Excellent stuff, Rob! You deserve a medal. I wonder how many other TF fans have served King and country in this way? My confession - I once went to Joker Park and spent the entire game incognito, rubbing shoulders with thousands of the unwashed wazzocks. Wedged between two off-duty coppers, both mackems, they were the only ones in the stadium who knew my secret. But there was no fear of me giving the game away when we scored. The year was 1985. The final score was 0:0 and was probably the most boring derby ever.
Yes, I'm sure we've all been there at some point. I was in the hone end at that same match at Maine Road in 1996. No pretence who I was supporting - plenty of us in the Platt Lane Stand that afternoon where Albert scored after that brilliant chipped pass from Tino (I think?).
Brilliant piece, Rob. George Riley/ George Smiley is genius!
What an absolute cracking read, Rob. Perfect to fill in these tiresome three-day gaps between matches!
Mind, I must confess having to Google Claudia Winkelman as I had no idea who she is. I also thought your use of the word 'fringe', may have been a euphamism. Having seen the photos in the search results, I am now up-to-speed, and for what its worth, it did my head in too. 🤣🤣🤣
I was in the Doug Ellis Stand at Villa for the game after Keegan had resigned. We went 2-0 up and I couldn't keep it in - the abuse, hockle and the odd clout rained down on me but I refused to move. They got it back to 2-2 (loads more abuse) and then they got a penalty at the Holte end...cant remember who was in goal but he saved it! I jumped up, shouted 'Fuck you' and ran for my life.
Great stuff and fair play to you. I only had one such experience and that was enough for me. Away in late 1995 with a Villa-supporting girlfriend, I was doing fine incognito until Big Les stuck one away in the second half. I tried to strangle my own scream of celebration but I didn't succeed. Giant bloke stood up and said "Are you a ****ing Newcastle fan?" This was a bit of a rhetorical question as the mag was clearly out of the bag at this point. "Any other ******* Newcastle fans here?" he roared. And here, thank god for the sex appeal of that team because two girlfriends of Villa fans said they were supporting us too because of Ferdinand and Ginola. The big bloke deflated and just sat down swearing that football never used to be like this, and I survived. I was quite happy to take the draw though, as a late winner for us might have been the end of me.
As an avid John Le Carré reader, I always wonder how the protagonists can stand the stress and paranoia involved in their circumstances. I quickly came to the conclusion that I'd be rubbish at it as my heart would quickly give out. So fair play to you, Rob... I'd be petrified. I wonder if the easy time you got at Main Rd was down to them wanting us to bring the red half of Manchester down a peg or two?
The nearest I've gotten to owt like this was being sat amongst the locals during the Brazil v England inauguration match at the Maracanã. Everyone was fine except the Corinthiano in front of us who kept shooting daggers (it was a friendly, man!). Luckily, Paulinho of Corinthians scored a cracker of an equaliser so I made friends by telling him how mint the goal was. (Rooney's goal was bloody ace, mind.)
I agree! I’ve read many a Le Carre novel & the spy is never happy! Far too stressful. We say the same thing watching The Godfather or The Sopranos. Any Mafia type boss isn’t happy either. Always looking over their shoulder. Just like sitting in the home end as an away fan. Though, i must say, your story about sitting in the Maracana beats Maine Road hands down!
I worked in London in the 1980s and lived in Hertfordshire - nearest club was Luton. It was about the time that Maggie Thatcher was trying to ban football altogether, and the Luton owner took the extreme step of totally banning away fans. So to see the Toon at Luton I had to become a Luton Town member. Living five miles away qualification for membership wasn't a problem. I don't remember seeing us win there - it was at the time when Luton had their plastic pitch. One of the games was memorable for us playing in Luton's grey change strip - the ref deemed our normal kit unacceptable. I recall Billy Whitehurst in a Luton shirt made for a small teenager.
Only for two seasons Dave - being a member was the only way you could get in. The away-fans ban was dropped after a couple of years. Kenilworth Road is a throw-back to the old days, and I've always had a soft spot for the club, if not the town. They've had their ups and downs over the last 50 years, but still managed to win the League cup before we did!
