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Bootham Crescent (York) - Grauniad


SecretSam

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Lovely picture article from the Graun about Bootham Crescent, a ground I never visited, sadly. For younger fans, the facilities are similar to a lot of grounds (including AG) before the modern stadia began to appear after the Taylor report (post-Hillsborough disaster).

Goodbye Bootham Crescent

There's something very sad about an abandoned football ground...

 

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13 minutes ago, SecretSam said:

Lovely picture article from the Graun about Bootham Crescent, a ground I never visited, sadly. For younger fans, the facilities are similar to a lot of grounds (including AG) before the modern stadia began to appear after the Taylor report (post-Hillsborough disaster).

Goodbye Bootham Crescent

There's something very sad about an abandoned football ground...

 

I went there a few times, most memorably when we won 1-0 and Ralph Milne scored a screamer. There is something sad about abandoned grounds - I remember going to see Somerset play Yorkshire at Bradford in the JPL and the ground was next to Bradford Park Avenue`s old one. The pitch was covered in long grass and shrubs with the goalposts poking out and the stands were collapsing.

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4 hours ago, SecretSam said:

Lovely picture article from the Graun about Bootham Crescent, a ground I never visited, sadly. For younger fans, the facilities are similar to a lot of grounds (including AG) before the modern stadia began to appear after the Taylor report (post-Hillsborough disaster).

Goodbye Bootham Crescent

There's something very sad about an abandoned football ground...

 

Nice article. Used to enjoy going there; easy walk into the centre of a lovely City. 
I remember seeing Louis Carey make his debut there. 
Funnily enough, we stayed in York when we played at Middlesbrough last month, and drove right past Bootham Crescent on our way out. 

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Mum’s from York and saw a few games with her when v young, so a bit of a soft spot for the Minstermen and Bootham Crescent. Critically (sort of), they had one of the two great lower league, triple threat firms of solicitors: Houchen, Walwyn and Byrne. Wigan had the other: Jewell, Newell and Aspinall. 

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It’s amazing that a club in National League North have been able to move to a modern stadium. It wouldn’t look out of place in League 2, (much better than a lot of grounds in that league.)  Only 8,500 capacity but that’s all they league. 
 

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We organised a rail special in 1984 for a Div 4 promotion clash. I think 800 travelled? ( I was at uni in Leeds so travelled independently for 50p return) Magic football experiences. Pints in an old pub by the Minster. Free programme on entrance. Had a burger / coffee stand on the terrace as I recall. 

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1 hour ago, Bedred31 said:

We organised a rail special in 1984 for a Div 4 promotion clash. I think 800 travelled? ( I was at uni in Leeds so travelled independently for 50p return) Magic football experiences. Pints in an old pub by the Minster. Free programme on entrance. Had a burger / coffee stand on the terrace as I recall. 

trev morgan on his debut headed the equaliser iirc 

i was there...

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I went to York with a mate who lived there in about 95. City won the game, but I can't remember the score. After we went for a pint in a pub owned by Henry Wharton a former (then present) super middleweight boxer. I seem to remember as York were in red, City wore their green and black hooped away kit. Happy days and sad an historic ground has bit the dust.

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2 hours ago, Bedred31 said:

We organised a rail special in 1984 for a Div 4 promotion clash. I think 800 travelled? ( I was at uni in Leeds so travelled independently for 50p return) Magic football experiences. Pints in an old pub by the Minster. Free programme on entrance. Had a burger / coffee stand on the terrace as I recall. 

Still got the little train ticket ?

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Last trip to Bootham Crescent was our 1-0 victory in the cup. Most memorable was probably a visit in my days in the London Branch when a number of us went to York Minster pre-match and we came away with a scroll denoting that we'd made a donation for its upkeep. After taking copies,when I left London to work in Plymouth the Branch was kind enough to award me the original scroll as a parting gift (and I still have it). 

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8 hours ago, Lanterne Rouge said:

I went there a few times, most memorably when we won 1-0 and Ralph Milne scored a screamer. There is something sad about abandoned grounds - I remember going to see Somerset play Yorkshire at Bradford in the JPL and the ground was next to Bradford Park Avenue`s old one. The pitch was covered in long grass and shrubs with the goalposts poking out and the stands were collapsing.

