The Start Of The East End

[Tall King Blox]

With all this talk of Forza East End and Park End, well it got me to thinking, !!! Where did it all start ??

So you guy's that are older and wiser than me can probably help me out...As far as my memory goes there was NO East End, not in the spiritual sense, like i said.. it was a long time ago, but as far as i remember it was the mid to late sixties when we had a pre season friendly against Chelsea.. so we turn up with our scaves and rattles ( remember them ?, used to do my head in !! ) and the Chelsea lads ( FIRM ) as it turned out were on the old open end ( Park End ) for our younger readers...At the time i guess i was about ten or eleven ish, So shockingly the Chelsea lads threw a football on the pitch and between themselves ( about twenty to thirty of them ) dribbled the ball towards the covered end...scored a goal then jumped the fence and took the East End !!!!..We had never exprienced such behaviour !! a lot of the older lads, mods or whatever started giving the big un but as far as i remember they stayed till the end!!!!

The first match that season the east end was born....i think...Can anyone remember that day or was it just a cruel twist of childhood memory...Please respond if you were there, I remember that a lot of them were wearing white boiler suites, pete townshendish

[RedRock]

I think it was against Brum around 68 or 69... but others may have different views.

Remember standing in the queue for the East End surrounded by massive brummie blokes who were taking the piss. To say we were not street wise was a massive understatement. There were 3 of us in red & white and literally hundreds of them ...and we still went in and then took up our position near the railing in the centre-section, which by 2:00pm was rammed full of blues.

Anyhows, inevitable happened scarfs nicked - police belated stepped in and took the three of us up the Open End. So we can claim to be the original Park Enders.

Can remember around 50 odd City squeezing into the centre block near to kick off so not complete humiliation but not far off. I think we all grew up that day!

I don't think any club can claim a 'victory' at the Gate since then... which ain't a bad record given our near neighbours are Cardiff (don't count bashing some cars up in the early 70's in a meaningless second leg FL cuptie we had already won at Tinnion Park) and Millwall (though the Battle of Bristol in the 80's was the worst and most intense violence I've ever witnessed at a football ground/surrounding areas - but we stood our ground well). The Sheff Utd thing wasn't great.

[Lew-T]

I think it was against Brum around 68 or 69... but others may have different views.

Remember standing in the queue for the East End surrounded by massive brummie blokes who were taking the piss. To say we were not street wise was a massive understatement. There were 3 of us in red & white and literally hundreds of them ...and we still went in and then took up our position near the railing in the centre-section, which by 2:00pm was rammed full of blues.

Anyhows, inevitable happened scarfs nicked - police belated stepped in and took the three of us up the Open End. So we can claim to be the original Park Enders.

Can remember around 50 odd City squeezing into the centre block near to kick off so not complete humiliation but not far off. I think we all grew up that day!

I don't think any club can claim a 'victory' at the Gate since then... which ain't a bad record given our near neighbours are Cardiff (don't count bashing some cars up in the early 70's in a meaningless second leg FL cuptie we had already won at Tinnion Park) and Millwall (though the Battle of Bristol in the 80's was the worst and most intense violence I've ever witnessed at a football ground/surrounding areas - but we stood our ground well). The Sheff Utd thing wasn't great.

Sheff utd? When have we had problems with them?

[Tall King Blox]

Oh the memories, twas against chelski tho when the seed was planted..the brumie game was a few years later, me and my mates were walking across the smythe park on the way to the centre whe we were overtaken and then became a part of their mob, was scared shitlees, scared to walk away from the mob for fear of being recognised or whatever so we went with them untill we found a alleyway up which to dart and hide..being twelve or thirteen seemed the right thing to do..how things changed a bit later...say no more.!

[RedRock]

Dolman - then on the pitch. Think it was their promotion celebration party or something.

Best to erase from the memory (unfortunately, they have the picture-proof which is proudly displayed by them as one of their major conquests).

