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Eastender or Parkender?


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A few of the young uns on here wont remember the good old days when both ends were standing with the Open or Park End completely uncovered. Each had thier own 'firm' with the Park End firm coming much later.

I was an Eastender and stood right in the middle of it all. There was a real mixture of ages and social variations in there. Some we clearly up for a bit of aggro and some just liked to buzz and the singing....I was in the latter camp.

I have feeling that the Park Enders were a split off from the East Enders and consisted of some of the harder members of our fan base who clearly were up for it!

Just interested to hear others memories and experiences of any of those two groups.

 

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Only migrated to the Open End once the East End was seated so my memories are fewer than some of our more wizened posters, but woah, what a great place that was. Those last couple of years of the Open End had some great moments - Cardiff unlocking the gate before getting battered, the middle pen being opened for Forest (an inflatable Mr Blobby and some Gas in the away end that got clobbered after the match!), and the game against the gas (I was in there not for the Donowa match, but the 2-1 that had hundreds locked out). Packed like sardines we were, and an absolutely belting atmosphere. The sound of our tailored version of Irene echoing around the whole ground was simply hair raising.

It's the more random games I remember most fondly though in terms of the Open End. Jacki waving goodbye to us after being sacked by Osman (who then went on to score that match only to get met by mutinous boos from us), the sack the board protests against Barnsley and... singing the Rainbow theme at one match because we were so diabolical that no-one had the heart to sing anything about city. And what a joy it was gloating in front of the away fans! I think one of the most shambolic matches I've ever witnessed was our 5-1 drubbing at Brentford, so to then relegate them on the last day of the season by whacking them 4-1 was an opportunity too good to miss. How we crowed :D Nowadays, you'd probably get a ban for doing so! 

The top corner of the Open End by the away fans was a great laugh, and although I only had a brief two or three season flirtation with it, the memories are golden. 

 

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12 minutes ago, poland_exile said:

Only migrated to the Open End once the East End was seated so my memories are fewer than some of our more wizened posters, but woah, what a great place that was. Those last couple of years of the Open End had some great moments - Cardiff unlocking the gate before getting battered, the middle pen being opened for Forest (an inflatable Mr Blobby and some Gas in the away end that got clobbered after the match!), and the game against the gas (I was in there not for the Donowa match, but the 2-1 that had hundreds locked out). Packed like sardines we were, and an absolutely belting atmosphere. The sound of our tailored version of Irene echoing around the whole ground was simply hair raising.

It's the more random games I remember most fondly though in terms of the Open End. Jacki waving goodbye to us after being sacked by Osman (who then went on to score that match only to get met by mutinous boos from us), the sack the board protests against Barnsley and... singing the Rainbow theme at one match because we were so diabolical that no-one had the heart to sing anything about city. And what a joy it was gloating in front of the away fans! I think one of the most shambolic matches I've ever witnessed was our 5-1 drubbing at Brentford, so to then relegate them on the last day of the season by whacking them 4-1 was an opportunity too good to miss. How we crowed :D Nowadays, you'd probably get a ban for doing so! 

The top corner of the Open End by the away fans was a great laugh, and although I only had a brief two or three season flirtation with it, the memories are golden. 

 

The boos he recieved after scoring were something else. It was high level hatred for sure. 

As a 9 year old at the time, I'm not even sure if my memory is correct, but I remember him instinctively running to the corner to celebrate expecting adulation, and receiving nothing but abuse back. 

A remarkable moment for how unusual something like that is. 

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When I first went with my Dad as a nipper, we always sat in the Dolman, before going to the Enclosure (in days before Clive netted against Pompey one memorable evening). Think I spent the first season in the Top Flight in The Enclosure and switched to the East End in the second season and remained there through the dark days until (and after) Joe Jordan took us on a wonderful season to gain promotion to Tier 2....but after that, my week in/week out obsession was cured by a move away from the Bristol/Bath area. Still follow City, but nowhere near as much as I used to, but these days, I'm afraid I've gone full circle....I've gone back to the Dolman

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14 minutes ago, The turtle said:

The boos he recieved after scoring were something else. It was high level hatred for sure. 

As a 9 year old at the time, I'm not even sure if my memory is correct, but I remember him instinctively running to the corner to celebrate expecting adulation, and receiving nothing but abuse back. 

A remarkable moment for how unusual something like that is. 

Yes, that's pretty much how I remember it as well! The atmosphere was toxic, no other word for it and I think Osman completely under-estimated our reverence of Jacki. 

I think that episode was soon followed by the Barnsley game a few weeks later were the ground went into full on mutiny. I think Barnsley raced 2-0 ahead and we basically started backing Barnsley to score. It's the first and only time I've seen City fans turn on our side like that. Dark times! 

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22 minutes ago, Banjo Island said:

This is getting abit spooky the exact same for myself think we need to meet and recall the good all days dirty necks and all

I’ve got a feeling I know quite a few of the posters on here,if not by name then by their faces.

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5 minutes ago, NOTBLUE said:

I’ve got a feeling I know quite a few of the posters on here,if not by name then by their faces.

It's strange how things go. From the two or three years I spent on the Open End there were some legendary figures that, due to living abroad for quite a while now, that I had forgotten about only to unfortunately learn of their deaths via this page / the papers, etc.

