Season 72/73

Everton FC - Millwall FC - FA Cup - 03/02/1973

Source: forum - MFC view

Little ole Millwall drawn away to the big guns of Everton.. Obviously a big game for us as we quickly sell out two football special.. I was on the first train to arrive into Lime street..As we pored of the train..With the usall " we,re here ya bums, we,re here ya bumd we,re here. All fell silent when Liverpools finest on force back started lashing out with these f,ing big sticks..A fleet of double decker buses was waiting to take us to the ground..As one bus after another arrived at Goodison park. We walked around the ground looking for a open turnstyle or pub or anything.. But OB had other ideas and headed us all down a dead end side street.. That when we heard a thonder like crack.. EVERTON..EVERTON..EVERTON...Shit it was loud.. sounded if their was thousands of the bastard.. But where are they..Moments latter the top of the road was filled with them and they was heading our way.. EVERTON..EVERTON..EVERTON..Now with out being brave or hard because if we had anywhere to run we probly would of. We had no choice.. It was like a sceen from the Zulus.
We just started a suicide walk towards them. " We are the famous.. The famous Millwall.. we chanted.. Then together with the galloping police horses who were trying to get to them to them back we steamed in.. And frigging hell would you belive it the scousers had it on their toes.. End of..We were immediatly put in the away end.. But more Millwall arrived and more scrimished . A small group of Millwall even got into the Everton end,, Wittnessed by us in the away end and helpless to help our pals, They were like lambs to the slaughter..If i remember correctly about a dozen Millwall got stabbed with two in a bad way.. We had about two thousand ( mob ) that day and with goals from Alfie Woods and Harry Cripps we ran out 2-0 winners.. At the end of the game the buzz was obviously stick together and walk back to the station. And what a walk in was.. Fighting all the way. Especialy when we got to the station as not only were their more Everton their but also that day Liverpool were at home to Man city,, Can you imagine OB letting that happen now days Millwall. Everton. Liverpool and Man City all at once,, Fantastic.. Thats whats it all about, the good old days.
Anyway we dished it out big time to both groups of Scousers and when we fought our way into the station we gave the Mancs a slap to..I know if your not Millwall and are reading this you will probably be saying " Yes right... But we was on top of our game that day and really were fighting for our lifes because if we cowerd a little the scouse would smell it like a rat and be all over us.. Many Millwall got done,, But i think in all we made a great show for little old Millwall.. And the haedlines in the Sundays pappers read " Everton started it. Millwall finished it". I still have it to this day..
Football thuggery at a new leval...

Funny thing , After that day although i do not like Scousers i have always had a soft spot for Everton. This was like the big league..Not a usall Pompey. Oxford. and the shit places we had to go..We had played with the big boys and won. On and off the field..

