What was it like going to matches when you were a kid?

[TANGLED UP IN BLUE]

Mid 80s ,Every week Up at 5 off fishing with the old man while 12, home for bacon and eggs ans then back in Austin Maxi to Hillsborough. Stood 3/4 Way up kop mainly on mi dads or one of his pals shoulders. Lots of singing and smoking and I remember when we scored tryna get infront of the barrier out of the what can only be described as mentalness. Sometimes scary but Loved it. The noise and atmosphere was ace, always remember when back to car for round up of all the games and that music on wireless da da da da da da dadada da da dadaa and cheering when Wednesdays winning score line was read out. GOOD TIMES

[Silkstone Owl]

Used to go with me dad and stand on the Kop in the early 90s when I started supporting Wednesday properly.

Loved the atmosphere, only bad side was that I couldn't see - too small

[lesbarbeux]

Something.Ive always wondered, I bet there are some on here who have been in crowds of over 60,000 at Hillsborough. What were the logistics of getting that many into the ground, bearing in mind.people generally left it until the last minute as there was no extra entertainment before the game. Also, although we were a well supported club, did we take many to away games? How long would it have taken to travel to London before the M1?

 

Dread to think what it would be like now as the majority get there by car. Remember that in the past we used public transport to a much greater extent.

[Guest JohnFantham]

reserve games in 1962, watching Johnny Quinn stand out as the best player. First game in Division 1 (prem) in 1963 - 64 season against Notts Forest and Blackburn I think.

My Dad called it Owlerton in them days till it became more known as Hillsborough. First away game was at the Stain beating them 3-2 stood on Cricket end. Great days.

[Buxtongent]

Can we please delete this thread? it's making me feel ancient.I was born and lived in Hoyland, and the first time I went to S6 was in 1947. My Dad and I went by service bus (No 70 Upton-Sheffield) to Castle Street, walked past the Duncan Gilmour's brewery to the bottom of Snig Hill, caught a PROPER tram to Leppings Lane, went down to the ground and walked past the Directors & Players entrances to the Penistone Road end so I could see the size of the ground, then went in the Kop end. I had at that time a shocking mop of Blonde hair and was easily recognisable. My dad pushed me through the Kids Gate (yes, a separarte entrance) pointed to a Bobby on the inside, and told to go and stand beside him. Dad went through the Men's gate, and quickly came and found me. We went and, as Millo remembers correctly, transfered to the 'Old Stand'  We went and sat directly opposite the players entrance.  After the match we went onto Middlewood Road and caught the tram back to the centre, and waited for our bus.

It was unbeliebvable for a kid of barely 7 years old.I still get a tingle when I approach the Old Lady at 74 years of age.

My memories of the actual day are fleeting, but I recall the mixed smell of Fish (Castlegate Market) and the two breweries on Bridge Street, the trams themselves had their own particular smell, and the all pervading smell of Hot Pies and Bovril in the ground at half time.

At that time, the South Stand was the NEW Stand, with its terrace in front of it, the Leppings Lane had its own covering, with, toweering above it, the magnificent scoreboard, which showed the Blades score every 1/4 hour. This scoreboard was supplimented by one in front of the North stand, where a couple of chaps watched the Main Scoreboard and ran to repeat the score on their board. The Kop was absolutely mind-boggling to a young 7-y-old. How the old Lady has changed, but still retains her old magic.

As for getting crowds in, those were the days when public transport lead the way, and people used to take all afternoon to 'watch' football. Most people turned up earlier, and as for getting out, the Trams were lined up on Middlewood Road, brought down six at a time, loaded and despatched with ease. There were crowds but no one pushed in the queue.

I have stood on the 'Old Stand', the Kop , the New stand Terrace, but my favourite place was always the Leppings Lane. 

My favourite player at those times was Jimmy Daley.

happy memories.   

[1867tons]

I cant remember who we played in my first game but my dad started taking when I was around 4yrs old, in 1968. 

 

I also remember in the early/mid 70's shareholders could take others in on their tickets for free.  Me and my mates used to wait in the bottom corner of the South Stand (where the score board is now) and badger older guys to take us in.  Was a nightmare wait if your mates got in first.

 

My first season ticket was in the Leppings Lane end, I used to get a new one for my birthday, you could either stand on't Lep or go in the triangle.  I can also remember surging on't Lep when we scored, imagine that.

[Tarquin]

My first game was 22Nov1951 V Everton, we won 4-0 with Dooley scoring em all .

 

I can remember being taken to the match in the local grocers car as a treat for my 5th birthday. The car was a ford V8 Pilot with whitewall tyres and running boards leather seats.  (Didnt get many treats in Deepcar )  ( Many thanks to Albert Rogers)

I can also remember being at the back of the old Leppings lane end in a very large crowd(39000) and my dad telling me that I would be passed over peoples heads down to the front. Before this my dad had told me to get onto the wall and  hang onto the railings with the other little uns.

can also vividly remember watching the game , hanging on for grim death, looking through the "D" formed by the tops of the railings and wanting a toilet as soon as the game was over. My dad came down to the front as the crowd was leaving and took me for a well deserved session in the gents

These days I tend to have to go at about the same frequency as a 5yr old .  !!!

