Old gits terrace legends

stats · Post by **stats** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 8:47 pm

[quote="MK Gould"]Remember the guy(s) who managed to move around even the most packed North bank, selling bags of peanuts? And what about the Metropolitan Police band, with Constable Alex Morgan (think that was his name!)./quote]

Them days were meant to come back for the last season (the peanuts)
Then at the Wigan match as we know the band came back

Anyone got any stories from Copenhagen 2000?

nuttygoonerpaul · Post by **nuttygoonerpaul** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 8:48 pm

denton was a gooner through and through , kids looked up to him , he was number 1 gooner then . denton was our leader.

charliegeorgewhocanhitem · Tue Jul 24, 2007 9:12 pm

Football specials, what a great thing they were. I remember my first one, a half return from Euston to Lime St, Liverpool in 1973 for the princely sum of Â£1.50, no that's not a typo, it was Â£1.50, honest. And to top it all, we won 2-0 away to the scouse that day, I can still remember Alan Ball's penalty in front of the kop and Johnny Radford's run from the half way line for the second. I also remember me and my mate having to slink past a really pissed off, evil looking scouser at the back of the Anfield Rd End on the way out. I remember countless other football special trips in the 70s when we were allowed to get on with crates of beer then get shunted up a siding for an hour for no apparent reason with no heating on a freezing day in winter and the carriages getting smashed up. Then in the late 70s early 80s they kind of civilised the footy specials with "travel clubs" where you had to be a member to use the trains and were only allowed to take two cans of beer aboard. I think the ladies in red selling the tickets at stations were in the travel club days. I also remember being on one of our travel club trains going to Manchester and stopping at Crewe and five minutes later a Chelsea train on it's way to Liverpool pulled in on the very next track, as you might expect a few "words" were exchanged between the two trains

MK Gould · Post by **MK Gould** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 10:05 pm

charliegeorgewhocanhitem wrote:I remember countless other football special trips in the 70s when we were allowed to get on with crates of beer then get shunted up a siding for an hour for no apparent reason with no heating on a freezing day in winter and the carriages getting smashed up.

That brings back some memories. And sometimes the lights wouldn't work either! Fond memories of the transport police warning us to pull the shutters down when we passed somewhere notorious for throwing bricks through windows. Also, many times getting back into Euston or St Pancras late on a Saturday night - to find Cockney Reds or Millwall waiting for us! Still, we normally outnumbered them!

Never once saw us win at Anfield though. Been up many times, but closest was a 0-0 midweek draw in the League Cup (we lost 0-3 in extra time - and little scallies outside were throwing rocks in at us!). Nice!

I was lucky enough to get a job with British Rail, so upgraded to intercity in the early 80's - some interesting characters on there, and (for good or bad) it meant that you weren't escorted to the ground once at the other end!!

Wrexham Gooner · Post by **Wrexham Gooner** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 12:22 am

nuttygoonerpaul wrote: sorry boys i was there, run from west ham sorry never

Sad to say it mate but that day many did. Also that was the day a gooner was stabbed to death at Arsenal Underground.
I ended up on the left of the North Bank out in the corner thanks to the old Bill, and when we scored a few us went up only to realise that we were among loads of West Ham.
Fortunatley they'd had enough .... we hadn't.
Another memory was a 2-1 win away at the Hammers in probably the same season maybe 1981 not sure. I think it was Tony Adams debut, where Johnny Hollins talked him through the match (he also scored the winning penalty). I remember the racist abuse of Chris White and Paul Davis I think with many bananas in evidence.
That day we were separated from the the West Ham boys by a high security ..... ribbon!!! Needless to say it was a tasty time.

MK Gould · Post by **MK Gould** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 12:23 am

I've just noticed that KRC Genk are in the 2nd qualifying round of the Champions League, so are one of our possible opponents in the 3rd round. Never heard of them? They were formed as recently as 1988 as part of a merger between Waterschei Thor and........... Winterslag (see earlier in this thread)!!

Wrexham Gooner · Post by **Wrexham Gooner** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 12:26 am

Forgot to mention does anyone remember when Villa won the league at Highbury in 81 and tried to celebrate on the pitch and we wouldn't let them?

