1982

[Ivorguy]

For all the angst

-We had a manager who was a near genius

- We had a team that fought for each other and us, and above all cared

- We had true support from us diehards

- We had no SL, five pillars, or Bristol Sport.  Yes the roof in the 'old stand' still leaked but what the hell there a real Bristol spirit then

[Lanterne Rouge]

1 hour ago, glynriley said:

Not that I'd ever want City to be plying their trade in the basement again, but I loved it back then. Kids who weren't much older than I was, busting a gut for the shirt. Coops waving his magic wand, Glyn sticking it to defences up and down the land. Tom Ritchie returning, and along with John Shaw guiding the kids to a promotion.

Anyone under the age of 40, have no illusions, they were dark days but all of us who were there will never forget them.

 Those who talk of turning their back on the club because of the current malaise can't have been around then, because this is a walk in the ******* park in comparison.

They were dark, dark days but we came through it thankfully. No-one who wasn`t around then can appreciate the sense of despair followed by elation that we still had a club to support. Don`t forget there was no admin/points deduction and carry on as before back then, we were hours away from doing an Accrington.

 I`ve also never forgiven the pikeys for trying to pick over our corpse before we were actually dead and never will. Bastards.

Still 1-0 down, 2-1 up and all that - that`s when we knew we were back and fighting our corner again.

CTID

[Chappers]

Scary times, listening for news, ultimately the AG8 would get nothing if club folded, so in many ways there could only be one outcome. Once TC took over, we were so glad just to have a Club, and then we beat the Gas, got promoted and won at Wembley. City had returned. Best thing was that joy at just having a club, expectations were low, ambitions realistic, and above all, TC's brand of attacking football. Halliday, Phillipson-Masters, Stroud, Crawford, Shaw, Middlemass. All unsung heroes of that time.

Real football, real pros, real fans.

[Norn Iron]

It's nice to read Alan Crawford getting honourable mentions.  I thought he was a great winger and was always giving his best. He lived about 100 yards from me in Nailsea and in the summer could be found in The Ring O'Bells......working behind the bar. His BCFC salary must have been poor.

Regarding that Newport game at Somerton Park. I remember Mick Harford scoring the goal with his kneecap and that the feeling was that it wouldn't be our last ever game.....but if it was, we had to be there.

We stood on a bank of loose stone chippings. In a previous era, the away end used to be the old speedway bend. The Newport Speedway team, featuring Phil Crump, became The Bristol Bulldogs.....and they shared their Bristol Stadium with ......greyhounds but not on the same night!

[City Rocker]

It was a mud bank wasn't it, the away end at Somerton Park, though I seem to recall it was terraced with railway sleepers or similar, which would be OH so chic in Southville these days. Newport in '82 was a game of such magnitude that you simply had to be there. Strangely though I remember little of the game except the 1-1 scoreline, the sporadic outbreaks of crowd trouble, and standing with the then EMI recording artists Dave Bateman (RIP) and Shane Baldwin off of Vice Squad. Unfortunately Beki wasn't into football as it turned out.

Chester in '84 remains without doubt my most emotional moment in 40 years of watching City. When Terry Cooper and the team emerged in their main stand after the game, with us lot massed on the pitch, this was the moment of The Resurrection and still brings a tear to the eye, now I think about it.

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

3 minutes ago, City Rocker said:

It was a mud bank wasn't it, the away end at Somerton Park, though I seem to recall it was terraced with railway sleepers or similar, which would be OH so chic in Southville these days. Newport in '82 was a game of such magnitude that you simply had to be there. Strangely though I remember little of the game except the 1-1 scoreline, the sporadic outbreaks of crowd trouble, and standing with the then EMI recording artists Dave Bateman (RIP) and Shane Baldwin off of Vice Squad. Unfortunately Beki wasn't into football as it turned out.

Chester in '84 remains without doubt my most emotional moment in 40 years of watching City. When Terry Cooper and the team emerged in their main stand after the game, with us lot massed on the pitch, this was the moment of The Resurrection and still brings a tear to the eye, now I think about it.

It was a cinder bank, I think.

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

4 hours ago, REDOXO said:

I hate thinking about it!

Terrible times and some good ones too.

