Memory Lane Origin of the PAK

[westie]

Great post on Workington 1967. I also played in that famous rugby shirts game. Attendance that day was only about 1,700 if my memory serves me and Johnny McKinven scored both our goals. You can never be too sure when you're trying to recall 40+ years ago, but I thought the Wolves fans were known as The Wolf Pack. Apologies if I've got that wrong.

DoDts you'll probably remember Darlo fans trying to nick Mickey Hoare's cane as we were leaving the ground @ Feethams.

 

[westie]

mcnasty thank you for your comments.
I'll give it some thought and see what my rusty memory can drag up! :Grandad:

 

[DoDTS]

Great post on Workington 1967. I also played in that famous rugby shirts game. Attendance that day was only about 1,700 if my memory serves me and Johnny McKinven scored both our goals. You can never be too sure when you're trying to recall 40+ years ago, but I thought the Wolves fans were known as The Wolf Pack. Apologies if I've got that wrong.

DoDts you'll probably remember Darlo fans trying to nick Mickey Hoare's cane as we were leaving the ground @ Feethams.

Certainly do and i remember Mickey Hoare, here's my memories of the day:

Saturday 21 October 1967
Darlington 1-1 Southend United

Darlington is a long way. This was my first experience of an overnight coach trip, the coach left Roots Hall after 11.00 p.m. Friday night. The older lads had started the evening in either the Spread or the Shrimpers, but alas for me I couldn't afford this (nor of course was I old enough). Coaches didn't have toilets on them then so we had to make several toilet stops on the way, the first would usually be a few miles down the A127. We arrived in Darlington early morning, found a shop that sold a plastic football and then played two or three hours of 20 a side football, this was followed by a visit to pubs and chip shop.

Darlington played at Feethams then, a strange ground, from the Car Park you went into the cricket ground walked found the perimeter of the pitch to the football ground. We were heading for another defeat, until in the dying seconds we equalised. We noisily made our way back to the coach, too noisily as we were set upon by irate Darlo fans, not kids but in their twenties or thirties,. I was one of several Southend fans that was kicked and hit. Some hero's these Darlo thugs taking on a 15 year old kid. Still I could milk the story at school for several weeks.

By the way the attendance at Workington was 1,742

DoDtS

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

Derby County v Southend United FA Cup 5th Round 1976.

Southend took thousands to this game special trains, private coaches , mini buses however you could get there basically. I went on Steve Walshs coach from the Bachanalia pub (now O'neils) it was crammed with lunatics but worst for any one we met we travelled up with the coach from the Sutton Arms, we were all mates and it was two coaches capable of causing complete mayhem. The journey was the usual drinking ,farting, ****ing and showing your arse to passing motorists, all good fun to two coach loads of lads. On the way to Derby we pulled into a service station as one of the coaches pulled in there was a coach load of (it gets vague here some people say it was West Ham and some reckon it was Charlton) all I can be sure of they were game for a ruck and started to pile off their coach climbing out of there emergency doors and ready to stand there ground. Unfortunatley for them second coach of lunatics pull in, so now theres one hundred Southend chasing them all over the service station we were chasing them across the motorway, down the service roads, over the bridges , they couldn't get away fast enough. When we got back to the car park to add insult to injury during all the commotion Podge had got on their coach through the open emergency exit and robbed it I remember he had a nice leather jacket he was trying to sell to people. When we got to Derby the atmosphere in the ground was brilliant with Southend making a hell of a racket I think Alan Moody had a goal chalked off that television the next day proved should have stood. The team only just failed to draw with a team packed with internationals who I think had won the title the previous year, but the Southend North Bank we proved we were world class.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I knew Podge when he lived with Daddy Grant and the Crow Man (Les Rout) and Liquid Ray. We would be playing cards, and he would watch us and just drink and drink and add to the banter. He used to go selling souvenirs with us at Wembley and pop concerts. He was a crazy cat, and once he had a skinful, you could dare him to do anything.
I liked him a lot.

What's the story with Liquid Ray?

I remember a lot of Liquid Ray graffiti around town in the early 80's.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Derby County v Southend United FA Cup 5th Round 1976.

