Memories Of The Parkend?

[i hate you butler]

Snowball fight versus huddersfield,pool/darts match with millwall,drab friday night 0-0 with chester, crowd 1,500ish great days.

Snowball fight versus huddersfield,pool/darts match with millwall,drab friday night 0-0 with chester, crowd 1,500ish great days.

never had a crowd of 1500 at ag you getting mixed up with another team

[tiz]

Park ender here. Remember battles. I was proud to be a park ender out in all weathers. Anyone remember the stabbing agsinst luton. 18 YOUNG DUMB FULL OF...

[tiz]

The luton incident was pre segregation i was a kid. My youth the park end was segregated but rember found memories of trips the other side

[tiz]

The best memory. Whitehead scoring against portsmouth and the promised land withbin grasp. The last five minutes were just incredible.the park end rocked.

[Peter O Hanraha-hanrahan]

I froze my bollux off on the Open End in a blizzard against Sheffield Wednesday.

I also remember watching in confusion from the Eastend at half time against Cardiff (League Cup) as both the home and away sections of the Open End emptied almost simultaneously. Turned out everyone had gone for a fight after the gates were forced open around the back.

[red ponty]

Many memories, top days.

Two well known city fans debating who was the real ANGUS !!! Everyone else waiting for it to kick off.

About 20 city going in with gas on their side of fence.

And the gang of parkenders who stuck together from a well know pub in Nelson st, town.

Cardiff queing up to come in our side, untill above turned up and they vanished.

[Prestbury c of c]

Remember villa had 3/4 of park end 1977 and stood by the corner flag just before 1/2 time an almighty brawl started in front of me.An old bloke gave me a rollicking for cheering the city boys on as the fuzz soon rolled in-that was the good old days-Still got my silk scarf with PARKENDERS on it!

[Tall King Blox]

Park ender here. Remember battles. I was proud to be a park ender out in all weathers. Anyone remember the stabbing agsinst luton. 18 YOUNG DUMB FULL OF...

Remember that awfull incident, think it was before segregation, some luton lad on too many pills done one of ours in the heart, luckily the guy survived, for me the park end was born when we had a pre against stoke 76, came out the rising sun ( bar bs3 ) and somone mentioned that stoke were on the open end, red rags to bulls kinda thang, up we went and scrapped with them all match ! the park end was born that day....

[Thornbury Red]

Open end for me. Was where my dear departed dad first took me to the gate! Memories of standing on a stool he made for me so I could see over the wall at the front. Eventually moved to standing on the back wall on the wrong side of the fence as was only way I could see. Thirty foot drop behind just had to remember not to celebrate too much when we scored!

[BTRFTG]

any more info nick? so city fans were allowed in with away fans?

can remember being in parkend v Chelsea 75/76 and being in the middle of the cfc lot with their silk scarves aloft and I was about 7

no segregation then I don't think

[Tall King Blox]

THE PARK END was for me brill, my best memory was Normans last match for us, all singing " oh norman stay with us " we had a whip round of all the lads and some guy ran up to bemmie and bought a present for him and had it engraved with something like " Best of luck from all the parkenders " and it was presented to him with police permmision either before the game or at half time, memory a bit foggy on the facts, The funniest was Scussy of the tote end getting nicked before kick off against man city, there's one for the gas to saviour...!!!

[Forza Revolution]

Few of the older lads we drink with have come and told us what it used to be like including my old man. A few of us who have a drink together in the pub before matches on a Saturday still have a good sing song in that part of the ground to keep some spirit alive

[BTRFTG]

Spot on IHYB.

Park End WAS Crackers Corner ...plus

Wolves, Xmas floodlight opener, 37k & the sole reason I'm still following 'bl**dy rubbish' nearly half a century later;

Anglo Scottish St Mirren - wet,cold,sparse, delirious;

First Div 1 packed to the gunnels, can't move, Houdini nights;

Tottenham paying a visit;

Witnessing first hand the napalm effects of a fresh Clarks on stray supporters paying a visit;

Tottenham in the ice/fog fest;

Watching for the half time Clarks pie trays being delivered & running fast;

The bloke with the BR industrial spanner undoing the nuts on the safety barriers;

Seeing my hero Bowles, in agony, being abused at close quarters;

The unfortunate demise of the Sally Army big-base drummer pre the League Cup SF 2nd Leg;

I'm still looking for the sod who pi**ed down the back of my leg circa 75 who couldn't be ar**d to battle through the crowds to enjoy the facilities...

Never better....

[Tall King Blox]

Spot on IHYB.

