Early Football memories

[trooper 940]

Living down in Lancashire in the 60's i remember being taken by my dad & my uncle to most of Evertons home games in the 69/70 season i was 9  it was the year Everton won the 1st Division trophy they had a great team that included  Gordon West, Howard Kendall, Brian Le  Bone, Clin Harvey, Joe Royle & Alan Ball. All that season we managed to get 3 seats together but on the night they were awaded the trophy the ground was jam packed & i had to go in the "kids pen" baically a big cage so you didnt get crushed in the corner of the Gladys Street end while my dad & uncle tried to get in were they could. My first Newcastle United memory was the 1975 derby game against Middlesborough i was 15/16 we won 1-0 Supermac scored the winner. St James Park was a bit of a mythical place  to me as i'd only ever seen pictures in football books. I was living in Felling at the time & my new school friends asked if i fancied going to the match with them they got me a ticket  saturday came we got the train from Felling to Central Station the first thing that hit me when we walked out the Central Station was the smell of the brewery we walked up some side streets & went to a chippy for fishcake & chips then we walked up to the ground i was a little underwhelmed as we walked from the Gallowgate to the Leazes End as from what i could see SJP was a big grey corrugated shed we got searched on the way in but once we were inside it was magical. We made our way to the far left hand corner of the Leazes End i stood there with a big grin on my face it may not have looked anything from the outside but it was fantastic inside as i say we won the game 1-0 on the way back to the train we got a hot dog & that was it i was hooked i used to go to all the home games with a similar routine if we didnt have time for the chippy it was a bovril & pie from the little kiosk in the Leazes End but you had to be quick the pies sold out very quickly. Anyways there's a couple of my memories lets hear yours 

[Ayatollah Hermione 13863]

Watching the Charity Shield in Spain in a bar full of Man Utd fans and crying outside because we got howked. I was 21 at the time, like.

[Dr Gloom 21915]

seaid this in another thread but mexico 86 and the season lineker bagged 30 goals for everton but liverpool win everthing was my earlliest football memory

[zerosum 234]

leaving the match with my mates a couple of mins before the end when I was 11 or 12 to avoid a crush (keegans first season) .. walking up the fenced walkway between centre gallowgate and corner up to the top,  some kid put his arm through the fence and nicked my hat.. I stopped and asked for it back but him and his mates just give me the Vs and were all laughing.. bloke behind them snatched it back and slapped him round the head “ya little bastards” he said.. handed me it back through the fence. Off I trotted down the steps of piss to the metro 

Edited November 9, 2017 by zerosum

[Haydnator 45]

Remember saying this before but my earliest football memory would be my first game, FA Cup 3rd Round game vs Mansfield Town. 1-0 win, grim game. Peak Souness. Shearer got the winner with 10 minutes to go.

[The Fish 10856]

My clearest earliest football memory came when I was 15. 

 

I'd been going on and off with my mate when his dad couldn't go, or just his dad when my mate couldn't go. This time we all went for the Leicester game in 1997. Jim took us to the Union Rooms, found a corner and snuck me a pint which he'd never done before. We walked up to St James and got something from Greggs on the way, and stood watching the crowds on Strawberry Place and eating the sausage roll. Vividly remember Jim saying he thought we'd lose,  but then he always thought we'd lose. Took our seats in the east stand nearish to the Gallowgate.

 

Elliott put us 1-0 up early doors, but it wasn't a great game and when Matt Elliott equalised there was a sense in the crowd around us that it'd been coming. By 3-1 Jim was fed up and wanting to leave "to beat the rush" and it was only because my mate was moaning on that he wanted to stay that we got to see Shearer's hattrick that won us the game. I couldn't see his second at all and just went off the crowd noise, but when our 4th went in I only missed who put the ball through for Lee. Ended up two rows down and no idea how many seats across. Think it was the first time I properly bruised my shins on the back of the seats. 

 

All the way home on the Metro Jim was saying how he knew we'd pull it back  

 

I'd been to games before, but none of them stick in the memory as vividly as that one. 

[Alex 35077]

I think the earliest game I have (very) vague memories of would be seeing Aston Villa beat Bayern Munich in the European Cup final (1981 iirc) with a young Nigel Spinx coming off the bench after the first choice goalie was injured early in the first half and his being hailed a hero. First World Cup was 1982 and I don't think one has really come close to capturing the imagination in the same way since. I fell in love with that Brazil side and Zico and Socrates in particular. I was genuinely fucking gutted when they lost to Italy and went out (much more so than when England went out that evening (I think) after failing to beat Spain despite a late cameo (and that missed header) from KK and Trevor Brooking. I remember KK getting stick for that on fantasy football years later but England needed to win 2-0 to go through. Those 20 mins or so was the only World Cup football he ever played as it was the first one they'd qualified for since '70. France were nearly as good as Brazil and Platini was a majestic player who was arguably at the peak of his powers. The manner of their defeat to West Germany in the semi-final felt incredibly unjust to a naive 7 year old (although it was fucking was unjust by virtually any metric tbh). Tardelli's goal in the final (and the celebration) along with Falcao's in the previously mentioned second phase group game were iconic moments which I still remember quite clearly. There were loads in that tournament although you're probably all nodding off so I'll leave it there.