I was at the Ralph Milne game, I think it was a Bank Holiday Monday, good following up there that day, we went up in a Ford XR4i, got back in less than 2 and half hours, went to York a few times including a Tuesday night, good away trip back in the day.

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15 hours ago, italian dave said:

Nice article. Used to enjoy going there; easy walk into the centre of a lovely City. 
I remember seeing Louis Carey make his debut there. 

I was there when Carey made his debut - my wife and I stayed in York for few days as neither of us had been before - what a lovely and historic city.

 

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Never went to Bootham Crescent, but I thoroughly enjoyed looking at those pics as much as I enjoy looking at old pics from any old or abandoned ground. The nostalgic feel brings you back to earth.

The first ground I ever visited was Molineux (and stood where the Steve Bull Stand is now). That ground has had quite some transformation but my memories are very much of a dark atmospheric ground with a raised pitch. 

Yesteryear is important for us all

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Went to York a few times, the only one I can remember at all is the Ralph Milne one. Great goal in horrible conditions.
Always quite enjoyed a trip to York.

21 minutes ago, Sir Geoff said:

Promotion season and it was on Match Of The Day. (thought it was a Ritchie hat trick but bow to your better memory).

 

Pretty sure one scored a hat trick away , and the other got one at home. I thought the home one was on MotD & that was Tom Ritchie, might be wrong. I might check later.

Ah I see @bredwood beat me to it.

 

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16 hours ago, italian dave said:

Nice article. Used to enjoy going there; easy walk into the centre of a lovely City. 
I remember seeing Louis Carey make his debut there. 
Funnily enough, we stayed in York when we played at Middlesbrough last month, and drove right past Bootham Crescent on our way out. 

 

13 hours ago, sglosbcfc said:

I went to York with a mate who lived there in about 95. City won the game, but I can't remember the score. After we went for a pint in a pub owned by Henry Wharton a former (then present) super middleweight boxer. I seem to remember as York were in red, City wore their green and black hooped away kit. Happy days and sad an historic ground has bit the dust.

Was about to say about that game.  I was also there for Carey's debut.  Open terrace, dodgy burgers and Kevin Nugent scoring the only goal of the game.  Heady days indeed.

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A good article. And it’s intriguing that a club can slip so far and still move to a new ground. New owners, or did they hang on to the ground and sell it for development? Clearly the writer isn’t happy with the behaviour of past owners - but that’s as it ever was.

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I live within easy walking distance of the ground and have only been in once, when we beat them 1-0 in the FA Cup.

Club has been absolutely ruined by bad ownership, and those York City fans I know are long suffering; I hope they can climb back up to the league soon as the local youngster are all basically now Leeds fans, unfortunately.

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16 minutes ago, Leveller said:

A good article. And it’s intriguing that a club can slip so far and still move to a new ground. New owners, or did they hang on to the ground and sell it for development? Clearly the writer isn’t happy with the behaviour of past owners - but that’s as it ever was.

And yet the Barcelona of League 2 with a huge fan base and a billionaire owner with a nice watch can only stretch to a few tents. Funny old game.?

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14 hours ago, weepywall said:

I was at the Ralph Milne game, I think it was a Bank Holiday Monday, good following up there that day, we went up in a Ford XR4i, got back in less than 2 and half hours, went to York a few times including a Tuesday night, good away trip back in the day.

Off topic (sort of), but Ralph Milne, what an intriguing career. Personally thought he was great. Considered a joke signing for Man U, but a Dundee United legend - their record European scorer (with 15!), played in both European Cup semi final legs against Roma (2-0 winners of 1st leg, lost 2nd leg 3-0, somewhat upsetting) etc etc. 

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14 hours ago, weepywall said:

I was at the Ralph Milne game, I think it was a Bank Holiday Monday, good following up there that day, we went up in a Ford XR4i, got back in less than 2 and half hours, went to York a few times including a Tuesday night, good away trip back in the day.

It was and also my birthday. When your birthday is May 2nd and you`re a football fan it`s always a strong possibility that something memorable will happen on it. Some are great (Ralph Milne), some not so much (1990)!

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