[RedRock]

Oh the memories, twas against chelski tho when the seed was planted..the brumie game was a few years later, me and my mates were walking across the smythe park on the way to the centre whe we were overtaken and then became a part of their mob, was scared shitlees, scared to walk away from the mob for fear of being recognised or whatever so we went with them untill we found a alleyway up which to dart and hide..being twelve or thirteen seemed the right thing to do..how things changed a bit later...say no more.!

Sounds we're of a similar age then. How I avoided a severe beating that day I don't know ... must have stunned them by our sheer naivity.

Obviously the 'old school's' organisational capabilities were still embryonic in the period between Chelsea and Brum then!

[Lew-T]

Dolman - then on the pitch. Think it was their promotion celebration party or something.

Best to erase from the memory (unfortunately, they have the picture-proof which is proudly displayed by them as one of their major conquests).

How far back are we talking here? I can't remember that

[RedRock]

How far back are we talking here? I can't remember that

Nice one .. best approach when things go pear-shaped is denial (ask Florest fans).

[Lew-T]

Nice one .. best approach when things go pear-shaped is denial (ask Florest fans).

I wasn't around in the 60s! It was a genuine question.

[The Casual Connoisseur]

Sheff utd? When have we had problems with them?

[The Casual Connoisseur]

Sheff utd? When have we had problems with them?

More times than I can remember, got nicked up there in our last championship away game, last time around, what a dump!

[RedRock]

It was a joke - to be honest can't remember the decade but probably the 80's.

If you nip down to Waterstones most of the 'Tales from the Frontline' type books - if they contain a Sheff Utd section - at best will just refer to it in text, at worst in pictures.

[Tall King Blox]

How far back are we talking here? I can't remember that

end of a crap middle ish season for us, party time for them, twas cruel ime telling u, they took the piss and rightly so, we didnt show up that day to be fair

[Nogbad the Bad]

How far back are we talking here? I can't remember that

About '89.

I was in the Enclosure and there was fighting there and in the Grandstand above as well as the Dolman and on the pitch.

I seem to remember the Sheff.Utd fans got into further trouble in Weston after the match. 40+ arrests and City fans in the Grandstand were also picked out from TV pictures during the close season.

The whole business dominated the local TV news on the Monday.

[Tall King Blox]

How far back are we talking here? I can't remember that

to be fair it's best forgotten

[The Casual Connoisseur]

I wasn't around in the 60s! It was a genuine question.

It wasn't 60's more like late 80,s.

They rook the piss a little, running from the open end, hundreds of them, some in fancy dress, lads from the Dolman and EE had a running battle with them getting the better of it, all on the pitch!

[Tall King Blox]

Sounds we're of a similar age then. How I avoided a severe beating that day I don't know ... must have stunned them by our sheer naivity.

Obviously the 'old school's' organisational capabilities were still embryonic in the period between Chelsea and Brum then!

I think i will call it a learning curve, or sweve

[Hope&Glory]

I remember being in the EE as a kid vs Arsenal in 1977. A group of gooners kicked off in the centre section but had to quickly get themselves out of there. One of them got his flared jeans caught in the hooks on top of the railings as he climbed onto the pitch and left them hanging there . Ended up getting nicked wearing just his tee shirt, pants and a pair of doc martins! Priceless memories !

[Lew-T]

It wasn't 60's more like late 80,s.

They rook the piss a little, running from the open end, hundreds of them, some in fancy dress, lads from the Dolman and EE had a running battle with them getting the better of it, all on the pitch!

Ahh this was slightly before my time.

[RedRock]

I think i will call it a learning curve, or sweve

Very good.

I think I learnt that odds of around 500-3 meant an unquestionable and fully justifiable swerve in matches after that!

Having said that I still had an away lesson (at Cardiff) in the early 70's when if everyone else runs so do you rather than try and 'blend in'.

[Tall King Blox]

Very good.

I think I learnt that odds of around 500-3 meant an unquestionable and fully justifiable swerve in matches after that!

Having said that I still had an away lesson (at Cardiff) in the early 70's when if everyone else runs so do you rather than try and 'blend in'.

