1982 in programmes.

[1960maaan]

Following a thread on Twitter, @Davefevs was asking about pics/photos of Mick Harford. That lead me to check out my old programmes. I have a few from that time, one from the week after the Ashton 8 tore up their contracts .
Very sparse programme, just 7 pages including a front and back cover, I would guess due to funds, made up with what I assume is the Football League review of the time. 
The Fulham game was massive, one it meant we were still alive and kicking and two they were top of the League. The team was as Programme, with Gary Smith sub, his fact file is on the back page.  9,312 turned up to watch a very young side, which may not seem a good crowd, but it is over 5k more than the previous 2 games (not counting the Villa cup game where over 20k turned up ). I really think some didn't realise how bad the situation was. 5 teenagers were involved , 4 starting and Mick Harford who would be sent back to Newcastle as we didn't have the funds to complete his transfer. He would go on to Birmingham , and in the records it looks like we sold him, but as I remember it he was sent back then Newcastle getting the fee from Birmingham.
Roy Hodgson is his notes , and the board in their printed statements touch on what had happened, I've put the Fulham notes in as some may be interested, a certain Sean O'driscol playing in defence.

City 0-0 Fulham , Att: 9,312

 

3 wins and 2 defeats meant coming into the home game Vs Oxford we sat 7 places off the bottom, but level on points with Exeter who were in the relegation zone. 
Obviously the Club were in need of money as the Supporter club share appeal and the player sponsorship shows. Hodgson's quote in the diary section is interesting, the need for experience or else relegation. City signed Ray Gooding from Coventry (I have no memory of him) taking the squad to 17, which was effectively was 15 as Terry Boyle and Peter Devine were long term injured.Gooding came in for Musker , the rest are as programme.

City 0-2 Oxford , Attd : 8,156

Jumping on to 15th of May, City home to Chester and Hodgson has gone and the Board do what would have been the managers page and the figures quoted are interesting.
As for League position it's pretty much done, although the table throws up a question, why were the gAss docked 2 points?
An interesting outcome of staff layoffs, due to Kit man Bill Tovey was one laid off so 17 year old Colston Gwyther took over the kit for the trip to Wimbledon. How do I remember Gwyther and not Peter Devine and Ray Gooding.

City 1-0 (Chandler) Attd : 4,475

 

For those that don't Know, the season ended in relegation to Div 4 for the first time.

[ralphindevon]

What a strange season. I had passed my test in the December aged 17 so I could drive to games from West Somerset. For the first time I could get to any games I wanted. Not a brilliant season to taste such freedom.

Newport away was the first away game I drove to, it was emotional as ghey walked off at gull time but I didn't think I'd still be talking about it 38 years later.

Fulham the following week with a new young team was also emotional and the loudest Ashton Gate had been since the top flight days. Probably the best crowd/noise ratio I've ever heard at the Gate, around 10,000 sounding much louder than most 20,000 games nowadays 

[ForeverRed]

The Fulham game was the one when I started to attend regularly, as a 17 year old ( only been to Coventry in Div 1 and the Aston Villa cup game). Great memories even though we were struggling and followed through the Div 4 campaign, and up through the divisions. Promotion at Chester will never leave me!!

 

COYR

[22A]

That final programme may be rare.

City and Chester were both already relegated and crowds were down, so not so many programmes would have been printed.

Two seasons later and City's last game of that season was at Chester.And were City back up.

Looking at that 81-82 table; eight of those teams have since played in the Prem / Div 1 whilst nine others have dropped into the Conference. Chester & Chesterfield still waiting to get back up.

[Maltshoveller]

Have to say

I do like the red top with black shorts and socks

[ashton_fan]

I found the programme for the match before that Fulham game at Newport County which was well attended by City fans as it was thought it could be the last game ever due to the financial situation, it was the last game that any of the Ashton Gate 8 were involved in, ie for this game Peter Aitken, Gerry Sweeney, Trevor Tainton and Jimmy Mann. Chris Garland got injured in the previous match so did not take part.

Reading the notes about us in that programme it says we were probably going out of business due to a debt of £850,000 - how times have changed! I went to that game although I'm struggling to remember anything about Terry Boyle who was our captain at the time.

