descriptions of roker


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Not the best result for us but you get an idea what Roker Park was like

Note comment from ESPN at 5:39
 
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However, Roker Park was a shit-hole
Everything is relative. And in terms of compariosns with other grounds built/completed in the early 20th Century (that's all of them until the post-Taylor Report era), Roker Park was NOT a shit hole. It was one of the better grounds in the country and, remember, was chosen as one of the 1966 World Cup grounds.
It was comfortably the best ground in the North East until the lot up the road built the "Beardsley" main stand in the 80s. Until then, Newcastle's ground WAS a shit hole with a dreadful, corrugated iron "Nissen Hut" main stand and no other grandstand at all until they built the East Stand in the 70s on the old popular side that nearly bankrupted them. They had nothing like our Archibald Leach main stand. The Gallowgate was open and a poor effort compared to the Roker End and the Leazes had a dreadful shed roof that stood no comparison to the Fulwell End. Ayresome? A much poorer, smaller version of Roker.
So Roker Park, in its day, was fine. Very fine indeed.
But times do move on. All grounds pre-Taylor (all-seaters; news builds etc) look wretched compared to 21st Century standards.
But please don't slag Roker - especially if you are not old enough to remember it in its pomp up to around 1980 when the Roker End had to be curtailed and partly dismantled. Before that - for its time - it was an awesome place to watch football.
 
The most glorious place in the world on Tuesday February 27th 1973. :cool:
Aye ........ Sunderland 3 Man City 1[DOUBLEPOST=1392401939][/DOUBLEPOST]
Everything is relative. And in terms of compariosns with other grounds built/completed in the early 20th Century (that's all of them until the post-Taylor Report era), Roker Park was NOT a shit hole. It was one of the better grounds in the country and, remember, was chosen as one of the 1966 World Cup grounds.
It was comfortably the best ground in the North East until the lot up the road built the "Beardsley" main stand in the 80s. Until then, Newcastle's ground WAS a shit hole with a dreadful, corrugated iron "Nissen Hut" main stand and no other grandstand at all until they built the East Stand in the 70s on the old popular side that nearly bankrupted them. They had nothing like our Archibald Leach main stand. The Gallowgate was open and a poor effort compared to the Roker End and the Leazes had a dreadful shed roof that stood no comparison to the Fulwell End. Ayresome? A much poorer, smaller version of Roker.
So Roker Park, in its day, was fine. Very fine indeed.
But times do move on. All grounds pre-Taylor (all-seaters; news builds etc) look wretched compared to 21st Century standards.
But please don't slag Roker - especially if you are not old enough to remember it in its pomp up to around 1980 when the Roker End had to be curtailed and partly dismantled. Before that - for its time - it was an awesome place to watch football.
Indeed it was.
 

Not the best result for us but you get an idea what Roker Park was like

Note comment from ESPN at 5:39

When you listen to the noise of the crowd and the singing when we were 2-4 down, and then compare that with the utter silence for 90 minutes against Hull on Saturday. That's the difference with the older stadiums and standing, we made our own entertainment :lol::cool:
 
Aye ........ Sunderland 3 Man City 1.

I still remember that night. How we sold all the tickets starting Sunday morning was amazing. We had no experience of anything so big. Thankfully the Secretary, Ron Linney, had experience from Aston Villa and the staging of many Semi-Finals. Watching the crowds appear during the late afternoon from the office window. Thinking this is going to be something special. The biggest crowd at Roker Park for nearly 4 years. We got the crowd, over 53000, all in by 7.30pm, watched a fantastic game and out again by 9.30pm. No bother. John Watters' rooms were heaving with players of both sides getting treatment (Franny Lee I remember) and guests having a drink. Traffic was awful trying to get home but we didn't leave until after 11.30 nearer midnight. Then Luton in the next round - same thing.
 
Smell of urine and bovril at the Fulwell End steps. Loved going to Roker Park on a night match. Me Dad used to say the pitch was like a billiard table, loved Roker Park. Right to move though
 
The pitch was beautiful. No bugger went on it during the week unless Luke Ward then Bill Patterson let you when I was there. To stand on the centre spot and just look around the empty stands was inspiring. To stand on the centre spot in front of a full house was humbling and I was so lucky to do that.
 
I loved it.

I was only a kid, being born in 85. I went to my first game in 93, we missed two penalties and drew 0-0 with Swindon. We then beat some one 4-0 a couple of weeks later. I think Terry Butcher was still in charge.

I stood in the Clockstand nearest to the Roker End with my Dad. My legs were killing by the end but it was class cause it was something me
and me Dad did together.

