He left in the late 80s to study, and like many, never came back, until recently. To celebrate his return we organised a card school. In the 80s we played every Sunday evening. We played various forms of poker for 10p max bets per draw. The large stash of small denomination coins changed hands on a regular basis. No serious money was ever involved, but it was great fun nonetheless.
During our recent card night, he reminded me of our trip to Upton Park to see West Ham v Liverpool in the old League Cup. In 1988, after finishing my apprenticeship, I moved to London to work in construction and earn a decent wedge. At the weekends I would visit various grounds to take in a game. If Man City were in the city I would check them out. Once I went to Stamford Bridge to see them play Chelsea, at the time both teams were in the old Second Division, in the days before big money football and oligarchs. Mostly I went see QPR as my mates were fanatical supporters and I was in West London digs at the time. Later I moved to East London and would mostly watch Millwall who were in the top flight that season.
During our recent card night, he reminded me of our trip to Upton Park to see West Ham v Liverpool in the old League Cup. In 1988, after finishing my apprenticeship, I moved to London to work in construction and earn a decent wedge. At the weekends I would visit various grounds to take in a game. If Man City were in the city I would check them out. Once I went to Stamford Bridge to see them play Chelsea, at the time both teams were in the old Second Division, in the days before big money football and oligarchs. Mostly I went see QPR as my mates were fanatical supporters and I was in West London digs at the time. Later I moved to East London and would mostly watch Millwall who were in the top flight that season.
My mate was a fanatical Liverpool supporter and had joined a soccer casual crew, going all over the country to away games. He phoned me one evening to tell me that Liverpool were bringing a sizeable crew to West Ham for a mid-week League Cup game and asked if I wanted to meet him. I jumped at the chance to see an old face and we agreed to meet at Euston station. When I got there the station was crammed with Transport police and the Liverpool crowd was tightly coralled, and it was a while before we could actually meet. We were tightly coralled all the way to East Ham station on the tube where we exited into the night air to be greeted by a scary sight. It was cold November evening and I remember so well the atmosphere around that tube station. Clearly West Ham's Inter-City Firm (ICF) had done their homework and were determined to start a riot.
As we were coralled down the street towards Upton Park every side street had lines of police engaged in combat with the ICF who were making a concerted effort to outwit plod and get at us. Plod, thankfully, had anticipated this and had a helicopter with a searchlight in the sky above us directing the riot police to plug all gaps. It was terrifying! And to think I used to consider walking from the City Hall to the Oval with the Bluemen as dangerous, this was another level. The bricks and bottles they threw came dangerously near but we all managed to get to the ground.
The match itself was a belter. West Ham beat the Reds 4-1, with a young Paul Ince bagging two and announcing himself to the world. After this game the transfer offers rolled in and he went on to have a stellar career at both Man U and Liverpool. This 4-1 reverse was one of the heaviest the Reds had suffered in many a long year. This was the team of Barnes and Beardsley and they never lost that heavily, normally.
Another memory we shared of the at night was the smell of weed on the Liverpool terrace. That was the night I was introduced to the joy of watching footy while binned, a joy I continued to indulge in until the early 2000s. The atmosphere on the terraces, the fear in the streets all came back while reminiscing, as well as the quality of the players on show. Liam Brady was still playing and the Reds team was full of superstars.
Getting home after the game was no mean feat either. I had to get off the tube at Whitechapel for my connection to New Cross Gate and leaving the relative safety of the Liverpool crowd was no less scary. The scary part now is that it was 35 years ago!
As a foot note, my mate came to London for the Millwall match a few months later, after I had returned home. He got separated from his crew and was beaten into a coma by the Millwall Bushwackers, probably the hardest crew in England at that time. He gave up live football thereafter. It was great to catch up with him and relive the old days, marijuana and soccer crews included!