[theowlsman]

The players wore proper kits, with long sleeves, heavy, made of cotton, and numbered 1-11 only. Only 1 sub too.

Used to catch 2 buses from home, one to town, and one to Hillsborough to get there. Went with my Dad, no longer with us bless him (RIP Dad). The bus used to mingle in and out of industrial areas on it's way to the game, not shops, back in the good old days when Sheffield was still making things for the rest of the country.

A lot of the blokes working Saturdays knocked off at lunchtime to go for a few pints then watch the game.

The police looked like proper police, big, rufty tufty sorts, sorts you wouldn't want to mess with, not young lads with bum fluff on their chins, but were very friendly, to nippers like me anyhow.

Loads of aggro about though, mingled with a sense of humour I recall. Remember the Geordies coming to Hillsborough, looking for trouble, but dressed in old ladies' dresses and Doc Martins. Another phase I remember was nutters wearing doctors' coats. Nearly every club had it's own "mob", "crew", or "boys".

Used to sit on an uncovered bit of the South Stand. There was a tunnel that ran down between the back of the uncovered part of the stand, and the front of the covered bit at the back. It led to the toilets and refreshments. Two nice ladies, in proper uniforms, used to serve Oxo from proper urns of hot water. From the refreshments bar, not the roilets that is. I've also got it in my head they served Chipmunk crisps but I might be getting confused with my old school tuck shop.

My Dad used to make me name what I thought the line up would be, before the players came out. I generally got it right unlike you Kivo.

The team was crap in those days when I was a kid, and the football industrios rather than Brazilian style like Barnsley's current playing style.

We had our favourites but you had to set your standards a little lower. My first real hero was Tommy Craig before he started acting on Coronation Street. Loved Jim McCalliog too. Laters, there was the legend that is Rodger Wylde.

It was football back to its roots, working men's football, hard but fair, and all about effort and committment, rather than goal celebrations and fluorescent boots.

There was no diving, no cheating, just honest physical battles, and hand shaking.

All refs were bald too. You couldn't be a ref in those days unless you were bald and hadn't known your father.

Oh one final thought, those fantastic wooden rattles, and cushions to sit on in the posh seats - later to be thrown on the pitch if you were unhappy about owt.

And taking a transistor radio for the half time scores, aswell as looking at the scores put up at half time, on boards, against letters again on boards, each representing a correspinding game listed in your programme, and hung on big nails around the exge of the stands.

This probably doesn't make sense does it?

Mainly because I typed it on my iPad

Edited April 21, 2014 by theowlsman

[Guest WESTENDOWL]

Early 60s with mi dad uncovered lower south stand rock hard oval meat pies and weak bovril

[theowlsman]

Mid 80s ,Every week Up at 5 off fishing with the old man while 12, home for bacon and eggs ans then back in Austin Maxi to Hillsborough. Stood 3/4 Way up kop mainly on mi dads or one of his pals shoulders. Lots of singing and smoking and I remember when we scored tryna get infront of the barrier out of the what can only be described as mentalness. Sometimes scary but Loved it. The noise and atmosphere was ace, always remember when back to car for round up of all the games and that music on wireless da da da da da da dadada da da dadaa and cheering when Wednesdays winning score line was read out. GOOD TIMES

Picked up on this one just to mention that me, my mate Stephen, his Dad Syd, and his mate Mick, used to get up to go fishing at dawn, either at Harthill Ponds or Underbank Reservoir, then get back in time to go to the match.

I was generally knackered by Saturday teatime and ready for some kip - after I'd read The Green Un of course!

[theowlsman]

I unfortunately never went as a kid.

Dress up as a schoolgirl and I'll take you.

[darra]

Me and my dad used to catch the no 2 bus from Darnall in the 1960's and stand with the same people on the kop every week. The biggest treat was him bringing the flask of Oxo and the slices of bread for half time.

 

We all watched in awe as the guy in front of the cantilever changed the other match scores on the wall.

This but as well as the Oxo you'd occasionally get somebody passing round the hip flask if it were cold

[aussieowl87]

early 90s with my dad and his dad...

 

can't give you specifics on where we parked etc. because i don't know the area around the ground that well [moved over here when i was 8]...definitely remember walking past a burger van or two...

edit: google earthed and street viewed because i'm that committed to this post...

so turns out i sat both on the north and south in various years. one side we used to park up penistone road and walk down and around the corner...burger van outside a pub?

 

alternative way in involved queuing outside a fish and chip shop...grabbing a programme on the corner whilst walking down a hill [doesn't help,,,] but my dad always gave me the money to get the programme. made me feel very grown up and special...

 

remember disliking andy sinton and loving the legends of the time...kevin pressman was my favourite player because he was "left footed and saves penalties". fair logic if you ask me.

