billc
Youth Player
Posts: 495
|
Post by billc on Sept 1, 2015 8:50:41 GMT
Just about the first memory I have involved the Stoke End at the Victoria Ground. It was a vast and intimidating arena. I am probably about 4 and I am wandering around the terraces with a bucket. The match has been over some time before. I am collecting cigarette butts. You see my Grandmother has bought a Rizzler Fag making machine and she needed a regular supply of snout and that is why I am collecting fag ends on the terraces. I am not sure what possibly contaminated salvia from Scouser, Mackem or Brummie (as we played Liverpool, Sunderland and Villa that season) Martha ingested in 1959-60 although it seems not to have done her any harm as she lived to be nearly 90. Still, she was happy smoking all this buckshee tobacco and I was willing to help. I recall being awed by the size of the Stadium and it turned out to be an early introduction to the trials and tribulations of being a Stoke fan.
|
|
|
Post by bathstoke on Sept 1, 2015 9:00:41 GMT
Strange thread, What sort of response are you looking for!?!
|
|
billc
Youth Player
Posts: 495
|
Post by billc on Sept 1, 2015 9:09:19 GMT
Why not? Its about memories and recollections as much as anything else
|
|
|
Post by trickydicky73 on Sept 1, 2015 9:09:50 GMT
Strange thread, What sort of response are you looking for!?! I don't know, but I was gripped for a minute!
|
|
|
Post by tijuanabrass on Sept 1, 2015 9:13:57 GMT
Good on you, billc. Were your little mittens stained from the tar and nicotine?
|
|
|
Post by Mr_DaftBurger on Sept 1, 2015 9:15:01 GMT
The old Stoke end was massive! Going to the bog was an Everest like expedition for a young un!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2015 9:18:47 GMT
|
|
billc
Youth Player
Posts: 495
|
Post by billc on Sept 1, 2015 9:45:41 GMT
Up to 10 I lived in Lytton Street which was about half a mile from the ground. In the 62-3 season you could hear the roar of the crowd which I guess was around 40,000 in the bigger games and especially as promotion became a closer prospect. As kids, and innocently there was no malice intended, we offered to look after spectators cars that parked in the street.
The purpose of beginning this thread is that I am writing a book ( I have written a couple already). The subject will be part autobiography and part social commentary, a sort of social history of Stoke from 1960-2000. I was born in 1955 and the first game I went to was as a 6 year old in March 1962 a 0-0 draw against Swansea Town I have written about 30,000 words already with the intention of publishing in time for the Stoke Literary Festival next summer. A provisional title for it will be "At the Stoke End" hence the bit above which I am toying with as the introductory paragraph. My wife thinks its a good opener.
I will also drop into the book memories of games that I went to during this period such as the Matthews Testimonial in 65, the Leeds game in 74, the 4-0 defeat at Wigan in 1991 etc as well as the games of less consequence such as a 1-1 draw against Spurs in 69, the white boots of Alan Ball in an Easter game in 1970 but for some reason stick in my memory.
I have chatted to one or two people about their memories. For instance I work at a Supermarket in Leek and was chatting to a customer about getting an autograph from Peter Dobing after one 60s game. Dobing signed while smoking a pipe. I like these stories it helps to give the narrative a better bounce.
To answer bathstoke as fully as I can, that's the reasoning
|
|
|
Post by JoeinOz on Sept 1, 2015 9:49:23 GMT
Just about the first memory I have involved the Stoke End at the Victoria Ground. It was a vast and intimidating arena. I am probably about 4 and I am wandering around the terraces with a bucket. The match has been over some time before. I am collecting cigarette butts. You see my Grandmother has bought a Rizzler Fag making machine and she needed a regular supply of snout and that is why I am collecting fag ends on the terraces. I am not sure what possibly contaminated salvia from Scouser, Mackem or Brummie (as we played Liverpool, Sunderland and Villa that season) Martha ingested in 1959-60 although it seems not to have done her any harm as she lived to be nearly 90. Still, she was happy smoking all this buckshee tobacco and I was willing to help. I recall being awed by the size of the Stadium and it turned out to be an early introduction to the trials and tribulations of being a Stoke fan. Did the bucket get filled after every home game? How long did the dog ends last her?
