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Birmingham City - Memories


Lenners

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Anyone care to share any memories/experiences with Birmingham?

Brilliant day out that was from the second we stepped off the train, huge numbers of City all across the centre and that walk back after the game was as lively as it gets.
 

Quite a lively mob the Zulus even in this modern day I find, remember our first away game back in the Championship (2015 I think?) there was some trouble down by the roundabout outside the away end for a good 5-10 mins or so, remember a minibus of City pulling up, plenty of lads steaming out to assist.

Days like this seem miles off at the moment, all we can do is reminisce. 

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Been there a few times, worst was back in the 1st Div days. A few hundred city fans were there and we were surrounded all game without hardly any coppers around. That was heavy and I can honestly say it was a good job we lost, I think it was 3-0. 

Best was when we won 4-1 with Bob Taylor scoring a couple. Had a nice day out that day. 

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37 minutes ago, swanker said:

Been there a few times, worst was back in the 1st Div days. A few hundred city fans were there and we were surrounded all game without hardly any coppers around. That was heavy and I can honestly say it was a good job we lost, I think it was 3-0. 

Best was when we won 4-1 with Bob Taylor scoring a couple. Had a nice day out that day. 

WMP, wouldn’t expect anything less.

Can be quite moody in and around St Andrews at times, even when they played us in that game they survived the other year you could feel outside the away end when walking round it was quite moody. I suppose understandable with what was at stake.

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I’ve only been there once. 2-2 draw after we’d been 2-0 up. I think Jon Stead got one of our goals. 

My main memory of the game is that I made the mistake of going on CATS - it took ages to get there and I didn’t get in the ground until barely before kick off. 

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1 hour ago, swanker said:

Been there a few times, worst was back in the 1st Div days. A few hundred city fans were there and we were surrounded all game without hardly any coppers around. That was heavy and I can honestly say it was a good job we lost, I think it was 3-0. 

Best was when we won 4-1 with Bob Taylor scoring a couple. Had a nice day out that day. 

Yes I was at the game as a young 15 year old. I am not into any trouble and it's the most scared I have ever been at a football match and this is someone who in 82 or 83 was sent into the wrong end at Millwall.

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4 hours ago, swanker said:

Been there a few times, worst was back in the 1st Div days. A few hundred city fans were there and we were surrounded all game without hardly any coppers around. That was heavy and I can honestly say it was a good job we lost, I think it was 3-0. 

Best was when we won 4-1 with Bob Taylor scoring a couple. Had a nice day out that day. 

4-0 

And it was the game highlighted in the original OP - 1990

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Great win at a place where we rarely get anything.

I drove to the game and parked a bit away from the stadium near Garrison Lane. As I got out of the car, a boy asked if he could mind my car. I was feeling generous so paid my 50 pence. He immediately counted the money in his pocket and smiled when he said he had enough to go to the game!

I asked about minding the car and he pointed at a little lad aged about three. "That's my brother and he will look after the car".

I smiled and set off to the game. Brilliant 4-0 win.

When I got back to the car, the little boy was still there. Feeling even more generous after stuffing the Blues, I gave him a 50 pence and drove home.

St Andrews was my first City away game in FA Cup in 1951. We lost just like every other game there. Trevor Francis, Latchford, Vowden all seemed to love playing us.

But the little boy and the 4-0 made up for them. Trouble is that was thirty years ago and it's still an unhappy place for City fans.

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7 hours ago, Lenners said:

Anyone care to share any memories/experiences with Birmingham?

Brilliant day out that was from the second we stepped off the train, huge numbers of City all across the centre and that walk back after the game was as lively as it gets.
 

Quite a lively mob the Zulus even in this modern day I find, remember our first away game back in the Championship (2015 I think?) there was some trouble down by the roundabout outside the away end for a good 5-10 mins or so, remember a minibus of City pulling up, plenty of lads steaming out to assist.

Days like this seem miles off at the moment, all we can do is reminisce. 

that brings back a memories, young lad at the time with me uncle and grandad ,lucky for me grandad was not one to mess with as a few zulus found out

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7 hours ago, Lenners said:

Quite a lively mob the Zulus even in this modern day I find, remember our first away game back in the Championship (2015 I think?) there was some trouble down by the roundabout outside the away end for a good 5-10 mins or so, remember a minibus of City pulling up, plenty of lads steaming out to assist.

Days like this seem miles off at the moment, all we can do is reminisce. 

Yup. As soon as this worldwide killer pandemic is all over, I can't wait for football hooliganism to return. Top of the list for me. 

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I think they'd only conceded 5 goals all season up until that game, then we put 4 past them.  Remember looking up at the back row of the stand to see so many CSF it was untrue, then the next minute they were all gone. As some others have said already, 'tasty' day out. It was on edge before, during and after.  Not sure if it was this game or another, but definitely remember being greeted by the Zulus at New Street station, with baggage trollies being thrown down the stairs to the lower platforms as we were coming up. Chaos.

