Worst mob ever at Home Park!!

[boletus edulis]

I can remember Charlton in the mid 70's coming to argyle mob handed and they were all skinheads dressed in clockwork orange garb. Was quite a scary sight seeing those "boots and braces" steaming towards you

At roughly the same time I used to go to Upton Park, and the boys and girls (especially the girls) used to scare the life out of me, and we were supposedly supporting the same team.

Dad supported Millwall as a kid and took me to the Den a few times. That was even scarier, and not for me (and the footie was carp). His mispent youth helped save him many years later when he was a train Ticket Inspector, and the boys wanted to kick off in the carriage where he was about to ask to see their tickets. Amazingly whilst his oppo was cowering in a corner they were good as gold as soon as he explained his background!

 

[bandwagon]

Went to most of these games - well, all of them except the infamous Millwall away match. My brother went to that one and still talks about it - usually mentioning that he's surprised he's still alive.

For numbers and all round chaos the '83 Pompey one is undoubtedly the worst, but the two games against Chelsea in 75/76 & 76/77 were actually more scary. I saw some evil poo on those days, like Chelsea fans picking on defenceless old(ish) blokes for no reason - Leeds in the eighties were bad but I think Chelsea in the seventies were worse. It was pretty hairy at Stamford Bridge as well - I saw the infamous axeman there.

The Charlton 'droogs' were scary for about thirty seconds for their shock value but ended up getting a right kicking once the brave lads in the Demport (having initially run away) realised there weren't that many of them.

The Watney Cup match against Stoke was also pretty bad, probably because it was, in all but name, a pre-season friendly and no-one was expecting it.

The Everton cup match was just about numbers and the times we were in.

And let's not forget that we had our moments too. I know that folks in Peterborough still talk about that day in 1975 which was, as it goes, disgusting (although I'm sure there are a few morons on here who still think it was good clean fun), but quite a few Saturday away games in the second half of that season saw our mob terrorising some poor unsuspecting town or other, albeit on a smaller scale. Blackburn (renamed Greenburn for a while) was the second in terms of scale, although at least they had a few 'lads' of their own, but trips to 'the likes of' Hereford, Bournemouth and Watford provided a few 'thrills and spills'. Away fans were still being put in the Lyndhurst in those days so there was quite a big crew of Argyle fans over there in readiness - I particularly remember some Crystal Palace (twice) and Blackpool fans looking as though they wished they'd stayed at home.

The promotion season in 85/86 had its moments as well, Wigan away being particularly 'memorable'.

Went to all except the Pompey '83 thing - Got a feeling the Stoke game, the police took out the laces of the DM's as fans went in through the top turnstiles of Devonport end!! Also me a couple of mate were the first to see the Charlton Droogs as the came out of North Road Station, we were up on the bank spying!!

 

[lien60]

I was at the pompey game in the early 80 can remember the portsmouth fans being in the lyndhurst and invading the pitch

 

[LeamingtonGreen]

Yes certainly remember a lot of these games. I was in the Lyndhurst for the Pompey game and had to jump over the boards to get out and run across the pitch to the Mayflower. I do remember a sizeable hardcore of Argyle staying in the Lyndhurst segregated from the Pompey fans by a thin 'ish Police line.

I remember an evening Millwall game at home when just a few Millwall fans were in the Lyndhurst but got kicked out by Police/Stewards but later I was on my own afterwards by the swimming pool and suddenly saw about 10 Milwall fans coming at me. I run down to the Milehouse bus station after getting kicked in the back and luckily got away safely. I also went Millwall away at the Den which was just a tad scary.

A particular Bristol Rovers game in the 80's was interesting when both sets of fans were knocking lumps out of each other on the football pitch besides the Devonport end.

Away - Stoke bit scary, Bradford City when I wandered into a pub full of Argyle fans that were let's say not behaving well. Cardiff, Torquay - yes Torquay! Hmmm, yes must admit today is a totally different atmosphere.

 

[Greenskin]

everton back in the 1970's in an fa cup game. it was pre-segregation. the scousers were drunk, very disorderly, and hurling racist comments against their own black players. bingham was the everton manager at the time.as young as i was i was already aware of the urban myth that "every liverpudlian is a comedian". they were viscious

Everton,Black players,1970,s??? :?

yeah. it was unusual for those racist so and so's but i remember bingham saying that he did not want any colour bar at everton. it was a massive problem back then.

I think there was a young black player called Cliff Marshall playing for Everton in the 1970's game against Argyle.He didn't last long at the club,i don't know what happened to him afterwards.As you say, Everton had a reputation for,shall we say,being selective about the skin colour of the people they employed [and they weren't the only ones] and it probably wasn't until the nineties that the barrier was fully broken.The fans apparently used to hold up burning crosses to greet visiting black goalkeepers and Goodison was generally a pretty hostile place for black players generally.Different world back then,incredible to even think about it now.