Southend took thousands to this game special trains, private coaches , mini buses however you could get there basically. I went on Steve Walshs coach from the Bachanalia pub (now O'neils) it was crammed with lunatics but worst for any one we met we travelled up with the coach from the Sutton Arms, we were all mates and it was two coaches capable of causing complete mayhem. The journey was the usual drinking ,farting, ****ing and showing your arse to passing motorists, all good fun to two coach loads of lads. On the way to Derby we pulled into a service station as one of the coaches pulled in there was a coach load of (it gets vague here some people say it was West Ham and some reckon it was Charlton) all I can be sure of they were game for a ruck and started to pile off their coach climbing out of there emergency doors and ready to stand there ground. Unfortunatley for them second coach of lunatics pull in, so now theres one hundred Southend chasing them all over the service station we were chasing them across the motorway, down the service roads, over the bridges , they couldn't get away fast enough. When we got back to the car park to add insult to injury during all the commotion Podge had got on their coach through the open emergency exit and robbed it I remember he had a nice leather jacket he was trying to sell to people. When we got to Derby the atmosphere in the ground was brilliant with Southend making a hell of a racket I think Alan Moody had a goal chalked off that television the next day proved should have stood. The team only just failed to draw with a team packed with internationals who I think had won the title the previous year, but the Southend North Bank we proved we were world class.

I was in a Leigh Elms convoy coach, so didn't see any of this, but heard the story off a few of the lads later, and they all said it was Charlton.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

What's the story with Liquid Ray?

I remember a lot of Liquid Ray graffiti around town in the early 80's.

For those that have never heard of Liquid Ray, he was an alcoholic that only ever seemed to take on Liquid of one form or another. I was with him a few times, and I never saw him eat, even when everyone else was, hence the nickname they gave him.
He used to do his graffiti the very slow and hard way, with a pot of paint and a brush. His work normally involved a message. The biggest one he did was 'LIQUID RAY IS HERE TO STAY' near to Central Station.. It was a message to a nutter that had told him if he see's him in or around Southend, he'll spend the week in hospital.
He totally disappeared about 3 years after that, in the early nineties. Somebody said they had seen him a few months back, but I said that was impossible, unless he had a Liver transplant.

 

[MC BLUES]

This has been a great read. I remember going to most of these 'noteable' games, including Derby away, Col Ewe and Gillingham (with the white coats). Very sorry to hear of the many 'faces' who have passed away. All great characters and all too young to have died. So very sad. I used to hang around with tricky Dicky and his mate Geordie. I remember doing Brighton away with them in the early 70's, another day when a lot went on. Tricky loved two things, SUFC and reggae music. Since moving away from Southend 30 years ago I have lost contact with some of my old friends, but you never forget them. Other than those names already mentioned, I remember Peter Edwards and Ambrose Fitzgerald also being a bit useful. I wonder if they are still around in Southend? Thanks to everyone for the great memories.

 

[Cricko]

This has been a great read. I remember going to most of these 'noteable' games, including Derby away, Col Ewe and Gillingham (with the white coats). Very sorry to hear of the many 'faces' who have passed away. All great characters and all too young to have died. So very sad. I used to hang around with tricky Dicky and his mate Geordie. I remember doing Brighton away with them in the early 70's, another day when a lot went on. Tricky loved two things, SUFC and reggae music. Since moving away from Southend 30 years ago I have lost contact with some of my old friends, but you never forget them. Other than those names already mentioned, I remember Peter Edwards and Ambrose Fitzgerald also being a bit useful. I wonder if they are still around in Southend? Thanks to everyone for the great memories.

I remember Ambrose from the Sutton Arms days......He used to hang about with John Carlin and a little bloke we all called Squirrel IIRC.

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

Liquid Ray got the nickname from Keith Bradford when we were waiting for him in Brixton before going to see the Clash. We gave him the choice of Puddle Ray or Liquid Ray he chose Liquid and the legend was born..

 

[canveyshrimper]

Derby County v Southend United FA Cup 5th Round 1976.

Southend took thousands to this game special trains, private coaches , mini buses however you could get there basically. I went on Steve Walshs coach from the Bachanalia pub (now O'neils) it was crammed with lunatics but worst for any one we met we travelled up with the coach from the Sutton Arms, we were all mates and it was two coaches capable of causing complete mayhem. The journey was the usual drinking ,farting, ****ing and showing your arse to passing motorists, all good fun to two coach loads of lads. On the way to Derby we pulled into a service station as one of the coaches pulled in there was a coach load of (it gets vague here some people say it was West Ham and some reckon it was Charlton) all I can be sure of they were game for a ruck and started to pile off their coach climbing out of there emergency doors and ready to stand there ground. Unfortunatley for them second coach of lunatics pull in, so now theres one hundred Southend chasing them all over the service station we were chasing them across the motorway, down the service roads, over the bridges , they couldn't get away fast enough. When we got back to the car park to add insult to injury during all the commotion Podge had got on their coach through the open emergency exit and robbed it I remember he had a nice leather jacket he was trying to sell to people. When we got to Derby the atmosphere in the ground was brilliant with Southend making a hell of a racket I think Alan Moody had a goal chalked off that television the next day proved should have stood. The team only just failed to draw with a team packed with internationals who I think had won the title the previous year, but the Southend North Bank we proved we were world class.