For instance, there was a little fella me and my mates used to call 'Nutter' who turned out to be a quite legendary fan by the name of Ronnie / Para. I remember with a smile seeing him chucked down the skittle alley of the Rising Sun for some reason or other by other City (I'm led to believe this was a regular occurence! :D ). Then, another bloke we used to look up to who we knew of as Red Beard Man - turned out to be Kevin Hardiman who passed last year I think it was. As young teenagers, lads like that made a real impression and made watching City the colourful adventure it was back then. 

 

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2 minutes ago, poland_exile said:

It's strange how things go. From the two or three years I spent on the Open End there were some legendary figures that, due to living abroad for quite a while now, that I had forgotten about only to unfortunately learn of their deaths via this page / the papers, etc.

For instance, there was a little fella me and my mates used to call 'Nutter' who turned out to be a quite legendary fan by the name of Ronnie / Para. I remember with a smile seeing him chucked down the skittle alley of the Rising Sun for some reason or other by other City (I'm led to believe this was a regular occurence! :D ). Then, another bloke we used to look up to who we knew of as Red Beard Man - turned out to be Kevin Hardiman who passed last year I think it was. As young teenagers, lads like that made a real impression and made watching City the colourful adventure it was back then. 

 

Grew up with kev what a character great memories top lad

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I started in the enclosure with my grandfather at 5 or 6 yrs old. progressed to the open end for a bit but once in the east end with my older brother and his mates,never looked back.

great group I was allowed to join including onze,pete,,blokie,squeak,dibbles,chorley and more I cant remember names for. always felt safe with them after games too.all in dm's 

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2 minutes ago, Gimme Shelton said:

Always in the Park End (except if it was raining hard) ?

Don't know why but this reminded me of the time Wayne Allison got a hat-trick against Birmingham

Can remember the bus from Weston was delayed, walked in as the game kicked off and got soaked right through stood in the open end

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3 minutes ago, phantom said:

Don't know why but this reminded me of the time Wayne Allison got a hat-trick against Birmingham

Can remember the bus from Weston was delayed, walked in as the game kicked off and got soaked right through stood in the open end

The Allison hattrick marked a rare return to the East End for me, and I remember this match vividly not so much the hattrick (though I seem to remember the goals were outstanding) but because a miserable old git tried to throttle my friend for talking too much :D 

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23 minutes ago, poland_exile said:

It's strange how things go. From the two or three years I spent on the Open End there were some legendary figures that, due to living abroad for quite a while now, that I had forgotten about only to unfortunately learn of their deaths via this page / the papers, etc.

For instance, there was a little fella me and my mates used to call 'Nutter' who turned out to be a quite legendary fan by the name of Ronnie / Para. I remember with a smile seeing him chucked down the skittle alley of the Rising Sun for some reason or other by other City (I'm led to believe this was a regular occurence! :D ). Then, another bloke we used to look up to who we knew of as Red Beard Man - turned out to be Kevin Hardiman who passed last year I think it was. As young teenagers, lads like that made a real impression and made watching City the colourful adventure it was back then. 

 

Three of our lot,Gloucester rd crew,have sadly gone,but to be fair with their  lifestyles it wasn’t surprising.

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15 minutes ago, poland_exile said:

It's strange how things go. From the two or three years I spent on the Open End there were some legendary figures that, due to living abroad for quite a while now, that I had forgotten about only to unfortunately learn of their deaths via this page / the papers, etc.

For instance, there was a little fella me and my mates used to call 'Nutter' who turned out to be a quite legendary fan by the name of Ronnie / Para. I remember with a smile seeing him chucked down the skittle alley of the Rising Sun for some reason or other by other City (I'm led to believe this was a regular occurence! :D ). Then, another bloke we used to look up to who we knew of as Red Beard Man - turned out to be Kevin Hardiman who passed last year I think it was. As young teenagers, lads like that made a real impression and made watching City the colourful adventure it was back then. 

 

You must’ve stood in the same place as me. 
 

Was originally in the East End but moved over to the Open End in 90/91. We stood up in the top corner next to the away fans. 
Same faces every week. All superb blokes and great camaraderie. 
 

The guys you mention, Little Ronnie - what a guy! Sadly died a few years ago. 
And the ‘red beard’ man was indeed Kev (aka Springer). And yes, he sadly died in late ‘18. 

When I first went up there as an impressionable kid, Springer and his group were looked up to and respected. I felt privileged that they became good mates. 
 

The ‘bants’ with the away fans was great. Often aggressive but also often very funny. Was always much better when the middle pen was open and the away fans were only 5 yards away from us. 
 

After the East End, and then the Open End, I progressed to Dolman B, then the Williams for a couple of years next to the away fans when they were first put in the EE corner. I recall some interesting games in there vs Millwall, Stoke & Rovers!! 
 

Then back to the East End after its reopening. Then Williams for the Cotterill promotion year, then both sides of the Atyeo, then back to the East End corner and now up in the family stand. 

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East End just to the right of that enormous hole in the roof that the rain poured through like a waterfall. It always looked weird when it was chucking it down and the whole end was rammed except for a big empty space in the middle! Rare forays into the Park End, the most memorable being the night Peter Cormack scored to effectively relegate Spurs - they weren`t happy! I also recall one game v Coventry where their fans had liberated all the rolled up newspapers from the station and were setting light to them before lobbing them over the fence.

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Rarely either. 
Remember in the open end a hot bank holiday v Swindle. Gordon Owen dragging a penalty wide whilst we gazed through the millions of flying ants that had descended!

Always been a Dolman block B’er. But things arent like what they used to be, especially now we have the away fans in close proximity. Shame really!?

 

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