Memories of Newcaste - 5 May 1979

[Lincoln Imp]

My wife was on the second train. I babysat. There had been a coin spin.

She saw ten minutes of the game, sitting on a wall until the police told her to get off. So she just walked round and round behind the terrace, listening.

Afterwards, there was no seat on the train so she sat in a corridor as far as Three Bridges. A lot of people had been drinking long and hard that day and she was on the floor outside the bog. Interesting.

 

[Icy Gull]

My wife was on the second train. I babysat. There had been a coin spin.

She saw ten minutes of the game, sitting on a wall until the police told her to get off. So she just walked round and round behind the terrace, listening.

Afterwards, there was no seat on the train so she sat in a corridor as far as Three Bridges. A lot of people had been drinking long and hard that day and she was on the floor outside the bog. Interesting.

Interesting indeed, are you still together?

 

[Ernest]

I went by car and got there at 10am, waited by the ground for the turnstiles to open and then straight in and a decent spot by the goal. Too young to drink in those days so still can remember it all

 

[rocker959]

The best day ever . I realise there are other contenders and rightly so in there own ways but this to me was the ultimate. The train ride up with my friend relating the Nurse scetch from Derek and Clive , Peter Cooke and Dudley Moore en route .Being upside down in the luggage compartment on the bus to the ground .The teams performance just what was required as is this Saturday.
Chasing the Newcastle crew away at half time at the back of the terrace.
The true Geordie fans showing their appreciation at the end.
Muller's run on to the pitch . Going on to the pitch ourselves. Trying to find Manors Station after the game to get the second special train back and being congratulated by Newcastle fans all the way.
No heating on the train back or food unlike the first train with the team aboard.
Stopping at Rotherham and some fans trying to break into the platform chocolate machines.
Unlike the first train we arrived back in Brighton to no welcome just the breeze blowing rubbish around then the singing began again.
What a day just brilliant .
The next day at the Goldstone with 20,000 plus just to greet the team then the parade and Hove Town Hall.
Wonderful memories that will never leave me or those who were there.
I hope this Saturday brings the same memories for all both old and young.

 

[Brovion]

What. A. Day.

Went on the famous Seagull Special train (guess it must have been the first one, didn't realise there had been more than one) and came back with the players and Directors. Free champagne (courtesy of Mike Bamber) and the usual strict 'no alcohol' rule was relaxed. The players, needless to say, were rat-arsed. Fantastic, fantastic scenes. Don't really remember much of the match, but I do remember the incredible, ecstatic feeling when Horton scored the first. It was actually quite a comfortable victory (we were three up by half-time) so there wasn't the sense of having to hold on in the last 10 minutes.

I sincerely hope those 22 year olds who go on Saturday enjoy themselves as much as I did all those years ago.

 

[Jack Straw]

We left the McKellar pub in Peacehaven after it closed just after 11.00 pm. It was only half full. Great I thought. Loads of room. We got to St.Peters Church in Brighton, stopped and picked up a huge mob of pissed up Albion fans who now filled to coach to overflowing. One particular occupant lead the singing. He sat right in front of me and was shouting in to my face until he wore himself before we got to London.
Travelling through the night meant not a lot to look at outside by way of scenery, and with half the coach asleep and the other wide awake, it was an interesting journey as the alcohol fumes slowly dissipated.
As morning broke, somewhere right up north, the coach driver got something wrong and a chunk of the near side frontage of the coach took on a newly modified and dangerous shape, meaning we couldn't drive on. Luckily, a kiddie called Kenny Babberstock who had bodywork skills got a huge metal pole from somewhere and levered the protruding piece of coach in to such a position that we were able to continue.
We got to Newcastle about 7.00 am and parked in a market car park. Just us. Some people ventured off, whilst others including me just sat on the coach contemplating what a win would mean. A little while later, a handfull of Newcastle fans spotted our coach and came towards it. The made some grunting noises before heading back form whence they came. Half an hour later about a dozen Newcastle fans made their way towards our coach, again stopping a safe distance away. More grunting and off they went again. Anther half an hour passed and a group of about thirty Geordies approached. Loads of load grunting only this time, they came right up to the coach and tried to get on it. After meeting a bit of resistance from some of our more playfull supporters, we managed to repell them and they grunted their way off.
It's now about 10.00am. Anticipating a mass invasion next time round, we scoured the car park for ammunition. Bricks, lumps of wood, anything that would inflict damage to flesh was stored under the coach ready for the next attack. Fortunately, these were never used rather like the pill-boxes dotted around the Sussex countryside, but better safe than sorry.
This is because the cavalry arrived. Coach after coach after coach of blue and white clad hordes from Brighton arriving en mass.
Thank Christ for that we thought, although missing out on the opportunity to see a Geordie wearing a lump of four by two was disappointing.
The police presence now was huge, and they kept everyone in the car park until about half an hour before kick-off when we were escorted through Newcastle, up the road to St.James Park. It made you feel fantastic.
I won't go in to match details, but before kick-off it snowed. Normal I suppose for somewhere so far north?
A 3-1 win and it was job done. Pitch invasion by Albion fans. Amazing scenes.
My Grandad who died two years previously said to me not long before he passed away that "One day, Brighton will have a really good team, but not in my day." My prophetic Grandad was spot-on. We did now have a really good team, but he never saw them.
When this thought came in to my head, I cried. The first time I'd ever cried at a football match. The second and last time was full-time at Hereford. Will it be a third at Middlesbrough on Saturday?
We boarded the coach for the return journey and reached the dual carriageway just outside of the city. There was someone on the embankment with a hug pile of rocks, throwing them at all the Brighton coaches as they passed him, like a duck-shoot at the fair. BANG. We received a direct hit, but suffered no damage. However, within seconds, we overtook several Albion coaches parked on the side of the road with windows smashed. I believe that those that suffered damage were replaced with double-decker buses?
We got back to Brighton about midnight and it was a couple of hours sleep before heading to the Goldstone for a fantastic morning of North Stand singing, hailing our heros as they did a lap of honor around the ploughed up pitch.
One of the best weekends of my life.

