Anyone got any pics of Roker Park?

[Corvus]

Originally Posted by SE6Mackem

Yup - that was her, I reckon. Certainly don't know of anyone else in Sandringham who did that. She had a ground floor flat opposite the fulwell end & car park... Always did the window up, esp for 'big' matches - cuttings from the echo & footy echo, ribbons in club colours, her old scarf and ribbons on her china border collie ("well, he's black & white otherwise" she'd say!). She even appears on some of the old videos about the club - ones from the Reidy days.
When able, she'd stand at the front door to take in the atmosphere & talk to her 'regulars', including the coppers, to get their feel for the match beforehand. She told us all about many fans she saw regularly, old & young, & we certainly heard about their kids, weddings, etc.
Gradually over the years she needed the stick, then the zimmer, then had to make do with sitting by the window. Even then, she had many friends among the fans who would knock on the front room window & shout through to her. No matter how ill she felt she'd be there for the home matches - come what may she loved that Fulwell end!
She'd listen out for the crowd reaction & would be straight on the phone if she thought the roker roar meant a goal, a miss or god forbid a goal against us. She loved to be the first to call, about 5 mins before the match finished, with a running commentary of whether people were leaving early, & whether her mates in the crowd were giving her thumbs up or down...
If you & your lad were amongst those she called her 'footy family' then god bless you coz you'll never know how much you, and others, meant to her. She felt part of the crowd, in touch with the game & the club. That meant so much to her as the club was in her blood - she had family who played in the first team (circa late 1880s / 1890s) and later in the late 1920's early 1930s. She did get to go on a SoL tour in her wheelchair!. She thought it was impressive but it broke her heart that the club moved from it's roots (in her eyes). She thought that seating would spoil the atmosphere and quieten the crowd, but that the club needed to grow.
Sorry - I don't mean to go off topic ... must be contagious that nostalgia stuff . My main thought was about how the old roker park got into people's hearts & brought fans of all ages together.... even in the old pic of the crowd you can see 'flat caps' & trilbies, all mixing together to see 'the lads' - a great leveller in days when there were great social distinctions between people based on their jobs. The love of 'the lads' is plain to see in the crowd from years gone by. I'd hope that the SoL has, or will have, it's place in the hearts of the current generation of fans & those to come eh?

I don't think that there's any doubt about it, marra. Your Nana, never even knew her name, was our lady.

I keep bangin' on about the soul of Roker Park, but it was there right in with the local community. A bite to eat in the church hall, a couple of pints in the New Derby, a bit craic with your Nana and into the match.

When I was a kid, I used to get plonked on one of the concrete crash barriers on the Roker End, my Dad, Grandda, and Uncles George and Harry standing behind me. You rarely see family groups at the SOL.

I really can't remember how I first encountered your Nan cos she was up towards the Fulwell End, we were always Roker End. But I used to have a wander up there for a chat, me then me and my lad, long after Grandda, George and Harry had died and my Dad stopped going.

I don't think, no matter what, that the SOL will ever attain the soul of Roker Park. The SOL is a little detached from the community, more so since the swimming pool went up.

I have a limited edition painting of Roker Park, viewed from the Roker End hung in pride of place in my front room. The magic lives on.

[Gav_ftm]

Originally Posted by billingham-mackem

Way before my time but still gives a good impression of the Roker end and supporting the lads in years gone by, I like the SOL and am proud that it's our stadium but Roker will always be home.

Simple, but brilliant Nail on Head statement.

[Octavarium]

We used to drink in the Pilot Cutter,go to the match via that back lane,release some fluid behind the fence ,then go round the corner for a cowboy & a couple of cans from the offy.
Happy days indeed.

[BANDY FTM]

Originally Posted by Joe Fabulous

yes thats old trafford.

[Richie....]

im 20, so in 95/96/97 7-9 years old, i was into man u massively (like all kids that age then) but now im a safc lad, since about 10+. i went to roker park once, i think it was hartlepool in some cup, anyways, we were getting beat 1- 0 and me me dad and me mate at the time went at about 78 mins, gets home to pennywell, and finds out we won 2-1, i was gutted! all i can remember from that is the noise people made banging the old wooden seats, and when we left, looking around at the ground.

i always regret not remebering/going to more games at roker park, but that was something that was out of my control due to age. i wish i could go back in time to just the last game, and get a proper look and feel for the place. all i have now is pics like in this thread, and prem passions which one lad on here sent me, very kindly, i think it was town end farmer giles but not sure.......

[Gav_ftm]

Premier Passions -

Episode 1 - http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...23623534&hl=en

Episode 2 - http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...52668705&hl=en

Episode 3 - http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...06120902&hl=en

Episode 4 - http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...02815227&hl=en

Episode 5 - http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...67516595&hl=en

[Corvus]

Originally Posted by Roger Mellie

Kinnelll!!!!!

When was this taken? How many in one end!?!?!?!?! (ok i know someone just said 19k but seriously... i've never seen that before!)
Anyone got any info on when was like that, when it was reduced etc etc?

cheers!

No shit marra. The Roker End in all it's glory held 19,000. There's nowt new about my garden shed .

The Roker End was reduced, in 2 stages, from the early/mid 80's to what it was over the last 10 or so seasons, 1/3rd ish of what it was before, before we left Roker Park.

Big matches at Roker Park, before the Roker End was reduced, when the crowd started to fill the areas around the bottom of the floodlight pylons on the Roker End, you just knew that there was 40,000 already in RP and more to come.

The SOL rocked back at the height of the Peter Reid days, but it was nowt to touch when RP rocked. As a kid I was in a few 60,000 crowds at RP, the Man Utd cup replay in 1964 there must have been at least 75,000 in the ground (the official attendance doesn't reflect what happened that night). Roker Park after the 60's saw 2 outstanding nights. The FA Cup replay v Man City in 1973, 50,000+, when you feel the terrace vibrating beneath your feet, and the 1980 promotion match v West Ham, a couple of days after they'd won the cup, 48,000+. By the time the last season at RP came around the capacity had been reduced to 22,000, RP was a shadow of its former self, we had to move.

[Davyred]

Originally Posted by Roger Mellie

Kinnelll!!!!!

When was this taken? How many in one end!?!?!?!?! (ok i know someone just said 19k but seriously... i've never seen that before!)
Anyone got any info on when was like that, when it was reduced etc etc?

cheers!

Me and my mate were stood under one of the pylons the night we beat West Ham 2-0 to win promotion under Ken Knighton. I think there was 48000 in that night. Anyhow, when the first goal went in, our feet never touched the floor as we were literally carried in a wave down to the front.

Absolutely fantastic days.

[Corvus]

Originally Posted by Gav_ftm

Simple, but brilliant Nail on Head statement.

That photo looks to me like late 40's/early 50's. It's definately the Roker End and it's mint.

[Cambridge]