The day of the AG eight agreement I remember thinking, this could be it! What am I going to do. The Sags were hovvering around AG as has been mentioned and it looked bad. GG, Clive and Tom the only ones worth money were gone and we had nothing but kids and contracts that lasted into old age.

My old man came in from work and said the club have been reformed and the players were gone. 16 year olds in the first team on Saturday....we were 92nd before you knew it.

Terry Cooper should have something named after him....If not just for that cup win at Eastville....Christian Roberts against Hartlepool was mad....That was insane....Hirst has, it audible gasp........GGGGGGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL! The Muller road end was madness as were the blokes watching from the flyover!....Nearly in tears just thinking about it!!...

 

Some fella in a beemer kept stopping to watch, then getting moved on by the scuffers. I`m sure he came around several times, but it sure was a long time ago!

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

6 hours ago, Portland Bill said:

We all undid the wire fence during the last 15 mins didn't we  as the final whistle went it literally collapsed!! 

Remember that rush onto the pitch! There was another chain link fence (FFS!) in front of their main stand that came down too. TC hoisted up on some lad`s shoulders, and looking like he was going to fall about 30` to the ground. Can still see the look of momentary panic on his face.

[BobBobSuperBob]

1 hour ago, Norn Iron said:

It's nice to read Alan Crawford getting honourable mentions.  I thought he was a great winger and was always giving his best. He lived about 100 yards from me in Nailsea and in the summer could be found in The Ring O'Bells......working behind the bar. His BCFC salary must have been poor.

Became good friends with Crawfs

After his commitment to the Club, both as a player and Youth Team Coach he found out he was out of a job (Under Osman) with a letter left on his desk !!!

Good honest bloke Crawfs

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

4 minutes ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

Became good friends with Crawfs

After his commitment to the Club, both as a player and Youth Team Coach he found out he was out of a job (Under Osman) with a letter left on his desk !!!

Good honest bloke Crawfs

Does he still live in the Bristol area?

[BobBobSuperBob]

5 minutes ago, Mike Hunt-Hertz said:

Does he still live in the Bristol area?

No Mike 

Lost touch last few years but him and Anne  were living up,in the North West

 

[BobBobSuperBob]

Crawls did alright with the youth team then - The 'Academy' consisted of a bag of balls and a minibus !!

But in a couple of years , from. A YTS group of 8/10  a year a few  got to make their first team debuts when we were in the then Div 1 ( Now Championship) 

Not World beaters but even so , from a tiny Youth set up

Fowler

Wyatt

Milsom

All LOCAL Lads too !!

and the one who had the most successful career who was 'nee local'

Mickey Mellon

[T R]

Question that has always been on my mind, when we got relgated from the 1st division, how in hell did we drop like a stone, was this down to the players giving up? Can anyone tell me what happened because it is all a vague memory to me leading up to the 82 situation. 

[Red-Robbo]

6 hours ago, glynriley said:

Not that I'd ever want City to be plying their trade in the basement again, but I loved it back then. Kids who weren't much older than I was, busting a gut for the shirt. Coops waving his magic wand, Glyn sticking it to defences up and down the land. Tom Ritchie returning, and along with John Shaw guiding the kids to a promotion.

Anyone under the age of 40, have no illusions, they were dark days but all of us who were there will never forget them.

 Those who talk of turning their back on the club because of the current malaise can't have been around then, because this is a walk in the ******* park in comparison.

You are right of course.

Football was just so different then and as near as "corporate" got was players driving a Ford Granada with the name of some local garage on it!!

That said, in case anyone thinks it's only today's supporters who get going when the going gets tough,  it's worth remembering we were getting below 5K at our worst. ..

[In the Net]

Ironically, I used to work for Chris Barlow, the insolvency expert who advised on how to keep the club alive by re-inventing yourselves as BCFC 1982 Ltd. I think that the Football League closed that loophole fairly soon afterwards, when Wolves used a similar tactic.

All a million years away from the corporate comforts which people take for granted these days, but I do think that fans in general had a closer bond back then, which has been somewhat diluted as football evolved into all seater stadiums etc.