 

[Eeyore]

We left the McKellar pub in Peacehaven after it closed just after 11.00 pm. It was only half full. Great I thought. Loads of room. We got to St.Peters Church in Brighton, stopped and picked up a huge mob of pissed up Albion fans who now filled to coach to overflowing. One particular occupant lead the singing. He sat right in front of me and was shouting in to my face until he wore himself before we got to London.
Travelling through the night meant not a lot to look at outside by way of scenery, and with half the coach asleep and the other wide awake, it was an interesting journey as the alcohol fumes slowly dissipated.
As morning broke, somewhere right up north, the coach driver got something wrong and a chunk of the near side frontage of the coach took on a newly modified and dangerous shape, meaning we couldn't drive on. Luckily, a kiddie called Kenny Babberstock who had bodywork skills got a huge metal pole from somewhere and levered the protruding piece of coach in to such a position that we were able to continue.
We got to Newcastle about 7.00 am and parked in a market car park. Just us. Some people ventured off, whilst others including me just sat on the coach contemplating what a win would mean. A little while later, a handfull of Newcastle fans spotted our coach and came towards it. The made some grunting noises before heading back form whence they came. Half an hour later about a dozen Newcastle fans made their way towards our coach, again stopping a safe distance away. More grunting and off they went again. Anther half an hour passed and a group of about thirty Geordies approached. Loads of load grunting only this time, they came right up to the coach and tried to get on it. After meeting a bit of resistance from some of our more playfull supporters, we managed to repell them and they grunted their way off.
It's now about 10.00am. Anticipating a mass invasion next time round, we scoured the car park for ammunition. Bricks, lumps of wood, anything that would inflict damage to flesh was stored under the coach ready for the next attack. Fortunately, these were never used rather like the pill-boxes dotted around the Sussex countryside, but better safe than sorry.
This is because the cavalry arrived. Coach after coach after coach of blue and white clad hordes from Brighton arriving en mass.
Thank Christ for that we thought, although missing out on the opportunity to see a Geordie wearing a lump of four by two was disappointing.
The police presence now was huge, and they kept everyone in the car park until about half an hour before kick-off when we were escorted through Newcastle, up the road to St.James Park. It made you feel fantastic.
I won't go in to match details, but before kick-off it snowed. Normal I suppose for somewhere so far north?
A 3-1 win and it was job done. Pitch invasion by Albion fans. Amazing scenes.
My Grandad who died two years previously said to me not long before he passed away that "One day, Brighton will have a really good team, but not in my day." My prophetic Grandad was spot-on. We did now have a really good team, but he never saw them.
When this thought came in to my head, I cried. The first time I'd ever cried at a football match. The second and last time was full-time at Hereford. Will it be a third at Middlesbrough on Saturday?
We boarded the coach for the return journey and reached the dual carriageway just outside of the city. There was someone on the embankment with a hug pile of rocks, throwing them at all the Brighton coaches as they passed him, like a duck-shoot at the fair. BANG. We received a direct hit, but suffered no damage. However, within seconds, we overtook several Albion coaches parked on the side of the road with windows smashed. I believe that those that suffered damage were replaced with double-decker buses?
We got back to Brighton about midnight and it was a couple of hours sleep before heading to the Goldstone for a fantastic morning of North Stand singing, hailing our heros as they did a lap of honor around the ploughed up pitch.
One of the best weekends of my life.

Thanks for sharing. Felt like I was there.

 

[saafend_seagull]

spooky bit of history for boro.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997–98_Middlesbrough_F.C._season

Boro had the same number of points after 45 games (wins, draws, losses identical) and goal difference now 1 different to 1997/8.

