Sitting in the home end at away matches

[Czechmate]

A few times for various reasons Arsenal North Bank at Highbury , Cardiff , Leeds (corporate) , Norwich , Portsmouth watching a pre-season friendly supporting Chelsea , Shrewsbury , oh and Kingstonians .

 

[Driver8]

Only twice, both when I couldn't get a ticket in the away end. West Ham away, when Bobby played his first game against us and Reading away. At Reading my cover was blown when we scored the only goal in the 89th minute, only for the goal to be disallowed! Was an awkward few minutes.

 

[Hiney]

Never sat with the home fans when we have been away, but was in with the Swindon fans at Withdean when we played them in 2002. 0-0 so it all went off without incident.

 

[atfc village]

Only twice for me ,Once at Tranmere in the 80's where 3 of us got comps from Aldershot's manager at the time. Sat the whole game with Tranmere's mob sat behind us kicking off with Aldershot fans on the terrace below. I think they left us alone due to us being so young . In 87 had tickets for the home end at Hampden for Scotland v England ,it was a case of get in then work your way round to the away end.

 

[jabba]

A birthday treat of hospitality at Elland Rd. I managed to suppress elation when Murray scored a pen but just as I thought I was going to see my first win there, they scored an equaliser in the last minute after Virgo got sent off and blew my cover!

 

[de la zouch]

I have done it a few times, but the memorable one was Leeds. I got some free tickets from their then sponsor Whyte & Mackay. We equalised quite late on c80th minute and my dim wit brother forgot where we were sat and jumped out of his seat arms fully aloft and screamed out his delight. Before we knew it Leeds finest were jumping across seats to get to us, following a few wild missing punches we were escorted from the ground for our own safety. i didn't feel safe until we got to the car!

 

[Gazwag]

Sat within the Hammers section when we lost 3-0 in the FACup around 10 years ago.

Hated every moment of it so will not be repeating unless absolutely necessary

We did as well as didn't get a ticket in the away end, sat right behind the goal

 

[AZ Gull]

I had the "pleasure" of sitting in the away end at a home match; the last ever home match at the Goldstone.....

I was living and working in the Midlands at the time, and thanks to the state of the Goldstone Ground (and Bellotti's paranoia) the much reduced capacity meant that the demand for tickets for that last game far exceeded supply. Although I spent what seemed like the whole day on the phone when tickets went on sale, I was unable to get one before they sold out.

There was absolutely no way I was going to miss that game, so other avenues had to be explored. It turned out one of the guys in my office (who happened to be called Steve Winterburn, but not THAT Steve Winterburn) was originally from Bradford, and obligingly had a mate who was a Doncaster Rovers season ticket holder. Said mate was not going to the game and Steve was able to sweet-talk him into purchasing three tickets for me and a couple of friends. However, the timing couldn't have been any tighter; they arrived by recorded delivery on the morning of the match at my sister's house in Eastbourne. I'm not sure I've EVER been so happy to receive a letter through the post.

And so I endured the whole, torturous 90 minutes towards the back of the eastern end of the South Stand (the only time I ever went in the South at the Goldstone). It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

 

[Gwylan]

I've done it a couple of times when I couldn't get tickets for the Albion end. I've done it twice out of choice: once when I was with a bunch of Everton supporters and I was having such a good time I was happy go in the Everton end. That was all right, it was a cracking game (we lost 4-3) and had plenty of banter with the fans around me.

The other time was with a new girlfriend who was a Wolves fan. As we were in the heady heights of early romance, I went in the home end at Molyneux with her - that wasn't a good experience, there were some real meatheads around us, so I quietly celebrated Eric Young's winner. She and I split up a few months later, so we did't take in the return match.

For the Leeds match, I'll have the pleasure of a Leeds supporter next to me in the North Stand - should be fun

 

[el punal]

How about this for a double whammy. Back in 1978 I was working in Manchester. One evening in April, Man.Citeh had a fixture with Nottingham Forest at Maine Road. I decided to rock up and watch the game. There was a big crowd that night (42,000+) and queues to get in were horribly long, so being neutral I opted for the easier access of being with the away fans (Forest). Oh dear.

Once inside, the Forest fans started singing and chanting - I didn't. Long hard stares in my direction implying that I was City. So I moved to the side near to the home fans and got the same treatment.

Bugger this I thought, and believe it or not found my Albion scarf in my coat pocket, put in on and was treated to the biggest load of WTF looks imaginable! It worked though and suddenly I was everyone's friendly neutral. Happy days!