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36 minutes ago, CyderInACan said:

Yup. As soon as this worldwide killer pandemic is all over, I can't wait for football hooliganism to return. Top of the list for me. 

Yes, me too. But, I think we need to remember our boys will be out of form, a bit rusty, prodigiously overweight and gasping for breath (probably riddled with covid to a man, what with all the underground raves and basement gambling parties they will have been attending throughout the pandemic).

We need to give our boys time to recover their fitness, and form. We can't expect them to hit the ground running (unless it's Millwall, or someone else proper tasty and numerous). And we might need to give them a couple of gentle, pre-seasons fixtures or unfriendlies, to warm up, as it were. Say, Forest Green Rovers or North Bristol blue Rovers.

In the first few weeks back, we can expect our boys to pick up a shed load of injuries, things like a re-arranged nose and/or face, broken knuckles, slash cuts to face and torso, hamstrings, things like that.

But I do believe the boys will recover their form and we will reassert our rightful place in the pecking order, about 12th or just outside the play-offs in the Championship (with occasional cup shock and run). 

 

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drove up from filton, inside the ground the atmosphere was crackling, amazing win, just remember there being so officers around the place, drove back in time to watch the darts on bbc as well.

In the next edition of the bounty hunter there was an article with Trevor Francis's pre match notes for the game after we battered them, and he says something like " we should never be losing 4 nil at home to a club like that" what a ****

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10 hours ago, Lenners said:

Anyone care to share any memories/experiences with Birmingham?

Brilliant day out that was from the second we stepped off the train, huge numbers of City all across the centre and that walk back after the game was as lively as it gets.
 

Quite a lively mob the Zulus even in this modern day I find, remember our first away game back in the Championship (2015 I think?) there was some trouble down by the roundabout outside the away end for a good 5-10 mins or so, remember a minibus of City pulling up, plenty of lads steaming out to assist.

Days like this seem miles off at the moment, all we can do is reminisce. 

That’s me front left blue jacket with green down the arms , thanks for posting , I’d forgotten what I looked like with hair.

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I remember my first trip there in about 1972. As we left the station we chased a few off down some steps, I was soon returning up those steps with bottles and all sorts landing around me. At the bottom was the pub blown up by the IRA (Tavern in the Town) I think, it emptied out as we reached the bottom.

We made our way to the ground and encamped on the large side terrace. There were some older City fans surrounded by the Brum lot but, were giving them a pasting, we positioned ourselves just below them and joined in as the Brum lads went flying past. 

Went to the end where most of the City fans were and just before the end Brum scored a 2nd. Decided to leave as they'd just opened the gates. As we left, they opened the gates to the side enclosure and were joined by hundreds of Brum lads causing havoc.

I ended up sheltering in a betting shop with a girl from Paulton. We made our way back to New St and she calmly walked past a waiting committee, I had to choose my moment to get past them. There was a chap there "Leo/Yeo Pickering" that handed out a few slaps to some Brum fans as we delivered a volley of crockery from the cafe. I went out with that girl for a while but, can't remember her name.

I was only 17, so it was very exciting, yet just a tadge frightening at the same time, the girl as well.

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7 hours ago, cidered abroad said:

Great win at a place where we rarely get anything.

I drove to the game and parked a bit away from the stadium near Garrison Lane. As I got out of the car, a boy asked if he could mind my car. I was feeling generous so paid my 50 pence. He immediately counted the money in his pocket and smiled when he said he had enough to go to the game!

I asked about minding the car and he pointed at a little lad aged about three. "That's my brother and he will look after the car".

I smiled and set off to the game. Brilliant 4-0 win.

When I got back to the car, the little boy was still there. Feeling even more generous after stuffing the Blues, I gave him a 50 pence and drove home.

St Andrews was my first City away game in FA Cup in 1951. We lost just like every other game there. Trevor Francis, Latchford, Vowden all seemed to love playing us.

But the little boy and the 4-0 made up for them. Trouble is that was thirty years ago and it's still an unhappy place for City fans.

Had a similar offer but made the schoolboy error of telling  the young lad where to go. Drove back to Bristol with half a windscreen missing. 

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That 1990 game was one of those special away days. As soon as we arrived we could sense it was going to be a memorable, a real edgy atmosphere.

I think this was the game that Mark Gavin came to the party, unplayable and certainly won the city fans over after an indifferent spell up to then. Bob Taylor was on fire and that was the day I knew we’d go up.

