies got onto the pitch.... If you are on about the gate on the right hand side of the away end, it was never burst open, it was opened ;D A pile of the Blythe Bridge lads were in the seats to the right hand side and were toe to toe with them at the end of the match. As they got heavily outnumbered 3:1 we opened the gate to let em in, it just so happened that there was a flow of people coming out too. They broke on from the left hand side too, not sure how that happened. There was a big youth with long blonde permed hair who got smacked and when he got back up his head and hair were a lovely shade of claret. It was going off all day that day from the moment we got there. Birmingham - me and a friend of mine got the train down expecting to pick up tickets from their office. the tickets should have been left for us by Newcastle lads and dads according to my old fella's mate. They weren't We spent the first half behind the opposite goal getting sussed by every blue nose loon in there. There had been 20 Stoke escorted out after 5 minutes so when we asked to be moved by the stewards at half time we thought we would be good. WRONG.....stewards thought it a pisser and we were eventually saved from a beating as the police saw us being confronted by a pile of their lads. We got walked round the perimeter, we got spat at and hit on a couple of occasions and then ran across to our end. Safe enough inside the cage thank god when the end came only to be let outside into the mayhem as we tried to get back to the train. Got clubbed with a lump of wood and then spent what seemed like an eternity fighting running battles up and down that road by the waste ground. We got back to a football special train but can't remember how and it wasn't at New St. That daft bugger copper (deputy dawg ears) was on it along with a who's who of Stoke hooligans. He told us Stoke had won when they came back on and then the windows came through minutes later as we were pelted with bricks. I have to admit, the exhilaration experienced on some of those away trips was amazing.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2009 19:40:23 GMT
sansomonhisarse
For most of us there that day our luck held out , at such times 'close escapes' turn into folklore and memories to be revisited from time to time..for the majority time has dulled the real feelings and fears we faced on the day ..but we're the lucky ones.
The price you paid for being 'unlucky' was high in the extreme..but agree taking that view is probably the only way to be able to get move on and get on with your life..which it sounds that you have.
Apologies if it's brought back grim memories...or if anything's been written with apparent glibb tones
I'm sure every Stokie ,especially those that were there that day , wishes you all the best for the future and hopefully you and your son will get to that away game soon.
All the very best
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Post by Bowd1863 on Apr 16, 2009 19:41:07 GMT
I went the Reading game too. The OG was by a black bloke with a Scottish name I think. Whilst talking about similar incidents lets not forget Grimsby around the sametime. Their fans invaded the pitch and came up to the away end. Sheer weight of Stokies surging forward burst the gates open and we were all at toe to toe. Keith McPherson scored the OG I think? Black guy with a flat-top afro like the lead singer from Cameo ;D Grimsby was memorable for all the wrong reasons too, they were allowed to taunt and throw stuff at the Stokies for what seemed like an age, before the gates burst open and retribution was dished out. Hard to imagine things like that happening nowadays.
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Post by CalgaryPotter on Apr 16, 2009 19:46:32 GMT
sansomonhisarse For most of us there that day our luck held out , at such times 'close escapes' turn into folklore and memories to be revisited from time to time..for the majority time has dulled the real feelings and fears we faced on the day ..but we're the lucky ones. The price you paid for being 'unlucky' was high in the extreme..but agree taking that view is probably the only way to be able to get move on and get on with your life..which it sounds that you have. Apologies if it's brought back grim memories...or if anything's been written with apparent glibb tones I'm sure every Stokie ,especially those that were there that day , wishes you all the best for the future and hopefully you and your son will get to that away game soon. All the very best Seconded. Those days were exhilarating but only because we were lucky enough not to suffer your misfortune.
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Post by Squeekster on Apr 16, 2009 19:53:07 GMT
I certainly remember quite a few of our lot piling forward and meeting the Brums fans on the fences, looking back I was very grateful for them defending us while the rest of us moved back. Me too, these lads saved us that day.. I was there and the Brum fans all stopped on the edge of the pitch and some did come forward and they got a slap but they didn't really try to get in the away end,going out of the ground was more trouble.
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Post by sansomonhisarse on Apr 16, 2009 19:53:19 GMT
Cheers Scouse nice one and to you all
Whenever I do read about that day, like tonight and in the past, the hairs on my neck do stand up, and I do feel sad. But my sadness is mostly for my family, friends and my girlfriend (at the time) who were very upset for me. In fact me owd man and me sister went on that central tv show, I can remember watchin it on the ward, and I truly believe that the main victims of ANY crime are not only the person who has been wronged but their family and friends who live through it on their behalf.
I didnt know what the fuss was about ;-)
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Post by McLovin on Apr 16, 2009 19:56:12 GMT
I went to that game and bloody hell i shit myself ... even outside the ground i ran for my life. the worste crowd trouble i've witnessed with Stoke tbh. Did you win that ticket as well craig?
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Post by knypersleystokie on Apr 16, 2009 20:53:03 GMT
I have about 15 mins of the riot still on VHS and various news reports..But I remember CENTRAL WEEKEND that was on a Friday night, and the following week they had that poor lad who lost his eye, and his Dad in the studio with quite a number of ''Zulu's''..I remember them sitting there with their hoods up,exactly like the scum of today, and they all sounded as thick as fuxk.my memory is a little vague, but I remember the Boys Dad giving them a round of damns, they just sat there smug and laughing, I have hated the Brum Scum ever since..