Great read, I remember going into a sparsely populated Bullens road end with a mate and a random Liverpool fan we befriended in the bar pre-game who showed us how to go on in getting into the Everton end. Apathy reigned at Goodison in 93-94 and unlike my first visit there, (or anywhere) in 88 which was a full house this time was a little different to put it mildly, the only thing that was the same was the away end behind the goal was sold out though not as packed as my first game, (post Hillsborough they weren't allowed to pack ends out as much). Anyway, Everton were shite, Beardsley and Cole weren't, 0-2 to Kev's swashbuckling Mags. We were a fair bit drunk so just dived up celebrating but the Everton fans around us luckily for us didn't do or say a thing, even had a bit of crack with them at HT when any pretence of cover was well blown. The attendance that day was 25,000, around 4-5,000 of those were in the away end so you can guess how sparse Goodison looked that day. Once had a little chat with a younger blue who was taking the piss out of our away support at Goodison and told him this tale. 'Didn't happen' was his response. I assured him it absolutely did and the reason I was so sure is because unlike him I was there to see it. (A few years either side of this we'd no doubt have got a hiding but somebody smiled down on us that day).
That's the game I was talking about, thanks for the reminder. Cole was fairly new to the prem and my blue nose mate was praising him. I said he sticks his chances away and he replied it wasn't even a chance, just smashed it in from nowhere. Happy Days.
Not close to any of your missions, but I worked for Yeovil Town for 2 years when I lived down there.
My parents had taken on the management of a pub in the town.
We moved there about 2 months before they played Newcastle to open the new ground, I was 16 but me fatha wouldn't let me go, I was there the next game when I got a job on the turnstiles, £6 per game and a voucher for a hot drink.
I had to walk round the cinder track from whichever turnstile I was manning and go down the players tunnel to the general office, walking past the away end with a box full of cash and the seriously abusive catcalls was pretty harrowing to this 16 year old and the urge to tell them to fuck off had to be contained. I think the preferred term these days is Character Building.
Their result tends to be the one I look for beyond ours.
The Somerset experience was a failure for my parents and they came home after 18 months, I stayed on to finish my college course.
Their next foray into pub management was with Ansells, I stayed at home back in the North East this time, they ended up with a pub in Fenton, one of the 5 towns of Stoke On Trent. I think anyone who's been there will confirm it is indeed a shithole, all 5 towns, full of edgy twats and industrial decay. The Victoria Ground was only a 10 minute walk from the pub, so I decided to spend £11 of my hard earned student grant on attending a game. I ended up in the Boothen End to see Stoke play Barnsley play a piss poor 0-0 draw. Paul Peschisolido was their poster boy at the time, before he married the pornographers assistant. It wasn't that long after we'd played them in THAT League Cup game, needless to say, I stood at the back and kept me gob shut.
Well done Rob. I've done it twice but broke cover and got away with it. Brentford in 92/3 promotion season and Everton in the mid 90s. Not a scrap of bother either time, that was before a certain Washington bred goalie who played 10 or so games for the great unwashed stirred things up massively though.
I'm now old and less able to defend myself or run so I probably won't do it again though but.
Great article. Cheers. I had the pleasure and frustration of sitting in the Wednesday end with my owl mate and having to bite my lip when Beardsley danced through their defence and Ginola curl in his debut goal in ‘95. I was also in the citeh main stand corner for the 3-3 Tino head butt game (what a match!). Like you the 3rd goal was greeted with me and loads of toon fans jumping up- and no bother. Though I was shoved in the back a few times by an angry manc after the Tino head butt incident. Fortunately it calmed down and we got out ok. Incidentally, Maine road was proper old school- approaching the ground with the hoards through the rows of terraced houses, with the building noise and the smell…. Beer and the reek of police horse! Happy days.
This season I was in the Leeds end for the 0-0 (on an under 21 youth ticket my Leeds mate got me for my 56th birthday :). Fair play to the Leeds fans for joining in the toon fans for the Isak song. Shame about the match though.
Good read done quite a few myself. Some are ok n others more worrying. The key is to never jump up n sometimes wear something that resembles home colours. Done the SOL a fair bit as well but it helps if you’ve been asked to take 2 Mackem kids who are teenagers but about 6foot!
Excellent stuff, Rob! You deserve a medal. I wonder how many other TF fans have served King and country in this way? My confession - I once went to Joker Park and spent the entire game incognito, rubbing shoulders with thousands of the unwashed wazzocks. Wedged between two off-duty coppers, both mackems, they were the only ones in the stadium who knew my secret. But there was no fear of me giving the game away when we scored. The year was 1985. The final score was 0:0 and was probably the most boring derby ever.
