Street Crime UK: Southend v Derby 1994

[Sean 2]

I can remember a fairly small club's fans getting into the North Bank waving a bar about or something, was it Stockport?
They didn't last long though in there. Back in the late80's maybe.

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

I remember it well, got a proper slap off some Derby nutter over by the dug outs .. this was the last time the club "allowed" an end of season pitch invasion IIRC

 

[OldBlueLady]

I worked at a bank in Southend High Street from 1985 to 1993, and I remember vividly playing Wolves at home on a Friday night at some point in that time. It was the ONLY time we were made to board the windows and go home whether the tills balanced or not. We heard them arrive and go down towards the seafront and were told to leave!

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

I worked at a bank in Southend High Street from 1985 to 1993, and I remember vividly playing Wolves at home on a Friday night at some point in that time. It was the ONLY time we were made to board the windows and go home whether the tills balanced or not. We heard them arrive and go down towards the seafront and were told to leave!

1987 .. we were up near the top all season but Wolves put in a superb end to the season, winning something like 12 out of their last 13 matches .. the odd one out of course was the 1-0 defeat at The Hall that ultimately won us promotion and left them in the play offs :support: :support: :support:

 

[Lord Football]

Wolves - oh Christ, that was mayhem. I'll never forget that, it was kicking off all over town before, during and after (which I spent a considerable amount time hiding at the back of bakers on the corner of West Rd and Vic Avenue listening to it).

Lincoln City in our Div 4 promotion season. That was fairly mental as well. Kicked off in the South Bank I recall.

On our travels, our two visits to Exeter in our double promotion season were particualarly unpleasant. Potatoes with razors blades flying into the loos. My lads wonder why I have an inbred hatred of the Grecians. That's why.

 

[jassyfa1]

Wolves-that brings back some memories. Finished work around 6ish and got a bus to Southend. I had never seen so many people walking up Vic Ave there must had been 3000 when all of a sudeen they all start singing "we are Wolves", not wanting a slap I joined in. met my dad on the corner of Vic ave and west street and went to queue up to get into the west stand, when the wolves mob come down the road. This moved did not move for anything, they walked over parked cars and cars trying to get up Shakespere Drive, one old bloke in a flat cap, called them a holligan and got a smack for his effort.
Inside the ground it was going off everywhere, and the wolves chairman had to make a plea for the supporters to calm down. A 1-0 victory later and the 4 minute mile broken as I stopped for nothing to get home, only to find the next day that the pubs had shut regardless of who was still in ther and a certain Lord Football had been locked in the cork and Cheese for most of the night

 

[canveyshrimper]

In the seventies a lot of massive punch-ups happened outside the ground, a few to mention, Brighton at home easter 1974, Q.P.R. F.A. cup19 75, Charlton 1972, Cardiff F.A. cup 1976, Boreham Wood in 1973 when they took the north Bank, Chelsea in 1974 ditto in a testimonial. Sheff Weds in 1975, biggest mob at that time to hit the town, loads more in the eighties, Wolves in 87 sticks out. To mention them all i'd be on here all night. Let other fans recollect a few.

Don't quite recall it that way Tony, there were loads of them (Arsenal) supporters there, and we got involved in a scuffle with a few. John Welham then complained to a copper, and the majority of them were booted out. There were also a few post match altercations.

Portsmouth at home was another, a whole load of Pompey fans got out of the West Stand into the North Bank where they scattered most of the then Southend lads.

 

[Swiss Tony]

A P Leamington away in the FA cup was very lively,remember the brothers grim taking a slap on the coach out side the ground,also PNE away,all the coaches got smashed to ****,not very good days really.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

Don't quite recall it that way Tony, there were loads of them (Arsenal) supporters there, and we got involved in a scuffle with a few. John Welham then complained to a copper, and the majority of them were booted out. There were also a few post match altercations.

Portsmouth at home was another, a whole load of Pompey fans got out of the West Stand into the North Bank where they scattered most of the then Southend lads.

The Portsmouth game was between 80-82. I was standing with John and several others in the north bank (having bumped into him in the Spread pre match when it was packed with Pompey fans). Were you one of the others?. I remember a tall bearded guy called Barry ? was there as he had parked in Shakespeare Drive and was worried that his car would get damaged.

 

[Suffolk Blue]

...On our travels, our two visits to Exeter in our double promotion season were particualarly unpleasant. Potatoes with razors blades flying into the loos. My lads wonder why I have an inbred hatred of the Grecians. That's why.

On a visit to Exeter in the 70's our UMBH Coach (aka Looney Tours) had a window put through after the match. The coach driver chased the culprits into a housing estate (in his coach!) and then let his passengers off of the coach so they could exact some retribution.

