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First Wizard

Bitter Sweet Memories.

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Are you sitting comfortable?, then I shall begin my tale.

Back in the late fifties my friends David, Brian and myself would buy on saturday''s, a one way train ticket to Norwich from Lowestoft to support our beloved City.

We would arrive in the City at approx 10am, and as boys are prone to do, would explore the City''s allyways and derilict houses, covering many miles on our way to Carrow Road. On our journey we would often stop at a bakers who sold 4 hot rolls for 3d in old money. Armed with these, and 3 pints of milk ( we could really knock it back in those days! ) we would continue on our vovage of discovery.

In those days we would often arrived at the ground at 1pm, and entered the then uncovered River End terrace. If it rained, we would scurry to the little turnstile adjacent to the stand and get a 6d transfer to the old City stand.

Now to the crux of my tale. My dear father, who died last year, was at that time employed by The Eastern Daily Press (ECN), and was based with the Lowestoft Journal as a van driver. Part of his job on Saturdays was to drive to Norwich to pick up the Pink Un for distibution to the newsagents back in Lowestoft. After the game, we intrepted band of adventures, would make our way back to the No 10 cafe?, opposite Thorpe Station to wait for him. Is the cafe still there by the way?.

When Dad arrived, we would then all pile into the back of the red Bedford van and sit on loads (choirs) of Pink Uns. Did we read them, what the hell do you think?.

Of course you understand why I have never mentioned this before, my dad never told me that it was OK to have lifts home, courtesy of the Pink Un!, and I never wanted to risk Dad getting into trouble and loosing his job, or worse risk our lifts home, we would have had to pay 1/3d (7p) extra for a return rail fare in those days!.

Now as I recall those far off, wonderful days, its hard to stop a tear falling. But I''m sure you dear poster pals of mine out there, must have some bitter sweet memories as well, so lets hear them.

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Great memories Wizard and thanks for the thread. Mine was, as a teenager ( also in the late 50''s ) to play soccer on Saturday morning in the garb that our generation remembers...high leather boots with the hard studs that I think were nailed on ( to help us have better traction when the leather lacing in the wet, heavy ball hit us flush in the forehead ). I seem to remember the studs because I was always putting the boots on a last to hammer down any nails that were protruding through into the foot. Could hardly wait to get home after the game and get cleaned up before catching the #81 bus from the Larkman down to Thorpe Station. Always tried to get to Carrow Road by 2 o''clock so that we could try and get a rail in the River End. My mate Jimmy and I usually went together. Some of the players were Foulkes, Ashman, Gavin, Brennan. Can''t remember many girl supporters going in those days and I''m glad to see that things seem to have changed in that area. After the game we used to walk through the city looking for the girls in the little cafes as it was Saturday evening and young boys always had dreams of getting an early start on a big Saturday night.
P.S Were you at the FA cup third round Manchester United game that we won 3-0. Where were you standing for that game? For some reason, which was unusual, I was in the South Stand ( can''t remember if it was called that then ) but what a magic memory that day created. Despite freezing in the snow covered environment it is as warm a memory as I will ever likely have in my life.

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YC: What a wonderful reply!, I must say it envoked such sweet memories, mind you I can do without the lump in the throat your superb reply caused.

Although I was not as sexually active as you was in those days (mind you I''m still not according to Mrs Wiz!) chasing girls etc, I was at that Manchester Utd game. Front railing in the Barclay, just left of the goal. I''ve never forgot it, never will I supppose, what a game. Kids today know nothing about passionate support eh!. I was told it was cold, but I suppose at my age then I just did''nt notice it. Too excited I expect.

Do you remember all those mascots walking around the pitch before the kick off?. One man in particular had a puppet donkey dancing up and down, clad in yellow and green and a top hat. Very strange!.

Oh, and those old boots YC! Gawd where they heavy?, and unless you had an old football smacked into your groin in the freezing weather, you were not a man my son.

I can tell you now YC, I have a whole new respect for you my friend, with your lineage you deserve total respect, which from now on, I will strictly adhere to. A Superb reply and thank you for the memories.







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Another fantastic thread - this site is getting better as the days go by!

