Worst away days

[CANARYKING 720]

Having read the other thread with interest I thought I’d start an alternative. Mine was that F.A. Cup game at the old West Ham ground, five thousand supporters crammed in with the only access a tiny staircase, another Hillsborough waiting happen. Plus being a tad short I could only see about a quarter of the pitch.

[NWC 332]

Fulham

[Commonsense 829]

12 minutes ago, CANARYKING said:

Having read the other thread with interest I thought I’d start an alternative. Mine was that F.A. Cup game at the old West Ham ground, five thousand supporters crammed in with the only access a tiny staircase, another Hillsborough waiting happen. Plus being a tad short I could only see about a quarter of the pitch.

Absolutely correct-it predated Hillsborough by a couple of months. Don’t forget the enormous queue to get in first of all as the insisted on using a single metal detector on everyone.

[East Rider 594]

14 minutes ago, CANARYKING said:

Having read the other thread with interest I thought I’d start an alternative. Mine was that F.A. Cup game at the old West Ham ground, five thousand supporters crammed in with the only access a tiny staircase, another Hillsborough waiting happen. Plus being a tad short I could only see about a quarter of the pitch.

Was at that game (which we drew) and entered the ground via the other (Westham) end as the queues getting into the Norwich end were huge. Once in we were escorted to our end (Norwich) and managed to squeeze in. No idea how many were in there but it was clearly too many.

[Fen Canary 1,463]

Oldham wasn’t great from memory. We won but a proper northern slum 

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,234]

Swansea, twice, never again............

[shefcanary 3,081]

I didn't enjoy the Everton semi-final in 1989, the Holte End was way too full IMO.

Nowadays, most away grounds are okay places to visit (even the New Den) because of the changes post Hillsborough.

The only thing that genuinely affects whether the trip is enjoyable is usually what happens on the pitch, most away facilities are okay and even the trip to the grounds are pleasant enough. 

My one major exception is the facilities at Hillsborough, still pre-1989 IMV.

And I hear Colchester United is a ground in the wrong place with absolutely nothing to recommend it. It is not high on my list to visit. 

Edited September 8, 2024 by shefcanary

[Danke bitte 1,199]

Millwall whenever - that area of Bermondsey is grim and being funnelled into a gated alleyway to get the train back to civilisation is just a bit weird. 

[TIL 1010 5,303]

Grimsby is pretty grim.

[Hairy Canary 773]

3 hours ago, CANARYKING said:

Having read the other thread with interest I thought I’d start an alternative. Mine was that F.A. Cup game at the old West Ham ground, five thousand supporters crammed in with the only access a tiny staircase, another Hillsborough waiting happen. Plus being a tad short I could only see about a quarter of the pitch.

Absolutely this. The only time I’ve felt unsafe at a game.

At one point I ended up facing away from the pitch, caused by the movement of the crowd, and couldn’t find enough space to turn back round. 
 

Remember loosing one nil at Plough Lane which was pretty miserable.

[Newtopia 583]

My worst two were Fulham away under Worthington, and Everton away with Simon Tracey in goal……. Both send shivers down my spin.  

[Commonsense 829]

7 hours ago, shefcanary said:

I didn't enjoy the Everton semi-final in 1989, the Holte End was way too full IMO.

Nowadays, most away grounds are okay places to visit (even the New Den) because of the changes post Hillsborough.

The only thing that genuinely affects whether the trip is enjoyable is usually what happens on the pitch, most away facilities are okay and even the trip to the grounds are pleasant enough. 

My one major exception is the facilities at Hillsborough, still pre-1989 IMV.

And I hear Colchester United is a ground in the wrong place with absolutely nothing to recommend it. It is not high on my list to visit. 

It was busy on the Holte, but for those of us who had been to West Ham it was positively spacious. Personally I have great memories of Colchester from the League One season( though their previous ground was grim!)

[Helsinki canary 312]

Worst was the grass bank at wigan in the cup, poured with rain the whole game ans if I recall rightly we lost 1-0  - miserable damp journey home on club cabbage 

[FenwayFrank 2,718]

Wolves in the early eighties, not a nice experience 

[Mello Yello 2,588]

Play off final against Brum at Cardiff.....horrible trip home.....