Park End WAS Crackers Corner ...plus

Wolves, Xmas floodlight opener, 37k & the sole reason I'm still following 'bl**dy rubbish' nearly half a century later;

Anglo Scottish St Mirren - wet,cold,sparse, delirious;

First Div 1 packed to the gunnels, can't move, Houdini nights;

Tottenham paying a visit;

Witnessing first hand the napalm effects of a fresh Clarks on stray supporters paying a visit;

Tottenham in the ice/fog fest;

Watching for the half time Clarks pie trays being delivered & running fast;

The bloke with the BR industrial spanner undoing the nuts on the safety barriers;

Seeing my hero Bowles, in agony, being abused at close quarters;

The unfortunate demise of the Sally Army big-base drummer pre the League Cup SF 2nd Leg;

I'm still looking for the sod who pi**ed down the back of my leg circa 75 who couldn't be ar**d to battle through the crowds to enjoy the facilities...

Never better....

Kin mint post...you were there, no doubt about it, x

[Eco]

Sketchy memory here but I can remember an Easter Monday early kick off against Fulham. A real game of two halves. First half hour we got soaked and were one nil down. Really warm sun came out and we won something like 5-1. I can certainly remember thinking I'll never come in the open end again to thinking I'm coming on here every week within the space of half an hour.

Was that in our promotion season when Ian Ferguson got a few goals ?

[rat23]

first time i saw skinhead girls 75 -76 was in the parkend - throwing any objects they could find over the fence at away fans,also early 90s and the ultra magazine era and all the confetti and long flag stuff was fun,another vivid memory was singing to Bruce grobbelaar goin down, goin down. goin... down after allegations of match fixing to which even he found funny

[KevP]

sheepskin coats, mullets, golf balls into the swindle following.....

[rat23]

Another puzzling memory was (whilst gazing through the bars at the back ) was Coventry coming down around 77-78 and for most of the match they (most of them punks) all just sat against the walls behind the end looking drunk eating pies and didn't even bother watching the game

[poland_red]

my memories come a lot later, and are limited to the cpl of seasons after the covered end was made all seater. anyway, the cardiff match was magic, with the tea lady fending off a load of welsh by banging boiling water into their faces. then there was the rovers match in the 90s that had thousands locked out, and was a massive boost to our survival hopes, and so i remember, a blow to theirs. there was a christmas period match against a Collymore led Forest when they opened up the middle pen for city and it was arms reach from forest, electric atmosphere, even if we were on the wrong end of a 4-1 shellacking. for the cpl of years me and my mates used the park / open end we'd always be in the top corner by the away fans where there was a great little crowd of lads all of all ages, from my lot who were 16/17, to old grizzled pissheads singing about gerry gow.

for sheer comedy, i recall one game against Notts Co possibly when the terrace was half empty, and it was bitterly cold - real weather for trolls and goblins. A bloke me and my mates knew only as Red Beard Man started singing the Rainbow theme tune, which the other hardy 20 or so scattered in that corner lapped up bouncing around.

It was from the park end, as well, where for the only time in my life i turned against city and started supporting the oppo. this was in the Les Kew / Osman era, and I think it was Barnsley at home. they beat us 2-0 and all corners of the ground seemed united in sack the board protests / Osman out. It seems surreal now, and I'm afraid that I'm exagerrating a half forgotten memory... I loved the east end when it was standing, but i think i was too young to appreciate it. It was during those two or three seasons on the park end that i grew up

[rat23]

oh and kitlads with funny fringes ,snake belts and pegs or army trousers and moccasins,also tashes were rife

[Tall King Blox]

first time i saw skinhead girls 75 -76 was in the parkend - throwing any objects they could find over the fence at away fans,also early 90s and the ultra magazine era and all the confetti and long flag stuff was fun,another vivid memory was singing to Bruce grobbelaar goin down, goin down. goin... down after allegations of match fixing to which even he found funny

Remember after the fogged off leeds match a gang of city "girls " attacking a leeds minibus, full on violence from our "pwappa nawty ladies firm, nice one Annie ! ...wester i think

[rat23]

Donawa goal against the gas -we sang his name from parkend to rising sun

[SimplyRed]

Always went in the Open End, from the first time I went as a 7-year-old in 1960. As far as I recall, my dad always took me in there because it was thruppence (1.5p) cheaper than the covered end (east end). It was 9d (3.5p) for me and a shilling for him (5p), whereas the covered end was 'one-and-three' (1s 3d or 6.5p).

Always sat on the railing at the back behind the goal with my Dad stood in front of me holding on to my legs so I didn't fall the 20 foot or so sheer drop backwards. Lasting memory of the Open End was the smell of cigars and the rollo's my Dad used to buy me.

As a child, I don't recall ever seeing any violence with visiting fans. As far as I remember, it was all good natured chanting and singing (maybe rose-cloloured specs!)

[ralphindevon]

Was that in our promotion season when Ian Ferguson got a few goals ?

