Reading away 80s

[slartibartfast]

1 minute ago, archie andrews said:

Not a chance.... Be like City rovers ganging up

Trust me .

[Red]

17 minutes ago, archie andrews said:

Not a chance.... Be like City rovers ganging up

Well its true fighting in the town centre us against cardiff, they ran

[Shaun Taylor]

58 minutes ago, Galway Red said:

With all due respect, taking the Town end was a walk in the park, we got far more issues at Oxford and Newport 

I never witnessed that in all the matches I saw between the two clubs only Pompey once or twice but granted you rearranged the concrete in the old shrivenham road stand and kept the local glaziers busy in the Town centre 

[Tin Soldier]

I was at Reading and also Stockport the following away day. 

Met the legendary Ricky M (RIP) from Bath at Reading for the 1st time. Those on here ITK will know who I am on about. Ricky did bird in HMP for invading the pitch at Elm Park that day and trying to jump in to the Reading end to have a toe to toe along with a few 100 other City fans. Massive turnout from Bristol. Reading was quite a tough old town around the ground and the walk from the station to Elm Park was always interesting.  There were removals lorries full of City fans driving around Reading That day there was complete lawlessness for an hour or so inside the ground.

Quite frankly, it was a bloody good day out. Yes, we were a bit naughty that day, but so were most away fans in the 80s. Bristol City had a well known rep and every away day was lively. Great camaraderie amongst the City fans as far as I am concerned, Bit of a 2nd family. They were good footie days at the time. But out dated nowadays obviously.

Edited January 28, 2020 by GasDestroyer

[Tin Soldier]

49 minutes ago, slartibartfast said:

Oxford were surprisingly "game", Newport, when they had Cardiff as back up.

Not true. Newport had a highly active mob in the 80s. Violent with it. They hated Cardiff. Lots of history between both clubs. Read The Soul Crew book if you want to know the detail

[slartibartfast]

2 minutes ago, GasDestroyer said:

Not true. Newport had a highly active mob in the 80s. Violent with it. They hated Cardiff. Lots of history between both clubs. Read The Soul Crew book if you want to know the detail

Don't need to, I was there !

[Bristol Oil Services]

13 minutes ago, Shaun Taylor said:

I never witnessed that in all the matches I saw between the two clubs only Pompey once or twice but granted you rearranged the concrete in the old shrivenham road stand and kept the local glaziers busy in the Town centre 

Leeds were in there in early 90s. As was I. Not a peep out of the locals. Leeds taken out and marched around the pitch and onto Stratton bank. Locals find their voice! Swindon win, though (good side. Hence the visit).

In early 80s, City were in the main stand, unchallenged. It changed from taking yer end (boot boys), to larging it in your seats (casuals, in golf clothes!)

 

[cidered abroad]

I was at the Reading game when City fans smuggled in some pick axes and started demolishing the terrace.

Terry Cooper went to that end and pleaded with them to stop.

The reply was short and sharp:- You sort the football and we'll sort the coppers!

Scary times. Same season, we were kept in at Stockport after the match, only for the law to allow home fans to leave the ground by walking along side of pitch, in front of us. They all hurled coins at us, luckily wife and I didn't connect with any of them.

[Shaun Taylor]

9 minutes ago, Moments of Pleasure said:

Leeds were in there in early 90s. As was I. Not a peep out of the locals. Leeds taken out and marched around the pitch and onto Stratton bank. Locals find their voice! Swindon win, though (good side. Hence the visit).

In early 80s, City were in the main stand, unchallenged. It changed from taking yer end (boot boys), to larging it in your seats (casuals, in golf clothes!)

 

I remember City casuals with golf clothes and wedge hair cuts in the Arkells stand in the early 80's 

[B1ackbird]

How you boys remember all this stuff is pretty impressive, wasn't there a fight with the cops in the station after? 