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Post by slangking on Apr 16, 2009 21:03:35 GMT
I have to laugh at the people saying that Stoke fans were saved by the heroic actions of those who stopped people getting over the fences, this really is a laughable myth. I was there, these fences were massive with spikes on them, there was never any chance whatsoever of more than about 5 or 6 people getting in, and it would have been pretty stupid as they would then have been surrounded by hundreds of Stoke fans.
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Post by Davef on Apr 16, 2009 21:08:27 GMT
I have to laugh at the people saying that Stoke fans were saved by the heroic actions of those who stopped people getting over the fences, this really is a laughable myth. I was there, these fences were massive with spikes on them, there was never any chance whatsoever of more than about 5 or 6 people getting in, and it would have been pretty stupid as they would then have been surrounded by hundreds of Stoke fans. Have a look at the YouTube clip earlier in this thread. There were no fences at the front (post Hillsborough) and the Stokies at the front were raining punches in on the Birmingham fans.
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Post by Squeekster on Apr 16, 2009 21:09:09 GMT
I have to laugh at the people saying that Stoke fans were saved by the heroic actions of those who stopped people getting over the fences, this really is a laughable myth. I was there, these fences were massive with spikes on them, there was never any chance whatsoever of more than about 5 or 6 people getting in, and it would have been pretty stupid as they would then have been surrounded by hundreds of Stoke fans. I too agree with the first part but where i was stood there was no fence at all so not sure where you were.
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Post by slangking on Apr 16, 2009 21:11:50 GMT
The old memory playing tricks, but the video shows how I remember it, they never seriously tried to get in, 4 or 5 seconds of scuffles followed by one copper ushering them away.
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Post by Squeekster on Apr 16, 2009 21:11:55 GMT
I have to laugh at the people saying that Stoke fans were saved by the heroic actions of those who stopped people getting over the fences, this really is a laughable myth. I was there, these fences were massive with spikes on them, there was never any chance whatsoever of more than about 5 or 6 people getting in, and it would have been pretty stupid as they would then have been surrounded by hundreds of Stoke fans. Have a look at the YouTube clip earlier in this thread. There were no fences at the front (post Hillsborough) and the Stokies at the front were raining punches in on the Birmingham fans. Dave 99.9% of the Brummies stayed on the edge of the pitch their was the odd one or too that did run up and like you say rained on with punches(i was about six rows back as it goes today shitting me sen) getting out was by far the worst.
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Post by Huddysleftfoot on Apr 16, 2009 21:20:47 GMT
I was there and seem to remember the stoke fans being kept behind afterwards, only to be let out into the streets full of Brummies. Pretty scary stuff that walk back.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2009 21:23:12 GMT
Blues and Stoke have always been rough old places to visit, but there is a big difference, no one to my knowledege has ever lost their life at Stoke, but if I count up 4 people have died at Blues games, since 1978 ( chelsea, leeds, man u, villa) there is a pyscho element which is missing at stoke...long may that last
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Post by dazthestokie69 on Apr 16, 2009 21:29:00 GMT
i think i was 21 at the time and i remember seeing a stoke fan, a boxer but i can't remember his name at the mo, knock a brum fan right out 1st punch on the pitch and also i got cornered while having a pee outside. Managed to wiggle myself out of getting a kicking. Could of been a lot worse. Coppers and stewards were shite on the day keeping both sets of fans apart
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Post by Squeekster on Apr 16, 2009 21:29:14 GMT
Blues and Stoke have always been rough old places to visit, but there is a big difference, no one to my knowledege has ever lost their life at Stoke, but if I count up 4 people have died at Blues games, since 1978 ( chelsea, leeds, man u, villa) there is a pyscho element which is missing at stoke...long may that last If thats true mate its scary and why have they not been warned and banned for this.?
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Post by wizzardofdribble on Apr 16, 2009 21:49:44 GMT
I have to laugh at the people saying that Stoke fans were saved by the heroic actions of those who stopped people getting over the fences, this really is a laughable myth. I was there, these fences were massive with spikes on them, there was never any chance whatsoever of more than about 5 or 6 people getting in, and it would have been pretty stupid as they would then have been surrounded by hundreds of Stoke fans. I have to laugh at this post... You quite obviously weren't there mate
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2009 21:51:15 GMT
it is true Squeekster, I guess that the powers that be dont monitor these things. I remember the first one, a Chelsea fan, was thrown under a midland Red Bus, suffering massive head injuries, and for years they used to sing " squash him on the head, squash him on the head , squash him on the head with a Midland Red" The Man U fan died after a wall collapsed after fighting outside, the Leeds fan died during the riot in 1985- the day of the Bradford disaster, and the Villa fan died two years ago, tho the circumstances are not clear..also at a pre arranged fight with Wolves four years (or so ) ago a wolves fan nearly died in a fight where a Blules fan fired a home made rocket launcher
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