Chelsea FC - Arsenal FC - 20/01/1973

Source: forum - AFC view

Chelsea 20/01/73 dubbed the year of the yellow paint, i meet a few pals from B/wood at St pancras and they al got off train wearing Chelsea scarfs i thought wot the fuck, i was given a chelsea scarf and told to put it on i said bollox i was told come on spanner we will need it to get into the shed, so with haste i put it on while on the train to Earls Court we meet other gooners with Celsea scarfs on Olie with the lisp springs to mind, we all arrived at earls court and had just missed a train 2 bloke's were on the platform and i notced they were gooners but had Chlsea scarfs on they told us that Chelsea's man mob was about to board one of the following tubes, there was no mobile phones then, we let one train come in a few chelsea got off but nothing much, the next train arrived and it was what we were waiting for the main mob was here the doors opened and it was staring us in the face Stockwell Stockwell Stockwell, Arsenal where are you Arsenal where are you, knees up mother brown, then the doors shut and yes my god the you have guessed it Arsenal Arsenal Arsenal, we batttered em big time , J*****s was fighting with one of Chelsea's man boys a half cast one arm muppet called B***, the fighting carried on to the live rails old bill came from everywhere and the current was cut off and all trains stoped, we then set about walking to Chelsea, were we got a police escort stright into the shed so the trick with the blue scarfs worked we was in the shed, Chelsea Chelsea, we sang and we was joined by more and more every one thought that we was Chelsea, the banter was great Arsenal where you, the talk was Arsenal got a hiding at Earls Court, dont make me fucking laugh i was there i thught, the next thing another old face i know g***** t** g**** wink at me he was known by a few Chelsea and they pointed em out, either G***** or one of his mates pulled out a can of yellow paint and fucked it all over em it kicked off big time off coe the chelsea scarfs and we let em have it, we won 1-0 that day, and took the shed big time, dont let know one else tell you any diffrent i was there, not matter about all the so called hooligan films they are all aimed at wannabe hooligans, another one that spring to mind is boro away fa cup 76/77 we took 15 trains up that day and i was on first train with D*** and my god did it kick off we gave us good as we got, lost 4-1 after the game ran mental every where there news paper headlines Cockney invasion, sorry to bore you with the old tims i will give you my account of the keba shop owners in copenhagen very soon, my post go out to J**** H** what a leader R.I.P he taugh me evey thing i know.

Newcastle United - Luton Town - FA Cup - ??/??/1972

Source: http://www.toonorama.co.uk

Defeat at home to Luton in the FA Cup Fourth Round had thousands of fans streaming out well before the end. One of them was Robert Bullock of Hewitson Terrace Felling. "I've been going to St James' for 25 years but I don't think I'll be going again. I've never walked out early before but today was the end.

Meanwhile a number of youngsters gathered outside Supermac's boutique and following threats that they would smash the windows in the manager called in dome glaziers to board them up.

Sunderland - Newcastle United - ??/??/1972

Source: http://www.toonorama.co.uk

Fifty Newcastle fans were arrested after the match at Brammal Lane "everyone of them was a discredit to this Football club and everything it stands for" according to the programme.

Newcastle United - Liverpool FC - 72/73

Source:http://www.toonorama.co.uk

Before the League match with Liverpool fighting broke out between rival supporters in The Strawberry. New manager William Stewart (a week into his residency) said "glasses were being thrown about and broken an tables were overturned. There was blood everywhere"

Matters did not improve during the game with fighting breaking out intermittently behind both goals with most of the trouble appearing to be caused by the home fans. In one incident a policeman was knocked to the ground then kicked in the face and had to be removed on a stretcher". Fifty fans were ejected, fourteen were arrested and a number were taken to the RVI for treatment.

Manchester United - Liverpool FC - 72/73

Source: http://www.toonorama.co.uk

A policeman had to rescue a drowning supporter from the River Trent and 75 people were arrested when Man Utd fans invaded the pitch before the home game with Liverpool.

***************************************************
Source: forum - Man U view

The Stretford End emptied out onto the pitch and charged the scousers in the Scoreboard. It was mayhem and they had to use mounted police on the pitch to restore order. Won 2-0 with goals from Wyn Davies and Ted MacDougall. It was actually more violent than the pitch invasion against City in 1974. It was pretty well known beforehand that an invasion would happen. Somebody twatted Donachie as he went off and I think a few went after Doyle. I can't remember if any reds actually jumped into the Scoreboard but I do remember a couple of lads consoling Denis Law who looked dejected.

