Harry's Nostalgia - North Bank Memories

[Rayleigh boy]

what was the words & action of "knees up mother brown" ?
before me time, please explain.

on a crowded terrace ......sort of running on the spot bringing your knees up high causing chaos as the people in front tried to avoid knees in their back -
often resulted in falling over - and general tumbling about -

do remember Boreham wood taking the Pak and a couple of Chelsea nutters running across the pitch and just diving into our lot fists and boots flying ...

generally you'll never walk alone got sang -

Bill Garner, Chris guthrie , Terry Johnson - e for b and Billy Best - Spud Taylor seemed to get transferred before he really played for us -

i never ever went in the west stand then - but i now wonder if they served beer in there -

bus there and back - from the end of my road - on my own from about aged
about 10/11 -

a few white coats and black eye-make from the clockwork orange -

took my brothers along when they wereabout 7 and 8 and stood them at the front against the wall = and left them to it -

gates seemed to build up towards the end of every season, 6,7,8k - then 12
as we got near promotion ..

oh well - a different time -

getting my ticket from the west stand the other week a skint youngster turned up and tried to get a "ticket for my brother - hes only ten but hes not here yet "

of course miserable jobsworth wasn't having it - lost count of how many grounds i got into with two us going throught the turnstyle together and giving the fella a bit extra - now you prob get caught on cctv and locked up for it....

 

[Rayleigh boy]

I remember around 1970-72 whenever we scored the first goal at the north bank end, a cascade of toilet rolls (mainly 'borrowed' from all of the local public toilets) went soaring through the air to unwind on the back of the goal net..

i am thinking anyone involved in this should face a three year banning order (and have a meeting with RM) plus face possible charges for theft - and get an old persons asbo - MINIMUM -

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

i am thinking anyone involved in this should face a three year banning order (and have a meeting with RM) plus face possible charges for theft - and get an old persons asbo - MINIMUM -

These days, anyone who can find a public toilet open and actually locate a toilet roll should get a medal!.

 

[MC BLUES]

Great memories. I used to love standing in the north bank and as a kid sitting on the wall by the pitch until the game started. I remember the pre-match warm up consisting of the players just having a kick about for 15 minutes or so. In latter years I remember the chants of get your t*ts out for the lads whenever the young catering girls walked round the pitch from the west in the second half in front of the north bank as they did in those days to deliver the takings to the offices in the east and I remember the rendition of 'there's only one jockey wilson' when the steward who must have been jockey wilson's identical twin made any appearance near the north bank. I'm convinced both the young girls and 'jocky wilson' loved all of it. I also remember when we played wet spam (and won) in the early days of Barry Fry when Julian Dicks run out for his warm up and the north bank erupted with 'you fat *******' and Dicks to his credit lifted his shirt to display his hint of a beer gut!!

 

[Badger74]

I was Leo the Lion the first ever Southend united Mascot even befor sammy and Elvis!!!!
Anyway first time I ever walked on the pitch the north bank gave me some real stick.
I went to Everton in the cup as Leo and on my return to Roots hall the north bank just sang Leo,Leo the best feeling ever!!!!

In fact I want to change my name from Wardy to Leo the lion, how do I do this???

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

In fact I want to change my name from Wardy to Leo the lion, how do I do this???

Suggest you get in touch with John(Portsmouth football club) Westwood, the guy who blows the bugle and rings the bell. he did it!.

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

That West Ham game.

A resident of the West, but we were a bit late arriving and the Q's horrendous with lots of rumours that they were going to shut the doors.

So we ran round to the East side and joined the Q for the North Bank from there. A prat in a white suit (perhaps thinking of fame a la that horse in 1923) was some kind of official for the club, glowing in the importance of having a walkie talkie and giving out messages to all that we wern't gonna get in which only succeded in attracting lots of abuse his way and made the Q's more of a scrum. So we pushed and got in, some of the last to do so, and watched from the far North East corner, only managing to get further in during the immediate bedlam after the winner went in.