The match itself was a belter. West Ham beat the Reds 4-1, with a young Paul Ince bagging two and announcing himself to the world. After this game the transfer offers rolled in and he went on to have a stellar career at both Man U and Liverpool. This 4-1 reverse was one of the heaviest the Reds had suffered in many a long year. This was the team of Barnes and Beardsley and they never lost that heavily, normally.
Another memory we shared of the at night was the smell of weed on the Liverpool terrace. That was the night I was introduced to the joy of watching footy while binned, a joy I continued to indulge in until the early 2000s. The atmosphere on the terraces, the fear in the streets all came back while reminiscing, as well as the quality of the players on show. Liam Brady was still playing and the Reds team was full of superstars.
Getting home after the game was no mean feat either. I had to get off the tube at Whitechapel for my connection to New Cross Gate and leaving the relative safety of the Liverpool crowd was no less scary. The scary part now is that it was 35 years ago!
As a foot note, my mate came to London for the Millwall match a few months later, after I had returned home. He got separated from his crew and was beaten into a coma by the Millwall Bushwackers, probably the hardest crew in England at that time. He gave up live football thereafter. It was great to catch up with him and relive the old days, marijuana and soccer crews included!
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| Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports |
Happy days, Peter, I too look back with nostalga. Never found it scarry though, exciting yes but not scarry. West Ham was a doggy place, I was in their social club, United scarf in my pocket, back in 82. A Hammers fan came running in shouting, "fackin Man Utd fans ranning facking riot" in a cockney accent, at which point West Hams fans went out to engage, as would be expected. That left me, and a few old blokes to get pissed in safety. Had a few run ins with ICF, last time for me was a pre season suppossed friendly at Aberdeen, Scotland. I was arrested on the Saturday night and locked up for the weekend. It was a four match tournament, Aberdeen, Man Utd, West Ham and Southampton. In the cells United outnumbered West Ham who brought a couple of hundred with them. We had about a thousand. Monday morning a police official said, "team?" I replied "Man United" he told me "you lot over there, West Ham over there", we were all in the same boat now the beer had worn off. We outsang West Ham in the cells, their bubbles song we changed tge words.
ReplyDeleteMilwall was a spooky place, all those old railway arches around Cold Blow Lane, object there was don't get separated from the main United mob. Once we were on the Old Kent Road they had lost the advantage of ambushing us, it was open country.
Happy days eh Peter.
Caoimhin O'Muraile
Peter - between you and Caoimhin, there is some story there.
ReplyDeleteCaoimhin O'Muraile
ReplyDeleteI used to stand with the Bushwackers at Millwall, most of them were in their 40s and 50s. A right racist bunch. The tunnel came out under their terrace behind the goal and any black players got dog's abuse. I worked with a black Millwall hooligan who was in the left wing crew called the Half Way Liners. They fuckin' hated the Bushwackers. When Millwall played West Ham it was too dangerous to go out in New Cross Gate. Pure mayhem. When Newcastle visited, they completely filled their terrace. Best away fans in England. When the Bushwackers got my mate he got separated from the mob, they last thing he remembers is one of them saying "shape up scouser". He was in a coma for 13 days, the peelers said it was a miracle he wasn't stabbed. Crazy times!
I dont go with Millwall being "the hardest crew in England at that time" Peter. They were tasty enough at home, but not great outside the greater London area, north of Luton. They did not have the numbers really to make a serious attempt at Man Utd, Liverpool, Newcastle or even City. At home, formidable enough especially if unlucky enough to be caught, separated, when they would make a mess, like what happened with your mate. They knew the terrain, the arches around the old Den, Cold Blow Lane, so if captured you were fucked. Their new ground, the New Den, does not have the same pit falls and ambush points making them a little less formidable. They were bastards rather than hard, doing a lone away fan carried no brownie points. They did have some local hard men though.
ReplyDeleteCaoimhin O'Muraile
I dont go with them being the "hardest crew in England at that time", Millwall that is. They were tasty enough at home, the Den, they knew all the ambush points round Cold Blow Lane.
