Yes I was there that day it was the Rendezvous pub just near the Crucible. The Sheffield lads come in saying the Blades are coming for you. So fuck let them come. Like you say there was only one set of lads left in the pub.
Aye reiver my first car bright yellow mk 1 escort West Ham away night match not sure if it was in the cup around 79 set off in good time stuck in traffic first time I had driven to London had'nt passed my test borrowing my mates brothers licence got to London never had a clue.stopping asking people directions every couple of hundred yards no one could understand us looking at us like we were aliens eventually got to ground twenty minutes of game left gates were open and just went in the West Ham end think it was a draw.On the way home got pulled two baldy tyres got home could'nt use mates licence had to go to cop shop and own up another fine just a typical trip of the timeLife is so much easier now with the ease of travel, satnavs, etc.
Finding grounds was sometimes like searching for the holy grail, especially in London. The directions from the previous week's programme were inevitably shite and 'helpful info' from various people just as bad.
We'd invariably end up asking people who'd turn out to be tourists, strangers or clinically insane.
We were once leaving London, after a night match, and ended up lost. Glen the Merciless got out of the car and gazed around a while before getting good back in.
"Right lads, that's the Plough and that's the North Star, so what we need to do ....... "
We'll were navigating by the f***ing stars ....... a new low, just when we thought things couldn't get any worse
We all chipped in, the following week, and bought a shiny new big yellow AA map
Perhaps this will convince you.
6 of us wanted to go down to Bristol City and didn't want two lots of fuel so we drew straws for who went in the boot of a Hillman Avenger.
This was a saloon car with fixed back seats so, once you were in, there was no light or proper ventilation. Mick 'thousand yard stare' Turnbull lost and climbed in ...... this was a time before mobile phones or anything so it was basically lying in the dark for 5 hours. On top of that Mick was a smoker and in a confined space with the petrol tank
So we get to Bristol and Mick unfolds himself from the boot white we fall about laughing at the plight of him.
So we go to the game, usual nonsense, and get back to the car. We pick straws again and incredibly Mick doesn't object to being included ......
....... needless to say he lost again and just slumped into the boot.
Still not convinced?
It was quite something, a Saturday match with a big turn out iirc. Sunderland had one big end and there were more scattered around their end which caused a few fights before they were turfed out.
We had to go in the seats of the main stand 'cos we couldn't get any tickets.
I think we were losing 1-0 when John McPhail equalised with a penalty late on.
There was quite a bit of trouble and rumours of Derby & Leicester turning up. Some Sunderland lads were being chased outside, before the match, so we stepped in to help ...... as soon as we saw the Chesterfield lot had knives we joined in running with Sunderland.
It was like the closing scene from Benny Hill
Did JFN work in one of the shipyards? I remember being down the town with a few mates in the late 70s who did and we got chatting to a couple of their workmates and when they'd gone they said that was what he was known as. He certainly wasn't introduced as that.
Good question though.You've got me racking my brains now as this was about 40 year ago . I think he was an apprentice down the yards, but honestly can't be certain, and can't remember what trade. I do remember he worked for a short while down Hendon docks, but he'll have been early 20's then. After that I'm not sure he did any work at all, just "ducking & diving" if you know what I mean.
@shaun61 Talking of finding grounds, remember driving to Stoke and trying to find the ground. Saw a set of floodlights and headed for them only to find that it was Port Vale not the Victoria GroundLife is so much easier now with the ease of travel, satnavs, etc.
Finding grounds was sometimes like searching for the holy grail, especially in London. The directions from the previous week's programme were inevitably shite and 'helpful info' from various people just as bad.
We'd invariably end up asking people who'd turn out to be tourists, strangers or clinically insane.
We were once leaving London, after a night match, and ended up lost. Glen the Merciless got out of the car and gazed around a while before getting good back in.
"Right lads, that's the Plough and that's the North Star, so what we need to do ....... "
We'll were navigating by the f***ing stars ....... a new low, just when we thought things couldn't get any worse
We all chipped in, the following week, and bought a shiny new big yellow AA map
@shaun61 Talking of finding grounds, remember driving to Stoke and trying to find the ground. Saw a set of floodlights and headed for them only to find that it was Port Vale not the Victoria Ground
Think we did it at Cambridge too
That happened to us At Preston in the 3rd division ,deepdale pub Stanley Pirates, @dirtybristow was also there I pushed him outside to deal with them ,they were waiting with knives and bottles for stragglers coming out ,Despite not causing trouble in pubs I can understand why large numbers of Sunderland supporters, in their pubs, would be annoying.
We had a similar experience with Portsmouth when 'their lads' were all friendly in their pubs while they were outnumbered.
As soon as our lot drifted off to the match they immediately started strutting around and shouting the odds at the few stragglers.
Really f***ing scary but we stood our ground, what could we do, and got out with no real damage ...... I bet they all claimed they took Sunderland on and won
Bunch of wankers who some people see as hard men.