 

[Bansko Seagull]

spooky bit of history for boro.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997–98_Middlesbrough_F.C._season

Boro had the same number of points after 45 games (wins, draws, losses identical) and goal difference now 1 different to 1997/8.

And Manchester City were relegated to Div 2!

 

[symyjym]

spooky bit of history for boro.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997–98_Middlesbrough_F.C._season

Boro had the same number of points after 45 games (wins, draws, losses identical) and goal difference now 1 different to 1997/8.

It's not that spooky though is it

 

[Eggman]

It's not that spooky though is it

Stockport County. Wow.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

It was actually the THIRD special train that was late. It was a hastily arranged one when the first 2 sold out, and BR clearly didn't have a path for it up through the country. I remember waiting for ages over a disgusting red canal in Yorkshire somewhere and panicking we wouldn't make it at all. We missed the first 10 minutes and could only perch at the back of the packed terrace, but then Nobby scored and we bundled down the terrace to have a perfect view of the rest of the game.
PG

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

I was on the train that got there late, we missed the first two goals.

Wonderful day, let's hope for the same on Saturday.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

We were on a private coach up from Worthing and left around 11pm. Seem to remember that different coaches were told to park up in different towns so some, including us, got to spend the morning in Durham, others Chester-Le-Street, etc.

Woke up on Saturday morning and we all traipsed into Durham for newspapers, breakfast etc. All the local Newcastle fans wanted us to win do it kept Sunderland down. Seem to remember a large number of us waiting outside the Wimpy for it to open so we could have the Wimpy Baconburger Grill for breakfast. Morning seemed to drag before eventually the local driver turned up to drive us into Newcastle. As we got closer, there was a huge convoy of Albion coaches that converged near the ground.

The match was a bit of blur. I have to say, I did cry singing We Are Brighton at the end but I was only 10 years old and very tired! Long journey home but the start was interesting as some kids decided to start lobbing bricks at the coaches on the way back. Our driver got into the outside lane and put his foot down but I seem to remember an old Rons Coaches of Ashington vehicle that lost quite a few windows as it didn't have the pace to get away.

Got home very tired but had to be up early the next day to go and watch the promotion parade in Brighton.

 

[Bansko Seagull]

I love that we can all remember minor details about the journey but very little about the game. When I got on the train I had to go to the guards van which turned out not to have any seats and holes in the floor apparently so that animals got air when they travelled in it. Gave up after a couple of hours and went and found some friends and nicked one of their seats. Sounds as if I did better than those on coaches or on the 2nd and 3rd trains though.

 

[Southern Scouse]

I also don't remember much about the game, although I do remember a fracas with a bunch of Geordie casuals.
We went up in a ford transit and although it was bumpy in the back, cold and stank of petrol it was a bloody marvellous.

 

[Superphil]

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

The old man went up to that. Bless him. Almost forgave him for that for, a few years earlier, giving Harry Wilson dog's abuse every game. This was why I left him in the West and went down the South thereafter. Parents, eh. Can't live with 'em, can't stand in the same part of the Goldstone with 'em

 

[colinz]

Seeing Gerry Ryan on Saturday brought back the memories. I only got a ticket for the train on the Thursday when Ron Pavey released 6 for the Guards van. On Friday night I blagged my way into the casino until 2am when it shut then waited on the station. I think the train left about 6am. So exciting. Glorious sunshine and our stand was packed - even more so when the second train arrived (late) and another few hundred fans were squeezed in. It's been great to watch the goals again on another thread. It just seemed so quick at the end when we all had to rush back to the station but what a journey home. Champagne all the way. Gerry Ryan sat in our compartment for quite a while - what a smashing bloke - and thought that he had played himself out of a job the next season. And then that reception at Brighton station. Let's hope we can cheer the team over the finishing line again on Saturday.

Is Gerry Ryan back in town ? Thought he was ill & living in Dublin. https://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/showt...s-early-80-s&p=6988247&viewfull=1#post6988247

 

[chimneys]

Great thread. Keep em coming!

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

went up in my uncle's mk3 Cortina

went over the Tyne bridge about 4 times looking for the ground,in the end asked a copper for directions and he didn't even know

anyway must of arrived early because we were right behind the goal

remember chatting to a bloke (Brighton fan) that lived in Manchester and he was with his misses that was from Sunderland,she got abit of stick

crazy 1st half,the only goal I remember is the one that seemed to trickle over the line,think it was the 3rd and thinking 'we've done it'

heard the ruck going on at half time at the back

didn't the Newcastle lads appear at the side terrracing after and gave us a respectful round of applause for having a go

another memory I have is the Gallowgate end singing 'we hate cockneys'

and we sang it back too,which led to alot of head scratching in their end judging by the silence

all the Sunderland coaches on the motorway going to Wrexham

don't remember many Brighton getting on the pitch at the end though,certainly remember the players coming over

my best football day ever,but I wasn't at Hereford