Esmond Million's Bung Posted April 28, 2018 Report Share Posted April 28, 2018 After my thread about Jimmy Greaves scoring against BCFC in 1967 FA cup 5th round at White Hart Lane and being there with my late father, I got to thinking about other dad/BCFC memories and one stuck in my mind vividly. During the 1964/1965 season from October 1964 to May 1965 City went on an incredible 28 game journey resulting in a final day 2-0 home win over Oldham to secure promotion from the 3rd division to the 2nd division. I had plain forgotten how incredible City’s run to promotion was and please remember that in those days it was 2 points for a win, making this achievement even more remarkable. The 2-0 promotion win at home to Oldham was an incredible irony because on Wednesday 28th October City had lost 7-3 away to Oldham and were languishing 11th in the table and going nowhere with 18 points from the first 18 games and then began a sensational 28 game run right up to the end of the season. Played 28, Won 17, Drew 7, Lost 4 amassing 41 points. The ‘dad’ thing was on Monday 19th April (Easter Monday), City were away that evening to Shrewsbury, City were still only 5th in the table with Shrewsbury away and then home the very next day to Shrewsbury again and the final home game to Oldham to come. My dad allowed me to stay up until 9.30pm in the hope that the BBC news would report the result of the match (there was no late night local news in those days) but they did not report the score. I went to bed very nervous that night but when I woke up in the morning sellotaped to my wardrobe was a piece of paper with “Shrewsbury 1 v Bristol City 5” the note even had the goal scorers written on it, you cannot believe the excitement of waking up and reading that note and even more excitement of knowing my dad was taking me that night to the Shrewsbury home game and a win would give City a shot at promotion on the following Saturday, City delivered with a 3-0 home win. Years later I asked my dad “how did you get the result and scorers etc.?” and he told me that not having a telephone in those days, he walked up the road to the telephone kiosk and phoned the Evening Post to get the information, he went on to say he knew how much that result meant to me, well to be honest to both of us, it brought a tear to my eye for not only knowing and experiencing a fathers love in that single gesture but also why I am and have been a supporter for 60 years and counting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lenred Posted April 28, 2018 Report Share Posted April 28, 2018 Run out of likes but that’s a really lovely story. My dad really disliked football and the whole culture around it when I first started getting into it in the 80s but he would take me occasionally to see City. Knowing he hated it made me so appreciative - even more so now as a parent and hearing the stories about what went on in those days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WelshRobin Posted April 28, 2018 Report Share Posted April 28, 2018 My Grandfather, Uncle and Father, all longstanding City fans took me to my first game at Ashton Gate 27 years ago yesterday, just before my 9th birthday. Grandfather passed away 11 years ago but I'm still going to games with my father. I now have two young sons and within the next season or so the cycle will continue when they go to their first game with their father and grandfather. Hopefully in another 30 years or so I will be the grandfather......probably still be waiting for top flight action then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maltshoveller Posted April 28, 2018 Report Share Posted April 28, 2018 My dad took me to my first game 1977 v Aston Villa aged 8 Took me to many other games between 77-82 Stopped taking me after that No idea why Didnt start going again until 88/89 season Dont have any sons or grandsons but if i did i would not have taken them to the Gate until they asked me to How ever much i love my club I could not put that burden on them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
42nite Posted April 28, 2018 Report Share Posted April 28, 2018 28 minutes ago, Maltshoveller said: My dad took me to my first game 1977 v Aston Villa aged 8 Took me to many other games between 77-82 Stopped taking me after that No idea why Didnt start going again until 88/89 season Dont have any sons or grandsons but if i did i would not have taken them to the Gate until they asked me to How ever much i love my club I could not put that burden on them Were the last couple of lines tongue in cheek? I didn't think I was burdening my 6 year old son when I started taking him to the Gate. He either enjoyed it or didn't. If he didn't we could always find other things to do. He loved it, and now many years later is a season ticket holder. His choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esmond Million's Bung Posted April 28, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2018 20 minutes ago, 42nite said: Were the last couple of lines tongue in cheek? I didn't think I was burdening my 6 year old son when I started taking him to the Gate. He either enjoyed it or didn't. If he didn't we could always find other things to do. He loved it, and now many years later is a season ticket holder. His choice. Absolutely spot on, take them you will soon find out if they want to go back voluntarily, not a burden at all, it's more like a bonding thing, an unbreakable link with father and club imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1960maaan Posted April 29, 2018 Report Share Posted April 29, 2018 Lovely story Es' My memories of Dad at football would be slightly different, he was a Rovers fan mainly, although he did go to City and frequently took me, I remember sitting with him in a nice new shiny Dolman. Games like Leeds and Liverpool in the cup, using Ashton station from Stapleton road when it opened for an Orient home game. One I have told before. Portsmouth home '76 just got promotion and Mum and Dad were up the pub at home when as a 16 year old I ran round to