[Portland Bill]

7 hours ago, Threshing Red said:

Question that has always been on my mind, when we got relgated from the 1st division, how in hell did we drop like a stone, was this down to the players giving up? Can anyone tell me what happened because it is all a vague memory to me leading up to the 82 situation. 

The better players were sold, and replaced by others who weren't good enough, basically we just weren't good enough to avoid the relegations. Add on the fact our gates halved and got even worse as we fell further down the divisions. 

The money ran out, we went from 37,000 watching us play Liverpool to 4,000 watching us play Rochdale, all this in 3 years!

[archie andrews]

15 minutes ago, Portland Bill said:

The better players were sold, and replaced by others who weren't good enough, basically we just weren't good enough to avoid the relegations. Add on the fact our gates halved and got even worse as we fell further down the divisions. 

The money ran out, we went from 37,000 watching us play Liverpool to 4,000 watching us play Rochdale, all this in 3 years!

partly true bill but my theory is AD always had the same nucleus of players for too long...ok we added the likes of hunter Cormack royle and bit part players like cooper and meijjer but we never really overhauled the team enough so they were more equipped for the first division

that coupled with silly long term contracts given out willy nilly meant the club were financially facing ruin which came to a head in 82 when again the team for example 80/81 season was still 7/8 players who had been through the 76 promotion season and 4 seasons in the top flight but were now struggling to adapt to the new lower levels but were on the same money as 1st division days

real dark days but fun seeing the resurrection  

[Ska Junkie]

What a great thread!

My own memories as a 14 year old City mad young 'un was 'that' day. I went to the old St Brendan's college, not the crappy 6th form it is now and boy was it strict! We went into lessons and were allowed to wear scarves not knowing if we would have a club to follow when we came out. Half way through one lesson, a teacher burst into our room to tell us the news that we had been saved.

As a youngster, that day at Chester will never be forgotten, the utter passion and togetherness was something I fear we will never see again. Actually, I know we won't as it wouldn't be allowed anymore. It felt like the whole support were at Sealand Rd that day yet there were only 3,000 of us, it definitely felt like a lot more.

Sad, dark times but wonderful memories. 

[Hello]

Even as a Gashead, I have been interested to read this. I was only born in 82 so I have no real knowledge of the back story

 

I would hate to be in that position as a Rovers fan and we have had our own issues in the past. I suppose at one time there was a threat of both clubs ceasing to be and we both could have been in the Southern League or whatever as new clubs

 

Amongst all the BS, banter and bluster I am glad both clubs are around and in the league. Would be a bit shit otherwise

[Star of a gunner]

19 hours ago, Red Right Hand said:

They were dark, dark days but we came through it thankfully. No-one who wasn`t around then can appreciate the sense of despair followed by elation that we still had a club to support. Don`t forget there was no admin/points deduction and carry on as before back then, we were hours away from doing an Accrington.

 I`ve also never forgiven the pikeys for trying to pick over our corpse before we were actually dead and never will. Bastards.

Still 1-0 down, 2-1 up and all that - that`s when we knew we were back and fighting our corner again.

CTID

that day at east vile  was the day I new we were on are way back, still my favourite away day ever .

[Lanterne Rouge]

3 minutes ago, Star of a gunner said:

that day at east vile  was the day I new we were on are way back, still my favourite away day ever .

Mine too I think. I loved Bradford, Forest, Boro in the cup, Chester, Liverpool, Arsenal, Coventry and all the many others down the years but that day meant so much. It was when I really started to believe again.

Sometimes you need dark times to really appreciate what you have. As someone said above, the current troubles are a cakewalk compared to those days.

[Star of a gunner]

On 2 January 2017 at 11:19, Portland Bill said:

I'm not sure if I really knew what was happening behind the scenes at the time, but I knew we were in deep shit. I can remember discussions with my mates in the pub about what we would do if the club did fold. As we all lived in Bridgwater I think Exeter City's name came up, but I think we would have ended up watching Bridgwater Town!.

My only memories of Newport away are just watching it go 'off' in their end constantly for what seemed like 90 minutes. It was a surreal day thinking this could be my last time watching our beloved club. 