ReplyDeleteThey were not too clever away, north of Luton, they did not have the numbers for a serious assault on Man Utd, Liverpool, Newcastle or even City. They were bastards rather than hard, doing over a separated away fan, like your mate, carried no brownie points. They did have some local hard men though.
Their new ground, the New Den, does not have the ambush points the original Den had. All around Cold Blow Lane were railway arches, and disused railway premises and associaed lands. They knew every inch of the terrain making it a dodgey place.
Caoimhin O'Muraile
Caoimhin O'Muraile
ReplyDeleteLet me explain. They went to Bristol City and got completely destroyed, fled like wee girls. Plod was expecting trouble at the return match so shut down everything north of the Old Kent Rd. The Bushwackers put teams in transit vans and went to a service station on the M4. They had motorbike riders follow the Bristol City fans from Bristol, who radioed ahead at which service station they had stopped at. While they were enjoying their Micky Ds a huge crew of Bushwackers ambushed them. Dozens were hospitalised. Also, Arsenal were playing at Palace and the Bushwackers left early to ambush the train as it passed near their turf. They had people smash the windows between stations and when the train passed their local station they threw CS gas through the smashed windows. The train had to stop and as the Arsenal men staggered out they got hammered. As you say they didn't have the numbers away from home but they were game to have a go. It was their deviousness I admired. They defo punched above their weight.
Cam Comments 1/1
ReplyDeleteI will tell you a tale about Millwall supporters:
While working over-time one Saturday morning in London and making my way into London from Gravesend (aptly named by the way) to Waterloo East station, there was only myself and little old lady in this particular train carriage. I had got the late train as we were not permitted on site (at that time it was the new ABN AMRO bank office building in Bishopsgate Ward in the City of London) before 10 that morning as other IT security work was being carried out and no-one un-connected to this work was permitted on site…vice versa when it came to our work! Saturday mornings tended to be very quiet and the trains were passenger lite.
So I was sitting whiling away the journey looking out the window and she sitting a few seats down was reading her broadsheet paper. We had just passed Charlton’s home ground, I think it was Charlton’s, and I heard this crashing noise from further down the train carriages. It got louder and louder with highly aggressive shouting as the we journeyed along and I knew that whatever it was it was coming up through the carriages and getting closer and closer. I leaned out of my seat to see what it was and saw this train guard running up through the connected carriage and the star trek style doors swished open between the carriages and he ran past and on to the next carriage….never said a word. The old lady never budged.
Cam Comments 1/2
ReplyDeleteThe noise now got so close I was able to determine that it was windows being smashed and the carriages were being vandalised. I had no idea what was happening. The old lady turned a page of her paper. I could see this ‘mob’ in the next carriage completely wrecking everything and smashing the place up. They were all dressed in donkey jackets, mid-shin cut heavy denim jeans and DM boots, skin headed of course and they were chanting Millwall….and they were all, give one or two, grown men in their 30s and 40s. I couldn’t see any other passengers.
They entered our carriage and continued their destruction. I thought to myself, fuck, I’m going out the window here for they’re not surely going to throw the old lady out, are they, would they!!!!!
The old lady never budged, not an inch and as they came up level with her they fucking excused themselves, I couldn’t believe how well-mannered they were to her, how polite as they passed by and restarted their destruction. I was next, so I just sat there and waited on my fate. They stopped, looked a time and said you might want to move mate, so I did and they smashed the windows and moved on…I sat down again…it was bloody freezing and old lady had folded and put her paper on her knee as she couldn’t read it with the wind coming in through the broken windows.
