billc
Youth Player
Posts: 490
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Post by billc on Jan 1, 2016 11:24:39 GMT
How can the late 80s be summed up in words and phrases? Here goes. Shell suits, big hair, Spandex, Poll tax, leg warmers, Shopping Centres, Snoods, lines of Trabants waiting at a border, the Miami Vice look, Mrs Thatcher at the peak of her power, Hillsborough, Identity Cards and fans taking inflatable toys to matches.
The origin of this curious practice is usually ascribed to Manchester City supporters who carried plastic bananas after a nickname given to a player Imre Varadi who became known affectionately as “Imre Banana” by supporters. (Since that date Manchester City will have had plenty of practice to get used to the names of foreign players) The craze developed from the first appearance at a game at Plymouth in August and was taken up by other clubs; Grimsby had inflatable fish, Bury Black Puddings, Oldham dogs, West Bromwich crocodiles, West Ham (naturally hammers) and Stoke Pink Panthers. Some clubs Arsenal most notably banned supporters bringing inflatable toys to matches.
The practice came to a head at the Boxing Day game in 1988 when entertained Man City at the Victoria Ground. I have always liked Man City fans and my brothers and I bumped into a few having a pre match pint in the Cottage in Oakhill where we had an amicable chat. There were a lot of them that day with 11,000 journeyed down the M6, many carrying their giant bananas where Stoke fans took their Pink Panthers.
I gather that the Man City players came on before the start of the game to throw inflatable bananas into the crowd of their supporters who had been given the paddock area as well to accommodate their many supporters.
For Stoke John Butler and Dave Bamber making their debut s. It turned out to be an entertaining game with Stoke mounting a stirring fight back after getting among the Blues after going one behind to a Gleghorn goal.
All the Stoke goals came in a flurry in the second half with all goals scored in the space of 9 minutes. Beagrie seemed to be at the centre of everything when a near post corner led to panic in the Manchester defence with the loose ball forced home by Kamara. For the second a Beagrie cross found Kamara whose shot was poked home by Bamber who had an excellent game. He caused frequent problems to Manchester’s defence a clumsy tackle by Brian Gayle bought him down in the penalty area with Berry converting from the spot
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2016 11:37:29 GMT
Memorable game. I thought that we gave them the Butler Street stand that day. I normally sat in the Butler St. with my dad and great-uncle but we watched that match from the Stoke End Stand.
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Post by Squeekster on Jan 1, 2016 11:39:53 GMT
A certain Nigel Gleghorn scored for them i think, first thing i remember of the day (i was 18 and tee total at the time) the hundreds of them walking down Lonsdale road in fancy dress a very intimidating site and when one of their fans threw a banana at Judda and he picked it up peeled it ate it and threw the peel back into the Butler street paddock where it came from very funny.
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Post by stokefc on Jan 1, 2016 12:01:00 GMT
I didn't think we had pink panthers until after that game , my memory is abit cloudy, think I 1st saw them against Ipswich away that season but there were loads at the return fixture at maine rd where we went a goal up but still lost 2-1 ...I think  |
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Post by lordherefordsknob on Jan 1, 2016 12:20:15 GMT
One if the few times there was more away fans at the Vic than home fans.
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Post by sheikhmomo on Jan 1, 2016 13:02:40 GMT
'You can shove your fucking 'nanas up you arse'
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Post by marcofstoke on Jan 1, 2016 13:50:04 GMT
I didn't think we had pink panthers until after that game , my memory is abit cloudy, think I 1st saw them against Ipswich away that season but there were loads at the return fixture at maine rd where we went a goal up but still lost 2-1 ...I think Agreed, the pink panthers arrived after this game! Manchester City bananas were taken to a game then Varadi's name was changed to suit not the other way around |
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Post by marcofstoke on Jan 1, 2016 13:51:29 GMT
One if the few times there was more away fans at the Vic than home fans. I would say we still shaded it |
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Post by Dutchpeter on Jan 1, 2016 13:56:51 GMT
One if the few times there was more away fans at the Vic than home fans. I believe the crowd was in the region of 25,000 and they bought 11,000. So maybe not. In 38 years of support the only time an away support possibly outnumbered the home support was against Everton in early 1985. |
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Post by wizzardofdribble on Jan 1, 2016 18:38:03 GMT
One if the few times there was more away fans at the Vic than home fans. I believe the crowd was in the region of 25,000 and they bought 11,000. So maybe not. In 38 years of support the only time an away support possibly outnumbered the home support was against Everton in early 1985. But our average attendance that season was just over 8,000 Not sure how many attended that game but there were loads of Everton fans. |
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Post by milky on Jan 1, 2016 18:47:35 GMT
Remember walking away from that game and my mates and I were waxing lyrical about a certain Dave Bamber and thinking we'd got a 20 goal a season man. How wrong could we have been  |
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Post by marcofstoke on Jan 1, 2016 20:54:27 GMT
I believe the crowd was in the region of 25,000 and they bought 11,000. So maybe not. In 38 years of support the only time an away support possibly outnumbered the home support was against Everton in early 1985. But our average attendance that season was just over 8,000 Not sure how many attended that game but there were loads of Everton fans. Just over 18,000 at the Everton game |
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Post by stokemark on Jan 1, 2016 21:00:28 GMT
One if the few times there was more away fans at the Vic than home fans. Wrong - there was 24000 there that day - 11000 Man City |
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Post by johnsmithsupper on Jan 1, 2016 23:07:53 GMT
Memorable game. I thought that we gave them the Butler Street stand that day. I normally sat in the Butler St. with my dad and great-uncle but we watched that match from the Stoke End Stand. Correct |
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Post by Robo10 on Jan 1, 2016 23:52:30 GMT
I was a mere 14 but have fond and vivid memories of the day
They packed the Butler St Paddock with their bananas - fairly sure our pink panthers took off shortly after
I used to catch the bus from Biddulph to Hanley then walk down through Hanley Park to the Vic (night matches too climbing the fence) - cant imagine letting my lad do that now!
Used to sit on the fence at the front of the Boothen by that age, but it was the season I finally moved to the back inbfront of that box, used to be some mentals in there and crushed hips on the barriers!
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Post by Gods on Jan 1, 2016 23:53:51 GMT
One if the few times there was more away fans at the Vic than home fans. I believe the crowd was in the region of 25,000 and they bought 11,000. So maybe not. In 38 years of support the only time an away support possibly outnumbered the home support was against Everton in early 1985.
I remember that game like it were yesterday, We were slipping in to terminal decline and Everton were about to Lord it over English football, the blue and white f*ckers were all over the place. It was a truly troubling experience that day  |
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Post by Dutchpeter on Jan 2, 2016 4:30:21 GMT
I believe the crowd was in the region of 25,000 and they bought 11,000. So maybe not. In 38 years of support the only time an away support possibly outnumbered the home support was against Everton in early 1985.
I remember that game like it were yesterday, We were slipping in to terminal decline and Everton were about to Lord it over English football, the blue and white f*ckers were all over the place. It was a truly troubling experience that day Although Chris Maskery punching Graham Sharp in front of the sports minister was quite splendid  |
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