Sleeping … errr … I mean sitting with the enemy

[Google Bot 3,298]

My schoolfriends family owned a pub just outside of Norwich, but they lived in London, invited us to stay for a long weekend in Lewisham, i had to skive the friday off school and we went up there van - was a a good laugh!  

Anyway, on sunday morning his mum cooked us massive fry up, and his uncle turned up with tickets for the Millwall match (Home end of course).  We were originally going to watch it in one of their friends pub, so I was super excited.

It was a pretty surreal experience, this is back when grounds had really high fences and at Millwall they seemed to have touched it off with sharp glass/metal over the top to stop people getting out.

As it was on TV, i remember leaflets outside the ground about how to behave as Millwall supporters, warnings about CCTV, and care in the community leaflets with reformed guys pictured helping old ladies making cups of tea. 

Yet on the flipside there were also a lot of people pushing out National Front style paraphernalia, police trying to move them on and a lot of yelling about 'rights' and 'traitors'.   I think it was quite a transition period for them, mates uncle was talking about the firms there and what the tattoos mean (**** symbols, Prison time etc) , don't know how much of it was true or if he was trying scare us a little.

Inside the ground was a different vibe, it was nothing like what i was expecting and quite spaced out - we were by the side of the Norwich supporters, and it seemed like there was more space than at Carrow Road,  but supporters seemed to be in layers.

When it was time for kickoff, the atmosphere started to change - very dense, and being younger we had to go to the front behind the goal to get a view of the pitch.  My mates uncle disappeared to the back, he wasn't coming with us.

We hit two early goals and the place was toxic, they were throwing coins and hitting their own supporters - guy near me got hit in the face and had to get taken out for attention, all i can guess is that they were aiming for Gunn - not sure. 

My mate started getting a little irate with me at this point threatening to tell everyone i'm a Norwich supporter, which didn't help my nerves.  So i was hoping for Millwall to pull back so he'd ease off and i could relax.   And sure enough they did, but when they equalised it was mental - i had people far bigger than me climbing on top of my head to get up to the bars and celebrate.  Place was jumping at that point, and felt more uncomfortable than when we were winning.

Half time, we found his uncle, told his mates that two of us are Norwich supporter, they just laughed and said we better start running if we score secondhalf.  Generally the vibe inside the ground at halftime was quite chilled vs outside.

End of game, Fleck popped up at the end with that volley.  What do you do in that moment?  I just put my head in my jacket and was going nuts inside, to everyone else i hopefully looked very very gutted, i'm sure. lol  The atmosphere had drained at that point, and not really hostile but more disappointment. 

My mate thought it was a great time to start telling people i was a Norwich fan, luckily the older guys shook my hand and said they'd like to see us win the league, It was only one kid around my age who was a ****, stood staring, and pulling knife signs at me and typical norfolk remarks.

Maybe at the back it was more hostile, or towards the Norwich fans, i dunno.  But there felt an acceptance of a great goal had sealed the match to me..  But you can only be aware of what's around you.

It was only the trip home where I was threatened to be dropped off in areas of London that I'd never heard of before that i did feel a bit scared.  Peckham to me, was just where Del Boy lived, and Streatham sounded like Long 'Stratton', so when i was cheekily replying like that - i think i was probably pushing my luck.

Was good times, but was a strange place to be all the same - especially when not prepared or with your usual football mates.  We appeared on the Norwich season VHS video too, so always a bonus when you find yourself on one of those, nice little souvenir. 🙂

It's only when you think back at the finer details of going to a match back then, that the differences today are really stark.  Little things like the paraphernalia outside games, little fanzines from around other clubs/organisations, and the constant talk of 'firms' - everyone wanted to be in a firm in the Barclay, even if it was a 'village' firm. 

I remember IVF being chanted a lot 'Inner Village Firms'. 90% of all that talk was nonsense - but it all added to the atmosphere.  Been to many away day with 'firms' but most of the time it involved yelling or throwing something into a pub of opposing supporters and then hiding up down the road like kids lol.

I'm sure at Millwall all that talk was very much real, but had probably broken down considerably by the time i went, and what i would've seen were just remnants of people trying to keep it alive, while the club and policing was very much active against it.

Edit: Didn't realise i'd written an essay here, got carried away - sorry! 🙂

Edited August 20, 2021 by Google Bot

[curious yellow 184]

7 hours ago, Canary dwarf said:

I believe I was there for that one , I think they were 3 - 1 up and we pulled it back to 3-3 and they stormed the away end , I think fox and Rosario scored for us and a own goal , it cost them any chance of winning the title.

That is correct, I was there amongst the Villa fans,really enjoyed it. Fantastic from Sherwood right at the end of the game, forced Mountfield into an own goal, then a wonderful pass to the great Rosario for the equaliser. Sherwood was playing central defence. 

Pukki-style volleyed goal from Fox, Townsend tried to run off with Villa's player of the season award(before he joined them) and Bryan Gunn missed the game after the birth of his daughter, who tragically passed away two years later. 