We would often get the train to Seaburn in the days before the metro. We'd walk down past Redby school where the programme seller with the dodgy voice and long hair was and the past the old building on the corner which was either derilect or burnt out (1 Leed Street I believe it is).

Once around the corner you'd get the site of the Fulwell and I remember being amazed at the site of the steps and how big the flood lights were.

Once in the ground, be it the Main a Stand seats or the Fulwell towards the end, the first sight of walking out and seeing the pitch and how green it was. Hearing the old fashioned tannoy and seeing the band walk around the pitch.

The seagulls in the summer and blokes walking in with fish and
Chips. Seeing the old lady next to the Fulwell end and waving.

Going back to my Nannas after the match and her asking how we'd gotten on.

It's almost 20 years ago but it still feels like yesterday. There were some shit games, freezing cold winter afternoons and nights but it felt like a collective and it felt like a real working mans down to earth game and club.

Ive had some great times at the SOL but it just doesn't feel and I'm not sure if it ever will be the same.
 
The pitch was beautiful. No bugger went on it during the week unless Luke Ward then Bill Patterson let you when I was there. To stand on the centre spot and just look around the empty stands was inspiring. To stand on the centre spot in front of a full house was humbling and I was so lucky to do that.

How many games you play?
 
It was a different life back then. People had "their spot" on the terraces and turned up early to claim it. People were often waiting outside the ground for the turnstiles to open and even an hour before kick off, the ground was filling up nicely. By the time kick off arrived, people had been there a while and the anticipation was built right up so the atmosphere was immense right from the start.

Now people know they have a seat so they arrive at the ground much later. Sometimes even when the Dance of the Knights music comes on, the ground looks half empty. Think that is the biggest killer of atmosphere.

As often as not at Roker the atmosphere before the game - the singing the anticipation was better than the game itself.
Who can forget the the roar as the crowd anticipated the team coming out. Normally triggered by the clock stand who could see inside the tunnel, very often with false alarms .. It was real not artificial. The nearest the SOL ever got to it was in early days playing mags and the music was shut off and the two sets of fans went at it before kick off.. It was brilliant , which proved it could be done without PAs and entrance music....
Whole new generation now though who don't cheer team onto pitch. I felt as if I had let the side down at Roker if I did not roar the players onto the pitch and as I say pre match atmosphere could be the best part of the day.[DOUBLEPOST=1392407897][/DOUBLEPOST]
It was a crumbling shithole by the time we left if but there were some good memories. 92 cup quarter final stands out for me.

Looking back though, in my view, the atmosphere in the 80s and 90s was nowhere near as good as some people make out. For instance, there was little or no singing from the Fulwell end. The main noise came from the paddocks or main stand seats strangely enough.

Cracking pitch, though, up there with the best on the country. This was a bit of a problem for us in the last season there as teams seemed to enjoy knocking the ball around us.

When the lads moved out to the paddocks, Roker end, main stand seats, it deminished the Fulwell. 70's was better.
 
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I loved it.

I was only a kid, being born in 85. I went to my first game in 93, we missed two penalties and drew 0-0 with Swindon. We then beat some one 4-0 a couple of weeks later. I think Terry Butcher was still in charge.

I stood in the Clockstand nearest to the Roker End with my Dad. My legs were killing by the end but it was class cause it was something me
and me Dad did together.

We would often get the train to Seaburn in the days before the metro. We'd walk down past Redby school where the programme seller with the dodgy voice and long hair was and the past the old building on the corner which was either derilect or burnt out (1 Leed Street I believe it is).

Once around the corner you'd get the site of the Fulwell and I remember being amazed at the site of the steps and how big the flood lights were.

Once in the ground, be it the Main a Stand seats or the Fulwell towards the end, the first sight of walking out and seeing the pitch and how green it was. Hearing the old fashioned tannoy and seeing the band walk around the pitch.

The seagulls in the summer and blokes walking in with fish and
Chips. Seeing the old lady next to the Fulwell end and waving.

Going back to my Nannas after the match and her asking how we'd gotten on.

It's almost 20 years ago but it still feels like yesterday. There were some shit games, freezing cold winter afternoons and nights but it felt like a collective and it felt like a real working mans down to earth game and club.

Ive had some great times at the SOL but it just doesn't feel and I'm not sure if it ever will be the same.




That programme seller you mention still sells them outside the SOL, bumped into him before the Man Utd cup match last month. Hadn't seen him since the Roker park days. He still has the same haircut!!!!

I started going to Roker Park in the 80's with my Grandad and although the football was desperate at times, have great memories of the place. My Grandad died a long time ago, but whenever my family talk about him, my mind always drifts back to us standing in the Fulwell end - real happy times.
 
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