Queuing for 1992 FA Cup Final tickets at RP

[Stortford]

I was lucky for the semi final. I was queuing outside the Fulwell End but must have been a few hundred in front of me as I was standing in the back lane close to a school.

Anyway eventually got to the turnstile and got two tickets. Walking back out the gates I was clutching them like Charlie Bucket with a golden ticket and out of nowhere a steward grabbed me and told me to put them away as a lad just before me had just had his pinched.

Heard some horror stories about people rushing the turnstiles as I would never have gotten mine had that happened (14 at the time).

I queued over night but had to be at work for lunchtime so my mum came to take my place in the morning, I think you needed gold cards, anyway she got 8 tickets and afterwards told me as she was leaving with the ground with tickets in hand that a copper approached her and told her ffs women hide those tickets, she was quite put out but did what she was told and we got to Hillsborough

 

[Father Jack Hackett]

IIRC it was the semi final where this happened. I lost out because of it despite camping out all night. Ended up getting a ticket through a family friend.

The Final ended up quite orderly.

This. We kipped and when we woke up hundreds had just stepped over us and got in front. Luckily, like yourself, we had mates who were right at the front and got ours.
2 of my mates were on the front of the Echo in the queue but thankfully I was just out of shot.

 

[MONTYMCPHAIL]

Queuing all night for the semi final tickets was a right laugh.
Loads of beer and crack.
Some daft sod even brought a bbq down and was flogging burgers to folk

Did you get a week off work n chips with it?

 

[Agent Zigzag]

100% true. We queued from around 10.30pm all night, more and more turned up, rumours that the turnstiles would open at 7am, never materialised. In the end there were bags full of gold cards and cash being handed over to people at the front. And yes the police came in on horses and closed it on safety grounds. We joined a queue that ended up being for a fulwell end turnstile. About 10 in front of us when it closed so we missed out. I’m sure we then went to SJP for the derby that day or the day after (and got beat). Annoyingly it was the first season we didn’t buy a season ticket yet went to every match, including the Chelsea away game (I suppose that was our semi final in a way)

Yes I remember bulk batches of Gold cards being handed over. Blokes on the turnstiles had little grinding drills to mark out the match number on the reverse of the cards

Got to semi and final despite not have season ticket but had one ever since

 

[The Mole]

IIRC it was the semi final where this happened. I lost out because of it despite camping out all night. Ended up getting a ticket through a family friend.

The Final ended up quite orderly.

No it didn’t the knars there was hell on as OP states. I k ow I was there the knars

Someone at work saying people were queuing outside Roker Park but Bob Murray didn't open the gates and then when he did lots of people pushed in and caused hell on. The police horses were out etc. Never heard this before can anyone confirm or deny this?

Yes, when the gates opened people who had turned up on the morning ran across the road and pushed in. I can tell you that lots of people got punched and I know I threw a few the knars

 

[Locke's SAFC]

I definitely didn't queue overnight for either the semi or the final and got tickets for both. Can't remember what time I turned up for either.

For those who didn't get a ticket for the semi, if you'd gone down there was a fella in one of the turnstiles taking a few quid to let people in.

 

[Shieldsman]

A season ticket in the Fulwell resulted in me being in and of the ticket office in about 3 minutes.

 

[tynevalleyblackcat]

Someone at work saying people were queuing outside Roker Park but Bob Murray didn't open the gates and then when he did lots of people pushed in and caused hell on. The police horses were out etc. Never heard this before can anyone confirm or deny this?

Nothing to do with Bob Murray. It was a police decision. I was a victim of the decision as it was the turnstyle we had waited at all night. The police just shut it and put the tickets elsewhere. I went to every home match that season and missed the semi final after queing all night.

Luckily me and my mate who missed out got first dabs for the final after effectively winning a draw that they did on league tickets. I was 26 in 1992 recently graduated and recently married and my wife pregnant with our first child (That child is now 26 and she is coming to Wembley on Sunday), I could not afford a season ticket in those days. I learnt the lesson though and have had a season ticket ever since.

 

[FRANK BLACK]

Nothing to do with Bob Murray. It was a police decision. I was a victim of the decision as it was the turnstyle we had waited at all night. The police just shut it and put the tickets elsewhere. I went to every home match that season and missed the semi final after queing all night.

