Millwall away 1988 - How it was when it was as a Newcastle United fan back in the day
How it was when it was as a Newcastle United fan back in the day - Millwall away 1988
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Newcastle (H) 1988
- Thread starter STWall
- Start date
The Ilderton
Active member
From memory i thought they were marched in via the CBL , very strange and tasty.
I was one of fifty that went to St James park, around that time. lost 1-0 ,Tony Towner had a goal disallowed, would have been given today. Walked past a working mans club and even than one of them wanted to know but old bill got the door closed. Can still remember the amount that were being chucked out even before kick off
The Royal Archer
Well-known member
I do have some pre match recollections of that day.
Not sure what I was up to to but was in the West End around 11.30ish and passed the St James Tavern. There were hundreds of Geordies spilling out into the street as this was clearly an agreed meeting point so they could travel south of the river in numbers - and this was early doors.
For whatever reason I got a train from London Bridge quite late which would get to New Cross Gate around 2.30 and it was packed with them.
Keeping my mouth shut I could see they were all fired up about what was for most of them their first visit to the famous Millwall.
Can't have been an escort from the station or would have been caught up in it. To be honest they didn't meet with any reception and - from what I recall - were able to roam towards the ground in a mob chanting something like Come on Millwall! Bit like West Ham that same season and Hibs a couple of years later.
Again, being honest, I was a bit dissapointed as that day was the closest I ever came to the away fan experience at the old ground.
Do remember two of theirs running down a back street - possibly Egmont St or Casella Rd - shouting loudly looking for a fight only to be laughed at by their own as the street was deserted.
Slipped away to CBL and got in just around kick off time.
May or may not have been activity in the OKR or Elephant but it seemed to me they had travelled en masse from Soho.
But I can vouch that they did have a lot of game lads that day but have no memory of anything post match.
Funny thing was we were on such a good run at the time I recall thinking the game was a bit boring at 4-0.
The 1978 match (first game of the season?) was before my time but I have heard the Geordies were escorted through one of the estates after the game and had concrete slabs hurled at them.
Not sure what I was up to to but was in the West End around 11.30ish and passed the St James Tavern. There were hundreds of Geordies spilling out into the street as this was clearly an agreed meeting point so they could travel south of the river in numbers - and this was early doors.
For whatever reason I got a train from London Bridge quite late which would get to New Cross Gate around 2.30 and it was packed with them.
Keeping my mouth shut I could see they were all fired up about what was for most of them their first visit to the famous Millwall.
Can't have been an escort from the station or would have been caught up in it. To be honest they didn't meet with any reception and - from what I recall - were able to roam towards the ground in a mob chanting something like Come on Millwall! Bit like West Ham that same season and Hibs a couple of years later.
Again, being honest, I was a bit dissapointed as that day was the closest I ever came to the away fan experience at the old ground.
Do remember two of theirs running down a back street - possibly Egmont St or Casella Rd - shouting loudly looking for a fight only to be laughed at by their own as the street was deserted.
Slipped away to CBL and got in just around kick off time.
May or may not have been activity in the OKR or Elephant but it seemed to me they had travelled en masse from Soho.
But I can vouch that they did have a lot of game lads that day but have no memory of anything post match.
Funny thing was we were on such a good run at the time I recall thinking the game was a bit boring at 4-0.
The 1978 match (first game of the season?) was before my time but I have heard the Geordies were escorted through one of the estates after the game and had concrete slabs hurled at them.
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E1 Wall
Well-known member
I was there that day (1978) we got off at a station called manors where about 70 old bill were waiting, we got escorted all round the back doubles which seemed to take forever, as we got near the ground up that hill there was a club/bar on our left where they all came running out ( the magpie club) the local plod just unleashed the dogs onto them, we was stuck in that corner with ball bearings being one of the missiles thrown at us, half time came and a massive tear up erupted at the other end as a van load or two of millwalls finest arrived.
Eamon Dunphys tackle
Well-known member
I was there as well. and a ball bearing went just over my head and embedded itself into a wall behind me.
TMFC
Well-known member
My first visit there was in the old league cup ‘77.
Millwall supporters club run a special, those were the days.
No more than 120 went up on the train. Poor turnout considering our first visit there for years and Newcastle being a big club. Mainly young lads like me, our main chaps never bothered. There was a Bedford van from the Gloucester pub, about a dozen in that, which made 130/140.
Without doubt the dodgiest gaff ever been to with Wall. Most Wall stood on the Gallowgate, some chose the seats, that was a mistake. It didn’t help us winning 2-0 think John Seasman scored our goals. They weren’t happy.