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,716]

12 hours ago, CANARYKING said:

Having read the other thread with interest I thought I’d start an alternative. Mine was that F.A. Cup game at the old West Ham ground, five thousand supporters crammed in with the only access a tiny staircase, another Hillsborough waiting happen. Plus being a tad short I could only see about a quarter of the pitch.

I've been in some packed ends following Norwich, but that West Ham match was a frightening experience.

[TheGunnShow 7,470]

1 hour ago, Helsinki canary said:

Worst was the grass bank at wigan in the cup, poured with rain the whole game ans if I recall rightly we lost 1-0  - miserable damp journey home on club cabbage 

Ah, Springfield Park. That was built over some time ago.

[Helsinki canary 312]

7 minutes ago, TheGunnShow said:

Ah, Springfield Park. That was built over some time ago.

31st Jan 1987…. There was no roof at that end of the ground just a grassy bank

[Christoph Stiepermann 1,268]

I enjoy the old fashioned grounds with atmosphere. I bet loads of people would say Selhurst Park would be one of their worst but I've always enjoyed it when I've gone there, same with Loftus Road. The worst two for me were Reading at the Madjeski in 2014 ish and when I went with a couple of my Coventry supporting friends to Portman Road a few years ago when they were both in L1. Reading was awful, getting there was such a hassle, the stadium was just so soulless and bland and the atmosphere was flat, didn't help that we lost either.

Most of you wouldn't have been to Portman Road for any occasion other than a derby game so you probably haven't seen it as quiet and lifeless as I've seen it. You could hear a pin drop at the game I went to, even when it's been bad at CR you at least hear a bit of a roar when we were attacking or some gallows humour chants but it was dead silent the whole game, I could actually hear Lambert yelling from the other side of the pitch from the away end it was that quiet. It wasn't a great game even though Coventry won 1-0. I'm pretty sure that when I tried to start a chant of you're f****** sh** after Ipswich kicked a few balls out of play the whole ground could hear me. Never been to any game as flat, quiet and depressing as that game was, I almost felt sorry for them. Makes me laugh now seeing their ground full. We still filled out our ground before we kicked on in L1, half of the current PR crowd disowned their team only a couple of years ago. 

 

Edited September 8, 2024 by Christoph Stiepermann

[benchwarmer 673]

17th December 1995 v Leicester at Filbert Street, a promotion six-pointer.  We were there in numbers and full of optimism.

As we entered the away section, we heard a steward say that our manager Martin O'Neill had left Carrow Road to join . . . Leicester.  The news spread like covid and we could see that O'Neill wasn't in the dugout.  The atmosphere was toxic beyond belief, with City fans roaring "CHASE OUT" and some of the players openly applauding us.  At half time we were 2-0 up but lost 3-2.

After nine seasons in the top division and barely two years after beating Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup, we knew in our hearts that O'Neill's departure signalled the end of NCFC as an established top flight club.  A bleak day indeed.

Just to rub it in, O'Neill took Leicester back to the Prem at the first attempt.  We finished 16th.

Edited September 11, 2024 by benchwarmer

[Duncan Edwards 2,428]

5 hours ago, Christoph Stiepermann said:

I enjoy the old fashioned grounds with atmosphere. I bet loads of people would say Selhurst Park would be one of their worst but I've always enjoyed it when I've gone there, same with Loftus Road. The worst two for me were Reading at the Madjeski in 2014 ish and when I went with a couple of my Coventry supporting friends to Portman Road a few years ago when they were both in L1. Reading was awful, getting there was such a hassle, the stadium was just so soulless and bland and the atmosphere was flat, didn't help that we lost either.

Most of you wouldn't have been to Portman Road for any occasion other than a derby game so you probably haven't seen it as quiet and lifeless as I've seen it. You could hear a pin drop at the game I went to, even when it's been bad at CR you at least hear a bit of a roar when we were attacking or some gallows humour chants but it was dead silent the whole game, I could actually hear Lambert yelling from the other side of the pitch from the away end it was that quiet. It wasn't a great game even though Coventry won 1-0. I'm pretty sure that when I tried to start a chant of you're f****** sh** after Ipswich kicked a few balls out of play the whole ground could hear me. Never been to any game as flat, quiet and depressing as that game was, I almost felt sorry for them. Makes me laugh now seeing their ground full. We still filled out our ground before we kicked on in L1, half of the current PR crowd disowned their team only a couple of years ago. 