Great to have you back, Dave!
Yes, I'm sure we've all been there at some point. I was in the hone end at that same match at Maine Road in 1996. No pretence who I was supporting - plenty of us in the Platt Lane Stand that afternoon where Albert scored after that brilliant chipped pass from Tino (I think?).
Brilliant piece, Rob. George Riley/ George Smiley is genius!
Thanks, Matthew. I’ve missed the old place. Plus it’s great to be reminded that True Faith, its writers and readers, remains as good as ever. 😊👍
What an absolute cracking read, Rob. Perfect to fill in these tiresome three-day gaps between matches!
Mind, I must confess having to Google Claudia Winkelman as I had no idea who she is. I also thought your use of the word 'fringe', may have been a euphamism. Having seen the photos in the search results, I am now up-to-speed, and for what its worth, it did my head in too. 🤣🤣🤣
A euphemism? Nope, that’s just your dirty mind, Mik. 😉😀
I was in the Doug Ellis Stand at Villa for the game after Keegan had resigned. We went 2-0 up and I couldn't keep it in - the abuse, hockle and the odd clout rained down on me but I refused to move. They got it back to 2-2 (loads more abuse) and then they got a penalty at the Holte end...cant remember who was in goal but he saved it! I jumped up, shouted 'Fuck you' and ran for my life.
Good days!
Great stuff and fair play to you. I only had one such experience and that was enough for me. Away in late 1995 with a Villa-supporting girlfriend, I was doing fine incognito until Big Les stuck one away in the second half. I tried to strangle my own scream of celebration but I didn't succeed. Giant bloke stood up and said "Are you a ****ing Newcastle fan?" This was a bit of a rhetorical question as the mag was clearly out of the bag at this point. "Any other ******* Newcastle fans here?" he roared. And here, thank god for the sex appeal of that team because two girlfriends of Villa fans said they were supporting us too because of Ferdinand and Ginola. The big bloke deflated and just sat down swearing that football never used to be like this, and I survived. I was quite happy to take the draw though, as a late winner for us might have been the end of me.
Lots of fun that - thank you! Smiley / Reilly is a classic combo.
As an avid John Le Carré reader, I always wonder how the protagonists can stand the stress and paranoia involved in their circumstances. I quickly came to the conclusion that I'd be rubbish at it as my heart would quickly give out. So fair play to you, Rob... I'd be petrified. I wonder if the easy time you got at Main Rd was down to them wanting us to bring the red half of Manchester down a peg or two?
The nearest I've gotten to owt like this was being sat amongst the locals during the Brazil v England inauguration match at the Maracanã. Everyone was fine except the Corinthiano in front of us who kept shooting daggers (it was a friendly, man!). Luckily, Paulinho of Corinthians scored a cracker of an equaliser so I made friends by telling him how mint the goal was. (Rooney's goal was bloody ace, mind.)
I agree! I’ve read many a Le Carre novel & the spy is never happy! Far too stressful. We say the same thing watching The Godfather or The Sopranos. Any Mafia type boss isn’t happy either. Always looking over their shoulder. Just like sitting in the home end as an away fan. Though, i must say, your story about sitting in the Maracana beats Maine Road hands down!
I worked in London in the 1980s and lived in Hertfordshire - nearest club was Luton. It was about the time that Maggie Thatcher was trying to ban football altogether, and the Luton owner took the extreme step of totally banning away fans. So to see the Toon at Luton I had to become a Luton Town member. Living five miles away qualification for membership wasn't a problem. I don't remember seeing us win there - it was at the time when Luton had their plastic pitch. One of the games was memorable for us playing in Luton's grey change strip - the ref deemed our normal kit unacceptable. I recall Billy Whitehurst in a Luton shirt made for a small teenager.
You became a member of Luton Town, Martin? Now that *is* above and beyond the call of duty! 😀
Only for two seasons Dave - being a member was the only way you could get in. The away-fans ban was dropped after a couple of years. Kenilworth Road is a throw-back to the old days, and I've always had a soft spot for the club, if not the town. They've had their ups and downs over the last 50 years, but still managed to win the League cup before we did!
