Early Derby Day memories....

[SAFCmadness]

Ok Ill begin......

I was reading an article last week from circa 1991, talking about the previous years Play-Off excitement between Sunderland and Newcastle. It was a national publication, saved by my Mam, but it drew my attention as it was my first Derby match.

I had been a season ticket holder for 1 year by the end of the 1989/90 season and had seen my team finish 6th in the old Division 2, whilst Newcastle finished 3rd. The culmination of a seasons hard sweat was a 2 leg play-off against our fiersest rivals, the first leg being at home on the 13th May 1990.

I remember the build up, as my family and Mag friends had been talking about it all week, and at the age of 10, I was relishing the chance of experiencing my first Derby atmosphere. I had no idea what to exect. I had heard stories of grown men crying with joy back in the glory days, and it was widely thought that although we had put in a fine display that season, that Newcastle would walk all over us and cruise to Wembley, or maybe that is just what I thought after listening to my Maggie mates at the time winding me up.

The morning of the match the paper was full of articles about both teams. My dad waited for an hour to catch a 3 minute segment on the morning news about possible team news and family and friends started arriving at the house for a lift to Roker Park. A quick, now traditional, bacon sarnie, and we were ready to go.

As we drove up the A19 and towards Sunderland, we passed a few cars with black and white scarves hanging out of the window, but didnt see another until just outside the ground. Walking down the back streets of Seaburn and towards the Main Stand/Roker End was like nothing I had experienced that year. The noise was incredible, hours before the game. Groups were singing outside of pubs and pie shops. As a child, the smell of alcohol was obvious, and sometimes overpowering. At times I felt a little intimidated when walking past the hoards of Newcastle fans outside the Roker end and the barking police dogs. The usual smell of bovril and pies, had been replaced by urine and alcohol. One man was so intoxicated he was asleep outside the car garriage infront of the Main Stand. As a kid, things like that shock you a bit, and then you quickly move on, but never forget.

IIRC it was a walmish day and I wore my Tony Norman Keepers top, due to playing in the home strip on the local park pitch the night before and covering it in mud. I was uncomfortably hot. Everywhere you turned you could see excitement. I hadnt slept a wink the night before, but I wasnt tired. I remember the feeling of less tension in the air than current derby days. Those were the days when the crowd didnt get on the players backs too much. Its as if we werent expecting to win, but were going to put up a fight regardless.

When I took my seat in the clock stand, I couldnt believe my eyes. I had never seen the ground so tightly packed and the Roker End so full. I think there was tickertape flying everywhere when the teams ran out, and there looked far more than I had ever seen in the ground before. Crushed in like sardines. All of a sudden police rushed into the Newcastle end as scuffles broke. I remember the noise from the Fulwell End making the hairs on my neck stand on end. I had never heard anything like it.

The game flew by for me and my only memory is celebrating like crazy the referee awarding us a penalty late on, only for Hardyman to miss it infront of the Fulwell end, and then getting sent off for following up his miss, and "allegedly" kicking Burridge in the head. In my opinion, Burridge should have won an oscar for his reaction. I remember my Dad calling Hardyman an idiot for kicking Burridge, but I couldnt understand why......It was exactly what I wanted to do to Burridge at the time. I felt so helpless and drained. I hated being upset, but what was worse was I had never seen my close family so upset. It wouldnt be the last time though. The penalty miss seamed like our opportunity had passed.

I came home and shed a tear that night, believing that we had no chance at St James Park. How wrong could I have been. My dad was in the away-end for the second leg 3 days later, and still talks about it to this day 21 years later. on the 16th May 1990, Gabbiadini & Gates made me the happiest person on the planet.

Memories fade fast as time goes by, but I hope the emotions experienced in those two games stay with me for the rest of my life.

FTM

[bulletmagnet]

i remember that game very well, traveled from ashington and got outside the ground and said to my mate "giz me ticket then" when he replied "i gave you it the other day at your house" my world stood still, i had forgot the fucking thing and ended up buying one outside for the main stand roker wing paddock.
I also thought it had passed us by with the penalty miss and also wanted to kick budgies head off on the follow up !
i also remember listening to the replay in my mates house and jumping up and punching the air when we scored, only it wasnt the air i punched it was a wooden beam on his ceiling, nearly broke my fucking hand.......the memorys will never fade, remembered like it was yesterday.

[SAFCmadness]

Originally Posted by bulletmagnet

i remember that game very well, traveled from ashington and got outside the ground and said to my mate "giz me ticket then" when he replied "i gave you it the other day at your house" my world stood still, i had forgot the fucking thing and ended up buying one outside for the main stand roker wing paddock.
I also thought it had passed us by with the penalty miss and also wanted to kick budgies head off on the follow up !
i also remember listening to the replay in my mates house and jumping up and punching the air when we scored, only it wasnt the air i punched it was a wooden beam on his ceiling, nearly broke my fucking hand.......the memorys will never fade, remembered like it was yesterday.

Great memories of the second leg too listening to it on the radio with my mate. Didn't know how to react but remember thinking we would always be able to beat Newcastle after that.

Some sadder derby memories followed in the 90's when people like Obrien kept scoring free kicks against us and we just couldn't beat them home or away. Always used to enjoy seeing the old Roker Park packed to the rafters though and the buzz of the build up.

Hope our kids know the hard decade or so we went through against them.

Originally Posted by SAFCmadness

Great memories of the second leg too listening to it on the radio with my mate. Didn't know how to react but remember thinking we would always be able to beat Newcastle after that.