[Tin Soldier]

14 minutes ago, B1ackbird said:

How you boys remember all this stuff is pretty impressive, wasn't there a fight with the cops in the station after? 

If you ask us what happened last weekend, we wouldn’t have a scooby doo

Edited January 28, 2020 by GasDestroyer

[B1ackbird]

6 minutes ago, GasDestroyer said:

If yo ask us what happened last weekend, we wouldn’t have a scooby doo

I remember Trevor Senior and Robbie Turner had a battle, a fractured voice box wasn't it?? 

[Montpelierblue]

27 minutes ago, GasDestroyer said:

Not true. Newport had a highly active mob in the 80s. Violent with it. They hated Cardiff. Lots of history between both clubs. Read The Soul Crew book if you want to know the detail

As there is basically no gap between us geographically,  there was constant battles through the mid 80’s between us and newport. They would turn up un announced on a Saturday lunchtime or a Cardiff would stop there on the way back from a game.

some very violent encounters, weapons, knives and jail for those who were caught. It went far deeper than just football. Newport couldn’t follow Wales back then, a bit like Swansea, but they did show up now and then and it would kick off like in Milan (about 30 of them had a go at 60/70 cardiff, they came off badly but were never afraid to have a go unlike the sly jacks).

cardiff May have come to Newport that day for some fun but they’d never be with newport, ever.

[Tin Soldier]

3 minutes ago, Montpelierblue said:

As there is basically no gap between us geographically,  there was constant battles through the mid 80’s between us and newport. They would turn up un announced on a Saturday lunchtime or a Cardiff would stop there on the way back from a game.

some very violent encounters, weapons, knives and jail for those who were caught. It went far deeper than just football. Newport couldn’t follow Wales back then, a bit like Swansea, but they did show up now and then and it would kick off like in Milan (about 30 of them had a go at 60/70 cardiff, they came off badly but were never afraid to have a go unlike the sly jacks).

cardiff May have come to Newport that day for some fun but they’d never be with newport, ever.

Correct, Newport were a highly active, violent mob that did not need Cardiff to help them. Were well known for being tooled up on many occasions v City. Nasty bunch.

[swanker]

6 minutes ago, B1ackbird said:

I remember Trevor Senior and Robbie Turner had a battle, a fractured voice box wasn't it?? 

I think that was Humphrey’s?

[1960maaan]

35 minutes ago, GasDestroyer said:

Not true. Newport had a highly active mob in the 80s. Violent with it. They hated Cardiff. Lots of history between both clubs. Read The Soul Crew book if you want to know the detail

 

33 minutes ago, slartibartfast said:

Don't need to, I was there !

The night game there were rumours of Swansea and Cardiff there, it was lively.

If I remember rightly, we went to twice quite close together, couple of brothers got nicked, one got a slap on the wrist ( about £30-ish)when pleaded guilty. His brother who had already been up and pleaded guilty, changed his plea when he saw, and got about £250 .

As for Reading , with all that went on, including the OB wanting to arrest our entire coach, I nearly got nicked for swearing ******* ******* 

[B1ackbird]

1 minute ago, swanker said:

I think that was Humphrey’s?

Perhaps your right mate, I said I'm useless.. 

 

[Bristol Oil Services]

3 minutes ago, GasDestroyer said:

Correct, Newport were a highly active, violent mob that did not need Cardiff to help them. Were well known for being tooled up on many occasions v City. Nasty bunch.

Before the league game at Newport early in '84/85 season, which was on the Saturday, we played them at AG in the first leg of the league cup a few days before, midweek. They were being escorted in (or out, forget which now) by the plod and chanted "Saturday, Saturday, Saturday" to the locals eyeing them up.

I don't remember Newport doing anything here but over there it was different. 

 

[City Rocker]

An insane day at Elm Park. I wasn't involved in the shenanigans but stood at the back of the terrace immediately behind where it was all going off and so had a full view of the scenes.

