Memory Lane North Bank Choir, During Mid 1960's - Where Are You Now?

[Billy Bests boot laces]

That was rent a mob. About 2/3rds of them had Arsenal scarves, or were shouting Arsenal instead of Borehamwood. There's quite a few Arsenal supporters in Borehamwood. as it's straight down the A11 and A1. Apparently some Arsenal had got beaten up at a train station by some Southend. So they came for revenge, bolstered by some of the Arsenal North Bank lot.

That day Arsenal were playing at West Ham. The mob who ended up here were en route to Upton Park, before having a last minute swerve & the rest is history.
IMO there were about 40 of them, most of our lot had gone to the West Ham & Chelsea games, as Boreham Wood was hardly an attractive fixture?.
After the game they were at Southend Central, a handful of us were about with Ray H, a well known Teddy Boy back then, who is still about today.
Ray was dressed in his 'outfit' & walked on the station where they were congregated. No one of them were interested in having a 'pop' at him!.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

He's still about and looking well. Has a small car showroom on London Road.

Was in my class at Belfair's, after being expelled from Eastwood!. But i don't recall him being a footie fan?.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

Incidentally, he's not on here I don't think but a mate of mine says he was one of the Leigh Comm Crew... his name is Vaughan Choppen and he says hello to anyone who remembers him.

I remember him from the mid 80's living in Shoebury, when his wife worked at the local Barclay's branch, & he had a couple of Rottweiler dogs.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

I remember Vaughan he was a Willie 'Co , Co' Coulson look alike .

On our reunion day in Dec 2012 ( home game v Bradford City ), he was there in the evening when around 17 of us met up at The Carlton.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

I got caught out in the Millwall 0-0 league game, as I covered on here, when they came for revenge,

It wasn't just for the 71 'friendly', it was also for events that happened in town in 75. Long story, but from late 74 a few of them used to travel down at weekends as they had contact with some Hockley 'birds'. These guys were part of 'Harry the Dog's' crew, who i had the pleasure of meeting one night on the No. 7 bus from Hockley back to Rayleigh!.
One Sun afternoon a few of them had a fracas with C.C & others in the town, they came off worse.
On the Fri eve of the 76 game, we caught a bus from behind the old Sainsbury's to The Spread, half way down Vic Ave passed Harry Trix & his firm ( est 25 strong ) roaming down, & they were one of many groups in the vicinity.
Initially went in The North Bank, but after a few mins decided to transfer into the West stand, if we wanted to enjoy the weekend & probably the next week!.

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

One Sun afternoon a few of them had a fracas with C.C & others in the town, they came off worse.

Quite right, Tony, although we didn't come out of it totally unscathed. And they were still after us after the Friday night match, a couple of car loads were stalking us after we came out of Scamps at 2am.

 

[ozzie]

That day Arsenal were playing at West Ham. The mob who ended up here were en route to Upton Park, before having a last minute swerve & the rest is history.
IMO there were about 40 of them, most of our lot had gone to the West Ham & Chelsea games, as Boreham Wood was hardly an attractive fixture?.
After the game they were at Southend Central, a handful of us were about with Ray H, a well known Teddy Boy back then, who is still about today.
Ray was dressed in his 'outfit' & walked on the station where they were congregated. No one of them were interested in having a 'pop' at him!.

I was there as well at Send Central after the BW game......the SUFC v Millwall game i did not go to..had a good excuse...could not go for a few months after my "activity" at the Brighton away game a couple of months before.
Didnt RH get stabbed/ slashed by Millwall fans that night??

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

Yeah Ray was on the door at The Mermaid Club and Millwall charged it. Apparently, he gave as good as he got.

 

[LCBB72]

He was recently over here, visiting from his home for decades in U.S.A, & was at the game v Maidenhead with his son. I introduced him to Cricko at half time at the back of the West Stand.
Now 72 & a lovely well spoken guy, but imo still has an 'aura' about him.

Ian is not the warlord he was in the late 60s early 70s , and as BBBL said he certainly still has an aura

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Yeah Ray was on the door at The Mermaid Club and Millwall charged it. Apparently, he gave as good as he got.

The last time I saw him a few years ago, he had hi viz on and was working for the council. Age has taken it's toll and he has shrunk in bulk. He must be retired now though.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

He was recently over here, visiting from his home for decades in U.S.A, & was at the game v Maidenhead with his son. I introduced him to Cricko at half time at the back of the West Stand.
Now 72 & a lovely well spoken guy, but imo still has an 'aura' about him.