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

1972 against City at Maine Road. Catching a bus from the ground to the Railway Station with Mrs KG, and it waited until it was full of their supporters. Bus conductor asks if was a better game than last week and what tickets did I want.

Put on the most pathetic Manc accent I could and buried my head in the programme while getting stared at by Mancs with mayhem in their eyes.

[Canary Jedi 589]

@Google Bot what a great (and shocking) story. I remember that game albeit from watching on TV (seem to remember it was on ITV).

Also Bryan Gunn was clearly MOTM however Ian St John gave the award to Millwall’s Terry Horlock. Jimmy Greaves later took the mick that he only did that to get safely out of the ground. Though after reading your ‘essay’ there was probably some truth in it!

 

[Canary Jedi 589]

Gosh, lots coming back to me now. As well as away vs Man City at Main Road I’ve also experienced being with the home fans:

Away vs Arsenal in Carabao Cup (lost 2-1 despite being 1 up with a few mins to play)

Away vs Southampton (Mane destroyed us in a 3-0 defeat)

Away vs Colchester both at the new (won 5-0) and old Layer Road ground (lost 3-0, Jamie Cureton hattrick I think)

Away vs Ipswich when we won 1-0 thanks to James Maddison

Away vs Leicester at Filbert Street in the mid-90s in a 1-0 defeat

[LaUnionCanary 86]

One I can remember vividly is at West Ham in 2003. Probably the most scared I have ever been at a match when Crouch scored for us to equalise I automatically reacted. Smuggled my way out before the end. There was a man and his young (13ish) daughter behind me both as scarey as each other. The "c" word was most of their language.

[TM_Canary 2]

@canary Jedi 

I have one spare ticket for today’s game if you can’t bear sitting with the enemy. 
 Please let me know if you’d like it! 
Tim

send me a text on 07813 382384. I don’t need any money just don’t want to see it wasted. 

Edited August 21, 2021 by TM_Canary

[Graham Paddons Beard 2,444]

Similar experience - this time Portaloo Road when the Binners played Cambridge - In (I’ve just looked it up) 1991. “Cambridge” took 5,000 that day at least 2000 of them were City fans who didn’t have a game that day. Somehow and I’ve never quite worked out how - we ended up in the Ipswich end . 
I didn’t see any of the game - I heard Claridge score late to win the game - but all I could do was squeeze my mates hand when the goal went in. When we came out all hell had let lose - we were in danger from both the Binners and the City fans so we managed to sneak back to the car. 
 

Supporting Cambridge , as a City fan , in the Binner end. Doesn’t get more complicated than that 😂

[Midlands Yellow 4,045]

23 hours ago, Google Bot said:

My schoolfriends family owned a pub just outside of Norwich, but they lived in London, invited us to stay for a long weekend in Lewisham, i had to skive the friday off school and we went up there van - was a a good laugh!  

Anyway, on sunday morning his mum cooked us massive fry up, and his uncle turned up with tickets for the Millwall match (Home end of course).  We were originally going to watch it in one of their friends pub, so I was super excited.

It was a pretty surreal experience, this is back when grounds had really high fences and at Millwall they seemed to have touched it off with sharp glass/metal over the top to stop people getting out.

As it was on TV, i remember leaflets outside the ground about how to behave as Millwall supporters, warnings about CCTV, and care in the community leaflets with reformed guys pictured helping old ladies making cups of tea. 

Yet on the flipside there were also a lot of people pushing out National Front style paraphernalia, police trying to move them on and a lot of yelling about 'rights' and 'traitors'.   I think it was quite a transition period for them, mates uncle was talking about the firms there and what the tattoos mean (**** symbols, Prison time etc) , don't know how much of it was true or if he was trying scare us a little.

Inside the ground was a different vibe, it was nothing like what i was expecting and quite spaced out - we were by the side of the Norwich supporters, and it seemed like there was more space than at Carrow Road,  but supporters seemed to be in layers.

When it was time for kickoff, the atmosphere started to change - very dense, and being younger we had to go to the front behind the goal to get a view of the pitch.  My mates uncle disappeared to the back, he wasn't coming with us.

We hit two early goals and the place was toxic, they were throwing coins and hitting their own supporters - guy near me got hit in the face and had to get taken out for attention, all i can guess is that they were aiming for Gunn - not sure. 

My mate started getting a little irate with me at this point threatening to tell everyone i'm a Norwich supporter, which didn't help my nerves.  So i was hoping for Millwall to pull back so he'd ease off and i could relax.   And sure enough they did, but when they equalised it was mental - i had people far bigger than me climbing on top of my head to get up to the bars and celebrate.  Place was jumping at that point, and felt more uncomfortable than when we were winning.

Half time, we found his uncle, told his mates that two of us are Norwich supporter, they just laughed and said we better start running if we score secondhalf.  Generally the vibe inside the ground at halftime was quite chilled vs outside.