First Newcastle game was New Years Day 1983 and a 2-2 draw against the mighty Carlisle United managed by Bob Stokoe and with Pop Robson in their side. 1-0, 2-1 down it ended up as a draw with KK getting both of our goals. I can only really remember the equaliser and the atmosphere. The Newcastle side included the likes of Terry Mac, Kevin Carr, Jeff Clarke, Chris Waddle and an on-loan Howard Gayle (who was on the cover of the programme).

Another early memory from about 1984 is going to Roker Park with family from down south who followed Spurs all over at the time. It was a dreadful 1-1 draw. I think Mark Falco got the Spurs goal and Alan Brazil was in the side too. I remember Barry Venison copping a load of grief from the Clock Stand (we were in there incognito) when he was taking a throw-in and given it back in spades to his own supporters

[ewerk 30598]

Ray Houghton scoring against Italy in 94 and me going fucking mental in my living room is my earliest football memory.

[Alex 35077]

Just now, ewerk said:

Ray Houghton scoring against Italy in 94 and me going fucking mental in my living room is my earliest football memory.

What about that penalty miss by Diana Ross?

[ewerk 30598]

 Sadly I only saw that many years later on YouTube.

 

Though if she’d had an Irish granny Big Jack would’ve had her in the squad.

[Dr Gloom 21915]

made the geoff thomas shank to the corner flag look good, that strike by diana ross 

[Alex 35077]

1 minute ago, ewerk said:

 Sadly I only saw that many years later on YouTube.

 

Though if she’d had an Irish granny Big Jack would’ve had her in the squad.

It was the highlight of an otherwise flawless and completely soulless opening ceremony

[StoneColdStephenIreland 74]

My first football memory was when we beat Man U 5-0 as I watched it at home when I was about 4 or 5. After that the years blended together and I can't remember much else than the fa cup final against Man U then Sir Bobbys reign. 

 

The first games I actually got to was under Roeder. First two games we got beat 2-1 and 1-0 Off Fulham and Sheffield United. Then I finally got my first point drawing 2-2 against Man U! 

[David Kelly 1244]

I wasn't remotely interested in football until I was about 9.  Before that I have vague memories of my dad going to the match every other Saturday so me and my sister had to spend the full day at my grans as my mam worked then.  The first specific football memory I have is the mackems being on the telly and my dad wanting the opposition to win.  At the time I couldn't understand why he would be cheering on a southern team rather than a local one.  I said to him "you'd support them if they were playing in Europe though wouldn't you?" to which he replied "you'll never have to worry about that son."

 

The first match I ever went to (or can remember at all) was against West Brom in the season Charlton managed us (so it must have been 84 or 85).  My dad had to tell me who played for us in the car up to the town.  Waddle was the only one I'd heard of.  We won a pretty unremarkable game 1-0 with a freekick from Beardsley.  

[Tdansmith 3259]

Saturday afternoon getting off the bus at Worsick street long before KO, my best scarf around my neck, one on each wrist and one dangling down from my jeans belt hook, buying a keegan's hamburger then heading up to haymarket and the supporters club shop to check out any new football programmes to add to my want list and stare at my black and white future christmas presents decorating the best shop the world has ever seen. 

 

 Getting to St James' Park about 100pm waiting at the players entrance to see if I can get an autograph or two.  ( nearly always got Alan Gowling's  ) 

Making my way up all those steps in the Gallowgate end before the piss waterfall would be there ( I wasn't allowed in the Leazes end ) sitting on the concrete barrier as the ground would slowly fill up for what seemed like an eternity until the players came out. The atmosphere, the singing, the drunk fans, pushing and shoving, wishing i was old enough to start a song off myself.

I haven't got one early match that stands out, i just remember the absolute joy when we scored a goal the noise of the roar was electric the swaying of the crowd followed by the deafening chants from all around the ground but especially the Leazes end. 

Pure joy

When it was over the long wait began again for two weeks time and the next home game.

1970's following Newcastle United were the best days ever !

 

[adios 717]

Andy Gray and Martin Tyler for me.

[Howmanheyman 33166]

My first every memory was sitting in Gallowgate Stand watching Jackie Milburn score against Puskas Hungary side as we won the European Fairs cup winners cup 3-0. 

[Alex 35077]

You and CT do have something in common then

[Howmanheyman 33166]

5 hours ago, Alex said:

You and CT do have something in common then

He trudged, I squelched.

[trooper 940]

I nearly forgot the Nut Man at SJP this was a guy who walked around the perimeter of the pitch before kick off selling bags of monkey nuts does anyone else remember him ?

[Tdansmith 3259]

54 minutes ago, trooper said:

I nearly forgot the Nut Man at SJP this was a guy who walked around the perimeter of the pitch before kick off selling bags of monkey nuts does anyone else remember him ?

They were peanuts not monkey nuts 

"Peanuts, peanuts, tanner a bag peanuts"  he always got his money and the peanuts were always caught by the buyer, everytime.

[strawb 4248]

Bit different but my first football memory is playing football. I was 7 playing for my first kids team, played in goal. Lost 11-0 but got man of the match..

 

 

[Dr Gloom 21915]

Did a blind man hand you the man of the match award?

[strawb 4248]

Would have been 30-0 if it wasn’t for me mate

[Tdansmith 3259]

2 hours ago, strawb said:

Bit different but my first football memory is playing football. I was 7 playing for my first kids team, played in goal. Lost 11-0 but got man of the match..

 

 

If your goal had no nets you must have ran miles. 

MOM well deserved.