Pitches you have been on



Burnden Park
Bloomfield Road
Newport County
Boothferry Park
Elland Road

Roker Park - When the ground was full. I gave permission for the Leeds United coffin to go onto the centre spot (Very proud of that). Standing on the ashtrack looking at the packed Roker End v Man City in 73 - a bit nervously. Played on Roker Park as part of keep fit session that followed running up and down the Fulwell End, running round the track and up and down the Roker End. I was fairly fit in those days. The best time to be on the ground was when it was empty. I would often stand on the Centre spot and just look around at the empty stands - remembering them being full and thinking what a hell of an atmosphere it must have been.

Although if I wanted peace and quiet for a few minutes there was only one place to be - the TV gantry on top of the Clock Stand. You had to climb up on the outside of the Clock Stand and pull yourself up onto the walkway and go up and over onto the gantry. The commentator's box was never locked but the view from the front over the ground was awesome just as on TV. The view over the town and further was fantastic. You could see Blackhall Rocks from there. No PPE, yellow jackets, hard hats then. I went up there for 10 minutes peace and quiet and to think what needed doing. Happy memories.

Sorry to bore you all.
 
Tom the Pom said:
That’s the one! They got so far and our end emptied towards them
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I remember we had about 1500 to 2000 there and we were stood at the back of the away end which was massive. They came across the pitch at the final whistle and I thought what’s going on here then they reached the 18 yard box and didn’t stop so everyone charged down the terracing to meet them.
They were met at the pitch side but most of them shit it when they saw us ploughing down the terraces to greet them .
I’ve been on the pitch at the SOL a few times so celebrities can have their photos with me.
 
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Played on Luton’s and QPRs plastic pitches when they used to hire them out in the 80’s.
Strolled around on Roker, Notts County, Swindon, SOL, Wembley, Yeovil.
Got chased across Old Trafford (1974).
Chased home fans across the pitch at Preston and Oldham (70’s).
My brother was a league ref until a few years ago and we’d get hospitality tickets etc with him so had pre match rambles on the pitches at Darlington, Sheffield Utd, Watford, QPR (grass this time), Walsall, Birmingham, Villa, Forest, SOL a few times, Luton (again grass pitch) plus others when I remember them.
 
Roker park performed on the pitch before the notts forest game in the 93 I think. Sol broke in before it opened and sat in the north stand and stood on the pitch that was there at the time.
 

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