Getting back to the car was hard work with Brum fans in a right mood and looking for trouble. It was one of the first times I’d seen a police helicopter at a city game. Got to the car to find it wouldn’t start, called the AA and when he arrived he knew straight away what to do, someone had got under the car and pulled something out which the guy soon fixed, he’d obviously seen it before.

I know the hooligan side of things was wrong and I’m glad it’s all very different nowadays but crikey, I miss away days like that.

 

 

 

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9 minutes ago, Gimme Shelton said:

First time I'd ever seen a police helicopter!

I just wrote the same thing but was doubting my memory as I wrote it. 
Im glad you confirmed it. I was thinking maybe I’d seen one at a London game but certainly that’s the first that comes to mind

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1 hour ago, Gimme Shelton said:

First time I'd ever seen a police helicopter!

 

1 hour ago, ralphindevon said:

I just wrote the same thing but was doubting my memory as I wrote it. 
Im glad you confirmed it. I was thinking maybe I’d seen one at a London game but certainly that’s the first that comes to mind

Ha ha. Same. I’d never seen one before that. It was a real novelty and a sure sign that things were going very wild!!! 
If I remember correctly, as you come out of the away end and turn left (so headed in the direction of the lads in the picture), at the end of that road another left turn led you into a wide street, with derelict buildings on each side and a massive area of wasteland - which was ideal territory for large scale ‘bother’!! 
 

This was a superb game in what was a superb season, with loads of amazing away trips. Still ranks as my best ever season watching City. 

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4 hours ago, glen humphries said:

That’s me front left blue jacket with green down the arms , thanks for posting , I’d forgotten what I looked like with hair.

Ah, hello Mr P! A great day out it was too. We didn't miss many back then did we!

Hope you're well mate. DR

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2 hours ago, ralphindevon said:

That 1990 game was one of those special away days. As soon as we arrived we could sense it was going to be a memorable, a real edgy atmosphere.

I think this was the game that Mark Gavin came to the party, unplayable and certainly won the city fans over after an indifferent spell up to then. Bob Taylor was on fire and that was the day I knew we’d go up.

Getting back to the car was hard work with Brum fans in a right mood and looking for trouble. It was one of the first times I’d seen a police helicopter at a city game. Got to the car to find it wouldn’t start, called the AA and when he arrived he knew straight away what to do, someone had got under the car and pulled something out which the guy soon fixed, he’d obviously seen it before.

I know the hooligan side of things was wrong and I’m glad it’s all very different nowadays but crikey, I miss away days like that.

 

 

 

You’re right, up until the match City fans had been a bit lukewarm about Mark Gavin, but I remember that after we were 4-0 up we had a corner and the fans were all singing Gavin’s name and he turned to us and started conducting the chants.  Happy days.  I also remember being hugely insulted when a Birmingham player was interviewed after the match and said that he couldn’t believe that they had lost 4-0 ‘to a team like that’.

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48 minutes ago, Stortz said:

Hello mate, I draw your attention to the gentleman pictured in a blue jacket with green down the arms in the image above haha.

I'm pretty sure you do!

The penny’s dropped yes I know who it is now mate ...31 years ago where does the time go 

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4 hours ago, ralphindevon said:

That 1990 game was one of those special away days. As soon as we arrived we could sense it was going to be a memorable, a real edgy atmosphere.

I think this was the game that Mark Gavin came to the party, unplayable and certainly won the city fans over after an indifferent spell up to then. Bob Taylor was on fire and that was the day I knew we’d go up.

Getting back to the car was hard work with Brum fans in a right mood and looking for trouble. It was one of the first times I’d seen a police helicopter at a city game. Got to the car to find it wouldn’t start, called the AA and when he arrived he knew straight away what to do, someone had got under the car and pulled something out which the guy soon fixed, he’d obviously seen it before.

I know the hooligan side of things was wrong and I’m glad it’s all very different nowadays but crikey, I miss away days like that.

 

 

 

I do and all, you get the odd fixtures with Swansea and Cardiff (obviously Rovers too if they ever get their act together) but outside of that it’s never a patch on what it was.

That Swansea game at AG a couple of years ago is my favourite game at the new AG other than Man U.

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4 hours ago, Harry said:

 

Ha ha. Same. I’d never seen one before that. It was a real novelty and a sure sign that things were going very wild!!! 
If I remember correctly, as you come out of the away end and turn left (so headed in the direction of the lads in the picture), at the end of that road another left turn led you into a wide street, with derelict buildings on each side and a massive area of wasteland - which was ideal territory for large scale ‘bother’!! 
 

This was a superb game in what was a superb season, with loads of amazing away trips. Still ranks as my best ever season watching City. 

This ⬆️. Early on in that season, you just had a feeling about the team.  We went away expecting to win, and never thinking we would lose. It was a shock when we got beat.  'Twas a brilliant, brilliant season.

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