Having seen the City mob in action on quite a few away trips through the 80s, I have to say the violence that day at Reading was the craziest and most demented I ever witnessed. Concrete flying all over the place. 

[INCRED]

3 hours ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

Never been a rioter but was present at the 'goings on' at Reading, Swindon, Plymouth, and even Torquay - after the game (Nolan sister, made the papers)

Also on the train to York, as mentioned above, but remember that as a good day out and very peaceful except the first City fan off the train at York ran across the platform shouting, BRRRISSSSSSSSSSSTOL, and was promptly rugby tackled to the ground by police and arrested.

Always thought that was a long way to go to be arrested within 30 seconds!

Went to Swindon and Torquay games, I can recall at Torquay as we got dropped off by the coach near the ground that it had all kicked off as there was a police riot van on its side in the road

i was about 18 at the time and thought WTF has just happened 

Swindon was a proper mob we took up that day and no surprise it kicked off

Also went to the Old Den when couple of coach loads from the Venture Inn Knowle Wests finest arrived 10 mins after the game started and decided to take on Millwall at the rear entrance of their end right next to us in the away end - Thought I was going to die early that day 

It was all an experience!

[Guest tonytnttucker]

I was there, was something else - I don't miss those bad old days

 

[Mendip Broadwalk]

As a young kid it was an eye opener. Done twenty thirty away games and there was nearly always violence and often a lot of it even where I didn't think there would be any like Northampton. At reading properties got smashed up and looted  and there was a lot of bullying going on. Lot of guff about hooligans only fight hooligans that day that got ****** out the window this showed City fans at their worse worst. It was Reading not Milwall.  

[Alan Dicks]

Yep i was there, some City fans left for home after only minutes of being there.

Cooper came over to the fans threatening that he would concede the 3 points to Reading unless the fans stopped.

Bedlum that game, on par with Swindon and Walsall away.

[forbespm]

Absolute carnage.most away games I feared for my life in those days.got ambushed a couple of times at places like chester,Middlesbrough,chesterfield and hereford.glad my kids can support city in relative safety

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

42 minutes ago, forbespm said:

Absolute carnage.most away games I feared for my life in those days.got ambushed a couple of times at places like chester,Middlesbrough,chesterfield and hereford.glad my kids can support city in relative safety

Crazy days, mate. Was good fun at the time, but yes, it's good to go away with little chance of getting your head caved in!

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

15 hours ago, City Rocker said:

An insane day at Elm Park. I wasn't involved in the shenanigans but stood at the back of the terrace immediately behind where it was all going off and so had a full view of the scenes.

Having seen the City mob in action on quite a few away trips through the 80s, I have to say the violence that day at Reading was the craziest and most demented I ever witnessed. Concrete flying all over the place. 

I remember seeing lads digging up the terrace with an ice pick, and hoiking it at the scuffers. Some policewoman got poleaxed by a large lump of masonry.

[NOTBLUE]

Mad,mad days,lads from absolutely every part of Bristol and surrounding area,plus places like the FOD, Chepstow,and all over Somerset.Would I change anything from my younger days,absolutely not,it was what it was.

[Tin Soldier]

8 hours ago, forbespm said:

Absolute carnage.most away games I feared for my life in those days.got ambushed a couple of times at places like chester,Middlesbrough,chesterfield and hereford.glad my kids can support city in relative safety

Boro were a top 10 firm back in the 80s. Well organised, never afraid to call it. Ayresome Park was an absolute rabbit warren of side streets and almost impossible for the OB to police. I worked in the North East for a few years and some of the stories of FV  in the 80s was pretty intense stuff.

Have to say, IMO the North East is the most passionate region of England for football (by far). They will literally put football before the family. Many have a dieing wish of being buried in the football strip of there supported team. Great people to talk to about football. Enjoy going up there still even today.

Sunderland Till I die is a great watch on Netflix. 