Noooooooo Wrong approach, you gotta make them think your special ( not needs ) show no fear and out mad them, always works for me,

[The Casual Connoisseur]

Very good.

I think I learnt that odds of around 500-3 meant an unquestionable and fully justifiable swerve in matches after that!

Having said that I still had an away lesson (at Cardiff) in the early 70's when if everyone else runs so do you rather than try and 'blend in'.

I had a similar incident in New St once, 6 of us literally ran into a mob of 20 or so Zulus, I just stood and froze, the others ran!

Outcome: the ones that ran ended up on a local train bound for Walsall, I eneded up having a pint with a bunch of brummies who only gave chase cos they thought we were Villa coming back from London!

Good bunch of lads, one of which I met up with in Ibiza 3 years ago!

Lesson: always stand your ground (or freeze)!

[Tall King Blox]

Lesson: always stand your ground (or freeze)!

ipb.global.registerReputation( 'rep_post_1541687', { domLikeStripId: 'like_post_1541687', app: 'forums', type: 'pid', typeid: '1541687' }, parseInt('') );

• Back to top
  

[RedRock]

I had a similar incident in New St once, 6 of us literally ran into a mob of 20 or so Zulus, I just stood and froze, the others ran!

Outcome: the ones that ran ended up on a local train bound for Walsall, I eneded up having a pint with a bunch of brummies who only gave chase cos they thought we were Villa coming back from London!

Good bunch of lads, one of which I met up with in Ibiza 3 years ago!

Lesson: always stand your ground (or freeze)!

Interesting lot Brum. Aside from my first experience was up at St Andrews again in the 80's where it was a bit evil. But got to say came across many Blues when I was up in Tamworth and played Sunday league football with them... some of the funniest, genuine and best lads I've come across.

[slartibartfast]

Mid to late sixties it was called "Stokers (or Stoke Rd) End ref to Winterstoke Road.I think it became the E E in 69 when the plans for the new Dolman Stand were unveiled and it was said to be called the North Stand (before being named DS) ipso facto if that was the north stand ,we MUST be the EAST END!

[The Casual Connoisseur]

Interesting lot Brum. Aside from my first experience was up at St Andrews again in the 80's where it was a bit evil. But got to say came across many Blues when I was up in Tamworth and played Sunday league football with them... some of the funniest, genuine and best lads I've come across.

Agreed, I know a few of their lads, all really decent blokes, top laugh and 100% mental.

[Tall King Blox]

Mid to late sixties it was called "Stokers (or Stoke Rd) End ref to Winterstoke Road.I think it became the E E in 69 when the plans for the new Dolman Stand were unveiled and it was said to be called the North Stand (before being named DS) ipso facto if that was the north stand ,we MUST be the EAST END!

Post of the day, brilliant !

[BCAGFC]

Night game in 1976/1977 (1st season in the then D1) v Tottenham, we (we were only 16 at the time) were standing at the back of the middle section of the EE when we noticed a mob of lads (about 30 - 50) assembling behind us & just to one side of the back exit.

Suddenly, the shout went up, COME ON YOU SPURS and the whole middle section split and left the 3 of us standing alone, we didn;t move but luckily the old bill got there before we got a battering.

After the game, we got spotted by the same mob while walking up Winterstoke Road, bad times.

The game after that, Spurs came down again but this time they got battered.........what goes around and all that.

BCAGFC

[Bobby kellard hero]

I stood in the east end from 1958 until it became all seater and didn't like it then so been in the Dolman ever since.

It was just called the covered end then as I recall.

[cider head]

Years ago people who stood near the corner of the eastend/dolman where it used curved in to terrace they called it the east end as it was the only part of that stand that is actually in the east as ashton gate is on an angle (if you look on google earth you will see) the h-block atyeo points north and where the away fans go in the EE the stand points south, to this day some of the old boys who are in the stand like this corner for this reason and won't move to any other part of the stand, they see this corner as The East End.

The floodlight and EE corner is East