We arrived in to Waterloo East Station and the platform was cordoned off, lined with police in riot gear and police dogs all snarling as the Millwall fans who began to taunt the fuck out of them out the broken windows. Then this police officer, obviously the officer in charge stepped forward and blew a whistle and shouted shut up….and the Millwall fans did…they went real quiet and he announced that only Millwall fans were to disembark the train first and all other passengers were to remain seated until told otherwise. The Millwall fans streamed out of the carriages and on to the platform where the same cop told them their coaches were waiting outside the station to take them on to where they were going….found out later it was West Ham….the Millwall fans all lined up and marched out of the station guarded by the cops and dogs who were constantly taunted and kicked…cops never retaliated once….I suppose they were just glad to get them away to fuck out of their hair.
When we were getting off the train the old lady spoke to me and said,
You have never seen that before have you?
I shook my head saying no
And she smiled and said, you know they’re all just a pack of sad auld wankers. Same thing every time…just wanton vandalism and the police never do anything.
Yeah I said, still slightly shocked from what I had just witnessed.
And as we departed, she turned to me and said, you know, there was no chance of me ever going out the window but in my day they would have thrown you out the window or at least hung you out it……they’ve gone soft….tittered to herself and walked up the platform….
I thought, that’s someone’s granny!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, found out later that the Rochdale fans were fucking worse.
Never found them, Millwall, that devious Peter, or to be honest reaching the measures of violence you speak of Cam. I know they never brought any of significance to Manchester, unlike West Ham, who came not in the seventies, but mid eighties. Nobody came to Old Trafford in the seventies till Chelsea 1977. They wanted revenge on Man Utd for taking their Shed in 1973. They got leathered that Saturday. Police dogs released on United while Chelsea stayed behind the police lines. That game was fuelled by reports in the media, telling the world via the Sun newspaper, Chelsea were "coming for a pitched battle with the Stretford End". Every man, woman and child were waiting for them.
ReplyDeleteI understand how Millwall would go to West Ham, they have history dating back to 1903. There are many tales of United at Millwall, phoning their pub arranging to meet on Old Kent Road. I know the bloke who made the call, a fucking header. United turned up, Millwall hanging around but not in significant numbers, they were probably planning an ambush. If that were the case, they were dissapointed, all wise to that old chestnut.
Never had any problems at the Den, though was always on my guard, you may have come across the worst of the worst because I've never seen Millwall on the scale you describe. Unless they were SU (Surveillance Unit). If that was the case no wonder their colleagues arrested nobody, I repeat IF that was the case.
Their new ground, so I am told, is nowhere near as formidable or sinister as the old Den. It is called the New Den, but I'm told its not the same. That said, I've never been. Only speak of my own experiences which, apart from FC United of Manchester who are not in the same league, I've not been to a top game since the Glazer takeover at Old Trafford in 2005. I do know Old Trafford is not the feared ground of the seventies, neither is Anfield or St. James's Park. This quiet era at so-called top clubs probably elevates the likes of Millwall and Rochdale to higher echolons, a lot of smaller clubs like Millwall have risen to significance. Times have changed but neither mob, Millwall or Rochdale, have the numbers. The trick is, don't get caught alone, after all ten mid teen aged school kids could damage one adult if caught off gaurd and alone.
Caoimhin O'Muraile
Cam Comments
DeleteI meant Rochester, not Rochdale....predictive text!!....Rochester was on further down the Waterloo East line...seen the same thing with them one Saturday evening as we were waiting to get the train back to Gravesend at Rochester train station and they were returning from a match only they got stuck into the cops and the cops into them...fuckn bedlam..not exactly the image you conjure up when visiting Charles Dickens country...no mention of that from the tourist board! ..but you know not one mention of any of the incidents in the local papers or news....that's the only two incidents I ever witnessed of what could be described as football hooliganism....witnessed other events no where near as violent while out drinking with my boss who was an ex Chelsea Head Hunter....fuckn nuts the lot of them....he had some great stories though...his brother was in the Flying Squad and his behaviour was fuckn worse...quite a lot of these people I met were middle to high end professionals in the City...probably only one's who could afford to travel to quite a few games I suppose...still I'll never forget that old lady!