[Lanterne Rouge]

I think I was at just about every game being talked about on this thread. The buzz was amazing for a young twentysomething from sleepy Taunton but **** me looking back some of the things we did were bordering on suicidal. How we got away without serious injury or serious jail time is beyond me.

I miss the rush but not the aggro and as @Mike Hunt-Hertz posted, it`s nice now to go to a game without the fear of serious damage being done to you. It really was fight or get put in hospital back in those days.

 

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

7 hours ago, NOTBLUE said:

Mad,mad days,lads from absolutely every part of Bristol and surrounding area,plus places like the FOD, Chepstow,and all over Somerset.Would I change anything from my younger days,absolutely not,it was what it was.

And Dursley, Stroud and Gloucester!

[Tin Soldier]

21 minutes ago, Mike Hunt-Hertz said:

And Dursley, Stroud and Gloucester!

Back in the 80s, times were tough post Maggie Thatcher/Falklands War/miners strike/economic recession etc. 

Football was a release for the “common man”. As a country we came together with football being a “common ground” regardless of what part of the south west we lived. I met some great guys from Taunton and had some completely mad days out with them (The Lamps).

As stated, there was an adrenalin rush when you went away with City, but by Christ, you always had some guys who would stick up for you if things got sketchy. CCTV, the rave scene, and high publicity/major undercover dawn raids by the OB saw an end to FV.

Nowadays it is a family game and things have moved on. Like others, Bristol was a tough city in the 80s.

   

 

[Lew-T]

Any reason why this one in particular was a bad one? Reading are not exactly known for much bother.

Edited January 29, 2020 by Lew-T

[normanhillred]

9 hours ago, forbespm said:

Absolute carnage.most away games I feared for my life in those days.got ambushed a couple of times at places like chester,Middlesbrough,chesterfield and hereford.glad my kids can support city in relative safety

Did the Chester ambush involve a park by the river?

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

31 minutes ago, normanhillred said:

Did the Chester ambush involve a park by the river?

Yep! About 8 of us and about 100 of they bastards!

[normanhillred]

Was with you. I think most of us were on the Perretts bus. Got battered in the corner waiting to get over the fence

[Kingswood Robin]

10 hours ago, Alan Dicks said:

Yep i was there, some City fans left for home after only minutes of being there.

Cooper came over to the fans threatening that he would concede the 3 points to Reading unless the fans stopped.

Bedlum that game, on par with Swindon and Walsall away.

Yes, my first away game. I was sat in the main stand looking down on you lot thinking, is it like this at all away games? I remember Terry Cooper on the tannoy threatening to "concede the game to Reading" if it didn't stop. Then the concrete started flying again!

[Kingswood Robin]

59 minutes ago, GasDestroyer said:

Back in the 80s, times were tough post Maggie Thatcher/Falklands War/miners strike/economic recession etc. 

Football was a release for the “common man”. As a country we came together with football being a “common ground” regardless of what part of the south west we lived. I met some great guys from Taunton and had some completely mad days out with them (The Lamps).

As stated, there was an adrenalin rush when you went away with City, but by Christ, you always had some guys who would stick up for you if things got sketchy. CCTV, the rave scene, and high publicity/major undercover dawn raids by the OB saw an end to FV.

Nowadays it is a family game and things have moved on. Like others, Bristol was a tough city in the 80s.

   

 

We didn't just knock down our unwanted buildings, we used to blow them up! Lloyds need a new building, so this lot had to go - while we queued up for Walsall tickets!

 

[Lanterne Rouge]

5 minutes ago, Kingswood Robin said:

We didn't just knock down our unwanted buildings, we used to blow them up! Lloyds need a new building, so this lot had to go - while we queued up for Walsall tickets!

 

I was sure it was that game we were queuing up for when they did that. I was driving back down the A38 when they did it and you could hear the explosion and see the dust from out by the Town`s Talk!