Some sadder derby memories followed in the 90's when people like Obrien kept scoring free kicks against us and we just couldn't beat them home or away. Always used to enjoy seeing the old Roker Park packed to the rafters though and the buzz of the build up.

Hope our kids know the hard decade or so we went through against them.

I would like to hear some tales from the 70's & 80's derbies.

[RokerLegend]

Originally Posted by SAFCmadness

Ok Ill begin......

I was reading an article last week from circa 1991, talking about the previous years Play-Off excitement between Sunderland and Newcastle. It was a national publication, saved by my Mam, but it drew my attention as it was my first Derby match.

I had been a season ticket holder for 1 year by the end of the 1989/90 season and had seen my team finish 6th in the old Division 2, whilst Newcastle finished 3rd. The culmination of a seasons hard sweat was a 2 leg play-off against our fiersest rivals, the first leg being at home on the 13th May 1990.

I remember the build up, as my family and Mag friends had been talking about it all week, and at the age of 10, I was relishing the chance of experiencing my first Derby atmosphere. I had no idea what to exect. I had heard stories of grown men crying with joy back in the glory days, and it was widely thought that although we had put in a fine display that season, that Newcastle would walk all over us and cruise to Wembley, or maybe that is just what I thought after listening to my Maggie mates at the time winding me up.

The morning of the match the paper was full of articles about both teams. My dad waited for an hour to catch a 3 minute segment on the morning news about possible team news and family and friends started arriving at the house for a lift to Roker Park. A quick, now traditional, bacon sarnie, and we were ready to go.

As we drove up the A19 and towards Sunderland, we passed a few cars with black and white scarves hanging out of the window, but didnt see another until just outside the ground. Walking down the back streets of Seaburn and towards the Main Stand/Roker End was like nothing I had experienced that year. The noise was incredible, hours before the game. Groups were singing outside of pubs and pie shops. As a child, the smell of alcohol was obvious, and sometimes overpowering. At times I felt a little intimidated when walking past the hoards of Newcastle fans outside the Roker end and the barking police dogs. The usual smell of bovril and pies, had been replaced by urine and alcohol. One man was so intoxicated he was asleep outside the car garriage infront of the Main Stand. As a kid, things like that shock you a bit, and then you quickly move on, but never forget.

IIRC it was a walmish day and I wore my Tony Norman Keepers top, due to playing in the home strip on the local park pitch the night before and covering it in mud. I was uncomfortably hot. Everywhere you turned you could see excitement. I hadnt slept a wink the night before, but I wasnt tired. I remember the feeling of less tension in the air than current derby days. Those were the days when the crowd didnt get on the players backs too much. Its as if we werent expecting to win, but were going to put up a fight regardless.

When I took my seat in the clock stand, I couldnt believe my eyes. I had never seen the ground so tightly packed and the Roker End so full. I think there was tickertape flying everywhere when the teams ran out, and there looked far more than I had ever seen in the ground before. Crushed in like sardines. All of a sudden police rushed into the Newcastle end as scuffles broke. I remember the noise from the Fulwell End making the hairs on my neck stand on end. I had never heard anything like it.

The game flew by for me and my only memory is celebrating like crazy the referee awarding us a penalty late on, only for Hardyman to miss it infront of the Fulwell end, and then getting sent off for following up his miss, and "allegedly" kicking Burridge in the head. In my opinion, Burridge should have won an oscar for his reaction. I remember my Dad calling Hardyman an idiot for kicking Burridge, but I couldnt understand why......It was exactly what I wanted to do to Burridge at the time. I felt so helpless and drained. I hated being upset, but what was worse was I had never seen my close family so upset. It wouldnt be the last time though. The penalty miss seamed like our opportunity had passed.

I came home and shed a tear that night, believing that we had no chance at St James Park. How wrong could I have been. My dad was in the away-end for the second leg 3 days later, and still talks about it to this day 21 years later. on the 16th May 1990, Gabbiadini & Gates made me the happiest person on the planet.

Memories fade fast as time goes by, but I hope the emotions experienced in those two games stay with me for the rest of my life.

FTM

Excellent post that. I too thought we would get stuffed at St James' and we had blew our chance.

School was class the next day

[SAFCmadness]

Originally Posted by RokerLegend

Excellent post that. I too thought we would get stuffed at St James' and we had blew our chance.

School was class the next day

Cheers. Seems like yesterday. Those memories will never fade. It's just so shocking that in the following 21 years we have had so few opportunities to replicate it. Did you go to St James for the replay? I wish I had

[homeless kid]

Is it totally blastphenous to admit that I thought their away kit was canny smart?

WBA had a similar one around that time, yellow and green stripes.

I was only 6 at the time and still hated the mags, but the yellow / green away kit looked canny.

[riffraff]

Originally Posted by homeless kid

Is it totally blastphenous to admit that I thought their away kit was canny smart?

WBA had a similar one around that time, yellow and green stripes.

I was only 6 at the time and still hated the mags, but the yellow / green away kit looked canny.

Remember when Mourinio said about someone: "He's dead to me".....

[SAFCmadness]

Originally Posted by homeless kid

Is it totally blastphenous to admit that I thought their away kit was canny smart?

WBA had a similar one around that time, yellow and green stripes.

I was only 6 at the time and still hated the mags, but the yellow / green away kit looked canny.

Does anyone know when the first televised derby was? I remember a few in the 90's on ITV I think?

[Pioneer]

blastphenous? great word!

Best night of my life the replay. Few pints in Newcastle Arms pre-match then "the best night of my life" Ok I have had a pretty boring life!!

[SAFCmadness]

Derby sell outs back then were around 22,000 for Roker Park IIRC??