The Saints matchday experience now compared to 1962

[Thedelldays]

I honestly can't remember my first Saints game, although my first memory is the 9-3 defeat of Wolves.

Then came the First Division and to ensure I got a spot where I could see me and the old man used to start queueing at 12.30 for 3pm kick-offs.

I only have to close my eyes and the memories return, some of them pretty random.

My abiding memories of winter games were cold feet. The concrete terraces were cold places, and my feet would be frozen numb. I could generally guage how cold by how far we got up Milton Road and turning on to Bedford Place before the pins and needles signalled the return of the flow of blood. Berkeley Road meant not too bad, Holt Road, meant quite cold, St Anne's School was perishing, while the old Pizza Pan restaurant was Captain Oates territory.

I remember not looking when Ron (or was it Terry Paine) took the penalty against Nottingham Forest which ensured our survival in that first top flight season.

I recall Bobby Stokes scoring on his debut against Burnley on an Easter Monday.

The only time me and the old man left a game early was when we got soaked to the bone at a game against Leicester. Saints were 4-1 down and we were halfway up Milton Road when we heard a roar and concluded that Saints had snatched another consolation, only to discover later we had missed Peter Shilton's goal (Campbell Forsyth blamed the hard painted lines of the 18-yard box for the bounce that took the ball over his head.

We always stood at the Milton Road end of the East Stand, where my old man could chew the fat with his fellow dockers.

I began at the front, right by the wall, but as I got older and taller, worked my way back to a cursh barrier.

When it came to getting out up those narrow stairways, my old man would boost me up so I could scramble my way on to the roof of the tea bar and over the low wall at the top of the stairs. I also have a clear memory of how crowded and packed the streets around The Dell were as the crowd poured away.

As I got older, I stopped going with the old man and when I started to play on Saturday afternoons he continued to go on his own. He rarely used to pay to get in as all the gate stewards were dockers who liked my dad (he was a foreman in the docks) and would open the gate to let him in.

When I was a kid he loved taking me to football, and I loved going with him. When he got older I was able to return the compliment and take him to games.

My dad died three years ago and I miss the old bugger every day. As Blokes, we don't really feel comfortable talking about our relationship with our fathers.

At the risk of sounding all Nick Hornby, it's only as you get older that you realise the special bond between father and son and how important a role football can have in sparking and nurturing that bond.

nice read

[Weston Saint]

I started going in 1967, so a little later that the original poster (Ian that is not Duncan)

 

A group of us would walk from Weston Estate to town via the floating bridge and have a few pints in the Bay Tree pub. Yes there was plenty of underage drinking then.

 

Then it was off to the ground entering the Milton Road end for a good pre match chanting. The away supporters were in the Archers Road end although there was nothing to stop them coming in the Milton Road end and often many did for good natured banter.

 

Big John McGrath would always be last out on the pitch, a ritual of his, covered in liniment oil that we could all smell. The Albion Band were still about then as well.

 

One memory was in 1970 or there abouts when we played Newcastle in the Fairs Cup. We had managed to draw 0-0 away if I remember correctly but only drew 1-1 at the Dell and went out on away goal rules. Bitterly disappointed on the way home over the Chapel railway bridge I jumped to swing on the metal bar over the top, slipped and cracked my head on the metal. It was not until the following day I realised I had forgotten everything from coming out of the ground until I woke up the following day! Never did recover that few hours but unfortunately it did not include the game!

[Thedelldays]

when did proper fan segregation come about...could you see it coming before hand..?

[Weston Saint]

Most of the trouble in those days was outside of the ground before or particularly after the match.

 

It was bad enough though as I remember best behaved supporter competitions being run by the League. We were always near or at the top of he competition and would chant "we're the best behaved supporters in the land" so I assume soon after the early 70's but cannot really remember as work stopped me going after 1971 until I retired and we were relegated from the Premier.

Edited 3 December, 2012 by Weston Saint

[Graffito]

 

Big John McGrath would always be last out on the pitch, a ritual of his, covered in liniment oil that we could all smell.

 

 

Just before kick off he would roll up his shorts as far as they would go, like you would roll up your sleeves to start work.

[Graffito]

when did proper fan segregation come about...could you see it coming before hand..?

 

Yes you could see it coming. I recall an occasion, probably the early seventies, when Saints played Chelsea. A Chelsea mob in the Milton. No segregation and no trouble until the final whistle when all hell broke loose. It just wasn't safe for the ordinary supporter and something had to be done.

[Badger]

Just before kick off he would roll up his shorts as far as they would go, like you would roll up your sleeves to start work.

 

He'd come charging out of the players entrance like that, a good 30 seconds after the last member of the team. That and Eric Martin's throwing the ball over to the corner flag, for a steward* to catch in a sack are outstanding memories of the pre-match warm up. No run about for twenty minutes then going back off to reappear as they do now, and no 'huddle'. Christ suggest a pre-match bloke cuddle to McGrath or Gabriel and they'd probably flatten you !

 

*steward, as someone has already pinted out would be in a lab coat, probably flat cap etc.