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Wanderers Ways. Neil Thompson 1961-2021

We Are The Lever Enders


The Spragg Dog

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Stopped going in the Manny Road in 88. My impression from a distance was that it calmed down but that the regulars were still not be trifled with right up to the end of Burnden. Certainly remember a load of Birmingham fans celebrating a goal in there and being chased out on the pitch.

Manny Road South Terrace was were I was, the brum lads were "asked" to leave politely, they thought it was full of old people and kids that day....oh dear

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Started off going with my Grandad on the Embankment...corner near the Beer hut / Burnden Paddock.

 

When he died I started going in the Lever End with my mate. I remember screaming from the Lever End to tell Gary Jones to kick the ball in the the net after Jim McDonagh the Rotherham keeper put it on down for a goal kick that never went out of play.

 

Migrated to the Embankment when the Lever End got too violent with only a thin blue line of police for segregation. The view from the top of the embankment with the cinder steps was magnificent ..really high up yet you seemed close to the action. I don't think I've ever had a better view at a footie game (although ESL is a half decent view at the Reebok)

 

When they split the embankment into two and got rid of the cinder steps, I migrated to the Burnden Paddock...half way up between the stanchion's so you had an uninterrupted view. The largest roar I heard from the paddock was Southampton in the FA Cup when we were 2-1 down pressing for an equaliser.... Scott Green racing down the right wing .... the crowd raising the roof   ...happy days.

 

This is hard to believe...I went to Burnden on my own one day...My Grandad was on holiday.....I was NINE years old...MILLWALL at home (last match of season) I caught the 45 bus to Trinity Street, walked down and watched  the game from the Embankment ...I caught the wrong bus home ....46 instead of 45 !!!!.... had to Walk from Hall'ith Wood to Bradshaw. WTF was  my Mum thinking of ...Millwall at home on my own as a nine year old ! Having said that I can't remember many Millwall fans being there ...oh we won 5-0 too !

 

 

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Villa brought a mob in 73 but they just stayed on the edge of the Lever End, they got run like fuck after the game, I caught up with one when he got lost from the main gang, he ended up on Bradford Rd in a garden hiding after five lads got him. Just give us your scarf and we will let you go and you wont get beat up. Fuck me, we were cruel them days.

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great story about the Millwall at home.

 

Unbelievable when you think

 

Aye, 1967 was my first season, I was 9, travelling to Bolton on the bus on my own. I used to wait for my Grandad outside the old Queens Cinema while he was drinking beer in "The Trotters" on Bradshawgate. He used to put me on the bus home ...no. 45 outside Trinity Street. But going to MILLWALL at home on my own at 9 years old (well nearly 10) seems surreal these days.

 

Bob Hatton played a blinder against Millwall that day. I seem to remember it was a sunny day. I think I've seen a pic in an archive (or in a book) somewhere of the Embankment crowd for that Millwall game....06 May 1967....I was probably on the pic...it was a sparse crowd 6.5K

 

First ever game was Crewe Alex in the FA Cup 1967 (Franny Lee pen), second match Arsenal in the next round (0-0).

 

I've watched a game from every part of Burnden (apart from Manny Road Wing Stand) ...but the top of the Embankment was always my fave spot .... although for the Millwall game I was pretty close to the Manny Road side of the Embankment and quite close to the front by my standards

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Only time I can remember going in Manny rd south was against Gillingham when Oldham turned up when there game was called off. About 5 or 6 Oldham lads were giving it the big UN when a couple of big lads turned up had a whisper in their ear & they left looking a bit nervous.

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My first match was on the Embankment but it looked much more interesting in the Lever End. I remember starting off at the bottom of the terrace before moving up to the top and in the middle. I've probably rubbed shoulders with a few on here. It didn't matter what the crowd was, we all congregated in one spot which created the atmosphere. I remember the Liverpool match though and the mass of flags that they brought with them, it was an impressive sight. Segregation (for when away fans did come in) was basically a thin line of police with about 2 ft between the opposing fans.

 

 

We used to call that the DMZ. One poster on this thread had a famous party trick of leaping into it, lashing out at the opposition and leaping back into our side without getting collared by plod or getting the slightest mark on his bright yellow Fred Perry or faded Lee Riders  :D

 

What was his name now? Rorke's Drift keeps coming into my mind but it isn't that  :roll:

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amazing how folk moved around all the time. I'm no different. First ever game at BP was with me granddad on th'Embankmeant as he used to call it in Dec '72. Then into Lever end and started going in the seats (MR first then BS) for a couple of seasons. There wasn't a part of Burnden that I didn't go in - perhaps the exception being MRS terrace, not sure. There were some rum owd games and it always had that intimidation factor for the biggest ones. I think I was only ever fearful there once and that's when United rocked up in the mid 70's and packed the place out. Their reputation then went everywhere. Never, and I mean NEVER, would you replicate a rocking Burnden atmosphere at the Reebok. As futuristic as it still is for a 17 year old stadium (!) it's just never ever managed to get anything going. Like a day at the library compared.

Edited by salop wanderer
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from 72-3, manny road stand with the odd wing stand game - generally the big ones, everton and sunderland

 

then burnden stand when we got promoted

 

from about 16 burnden paddock with half a dozen games in the lever end seats

 

finished off in the manny rd stand

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Embankment from first game as a 5 year old - promotion clincher against Fulham in April 78 - til 1983-84 season - with the odd Burnden Paddock thrown in for some reason - presumably when there was a big away following and we had less of the Embankment (remember a night match against Liverpool for example). Then was in Lever End til about 88. It was great that first season cos loads of lads decided to go in there but it then died a death and was like a morgue as we sank to the 4th. Paddock from 88-97. Only part of ground I never went in was the Burnden Stand.

 

I'd love to be able to turn the clock back to the last match at the old place. That was a special night.

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I remember a few games when substantial parts of the Burnden Stand joined us in the Burnden Paddock.

 

i remeber the burnden paddock joining the lever end, the corner nearest the manny road on that day we beat sheff utd

 

it was on your marks when the final whistle went

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