Memory Lane Memories of 1979

[MR G]

Was reading about how we only need to sell a few more tickets to break our record sales for a blues match when I started thinking back to Wed 10th Jan, 1979 and thought it would be nice for those of us old and fortunate enough to be at the Liverpool match to share a few memories.

The 3rd round FA cup match was supposed to be played on the Saturday but was called off due to snow and had to be switched to the Wed night.

I was 13 at the time and went to the match with my Dad and sat in the main stand and I do remember the Liverpool team being made up of players when they were at the height but have just googled the team and it reads like a whos who of liverpool legends:

Clemence, Neal, Hughes, Thompson, R.Kennedy, Hansen, Dalglish, Case, Fairclough, McDermott (Heighway 77), Souness.
Manager: Bob Paisley

My main abiding memories of that night are the old South Bank (before the flats) absolutley heaving with thousands upon thousands of blues fans (no thoughts of health and safety then!!).

Remember Derek Parker being clean through late on to score a possile winner only for Clemence to slide in at his feet (I think).

Just wondered if anyone else had anything they wanted to reminisce about that night when over 31000 were packed into the Hall.

 

[Gremlin]

Wasn't there but what a Liverpool line-up that is! No shortage of skill and there weren't many harder midfielders of that era than Jimmy Case & Graeme Souness either.

 

[OldBlueLady]

My memories are of the snow and standing in the Paddock for a good hour and a half before kick off, no chance to feel cold with the number of bodies in there! As you say, health and safety back then wasn't the issue it is now.

 

[Richard T]

Ended up at Roots Hall on the bright sunny (but cold) Saturday when the match was due to be played and in the end the snow was melting fast and It could have gone ahead in reasonable conditions. But when played it was terrible conditions and with the Liverpool fans being In the North Bank I was stood in the middle of what was then a huge open terrace at the South Bank end. Seem to recall Parker being clean through on Clemence on a couple of occasions but struggling to dribble with the ball due to the deep level of snow on the pitch. Went to replay which as I recall was also postponed at least once before we gave a good account of ourselves but concede late goals to make the score line a little harsh.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

Not wanting to dampen your enthusiasm for re-living old memories but I think this was covered in one way or another, not that long ago. I was there but I'm loathed to trot out similar comments to last time like a silly old man (which is probably what I am!) that repeats the same thing over and over again............snow, long queues, south-bank, dangerous, draw..... can't remember the rest.:smile: Still got the programme of the replay that my cousin from Liverpool sent me.

 

[MR BLUE]

I still have the programme.Seeing that Liverpool team was frightening.Stood in the west stand,or more like wedged in the west stand.Cannot ever remember the South Bank being covered,only after they built the present stand with all seating

 

[Mick]

Went to replay which as I recall was also postponed at least once before we gave a good account of ourselves but concede late goals to make the score line a little harsh.

... are you sure ? I thought it was played the following Wednesday, as planned ?

 

[Napster]

... are you sure ? I thought it was played the following Wednesday, as planned ?

first game - 10th January, replay 17th January. Mick is right.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I remember **** like Sad Cafe and The Boomtown Rats on TOTP.

 

[Kevin Hogg]

The tannoy appeal asking all in the South Bank to avoid a potentially hazourdous cable? I was in the west and the South moved as one ha ha!

 

[Billy is the best]

... are you sure ? I thought it was played the following Wednesday, as planned ?

The replay was originally scheduled for the tuesday. I had arranged a day of work. The replay was postponed due to the snow but rearranged for the wednesday. I was annoyed at the time when i could not rearange a days holiday from work.

 

[Richard T]

... are you sure ? I thought it was played the following Wednesday, as planned ?

As sure as I can be with an event that happen over thirty years ago as seem to recall being about one and half hours into our trip to Liverpool only to stop to make a phone call (we did manage without mobiles back in the day) only to find the match had been postponed to the Wednesday. As there seems to be some doubt though we could do a poll :smile:

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

I remember coming back from the replay freezing cold, windows had been bricked out of our transit van with us in it. Only to arrive back in Essex and find that the IRA had tried to bomb Canvey oil refinery.

