76 Cup Final Trouble?

[spyinthesky]

The 1976 Charity Shield game at Wembley is probably the drunkest I've seen Saints fans en masse. There were about 40,000 of us there, many with bottles and cans inside the ground, which got lobbed at the Liverpool players as they left the pitch.

 

Whereas a few months earlier Wembley had been taken over by marauding United fans, at the Charity Shield it was Saints' fans who caused most of the trouble. The 1979 League Cup Final probably had the best atmosphere of the lot though, as the majority of the crowd, including part of the Forest end, were Saints fans. The club managed to get extra allocations of tickets because a lot of the neutral sections hadn't been sold.

 

 

Agree that the Charity Shield game saw Saints fans at the game en masse

 

Also the semi final game at Highbury v Everton in 1984 saw Saints fans being a bit naughty

[Bourne Valley Saint]

One of the best days of my life. I was only 17 and didn't drink so remember it very well. I went up on a coach from Salisbury which went via Downton, Totton and Southampton. I did a lot of the away games that season and all cup matches bar Villa away in the replay. I remember as we were leaving Southampton in a convoy of coaches there was the chairman of the Southampton branch of the Man Utd supporters club waiting at a bus stop for his coach (he had been on local telly that week as a United fan in Southampton). Fair to say that he got plenty of stick as went by with hands gesticulating through the side and rear windows! We got to Wembley early and as others have said the gates weren't open so we had to wait on the steps leading up to the turnstiles. I kept my ticket in my sock because of the threat of muggings by the United mob. They were everywhere and were a nasty bunch back in those days. We were waiting on the steps in growing numbers (I was in section D9 - the ticket cost £5.00 by the way)) and every so often United would lead a charge up the steps and we would have to retreat to higher ground. Most who had got there early were either too young to drink, female or families but that didn't stop their yobs having a go. Anyway, after about half an hour of intimidation a Saints fan (I was told his name but wont mention it on here) came strolling though the United bunch at the bottom of the steps shouting "Southampton" "Southampton" and barged and shoved his way right though them and not one Utd fan laid a finger on him. His mates followed and then we all joined in with the singing and the whole atmosphere went from one of anxiety and lifted to one of "We're going to enjoy this and F**k you man Utd". And did we ever enjoy it. We had the upper tier and there were United in front of us. There was a regular barrage of missiles being chucked to and fro all game but we had the height advantage and could also see it coming whereas they couldn't (unless they weren't watching the match). The atmosphere was fantastic and Saints fans sung themselves raw and when Booby Stokes scored, well, the euphoria cannot be put into words. it was as good as it will ever get supporting Saints. Getting back to the coach was a bit dodgy but I made it OK but others weren't so fortunate. The journey home along the M3 was amazing with every footbridge filled with cheering fans and scarves all the way back to Sutton Scotney where our coach stopped at the Saddlers Arms. I phoned my mum up to collect me and take me straight back to Salisbury as I wanted to watch it all again on Match of the Day. A brilliant day and that one fan will always stick in my memory for being the catalyst to stand up to the United hooligans and enjoy the day.

[diggers]

I'm pretty sure that it was the Saints fans pelting the Liverpool players with beer cans that led Wembley to introduce the retractable tunnel canopy.

[70's Mike]

Fortunately I didnt go but understand the trip to Marseille for the away leg of the European Cup Winners Cup game in 1976 was rather 'testing'

 

VERY TRUE and being stuck on coaches no way to really defend ourselves

[Tom & Gerry]

Coming out of Wembley in 76 was more subdued and less exhuberant than you might think as there were gangs of angry United fans looking for an excuse to wade in. It was ok once you got past Basingstoke though.

Football hooligism began in the 60's. The first year we played Pompey, we had come up from the 3rd they had come down from from the 1st it was a lovely atmosphere but things began to change in subsequent years. There were far fewer restrictions on fans in those days and it was the custom of supporters at big games to parade round the ground with banners before the start. I carried one round Fratton Park. There was a lot of red shale on the path round the pitch in those days and we didn't get more than half way before the banner was destroyed and you could see the hatred in the eyes of those throwing the shale. I quickly learnt that the rivalry was not just banter.

On another occasion Saints won 3-0 at Fratton Park and after every goal kids would run on to the pitch from the Fratton End to the half way line to celebrate. By the 3rd goal some of the Pompey kids had had enough and there were fights on the pitch as the fans returned from the half way line with players having to try and break it up.

Trouble with other clubs was as a direct result of the success of the Spion Kop at Liverpool. Other clubs copied with a fervent groups of supporters gathering together to form a signing group behind one of the goals. Before this fans just paid at the turnstile and stood/ sat where they wanted and there wasn't much signing.

The problems came when both sets of supporters wanted to stand at the same end and it became more confrontational. At first it just pushing and shoving to get the best spot behind the goal but it soon escalated in to something more sinister. The first fans moving in to our area on the Milton Road were Man City in the 65/66 promotion year. There were a few skirmishes after that and I remember having tomato ketchup thrown at me by Bristol City fans that year (Channons first Game) very messy.

The next season in the Ist Division it really took off and there were frequently loadspeaker announcements that the Milton Road end would be cleared if the fighting didn't stop. It didn't much but the threat was never carried out.

Sometimes fans gathered at opposite ends but that didn't mean you were safe because at some grounds you were free to walk right round the ground if you wanted. I well remember the 6-2 and 3-2 wins at Stamford Bridge where you could see a trickle of fans leaving the the Shed end to come and confront us at the other end.

