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The battle of bath lane

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The rjf crew would have been handy that day.....


Whilst most people know about the hooligan violence that blighted football in the 70's and 80's, few will be aware of the clashes that took place between rival children's TV gangs. This week sees the publication of 'Congratulations you've just met the RJF', the long awaited biography from children's TV favourites, Rod, Jane and Freddy. This explosive book brings readers face to face with the relentless violence of 80's kiddies TV.Some extracts are as follows;

Beginnings Rod: In 1979 there were a lot of really useful firms operating out of ITV and "The Rainbow Boys" were one of the best in the business. The problem was, because we were new, we were always on the outside looking in. It was time to make a bit of a noise and show them we could handle ourselves.

Freddy: We decided we were going to take Play School in their home pub, Chatters wine bar in Hampstead. On the face of it, it was a ****in ridiculous thing to do. They were pretty handy and had a big reputation, but that didn't mean nothing to us. We were ready to make our mark and didn't care how we did it.

Jane: We got there early and just kept a low profile. Pretty soon the whole place was filling up. There were quite a few faces in there: Fred Harris, Derek Griffiths, Big Ted. I can't say it bothered me. All I was thinking was, "You're going to get it, you numpties!"

Rod: I think it was Johnny Ball who clocked us. I can remember him saying something like "I can think of a number: the three w****s stood over there"and it all kicked off. Even though they hit us with everything they had, we took it. All I can remember is Freddy screaming, "Hold the line, just hold the f'in line" and we did.

Jane: I didn't think they could believe that three of us had taken about forty of them at their place. They just melted away, flicking the V's at us and looking like a total set of pu-s--s. I saw Hamble with blood p!ssing from an open head wound. To be honest I was too wound up to care.

Rod: We walked away from there with our heads held high. The Rainbow Boys would have to take notice now. Rod, Jane and Freddy had well and truly arrived.

The Battle of Blue Peter

Rod: There's been a whole heap of bull spoken about who vandalised the Blue Peter Garden. The truth is that place got torn up in one of the maddest, bloodiest children's television rucks I can ever remember.

Jane: Blue Peter were always giving it some about how they were the best in the business. We were happy to let them think that. Our feeling was they'd got sloppy and hadn't fought anyone decent for about five years. Their shows always went out live, so the plan was to wait until the end of the live broadcast and pile in. The trouble was it didn't work out like that.

Freddy: We'd gone over the wall and started heading towards them. It was Simon Groom and Janet Ellis and we could tell we'd taken them by surprise.Rod wades in and bang, bang, bang they both go down like a sack of s^$te. It was all a bit too easy and we couldn't work out why the camera crew were holding back. Then we realised, they'd been having some sort of past presenter's reunion. They all came pouring out of the studios: Noakes, Purves, Singleton; all ready to kick seven shades of shte out of us.

Jane: As far as we were concerned there was only one thing to do. Stand our ground. Other firms would have run but we just thought, fck, this far and no further. It wasn't easy mind. They were tooled up with bottle tops from a bring and buy sale. Peter Duncan was just wading into us with a bicycle chain shouting, "Take that you c*~* !" I honestly didn't think we'd last much longer.

Rod: Then we heard it. The best sound in the world; "Up above the streets and houses, Rainbow climbing high!" It was The Rainbow Boys battle cry the cavalry was coming. Zippy dropped the nut on Biddy Baxter and suddenly things were a bit more even. I swear on my mother's grave if security hadn't stepped in we'd have murdered the b*****ds.

Freddy: The garden was totally f***d. They covered it up and said it was the work of vandals. No it wasn't, it was the scene of our finest hour
 

Laidback Jack said:
Can someone enlighten me as to what the fook this thread is about?
Click to expand...
Sssh im an old **** and enjoying relivin
magcatcherhutch said:
strawberry and waterloo only a 100 yards apart it happend word for word by sum on here i was 18 with gateshead n vauxie lads off last train frightend yes i was .. 100s onto 100s bar the waterloo where the so called older hard mags 20 0r so of them got a reet ----------- they backed into pub they run up the hill sum got at us in our escort they got --------- fact .. this was the mags main mob who knocked around together for years fact age group wait for it 35 plus the same mob who came to roker regular at 9 in morning .... the rest were up the hill waiting which clashed minutes later ..
we had alot of older lads as well as to me it was as bad as ive seen just as at roker in league cup v mags and glasgow after rangers game few years ago - the mag dressed as a vicar and one in mask were from heaton new them through railways both now in mid 60s ,.