Luckily me and my mate who missed out got first dabs for the final after effectively winning a draw that they did on league tickets. I was 26 in 1992 recently graduated and recently married and my wife pregnant with our first child (That child is now 26 and she is coming to Wembley on Sunday), I could not afford a season ticket in those days. I learnt the lesson though and have had a season ticket ever since.

Can't remember if it was the semi or the final but I queued up from about three in the morning. They were selling them through ticket office and some turnstiles. It was chaotic and scarey as you got nearer with folks turning up late and pushing in and the police struggling to control it.
Anyway I was queuing at Main Stand side and as I got close they sold out and I started to head home downhearted. Then walked past the clockstand to find a turnstile open with a couple of people in a queue and tickets available.
Messing up tickets is not a new thing for the club.

 

[The Silky Assassin]

IIRC it was the semi final where this happened. I lost out because of it despite camping out all night. Ended up getting a ticket through a family friend.

The Final ended up quite orderly.

Were you with us that night? Loved the night and the banter but gutted that we came away empty handed, had to buy a ticket from a lads dad who worked on the gate for an inflated price

 

[Bob Fleming]

Were you with us that night? Loved the night and the banter but gutted that we came away empty handed, had to buy a ticket from a lads dad who worked on the gate for an inflated price

Aye must've been. Just remember being absolutely sickened that morning that we walked away with nowt.

 

[superdougle]

This woman at work is saying she camped out as well, might have been the semi then. She is getting on now

Will have been the last playoff v charlton she’s on about dizzy mare!

 

[Smiler]

My brother and dad queued up for hours and got 3 of the last remaining tickets at the turnstile they managed to get to.
A lad I went to school with (who had been to about 2 or 3 games at Roker in his entire life, as had his dad) went through with his dad getting there about 20 minutes after they'd gone on sale, walked past all the queues to the far end of the stadium and picked them up without even queueing. I asked what it felt like getting there, not queueing and getting tickets while loyal supporters who had been going to watch the lads and the team go through their worst ever years got jack shit. I didn't talk to him for a while after and he showed me no remorse or guilt at all.

 

[T_Bone]

Someone at work saying people were queuing outside Roker Park but Bob Murray didn't open the gates and then when he did lots of people pushed in and caused hell on. The police horses were out etc. Never heard this before can anyone confirm or deny this?

I slept outside the Roker End for 73 tickets if this helps.

 

[hank williams]

I slept outside the Roker End for 73 tickets if this helps.

Rather have done this than gan the ticket master route

 

[Agent Zigzag]

We hadn’t planned anything. Actually we thought we were ahead of the game by staying at my grans with the plan of heading to the ground at about 7am. Then we saw the late Tyne Tees news, live reporters as ‘thousands descended on Roker Park.’ So we literally got in the car and got dropped off. No sleeping bags, barely a coat, no food or anything to drink, from memory. We just stood and queued all night. We were only 14 and 15 me and my cousin.

I got one for the final through good fortune (failed in the ballot) my cousin missed out on both. The Chelsea games were as good as it got. They were two amazing games mind

We had patio furniture and a feast to feed the 5000. Not much good when people started waking up and surging to the turnstiles!

 

[Deleted member 14766]

I lived in Sandringham Road at the time (around the corner from Roker Park for the young uns). I got home from work and saw that a queue was forming for semi final tickets. The ticket office wasn’t due to open till the next morning. I went and joined it.

Called the aged parent who drove from Dipton to join me. The missus at the time brought sandwiches and flasks of coffee during the night to sustain us and we had a grad old time. Camping chairs eased the discomfort. Queues extended right around the ground and halfway around surrounding streets. People brought tables and chairs from pubs etc. Community spirit abounded.

Got tickets next the the Norwich dug out; providing the aged parent to berate the Norwich subs throughout the game.

 

[The Silky Assassin]

Aye must've been. Just remember being absolutely sickened that morning that we walked away with nowt.

I was gutted and tired. People dare to say the way we issue tickets now is shite, they must have short memories or weren't around then

 

[brandon safc]

There was a group of us from Sherburn village who took shifts to queue through the night for the tickets for the semi-final.

 

[nowtgoodeverhappens]

Aye it was the semi as most have mentioned. I had a ST then so was fine. Went down to get a ticket for me brother in law and it was absolute bedlam outside the main stand and Fulwell. I wandered round the Clock Stand and the queue there was 30 deep for some reason, piece of cake!