At the Dell it was more difficult and you had to wait until 10 minutes from the end when stewards would open the gates before hostilities could begin.

Gradually things got worse leading to all ticket matches, segregation, fences and the all seater stadiums we have today.

[Noodles34]

some great insights from 'back in the day', though there almost seems to be a kind of 'romanticism' attached to the troubles back then, maybe because all you got was a punch and a kick, not a stabbing etc.

[9-3]

I remember sellotaping my ticket to my leg under my jeans as we knew there would be trouble.

I remember the Man Unt fans running up the steps to get at us as we waited to get in the ground.

Many Saints fans were climbing up pillars and through barbed wire to get in the ground. No seats, so only terracing.

I was shocked to see Man Unt fans had the lower end of Wembley at 'our end'. They were throwing all sorts of stuff and trying to climb to get at us.

Why was that allowed having Man Unt in our end?

I reckoned it was 70/30 United fans to ours that day. Why was that allowed??

[Nordic Saint]

I remember sellotaping my ticket to my leg under my jeans as we knew there would be trouble.

I remember the Man Unt fans running up the steps to get at us as we waited to get in the ground.

Many Saints fans were climbing up pillars and through barbed wire to get in the ground. No seats, so only terracing.

I was shocked to see Man Unt fans had the lower end of Wembley at 'our end'. They were throwing all sorts of stuff and trying to climb to get at us.

Why was that allowed having Man Unt in our end?

I reckoned it was 70/30 United fans to ours that day. Why was that allowed??

 

One Saints fan was especially good at beating them back down with the big wooden poles in his banner. In those days, teams were allocated the upper tiers at each end while the lower tiers were for neutrals. Those neutrals usually supported the team that had that end but in 1976 about a million Man United fans wanted to be at Wembley so just about every neutral ticket in the stadium found its way into their hands, while we just had our allocation, which I think was about 26,000 in the upper tier and at the side. For that reason, I preferred the atmosphere at the semi-final at Stamford Bridge, where Saints fans had all of the Shed end, and, of course, the '79 League Cup Final, when we had the whole of one end as well as part of the lower tier of the Forest end.

[9-3]

I remember the first sign of it was when we played Man City at home 1965-65 season.

The following seasons both sets of supporters came in through Milton Road End. The away would try and stand on our 'pitch' in Milton Road. Then 'Dougal' would enter the ground with his white helmet, white coat and Dr Martens and kick the **** out of them.

Memories?

[Stud mark of doom]

Re your last question, when did football hooliganism start - I read a book about this years ago. The answer was around the time professional football started, although at that time from memory, except for derby matches there would be few away fans and the ref and away team might be in the firing line.

 

I’ve just done a quick google and found the book on google. £76 second hand! I might have to go and dig it out.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Roots-Football-Hooliganism-Sports-Studies/dp/1138777080

[OldNick]

One of the best days of my life. I was only 17 and didn't drink so remember it very well. I went up on a coach from Salisbury which went via Downton, Totton and Southampton. I did a lot of the away games that season and all cup matches bar Villa away in the replay. I remember as we were leaving Southampton in a convoy of coaches there was the chairman of the Southampton branch of the Man Utd supporters club waiting at a bus stop for his coach (he had been on local telly that week as a United fan in Southampton). Fair to say that he got plenty of stick as went by with hands gesticulating through the side and rear windows! We got to Wembley early and as others have said the gates weren't open so we had to wait on the steps leading up to the turnstiles. I kept my ticket in my sock because of the threat of muggings by the United mob. They were everywhere and were a nasty bunch back in those days. We were waiting on the steps in growing numbers (I was in section D9 - the ticket cost £5.00 by the way)) and every so often United would lead a charge up the steps and we would have to retreat to higher ground. Most who had got there early were either too young to drink, female or families but that didn't stop their yobs having a go. Anyway, after about half an hour of intimidation a Saints fan (I was told his name but wont mention it on here) came strolling though the United bunch at the bottom of the steps shouting "Southampton" "Southampton" and barged and shoved his way right though them and not one Utd fan laid a finger on him. His mates followed and then we all joined in with the singing and the whole atmosphere went from one of anxiety and lifted to one of "We're going to enjoy this and F**k you man Utd". And did we ever enjoy it. We had the upper tier and there were United in front of us. There was a regular barrage of missiles being chucked to and fro all game but we had the height advantage and could also see it coming whereas they couldn't (unless they weren't watching the match). The atmosphere was fantastic and Saints fans sung themselves raw and when Booby Stokes scored, well, the euphoria cannot be put into words. it was as good as it will ever get supporting Saints. Getting back to the coach was a bit dodgy but I made it OK but others weren't so fortunate. The journey home along the M3 was amazing with every footbridge filled with cheering fans and scarves all the way back to Sutton Scotney where our coach stopped at the Saddlers Arms. I phoned my mum up to collect me and take me straight back to Salisbury as I wanted to watch it all again on Match of the Day. A brilliant day and that one fan will always stick in my memory for being the catalyst to stand up to the United hooligans and enjoy the day.

I think he was on one of the first coaches to arrive at Wembley. My brother was on the coach. The coach when it arrived was swarmed by Utd fans and nobody would get out, until he just got up and walked through the lot of them. He is well known and really got ********