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

41 minutes ago, normanhillred said:

Was with you. I think most of us were on the Perretts bus. Got battered in the corner waiting to get over the fence

I think Julian Long was with us, if you know him?

[Merrick's Marvels]

1 hour ago, Lew-T said:

Any reason why this one in particular was a bad one? Reading are not exactly known for much bother.

Big promotion game at the end of the season, both teams in the top 4 (both eventually promoted).

Not sure why it went off so spectacularly, even considering what an important game it was. Perhaps because we were 2 down quite early and it felt like a hammer blow to our promotion hopes. In the event, we went undefeated for the rest of the season, winning 4 of the last 6 games and were promoted with York, Doncaster and Reading.   

For the record, we lost the Reading game 2-0 to goals from Lawrie Sanchez and a Dean Horrix mishit fluke (yes that Dean Horrix) 

Edited January 29, 2020 by Merrick's Marvels

[Trueredsupporter]

Lew-T Any reason why this one in particular was a bad one?

Citys away support then was a very different to 2020 sometimes the majority could be hooligans. the mobs compared to now where massive. constant trouble at away games it was escalating by the season.and a important game close to home was always going to see trouble.

[forbespm]

2 hours ago, normanhillred said:

Did the Chester ambush involve a park by the river?

Yes,a few of us from Gloucester and dursley were sat drinking by the river with cans we had nicked from the local off licence.

we got spotted by a big mob who ran for us,we managed to get a few punches in but had to make good an escape as we were massively outnumbered,nearly got run over by cars on the main road and we got to the away end in one piece but some of us sporting black eyes and cuts!back at Ashton gate in the return we tried to get in the away end for revenge but got rumbled by the cops!

[forbespm]

2 hours ago, normanhillred said:

Was with you. I think most of us were on the Perretts bus. Got battered in the corner waiting to get over the fence

I was with you then,I was on perrets coach

[Oh Louie louie]

For that mboro game when they came down to the old divsion 3, for the away game i recall people having a not for the squeamish ticket.

A few people had there doors put through around ashton and bedminster,.

That same season i think, the evening post reported chester city fans brought blades to ashton gate..

I think the post sent a undercover reporter into the luckwell pub, to find out about the boro game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CiderJar]

On 28/01/2020 at 14:38, Red Army 75 said:

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bristol-citys-trip-reading-1984-3783939
 

Anyone go to this

My first away day. My first CATS experience. Absolute mayhem. People on the roof of the stand. People with blood streaming out of their heads. Literally raining coins. I remember a policeman's helmet landing at my feet and picking it up and throwing it back to him and a huge cheer going up. Absolutely horrendous behaviour. Hooked for life. CTID.

[CiderJar]

On 28/01/2020 at 17:22, Nogbad the Bad said:

Never been a rioter but was present at the 'goings on' at Reading, Swindon, Plymouth, and even Torquay - after the game (Nolan sister, made the papers)

Also on the train to York, as mentioned above, but remember that as a good day out and very peaceful except the first City fan off the train at York ran across the platform shouting, BRRRISSSSSSSSSSSTOL, and was promptly rugby tackled to the ground by police and arrested.

Always thought that was a long way to go to be arrested within 30 seconds!

That York train 'special' trip is a fond memory as well. Being told to "Get oover by t'wall" by the foreign northern police was hilarious at the time. I seem to remember a longer than usual stop at Derby station. The noise coming from the train was something to witness. "City are back  City are back, hallo, hallo" . Happy days.

[normanhillred]

8 hours ago, Mike Hunt-Hertz said:

I think Julian Long was with us, if you know him?

Yep he was in front of me getting over the fence, his brother still comes with us on away days

[Nicki's soulmate]

On 28/01/2020 at 20:05, Shaun Taylor said:

I never witnessed that in all the matches I saw between the two clubs only Pompey once or twice but granted you rearranged the concrete in the old shrivenham road stand and kept the local glaziers busy in the Town centre 

Took the Town End every year 69-73

[RedRock]

1 hour ago, Nicki's soulmate said:

Took the Town End every year 69-73

Yep. Even when Millwall came down following their match with us at The Gate the previous Saturday.