 

[Mackenzie]

I was in the home seats at the Hereford game.......not being able to celebrate that goal has made every other 'in the home end' experience a piece of piss.

 

[Giraffe]

Done it three times now and all three times I regretted it.

The first was Bournemouth away many years ago in the home end behind the goal with a Bournemouth supporting mate of mine, we scored twice in quick succession. The first time I contained myself but the quickness of the second saw me get excited and suffer a little as a result.

Then I went in the home end at Leeds, again with a Leeds fan friend, we scored (Navarro I think) in the last minute and fortunately my natural cowardness meant I managed to keep quiet, but didn't enjoy the goal to the same extent as the travelling fans.

And finally I went with a business colleague to Derby away in the home end last season where we went 3-0 down after 20/30 minutes. Embarassing.

So yes, unless I couldn't get a ticket I wouldn't be doing it again in a hurry.

 

[gjh1971]

Agreed. I've been to games with mates who support the other side - we spend pre- and post-match with each other but you watch the match with your own. I don't understand why you'd not.

The only home end I've done is Spurs away in the Cup, precisely for the reason you state. I was second row right in the corner that Keane ran to when he scored his absolute corker to knock us out. My cover was blown at that point.

Also was in the home end for the Spurs game. When Carpenter scored, couldnt help but jump up. Luckily a dozen or so others also did the same.

 

[BBassic]

Absolutely not. Never wanted to, never will.

 

[crookie]

Mate of mine at Uni was from Manchester and a Manure fan. His Dad got us tickets when we played them away in the FA Cup, 1993 I think it was. We played really well, only beaten by a wonder Freekick from Giggs from about 30 yards. The whole stand erupted, and I just stayed sat in my seat !! To be fair, I didn't get any grief

 

[wellquickwoody]

Agreed. I've been to games with mates who support the other side - we spend pre- and post-match with each other but you watch the match with your own. I don't understand why you'd not.

The only home end I've done is Spurs away in the Cup, precisely for the reason you state. I was second row right in the corner that Keane ran to when he scored his absolute corker to knock us out. My cover was blown at that point.

Funnily enough I was in the main stand, near the directors box. By the last 20 mins I was ratarsed and full of a lot of Brighton pride, stewards were not happy with Albion songs from the main stand apparently. I got out without a slap, very lucky

 

[bn1&bn3 Albion]

Would never do it by choice. Nearly had to for the 1-1 draw at Palace, didn't think I'd have enough points to get a ticket, fortunately I managed to get one through a mate who worked at the club. Quite glad really, there's not a chance I could have kept quiet when Barnes scored that penalty..

 

[sir albion]

Yeah done it billions of times...Not an issue

 

[aberllefenni]

Three times for me.
Cardiff away in the 90's, they equalised in the last few minutes Thankfully I was with a couple of sympathetic City fans who let me down gently. Comp tickets v Fulham, after the march on the F.A.
Most memorably the Hereford game. I hadn't got my act together so turned up at the ticket office and asked if they had any tickets for the away end I was told "look, we had 3000 to give out and 27000 requests from Brighton fans" so it didn't look good. I resigned to watching it in the pub when, via a friend, we met Chris the editor of Talking Bull who had three spares for the Len Weston Stand. I took one and the other two were taken by two guys from Upper Beeding who must have overheard our conversation, one of whom I believe posts on here. At half-time an older bloke sitting next to me said some thing, can't remember his exact words, but I replied in hushed tones "no mate I'm a Brighton fan." He replied "yes I know, so are we." I asked him how he knew and he said "well, when their goal went in, you had your head in your hands." After Robbie's finest moment their was no discernible reaction from either side of me but I went up like a Polaris. I spent the rest of the match with one eye on the pitch and one on my escape route. Aside from a couple of comments though, I got away unscathed.

 

[Dancin Ninja BHA]

and Reading away. At Reading my cover was blown when we scored the only goal in the 89th minute, only for the goal to be disallowed! Was an awkward few minutes.

How funny, I had that exact same experience!! Gary Hart (I think) scores the goal, me and my mate in the home end both go up, then gets disallowed and then have to sheepishly sit down, well aware our cover is well and truly blown!!

Been in the wrong/home end a few times for various reasons (strangest one, don't ask, was a pre-season friendly at the Goldstone, may have been Steve Foster's testimonial, against..................Palace!! Very weird experience being abused by your own fans!!)

The only thing you can really get away with saying loudly, to keep your cover secure, is "C'mon!!!" and leave off the "Albion" part of the sentence!