[Portland Bill]

The Fulham game was a very emotional game for the 9,000 of us watching. The atmosphere was something else and a 0-0 draw felt like a 5-0 win. The young lads making their debuts did us all proud, the players and supporters were as one.

As for the previous week’s game at Newport, again a very emotional day, but I can’t remember anything except for the fighting on the terraces, which seemed to last for the majority of the game!

[Bristol Oil Services]

54 minutes ago, ashton_fan said:

I found the programme for the match before that Fulham game at Newport County which was well attended by City fans as it was thought it could be the last game ever due to the financial situation, it was the last game that any of the Ashton Gate 8 were involved in, ie for this game Peter Aitken, Gerry Sweeney, Trevor Tainton and Jimmy Mann. Chris Garland got injured in the previous match so did not take part.

Reading the notes about us in that programme it says we were probably going out of business due to a debt of £850,000 - how times have changed! I went to that game although I'm struggling to remember anything about Terry Boyle who was our captain at the time.

When I think of Terry Boyle, I remember his hair first. It was a bit of a "Kevin Keegan," or even an "Eddie Large," if I can say that. He was Welsh, and left footed, if I remember correctly, playing centre back. I remember him being here, and Kevin Mabbutt not being here. And us losing. And going down.

[Lanterne Rouge]

6 hours ago, 22A said:

That final programme may be rare.

City and Chester were both already relegated and crowds were down, so not so many programmes would have been printed.

Two seasons later and City's last game of that season was at Chester.And were City back up.

Looking at that 81-82 table; eight of those teams have since played in the Prem / Div 1 whilst nine others have dropped into the Conference. Chester & Chesterfield still waiting to get back up.

Wimbledon`s journey since then has been eventful to say the least. Can any other club say they`ve gone through so much in 38 years?

[1960maaan]

3 hours ago, Portland Bill said:

As for the previous week’s game at Newport, again a very emotional day, but I can’t remember anything except for the fighting on the terraces, which seemed to last for the majority of the game!

I remember nothing, no fighting, how I got there, although I'm guessing supporters club, absolutely nothing apart from going mad when the header went in. Went there several times after, remember a few things about them, used to be lively over there.

[ralphindevon]

5 hours ago, Portland Bill said:

The Fulham game was a very emotional game for the 9,000 of us watching. The atmosphere was something else and a 0-0 draw felt like a 5-0 win. The young lads making their debuts did us all proud, the players and supporters were as one.

As for the previous week’s game at Newport, again a very emotional day, but I can’t remember anything except for the fighting on the terraces, which seemed to last for the majority of the game!

Yes I can remember some fighting, I'm sure that was the ground, Sonerton Park, where they had handcuffs attached outside the back of the stand? If you misbehaved they'd cuff you up there until the game was over.

I was new to away games and this was all very exciting for a teenager from the sticks 

[Wolf Island]

That number 7 for Chester must have got some stick 

[Lanterne Rouge]

11 hours ago, Hare Island said:

That number 7 for Chester must have got some stick 

Didn`t he get sent off?. If not in that game definitely in another home game v Chester (a 4-2 win for us I think)

[Nogbad the Bad]

17 hours ago, Portland Bill said:

The Fulham game was a very emotional game for the 9,000 of us watching. The atmosphere was something else and a 0-0 draw felt like a 5-0 win. The young lads making their debuts did us all proud, the players and supporters were as one.

As for the previous week’s game at Newport, again a very emotional day, but I can’t remember anything except for the fighting on the terraces, which seemed to last for the majority of the game!

My memory is of looking behind me on a big open terrace and the police chasing City fans around it all afternoon.

Didn't stop all game - bizarre really.

I remember another game there not long after - probably '84 - when similar happened, City fans and police fighting all afternoon. It started after a fan pushed a policeman standing at the back of the terrace into the main throng of City fans below and other police charged in to retrieve him -although we were in a different, covered, section of the ground - and the EP later reporting 30 arrests.

Then we went back there just a few days later for a midweek League Cup game and it was the exact opposite, really uneventful off the pitch.

[1960maaan]

12 minutes ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

My memory is of looking behind me on a big open terrace and the police chasing City fans around it all afternoon.

Didn't stop all game - bizarre really.