Are you sure? I seem to remember a nigerian cup player being their first ever (Amokachi?). Although Mike Trebilcock who we all remember scored for them in the 1967 FA Cup and was of mixed race.

Amokachi was a lot later,in the nineties i think,maybe when Joe Royle was manager.Here's some stuff about Cliff Marshall.

http://www.evertonfc.com/news/archive/e ... hoice.html

True what you say about Trebilcock,good old Gunny bhey that he was-my father played against Mike when he was just starting off in the old Tavistock section for Gunnislake-the old man said he was rather quick ,or words to that effect.I think Dixie Dean was of mixed race too,wonder how the fans squared their general prejudice against their hero worshp of him? Different times,i suppose.

 

[Bubba]

On the whole I haven't seen that much trouble at Home Park. , I would say Port Vale invading the Lyndhurst in 1994 is probably the worst I have seen.

Don't watch the westcountry/TSW footage

Remember it but was only a tackler! Link please

 

[budgie]

Talking about us aswell, when was it we took over Exeter, and had to be locked in a big park in the centre and there was a huge homemade banner behind the goal with "we are mental" on it, around the 70's I was only about 13 I think.

 

[The 92 Club]

On the whole I haven't seen that much trouble at Home Park. , I would say Port Vale invading the Lyndhurst in 1994 is probably the worst I have seen.

Don't watch the westcountry/TSW footage

At least you got a free look around the board room :wink:

 

[Mark Smith]

Yes certainly remember a lot of these games. I was in the Lyndhurst for the Pompey game and had to jump over the boards to get out and run across the pitch to the Mayflower. I do remember a sizeable hardcore of Argyle staying in the Lyndhurst segregated from the Pompey fans by a thin 'ish Police line.

I was at that game on Lyndy. Leaning against a barrier, suddenly found blue and white on either side of me. Got me onto the hallowed turf, at least. The front-line coppers got seven bells kicked out of them, and for them I had every sympathy. There was some brass there too, well away from the action of course, and a couple of useless mutts being held back by overprotective handlers. It was without doubt the most incompetent display of policing in terms of organisation that I have ever seen. I can't remember if clubs had to pay for policing back then, but if we did we should have asked for our money back. Pompey kids with fluffy scarves and rattles penned into Fortress BP with their mums, while all the skins were in some flimsy cage on Demport, the door of which flew open at the first nudge of a DM.

I wasn't sorry we lost that particular game.

 

[L G]

On the whole I haven't seen that much trouble at Home Park. , I would say Port Vale invading the Lyndhurst in 1994 is probably the worst I have seen.

Don't watch the westcountry/TSW footage

Remember it but was only a tackler! Link please

The vhs tapes don't last the years very well i'm afraid.

 

[L G]

On the whole I haven't seen that much trouble at Home Park. , I would say Port Vale invading the Lyndhurst in 1994 is probably the worst I have seen.

Don't watch the westcountry/TSW footage

At least you got a free look around the board room :wink:

And Dan Mc666 nicking my chips on various away trips :lol:

 

[bringonthemilkman]

I remember a big - he must have been 6'8 to my 14yr old eyes - Chelsea fan wanting to take everyone on on the grass outside the YMCA - he got jumped from behind and received a good kicking.
Also, I remember being in the Demport, when at a pre-arranged signal the bloke standing next to me turning and lamping anyone near him....he never got me though, I was over the fence in no time. Simultaneously, 20-30 Chelsea blokes piled through the door at the back. From the pitch the weapon looked like a machete rather than an axe, but I'm willing to be corrected!

 

[P.L.I.H]

Swansea smashing in the Pennycomequick. All I remember is a brick through the window and a load of Swansea fans charging through the side door with pool balls in socks...

 

[Bezza]

This 1994 Port Vale match intruiges me. Just how did someone like Port vale manage to invade the Lyndhurst and scatter the Argyle fans?

I could understand it if it was Millwall or Chelsea, but Port Vale? They arent exactly known for their aggression, even if they are from the same neck of the woods as the Stoke boys who are known to be "lively"

 

[loyal1970]

This 1994 Port Vale match intruiges me. Just how did someone like Port vale manage to invade the Lyndhurst and scatter the Argyle fans?

I could understand it if it was Millwall or Chelsea, but Port Vale? They arent exactly known for their aggression, even if they are from the same neck of the woods as the Stoke boys who are known to be "lively"

that was back in the day's when there were only a few stewards there and they did not stop them climbing over the fence from the barn park end,a few got in our end then they were pushed back on to the pitch and the old bill turned up not many port vale it was just one of those day's no police.i remember there was a bit of revenge outside port vales ground in the return fixture that season.