It was Charlton, a client of mine at the time was a fanatical Charlton supporter, and he told me the story of a coach load of Southend fans being up for a ruck with some off his coach.

Derby the first time was a great day out, two special trains ran from Southend Central. Going was fine and a great atmosphere, coming back was slightly less pleasant as the bogs overflowed and I consider myself lucky that I didn't contract dydentery. Also there was a lass who took on all comers in the only clean bog on the train.

 

[Mad Cyril]

For those that have never heard of Liquid Ray, he was an alcoholic that only ever seemed to take on Liquid of one form or another. I was with him a few times, and I never saw him eat, even when everyone else was, hence the nickname they gave him.
He used to do his graffiti the very slow and hard way, with a pot of paint and a brush. His work normally involved a message. The biggest one he did was 'LIQUID RAY IS HERE TO STAY' near to Central Station.. It was a message to a nutter that had told him if he see's him in or around Southend, he'll spend the week in hospital.
He totally disappeared about 3 years after that, in the early nineties. Somebody said they had seen him a few months back, but I said that was impossible, unless he had a Liver transplant.

I remember the following:

Liquid Ray has gone away.
Liquid Ray is a grass.

 

[canveyshrimper]

I remember Ambrose from the Sutton Arms days......He used to hang about with John Carlin and a little bloke we all called Squirrel IIRC.

Ambrose was also a member at LeighComm for a while.

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

Derby v Southend FA Cup 3rd Round 1978.

This time the coach was organised by Bob Woolf with Podge selling a lot of the tickets. We got the coach early in the morning and 90% of the coach started on their Breakfast of lager sandwiches without the bread. I remember the only song we had on the cassette was the theme tune from Rocky that was played constantly all the way to Derby which got the lads in the mood, when we weren't singing along to Rocky I remember we were singing about the Derby Countys' manager Tommy Docherty and his affair with the trainers missus whos second name was Brown so all the way there it was "Whos up Mrs Brown, Whos up Mrs Brown, Tommy Tommy Docherty, Tommy Tommy Docherty. It was going great when some of the lads who didn't want to drink to early decided to rob a milk float, by 8.30 cue first stop, Harlow police station, nowadays they would have sent us back to Southend but we chipped in the money for the milkman and they let us go. Shed loads more of Rocky and Mrs Brown later we pulled into a service station this time it was Swindon we bumped into same as last time we ran them all over the service station and some of the Swindon got badly hurt, after we left the service station within 10 minutes we get our second tug of the day from the old bill. We all started swopping our jumpers to make ourselves harder to identify, what a crap disguise that was but amazingly none of us were identified, but we got a police escort from there to the outskirts of Derby, where Derby police were waiting to board the coach, it was one of these coppers who was talking to us as we got off the coach who said that when we had gone there two years previously that the chaos we had caused was worse than Man Utd who were tearing towns apart in the mid seventies, he reckoned we were second only to Forest when it came to causing trouble there. Inside the ground the atmosphere was not as good as '76, but a few of their lads got in our end with us and there was a proper toe to toe ruck down by the corner flag that seemed to go on for ever. 90 minutes later we had lost 3-2 back to the coaches and cue Rocky all the way home. They might of only done one coach to football but Bob and Podge tours were the best.

 

[Benfleet A1]

This is great reading chaps. More of the same please. And I thought we were busy in the 80's.

 

[Gt Yarmouth Shrimper]

It was Charlton, a client of mine at the time was a fanatical Charlton supporter, and he told me the story of a coach load of Southend fans being up for a ruck with some off his coach.

Derby the first time was a great day out, two special trains ran from Southend Central. Going was fine and a great atmosphere, coming back was slightly less pleasant as the bogs overflowed and I consider myself lucky that I didn't contract dydentery. Also there was a lass who took on all comers in the only clean bog on the train.