Agree that he's a nice guy.Met up with him at Cardiff in his hotel for our first LVD Final game . Was with Rob Noxious,Remember him well from the days he used to be a bouncer at the Tavern In the Town (not that I ever went in there ).His charge on the Lincoln from the SUFC supporters coach was the stuff of legend!

 

[LCBB72]

Agree that he's a nice guy.Met up with him at Cardiff in his hotel for our first LVD Final game . Was with Rob Noxious,Remember him well from the days he used to be a bouncer at the Tavern In the Town (not that I ever went in there ).His charge on the Lincoln from the SUFC supporters coach was the stuff of legend!

Remember when he had a fight on the door with a well known Southend face . The word was that a lot of people would of paid to of seen it .

 

[shrimpfan]

Remember when he had a fight on the door with a well known Southend face . The word was that a lot of people would of paid to of seen it .

just a fight we had plenty of them didnt lose any.

 

[LCBB72]

Yes sure. So the Villa fans were all on the massive old South Bank. The North Bank was full of Southend. The Villa fans started to get lower down the South Bank, so you could tell they might come across the pitch to try and take the North Bank. They probably thought charge across the pitch and our North Bank will scatter sideways, leaving them the North Bank. After all it is the mighty Aston Villa v little old Southend. So on they come, and instead of running away, it seemed like the whole North Bank ran onto the pitch straight at them. As this was happening a line of police came from inside the players tunnel and ran across the centre line. The two mobs met in the middle and a few punches and kicks were exchanged and Villa ran back with their tails between their legs. So Southend returned to the North Bank encouraged by the police, as Southend had the upper hand. This was what it was like in those days, when you think most of the North Bank came on the pitch to see off the attackers. Southend fans had a lot of bottle. As for the stands, I didn't see any fighting at all.

It was a Villa trick at the time to charge across the pitch , they had done it at Bournmouth a couple of weeks before . Some Leigh boys came to blows with a crew from Villa behind the Keddies building way before kick off .. Talking of the Millwall friendly I was talking to one of the Leigh crew that took Millwall on and it was quite unbelievable the age we were taking Millwall on .

 

[LCBB72]

just a fight we had plenty of them didnt lose any.

Cannot think of Ian ever coming second best , mind you when we were at Belfairs he was not top boy , that 'pleasure' went to a guy named Hans Braemar . Ian told me that he had heared that Hans had died

 

[Whispering Bob]

Ian is not the warlord he was in the late 60s early 70s , and as BBBL said he certainly still has an aura

Writer and English lecturer IIRC. Has run heaps of marathons (was my mentor when I was preparing to take one on).

 

[LCBB72]

Writer and English lecturer IIRC. Has run heaps of marathons (was my mentor when I was preparing to take one on).

Also has his own Radio station in the USA .

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Remember when he had a fight on the door with a well known Southend face . The word was that a lot of people would of paid to of seen it .

That I can imagine .He was (I imagine still is ) a vey tall guy who looked like he could take of himself.(As I implied ) me + Grumpy Blue used to drive past the Taven in the Town quite a bit back in the day and saw Leasky on door duty a lot .He looke fearsome enough to me.From his own account he changed quite a lot in Torquay and then in the States.Read that book of short stories of his a while back and found a lot of them to be quite good.Including one about his old man set in Leigh ,where of course he used to live.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

That I can imagine .He was (I imagine still is ) a vey tall guy who looked like he could take of himself.(As I implied ) me + Grumpy Blue used to drive past the Taven in the Town quite a bit back in the day and saw Leasky on door duty a lot .He looke fearsome enough to me.From his own account he changed quite a lot in Torquay and then in the States.Read that book of short stories of his a while back and found a lot of them to be quite good.Including one about his old man set in Leigh ,where of course he used to live.

Strangely enough i always thought he was taller than what he actually is!. LCBB72 & me read his book focused on Leigh and the nearby area & enjoyed it.

 

[LCBB72]

Strangely enough i always thought he was taller than what he actually is!. LCBB72 & me read his book focused on Leigh and the nearby area & enjoyed it.

Have always found it funny that all the football 'Hooligans' who suddenly wright a book and become so called authors . Ian is a real author goes on American TV and has his own radio station . Eat your heart out Cass Pennant and Micky Smith .