 

Know there’s been a bit of a ‘do’ away at Bolton and Millwall in the relatively recent past but was the last big ‘off’ The Cherry Tree incident at Plymouth? Most odd was walking up to the this random pub only to witness a hundred or so City being chased down the road by the owners of a second hand car dealership wielding axes. Undeterred went into the pub and it was like a bomb had just gone off, but bizarely a few groups of stray City lads having a pint. 

Edited January 30, 2020 by RedRock

[NOTBLUE]

21 minutes ago, RedRock said:

Yep. Even when Millwall came down following their match with us at The Gate the previous Saturday.

 

Know there’s been a bit of a ‘do’ away at Bolton and Millwall in the relatively recent past but was the last big ‘off’ The Cherry Tree incident at Plymouth? Most odd was walking up to the this random pub only to witness a hundred or so City being chased down the road by the owners of a second hand car dealership wielding axes. Undeterred went into the pub and it was like a bomb had just gone off, but bizarely a few groups of stray City lads having a pint. 

A few Plymouth lads had walked to the pub with baseball bats or something similar,they took a bit of a beating and retreated into the car showroom,the car showroom was the attacked with most of the windows going through and a number of cars getting damaged,police turned up and emptied the pub and escorted the City fans to the ground.

[NOTBLUE]

30 minutes ago, RedRock said:

Yep. Even when Millwall came down following their match with us at The Gate the previous Saturday.

 

Know there’s been a bit of a ‘do’ away at Bolton and Millwall in the relatively recent past but was the last big ‘off’ The Cherry Tree incident at Plymouth? Most odd was walking up to the this random pub only to witness a hundred or so City being chased down the road by the owners of a second hand car dealership wielding axes. Undeterred went into the pub and it was like a bomb had just gone off, but bizarely a few groups of stray City lads having a pint. 

The few lads left in the pub were claiming that now the trouble makers had gone it was alright to continue drinking,the landlord begged to differ.

[RedRock]

22 minutes ago, NOTBLUE said:

The few lads left in the pub were claiming that now the trouble makers had gone it was alright to continue drinking,the landlord begged to differ.

Thanks for explaining the reasons for one of the strangest pre-match atmospheres we’ve experienced in a pub.

Didn’t stop us having a couple though! 

[Redtrojan]

Interesting collection of reminiscence of the reading game.Not sure everyone claiming to be there was.

Because it was a top of the table clash we travelled up in numbers.With terraces we were in early.What sparked everything off was a group of city in the away end(or side of the pitch)as a scrap started ,city fans from other parts of the stadium ran across the pitch to join in.

City fan’s gained the territory and the fighting stopped.When reading team came out it was virtually silent as city fans now in all parts of the stadium.When City came out it was like a home game ,cheering from all sides.Eventually the police started to shift the city fans back to the away end which is when the terrace got ripped up and things got a bit grim,also lots of city attacking the police stood on r side of away terrace keeping fans away from reading side.Lots of split heads from truncheons.

The game itself was a massive disappointment and we were never really in it.

Not involved in any of the above myself, definitely carnage for a time ,certainly nothing to be proud of ,but it was fairly par for the course at that time.

Anyone remember when city fans replaced the padlocks on the gates at back of tote end and entered on mass before the game ,stood in the away terrace looked like large group of rovers arriving until the chant(gas gas got to get rid of the gas )chant went up and the centre of the tote end emptied of blue and white.

Glad I don’t have to take my kids to games like that now,but as a teenager it was definitely a buzz.

[NOTBLUE]

2 minutes ago, Redtrojan said:

Interesting collection of reminiscence of the reading game.Not sure everyone claiming to be there was.