 

[OldBlueLady]

My other half remembers that it was the first time travelling support had been given the North Bank, as it was then, all the way around to the end of the old West Stand, including the uncovered NW corner. Apparently Southend demanded though, that the area immediately behind the goal be left vacant otherwise there would be trouble.

 

[Mick]

The replay was originally scheduled for the tuesday. I had arranged a day of work. The replay was postponed due to the snow but rearranged for the wednesday. I was annoyed at the time when i could not rearange a days holiday from work.

Hmmm .... maybe perhaps originally on the Monday ? Pretty sure it was never going to be Tuesday?

 

[ThundersleyShrimper]

The replay was originally scheduled for the tuesday. I had arranged a day of work. The replay was postponed due to the snow but rearranged for the wednesday. I was annoyed at the time when i could not rearange a days holiday from work.

Snow was forecast for the week of the replay and it was not decided until the Saturday that the Wednesday would be the best bet of getting the game on, at the time I was on the supporters club committee and as "the brothers" did not a a telephone at home it was my home number (parents house) that was on all the Supporters Club membership cards, I must have had over 300 calls that weekend asking for a weather report from Merseyside, we took a then record 12 coaches to the replay and when we arrived back at Roots Hall after the match, about 3am, six inches of snow had fallen since we had departed!

 

[ozzie]

I remember coming back from the replay freezing cold, windows had been bricked out of our transit van with us in it. Only to arrive back in Essex and find that the IRA had tried to bomb Canvey oil refinery.

remember that biff,they bombed the empty one!!if they had got a full one!!!i remember thinking that liverpool fans were nice!!but big ron said they were not.you lot went one way,i went the other & a car full of lpool fans tried to knock me down.got chased through that car park,with them in the motor&me running like hell!!never forgot,i wore a donkeyjacket,those days ,they were in,down south.but those to§§ers all wore parkers.they had been out for years.but they wore them,dont know if they wereout of date or ahead of the times!!when i lived in exeter,i met an exeter fan ,who went up for a cup game lpool-exeter,wearing a sheepskin,met a group of lpool "fans",who said to him" i like your sheepskin,no really like your sheepskin"got back to devon,rather cold!!what a dump

 

[jaffa1]

Remember it well, snowball fights in the queue outside, I hit David Fairclough perectly with a bog roll (took him an age to untangle himself) Parker's one on one with Clemence and running on at the end, only to go over in the slush in my best troos (captured stage right on BBC's round up). Ronnie Pountney told me (many years later) that all he remembered about the replay was that he was marking Ray Kennedy who didn't bother/need to track him back and that our lot were mightily impressed that they had something called hairdryers in the Anfield dressing rooms.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

I had a ticket for the game (in the West Stand) but couldn't justify sticking around for the re-arranged match.Missing the match hurt worse than missing any other Blues game(including MU,which at least I could see on the box).:sad:

 

[Kevin Hogg]

Snow was forecast for the week of the replay and it was not decided until the Saturday that the Wednesday would be the best bet of getting the game on, at the time I was on the supporters club committee and as "the brothers" did not a a telephone at home it was my home number (parents house) that was on all the Supporters Club membership cards, I must have had over 300 calls that weekend asking for a weather report from Merseyside, we took a then record 12 coaches to the replay and when we arrived back at Roots Hall after the match, about 3am, six inches of snow had fallen since we had departed!

I think you will find that 12 coaches was not a record as we took 52 coaches and a train to Derby - first time round.

I remember all the Scousers hanging around Stanley Park after. I think some Southend fan also had a sheepskin taken as well Oz - broken collar bone too.

The "Southend" chant from The Kop was amazing. Over 37,000 at Anfield for the replay!!