Trust me to miss that, mind you only being 13 at the time, I wouldn't have known what to do with it, shy ,retiring young man that I was.
Also remember walking to the ground, being surrounded by loads of coppers on horses. We were all chanting 'Derby, where are you' when this copper looked down and snarled 'Leave that until you get into the ground'. Magic day out

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

I tried to get to Carlisle In '78 but mission was aborted in Crewe. Friday night drinking with my mate Joe getting nicely drunk we decide to bunk the trains to Carlisle, got to Euston OK but we missed the last train direct to Carlisle, and nearest we could get was Crewe. We arrived in Crewe must have been about 1am as we get off the train out of the buffet bar come a mob of lads. Now Joe and me stand out a bit in with our cropped hair, donkey jackets straight trousers and in my case Jam shoes, so the mob come over to sus us out. We start talking and it turns out they were anfield road lads from Liverpool bunking to West Brom, straight off we got the usual accused of being cockneys, no we're Southend trying to bunk to Carlisle. We got on with them brilliant after that, and they nicked us food from the buffet bar, and when we decided to get to the motorway and start thumbing it they caused a commotion at the ticket barrier so we could get off the station. Now it all starts going wrong as we walk through the town there are police cars outside a jewellers shop thats had its window smashed and been robbed, coppers see us two and question us , straight away the copper hears our accents and the nob says" Ah cockneys wheres the get away car" we get the hump and again and tell them "we aint cockneys were Southenders", after ten minutes of there dopey questions, and all the while me thinking they might be better off going down to the buffet bar on the station and interviewing mine and Joes new Scouse friends, Joe and me walked off telling them we were fed up with them and were going, but not before we had sat down on the window sill that they had put powder on to check for finger prints. When we got to the motorway at sandbach we had our thumbs out for hours and not one lift stopped, mind you from the look of us I don't blame any drivers for giving us a wide berth. By now it's got to 8am and I am knackered and very hungover , and the thought of doing all this again to get home from Carlisle on a saturday night ****es me right off, so I try to talk Joe into going home he's not happy but he comes with me. When we cross the motorway to start thumbing back, joe really gets the hump and picks up a lump of concrete to through in frustration but when he lifts it over his head he's so knackered he loses his balance and topples over and we both start ****ing ourselves. I think we both go back to that fateful September day in our nightmares.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Derby v Southend FA Cup 3rd Round 1978.

This time the coach was organised by Bob Woolf with Podge selling a lot of the tickets. We got the coach early in the morning and 90% of the coach started on their Breakfast of lager sandwiches without the bread. I remember the only song we had on the cassette was the theme tune from Rocky that was played constantly all the way to Derby which got the lads in the mood, when we weren't singing along to Rocky I remember we were singing about the Derby Countys' manager Tommy Docherty and his affair with the trainers missus whos second name was Brown so all the way there it was "Whos up Mrs Brown, Whos up Mrs Brown, Tommy Tommy Docherty, Tommy Tommy Docherty. It was going great when some of the lads who didn't want to drink to early decided to rob a milk float, by 8.30 cue first stop, Harlow police station, nowadays they would have sent us back to Southend but we chipped in the money for the milkman and they let us go. Shed loads more of Rocky and Mrs Brown later we pulled into a service station this time it was Swindon we bumped into same as last time we ran them all over the service station and some of the Swindon got badly hurt, after we left the service station within 10 minutes we get our second tug of the day from the old bill. We all started swopping our jumpers to make ourselves harder to identify, what a crap disguise that was but amazingly none of us were identified, but we got a police escort from there to the outskirts of Derby, where Derby police were waiting to board the coach, it was one of these coppers who was talking to us as we got off the coach who said that when we had gone there two years previously that the chaos we had caused was worse than Man Utd who were tearing towns apart in the mid seventies, he reckoned we were second only to Forest when it came to causing trouble there. Inside the ground the atmosphere was not as good as '76, but a few of their lads got in our end with us and there was a proper toe to toe ruck down by the corner flag that seemed to go on for ever. 90 minutes later we had lost 3-2 back to the coaches and cue Rocky all the way home. They might of only done one coach to football but Bob and Podge tours were the best.

Bob Woolf is a pal of mine. He lives in Hadleigh now. Last saw him at Robbie Winkworth's 50th Birthday bash, Royal Hotel at the end of the High Street. That was a party and a half. Full of all the old nutters and characters. We started down the seafront at 4, arrived at the Royal about 8, and fell out of their about 3am.
Anyway, believe it or not, Bob does a little bit of youth scouting among other things, this side of Essex, for Arsenal.

 

[canveyshrimper]

I don't think you would've have liked sloppy 93rds.

 

[McNasty]

I don't think you would've have liked sloppy 93rds.

---- what about being 746th ?