Return to Footy page
Return to Homepage
Hammys memories of being a Saints fan part 1 the 70's.
I have supported The Saints since 1969 when as a 9 year old I finally managed to get my elder brother Les to take me. My first match was against Nottingham Forest and I will never forget the atmosphere as I walked into the Milton Road terrace. MY brother put me down the front while he joined all his mob under the Toomers sign. This is where all the Saints lads congregated in the late sixties. Any way we lost 3-2(a score Forest would repeat twice at Wembley against us in 79 and 92)
The funny thing is my favourite game ever apart from the 76 final and semi final was against Forest in the cup,. This was in 77 and we drew them away. I had started work by then and had to go in to stock take that Saturday but sod that I thought and boarded the Coach in High Road Swaythling to join all the other boot boys of the time. By the time we arrived in Nottingham half a motorway service station was stashed on board our coach along with various bottles of sherry and chizano? We were given the Trent end which was Forests end and they were not happy but what an atmosphere we created under that cover. I will never forget a big crew of Saint geezers coming in late straight into the side where Forests mob were. They were all dressed in butchers/doctors coats with various slogans painted on them including the famous saint man. Any way the game was thrilling with end to end football and goals a plenty. We would score and they would and in the end it was a 3-3 draw. As we all streamed out along side the river I noticed most of the Saints fans were turning right over the bridge towards the railway station. Our coach was in the other direction(OOPS I thought) about 10 seconds later a huge afro haircut caught me in the eye as a huge doctor martin boot caught me in the nuts!! I always seemed to cop it unlike the Bassett lot who laughed at me all the way back home.
I loved the Dell in the early 70's and went on my own a lot meeting loads of new mates as I queued up out side from 9.30 in the morning? I thought it was great to hang around for 3 hours until they opened the gates. Mind you in them days if you didn't get there early you sometimes got locked out and I missed several Man u games and was to young to clime massive trees like all the fake mancs. I witnessed the end of the 60's team and loved the likes of Eric Martin, Tommy Jenkins, Ronny Davies, Brian o' Neil and of course old windmill arms himself Mickey Channon. It always seemed dark at the dell in 70-74 and freezing cold or raining but I think that is just the rose tinted spex coming out again. I cried my eyes out when we were relegated that night against Burnley but at least we finished above Man u!! We were the victims of the 3 up 3 down rule. Lawrie took over from Ted Bates when we were in the top 4 at Christmas and I think player power and the bad timing of the changeover caused our down fall.
The second division was a gas though and my thoughts on this part of the 70's era will follow soon.
Hammy
Odd memories of the 70's
Being chucked out the chocolate boxes for throwing peanuts on the fans below at a reserve game.
Eating 6 choc ices in a pre season friendly against Japan in 71. We won 6-0 as my memory serves me?
Hiding in an old ladies house in Archers Road after being chased by a mob of Leeds fans. She must have been mad to let us in!! I was only 11 and i have hated Leeds ever since.
Being thrown out for doing Knees Up Mother brown under the Toomers sign several times. The police hated us doing that.
Always being outside the Milton Road at 10.00am when the gates didn't open until 12.30pm?
Seeing a young JimSteel the fan not the player sitting on the crash barrier in a blue bomber jacket back in 71.Some 26 years later he would come on my stag weekend in Dublin?
