For anyone who is remotely interested just come across an account of the day back in 1982 against West Ham,
http://skinhead69.hubpages.com/hub/Trou ... hbury-1982
Account of the day back in 1982 v West Ham
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nbgoooner64
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nbgoooner64
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 2:02 pm
- Location: Leighton Buzzard
Interestingly I had written an account of that day.
Interestingly I had written an account of that day for a friend a week before finding the account I posted above, very similar.
Backdrop:
From 75 - 79 West ham would take the Arsenal North Bank virtually unopposed, when my cousin (West Ham fan) would visit I would remind him we beat them 6-1 he would turn round and say so what we took the North Bank. The end taking or holding your own on your patch became more important than the football and that’s what the vast majority of young English football fans from my era grew up with. West Ham had returned to first division football in 1982 after relegation a few seasons before with a gang now calling themselves the ICF famed for carrying calling cards, they had vowed to take the North bank and rumoured to have made a huge banner to unfurl with congratulations you have met the ICF once the deed was done. However the Arsenal firm were now vying for top spot and having grown to huge proportions and calling themselves the Gooners were ready.
The word amongst the Gooners was to get to the ground as early as possible and guard the entrances to the North bank and spot West ham fans or the ICF. By the time I got into the ground the mobs massed around the top of the entrances looking down at the turnstiles were massive. The ground was still empty apart from the Arsenal Firms the biggest which was on the West stand side. At approx 13:30 West Ham (ICF) started to enter the ground as predicted on the West Stand side and were easily spotted by Gooners looking down from above. The ICF formed up and made there way up the stairwell that bought you out on the corner of the North Bank (West Stand side), as they reached the top they were met by the Gooners who steamed straight into them. After some vicious exchanges the ICF backed off down the stairwell, having nowhere to go they came back fighting but where beaten back down the stairwell again. This retreating then returning into a flurry of gooner Fists continued over the next few minutes, the ICF made little progress onto the North Bank terracing. Cas Pennant (West Ham Leader) was clearly visible in a light Blue Kagool at the Front of the West Ham firm. The police managed to get between the fans but it was holding back the Gooners was their problem. The police formed a line down the side of the North Bank and attempted to shepherd the ICF down the gangway and into the enclosure in front of the west stand, as the ICF started to walk down the gangway the line of police was promptly smashed by Gooners who steamed through and attacked the ICF. The police responded by doubling the line and once again as the ICF walked down the gangway it was charged and broke several times, it did in the end hold long enough for the ICF to leave. This was the ICF`s main attack on the North Bank, it had failed.
Part 2:
Due to the sheer size of the Arsenal mob defending the North Bank that day on the West stand side, the smaller mob on the East stand side had no reason to go over and help so they stayed in position trying to spot West Ham infiltrators crossing the turnstiles on the east stand side, this turned out to be a very good decision. At Kick off and the ground now full the mob (led by Denton, Arsenal leader) on the East stand side must have guessed that any ICF infiltrators would have been in the ground by now so moved into position just under the roof between the middle and top of the North Bank. They had not long taken up this position when 200 ICF announced there presence by steaming into the scarfers in the middle of the North Bank and letting of an Orange smoke bomb (army issue) at the same time, this caused mayhem and the players were taken off the pitch as Arsenal fans had no choice but to stream on the pitch to avoid the smoke. For a few brief moments the West Ham ICF in the Arsenal North Bank were joyful believing they had had run Arsenal and taken the North Bank. The joy was short lived they were soon being engaged by the Arsenal mob who had taken up position moments earlier. Through the smoke I could see the ICF like their counterparts earlier taking a pasting and now the huge mob pushing its way through the crowd had arrived from the west stand side to join in. The ICF were being punched and kicked back up across Terrace to the top corner of the north bank were the where continually charged by the Arsenal fans. The truncheon wielding police managed to separate the two sets of fans and encircled the ICF for their own safety.
Despite numerous attempts by the Gooners to get at the ICF the police line held.
West Ham never again came to take the North Bank.