Tbh, most away matches except for the close ones were very dodgy indeed. At that time we'd be lucky to take 100 fans away and at least 20 or 30 of those would go with the sole intention of upsetting the locals.

I remember a row in the Halifax supporters club, at which we were joined by some Bradford City fans which evened up the numbers a bit. At the Bradford match later in the season we arranged to meet up again with our new friends but things went a bit pear-shaped when most of them forgot about our supposed alliance.

Huddersfield away was usually eventful too, on one trip there a mate of mine got himself chucked through a shop window.

On the other hand away games at Watford, Gillingham, Col Ewe, and Cambridge always attracted large numbers of Shrimpers with corresponding amounts of trouble.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

I recall a home game against Wolves on a Friday night in the 80s, and looking down Fairfax Drive from the Northwest corner to see the loveable scamps basically wrecking everything in their path. I were only a lad at the time, and my old man wisely ushered us home quickly at the final whistle. Sadly, Father wasn't there to guide me home after the Derby pitch invasion and a few of us encountered some of our East Midlands friends on Pier Hill after the game. It was a lively discussion, but I think we got our point across.

 

[BrettieAngell]

Wolves was my 3rd or 4th Southend game, I will never forget that!

Orient away last time we were in League Two when I was in the home end is the worst i've experienced first hand.

 

[canveyshrimper]

The Portsmouth game was between 80-82. I was standing with John and several others in the north bank (having bumped into him in the Spread pre match when it was packed with Pompey fans). Were you one of the others?. I remember a tall bearded guy called Barry ? was there as he had parked in Shakespeare Drive and was worried that his car would get damaged.

Yes I was there, plus Charlie, Peter Beecroft and possibly Firestorm of SZ fame. Barry, was Baz alias John Trapmoor I think.

It was funny with that Pompey game, as their lot scattered the kids in the North Bank they left us alone. I've always put it down to the fact that we were that bit older, and also we didn't run for it when they came over the wall. Plus the fact we were all ugly ****ers. :)

 

[Bromley Blue]

It seems like a different world to me. I dont think if I were old enough that this stuff would have stopped me going but its hard to imagine now.

Do you think football is better or worse now? In terms of the whole day and experience rather than the match.

 

[Bromley Blue]

Wolves was my 3rd or 4th Southend game, I will never forget that!

Orient away last time we were in League Two when I was in the home end is the worst i've experienced first hand.

Why what happened?

 

[BrettieAngell]

Why what happened?

It kicked off and I got thrown down the stairs of the stand before being kicked out, how i wasn't arrested i will never know!

 

[leeblue]

It seems like a different world to me. I dont think if I were old enough that this stuff would have stopped me going but its hard to imagine now.

Do you think football is better or worse now? In terms of the whole day and experience rather than the match.

I started going to footy in the mid 80s and saw so much trouble, I was only 8/9 at the time and looking back I think my dad was a bit of a loon for taking me, I know I wouldnt have taken my son at that age had the aggro still been around, as it is the matchday experience is soooooooo different nowadays that I already had my son well brainwashed by the time he was five(hes twelve now)

 

[canveyshrimper]

It seems like a different world to me. I dont think if I were old enough that this stuff would have stopped me going but its hard to imagine now.

Do you think football is better or worse now? In terms of the whole day and experience rather than the match.

If I am honest then today is a much better, certainly from the perspective of not getting your head kicked in.

We had a few hairy moments, and to be fair I am not overly proud of some of the things we got up to and did.

Getting chased at Newport by a gang wielding iron bars and vaulting a 10ft wall will stay with me a long time. Those of you that know me, and my predisposition to not vault 10ft walls will understand. The second cup game at Derby was very nasty. Cole Ewe, Brentford, Lincoln, Gillingham & Grimsby were always fan away days. Cambridge the first time we played them in the league at the Abbey and a few of our number got separated and had to jump into the river to save themselves a kicking.

Happy days, but I prefer todays more peaceful attitudes where you can safely have a drink with the opposition fans and exchange banter.

 

[Bromley Blue]

It kicked off and I got thrown down the stairs of the stand before being kicked out, how i wasn't arrested i will never know!

Take it you made it pretty apparent where your allegiances lie then? Were there many other of our lot in their end.

I cant think of anything worse. I've been in the home end at a few of our away games coz I've had mates who support the opposition. Never enjoyed it but Orient would be hell. The whole reason I go to that sh*thole is to point out just how much I hate them with a 1000+ like minded Shrimpers.

 

[blake]

Canvey Cup match away. I was on a bus leaving the ground when a brick was thrown through a window.