Plus, if the club was good enough for Eric Morcambe then I guess it’s good enough for us. 😀
Great read, I remember going into a sparsely populated Bullens road end with a mate and a random Liverpool fan we befriended in the bar pre-game who showed us how to go on in getting into the Everton end. Apathy reigned at Goodison in 93-94 and unlike my first visit there, (or anywhere) in 88 which was a full house this time was a little different to put it mildly, the only thing that was the same was the away end behind the goal was sold out though not as packed as my first game, (post Hillsborough they weren't allowed to pack ends out as much). Anyway, Everton were shite, Beardsley and Cole weren't, 0-2 to Kev's swashbuckling Mags. We were a fair bit drunk so just dived up celebrating but the Everton fans around us luckily for us didn't do or say a thing, even had a bit of crack with them at HT when any pretence of cover was well blown. The attendance that day was 25,000, around 4-5,000 of those were in the away end so you can guess how sparse Goodison looked that day. Once had a little chat with a younger blue who was taking the piss out of our away support at Goodison and told him this tale. 'Didn't happen' was his response. I assured him it absolutely did and the reason I was so sure is because unlike him I was there to see it. (A few years either side of this we'd no doubt have got a hiding but somebody smiled down on us that day).
That's the game I was talking about, thanks for the reminder. Cole was fairly new to the prem and my blue nose mate was praising him. I said he sticks his chances away and he replied it wasn't even a chance, just smashed it in from nowhere. Happy Days.
Not close to any of your missions, but I worked for Yeovil Town for 2 years when I lived down there.
My parents had taken on the management of a pub in the town.
We moved there about 2 months before they played Newcastle to open the new ground, I was 16 but me fatha wouldn't let me go, I was there the next game when I got a job on the turnstiles, £6 per game and a voucher for a hot drink.
I had to walk round the cinder track from whichever turnstile I was manning and go down the players tunnel to the general office, walking past the away end with a box full of cash and the seriously abusive catcalls was pretty harrowing to this 16 year old and the urge to tell them to fuck off had to be contained. I think the preferred term these days is Character Building.
Their result tends to be the one I look for beyond ours.
The Somerset experience was a failure for my parents and they came home after 18 months, I stayed on to finish my college course.
Their next foray into pub management was with Ansells, I stayed at home back in the North East this time, they ended up with a pub in Fenton, one of the 5 towns of Stoke On Trent. I think anyone who's been there will confirm it is indeed a shithole, all 5 towns, full of edgy twats and industrial decay. The Victoria Ground was only a 10 minute walk from the pub, so I decided to spend £11 of my hard earned student grant on attending a game. I ended up in the Boothen End to see Stoke play Barnsley play a piss poor 0-0 draw. Paul Peschisolido was their poster boy at the time, before he married the pornographers assistant. It wasn't that long after we'd played them in THAT League Cup game, needless to say, I stood at the back and kept me gob shut.
Well done Rob. I've done it twice but broke cover and got away with it. Brentford in 92/3 promotion season and Everton in the mid 90s. Not a scrap of bother either time, that was before a certain Washington bred goalie who played 10 or so games for the great unwashed stirred things up massively though.
I'm now old and less able to defend myself or run so I probably won't do it again though but.
Great article. Cheers. I had the pleasure and frustration of sitting in the Wednesday end with my owl mate and having to bite my lip when Beardsley danced through their defence and Ginola curl in his debut goal in ‘95. I was also in the citeh main stand corner for the 3-3 Tino head butt game (what a match!). Like you the 3rd goal was greeted with me and loads of toon fans jumping up- and no bother. Though I was shoved in the back a few times by an angry manc after the Tino head butt incident. Fortunately it calmed down and we got out ok. Incidentally, Maine road was proper old school- approaching the ground with the hoards through the rows of terraced houses, with the building noise and the smell…. Beer and the reek of police horse! Happy days.
This season I was in the Leeds end for the 0-0 (on an under 21 youth ticket my Leeds mate got me for my 56th birthday :). Fair play to the Leeds fans for joining in the toon fans for the Isak song. Shame about the match though.
Good read done quite a few myself. Some are ok n others more worrying. The key is to never jump up n sometimes wear something that resembles home colours. Done the SOL a fair bit as well but it helps if you’ve been asked to take 2 Mackem kids who are teenagers but about 6foot!