twenty years ago

[Jam The Man]

The nadir for me was losing 4-0 at home to Darlington when that tub of lard Gabbiadini scored a hat trick. I bet even those of us who were there would be genuinely shocked by the standard of football on display if we could watch it again now. Easy to forget just how dire things were.

Yes that was dire.. I think it was Jeff Wood's last match in charge, having been given the job after Gritt got sacked, because the players asked for him to be kept on apparently. We were lucky that Doncaster Rovers were even worse than us that season...

 

[Jam The Man]

My first game that season was the match against Peterborough Utd, during the national week of mourning after Diana died.
2-2 with Mayo and Maskell scoring. I remember thinking that the nearby chip shop was half decent though!

 

[Del of Albion]

Think I was one of the hardy 1,073 souls at that game. What a bizarre set of circumstances to be watching us at the Priestfield and yet despite that the Rainham end almost became 'home' for those two seasons and the pub on the corner by the roundabout with the old school saloon bar and wood partition followed by the chippie immediately opposite became routine just as much as a trip to Corals sports bar had at the Greyhound stadium pre Goldstone.

You must be wrong with the crowd size, every one from that era said they used to go to Priestfield so the crowd must have been 10K plus!!!!

 

[sully]

My first game that season was the match against Peterborough Utd, during the national week of mourning after Diana died.
2-2 with Mayo and Maskell scoring. I remember thinking that the nearby chip shop was half decent though!

That was the first game I made it to as well. I'd arranged a meeting in Canterbury in the morning and forgot to take a change of clothes so went in wearing my suit. I recall it was really cold and I was frozen solid by the end of the game.

 

[sully]

I was! From Tunbridge Wells it was only an hr.

What were you driving? I used to be able to get back to Burgess Hill in an hour from Priestfield.

 

[Megazone]

Yes that was dire.. I think it was Jeff Wood's last match in charge, having been given the job after Gritt got sacked, because the players asked for him to be kept on apparently. We were lucky that Doncaster Rovers were even worse than us that season...

The fans united game that season proved there was hardly any difference in quality between the both of us. But you're right, we were so lucky to have such a dreadful team below us that season. Any other season and we'd have been relegated by March.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

I have just been looking online and can't find any details . . . . it must be almost 20 years to the day that a few of us saw our first 'home' game at Pristfield. It was either a friendly or some sort of Layland Daft Ruck competition. Only the Rainham end was open, and we watched this evening game with watery sun in our eyes (made the eyes water. ahem). It was utterly dismal and depressing. Anyone else there? My goodness, what a 20 years. If the Football Gods offred me the chance of doing it all again, boy would they get a dry slap.

That pretty much describes every one of our 'home' games at Priestfield!

 

[Bigtomfu]

You must be wrong with the crowd size, every one from that era said they used to go to Priestfield so the crowd must have been 10K plus!!!!

I said it with no agenda yet you turned it into one.

I wasn't being self righteous simply airing a memory to add to a decent thread.

 

[Megazone]

I'll never forget this track being played on the tannoy as we left Gillingham for the very last time.

What a feeling.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

I was at The Palace friendly.

Also went to the friendly at Welling. Remember it pissing down before the game so much that they decided to play 30 minutes each way.

We sat in the San Siro stand, named after the Fiat dealership across the road from the ground.

The words San Siro and Welling, don't sit comfortably next to each other do they?

 

[Bigtomfu]

Always been a bit of a tit though, Green. I've long imagined him to be a puffed-up little Mr Toad figure, sat in his commentary box wallowing in his own sense of self-importance.

Whilst masturbating furiously and rabidly describing nothing happening during the aforementioned Man United Champions League match or some such guff.

Such is my opprobrium for his faux shock sports jock commentary style and 606 hosting I've not listened to a five live commentary game in years.

As for the worst game at Gillingham that Darlington match - played on my 19th birthday - was my absolute rock bottom.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

That pretty much describes every one of our 'home' games at Priestfield!

The 4-4 game was exciting, to be fair. So exciting someone tried to flog a video of it on NSC in 2012!

https://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/showt...colchester-united-at-priestfield-26-12-97-dvd

 

[Bob!]

The 4-4 game was exciting, to be fair. So exciting someone tried to flog a video of it on NSC in 2012!

https://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/showt...colchester-united-at-priestfield-26-12-97-dvd

Colchester on Boxing Day!
we were 3-0 down at half time, weren't we?

 

[casbom]

I'll probably be classed as a bad fan as I think I went to about 2 games when we were at Priestfield! I think we lost both of them but the stand out memory for me was our left back at the time was absolutely awful!

I started watching the Albion in 86 and been through it all in the Nineties, after Hereford I think I was exhausted by it all and almost gave up on the Albion as my mojo was at a all time low. Even when we came back to the Withdean I didn't actually go to any game until Zamora started banging them in. My Albion mojo came back and been strong ever since.

 

[Miami Seagull]

The Colchester game was my best memory too. Went crazy when we scored our fourth.. A few us bought Gold section season tickets while at that place and went to as many games as we could. But it was a miserable experience. I think it was Attila who once said that if Kent is the garden of England, Priestfield was the outdoor toilet. One of my worst memories was seeing the look in Nobby Horton's eyes as he appeared from the dressing room onto the field for his first match as boss. Managed to shake his hand and welcome him 'back' as he walked around the side of the pitch. His face said it all.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Colchester on Boxing Day!
we were 3-0 down at half time, weren't we?

3-0 and 4-3, as I recall! I was a ballboy that day, courtesy of Liz Costa, and handed the ball to a young Kerry Mayo. The stuff dreams are made of!

 

[Megazone]

3-0 and 4-3, as I recall! I was a ballboy that day, courtesy of Liz Costa, and handed the ball to a young Kerry Mayo. The stuff dreams are made of!

Don't forget Jim!

 

[nicko31]

I was there.

It was my first ever season as a season ticket holder. Up until that point I had only ever gone along on a match by match basis, but for that season I guess I thought I needed to show my commitment to supporting the club and I bought a season ticket and have had one pretty much ever since (with a break between 2006 and 2010).

Priestfield was a lonely experience. I'll never forget watching the Albion on the evening of a Champions League game. On the way back, Allan Green on Radio 5 asked in dismay what 2000 odd people were doing travelling to Priestfield on a Wednesday night when there had been such a huge Champions League game on TV. I instantly lost respect for Mr Green and my hatred of Champions League was reinforced. Real fans - clearly Mr Green has never been one - know where their priorities lie.

What an absolutely horrendous thing to have said, I cannot believe that

We will never forget when we're come from and what we went through, others in times of struggle will always have our support.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Colchester on Boxing Day!
we were 3-0 down at half time, weren't we?

Yes we were. One of our players, who was the brother of someone more famous, got 3. We got to 3-3, then wnt 3-4 down, then equalized

 

[Commander]

The Cricketers was a decent pub. The chip shop was good. The 4-4 on Boxing Day was good, as was the 3-2 against Hartlepool(?) when Rod Thomas looked like Pele. Not a lot else was good.

Funny when you look back at it now and half of NSC is up in arms that we haven't spent £20 million on a striker yet this year.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk