Mark Smith Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philliggi Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Gotta ask (this is about 4 years before my time) did the away fans used to sit in the lookers? Why is it so empty on the right hand side? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyleArmy1994 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Few questions about the ground: 1)when was the rocky road end built? 2) where the hell did the mainstand boxes go? 3) what happened to the fences and dugout? Way before my time as fan but a cracking watch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudemedic Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 (edited) Few questions about the ground: 1)when was the rocky road end built? 2) where the hell did the mainstand boxes go? 3) what happened to the fences and dugout? Way before my time as fan but a cracking watch Current RRE stand was built in close season 92, so 22 years ago. (God doesn't seem that long ago)The mainstand boxes were lost as part of the development and expansion of the players' lounge area which was connected to the instillation of the current main stand paddock seats, and the dugout was similarly affected in close season 94, so 20 years ago and the year we got relegated from the Prem. The main stand boxes were replaced by the two portakabins in the corners of the Chaddy, the one still standing and the corner flag suite, that was demolished as part of the new stand development, think the one still standing was installed before the main stand ones were uninstalled as it were. The corner flag suite definitely wasn't there but I don't think that was installed straight away after the main stand boxes were removed. Incidentally both the main stand boxes and the dugout had been refurbished a year before they were removed. The home dugout had heated seats for a while, I remember them making a big about it on football focus. As to the fences- they were removed after the Taylor Report into Hillsborough. Edited May 21, 2014 by rudemedic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddog Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Used to stand in the main stand paddock, RRE side. Could've sworn away fans used to be above us in the Upper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankly Mr Shankly Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Gotta ask (this is about 4 years before my time) did the away fans used to sit in the lookers? Why is it so empty on the right hand side? Away fans used to be allocated half the Lookers upper seats-wise, and also the Rocky Road end regardless of who the opposition was. The seats were near empty because in those times nearly all fans chose to stand. Plymouth were notoriously poor travellers back then. I can recall playing them on a Friday night a week before Christmas in 1990 and bringing less than 40. In the 1990-91 season, because we were doing so well away fans were moved from the Rocky Road to stand in the Lookers Paddock as well as the upper seats. Only West Ham I think were allowed the whole Rocky Road in a 1st v 2nd sell-out match. In the first season in the top flight away fans (apart from Villa, Arsenal, Spurs, Everton, Liverpool, Leeds, United and City) were allocated just the right hand pen of the Rocky Road. The rest was all Latics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markoasis Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Used to stand in the main stand paddock, RRE side. Could've sworn away fans used to be above us in the Upper. I seem to recall this as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudemedic Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 I seem to recall this as well Away fans used to have the Main Stand paddock that side occasionally too. Or at least that's what I gather from some of stories my Dad tells. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddog Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Away fans used to have the Main Stand paddock that side occasionally too. Or at least that's what I gather from some of stories my Dad tells. That must've been before 1990 then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudemedic Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 That must've been before 1990 then. Yep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankly Mr Shankly Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 The only time I can ever remember away fans being given that paddock was the 1990-91 season. Before then it was either empty or given to Oldham fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lookersstandandy Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 I can recall Ipswich fans - can't have been more than 200 of them - being moved from the open (pre redeveloped - now verlin) RRE to the Lookers seated upper at HT of a midweek league game, because Ice Station Zebra weather conditions were setting in and there was concern frost bite & pneumonia might set in otherwise. If memory serves me correctly, this could also have been the same game Roger Palmer broke Eric Gemmill's goal scoring record. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markoasis Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 (edited) If memory serves me correctly, this could also have been the same game Roger Palmer broke Eric Gemmill's goal scoring record. It was .... and was one of the coldest nights I can remember at BP Edited May 23, 2014 by Markoasis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perfectOzblue Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 It was .... and was one of the coldest nights I can remember at BP I think we beat them 4-0 that night. Palmer scored a bullet header. As Frankly Mr Shankly says, in the Championships-era days away fans got the Lookers Paddock, which could hold about 1100 fans. It was packed a couple of times when we played teams like Wolves and Newcastle. Only (I think) West Ham and Sheffield Wednesday had the whole of the RRE that season. I think some other teams with decent followings like Middlesbrough and Barnsley took the large section of the RRE, which I think could hold about 3000. I think a couple of times we also gave sides either the centre block - so standing underneath the scoreboard - or the block closer to the Lookers Paddock. I remember that match against Plymouth. It was Friday night game just before Christmas. We beat them (I think) 5-2 - cracking match. When they scored you could barely hear or see anyone celebrating. Bizarre as they've brought decent numbers on other occasions to BP. I think Oxford (who were complete cack that season, apart from smashing us 5-1 later in the year) only brought a handful of fans as well. Away fans also got a block of seats in the Main Stand - about 235. A bit miserly really. I still remember queuing for tickets for the Liverpool and Man U away matches just before the 91/92 season started. The line stretched from the ticket office out into the RRE. It was ace looking at the Chaddy End, which had just been converted to all-seater, and seeing the new lush grass pitch. Felt so excited! Christ I'm getting old.