Because it was a top of the table clash we travelled up in numbers.With terraces we were in early.What sparked everything off was a group of city in the away end(or side of the pitch)as a scrap started ,city fans from other parts of the stadium ran across the pitch to join in.

City fan’s gained the territory and the fighting stopped.When reading team came out it was virtually silent as city fans now in all parts of the stadium.When City came out it was like a home game ,cheering from all sides.Eventually the police started to shift the city fans back to the away end which is when the terrace got ripped up and things got a bit grim,also lots of city attacking the police stood on r side of away terrace keeping fans away from reading side.Lots of split heads from truncheons.

The game itself was a massive disappointment and we were never really in it.

Not involved in any of the above myself, definitely carnage for a time ,certainly nothing to be proud of ,but it was fairly par for the course at that time.

Anyone remember when city fans replaced the padlocks on the gates at back of tote end and entered on mass before the game ,stood in the away terrace looked like large group of rovers arriving until the chant(gas gas got to get rid of the gas )chant went up and the centre of the tote end emptied of blue and white.

Glad I don’t have to take my kids to games like that now,but as a teenager it was definitely a buzz.

Was on the Tote that day,but as I remember the padlocks had been cut the night before,problem was they had been replaced and the City fans had to climb over the locked gates to join the rest of us.We got in with forged tickets,with exactly the same serial number on,it wasn’t hard as it was just printed on coloured card,orange if I remember rightly.

[BTRFTG]

13 hours ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

Perhaps because we were 2 down quite early 

Methinks the industrial sized equipment produced to dismantle the terrace  wasn't routinely smuggled in case we shipped two early....

Them kiddies weren't messing......

[RedRock]

16 minutes ago, Redtrojan said:

Interesting collection of reminiscence of the reading game.Not sure everyone claiming to be there was.

Because it was a top of the table clash we travelled up in numbers.With terraces we were in early.What sparked everything off was a group of city in the away end(or side of the pitch)as a scrap started ,city fans from other parts of the stadium ran across the pitch to join in.

City fan’s gained the territory and the fighting stopped.When reading team came out it was virtually silent as city fans now in all parts of the stadium.When City came out it was like a home game ,cheering from all sides.Eventually the police started to shift the city fans back to the away end which is when the terrace got ripped up and things got a bit grim,also lots of city attacking the police stood on r side of away terrace keeping fans away from reading side.Lots of split heads from truncheons.

The game itself was a massive disappointment and we were never really in it.

Not involved in any of the above myself, definitely carnage for a time ,certainly nothing to be proud of ,but it was fairly par for the course at that time.

Anyone remember when city fans replaced the padlocks on the gates at back of tote end and entered on mass before the game ,stood in the away terrace looked like large group of rovers arriving until the chant(gas gas got to get rid of the gas )chant went up and the centre of the tote end emptied of blue and white.

Glad I don’t have to take my kids to games like that now,but as a teenager it was definitely a buzz.

 

Went in the Tote from the back just before kick off the first derby game after segregation was introduced. Didn’t end particularly well but have the honour, alongside several others, of being the last on the Tote. 

 

[Norn Iron]

7 hours ago, One man went.... said:

I was there but was only young then. I was hooked for life. I can remember some fun down Plymouth in those days also. We once had a whole train load of City stopped before Plymouth station and sent back the other way. Because some nutjob had carved up a bar with a chainsaw and was wealding it with menace at anyone who cared to have a go.

Thanks for giving the reason why we weren't allowed off the train. I never knew until now!

I was a steward on board that day as well. Beryl would look after the regulars on CATs hence how I got that job!

I'm puzzled as to why I never went to that Reading game. I remember going to the following season's match at Elm Park but for different reasons. I had a cold that was getting worse prior to the game. A steward let me climb back out of the ground via the turnstiles so I could go to the little terraced shop opposite for some flu remedies. Then I had to climb back over the turnstiles to gain readmittance. IIRC it was an early ko to avoid a repeat of the previous encounter.