Not been in there before nor since. Might just swop the RBS for a go this time.

UTB

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

The legendary Horace Harris selling programmes ---- whenever the Wet Sham scores came through and they were winning he whipped off his blue and white bobble hat and replaced it with his claret and blue one.

The good old days.

He used to sell those bloomin West Ham bingo tickets at Southend as well. I used to buy loads over the years, I was a young kid and very green and thought I must win something eventually. I never won a bean and nor did anyone else I know. Bringing east end rip-offs down to our lovely seaside, I don't know.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

The crate is under my seat mate, and that's to store the empties.

It took some time to go into the middle of the Pak, I recall some memorable Knees up Mother Brown moments where you were off your feet for a few minutes and carried where the swell of crowd took you.

The chunky PC, was that Bill Gosling? Although I don't recall the resemblance to William Calley.

Fat Sargeant Bill Gosling. I was a Suedhead in the seventies, dressed in me Crombie overcoat or Harrington jacket, Ben Sherman check shirt, Sta-prest trousers and brogues or Doc Martin's. Anyway, a Bank Holiday Monday, It's early and I'm with me mates in the Kursaal fairground. We're joined by a few skinheads, Mods, Casuals and Suedheads (all on the same side on a Bank Holiday), suddenly a huge mob of Teddy Boys and Greasers have turned up. They seem to have all gathered in one massive mob. Whereas our side has more numbers but is scattered in smaller groups all over the seafront.
We are outnumbered about 10 to 1 in the Kursaal. We all leg it for the exit's.
I make it out O.k., only to be tripped up by Sargeant Bill Gosling. The big lump then sits on me whilst two P.C.'s get my arms. He took me around to his car at the front of the minerva, asked me where I was from, at the time it was Leigh, he then took me to Thorpe Bay and told me to take the boot laces out of my Doc Martins. He then said ''Get walking'', ''and if you get on public transport or get a lift, you're nicked''. He drove past about every 30 minutes to check on me and others. It was a very slow and painful walk because of no laces. I ended up with lots of blisters.

That was the infamous Bill Gosling. He had his own ways of dealing with youth, which included swearing right in your face, long walks, a punch in the head or a clip around the ear. Better than getting nicked tho. Thanks Bill.

 

[Tommy2holes]

Love it . Great story's. Not quite the politically correct world we live in today

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

Fat Sargeant Bill Gosling. I was a Suedhead in the seventies, dressed in me Crombie overcoat or Harrington jacket, Ben Sherman check shirt, Sta-prest trousers and brogues or Doc Martin's. Anyway, a Bank Holiday Monday, It's early and I'm with me mates in the Kursaal fairground. We're joined by a few skinheads, Mods, Casuals and Suedheads (all on the same side on a Bank Holiday), suddenly a huge mob of Teddy Boys and Greasers have turned up. They seem to have all gathered in one massive mob. Whereas our side has more numbers but is scattered in smaller groups all over the seafront.
We are outnumbered about 10 to 1 in the Kursaal. We all leg it for the exit's.
I make it out O.k., only to be tripped up by Sargeant Bill Gosling. The big lump then sits on me whilst two P.C.'s get my arms. He took me around to his car at the front of the minerva, asked me where I was from, at the time it was Leigh, he then took me to Thorpe Bay and told me to take the boot laces out of my Doc Martins. He then said ''Get walking'', ''and if you get on public transport or get a lift, you're nicked''. He drove past about every 30 minutes to check on me and others. It was a very slow and painful walk because of no laces. I ended up with lots of blisters.

That was the infamous Bill Gosling. He had his own ways of dealing with youth, which included swearing right in your face, long walks, a punch in the head or a clip around the ear. Better than getting nicked tho. Thanks Bill.

