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Post by Eric Read on Jul 29, 2010 11:42:50 GMT
I remember Peter Marsh as well . Me, him, Martin Cooper, Mick Brown, two young brothers, one of whom was called Louie, went on a telly programme called Horizon. It was about football hooligans. We got paid about £6 each! Actually, I've got to admit, Mick (who gives a F*uck about registerring players) Brown used to be a really good United follower. Me and him went bloody everywhere with Oxford United. We got all the way to Carlisle, and we were late getting there. Oxford lost and we missed the goal(s) I remember that TV programme. A clip from it was shown a year or two ago (can't remember where) and it was like a clip from "The land that fashion forgot"! You were wearing a cardigan and a scarf, I think, or it might have been a donkey jacket, can't quite remember now but everyone looked a right state! Mick was a good lad then, and I can remember him wearing a dark blue Fred Perry for what seemed like 90% of the games for about a year. That Pompey game you were on about, was it the one that was on Star Soccer on the following Sunday? If so it was about 1973 or 1974 and I was on the other coach, which went from the Marlborough and had the likes of Yogi Pill, Chris Jennings, the Fitzgeralds, Timmy James and George Elliott amongst others on it. We kicked off with Pompey at the open end after they scored and the TV showed it all in close up the next day. We actually gave a really good account of ourselves, surprised them a bit. |
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Post by Eric Read on Jul 29, 2010 11:47:40 GMT
Happy days!! Can any of you remember the walk from the Greyhound to the Cuckoo Lane end disguised as Swindon scum, and then kicking of right in the middle of them!! What a reception when we were led around the pitch back to the London Road end and nobody got nicked! I remember that. We even nicked a flag from one of their coaches that was parked up. Silly f**kers were all hanging over the back of the Cuckoo Lane when we arrived clapping us, because they thought we were swindon. A couple of minutes later and they soon found out that we wern't! And you're right. We got a hero's reception as we were marched back round the pitch to the London Rd. How times have changed! |
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Post by Eric Read on Jul 29, 2010 11:50:48 GMT
Talking about that carlisle game; We were stood behind the goal (about 100 of us). One of their fans, obviously, disabled, was shouting something like; "Come on Carlisle! Wuh! Wuh!" Brownie shouted out "It's not his fault he's a spastic!" Yep! That's our secretary! Good on yer Mick! Ettiquette and witty banter! Who remembers Leicester away in the Cup in the Seventies? Thousands of us were crammed into the side stand. A Leicester steward walked by, on the side of the pitch. He had a walking disability and every time he made a step forward, his head kept bobbing backwards and forwards. We all sang: "chick chick chick chick,chicken, lay a little egg for me!" Cruel b*stards, eh! We played them twice in the Cup in the seventies. The first time they definately got the better of us. We had two football specials and I was on the first one and they were waiting for us, near the park along from the station. The second time was a bit more even. |
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Post by Vulcan XH558 on Jul 29, 2010 12:03:45 GMT
Dave, why did the club/it's staff hold meeting with you guys? the meetings you've mentioned? The club, the Police & a body calling itself 'the crime prevention society' wanted to 'assist us in co-ordinating our coaches to away games. The club gave us help & an old shed, to sell tickets, the supporters club let us use their foyer on week nights to sell tickets & then to be honest, we lost out. The police & crime prevention mob now knew how many coaches we were taking, what time we were leaving & where we were stopping. On top of that, the considerable profit that used to be ours, then went to the club. But, to be fair, those meetings did, as already mentioned, get the visitting fans put in to the worse part of the ground. There was always a feeling of smug satisfaction standing in the London Road (Left side of course) watching opposing fans getting soaked, or bricked from outside occasionally & knowing you helped put them there. Cuddy, Easty & I spent god knows how many evenings selling tickets, with Mick Brown's standard excuse that he couldn't get in from Yarnton. Yet somehow, Mr Brown became the self appointed 'spokesman' (can't remember a vote on it) for the travel club, which in hindsight is down to the Oxford Fail & the rest, as they say, is history. |
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Post by Amersham Dave on Jul 29, 2010 12:08:10 GMT
Kidintheriot. The reason the club held meetings with us, was that me and Mick Brown used to take coachloads of fans to away games and the police reckoned we were taking too many unsupervised louts with us! Cheek! We were all wearing bow ties and suits! (ha ha). The real reason me and mick took our coaches, was that the only way you could travel with the official supporters club, was if you were 18 and you had to be a member, or be a member's guest. You had to behave yourself too on their coach! Me, Mick brown and Kev Bourton and (I haven't forgotten him, Vulcan(K)!) Alan (Where the hell does he live now) East were invited to the Town hall with the police and united's hierarchy, to see if we could try and make our fans act in a responsible manner. Hence the LRTC was born. In the next home programme, the message read: "If you want to join, just ask Mick, Kev, Alan or (wait for it) CRUDDY! Cruddy? Thanks a bunch!