[BTRFTG]

1 hour ago, Norn Iron said:

Beryl would look after the regulars on CATs

[Merrick's Marvels]

2 hours ago, BTRFTG said:

Methinks the industrial sized equipment produced to dismantle the terrace  wasn't routinely smuggled in case we shipped two early....

Them kiddies weren't messing......

Couldn't see the JCB diggers from my seat - was in with the home fans

[Shaun Taylor]

8 hours ago, Nicki's soulmate said:

Took the Town End every year 69-73

I respect your knowledge but I only started going regularly aeound 76/77 onwards 

[bcfcredandwhite]

On 28/01/2020 at 15:54, swanker said:

I was there as well. Used to get about a bit back in the day. 

Living in Swindon I get to hear a lot of feedback from a Swindon perspective . One work colleague went to the last Swindon v City game where we lost 1-0 under Cotts. He was in the Swindon family enclosure in the Arkells stand with his 2 kids and they ended up being pelted from behind with coins and various other small missiles meant for the City fans in the Stratton Bank. The Swindon fans in the upper seats were throwing them but they weren’t strong enough for them to reach their intended target and fell on their own families below in the same stand. Shocking. 

Edited January 30, 2020 by bcfcredandwhite
Clarification

[RobintheRed Red]

On 28/01/2020 at 14:38, Red Army 75 said:

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bristol-citys-trip-reading-1984-3783939
 

Anyone go to this

Yep all over back page of the Daily mirror aswell.

[RobintheRed Red]

Got tickets for a few Man city mates up the mem they got outnumbered as usual by twice as many Gas down a lane one of em had the sense to pull a key out his pocket put it up to a gasheads throat they all ran off thinking he had a knife in his hand :laugh:

[REDOXO]

Reading away. What a day out. My abiding memory was Morgan picking up the coins being hurled and pretending to stuff them in the pocket of his shorts. 

[Tin Soldier]

On 28/01/2020 at 15:52, Galway Red said:

I remember the away days in the'80s & early '90s like it was yesterday and yet hardly any recollection of any away days since apart from the odd one or two

Same here. Reading away was proper away day for the 80s. 

Edited January 11, 2022 by Tin Soldier

[Waconda]

On 28/01/2020 at 14:41, BTRFTG said:

Yes.

Industrial level 'demolition' of the terrace.

The police dog handler who fell over in the mêlée and was bitten by his own mutt......

I saw that !

 

[Tin Soldier]

On 28/01/2020 at 16:13, Sixtyseconds said:

When you are young you want to see how far you can push things.

How extreme and mad can we be.

Things went too far that day.

Know a few now regret it.

Had a mate who got eighteen months in the big house for the Reading game.

Wasn't a bad lad and it made a mess of his life.

Good point. My mate (RM from Bath) got nicked and did some bird. Fitted up by the OB in court.

[GrahamC]

Certainly a mad one, remember distinctly the two teams running out, followed by loads of City in the enclosure on one side crossing the pitch to get in the side opposite.

Made the very bad mistake of wearing a distinctive lemon golfing jumper (it was the 80s) making me a target for the old bill as a result.

[weepywall]

3 hours ago, Tin Soldier said:

Good point. My mate (RM from Bath) got nicked and did some bird. Fitted up by the OB in court.

Good lad RM, sadly no longer with us, never a dull moment when he was around.

[Red-Robbo]

Must've been working that weekend as that is definitely a fixture I would have travelled to in 1984.  I DID go to the Torquay game spoken of on this thread and can attest that it was quite, er, lively in the vicinity of Plainmoor.

The most insane game I went to wasn't a City fixture but Spurs v West Ham in 1983.  I'll be honest, I ran most of the way back to Tottenham Hale Station (White Hart Lane tube was a right-off!). I'm a lover, not a fighter.