[Archived] Big Day Out. Hillsborough

[tomphil]

Waddle got that chant in pelters from the BBE when he played for Spurs in a cup match around 88ish. So much so that he stood there waving his arms conducting them before taking a corner, fair play

[McClarky]

The Stoke game with the massive crush was the first defeat after our 22 game unbeaten run. It was really frightening. That must have been in about March 1988. Mail's howitzer pen was probably the year after but we had a big following there as well although not quite so many. Must have been around 6,000 at the 88 game.

Biggest Rovers away following I've ever been in, apart from semis and finals, was at Everton in the cup in about 86? Lineker played for them at the time. We had absolutely hunners there.

[tomphil]

The Stoke game with the massive crush was the first defeat after our 22 game unbeaten run. It was really frightening. That must have been in about March 1988. Mail's howitzer pen was probably the year after but we had a big following there as well although not quite so many. Must have been around 6,000 at the 88 game.

Biggest Rovers away following I've ever been in, apart from semis and finals, was at Everton in the cup in about 86? Lineker played for them at the time. We had absolutely hunners there.

The season after the huge following and end of unbeaten run we played them 2nd away game of season. A lot there that day as well in the side section though nowhere near as many as the one before, we won that one with a Colin Hendry header. Mails was season after that.

[Gav]

Same season during the unbeaten run we had a massive following at Barnsley also, I recall us filling the open end and half way down one side both terracing and seating.

How many did the away end hold? must have been a good 5k when full and then the paddock and seats, certainly rivalled the Stoke following the same season and Leeds away on Boxing same season I think.

Happy days

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Happy days indeed,the club seemed to have a new drive about it and the fans responded...only a select few knew a certain Jack Walker was casting an interested eye on his home town club.

Happy,happy days indeed Gav.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Same season during the unbeaten run we had a massive following at Barnsley also, I recall us filling the open end and half way down one side both terracing and seating.

How many did the away end hold? must have been a good 5k when full and then the paddock and seats, certainly rivalled the Stoke following the same season and Leeds away on Boxing same season I think.

Happy days

I seem to remember the LET reporting 8000 fans went to that Barnsley game but I'm not 100%.

[Jock]

I remember some big followings to Leeds Road Huddersfield. What a depressing ground it seemed especially in mid winter. Their side stand looked big and dark. Always took ages to get away after the match also.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Leeds RD,Victoria Ground, the old Ewood....proper footy grounds Jock!!

[Jock]

Your right Garns but that Cow Shed was a good name for it.

[Guest Norbert]

I remember being at Bothferry Park in Hull in 1989 for my first match. I was with my dad and uncle with Newcastle fans when they played them. Mick Quinn scored a hat trick and the geordies were going mental. The ground was crap. I also went to Bramall Lane when that still had terracing, and saw Brian Deane at his peak.

The grounds were pretty tatty but there was something about big terraces, but that be because I was very young.

With these 'rail seats', are they completely removed, or in place but folded up?

[Gav]

I seem to remember the LET reporting 8000 fans went to that Barnsley game but I'm not 100%.

We had a similar following when Duncan Shearer made his debut and scored under Kenny, great day out that.

We'd get home gates in the mid to late 80's around 8k on average and would after take well over 50% of those to away games when doing well which is outstanding looking back.

Wasn't always like that, i once went to Plymouth when Scott Sellars scored from a corner due to the windy conditions, and the 40 or so that made the trip spent most of the match behind the wall at the back of the open terrace Think i made that trip instead of going to the Stoke game mentioned above! what was I thinking

[tomphil]

I remember being at Bothferry Park in Hull in 1989 for my first match. I was with my dad and uncle with Newcastle fans when they played them. Mick Quinn scored a hat trick and the geordies were going mental. The ground was crap. I also went to Bramall Lane when that still had terracing, and saw Brian Deane at his peak.

The grounds were pretty tatty but there was something about big terraces, but that be because I was very young.

With these 'rail seats', are they completely removed, or in place but folded up?

Boothferry park was another i went to loads of times late 80's, always seemed to be night games. Mist always descended off the Humber and you couldn't see the other end. Away end a small open terrace, always freezing and lashing down. they had similar gates to us back then but they are another one that never had the stick for small crowds like Rovers have always had from the media and other fans, bizzare really. We always seemed to have a few there, not thousands but in the hundreds, not bad for night games at the time.

[Lhrover]

I remember going when we got beat 3 - 2. think one of our goals was handball.

[only2garners]

We had a similar following when Duncan Shearer made his debut and scored under Kenny, great day out that.

We'd get home gates in the mid to late 80's around 8k on average and would after take well over 50% of those to away games when doing well which is outstanding looking back.

Wasn't always like that, i once went to Plymouth when Scott Sellars scored from a corner due to the windy conditions, and the 40 or so that made the trip spent most of the match behind the wall at the back of the open terrace Think i made that trip instead of going to the Stoke game mentioned above! what was I thinking

I was at that game in Plymouth. That was an extraordinary goal from Sellars - the ball got to the near post and more or less turned at right angles into the goal when a gust of wind came along.

I'd like to claim I was there as I followed Rovers all over but in truth I was on the way back from a family holiday in Cornwall - I think it was the end of October half term.