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yoda

The old barclay

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While waiting for the train at Stowmarket on sat was talking to a city fan who reminded me of the days when away supporters would on occasions take over the Norwich section of the barclay , he remembers Millwall doing it and of course we all recall Man u on that infamous day . I had completely forgot about it happening .

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It was split into 4 pens.Pens 1 & 2 were for City fans and were on the City Stand side.Pen 3 was a sterile empty pen except when there was a large away following and pen 4 was for away fans.The South stand corner was also terracing and was used for home fans but if there was an exceptionally large away following it was used for visiting fans as well as 3 & 4.

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[quote user="TIL 1010"]It was split into 4 pens.Pens 1 & 2 were for City fans and were on the City Stand side.Pen 3 was a sterile empty pen except when there was a large away following and pen 4 was for away fans.The South stand corner was also terracing and was used for home fans but if there was an exceptionally large away following it was used for visiting fans as well as 3 & 4.[/quote]

I used to stand above the tunnel in the south stand corner infill , i don''t remember ever having to move out of there but i do have a bad memory !

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"It was split into 4 pens"

Only much later. When we first went up it was pretty much ''open house'' away fans often arriving earlier and taking up residence in the Barclay, only to be met with the locals who arriving in dribs and drabs nearer to kick off time would decide it was their kick off time.

All to often there was not much between the two factions other than a line of Til''s lads.

Memories of away fans singing their way along the back of the South stand on the way from the River end. Worst experience was Chelsea at home in a league cup night match, a pretty unsavoury but deserved event that night amongst the absolute mayhem elsewhere in there.

Happy days (daze)

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I can remember the chants of  "You''re going in the river!" - "You''re going in the river"; as a youngster it really concerned me at the time. I''d often have nightmares about how I''d get myself out of the water if anyone threw me in after a night game. It may seem misguided as that chant was aimed at the opposition supporters - however when I was thirteen I was beaten up by five of our own ''fans'' who decided they wanted to steal my new scarf.

It beggars belief really; I''d bought that with my paper round money and was proud to wear the yellow and green. Then I was jumped on, severly kicked all over and left in a heap under a lampost one night on Riverside Road as they tore it from around my neck. I was never sure who the hell to trust after that.

Today my 13 year old son (who adores football & has represented Norwich City at Academy level) simply cannot understand how or why fellow supporters would ever want to do such a thing. Thankfully he hasn''t seen such disgaceful behaviour during the past seven years we have been season ticket holders.

Looking back, the whole football violence thing seems quite surreal now...

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Opposing fans would climb the partition fencing taunting each other and hanging the oppositions scarf’s,  probably taken from fans in a fight prior to the game , a roars would go up as they where set on fire. The sound of coins and other metallic articles pinging as the were thrown through the cages at each other , fans urinating in cups and bottles and throwing them at the fencing splattering those unlucky enough to be in range , seemed exhilarating  at the time, but looking back at was all very primitive and tribal.

 

It was not only the old Barclay that witnessed these scenes , during the 80’s the River end was rife with opposition fans congregating in large numbers only to be hunted out by the city boys such as “The Stien’s” , Bernie and his crew and others .I had witnessed many run ins with West Ham , Chelsea , Arsenal , Ipswich during this period , which normally resulted in the opposing fans being escorted out of the stand and marched back to the away pens , much to the delight of those already in there who greeted them as heroes for trying to take an end as the approached the stands.

 

I know there are arguments that all seater stadia has reduced the atmosphere in general , but  my youngest brother , mother and friend where trapped in between such a stand off during the 80’s and it put them off going for many seasons. It was violence at its most bloody and vicious heights and I am glad such scenes are long gone.

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I can go back when a big line of police went right down the middle of the Barclay to keep the fans apart, imagine the stick they got when the fans surged towards each other. Most games the wall was broken and it was everyman for himself.

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Sunderland took over all but the city stand end pen when they came down trying to win to stay up.  The fogged off League Cup semi when me and some of the guys I still go with today started the "if you want us come and get us" and they did.    All part of the game in them there days.

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My first memories of the old Barclay are as a youngster in the late 60''s. We would be in early and away fans would often congregate at the back behind the goal. But as our fans came in they would move across toward the south stand corner. Then, as others have said, there would be a line of "Old Till" between the two sets of fans. It was only later that we were penned in.

 

 

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[quote user="TIL 1010"]It was split into 4 pens.Pens 1 & 2 were for City fans and were on the City Stand side.Pen 3 was a sterile empty pen except when there was a large away following and pen 4 was for away fans.The South stand corner was also terracing and was used for home fans but if there was an exceptionally large away following it was used for visiting fans as well as 3 & 4.[/quote]On a few occasions they opened pen 3 up for Norwich fans, I used to stand at the back of pen 2 and have memories of the gate at the back between pens 2 and 3 being opened and us all piling through.

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A very quiet chap who prided himself on being citys one ''black'' fan.

Usually clad in a levi jacet with nothing or the shirt completely open

Not bad lad as such, just stood out from others

recollections of him clambering along the rafters at one game

happy daze

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At the back of the Barclay end (circa 1960) there were railway sleepers that were stood on end - this was all that stopped you from falling down the grass embankment behind the stand. As the covered area didn''t reach all the way across but the sleepers did, with a leg up you could sit on top of the sleepers & get a great view. I sat on them during the Cardiff & Spurs games in the 59 Cup Run

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They didn''t show the idiot getting whacked with a brolly when they carted off on the stretcher.

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Another character well known in the old days of the barclay (I''m talking about 1980 ish here), was a guy called Stanley.He was a skinhead and was normally seen wearing a Crombie coat and red Doc Martens.He would regularly scale the fence seperating the City and away fans, then end up in the rafters where he would then drop down into the waiting crowd.As he began his ascent a chant of "Stanley is back,Stanley is back ''ello ''ello..." would begin!Started going in the Barlclay when I was about 10. (1976) and I loved it in there. Used to be a bit lairy at times, but it never put me off going to football. Makes me laugh when I see comments by the bed-wetters on this board,about 1 or 2 people running on the pitch or wahtever..

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