 

Reading away when we lost 4-0 and having to listen to their fans… grim. They genuinely believed they were somehow relevant and significant.

Losing 3-0 to Wimbledon at Selhurst back in the 90s was awful too. We’d spent the whole coach trip ripping up yellow pages to give a ticker tape celebration when we scored. First thing seen as we arrived late was a Wimbledon goal. Great.

We let the celebratory paper go out of the skylight of the coach but the weirdest thing was the woman that picked up a discarded carton of milk outside the ground and drank from it. Just a sight that you can’t get rid of. Another was the kids playing in the streets in Bradford that didn’t have shoes. 2-0 up and drew 2-2 that day. Michael fecking Branch I believe..

Stuff like that reminds you that Norwich is, mainly, a fine city. 

[GRB2 104]

2013/14 season - Wigan away in the prem. Lost 1-0. Me and my mates also went as Batman, a Thunderbird & Captain America.. The coach journey home was the most depressing thing I've ever done. 

[Old Shuck 300]

Reading's old ground, Elm Park, Tuesday night in the cold and rain in about 1996.

The 'facilities' in the away end were....well, I chose not to.

David Rocastle the only glimmer of light that night.

 

[Midlands Yellow 4,714]

7 hours ago, benchwarmer said:

December 1995 v Leicester at Filbert Street, a top of the table six-pointer.

As we entered the away section, we heard a steward say that Martin O'Neill had left Carrow Road and was about to become the manager of Leicester.  The news spread faster than a dose of covid and we could see that O'Neill wasn't in the dugout.  The atmosphere was toxic beyond belief, with City fans roaring "CHASE OUT" and some of the players openly applauding us.  At half time we were 2-0 up but lost 3-2.

I was there for that one, a Sunday lunchtime fixture.

[benchwarmer 673]

1 hour ago, Midlands Yellow said:

I was there for that one, a Sunday lunchtime fixture.

The away section at Filbert Street was a terrace with the front few rows below pitch level - fans were so close to the action that mud churned up by the players' boots would fly into the crowd.  Those were the days . . .

Edited September 9, 2024 by benchwarmer

[benchwarmer 673]

2 hours ago, Old Shuck said:

Reading's old ground, Elm Park, Tuesday night in the cold and rain in about 1996.

The 'facilities' in the away end were....well, I chose not to.

David Rocastle the only glimmer of light that night.

 

At Barnsley in the 1990s the away section had no women's toilets (neither did the San Siro, but there the resemblance ends).  They had to get permission from the stewards to use the staff facilities, which were behind a door marked "no entry to unauthorised persons".  The men's were of the open air variety.

Oakwell was an attractive ground though, on a sloping site, and it was there that I tasted my first jumbo Yorkshire pudding filled with sausages and gravy.

Edited September 9, 2024 by benchwarmer

[essex canary 631]

Losing at Crawley in the League Cup on a ludicrous day for travelling with many of our fans not getting there.

[benchwarmer 673]

On 08/09/2024 at 10:53, Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB said:

Swansea, twice, never again............

I went there once for a League Cup game and was surprised by the level of hostility from the home crowd.  It felt personal - not only were we English but we had Craig Bellamy and he was from Cardiff!

At most away grounds I'd go to the club shop for a pin badge, but not this time - Swansea was the only one missing from my collection apart from the Unmentionables and Wolves.

Molineux.  The only ground I've ever been to where the fans are more interested in giving the finger to the away end than celebrating with their own players when they score.  And that includes the scum on Derby day . . .

 

 

Edited September 11, 2024 by benchwarmer

[Segura 101]

Molineux - was there for the infamous Muscat game. A beautiful stadium even back in those days, but the area around it and the underpass were genuinely scary. Hid colours and perfected a midlands accent, so lived to tell the tale.

In terms of worst actual stadiums would have to say Luton and Portsmouth, but I genuinely love them both for atmospheric venues and would be sad to see them consigned to history.

[benchwarmer 673]

On 09/09/2024 at 11:29, Segura said:

Molineux - was there for the infamous Muscat game.

 

So was I.  With malice aforethought Kevin Muscat buried his studs in Craig Bellamy's knee down to the bone.  In any other circumstances that's GBH.  Bruce Rioch was so enraged that he ran on to the pitch and it took several City staff and players to stop him laying Muscat out cold. 

Edited September 11, 2024 by benchwarmer