Yeah I had a look, it was Easter Monday 1990, it didn't have the goal scorers but I'll take your word it was a Ferguson double, I must admit I'd forgotten about him.

[SDBS36]

Interesting. My old Nan said Crackers Corner was the area of terracing that was near the Dolman, and yet I've heard people mention it as the corner of the East End (Williams End), so where exactly was it?

Corner of the EE & Williams Stand

[Bazooka Joe]

Sometime In the early 70s,the SAGs were playing at Ashton Gate.

I think the game finished 1-1.

The previous week in the "Sedan Chair" or whatever it was called before then,I was having a few jars with my mates. A SAG called Andy Stagg (from Whitchurch?), got pretty p*ssed, and let slip that the SAGs (we just called them "Rovers" in those days) were going to invade the pitch when the game finished.

As the end of the game approached, from the East End we could see Stagg (wearing his trademark white Skinners) making a move to get over the Open End railings and urging on his followers.

My brother and I were over the East End railings in a flash, along with a lot of other City. We were over the half-way line before the SAGs had even reached the edge of their penalty area.

With the adrenalin pumping, we chased and clobbered the SAGs all over the place.They soon retreated back to the safety of the Open End and police protection.

The bigger problem for our lot was getting away from the Police (and their vicious dogs). They were intent on arresting as many of us as they could.

As we scarpered back towards the East End, laughing and dodging our way past coppers, we saw two of our boys get nabbed. A few coppers got barged over or knocked out of the way as they made half-hearted attempts to block the way.

The rest of us got back okay, jumping over the East End railings into the protective arms of the waiting City fans. Within minutes, we were kitted us out with different jackets and hats to avoid being pulled in as we left the ground. I lost my scruffy Crombie but gained a decent, but too tight, Harrington jacket.

When my brother and I got home late that night, our old man went ballisitc. He had seen what we had been up to on the telly, and recognised us. Our dad gave us a slap across the head and said he wasn't going to allow us to got to any more games. Hahha!

That TV footage must still be somewhere in the HTV West news archives.

I hope they show it again someday so that I can see it for myself.

[Redtucks]

The Open End for me too.

I recall a b-I-g bloke named Mervyn, a doorman in some Bristol club I think, who used to hold court there in the seventies. A funny guy.

Always knew it as the Open End. Never even heard of the Park End, back then.

Yes, I remember big Merv (Mervyn Coulter) very well from the late sixties. We used to stand just to his right because we felt safe with him.

As you said, he was a big bloke. Must have been 6' 5" - 6' 6" and about twenty stone.

Hell of a voice he had. He used to shout to the players and the ref, and they always heard him and acknowledged his comments.

He was a bouncer at the Worrell Rooms in Clifton, which later became Lesters Club, and a typical terrace comedian. A gentle giant.

Always used to think he looked a bit odd when he turned up on evening matches in his black tuxedo, ready for work after the game.

I understand he died about ten or twelve years ago.

I don't recall ever seeing any violence with visiting fans. As far as I remember, it was all good natured chanting and singing (maybe rose-cloloured specs!)

Totally agree, and all the better for it!

[Dorset_Cider]

Am I the only one who remembers it as..................The Open End?

Nope for me too....... 'open end ' and always thought it would be nice to have one of the houses behind.

There would always be people watching the games from their windows.

[Dorset_Cider]

Always went in the Open End, from the first time I went as a 7-year-old in 1960. As far as I recall, my dad always took me in there because it was thruppence (1.5p) cheaper than the covered end (east end). It was 9d (3.5p) for me and a shilling for him (5p), whereas the covered end was 'one-and-three' (1s 3d or 6.5p).

Always sat on the railing at the back behind the goal with my Dad stood in front of me holding on to my legs so I didn't fall the 20 foot or so sheer drop backwards. Lasting memory of the Open End was the smell of cigars and the rollo's my Dad used to buy me.

As a child, I don't recall ever seeing any violence with visiting fans. As far as I remember, it was all good natured chanting and singing (maybe rose-cloloured specs!)

Which ever stand I was in as a child......... I always remember the smell of pipe tobacco (and we'd be talking late 60's early 70's)

No it never made me want to smoke but it did smell bloody lovely!

[CreekRed]

Although I never stood in the parkend the three things that stays fresh in my memory were (in no particular order)

Louie Donowa's goal against the gas

Chelsea in the FA Cup when they let off flares/fireworks (I was quite young and in the Dolman not sure if my memory is correct)

Portsmouth at home first game of the season early 90's I think it finished 3-3 with either Jacki socring two or maybe Andy Cole? anyway I remember a bit of "crowd trouble" and remember me and my mate seeing a guy in an orange t-shirt throw what looked like a seat from the dolman towards the parkend, it swirled in the air and then bounced off a fan in the parkend, still to this day me and my mate chat about that incident! Crazy!