I recall after 1 friday night game we had a mob of a couple of hundred at the top of the highstreet, when a police mini car pulls up and 'Uncle Bill' heaved his massive frame out of it. Not a word was spoken, but as soon as everyone saw it was him we all started to dispurse in different directions.
Incidently, either in 1969-70 on bank holiday mondays Bill used to wait at Southend Central with several other P.C.'s and when the skinheads alighted the trains he made them remove the laces from their Dr. Martens before letting them leave the station. They were all invited to return to the police station at the end of the day to retrieve them. These were the days when no shops opened on a bank holiday so they were unable to purchase a replacement set.

 

[Cockle43]

I recall after 1 friday night game we had a mob of a couple of hundred at the top of the highstreet, when a police mini car pulls up and 'Uncle Bill' heaved his massive frame out of it. Not a word was spoken, but as soon as everyone saw it was him we all started to dispurse in different directions.
Incidently, either in 1969-70 on bank holiday mondays Bill used to wait at Southend Central with several other P.C.'s and when the skinheads alighted the trains he made them remove the laces from their Dr. Martens before letting them leave the station. They were all invited to return to the police station at the end of the day to retrieve them. These were the days when no shops opened on a bank holiday so they were unable to purchase a replacement set.

Not sure whether it was true or just one of those urban myths that grow with age but I heard it told that anyone who returned for their laces was then presented with a large cardboard box full of hundreds of individual laces and the comment, 'they're all in there, lads....'

In my youth Bill was certainly a living legend; remember being on the seafront one Saturday night when it kicked off big time in The Minerva, real Wild West style bar-room brawl, police Mini pulled up outside Bill climbed out of the passenger side and just walked straight into the middle of it without batting an eyelid.
These days there would be helicopters, masses of back up with riot shields, road closures in place, the works; not just a big fat sergeant with a truncheon in his pocket.......

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

In my youth Bill was certainly a living legend; remember being on the seafront one Saturday night when it kicked off big time in The Minerva, real Wild West style bar-room brawl, police Mini pulled up outside Bill climbed out of the passenger side and just walked straight into the middle of it without batting an eyelid.
These days there would be helicopters, masses of back up with riot shields, road closures in place, the works; not just a big fat sergeant with a truncheon in his pocket.......

He sounds like Southend's version of Gene Hunt....

 

[canveyshrimper]

He sounds like Southend's version of Gene Hunt....

Well the word rhymed. ;)

 

[Cockle43]

Well the word rhymed. ;)

That depended to a large extent as to whether you were in front of him or not.....

 

[Cockle43]

He sounds like Southend's version of Gene Hunt....

Gene Hunt is a pussy-cat compared to 'Uncle Bill', many tell tales of being asked down a dark alley to 'have a quiet word' with 'Uncle'............

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

Gene Hunt is a pussy-cat compared to 'Uncle Bill', many tell tales of being asked down a dark alley to 'have a quiet word' with 'Uncle'............

Sounds like a nice bloke...

Seriuosly though, I wish we still had coppers around like that. At least you knew where you stood, rather than the namby-pamby, Pc rubbish we have to put up with now.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Gene Hunt is a pussy-cat compared to 'Uncle Bill', many tell tales of being asked down a dark alley to 'have a quiet word' with 'Uncle'............

I remember on the way to a match a mate of ours was stabbed, unrelated to football. The incident happened fairly close to Westcliff nick, so we went in there to report the incident and get an ambulance. As we arrived Gosling was in the lobby, he at first refused to believe us until he saw the wound, he then turned the place upside down until the miscreant was nicked, probably about 30 minutes all told.

As has been said Gosling was old school and deal out a thick ear to someone rather than feel their collar.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

I remember on the way to a match a mate of ours was stabbed, unrelated to football. The incident happened fairly close to Westcliff nick, so we went in there to report the incident and get an ambulance..

Harry, are you referring to our mutral chelsea supporting pal, with this incident occuring in that cafe on london road?

 

[canveyshrimper]

Harry, are you referring to our mutral chelsea supporting pal, with this incident occuring in that cafe on london road?

Yes it was when Jaffa got stabbed, it actually happened on the London Road, just down from Chalkwell Park.