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankly Mr Shankly Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 I still remember queuing for tickets for the Liverpool and Man U away matches just before the 91/92 season started. The line stretched from the ticket office out into the RRE. It was ace looking at the Chaddy End, which had just been converted to all-seater, and seeing the new lush grass pitch. Felt so excited! Christ I'm getting old.... I remember that as well. It was a roasting hot Sunday and I'm sure a game of football broke out regularly on the grass areas which was behind the old RRE terrace. You summed it up perfectly, that intense excitement looking over the pitch not being able to wait for the season to start! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenbaltipie Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 I was at in the George Hill upper when we played Saints in the cup replay,and I'm 99% certain they were sat across from me towards the RRE end, I was 10 at the time. Remember the oh when the Saints song, think they were consigned to defeat and didn't bring that many. There were more seats in there as there weren't any food stands in the corner. Notts County had the Lookers paddock in our promotion season, the players run over in a couple of ding dong affairs we had with them when the Ginger Tommy Johnson was playing for them, sure David Currie scored a cracking goal in one of them possibly a hat trick?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazlatic Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 Used to stand in the main stand paddock, RRE side. Could've sworn away fans used to be above us in the Upper. Me too. I remember Derby had away support in there. Away fans used to have the Main Stand paddock that side occasionally too. Or at least that's what I gather from some of stories my Dad tells. Funnily enough I remember Rotherham United fans in the RRE side of the Main Stand Paddock singing Ronnie Moore's name pretty much all the way through the game when I was a kid. How things turn out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perfectOzblue Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 I was at in the George Hill upper when we played Saints in the cup replay,and I'm 99% certain they were sat across from me towards the RRE end, I was 10 at the time. Remember the oh when the Saints song, think they were consigned to defeat and didn't bring that many. There were more seats in there as there weren't any food stands in the corner. Notts County had the Lookers paddock in our promotion season, the players run over in a couple of ding dong affairs we had with them when the Ginger Tommy Johnson was playing for them, sure David Currie scored a cracking goal in one of them possibly a hat trick?! Yep, the Notts County fans would have been in the Paddock. The match you are thinking of is the Rumbelows Cup 2nd round match that year (90/91). County beat us 1-0 in the first leg (scabby Tommy Johnson rebound from a penalty - I grew to intensely dislike him as he scored against us a couple of times and generally came across as a little ginger git) but we stuffed them 5-2 after extra time in the second leg. Currie scored a brilliant goal to get us back into it on a rain-soaked night at BP - dribbled round a couple and blasted in from 20 yards. Immortalised by John Gilder's brilliant "Currie - chance to make a name for himself...." commentary on the season video. For some reason (I'm sad, perhaps?!) plenty of details about that match have stuck in my memory, more than 20 years on. We also beat them at home just after that in the league (2-1, including a cheeky backheel from Ritchie) as well. County unfortunately beat us easily on two other occasions that season at their ground - one in the league and once in the FA Cup - but they made up for it by beating West Ham on the last day and helping us win the title! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenbaltipie Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 Good work Ozblue, he had a lot of ability did Currie, came with a glowing reference I seem to remember. My favourite goal from that season was Roger Palmer away at Ayresome Park, combined with a couple of Gordan Bank esque saves from Ooohh Johny Hallworth in the same game. I remember Hallworth coming out away at West Brom scuffing a clearance and the Albion striker attempting the lob... Hallworth subsequently turned and legged it back with the ball coming at some pace over the top of his head.. he palmed it away to safety.. happy days! Got soaked that day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudemedic Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 Good work Ozblue, he had a lot of ability did Currie, came with a glowing reference I seem to remember. My favourite goal from that season was Roger Palmer away at Ayresome Park, combined with a couple of Gordan Bank esque saves from Ooohh Johny Hallworth in the same game. I remember Hallworth coming out away at West Brom scuffing a clearance and the Albion striker attempting the lob... Hallworth subsequently turned and legged it back with the ball coming at some pace over the top of his head.. he palmed it away to safety.. happy days! Got soaked that day. That is still my favourite save by an Oldham goalie. I'm fairly certain the players arrived late that day and some of the Oldham fans, especially the junior Latics coach had got there before them due to a nasty accident on the M6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenbaltipie Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 That is still my favourite save by an Oldham goalie. I'm fairly certain the players arrived late that day and some of the Oldham fans, especially the junior Latics coach had got there before them due to a nasty accident on the M6. Yes the kick off was delayed, was certainly one for the camera's! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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