|
|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on Sept 1, 2015 10:00:12 GMT
It was massive and it was a flipping trek to the toilets if you had little legs. I've always wondered when exactly its name changed in usage from the Town end? I remember owd guys still calling it that when I first went. Added to the mystique, I suppose. Confused me.
|
|
|
Post by JoeinOz on Sept 1, 2015 10:04:20 GMT
It was massive and it was a flipping trek to the toilets if you had little legs. I've always wondered when exactly its name changed in usage from the Town end? I remember owd guys still calling it that when I first went. Added to the mystique, I suppose. Confused me. I remember it being called the Town End. I thought they just made it up.
|
|
|
Post by tijuanabrass on Sept 1, 2015 10:05:24 GMT
According to many of the veterans on here the 40k crowds were a myth created by the post war governments to trick the city into thinking there was more tickets left in the ration book after the rest had been spent on a single square or ovaltine flavoured chocolate. Also, kick off was at 3.07pm every second Saturday . This was so the pottery workers had the time to traverse the minefield of white dog poo littering the streets outside the stadium.
|
|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on Sept 1, 2015 10:12:30 GMT
According to many of the veterans on here the 40k crowds were a myth created by the post war governments to trick the city into thinking there was more tickets left in the ration book after the rest had been spent on a single square or ovaltine flavoured chocolate. Also, kick off was at 3.07pm every second Saturday . This was so the pottery workers had the time to traverse the minefield of white dog poo littering the streets outside the stadium. I believe UKIP are campaigning to bring white dog poo back.
|
|
|
Post by JoeinOz on Sept 1, 2015 10:17:11 GMT
According to many of the veterans on here the 40k crowds were a myth created by the post war governments to trick the city into thinking there was more tickets left in the ration book after the rest had been spent on a single square or ovaltine flavoured chocolate. Also, kick off was at 3.07pm every second Saturday . This was so the pottery workers had the time to traverse the minefield of white dog poo littering the streets outside the stadium. I believe UKIP are campaigning to bring white dog poo back. And fish and chips wrapped in newspaper so you eat ink and lead.
|
|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on Sept 1, 2015 10:21:08 GMT
I believe UKIP are campaigning to bring white dog poo back. And fish and chips wrapped in newspaper so you eat ink and lead. ... and polio. They liked those little mannequin collection dolls you used to see outside tobacconists.
|
|
|
Post by JoeinOz on Sept 1, 2015 10:35:42 GMT
And fish and chips wrapped in newspaper so you eat ink and lead. ... and polio. They liked those little mannequin collection dolls you used to see outside tobacconists. And Dundee biscuits you used to get in the cake shop down Stoke
|
|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on Sept 1, 2015 10:40:15 GMT
... and polio. They liked those little mannequin collection dolls you used to see outside tobacconists. And Dundee biscuits you used to get in the cake shop down Stoke And the black and white minstrels. Part of our cultural heritage apparently.
|
|
|
Post by JoeinOz on Sept 1, 2015 10:43:54 GMT
And Dundee biscuits you used to get in the cake shop down Stoke And the black and white minstrels. Part of our cultural heritage apparently. Well, er....
|
|
|
Post by roostershair on Sept 1, 2015 11:03:16 GMT
Can't remember what year but Mickey Pejic was marking Dennis Tuert(in more ways than one) Anyway, everytime he tried to go past Pej, our lad would grab his shirt and pull him back. This went on for ages until Tuert could take no more. He took his shirt off and mouthed "Have the fucking thing!" Pejic took it, put the sleeve under his boot, ripped it in half and threw it in the Paddock!!!! Brilliant stuff. Another memory is having sheep on the play area in close season.
|
|
|
Post by terrorofturfmoor on Sept 1, 2015 11:04:26 GMT
Walking down with my dad and always looking out for the TV transmitter to see if we were on Match of the Day or Star Soccer (MotD were different in those days, everything wasn't just based around the premiership......it featured Matches of the Day from all divisions).... Then walking into the Boothen Stand (could never understand why it was called that as a kid cuz it was all seated ) and having the smell of pipe tobacco hit your nostrils!!! I used to wait in the concourse and stand in awe as the players walked past coming from the gym!!!