End of game, Fleck popped up at the end with that volley.  What do you do in that moment?  I just put my head in my jacket and was going nuts inside, to everyone else i hopefully looked very very gutted, i'm sure. lol  The atmosphere had drained at that point, and not really hostile but more disappointment. 

My mate thought it was a great time to start telling people i was a Norwich fan, luckily the older guys shook my hand and said they'd like to see us win the league, It was only one kid around my age who was a ****, stood staring, and pulling knife signs at me and typical norfolk remarks.

Maybe at the back it was more hostile, or towards the Norwich fans, i dunno.  But there felt an acceptance of a great goal had sealed the match to me..  But you can only be aware of what's around you.

It was only the trip home where I was threatened to be dropped off in areas of London that I'd never heard of before that i did feel a bit scared.  Peckham to me, was just where Del Boy lived, and Streatham sounded like Long 'Stratton', so when i was cheekily replying like that - i think i was probably pushing my luck.

Was good times, but was a strange place to be all the same - especially when not prepared or with your usual football mates.  We appeared on the Norwich season VHS video too, so always a bonus when you find yourself on one of those, nice little souvenir. 🙂

It's only when you think back at the finer details of going to a match back then, that the differences today are really stark.  Little things like the paraphernalia outside games, little fanzines from around other clubs/organisations, and the constant talk of 'firms' - everyone wanted to be in a firm in the Barclay, even if it was a 'village' firm. 

I remember IVF being chanted a lot 'Inner Village Firms'. 90% of all that talk was nonsense - but it all added to the atmosphere.  Been to many away day with 'firms' but most of the time it involved yelling or throwing something into a pub of opposing supporters and then hiding up down the road like kids lol.

I'm sure at Millwall all that talk was very much real, but had probably broken down considerably by the time i went, and what i would've seen were just remnants of people trying to keep it alive, while the club and policing was very much active against it.

Edit: Didn't realise i'd written an essay here, got carried away - sorry! 🙂

Watch it again, Gunn played the match of his life that Sunday afternoon. 
 

 

[Canary Jedi 589]

2 hours ago, TM_Canary said:

@canary Jedi 

I have one spare ticket for today’s game if you can’t bear sitting with the enemy. 
 Please let me know if you’d like it! 
Tim

send me a text on 07813 382384. I don’t need any money just don’t want to see it wasted. 

That’s really kind of you 😀👍 Actually I’m with my mate and his family over the weekend so I’ll “suffer” and go with them. Thanks a lot anyway. I’m going incognito apart from my socks 😂

 

 

[It's Character Forming 1,164]

3 years back our away allocation at Rotherham went like hot cakes which was a real blow for me (I was slow off the mark) because my in laws are from S Yorks so it’s a good fixture to combine with seeing them. Fortunately my sister in law worked out for that game Rotherham were  doing a kids for a quid offer so she brought a few of her grandkids and got me a ticket & we all went into the family enclosure (much cheaper than taking them to the pictures she said). The City fans had an entire end of the ground and I was sat in the main stand. The yellow and green of all the City fans was a really impressive sight, which of course you don’t normally see and they were noisy too.

 

in the family enclosure some of the home fans were taking a pretty robust view of the game with some very non-family-friendly language. Rotherham basically tried to foul Buendia etc out of the game, but to the home fans he was diving constantly.

 

Hsving the kids along I had to keep a lid on it when we took the lead, it would have been embarrassing to be chucked out! I managed to stay anonymous when they equalised. Then fairly late on Ben Godfrey managed to run in unmarked at a corner and score with a powerful header, I said “oh, that was too easy!” Which attracted a lot of agreement from the fans around me and was quite clever I thought 😇😂.

 

At the end the Rotherham fans (mostly) grudgingly accepted City were the better side although “their players still went down much too easily...”.

Also there was a strong wind and at one point the kick from our GK went the full length of the pitch and caught out their keeper, and just missed the goal but ended up around the back of the goal sat on the net, for a minute I thought it had gone in 😂

Happy Days 😝

[Canary Jedi 589]

Here we go!

[It's Character Forming 1,164]

3 minutes ago, Canary Jedi said:

Here we go!

I love the way the yellow stands out .

[Canary Jedi 589]

Well, where do I start? That was pretty much worst case scenario. Totally thrashed and I can’t think of anything positive to cling to. 
 

The Man City fans were actually quite sympathetic which makes the result even worse! At least they bought the beers afterwards so that’s one positive I suppose. 

[Canary Jedi 589]

Just making my way out of Manchester after a few drinks and a nice Pho dinner with my Mancunian friend. Resisted the suggestions from my friend to eat at Pep’s restaurant!

I have to say Manchester has changed almost beyond recognition in a very positive way since I last had a night out there, probably 20+ years ago. Very vibrant with a good mixture of modern and old (Tenno aged) buildings.

Despite having a few drinks I’m still struggling to find any positives from our performance today, however that’s another football stadium ticked off 😀