Rochdale 3rd May 1972

[Barrel of Fun]

is that the 2nd highest gate at the goldstone?

was at the derby league cup game 33,600 and there's been a fair few 32k

my nan god bless her used to tell me about a game against west ham in the 30's,anyone know the gate for that one?

Third apparently, behind a suspicious 35,000 (dead!) vs Chelsea in the FA Cup. This is all before my time (born 1980), so relying on Seagulls! The Story of Brighton and Hove Albion FC

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

Not a lot I can add to the other comments except, as I ntered the North Stand, there were already people leaving before the game had started because of the crowd and the heat. It was a very sultry evening and being close to near 35,000 others was pretty hot!

Wouldn't have missed it for the World though.

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

just been flicking through john vinicombe's book,great story in there from that season,halifax away,coach never showed up at the hotel,so pat saward bundled the players into 4 taxis,where the players changed into there kits,only just arrived in time and ran out 5-0 winners

 

[perseus]

Third apparently, behind a suspicious 35,000 (dead!) vs Chelsea in the FA Cup. This is all before my time (born 1980), so relying on Seagulls! The Story of Brighton and Hove Albion FC

Nothing remotely suspicious about the gate. It is sometimes referred to as a record crowd of about 57,000 as everybody had to pay for the reserve match as well. Doors were closed well before KO for the away match as well. Stamford Bridge held about 56,000 in those days.

The attendance for the second round replay against Aldershot was 29,000 + and there was 14,000+ at the away match and we did not hear a peep out of the Aldershot supporters.

 

[raymondbriggs]

The attendance for the second round replay against Aldershot was 29,000 + and there was 14,000+ at the away match and we did not hear a peep out of the Aldershot supporters.

We took the whole town that day and the dancers in knickers only at the working mans club opposite the ground were just the icing on the cake.

 

[Return of the Rev]

not a lot i can add to the other comments except, as i ntered the north stand, there were already people leaving before the game had started because of the crowd and the heat. It was a very sultry evening and being close to near 35,000 others was pretty hot!

Wouldn't have missed it for the world though.

stood in the chicken run having a knees up in there

 

[Sloe Joe]

I remember well, being the LAST person into the South Stand before they closed the turnstile after John Templeman's goal. I was literally pushed through in front of others by the guy who drove me to the game - he was my science teacher at school.

 

[perseus]

is that the 2nd highest gate at the goldstone?

was at the derby league cup game 33,600 and there's been a fair few 32k

my nan god bless her used to tell me about a game against west ham in the 30's,anyone know the gate for that one?

I think it is fair to say it was the second highest gate at the Goldstone, exceeding the 35,000 all-ticket who paid, if you include the hundreds watching from gardens and the there must have been non-attendees at the Chelsea game. Except there would be a few hundred in the gardens for the Chelsea game as well.

 

[Lincolnshire Seagull]

It was always destined to be a draw because I remember our sequence of results since Pat Saward made some drastic team changes 12 games from the end of the season was WWDWWDWWDWW, so obviously a D came next. Also both teams needed a draw, and the closing stages of the match were a bit farcical. What a great night though, and what a brilliant job Pat Saward did! RIP.

 

[Gwylan]

looking at the league table,we were pretty much already up,cherries couldn't catch us,but mathematically notts county still could,but realistically our goal difference was 5 goals better off than theirs

Surprised no-one has pointed this out but goal difference was irrelevant then - positions were decided on goal average.

Can't add much to other people's recollections of the game - apart from the fact it was the first time I saw my old man go mad at a game. The pair of us could scarcely talk afterwards, we'd shouted and sung so much.

Pat Saward was a great manager. His name never crops out when we talk about top Albion managers but he built a side that played some attractive football and spent next to nothing.

 

[The Maharajah of Sydney]

Couldn't get into the North that night . Managed to squeeze in at the southern end of the Chicken Run .
Remember clambering onto the roof of the Radio Brighton shack at the end of the game and chanting for Saward & the team to come out . They later made an appearance in the Directors Box .
Certainly doesn't seem anywhere near like 40 years ago .

 

[LamieRobertson]

Couldn't get into the North that night . Managed to squeeze in at the southern end of the Chicken Run .
Remember clambering onto the roof of the Radio Brighton shack at the end of the game and chanting for Saward & the team to come out . They later made an appearance in the Directors Box .
Certainly doesn't seem anywhere near like 40 years ago .

makes one feel a tad old when u think its that far back went with my mum to that game....she now suffers from dementia..i think i will try and see if she recalls the game

 

[LamieRobertson]

Nothing remotely suspicious about the gate. It is sometimes referred to as a record crowd of about 57,000 as everybody had to pay for the reserve match as well. Doors were closed well before KO for the away match as well. Stamford Bridge held about 56,000 in those days.

