boagas1883
Of course I'll introduce you to Warren
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 60 
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Post by boagas1883 on Aug 29, 2015 4:49:42 GMT
Regarding the Millwall game,I'm pretty sure that if you watch it closely you will see footage of Harry the Dog at Eastville.It's my understanding that the coach on which the filming took place,broke down and got to the ground late.Yes,there were some Millwall on the Tote but not the obvious ones from the film.And yes,there was alot of trouble in town later,but which lot of Millwall this was,I don't know ?
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Post by gasheadpirate on Aug 29, 2015 8:40:52 GMT
The Swindon game was my first Rovers match. I thought this team are world beaters - all went down hill after that! LOL
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kingswood Polak
Without music life would be a mistake
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 10,278
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Post by kingswood Polak on Aug 29, 2015 13:23:53 GMT
Yes, but the video is in the 80s. Crowds around 5,000 but the team was doing well. I don't think that's much to do with Rovers - although I imagine the dilapidated state of Eastville probably didn't help. If you look at attendance figures crowds in general were down in the early 80s - football had a hell of a stigma attached to it during that era and a lot of people stopped going/wouldn't even think about it being something they would do. My Grandad was a lifelong football fan and was appalled by violence at football and stopped going in the early 80s. What appalled him was the idea of working class people beating up other working class people simply because they happened to support another football team. Never went again - even when I started going I couldn't convince him that the game had changed. I knew quite a few people of his generation with the same attitude. I still feel pretty bitter about that and as a result I can't stomach the romanticisation of hooliganism in any form. Hi Irish, i can highly recommend Chris Browns book booted & suited. It in no way glorifies the trouble & is very well researched into where the violence started. It's also a very good read if you're interested in the Bristol scene in general. |
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Post by 1unclealbert on Aug 30, 2015 11:07:14 GMT
My memories of Eastville as a teenager are of walking across the Stapleton Road and up that short bit next to the "Concorde" cinema. On the right there was a blue door in the wall with a 'beware of the dog' notice, which of course had been overdubbed 'beware of the Tote'. Then walking through the car park with (on the right hand side) that old bloke shuffling his feet while holding a stand with rosettes for sale and a poster saying read the Daily Express for sports news (David Foot I think was the football writer then). Then it was through the turnstiles and a quick sprint up the steps to enter the Tote End by the rear (stop that sniggering). As we got to the top of the steps there was a rush of excitement as we joined the crowd and saw the pitch - the domaine of our heroes. Standing just to the right of the main body as you face the pitch, there always seemed to be a punch-up mid way through the first half, and it was fun to see the cops wade in and loose their helmets. Many of them clearly enjoyed a quick scrap. I never saw anyone get injured, but I seem to remember that one or two she teds often used to chance their arm in the Tote End. Eastville was an old dilapidated stadium for sure, but it had real character wherever you stood. I wish we could go back there......I still miss it.
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Post by bangkokgas on Aug 30, 2015 11:52:09 GMT
My sentiments as well uncle albert - that feeling once you had parted with you 50 p and bounded up those steps into the Tote - nothing like it. Sorry to hark on about the violence side of it but one clear memory was of a bunch of Sunderland fans doing exactly the same just before kick-off- forget the year but 76-77ish - and them being uncerimoniously escorted back bloody and bruised along the side of the pitch to the open end....
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Post by 1unclealbert on Aug 30, 2015 16:03:11 GMT
Yes, bangkokgas, none of us I'm sure likes to see serious injury - or a lot of blood for that matter. A lot of it was teenage bravado in the Tote End - just steam letting. A pal & I went to Swansea one Saturday as teenagers on the supporters club coach. I think we won 4-1 or 4-2. On the final whistle my mate & I rushed off to the seafront for fish & chips. We sat on the sea wall eating it. At the appointed time (5.30pm ?) we boarded the coach, parked on the seafront road, and waited. We were the only ones on it for a while, but slowly the other Rovers fans made their way back to the coach. Everyone was very quiet, contrary to the boisterous excitement on the way over. We had to stop at the hospital on the way back as one fan needed patching up, but he wasn't ready so on we went. As the journey progressed so the chatter started up again, and folks were showing each other their scratches & bruises by rolling up sleeves & trouser legs. Black eyes started appearing along with localized swelling. One lad turned to me and said he saw me punching a Swansea fan, to which I replied yeah, I gave him a good whack. The only harm I had caused all afternoon though was to a piece of Cod ! There had been a pitched battle in the Swansea FC car park apparently. Probably happened all the time !
