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Reserve games back in the day

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ir35 said:
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Reading that got me thinking. Would it be worthwhile offering a free kids ticket with every season ticket sold this season, if we get to open the ground again this season? We have lost a huge amount of "future supporters" over the last 3-4 years and this might be an idea to get the kids back supporting Sunderland?
 
As a young lad my sisters (no) boyfriend used to take me to Roker for reserve games circa 62/63. Dunno what the crowds were but there would be football specials waiting to take people back to town after the match.
 
Elephant said:
Used to go back in the Roker Park days. Think it was called the Northern Intermediate league or something. Felt like we played Rotherham and Doncaster every other week, 200 or so used to turn up.
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That's right. We were unable to get into the stronger Central League until later on, because of objections by one or two clubs in it at the time, or so it was said back then. Can't imagine who they might have been.....

But once in it, though those mental crowds were a fleeting thing, the games were much better quality than the useless U23 stuff now. No good to anyone that stuff. I used to go to New Ferens Park before they put the plastic pitch in, and there were some decent games at times, with a good mix of young players, players coming back from injury ,and fringe players yet to make the first team or trying to get back in it. It was far better prep for first eleven football than what exists now, and as Reidy said at the time a mistake was being made in changing it.
 
Saw us play Man Utd at Roker. Kanchelskis was playing for them after an injury. He was the best player on the park by a long way. Luckily he must have been a bit of a knob as his team mates tried their hardest not to pass to him and we ended up winning IIRC.
 
Saw us play Boro when Gazza played, wasn't that busy but was great seeing him from pitch side. He was replying to everyone saying things to him too the radgie
 
I remember going to Eppleton to watch Kenwyne Jones play for the reserves after he'd been out injured for a while. I think it was just before we played the Mags and Richardson scored the winner. Must have been 2,500 in that little ground.
 
KST said:
I remember going to Eppleton to watch Kenwyne Jones play for the reserves after he'd been out injured for a while. I think it was just before we played the Mags and Richardson scored the winner. Must have been 2,500 in that little ground.
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Aye, that’s spot on. Think we were getting about 1200 regularly at that point & double turned up excited for him coming back with the Mags next up.
 
Often used to go to NFP with me dad. Gravy and chips in the freezing cold!

Remember seeing VA for Everton play there


Was at eppleton when Jones made his comeback too
 
BombayBadboy said:
Sounds quite grim, bit like what the "reserves" are now really. Nout like the days under reidy.
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To be fair most were played at New Ferens back in the day under Reidy. A few got there but big games at the Sol weren't that often - there were two which attracted big crowds against Liverpool and Man United but I don't think there was many, if any, more.
 
At Roker Park in the 70's reserve games were a free perk of being an ST holder, they were part of the numbered voucher book. We went to about 1 in 4 or 5 I reckon, often to see a new signing or key player returning from injury, but also if it was big opposition, or the Mags. There were maybe 400 there typically, all in the Main Stand, I remember how odd it seemed to hear player's shouting and every kick of the ball. echoing. Another oddity I remember was that our fans would applaud any worthy goal from the away team. (cue Hovis advert)
 
I used to go reserve games quite regularly at Roker, me and my dad would get the train from Heworth to Seaburn then a stroll down. From memory I think only the main stand was ever opened when I went. Pre Metro days meant that if a train was cancelled we could be waiting an hour at Seaburn on the way back! My memories are watching John Cornforth and Paul Lemon loads.

Can't remember who we played at home one reserve game but it was the night the mags got knocked out the cup at Luton and John Hartson scored, we dived into the Blue Bell just in time to catch the end of the game, the place was jumping 😁
 
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