This may not reach back so far back in time (that''s not an insult by the way - I grew up on my Dad''s stories of the 3-0 win against Man Utd) I have fantastic memories of the Seventies - going up to Carra Rud with my Dad. He used to have a season ticket with a mate of his and when his mate couldn''t go (which was thankfully quite often) he used to take me along. Parking up by the old AA building, or getting the clapped out old bus from Cromer Bus Station - full of good old boys smoking roll-ups discussing past glories!

I have to admit that last time I came down to Norfolk, City were playing at home - arriving at Thorpe Station just before kick-off brought quite a lump to my throat - why hadn''t I tried to get a ticket - could I still get thru the Barclay turnstile as a junior by walking in with my knees bent????!

Happy Memories - lets have more of them!

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Since it''s obviously old gits time, I''d better add mine:

Yes I was at the Man U 3-0 thrashing, courtesy of a free ticket given to my sister, a nurse at Cromer hospital at the time, by one of the Tooley twins who was in the hospital with a broken leg. (Both twins were on City''s books, but I don''t think they made many, if any, first team appearances). I stood in what is now the South Stand, but there was no lid on it then, and the snow that day was ankle deep on the terrace. I saw the remainder of the cup games that season, except for the two semi-final games, including Ken Nethercott''s magnificant performance at Sheffield Utd.

In those days I lived in Cromer, and went to school in North Walsham, at the Paston School. We used to get a free season ticket for the train from Cromer to N Walsham, which we used on Saturdays to go and play football for the school in the morning. We then used to get on a train to Norwich, and when we arrived we used to run past the ticket inspector at the end of the platform shouting "Season" and waving the little green oblong of cardboard so that he thought we had a Norwich to N Walsham ticket. On the way home after the game we used to wait till the train was just about to pull out, then repeat the act with the ticket inspector and jump on just in time. The only worry was if they ever had a ticket inspector on the train. Fortunately, I never got caught by one.

When we arrived in Norwich, we used to go to Marcantonio''s fish & chip shop at the bottom of Rose Lane for plaice & chips, and eat it with our fingers on the way to the ground. (1/3d it cost, if I remember rightly).

My hero was Johnny Gavin - great player, but I was also a big fan of Barry Butler.

Great thread, Wiz - didn''t realise you were that old!!!!

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Nor did I Foghorn, nor did I!, so I must also be an old git as well, its strange how us old gits remember prices back then is''nt it?.

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Well, it looks like it''s you, me and Yankee Canary in the old gits club, Wiz.

One slightly more recent memory, I lived in Harlow for twelve years in the late sixties and seventies because of work, and we were on a piped aerial system for each housing area, so we got London ITV. At the time, Anglia were showing highlights on a Sunday afternoon, and I found out that by putting up an (illegal) aerial, I could get Anglia from the Sandy Heath transmitter, so was able to watch City instead the Hammers, Spurs, etc.

My son was the odd one out at school - while all the other kids were wearing Claret & Blue, or Blue & White, or Red & White, he proudly sported his Yellow & Green! The other kids even nick-named him "Norwich". He was really disapointed when we moved back up here, and he wasn''t the odd one out anymore! (Though he got over his disapointment when he realised we could actually get to all the home games).

Gawd, I must be getting old - why did yopu start me off on memories, Wiz????? I''ll be crying in my beer soon, and making it even weaker than it is these days. Now, when I was a young man, you could get a really decent pint for fourpence..................

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I don''t know if I can top you old codgers but I was at Highbury when Tommy Johnston scored those two goals that gave us the 2-1 victory. In those days the away supporters mixed freely with the home crowd but my lasting memory was after the match the ''Arsenal'' supporters shaking our hands and then adding that they were really Walthamstow Avenue followers. As a post script, my mother would only allow me to go to the match if we went with an adult ( my mate''s father ), who agreed as long as we were back for his Saturday night pint. We arrived back in Norwich in good time but for some reason were held up just outside Thorpe Station to the extent that when we finally got off the train the pubs were closed. The point of this story is that if my mate''s father drunk six Bullard''s pints at 11p a pint he must have saved 66p as a result of the delay.
Now I''ve started, one other memory. Always ensuring I carried my autograph book to home games I would wait at Thorpe Station after the match and catch the players who had walked from Carrow Road to catch their bus. True.

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