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Post by bangkokgas on Aug 31, 2015 12:03:25 GMT
My memories of Eastville as a teenager are of walking across the Stapleton Road and up that short bit next to the "Concorde" cinema. On the right there was a blue door in the wall with a 'beware of the dog' notice, which of course had been overdubbed 'beware of the Tote'. Then walking through the car park with (on the right hand side) that old bloke shuffling his feet while holding a stand with rosettes for sale and a poster saying read the Daily Express for sports news (David Foot I think was the football writer then). Then it was through the turnstiles and a quick sprint up the steps to enter the Tote End by the rear (stop that s******ing). As we got to the top of the steps there was a rush of excitement as we joined the crowd and saw the pitch - the domaine of our heroes. Standing just to the right of the main body as you face the pitch, there always seemed to be a punch-up mid way through the first half, and it was fun to see the cops wade in and loose their helmets. Many of them clearly enjoyed a quick scrap. I never saw anyone get injured, but I seem to remember that one or two she teds often used to chance their arm in the Tote End. Eastville was an old dilapidated stadium for sure, but it had real character wherever you stood. I wish we could go back there......I still miss it. I so miss it still. confined to the memory I guess. Another time 74-75, we stopped off at a service station on the way back from oxford and were just being kids when a coach load of Cardiff fans dropped by - never been so scared in my life as they hissed 'cardiiff boys we are yere' - only for, a few minutes later 4-5 coaches of Rovers pulled in singing 'tote end boys - we are here' That was that, didn't hang around to see the body count! someone should write a book about it - I hear they have? |
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Post by stroudblue on Aug 31, 2015 20:00:17 GMT
Remember going to the Majesty cinema watching x films, smoking Park Drive, after watching the likes of Wayne Jones, Alfie Biggs Jarman etc..great days.
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Post by 1unclealbert on Sept 1, 2015 7:56:07 GMT
My memories of Eastville as a teenager are of walking across the Stapleton Road and up that short bit next to the "Concorde" cinema. On the right there was a blue door in the wall with a 'beware of the dog' notice, which of course had been overdubbed 'beware of the Tote'. Then walking through the car park with (on the right hand side) that old bloke shuffling his feet while holding a stand with rosettes for sale and a poster saying read the Daily Express for sports news (David Foot I think was the football writer then). Then it was through the turnstiles and a quick sprint up the steps to enter the Tote End by the rear (stop that s******ing). As we got to the top of the steps there was a rush of excitement as we joined the crowd and saw the pitch - the domaine of our heroes. Standing just to the right of the main body as you face the pitch, there always seemed to be a punch-up mid way through the first half, and it was fun to see the cops wade in and loose their helmets. Many of them clearly enjoyed a quick scrap. I never saw anyone get injured, but I seem to remember that one or two she teds often used to chance their arm in the Tote End. Eastville was an old dilapidated stadium for sure, but it had real character wherever you stood. I wish we could go back there......I still miss it. I so miss it still. confined to the memory I guess. Another time 74-75, we stopped off at a service station on the way back from oxford and were just being kids when a coach load of Cardiff fans dropped by - never been so scared in my life as they hissed 'cardiiff boys we are yere' - only for, a few minutes later 4-5 coaches of Rovers pulled in singing 'tote end boys - we are here' That was that, didn't hang around to see the body count! someone should write a book about it - I hear they have? Oh yes, the Oxford ring road services. We went to Kettering on the supporters club coach to see the FA cup replay one cold damp evening after a 1-1 (I think) draw at Eastville. On the way back as we queued for our drinks in the Oxford services, we saw Tommy Docherty in front of us so we all greeted him & shook his hand. He was very approachable and asked about our game too. I think we won 2-1 and I seem to remember Laurie Taylor saving a penalty. |
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Post by 1unclealbert on Sept 1, 2015 8:00:16 GMT
If like me you love anything retro when it comes to your football, this should sort you out! 1 hours worth of Eastville highlights/goals to get through, if you have any time to spare! I've definitely never seen any of this before. Thank Christ for the user on YouTube for providing the footage, whoever you might be! I was in the Tote End when Cashley got caught out by the long range shot. From where we were standing it looked as if Cashley was asleep when the shot came in (on the film it's not so apparent). I seem to remember that the crowd turned on Cashley at that point, and from then on he was doomed. But it's a long time ago. |
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Bridgeman
Alfie Biggs
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,549
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Post by Bridgeman on Sept 1, 2015 19:52:45 GMT
Very good but what was very noticeable was despite being at the top of Division Three (now League 1) how poor the attendances were, most were below 5,500. The flowers behind the goals had disappeared and there appeared to be very few fans in the Tote End, had most of them received banning orders from the ground ?  |
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Post by o2o2bo2ba on Sept 1, 2015 21:02:10 GMT
Very good but what was very noticeable was despite being at the top of Division Three (now League 1) how poor the attendances were, most were below 5,500. The flowers behind the goals had disappeared and there appeared to be very few fans in the Tote End, had most of them received banning orders from the ground ? There was a mass migration to north enclosure from tote end in mid eighties.....with ski hats! |
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Post by Curly Wurly on Sept 2, 2015 13:14:55 GMT
More nostalgia from Eastville, the 1-1 draw with Cardiff at the end of the 1983 season (30+ mins highlights) with the unusual camera angle from the South Enclosure.