Arsenal FC - Birmingham City - ??/??/1972

Source: forum

I'll never forget my first time in late 72, me and my mate were queueing outside the Paxton Rd end, when off in the distance you could hear some kind of huge noise approaching from afar. I can only describe it as something like the same sound that the soldiers in the film "Zulu" heard when they first heard the approaching Zulu army but before they could see them. The noise got louder and louder and when it got near enough we could hear the chant of "Arsenal, Arsenal, Arsenal" A minute or so later what I can only describe as a huge army of gooners came running round the corner from Tottenham High Rd. Me and my mate just stood there in awe and watched as they streamed past us and I know that time and memory play tricks but I swear it took a full five minutes for them all to pass. When the last of them had gone round the corner we pulled out jaws up from the pavement and followed but too late, when we got round the next corner there were only a few stragglers to be seen so we ended up walking all the way round the ground and back to the Paxton Rd end. When we got in we saw where the vast army had dissapeared to, into the Park Lane end and the Shelf side where we proceeded to batter the fuck out of the spuds for what seemed the entire game. I remember a big no mans land between us and the spuds in the Shelf just before we charged them and when we did they mostly shit themselves. There seemed to be gooners everywhere that day, me and my mate were amongst many more in the Paxton as well that day and to top it all, we won 2-1, oh happy days

Southampton - Wolverhampton Wanderers – 72/73

Source : http://www.molineuxmix.co.uk WWFC view

Only two of us from our usual lot travelled to this game, by car - Sunbeam Alpine I think - due to it being some distance. I had never been to The Dell before but my mate (Spud) told me not to worry as he had ' Bin befower we iz ode mon' and knew the layout of the ground re Home End etc We were just twenty years old.

We arrived quite early and the ground was empty. We paid up and entered the terrace behind one of the goals. The wrong end.

Within an hour it was obvious 'Spud' had got it badly wrong as we were surrounded by Drunken, 'Hooligans' in the Southampton Home End.

I approached a copper and explained the situation, and how we would like to peacefully go to the other end where a reasonable Wolves away following were making themselves heard. He told us to stay put.Ok. But we explained we had noticed a small group of about twenty other Wolves supporters who had been noticed by the home fans and in the event of being attacked we would defend ourselves and would take a dim view of any arrests.The copper just walked away.

Straight after there was the usual 'clearing' in the crowd and sure enough, an 'attack' seemed inevitable.Then another two coppers appeared and told us to get up onto the 'track' around the pitch and walk up to the end where the Wolves away following were.Then it became crazy.

The Southampton fans 'rushed' the few of us and the Police held them back, just. Meanwhile at the other end the Wolves following had obviously noticed this and some of them had tried to 'rush' the police line and come to our 'rescue', with the accompanying 'Hello, Hello Wanderers aggro' etc.

We were 'ushered' along in front of the seated terrace along one side of the ground, to shouts of 'Bloody disgrace -young layabouts etc' from the Billy Wright types

None of the twenty or so that were taken out of the home end had gone in there intending to cause trouble. It was an honest mistake.

'Spud' meantime was looking a bit sheepish at me with mumbled, 'Sos mate', type bleatings. I told him to just shut the $$$$ up and get to the other end quietly as we might not see the game- which had now begun- due to the real chance of us beeing 'ejected' from the ground.

And then Wolves scored, Spud started a little celebratory dance on the edge of the pitch ,the coppers were having an even harder problem containing the Wolves contingent and we were subjected to even more abuse from the BW types - although we were now too far away from the Home end for it to be a problem.

At this point a rather large copper appeared, grabbed 'Spud' by the collar, put one of his arms up his back and started to 'frog march' him towards the players tunnel. I protested and was told to '$$$$ off' unless I would like to join my mate. I didn't ($$$$ off) and managed to plead for- and gain- his 'release' and we ended up , finally in the 'away end.

To my horror I then noticed the TV cameras. Oh $$$$ me we had been filmed. Was it MOTD or Star Soccer? It was neither thankfully but Southern Televisions version of SS only shown in the south, so no 'evidence' of our 'violent behaviour' back home. The event was not big enough for reporting in the media generally either.

It was tense journey back. Spud kept quiet and drove with a sound verbal thrashing, 'You $$$$er' Arsehole (and worse) every ten miles or so -and it is quite a long way to the south coast.

Things are not always what they seem and I must confess I still didn't feel terrified, just very, very $$$$ed off with Spud.

England - Scotland - 20/05/1973

Source : Press

Chelmsford City - Ipswich Town - 13/01/1973

Source: Essex Chronicle