Backdrop:
From 75 - 79 West ham would take the Arsenal North Bank virtually unopposed, when my cousin (West Ham fan) would visit I would remind him we beat them 6-1 he would turn round and say so what we took the North Bank. The end taking or holding your own on your patch became more important than the football and that’s what the vast majority of young English football fans from my era grew up with. West Ham had returned to first division football in 1982 after relegation a few seasons before with a gang now calling themselves the ICF famed for carrying calling cards, they had vowed to take the North bank and rumoured to have made a huge banner to unfurl with congratulations you have met the ICF once the deed was done. However the Arsenal firm were now vying for top spot and having grown to huge proportions and calling themselves the Gooners were ready.
The word amongst the Gooners was to get to the ground as early as possible and guard the entrances to the North bank and spot West ham fans or the ICF. By the time I got into the ground the mobs massed around the top of the entrances looking down at the turnstiles were massive. The ground was still empty apart from the Arsenal Firms the biggest which was on the West stand side. At approx 13:30 West Ham (ICF) started to enter the ground as predicted on the West Stand side and were easily spotted by Gooners looking down from above. The ICF formed up and made there way up the stairwell that bought you out on the corner of the North Bank (West Stand side), as they reached the top they were met by the Gooners who steamed straight into them. After some vicious exchanges the ICF backed off down the stairwell, having nowhere to go they came back fighting but where beaten back down the stairwell again. This retreating then returning into a flurry of gooner Fists continued over the next few minutes, the ICF made little progress onto the North Bank terracing. Cas Pennant (West Ham Leader) was clearly visible in a light Blue Kagool at the Front of the West Ham firm. The police managed to get between the fans but it was holding back the Gooners was their problem. The police formed a line down the side of the North Bank and attempted to shepherd the ICF down the gangway and into the enclosure in front of the west stand, as the ICF started to walk down the gangway the line of police was promptly smashed by Gooners who steamed through and attacked the ICF. The police responded by doubling the line and once again as the ICF walked down the gangway it was charged and broke several times, it did in the end hold long enough for the ICF to leave. This was the ICF`s main attack on the North Bank, it had failed.
Part 2:
Due to the sheer size of the Arsenal mob defending the North Bank that day on the West stand side, the smaller mob on the East stand side had no reason to go over and help so they stayed in position trying to spot West Ham infiltrators crossing the turnstiles on the east stand side, this turned out to be a very good decision. At Kick off and the ground now full the mob (led by Denton, Arsenal leader) on the East stand side must have guessed that any ICF infiltrators would have been in the ground by now so moved into position just under the roof between the middle and top of the North Bank. They had not long taken up this position when 200 ICF announced there presence by steaming into the scarfers in the middle of the North Bank and letting of an Orange smoke bomb (army issue) at the same time, this caused mayhem and the players were taken off the pitch as Arsenal fans had no choice but to stream on the pitch to avoid the smoke. For a few brief moments the West Ham ICF in the Arsenal North Bank were joyful believing they had had run Arsenal and taken the North Bank. The joy was short lived they were soon being engaged by the Arsenal mob who had taken up position moments earlier. Through the smoke I could see the ICF like their counterparts earlier taking a pasting and now the huge mob pushing its way through the crowd had arrived from the west stand side to join in. The ICF were being punched and kicked back up across Terrace to the top corner of the north bank were the where continually charged by the Arsenal fans. The truncheon wielding police managed to separate the two sets of fans and encircled the ICF for their own safety.
Despite numerous attempts by the Gooners to get at the ICF the police line held.
West Ham never again came to take the North Bank.
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QuartzGooner
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nbgoooner64
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 2:02 pm
- Location: Leighton Buzzard
Spurs as well
Absolutely agree,very cowardly.
If you take my first two paragraphs and change west ham and ICF for Tottenham and **** that is exactly what happened to them as well, the next time we played them at home.
Never saw their firm ever again in the North Bank. A friend years later commented when they outnumbered us 4:1 they were up for it,
when we equaled their numbers they did not want to know.
If you take my first two paragraphs and change west ham and ICF for Tottenham and **** that is exactly what happened to them as well, the next time we played them at home.
Never saw their firm ever again in the North Bank. A friend years later commented when they outnumbered us 4:1 they were up for it,
when we equaled their numbers they did not want to know.