Seems to be an error with the embedded playback. the URL is:
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=59&v=FfLuC3QLSX0"
The video does illustrate the point about the numbers moving from the Tote to the North Enclosure - or maybe that was just to be within range of the stones from the Muller Road end.
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Post by Curly Wurly on Sept 2, 2015 14:39:31 GMT
Another rarity, admittedly not at Eastville. Rovers away victory at Burnley in the semi-final of the 1972 Watney Cup (from 4 minutes on):
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brizzle
Lindsay Parsons
No Buy . . . No Sell!
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 4,293
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Post by brizzle on Sept 2, 2015 15:11:37 GMT
Very good but what was very noticeable was despite being at the top of Division Three (now League 1) how poor the attendances were, most were below 5,500. The flowers behind the goals had disappeared and there appeared to be very few fans in the Tote End, had most of them received banning orders from the ground ? There was a mass migration to north enclosure from tote end in mid eighties.....with ski hats! When I first started to go to matches at Eastville we used to wait until we knew which way the team was kicking, then run like hell around the back of the North Stand so that we were at the end that we were attacking. Then about 15 minutes or so into the second half it was possible to gain entrance to the North Stand, because the turnstile operators had all finished for the day. I must have been a bit of a gypsy because I never really settled into one area to view the game from. I spent time in all areas of the ground, except for the South Stand for some reason. The only time that I can ever remember going there was for a Bristol Boys game in which a schoolmate was playing. |
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Post by o2o2bo2ba on Sept 2, 2015 16:27:48 GMT
More nostalgia from Eastville, the 1-1 draw with Cardiff at the end of the 1983 season (30+ mins highlights) with the unusual camera angle from the South Enclosure. Seems to be an error with the embedded playback. the URL is: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=59&v=FfLuC3QLSX0" The video does illustrate the point about the numbers moving from the Tote to the North Enclosure - or maybe that was just to be within range of the stones from the Muller Road end. I remember that match. Cardiff brought loads! I don't know why there was a move between ends (as was too young at the time) I guess things change? And the birth of North Stand FC? |
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brizzle
Lindsay Parsons
No Buy . . . No Sell!
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 4,293
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Post by brizzle on Sept 2, 2015 16:43:12 GMT
More nostalgia from Eastville, the 1-1 draw with Cardiff at the end of the 1983 season (30+ mins highlights) with the unusual camera angle from the South Enclosure. Seems to be an error with the embedded playback. the URL is: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=59&v=FfLuC3QLSX0" The video does illustrate the point about the numbers moving from the Tote to the North Enclosure - or maybe that was just to be within range of the stones from the Muller Road end. I remember that match. Cardiff brought loads!
I don't know why there was a move between ends (as was too young at the time) I guess things change?And the birth of North Stand FC? I think that it was just a desire to (hopefully) see Alfie or Geoff knock in a few at close range, rather than see us concede at close range. Always the optimist, eh? Of course it all went out of the window when segregation was introduced. Which reminds me of the dreadful anti-hooligan netting that was constructed, I remember it mostly at the Tote End. What year was that? |
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Post by o2o2bo2ba on Sept 2, 2015 18:18:05 GMT
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Which reminds me of the dreadful anti-hooligan netting that was constructed, I remember it mostly at the Tote End. What year was that?
[/quote]
Not sure about the netting, but has the tote end hooligan element ever gone?!
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kingswood Polak
Without music life would be a mistake
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 10,278
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Post by kingswood Polak on Sept 3, 2015 14:20:24 GMT
. Which reminds me of the dreadful anti-hooligan netting that was constructed, I remember it mostly at the Tote End. What year was that? Not sure about the netting, but has the tote end hooligan element ever gone?![/quote] netting ? it was made from iron bars with strong metal mesh. Horrible and made us look like cattle |
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brizzle
Lindsay Parsons
No Buy . . . No Sell!
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 4,293
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Post by brizzle on Sept 3, 2015 14:28:52 GMT
Do you remember when it appeared (and disappeared) KP, because for the life of me I can't. In fact I can only remember it clearly at the Tote End, but it must have been constructed at other parts of the ground. After all there must have been hooligans in other parts of Eastville besides the Tote End, surely? |
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