people say you should not scrap at footy those days every time v mags you had no option at theirs the so called lads always sussed you or a 100 safc walking together stands out mile hoolis or other we were a target so what do you do run - lay down - fight your corner - or shake hands with a big mag who wants to smack you - they hated us after that day thats what made it even worse they just could not take it from sland - i recon that day safc lit a fuse that went on for years yes it happend in the early 70s beforehand but this day was a massive turning point -and for those living around roker park 70s before this day how many windows did your dad replace after they came down to us - pubs wrecked - kids smacked by old mag piss heads - it was time to stand up and we did whatever sum think ....
Click to expand...
Aye, the lad with the mask, he got it. Not sure we were Vauxies then though may still have been the Borough Boys.
 
lurker said:
The rjf crew would have been handy that day.....


Whilst most people know about the hooligan violence that blighted football in the 70's and 80's, few will be aware of the clashes that took place between rival children's TV gangs. This week sees the publication of 'Congratulations you've just met the RJF', the long awaited biography from children's TV favourites, Rod, Jane and Freddy. This explosive book brings readers face to face with the relentless violence of 80's kiddies TV.Some extracts are as follows;

Beginnings Rod: In 1979 there were a lot of really useful firms operating out of ITV and "The Rainbow Boys" were one of the best in the business. The problem was, because we were new, we were always on the outside looking in. It was time to make a bit of a noise and show them we could handle ourselves.

Freddy: We decided we were going to take Play School in their home pub, Chatters wine bar in Hampstead. On the face of it, it was a ****in ridiculous thing to do. They were pretty handy and had a big reputation, but that didn't mean nothing to us. We were ready to make our mark and didn't care how we did it.

Jane: We got there early and just kept a low profile. Pretty soon the whole place was filling up. There were quite a few faces in there: Fred Harris, Derek Griffiths, Big Ted. I can't say it bothered me. All I was thinking was, "You're going to get it, you numpties!"

Rod: I think it was Johnny Ball who clocked us. I can remember him saying something like "I can think of a number: the three w****s stood over there"and it all kicked off. Even though they hit us with everything they had, we took it. All I can remember is Freddy screaming, "Hold the line, just hold the f'in line" and we did.

Jane: I didn't think they could believe that three of us had taken about forty of them at their place. They just melted away, flicking the V's at us and looking like a total set of pu-s--s. I saw Hamble with blood p!ssing from an open head wound. To be honest I was too wound up to care.

Rod: We walked away from there with our heads held high. The Rainbow Boys would have to take notice now. Rod, Jane and Freddy had well and truly arrived.

The Battle of Blue Peter

Rod: There's been a whole heap of bull spoken about who vandalised the Blue Peter Garden. The truth is that place got torn up in one of the maddest, bloodiest children's television rucks I can ever remember.

Jane: Blue Peter were always giving it some about how they were the best in the business. We were happy to let them think that. Our feeling was they'd got sloppy and hadn't fought anyone decent for about five years. Their shows always went out live, so the plan was to wait until the end of the live broadcast and pile in. The trouble was it didn't work out like that.

Freddy: We'd gone over the wall and started heading towards them. It was Simon Groom and Janet Ellis and we could tell we'd taken them by surprise.Rod wades in and bang, bang, bang they both go down like a sack of s^$te. It was all a bit too easy and we couldn't work out why the camera crew were holding back. Then we realised, they'd been having some sort of past presenter's reunion. They all came pouring out of the studios: Noakes, Purves, Singleton; all ready to kick seven shades of shte out of us.

Jane: As far as we were concerned there was only one thing to do. Stand our ground. Other firms would have run but we just thought, fck, this far and no further. It wasn't easy mind. They were tooled up with bottle tops from a bring and buy sale. Peter Duncan was just wading into us with a bicycle chain shouting, "Take that you c*~* !" I honestly didn't think we'd last much longer.