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Post by KidInTheRiot on Jul 29, 2010 12:13:24 GMT
Thanks guys, an interesting thread.
Seems a strange time to me to be able to comprehend (being 23). seems like the OB just kinda let you get on with it?
How did MB make the transition from a bit of a lad to actually working for OUFC?
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Post by Amersham Dave on Jul 29, 2010 12:17:52 GMT
Vulcvan(K) You're Bloody right there mate. Mr. Brown somehow became our spokesman. He had a go at me for going on the radio, telly and in the paper on my own (I didn't) Next minute, he got interveiwed on some programme on his own 'representing' our good work (Should have been crimewatch!) Mr Robert (Whoops! there goes your pension!) Maxwell made him secretary! Sour grapes Kev? Maybe. Poo taste in the mouth? Definitely!
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Post by Amersham Dave on Jul 29, 2010 12:31:23 GMT
Kidintheriot. You're only 23? Let me tell you summat. We who've been writing on here might sound like we're living in the past, but l must say; years ago, being an oxford fan was amazing. If you think Beano is the bollocks (he is) you have to understand that years ago, we older gits had the luxoury of playing at the top level with unbeleivably good players. John Aldridge, Billy Hamilton, Trevor Hebbard, Kevin Brock, to name a few. Years before, we a player called Hughie Curran, who may have been our most idolised player ever!. The point I'm going to make is this; enjoy these times now - trust me (just ask the other posters here!) you'll be in your fifties like us in no bloody time!
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Post by Vulcan XH558 on Jul 29, 2010 12:33:56 GMT
Captain Bob made him assistant secretary to Jim Hunt (really pleasant guy), not sure who made him Secretary when Jim retired.
Sour grapes?
In those days, yes, certainly. We did all the work, he got all the credit. But we still did it, for the sake of the fans & the club.
Sour grapes now?
None at all, I wouldn't want his job. We have all made genuine mistakes at work, but we don't all get abuse over it for years afterwards. I'm happy with my life, having raised 3 more United fans & now seeing them raising the next generation of United fans.
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Post by Amersham Dave on Jul 29, 2010 12:45:00 GMT
Vulcan (K) When I said sour grapes I didn't mean you, I meant does it sound like grapes on our behalf. You're right tho K he did get all the credit. That ain't sour grapes. That's the whole bloody orchard! Good to see you've raised 3 more united fans! These days I can't even raise a smile! Anybody got any Viagara?
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Post by Vulcan XH558 on Jul 29, 2010 12:48:38 GMT
Dave, with your luck mate, Viagra would get stuck in your throat & all you would get is a stiff neck. ;D ;D
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Post by broncobullfrog on Jul 29, 2010 13:17:05 GMT
I'm sure I saw Hughie Curran working for Oxford bus company a couple of years ago, but maybe I'm wrong?There's so many people from years ago that used to go up the Manor but you never see them at the Kassam,does anyone remember a guy called John who was a postman he used to go with his brother who had more ginger hair, think it might of been John and Paul White? anyone remember them? do they still go to the match?
