Roker Park Move, history/nostalgia

OrdinaryJon

Subs Bench
I'm doing some research about nostalgia and fan activism and looking at the move from Roker Park in particular.

What do people remember about the move at the time? Was there much in the way of protest about the move?

What do people make of the recent developments at the SOL - naming the Roker End, the lattice work, the flags, discussions about safe standing? How important is history and tradition of the club, or is it all about the here-and-now?

Grateful for any thoughts on this.

[I nicked the first image from someone on here so thanks however it was!]

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I voted to remain at a meeting can't remember where it was though, wasn't official or anything, so what do I know!

Like the old Roker stuff in SOL
Spent more years at Roker rather than SOL so far supporting the lads
You got to remember the miners and shipyard workers lived for the weekend football so the miners banner in reception and davey lamp are great link with the past
 
I voted to remain at a meeting can't remember where it was though, wasn't official or anything, so what do I know!

Like the old Roker stuff in SOL
Spent more years at Roker rather than SOL so far supporting the lads
You got to remember the miners and shipyard workers lived for the weekend football so the miners banner in reception and davey lamp are great link with the past


There was a referendum about the move but it was on slightly dubious grounds whereby they posted out to voting slips to around 30,000 members and you only replied if you were against a move and everything else counted as a vote in favour. They received just 1,600 against it so called it a 95% vote in favour!

I think the moves in the last year or so RE the Roker Park lattice work and renaming the Roker End etc are positive move to recognise the history of the club and also to make the SOL more distinct from other grounds.

I do remember people being not too chuffed about the naming of it (SOL) at the time. Will be interesting to see what happens if they sell the naming rights? I guess it will depend on the sponsor.
 
Roker Park was a shithole at the end. They were lopping a couple of thousand off the capacity every few years because it was decrepit. The experience and the memories you take with you.

I do remember liking the fans proposal to turn the ground 90 degrees and rebuild it in a traditional style with a 38k capacity. The reality was that Murray got the stadium of light for only £6m of his own cash so we were never going to do anything other than move.
 
Most fans did not want to move but realised Roker Park needed to be totally rebuilt. What is not mentioned enough is that the SOL site which was perfect to save the club was Murray's second choice and at first we were going to move to Washington before that fell through.
 
I bought the turf of the Roker End 18 yard box area (minus thew penalty spot as this was sold as a separate item) for my new garden at the time. Mr Bailey and Bob oversaw the uplifting and collecting with my vans at the time so as not to take anymore than was paid for... The only one who bought more turf than me was Bob Murray who had his (the Fulwell end 18 yard area and a lot more of the pitch ) transported to his home outside of York. I actually wanted the Fulwell end goal area for the garden because of Vics goal...I can still treasure the memory of watching that go in. Seats from the clock stand, the Bovril kiosk in the Fulwell end.. I stopped bidding, as it was getting ridiculous, anymore for my turnstile in the Fulwell that my dad and I used to go in. happy times but on the whole RP was knackered by the time we had left there.....
 
What do people remember about the move at the time? Was there much in the way of protest about the move?
I was just a kid at the time but I can't remember anything but positivity over the move. It was generally accepted that Roker was no longer viable. You can maybe look now and think that if a bit more funding was put into it over the decades perhaps it could have been saved, but I don't know, really. It was packed in tight amongst the streets, it probably would have meant knocking a few houses down to rebuild like they've done at Anfield. The new stadium was a much more attractive and sensible move at the time, in a prime location, even closer to the city centre than Roker was. Keeping up with the pace of modern football has been difficult in a provincial North East location as it is, staying at Roker would have made it impossible. Plenty disliked the SoL name, but that's another matter.

What do people make of the recent developments at the SOL - naming the Roker End, the lattice work, the flags, discussions about safe standing? How important is history and tradition of the club, or is it all about the here-and-now?
The lattice work looks great. I think its important that some of the memory is allowed to be sustained over the years, but I think a balance should be kept. When I was a kid everything about the club seemed to be forward thinking -- a new stadium, badge, a new identity and confidence. Now the culture seems to be to look back to the past to preserve a kind of special character that supposedly stands us out from other clubs. I think this is a reaction to modern football as much as anything else, which is understandable, but we were never meant to be a living museum.
 
I think it was accepted we had to move (or completely rebuild)- Roker Park was like Fratton park still is now. We got lucky with the SoL, given that Murray's first choice was the 'Wembley of the North'. Far better location and more space around it than a rebuilt Roker Park was ever likely to have.

Didn't like the SoL name at first- would have preferred 'Wearmouth Stadium' but it's grown on me- definitely wouldn't want a stadium named purely after a sponsor but wouldn't object too much if it was the Microsoft Stadium of Light rather than the Microsoft Stadium (not that I'm suggesting Microsoft are interested!). Definitely support the lattice work art, flags etc but not a fan of 'The Roker End'. The Roker End was in Roker Park and always will be for me...
 
Nissan objected to it

Personally, I'm glad they did. Much better site at Wearmouth Colliery than out by the A19. I think stadium relocation sto out of town sites - Bolton, Stoke - not been as well received as those that stayed within the city centre (us, Leicester).

What do people remember about the move at the time? Was there much in the way of protest about the move?
I was just a kid at the time but I can't remember anything but positivity over the move. It was generally accepted that Roker was no longer viable. You can maybe look now and think that if a bit more funding was put into it over the decades perhaps it could have been saved, but I don't know, really. It was packed in tight amongst the streets, it probably would have meant knocking a few houses down to rebuild like they've done at Anfield. The new stadium was a much more attractive and sensible move at the time, in a prime location, even closer to the city centre than Roker was. Keeping up with the pace of modern football has been difficult in a provincial North East location as it is, staying at Roker would have made it impossible. Plenty disliked the SoL name, but that's another matter.

What do people make of the recent developments at the SOL - naming the Roker End, the lattice work, the flags, discussions about safe standing? How important is history and tradition of the club, or is it all about the here-and-now?
The lattice work looks great. I think its important that some of the memory is allowed to be sustained over the years, but I think a balance should be kept. When I was a kid everything about the club seemed to be forward thinking -- a new stadium, badge, a new identity and confidence. Now the culture seems to be to look back to the past to preserve a kind of special character that supposedly stands us out from other clubs. I think this is a reaction to modern football as much as anything else, which is understandable, but we were never meant to be a living museum.

Cheers for that pal. That's roughly my recollection to be honest, not a huge amount of protest against a move. I think when it was first mentioned people's main concerns were about the cost and it being moved out of town which was fair enough.
 
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I worked at Roker Park from 1970 to 1977. The directors at the time had come up with the re-development of the ground as early as 1974. The idea was as previously described of turning the ground 90 degrees. They would also buy the houses at the end of the streets that ran opposite the Clock Stand. There was plenty of ground opposite the existing Main Stand to extend it on the waste ground that was beyond the garages etc. It looked quite good iirc.
 

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