Rod: Then we heard it. The best sound in the world; "Up above the streets and houses, Rainbow climbing high!" It was The Rainbow Boys battle cry the cavalry was coming. Zippy dropped the nut on Biddy Baxter and suddenly things were a bit more even. I swear on my mother's grave if security hadn't stepped in we'd have murdered the b*****ds.

Freddy: The garden was totally f***d. They covered it up and said it was the work of vandals. No it wasn't, it was the scene of our finest hour
Click to expand...

Haha wtf?
 
magcatcherhutch said:
strawberry and waterloo only a 100 yards apart it happend word for word by sum on here i was 18 with gateshead n vauxie lads off last train frightend yes i was .. 100s onto 100s bar the waterloo where the so called older hard mags 20 0r so of them got a reet ----------- they backed into pub they run up the hill sum got at us in our escort they got --------- fact .. this was the mags main mob who knocked around together for years fact age group wait for it 35 plus the same mob who came to roker regular at 9 in morning .... the rest were up the hill waiting which clashed minutes later ..
we had alot of older lads as well as to me it was as bad as ive seen just as at roker in league cup v mags and glasgow after rangers game few years ago - the mag dressed as a vicar and one in mask were from heaton new them through railways both now in mid 60s ,

people say you should not scrap at footy those days every time v mags you had no option at theirs the so called lads always sussed you or a 100 safc walking together stands out mile hoolis or other we were a target so what do you do run - lay down - fight your corner - or shake hands with a big mag who wants to smack you - they hated us after that day thats what made it even worse they just could not take it from sland - i recon that day safc lit a fuse that went on for years yes it happend in the early 70s beforehand but this day was a massive turning point -and for those living around roker park 70s before this day how many windows did your dad replace after they came down to us - pubs wrecked - kids smacked by old mag piss heads - it was time to stand up and we did whatever sum think ....
Click to expand...


Don't want to piss on your chips Hutch , but the Strawberry and the Waterloo were a tad further apart that Linford Christie would take more than 10 seconds between them.
 
The Waterloo was on the junction of Westgate Road and Bath Lane as is Good half mile from the Strawberry.
 
A lot of those pouring scorn or sneering at what went on in those days are no doubt youngins who never had to run the gauntlet like you had to at some away games in those times. Heady days of large numbers travelling, pay on the gate and having a great time out with your mates. There was often an edge wherever you turned up but that was all part of the buzz really. There was a sort of excitement knowing you could get your heed kicked in. The casuals and everything that went on subsequently made hooliganism a little more focussed.
 
MakemIndo said:
Got the pub wrong, but ny details are exact otherwise, all the other posts are made up from hearsay
Click to expand...

Buster was there too. I was at match but not at that scene as I was 10.
And if you have not heard of the ''Battle of Bath Lane'' especially given that you claimed to have been there, then you know nowt about North East football culture. It is well known.
 
tabs and beer said:
Buster was there too. I was at match but not at that scene as I was 10.
And if you have not heard of the ''Battle of Bath Lane'' especially given that you claimed to have been there, then you know nowt about North East football culture. It is well known.
Click to expand...
Was there and it was not named as any battle to those who were there, was just another skirmish with the mags.
I don't have to claim son, was there on the front line. So did some unknown person name perhaps the battle of pink lane after another big skirmish with the mags in 69?
 
MakemIndo said:
Was there and it was not named as any battle to those who were there, was just another skirmish with the mags.
I don't have to claim son, was there on the front line. So did some unknown person name perhaps the battle of pink lane after another big skirmish with the mags in 69?
Click to expand...

Dunno but the Battle of Bath lane is well known.
 
I
MakemIndo said:
Was there and it was not named as any battle to those who were there, was just another skirmish with the mags.
I don't have to claim son, was there on the front line. So did some unknown person name perhaps the battle of pink lane after another big skirmish with the mags in 69?
Click to expand...
It was called the battle of bath lane in the Sunday sun and always has been, oh and you aren't the only one who was there.
 
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