The attendance for the second round replay against Aldershot was 29,000 + and there was 14,000+ at the away match and we did not hear a peep out of the Aldershot supporters.

went to a chelsea tottenham game at stamford bridge..61k as i remember

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

amazing to think that we scored 82(43 on the road) goals in 71-72,saward obviously had us playing very attacking football,but the following season we managed only 46 all season

obviously it was a step up in class,did saward continue with his attacking philosophy?
we were more or less down by february,only 2 points for a win back then,but looking at the last 12 games of the season,we only lost to the 2 promoted sides of QPR & burnley and got relegated by only 4 points,it seemed as though saward had just got the team going,but ran out of time

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

Nice to be reminded that Sully (in full 'Rivelino' look alike mode) was present in that '71/'72 promotion side, as well as for our 3rd/2nd/1st Division run in the late 70's/early 80's.

Apart from OGH I wonder if we will ever have a player reguarly featuring in our first team over such a long period? I suppose Adam El-Abd has a good chance.

 

[withdeanwombat]

I was gutted as I was away in Oxford on the day of the game at school. I do recall the Electric Light Orchestra were playing at the Dome the same night and I think the attendance was under 100 due to the Albion v Rochdale game!

I think it was under a hundred because it was the ELO.

As suggested earlier,the game played out exactly as both sides needed,punting the ball back and forth to each other without a goal threat.(After reaching 1-1)

I got there quite late and got in easily enough.Getting out was a bit more problematic,as just about everybody seemed to have gone crackers.

 

[Blackadder]

blackburn 23k
bolton 25k
rotherham 27k
rochdale 34k ?

As a 14 year old, I saw all those games from the North stand. We had to bunk of school early to join the queues early for the Rochdale game or we wouldn't have got in.

Remember the joy that night. Standing around the touchline ready to invade the pitch at the final whistle. The Rochdale equaliser was a very long shot, if I remember rightly. It was certainly a "convenient" score for both sides.

We were full of hope for the following season in Division 2. We were soon brought down to earth, once after the new season started.

 

[perseus]

Deadly silence when Ray Train scored at the south end

I think it was under a hundred because it was the ELO.

As suggested earlier,the game played out exactly as both sides needed,punting the ball back and forth to each other without a goal threat.(After reaching 1-1)

I got there quite late and got in easily enough.Getting out was a bit more problematic,as just about everybody seemed to have gone crackers.

People arrived early because a capacity crowd was expected and because of the chaos and crowds at the Bournemouth match when over 30,000 turned up. I know more than one person who said that Bournemeouth was their first and last match because of the crowds. There one and only experience of a football game.

Ray Train for Rochdale scored one of the most spectacular goals I had seen at the Goldstone at the time. There was a miniscule appreciation, but mostly amongst 35,000 people and you could hear a pin drop.

Flashback to 71-2

Aston Villa were Division 3 Champions in their second season in the third tier
The Albion had only been in the second tier of English football for four seasons at the beginning of the sixties and this was only our second promotion ever. Despite a dreadful start to the season the attendances averaged 17,679 (at one time we fell to 11th, it seemed the season was over before it had started and gates fell below the 10,00 mark).
We were still getting used to decimal currency
Crystal Place and Southampton battled against relegation in the top flight, but nobody really cared: our main rivals were Bournemouth. Palace were soon to head downwards.
Leeds United were a second to top team. Clough's Derby County won Division One and Liverpool were yet to arrive big time.
Match of the Day showed highlights of a few selected matches only.
Burnley had dropped out of the top flight for the first time since WWII. They had been a good team with stars like the great Willie Irvine.
Two years later we were to play Rochdale again in Division 3 when the crowd of 18,885 was the highest of the season. Tony Towner and Peter O'Sullivan were the only two players to survive the Clough clear out.

 

[Blackadder]

just been flicking through john vinicombe's book,great story in there from that season,halifax away,coach never showed up at the hotel,so pat saward bundled the players into 4 taxis,where the players changed into there kits,only just arrived in time and ran out 5-0 winners

And we won 5-3 at Shrewsbury at the previous away game.

That had to be the worst season for going to away games. All games were up North. After Bournemouth, I think the nearest game was Shrewsbury. May have been Bristol Rovers.

There were no London clubs in our division.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Nice to be reminded that Sully (in full 'Rivelino' look alike mode) was present in that '71/'72 promotion side, as well as for our 3rd/2nd/1st Division run in the late 70's/early 80's.

Apart from OGH I wonder if we will ever have a player reguarly featuring in our first team over such a long period? I suppose Adam El-Abd has a good chance.

yes and he adapted to each new challenge