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BigWig
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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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Wonderful place. Linked forever with my childhood, and growing up.
Seems a good thread to share this beauty again
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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.However, Roker Park was a shit-hole
Aye ........ Sunderland 3 Man City 1[DOUBLEPOST=1392401939][/DOUBLEPOST]The most glorious place in the world on Tuesday February 27th 1973.![]()
Indeed it was.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.
Not the best result for us but you get an idea what Roker Park was like
Note comment from ESPN at 5:39
Aye ........ Sunderland 3 Man City 1.
That sounds like a crush not a surge.
A better one to watch against Man Utd
It's how stadiums were back them, most of them were shit holes.This ^^^
However, Roker Park was a shit-hole
What a superb photo - one of the best roker pics I've seenWonderful place. Linked forever with my childhood, and growing up.
Seems a good thread to share this beauty again
Logon or register to see this image
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.
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.
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.
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.