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Wanderers Ways. Neil Thompson 1961-2021

Trouble on the terraces


BoltonBoy80

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15 hours ago, burnden said:

Love for you to put some meat on the bones of these tales Bolty , i was only a nipper them days .

Might not be wise S. Besides the fact you never know who is looking and what old files might still be open, there's the odd mouthy fucker on here who would have been running away back in the day who would now be quick to point out anything which might be construed as self promotional.

Better to be self deprecating or remain quiet on this front methinks. Any talk only in generalities and not specifics.

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8 hours ago, Roger_Dubuis said:

We played Leeds in the League Cup in 1977, so they came over in 3 consecutive seasons.It went off down Manchester Road and on the forecourt at the League Cup tie and as you say in the ground in 78/79.I remember Leeds throwing a smoke bomb into the Paddock as well as the  bricks.

When they came in 79/80 there were quite a few smoke bombs. Neil McNab and Brian Flynn were sent off for fighting and I recall the acrid smell of smoke bombs all around while that incident was underway.

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5 hours ago, bolty58 said:

This in not accurate. Can't remember the season but there were masses of us. We were in the paddock below the main stand - earlier we'd completely taken over the local pub (Ninian Arms - Brains Ales I think?) to a point so packed you could hardly breathe never mind buy a drink. Then all the windows came in and it was on. Cardiff scattered when the pub emptied.

One other memory from that game, a really good looking blonde bird (Sun page 3 type material) came up the steps in the main stand behind us to a chorus of wolf whistles. She took it really well and smiled and waved until one big pissed up twat shouted out loudly (just at one of those weird quiet moments) "Show us yer pissflaps!". She quickly disappeared back down the steps. Cringeworthy.

Big mob of us the Saturday before the Blackburn promotion night.... I was only 15 but I seem to remember them waiting outside after the game and getting scattered when we piled out. 

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7 hours ago, leigh white said:

After the bit of a mauling at the hands of Chelsea in 76, we had an home game the following week against Forest, they also came down in numbers. The after match was planned to perfection, a mob of Bolton chased them up the Manny rd and an even bigger mob was waiting on the corner of Trinity St, it was like lambs to the slaughter.

Was that the season they put in the fence down middle of the lever end? My next door neighbour had about 10 stitches as he was hit by a flying roof tile, never seen so many projectiles at that forest game it was utterly brutal, think West Brom game was similar, stupid idea giving away fans half the lever end, that policy did not last long. 

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That visit off Chelsea early 80s, Maybe 81 left a lasting impression on just how fookin smart and sharp dressed they were.  We played Arsenal away in cup around that time and there was no segregation on the old clock end them days, thousands of cool, fleek, on point geezers just mixing in with a few northern scruffs.

Think this opened our eyes and it was 83 at least before we started to get organized.

 

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In the early 70's the police just didn't have a clue how to handle the increasing levels violence on the terraces, often they just had a thin blue line of coppers to separate the two sets of warring fans.

By the mid/late 70's proper segregation was in place and the holding back of away supporters after the final whistle was commonplace.

I always found the holding back of away supporters to be counter productive. At Old Trafford when we beat Man U 1-2 in 1978 we were held back for about 15-20 mins, this just gave Man U time to organise large mobs of cowardly knobs, who simply waited in the streets to ambush small groups of jubilant exiting Bolton fans.

It was fucking carnage outside OT that night.

 

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4 minutes ago, Whitestar said:

That visit off Chelsea early 80s, Maybe 81 left a lasting impression on just how fookin smart and sharp dressed they were.  We played Arsenal away in cup around that time and there was no segregation on the old clock end them days, thousands of cool, fleek, on point geezers just mixing in with a few northern scruffs.

Think this opened our eyes and it was 83 at least before we started to get organized.

 

I remember wearing a Viga top in around 83 ish (I as only 12), and one of the big lads saying summat like " ney lad, you want to get rid rid of that and buy some decent gear", I couldn't help looking hi up and down wishing I could afford the adidas, never mind the rest of the gear. Took me a whole summer of paper rounds, milk rounds and gardening, only to find out the stuff I bough for the season was laready out of date heheh. You lads really caused an impression amongst us younger lot. Now don't get all weepy guys, but we really looked up to you guys, and proud as well

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9 hours ago, bolty58 said:

Would that be the famous "Ere, who threw that facking caaan?' game?

Yes .First game I went to were ALL the home support under 21 were skinheads .We had a lad with us who had close cropped hair denims doc martins etc.He got the most attention as it was'nt quite the right gear & his head wasnt shaven.

We started on their Rookery end but got chased off as their numbers swelled.

As the game wore on we were being picked off one  or two at time .

At half time we decided to get back to the Rookery where at least we could defend ourselves properly & give them some back.We were jam in the sandwich as we were being hammered on both sides although we managed to stay near the top of the terrace.We were flagging bigtime when one of theirs launched a serated coke can (thicker guage metal in those days) which flew over all our heads & stuck in the face of a lanky Watford skin on the other side of the melee.As he pulled the can with blood spouting out he ushered the famous words "who threw that facking can !" which soon after was incorporated into the Molly Malone chant.

This incident gave a tiring Bolton contingent a bit of umph & we managed to stay put .

Regrettably getting back to the station in one group was not achieved & many got a proper kicking .

Nobody watched the game 0-0 draw.

At the station the train stopped to let the Bolton team (only)  on .We under the direction of the king JB managed to hide in a siding shed at the end of the platform & then jib on at the front end of train when it pulled in with the railway police & dogs in hot pursuit.

Eventful day etched in the memory.