I remember another game there not long after - probably '84 - when similar happened, City fans and police fighting all afternoon. It started after a fan pushed a policeman standing at the back of the terrace into the main throng of City fans below and other police charged in to retrieve him -although we were in a different, covered, section of the ground - and the EP later reporting 30 arrests.

Then we went back there just a few days later for a midweek League Cup game and it was the exact opposite, really uneventful off the pitch.

I remember those other games, chaos , but not the 1-1 draw. Went to the others I'm a mates car, still not 100% how we get there for the 1-1, bizarre really seeing what that game could have been or meant. 
The Saturday we had Newport in with the escort trying to wind us up to react when we were stood next to a Copper. The night game was no better, rumours of Cardiff turning up.

[22A]

18 hours ago, Moments of Pleasure said:

When I think of Terry Boyle, I remember his hair first. It was a bit of a "Kevin Keegan," or even an "Eddie Large," if I can say that. He was Welsh, and left footed, if I remember correctly, playing centre back. I remember him being here, and Kevin Mabbutt not being here. And us losing. And going down.

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/terry-boyle/profil/spieler/628957 shows he left City and joined Newport!.

As for the programme; In February 1982, what was expected to be the club's final game was at Newport County. Hordes of programme collectors descended to buy a copy of what would become a collector's item. The national T.V. news  showed the equaliser in the 1-1 draw and commentators asked "Will this be Bristol City's last goal?" 

[22A]

16 hours ago, Lanterne Rouge said:

Wimbledon`s journey since then has been eventful to say the least. Can any other club say they`ve gone through so much in 38 years?

There was a fourteen year spell during which Notts County had ten promotions or relegations. No bland, boring mid table obscurity for them!

 

[Norn Iron]

Look who was playing for Fulham!

Bizarrely, I boycotted the game. Sounds daft now, but I didn't want to be associated with the so called fans who hadn't turned up since the glory days. I thought they were only turning up out of sympathy!

[Slacker]

2 hours ago, Norn Iron said:

Look who was playing for Fulham!

Bizarrely, I boycotted the game. Sounds daft now, but I didn't want to be associated with the so called fans who hadn't turned up since the glory days. I thought they were only turning up out of sympathy!

Good Lord!Its Les Strong.Whoever he is?

[Norn Iron]

2 minutes ago, Slacker said:

Good Lord!Its Les Strong.Whoever he is?

He had a Swedish half brother called Eggstra

[Slacker]

He sounds mint!I thank you.Nicely set up for me NI.

[Norn Iron]

I mean, there was Max Power of Wigan. It never dawned on me until just now how funny Les(s) Strong's name is.

[havanatopia]

On 25/04/2020 at 11:03, ForeverRed said:

The Fulham game was the one when I started to attend regularly, as a 17 year old ( only been to Coventry in Div 1 and the Aston Villa cup game). Great memories even though we were struggling and followed through the Div 4 campaign, and up through the divisions. Promotion at Chester will never leave me!!

 

COYR

I ran on the pitch that day... An emotion filled day if ever there was one. 

[Portland Bill]

Strange the things you keep! Went through some old stuff today and found my train ticket for Newport in 1982

[Never to the dark side]

Gosh love those tickets

Boring facts

the number five clip mark meant it was a Western Region Guard

Top right hand corner if you were travelling one way(a single) the booking office(using a pair scissors) would cut off that top right hand side.

To show it was a single only

Similar to what they now do to expired passports

[archie andrews]

16 hours ago, Portland Bill said:

Strange the things you keep! Went through some old stuff today and found my train ticket for Newport in 1982

5.20 a bit steep back then even from sunny bridgy..... 

[Portland Bill]

1 minute ago, archie andrews said:

5.20 a bit steep back then even from sunny bridgy..... 

I thought that when i found it, It’s only 15 miles away across the sea!!

 

[archie andrews]

6 minutes ago, Portland Bill said:

I thought that when i found it, It’s only 15 miles away across the sea!!

 

It probably only about 14 notes nowadays cheap day return..... 

[Never to the dark side]

It was the same making telephone calls,no mobiles back then.

In and around the Bristol aerial it was local phone rates.

Yet Weston to newport at 7 miles distance (as the robins fly) was not classed as a local call

[Elruliri]

How much would it of been to get a ticket for the game £8-10 quid. I wouldn't have a clue I was only 8 in 1982.