|
|
|
Post by norman conquest on Sept 1, 2015 11:15:55 GMT
Loved the old town end, specialy when a big away following had been as i used to also collect items thrown away such as embassy coupons, and green shield stamp coupons in fact any coupons that were discarded, we,d also tread on ciggy packets carefully and most of the time we,d find the odd packet with some in, graduated to the boothen but never had the same success, it was also 10p dearer in the boothen, presumably because it had a roof.
|
|
|
Post by terrorofturfmoor on Sept 1, 2015 11:16:20 GMT
... and polio. They liked those little mannequin collection dolls you used to see outside tobacconists. And Dundee biscuits you used to get in the cake shop down Stoke Used to love Dundee biscuits, but they didn't half make you out of breath if you were walking and eating them!!!
|
|
billc
Youth Player
Posts: 495
|
Post by billc on Sept 1, 2015 19:10:16 GMT
On reflection the cheapness would have been a consideration as far as my Dad was concerned in terms of always going to the Stoke End. We always went to the Stoke End. On one occasion, it must have been Easter 1979 we were standing among a lot of Newcastle United supporters. It was General Election time and we ended up handing out "Vote Labour" to the Geordies. I think the game ended up 0-0
|
|
|
Post by owdestokie on Sept 1, 2015 20:21:47 GMT
Can't remember what year but Mickey Pejic was marking Dennis Tuert(in more ways than one) Anyway, everytime he tried to go past Pej, our lad would grab his shirt and pull him back. This went on for ages until Tuert could take no more. He took his shirt off and mouthed "Have the fucking thing!" Pejic took it, put the sleeve under his boot, ripped it in half and threw it in the Paddock!!!! Brilliant stuff. Another memory is having sheep on the play area in close season. I remember the incident as if it was yesterday ????
|
|
|
Post by owdestokie on Sept 1, 2015 20:25:09 GMT
Who can remember the ball marks on the walls opposite the toilets in the Boothen End where they must have trained at times.......and what about the toilets on the Boothen End which never changed from 61ish until we moved to the Brit
|
|
|
Post by dudnostokie on Sept 1, 2015 20:33:50 GMT
As we're posting memories, here's one of my favourites. My old man used to take me and my childhood mate to the games when we were around 9-10 years old (about 15 years ago), we're at Wrexham away with our Scampy Fries sitting on the top of the back of the seats (we were too small to see when sat normally). The atmosphere was pretty decent and my welsh mate went a bit sheepish when the Stokies start chanting "Sheep Sh*ggers" at them, anyway we end up scoring and the mental that ensued was awesome, me and my mate jump up and fall backwards over the chairs, before I can even think about being hurt I'm picked up by the biggest f*cking Stokie I have ever seen and I'm lobbed back and forth between four rows before being put gently where I was found, I didn't care if I was hurt or not, we just kept jumping about. My mate was made an honorary Stokie and we had some awesome times watching Stoke together, none quite as awesome as that though
|
|
|
Post by jonnynico on Sept 1, 2015 20:49:27 GMT
Not sure but was the back of the stoke end like a cinder hill in the 1950's. Memory not too good now.
|
|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on Sept 1, 2015 20:55:10 GMT
Not sure but was the back of the stoke end like a cinder hill in the 1950's. Memory not too good now. A massive heaped shardruck with individual sets of concrete steps set into it going up at the back and concrete terracing set in at the front.
|
|
|
Post by Skankmonkey on Sept 1, 2015 20:57:39 GMT
Who can remember the ball marks on the walls opposite the toilets in the Boothen End where they must have trained at times.......and what about the toilets on the Boothen End which never changed from 61ish until we moved to the Brit ... and smelled like they hadn't beem cleaned since then either!
|
|
|
Post by harryburrows on Sept 1, 2015 20:58:05 GMT
Always went in the Stoke end , had 10 minutes to run back to work in station road and hopefully beat the pitched battles along glebe St and the cemetery
|
|