The following week's game v Fulham ( after we were saved by the AG8 ) was the dawning of the new era, a very young side played out of their skins and drew 0-0 ( I think?) with Fulham in front of 11,000 of us, a brilliant atmosphere and a real coming together of the fans. 

As others have said, us fans then became as one and stuck with each other through the really bad times. I will always remember about 500 of us away at places like Shrewsbury doing the 'dying fly' on the terraces!. We had hundreds of 'lads' going to away games and everyone stuck together, a real camaraderie.  These times were the best I've ever had with City even though we were pretty shite 'on' the pitch!

When we finally got promotion at Chester out of the fourth division it was as good a feeling as winning the Champions league, it was reward for the fans that had stuck behind the club, ( we went from 25,000 gates to 4,000 in three years!) it was a real feeling of it being 'our' club.

Terry Cooper deserves an award from our club for what he did, he pulled us up from nothing with a team of kids and a few experienced heads, he truly was an inspiration. Perhaps the club could name something at the ground after him. Because he and the AG8 were the saviours of this club and it should never be forgotten. 

 

I remember being at an away game once and t.c came and stood with us in the crowd ,think it might of been at Darlington 

[BobBobSuperBob]

Brings back a few memories !!!

[Red-Robbo]

51 minutes ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

Brings back a few memories !!!

Oh blige! Look at the pitch. Like a ploughed field.

[Wanderingred]

Great stories guys!

[cidered abroad]

This will ramble a bit with "soundbite" memories.

Newport County; I don't know how many City there but I was jammed in with loads and just hoping that we'd survive.

Alan Dicks, City's best ever manager on the pitch was the root of the problem as when Collier left under the new freedom of contract, he put the whole squad on long contracts of 8, 10 and 11 years so when the drop from Div One came, we could not pay our way.

So for me, that is why Terry Cooper is the best of City managers for the way he found freebies and encouraged the young ones to start the rebuilding of our club. 

The game v Fulham I remember a tall skinny beanpole called Rob Newman and a tiny little kid, Jon Economou who with all the others in a very makeshift team, worked their socks off to get a 0-0.

Northampton Town away on a Sunday afternoon. Glyn Riley scored at 5-0 down and I'm jumped in the air at the back of the stand. My wife told me to calm down and we still conceded two more; it really was men against boys plu player manager TC.

It was a roller coaster ride but those of us who stuck with the club at home and away, were rewarded within 5 years with one promotion back to Div 3 and two trips to Wembley.

Whether it's Lansdown's money or anyone else's, this is my club, along with thousands of others. I bought £70 of shares and it cleaned out my bank savings. I bought them to save the club for future generations of kids like me who went to Ashton Gate and fell in love with a football team.

Wife was not too happy but she understood how much the club meant to me and it still does.

[red panda]

Can you imagine what it would have been like had the internet, and therefore OTIB, existed in the early '80s 

[ooRya]

Dark times indeed, but as  others have indicated a time that created many great memories and in ingrained love for "our" club.

City may go on in the future to have many good, even great days, but for me nothing will ever surpass the feeling when City walked out at Wembley for the first time with Drink up Thee Cider ringing around the ground, putting the nightmare of 1982 firmly to bed.

[gavlin]

On 1/3/2017 at 01:20, Threshing Red said:

Question that has always been on my mind, when we got relgated from the 1st division, how in hell did we drop like a stone, was this down to the players giving up? Can anyone tell me what happened because it is all a vague memory to me leading up to the 82 situation. 

It all started with the Collier transfer after freedom of contracts came in. The board and Alan Dicks got scared that other players might follow and signed players up on long term contract at top wages sometimes on 5 to 7 year contracts. The result of this was when City got relegated they were either had to sell these players i.e. Gow or they stayed on top wages with falling gates and which lead to the slippery slope. 

I remember the share issue with the new club and our family having a meeting at home to see how much were could put together, we ended up purchasing £250 worth of shares, it was an emotional time. 

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

On 03/01/2017 at 01:49, Red-Robbo said:

You are right of course.

Football was just so different then and as near as "corporate" got was players driving a Ford Granada with the name of some local garage on it!!

That said, in case anyone thinks it's only today's supporters who get going when the going gets tough,  it's worth remembering we were getting below 5K at our worst. ..

We were seriously shite though!