tell him. He went straight to the bar an got me a flagon of cider to celebrate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBFC II Posted April 29, 2018 Report Share Posted April 29, 2018 Having never known my dad my mum has taken me home and away since I was 6. She used to go in the 70s and 80s but grew away from it. She realised that there was a chance I'd grow up supporting Chelsea/man united etc and so decided to get me supporting my local team. She took me to my first game v Scunthorpe in 2006 having told me we were going to B&Q and we've gone together ever since, made some great freinds through it and wouldn't miss it for the world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WelshRobin Posted April 29, 2018 Report Share Posted April 29, 2018 2 minutes ago, JBFC II said: Having never known my dad my mum has taken me home and away since I was 6. She used to go in the 70s and 80s but grew away from it. She realised that there was a chance I'd grow up supporting Chelsea/man united etc and so decided to get me supporting my local team. She took me to my first game v Scunthorpe in 2006 having told me we were going to B&Q and we've gone together ever since, made some great freinds through it and wouldn't miss it for the world There have been a few occasions at Ashton Gate where I would have preferred to have been at B&Q. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbored Posted April 29, 2018 Report Share Posted April 29, 2018 9 hours ago, Esmond Million's Bung said: Absolutely spot on, take them you will soon find out if they want to go back voluntarily, not a burden at all, it's more like a bonding thing, an unbreakable link with father and club imo. Didn't work like that for me. I started taking my lad around aged around 6 or 7 and at that age he was more interested in the sweets and lemonade and over time he gradually began to lose interest. Fortunately or unfortunately he never caught the Bristol City bug. Now he's a chef with no interest in sport of any kind. He just loves cooking and making really difficult models or drawing in his time off. Artistic in other words! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Septic Peg Posted April 29, 2018 Report Share Posted April 29, 2018 Only have a few with my old man. The first being in the LDV. It was a home game v Torquay Utd. It would have been 16 Oct 2001 and was one of those "quid a kid" night matches. We watched from the Williams (old seats) and we won 1-0. It was my Dad's birthday so that sticks out for me. The second is the LDV vans trophy final v Carlisle at the Millenium Stadium. April 2003. I was 17 at the time so snuck a few cans inside my jacket as we walked to Temple Meads. All aboard the football special and we arrived at Cardiff Central to see metal barriers everywhere and City fans calling the Heddlu "taffy basturds"... I'd never seen anything like it. 40,000 City literally took Cardiff that day. It was surreal. My final memory is not from AG. It was the Hartlepool P/O game which me and Dad watched on Sky in the Luckwell Club (RIP). 2004 now so I'm 18 and a full member of the Club in my own right and I'm steaming. How my mother didn't lose her shit at my dad I'll never know as he brought home a drunken daughter and a hyperactive son (my brother had been nailing Coca Cola like it was the water of life - he's younger than me so no beer for him!) Also it was Mum and Dad's wedding anniversary so again, I'm surprised he wasn't scalped the minute he walked through the door... Anyway, so I'm led on the floor below the projector screen upstairs in the Club. If anyone can remember, it had a Bagatelle table next to it, so I'm under it pretty much. Dad is at a table to the side. It's 1-1 with a few mins remaining. Up stepped Robbo and the roof blows off. The Bagatelle table I'm under is jumped on, grown men cry and hug one another, kids scream at the top of their lungs. I crawl out and go to the table to find my Dad who simply said iirc "where have you been?" Not so good to look back now and think Robbo was just as drunk as me at the time... Man of few words was my Dad. I miss him muchly. Silly old bugger. It'll be 5 years in two weeks that he went to the best seats in the house and now both his grandsons (his granddaughter has managed to survive the brainwash and prefers 'Ballet') have been to AG and have got the bug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slartibartfast Posted April 29, 2018 Report Share Posted April 29, 2018 Saturday morning circa 1958 , my old man took me to an FA youth cup game at AG v Barnsley...............don't remember a thing about the match (except we lost, typical). I know Jantzen Derrick played ,as old guys were shouting " come on Derrick" ,I expect I thought that was his first name ! The main thing I remember was a flask of Bovril and it was like a day out getting from Downend to the Gate via public transport ! Though it was another seven years till I went again, I was hooked....thanks Dad! sorry about the gap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sticks 1969 Posted April 29, 2018 Report Share Posted April 29, 2018 This is my 4th season of taking the grandson he’s 8 now and it has been interesting watching see different aspects of the game and day in the 4 years. I would say this is the first year when he watched the whole game and can name players and who is his favourite. The previous year was to do with the day , crowd, and why so many police etc and would watch most the game if things were interesting. The first 2 years was spent playing games on his dads phone but only came up twice. Next season I think he will do most games and that’s it hooked for life....... I think you are very lucky if you have family who actually follow a club who ever it is and you get the chance to watch and experience live football and all that goes with it. Was thinking recently over 50% of my friends stems from watching city and England over the last 30 years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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