Wrexham Gooner · Post by **Wrexham Gooner** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 12:42 am

While I'm at it going to places like Norwich, Ipswich, Brighton and Palace was always a laugh in the early 80's. They all thought they were really hard but the first sight of a gooner had them scurrying for the hills. They were great days because we used to make a weekend of it - particularly Brighton. The girls there couldn't get enough of us... was it that gay even then?
I always used to enjoy going away to Villa, Everton and Liverpool ... they were very wary of us... Just sing we're the Clockend and that would be enough. Places like Middlesbrough, Leeds and Newcastle could be a bit scary in those days.... we could afford coats and they couldn't. And I'm not joking... these Bu**ers would chase you for your coat.
Best away possibly 5-0 Spurs in 78? or 1-0 Juve in the Stadio Communale in 1980. God bless Paul Vaessen. ....

MK Gould · Post by **MK Gould** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 12:34 pm

This thread is bringing back some memories!

Villa - they started to come on the pitch, but the North Bank emptied in seconds and before you knew it, gooners were on the edge of the 6 yard box on the clock end. We'd beaten them (2-0?) but Ipswich lost at Boro, so they still won the league!

Do you also remember an away game at Villa in the League Cup. One of those (like Bolton - 1-1 draw - & Boro 1-4 defeat in the FA Cup) where EVERYONE decides to go. Think we had the end, plus half the side. It was mental. Must have been getting on for 15000 gooners up there. We drew, but lost the replay (or maybe it was 2nd leg) at home.

Boro - could be scary, yes. But remember one time walking back to the station following their crew - who were following our escorted crew. We got back to the station, even buying chips on way back, and as soon as we were safe launched into "who to, who to be.....". Should have seen their faces!

West Ham - I knew some of their boys, so we used to drink in the Boyleyn. It still didn't stop some of their mates wanting to have a go at us though - although they stopped short. One year I recall that we were separated by a fence in the terrace, but bizarrely it was mixed down below. We'd met up with the West Ham "mates" again, and one of their guys (who was a decent amateur boxer) gave a black Arsenal fan a real pasting in the loo. It was sickening - and I just looked on feeling powerless to help. Sorry, if you reading this & hope you understand my predicament!

Ipswich - remember drinking in the pub across the road from the ground. I've never seen a pub so packed with gooners. It was getting wrecked but they just seemed happy with the takings over the bar. I remember at one stage sitting on the low roof and some people were ripping tiles off. Then I think there was a fire. One of those days!

Lastly - do any of you old guys remember the trick we played on Palace (& the police) one time at Highbury, the year after they had the cheek to "take" the Northbank. I'd mentioned it elsewhere on here, but no-one seemed to remember it so I'm starting to think it was just my imagination. Has to have been the classiest football fan stings of all time.....!

daz10_uk · Post by **daz10_uk** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 2:26 pm

Does anyone remember the bloke who used to stand in the north bank in the late 80's who used to shout "MOOSEHEAD" Who was he? i never did see his face

stats · Post by **stats** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 2:34 pm

I love these stories guys
It's nice to know the days i never was around at Highbury etc

U.F.G Anfield '89 · Post by **U.F.G Anfield '89** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 3:19 pm

all years before my time i'm afraid, always interesting to hear all the old stories though. the peanut sellers thing rang a bell though, but when they weren't in the ground anymore, the old guy who stood outside the northbank just shouting PEANUTS.

donaldo · Post by **donaldo** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 3:42 pm

West Ham never "took" the North Bank they just used to get in to the ground at 1pm before the Arsenal fans arrived. I rememeber in 1977 v West Ham at about 2.30 pm the back of the North Back was full of West Ham when all of a sudden a gap appeared in the crowd.It was Jenkins leading about 200 gooners straight into the West Ham fans.Talk about shit themselves within 30 seconds the West Ham fans were in the corner of the North Bank trying to get out. Jenkins never ran from no one. Legend 30 years later.

jesper arnsbjerg · Post by **jesper arnsbjerg** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 5:35 pm

Sorry Guys
I known you want some more athmosphere, but I don`t see any reason to rate Holigans as legends.

Behave yourselves

All_Arsenal_1886 · Post by **All_Arsenal_1886** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 5:45 pm

Does anyone know Lee Wood he used to sit in the North Bank then the West stand in Highbury now sits near me at The Grove