 

yep. third choice keeper kit...

 

 

a few games i remember going to...

 

3-1 win over qpr

 

1-1 against southampton where sinton went down in the box but didn't stay down so no penalty

 

7-1 loss to forest. told that story a few times so will pass telling it again...

 

i loved the feeling of leaving the ground having won. but even better than that was walking to the ground. regardless of who we were playing that buzz always gets me. from the second i got out of the car i was swept up in a wave of blue and white. of people conversing with each other about what they'd heard on the radio or read in the papers rather than just seen on their phone...

 

i've been back in 2000/2001 [start of the season], 2004/2005 [kenwyne's loan spell], 2010/2011 [frozen pipes] and 2011/2012 [happy days under megson]. the buzz is still there. my wife has been and she gets it.

 

someday my daughter will go and she'll get it too. we'll go to hillsborough park pre-game and have a kickabout, make sure we have take-away for tea because saturdays every fortnight will be special like that. i'll carry my girl on my shoulders like my grandad did me and wrap a scarf round her neck. hopefully my dad will come with me too and it'll be three generations again...

 

sorry. got swept up in that...

 

me in [sondico?] gloves

 

anyway. sorry for rambling.

 

love. aussie x

[Owl Capone]

First match 31/12/1966 V Chelsea 6-1!!!

 

Routine as a 6/7 yr old varied as to whom we were playing. Big matches (Man u, Leeds ) Set off at 1.30 My dad usually drove with me and my old mum in tow! Park on Bickerton Rd or whichever of those side streets was avaialble. Then down to those big concerteener gates. We only had 2 season tickets but I could squeeze in between my parents. Then up the ramp to the upper echelons of the North. Pay for a couple of cushions, then up the steps and first sight of the pitch and ground. Smell of pipe and cigar smoke in the air. Loved every minute of it even as a young kid. Used to go mental when big John Ritchie, or Johnny F, or anyone put one in the onion bag.

 

Dad died in 1972, my old mum is 90 now and hasnt been since he died, but still follows every match on text or final score and still calls the other lot "pigs"

[Guest JohnFantham]

Me and me mates would get a bag o chips from Bellhouses chippy on Wheata Road and walk down Wordsworth Ave to the game and walk back in the early 60s, and at Summer hols would go down to ground to get players autographs. I still love everything about my club and always will, there's something very special about it.

[torryowl]

Something.Ive always wondered, I bet there are some on here who have been in crowds of over 60,000 at Hillsborough. What were the logistics of getting that many into the ground, bearing in mind.people generally left it until the last minute as there was no extra entertainment before the game. Also, although we were a well supported club, did we take many to away games? How long would it have taken to travel to London before the M1?

biggest crowd ive been in at Hillsboro is 52k v Birmingham (1969)and you just walked up and paid on the gate .it really was as simple as that cant ever remember having any problems getting in at Hillsboro though I did go to the replay at brum and didn't get in there as they shut the gates with over 50k in .as for away support in the 60s it was nothing like it is nowadays except if it was a cup game then we´d take many 1000s. my 1st trip to London was to 6th round cup game v Chelsea(67)which was all ticket and think we took over 18000 down for that one .as for how long it took cant really remember but think the M1 was open then so probably not much longer than present day .

[Droog]

1982/3..I used to get the 83,82 from Greystones with my brother; when we got to to the ground, he would leave me with my uncle cos he wanted to go to the back of the Kop..me n my uncle (who still goes on the Kop) would stand lower down behind the goal..Cugar smoke, a bus driver, Tears for Fears 'Mad World' at half time played by Stevie Splash...Bus home and seein some Wolves fans kicking off in Middlewood Rd..

It was always cold and I couldn't wait to get home..

Sillky scarves and them floppy blue n white caps...

Bring silk scarves back.., used to have one with an owl logo and a clenched fist!

[gurujuan]

Liked the little enamel badges, still have an early supporters club one and a London Owls one

[Lincs Owl]

What was it like....   Well....... in my first season.......

 

1.  Stunk of woodbines.

2.  Got soaked every time it wee weeistently rained.

3. Got crushed against a steel barrier every time we got 40,000 or over.

4. Only a 12 page programme to read.  (1958-9 anyway.... it got better in 1959-60).

5.  Had to walk 2 miles or get a bus.  Only the really wealthy had cars.

 

Yeah...OK we did beat Sunderland 7-0, Grimsby 6-0, Rotherham 5-0, Barnsley 5-0. Lincoln 7-0 so there were compensations.

[OxOwl]

Me and my mate use to have to Share half a Marathon were skint ad starving by time we made it from Woodhouse (snickers to the yoof of today) at halftime :st2: , getting on the bus pond street and it nearly  not making it  up the hill at back of that car wash near wicker? across from were the Riverside pub is now (use to go at a snails pace it was rammed an old double decker bus packed!) .I stood on the KOP 

WTID

 

ps ive had afew