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10 hours ago, bolty58 said:

 

Seem to recall it started for me downstairs at The Trotters (nowt new there then!). A few had come in and said they'd seen a big mob arriving and they were going straight to the ground. Instant adrenaline rush as we knew they'd try to take the Lever End. Sink the last pint (and probably the last 8 ball) and off on our toes with a few tasty lads in tow. Not sure if you and D latched on C?

A bit like the Hull City match, a good number of Bolton waiting down the steps at the St. Peters Way side for sufficient numbers to move them. Wouldn't have been more than a couple of minutes after we got in that the charge was on. Fair play, they ran at us as we launched at them (most others who attempted to take the Lever legged it when they saw the army of ants flooding up the steps) but it was a gallant but foolish attempt as they quickly got turned and seconds later were trying anything they could to escape at the Manny Road end. Clicker gates whirring like fuck, trying to kick wooden gates down, scaling walls. A few game ones tried to put up a fight but that did not end well for them. Stabbings, brickings or just smashed to a pulp. One of the bloodiest and most vicious I ever saw at Burnden. Ruthless and relentless that day our lot.

Not even sure why. We'd had other similar skirmishes where a few kickings and punches were delivered and then it was just laughing at them running away. This one was different. Not sure if it was the fact they were cocky enough to run at us in the first place or if there'd be some history from an away match (which I couldn't recall). Whatever it was, I wouldn't have backed anyone to take on the Bolton mob that day. 

Definitely followed their lot from the station as police escorted them away from trouble spots , us kids including your D and a few other lads with older brothers Dodgers younger brother P amongst them had fun picking off any of their younger lads on route and then the main mob were at Burnden to welcome them. Bedlam ensued. 

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3 hours ago, Mounts Kipper said:

Was that the season they put in the fence down middle of the lever end? My next door neighbour had about 10 stitches as he was hit by a flying roof tile, never seen so many projectiles at that forest game it was utterly brutal, think West Brom game was similar, stupid idea giving away fans half the lever end, that policy did not last long. 

I've got a memory that the Forest game, the first of very few with a shared Great Lever End, was November 5th or very close to it. I recall the bangers and rockets being fired over 

12 hours ago, miamiwhite said:

Numbers wise, Leeds 82/83.....coach after coach after coach of pissed up fellas with taches who wanted a brawl. We had no chance numbers wise 

Fellas with taches? I'm guessing you're a bit younger than me (I'm 58) so 82/83 we'd be mid to late teens. It's surprising how "blokes with taches just seem 'harder' than normal. I was the same at the time with lads with tattoos. Ooh, don't fuck with him, he's got tattoos! 

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3 minutes ago, MickyD said:

I've got a memory that the Forest game, the first of very few with a shared Great Lever End, was November 5th or very close to it. I recall the bangers and rockets being fired over 

Fellas with taches? I'm guessing you're a bit younger than me (I'm 58) so 82/83 we'd be mid to late teens. It's surprising how "blokes with taches just seem 'harder' than normal. I was the same at the time with lads with tattoos. Ooh, don't fuck with him, he's got tattoos! 

The Forest game , could it be 2nd of November 1974 , that's the closest date to bonfire night I can find.

 

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4 minutes ago, dusan nikolic said:

The Forest game , could it be 2nd of November 1974 , that's the closest date to bonfire night I can find.

 

I'm not sure. 2/11/74 was a Saturday. I'm sure this was a night match.

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1 hour ago, dusan nikolic said:

The Forest game , could it be 2nd of November 1974 , that's the closest date to bonfire night I can find.

 

Pretty sure that they were in a split lever end in 76/77 when Cloughie took them up at our expense.. There were 2 specials of them that day. 

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15 hours ago, Mounts Kipper said:

That Boro game at theirs was the only time I’ve ever seen the gate open at end of the game and no one step outside the dimly lit terrace street was packed with Boro waiting for us, the police closed the door and gave it 20 minutes for them to clear off. Thank fuck they did. 

scariest away match ive ever been to, some of there lads came in our end. fireworks been trown all night, and a couple of rows in the terrace next to us just staring at us all night,  a scary place for me that night

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I love reading these old tales from the 70s. Some scenes that I witnessed as a kid and others that I missed because I was too young to be going then.  One game that I've never seen referred to is Man U away in that 74/75 season.  We lost 0-3? Did anyone off here go? Was there trouble then?

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4 hours ago, fester58 said:

scariest away match ive ever been to, some of there lads came in our end. fireworks been trown all night, and a couple of rows in the terrace next to us just staring at us all night,  a scary place for me that night

Have to agree up there as a shady away game with the Millwall at the old den, the one where some Bwfc wag painted GMC around the ground antagonising the locals. 

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Does anybody remember there being trouble with Sheff Weds on the last day of 81/2? They turned up with thousands after promotion and we needed the win to stay up. We won 3-1. 

Right the way through the 80s we had late season home games on which something hinged for us or the opposition and on each occasion it kicked off. 82 v Sheff Weds; 83 v Chelsea; 84 v Sheff Utd; 85 v Bradford; 87 v Boro; 90 v Bristol City.

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55 minutes ago, paulhanley said:

Does anybody remember there being trouble with Sheff Weds on the last day of 81/2? They turned up with thousands after promotion and we needed the win to stay up. We won 3-1. 

Right the way through the 80s we had late season home games on which something hinged for us or the opposition and on each occasion it kicked off. 82 v Sheff Weds; 83 v Chelsea; 84 v Sheff Utd; 85 v Bradford; 87 v Boro; 90 v Bristol City.

I remember that game. Was it sterland who bagged for them?

Seemed to have loads on the embankment.

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