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ox5
Junior Member
Posts: 54
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Post by ox5 on Jul 29, 2010 13:24:38 GMT
Thanks guys, an interesting thread. Seems a strange time to me to be able to comprehend (being 23). seems like the OB just kinda let you get on with it? How did MB make the transition from a bit of a lad to actually working for OUFC? The OB used to join in!!!!! |
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Post by hackneyjack on Jul 29, 2010 13:52:30 GMT
Thanks guys, an interesting thread. Seems a strange time to me to be able to comprehend (being 23). seems like the OB just kinda let you get on with it? How did MB make the transition from a bit of a lad to actually working for OUFC? The OB used to join in!!!!! This whole thread has got to be one of the best/funniest I've ever read! Thank you guys. Eric - you've got some material here for your book. I'm 36, so I can remember a lot you scraping when I was a kid - and it's some of the best memories of that era! I do like Desmond Morris though - and I think he helped with some decent 'exposure' to the element! |
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Post by Amersham Dave on Jul 29, 2010 14:27:38 GMT
hackneyjack. welcome to this chat! Glad you've enjoyed it! That's the thing you see; talking football doesn't have to be just about your team being crap this or Wembley prices being a stitchup that. Characters in any sport keeps it going. it just so happens that, when you delve in the past, you can think of many pleasant memories. Who can forget that time at Scumdon when they threw the smoke bomb at Roy Burton and then scored? Ok, that wasn't pleasant; but what happened next was, well, different. I recall our mob dimantling some crush barriers and chucking one of them at the police! One of their officers was filming our lot, and someone lobbed a brick at him. he must have seen it at the last second thro' his camera, as he dodged it by inches. plug had jumped over the wall at the back of the stand and was lobbing bricks at our fans to chuck at the cops! Yes, I know - that was wrong, but we didn't that so at the time!. Didn't someone chuck a coin at Eric Read the ref and get him in the head, for allowing the goal? Yes that was wrong too - should have been a brick!
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Post by manorborn on Jul 29, 2010 14:31:16 GMT
i remeber that swindon game well. VERY WELL PLANNED AND EXCECUTED. scum were well suprised. Hugh curran by the way is a supervisor for the security that look after the park and ride sites around oxford. i was chatting to him in the barton leigon about a year ago and his opinion of todays players is that they are all fairys and pooftas,which does not suprise me cos he was a hard f*cker ;D
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Post by broncobullfrog on Jul 29, 2010 14:52:13 GMT
That would be it as it was at Thornhill park and ride that I Hughie Curran. Anyone remember the games v Sunderland in the 70's? Colin Clarke's great goal, a terrific 25 yarder that stopped them getting promotion and they went crazy and one of them ran on and attacked our keeper John Milkins, I always felt sorry for Milkins, he always looked old and it must of been difficult with such a hero in Roy Burton being the fans favourite. Then there was the time v Sunderland that the back of the London road was broken up and thrown at each other in the left and ride side, which result in a lot of cut heads.Whatever happened to Maurice Perry?
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Post by Amersham Dave on Jul 29, 2010 15:07:58 GMT
Bronco. That game when Colin Clarke scored was a right pain in the neck! we were losing 1-0 with a few minutes left and loads of us walked out early. He scored in the dying seconds didn't he? I missed it. That game with us chucking rubble at each other - my mate's head was well cut! I think they took a 1-0 lead and then we won 5-1 didn't we? Or am I talking b*llocks?
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Post by Eric Read on Jul 29, 2010 15:13:03 GMT
hackneyjack. welcome to this chat! Glad you've enjoyed it! That's the thing you see; talking football doesn't have to be just about your team being crap this or Wembley prices being a stitchup that. Characters in any sport keeps it going. it just so happens that, when you delve in the past, you can think of many pleasant memories. Who can forget that time at Scumdon when they threw the smoke bomb at Roy Burton and then scored? Ok, that wasn't pleasant; but what happened next was, well, different. I recall our mob dimantling some crush barriers and chucking one of them at the police! One of their officers was filming our lot, and someone lobbed a brick at him. he must have seen it at the last second thro' his camera, as he dodged it by inches. plug had jumped over the wall at the back of the stand and was lobbing bricks at our fans to chuck at the cops! Yes, I know - that was wrong, but we didn't that so at the time!. Didn't someone chuck a coin at Eric Read the ref and get him in the head, for allowing the goal? Yes that was wrong too - should have been a brick! It was more than just a coin, Cuddy! Lumps of concrete, stones, coins, the lot rained down on my namesake. Does anyone remember when the police dog handler tried to shelter a stricken Eric Read from more missiles and one of them hit his dog who promptly started biting the copper. f**king hilarious. I've never seen a ground taken apart like that one was on that night. Crush barriers uprooted and lobbed on the pitch! And we had scum on their toes, as usual, after the game. |
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Post by broncobullfrog on Jul 29, 2010 15:13:29 GMT
No we won 1-0 when we stopped them getting promotion with Colin Clarke's goal, that was 1974/75 season. Whem we were 1-0 down but won 5-1 that was 1972/73. I think the chucking of the rubble was 1975/76.
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