The game the Newcastle bod is talking about down Wall, him saying 500 mob in that boozer the Elephant & Castle. I drunk in there in me younger days, it’s still there now, known better as the glass house. No way you can get 500 bods in there, not big enough. But their turnout was good that day. One of the best I’ve seen down Wall. They came to the Cold Blow. I was in the Archer when they bowled past. Proper ruck.
I rate Newcastle, one of the best for me.
Millwall supporters club run a special, those were the days.
No more than 120 went up on the train. Poor turnout considering our first visit there for years and Newcastle being a big club. Mainly young lads like me, our main chaps never bothered. There was a Bedford van from the Gloucester pub, about a dozen in that, which made 130/140.
Without doubt the dodgiest gaff ever been to with Wall. Most Wall stood on the Gallowgate, some chose the seats, that was a mistake. It didn’t help us winning 2-0 think John Seasman scored our goals. They weren’t happy.
The game the Newcastle bod is talking about down Wall, him saying 500 mob in that boozer the Elephant & Castle. I drunk in there in me younger days, it’s still there now, known better as the glass house. No way you can get 500 bods in there, not big enough. But their turnout was good that day. One of the best I’ve seen down Wall. They came to the Cold Blow. I was in the Archer when they bowled past. Proper ruck.
I rate Newcastle, one of the best for me.
The Royal Archer
Well-known member
They certainly had an ongoing hooligan rivalry with West Ham around this time. Not sure what sparked it off but there was a petrol bomb thrown into the visitors section at St James Park in the early 1980s as the feud escalated leading to the song `He's only a poor little hammer.....` Recall seeing some graffiti in Newcastle reading IF YOU ARE A GEORDIE GO TO WEST HAM AND FIGHT.
Later Edit - Found some info here -
Later Edit - Found some info here -
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E1 Wall
Well-known member
That 78 game up there was an eye opener, some of them were still wearing butcher coats and certainly most were wearing flares, as we boarded the train at “manors” for kings cross our liaison copper come walking on, his right hand looked like an hock of ham, he’d just clumped a Geordie who along with three others were about to brick the train on its departure,, one of the local coppers said to him “ you can’t do that” he told em “ fucking too late , I have”.. supposed to be a liason copper but he used to play cards with all the fans on the trains going away games 
I remember ob grabbed one of theirs in the paddock next to us on the left, ran him down the terrace straight into the concrete crush barrier..... unsurprisingly, the cunt folded.That 78 game up there was an eye opener, some of them were still wearing butcher coats and certainly most were wearing flares, as we boarded the train at “manors” for kings cross our liaison copper come walking on, his right hand looked like an hock of ham, he’d just clumped a Geordie who along with three others were about to brick the train on its departure,, one of the local coppers said to him “ you can’t do that” he told em “ fucking too late , I have”.. supposed to be a liason copper but he used to play cards with all the fans on the trains going away games
Not sure whether it was on the walk from or back to Manors under the escorts old women throwing spuds at us from a black of flats. So that's where the fruit throwers got the idea from.
My memory of the 78 home game was all their coaches, including the team coach getting bricked as they came by the Windsor / Crown & Anchor.
E1 Wall
Well-known member
After that tear up in the other end at half time they led all the Millwall round the pitch past that side stand to our left, they were getting dogs abuse from the Geordies, coins being hurled, lighters etc, one of ours at the back of the escort stopped on his own, blazer on, roll neck jumper, proper smart, He was getting it now, cockney **** etc he slid his hand inside his blazer pocket like he was gonna pull out a blade but instead pulled out an hair brush and started brushing his wedge haircut
E18 wall
Well-known member
They also had a massive mob come out of new cross train stn, I was standing outside the deptford engineers club. It was kicking off everywhere once they got to harts lane.
ringo_the_lion
Well-known member
I missed the 1978 home game as I was going on holiday with my parents(I was 13) but my mates told me it was brilliant kicking off everywhere.
I remember in the programme after the next home game there was a notice saying that due to the violence during the Newcastle game the wearing of steel toe capped boots was forbidden.
RIP Steel Toe Capped Daisies
I remember in the programme after the next home game there was a notice saying that due to the violence during the Newcastle game the wearing of steel toe capped boots was forbidden.
RIP Steel Toe Capped Daisies
Kryan Bing
Well-known member
There was a punch up at an M1 service station between our lot and their mob years ago. It was during the mid 80's when we were on the way back from Sunderland, and them from QPR. They were playing the innocent party with the press afterwards and the Northern media gave us a rough time (as always).
70sCR
Well-known member
Was that one of their barmies got chivved?
ringo_the_lion
Well-known member
I didn't go to that one but most of my mates did, after the incident their coach got pulled and everyone were arrested all spending the night in Rotherham police station.
They turned up in the pub late Sunday lunchtime pissed off because the coach had fucked off and they all had to jib it home.
