How many of us NEVER saw a game at Ayresome Park?

Modern stadia are on another planet, even an old one like the Riverside, but there was far more character in the old grounds.
All four stands in a different style, terracing, you and your mates having your own spots on said terraces (at least until we scored), very basic facilities, nipping down to the touchline to get a Bovril, poor lighting leading to 4 distinct shadows as mentioned previously.
All that nostalgia far outweighs the poor facilities in comparison to present stadia. Even the fences that caged us in like animals became part of the experience. Who can forget Bernie scaling them to celebrate with the Holgate after a 1 yard tap in? No need for orchestrated celebrations when you've got an attendant audience jumping around like a box of frogs just scale the ramparts and enjoy the chaos.
 
Fell in love with Boro and football in general standing on the holgate, me and my mates, same spot every week (until we scored and then it was a slightly worrying lottery as to where you'd finish up), used to get there at ridiculously early time to 'soak up the atmosphere'.

The Rioch team also happened to be my very favourite, although I'm not sure which one influenced the other to be honest.
 
speckyget said:
Was trying to remember the precise olfactory cocktail...beer, wee, Brut 33 - yep, farts the missing ingredient.
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Cigarette smoke and bovril along with beer, brut and farting.

I couldn't imagine not knowing Aryresome! Started going in 87 and was there every season until the end. In every stand at some point, apart from the away corner.
 
I only lives in teesside for a total of 6 years, age 1-7 moved back down london, I went a few times in the 80s and 90s not that much though (very skint at the time). Been to Riverside a damn sight more.
 
Just picked up this comment from the Graun....

"Going on a football special to some grounds was lethal. Any big city apart from London meant opportunities to be ambushed. Yes Liverpool/Everton was always bad as was Leeds. The worst I encountered was Middleborough, Ayesome Park, the police were in cahoots with the hooligans so absolutely you literally had to fight to survive on long walk back to the station."
 
Linthorpe_Exile said:
Just picked up this comment from the Graun....

"Going on a football special to some grounds was lethal. Any big city apart from London meant opportunities to be ambushed. Yes Liverpool/Everton was always bad as was Leeds. The worst I encountered was Middleborough, Ayesome Park, the police were in cahoots with the hooligans so absolutely you literally had to fight to survive on long walk back to the station."
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Thats b***ks police hated home fans as much as the away fans.
 
Linthorpe_Exile said:
Just picked up this comment from the Graun....

"Going on a football special to some grounds was lethal. Any big city apart from London meant opportunities to be ambushed. Yes Liverpool/Everton was always bad as was Leeds. The worst I encountered was Middleborough, Ayesome Park, the police were in cahoots with the hooligans so absolutely you literally had to fight to survive on long walk back to the station."
Click to expand...
I remember seeing a Spuds fan in the little park giving it large and decided to take his top off, some little scroat ran off with it, couldn't miss him, sat without a top on in the ground.
 
I was 11 when it was demolished but started to going to the games around '91. I mainly went in the east stand but experienced the holgate a number of times especially in the final 94/95 season. Despite the fact I was a young kid the memories of the place are vivid.
 
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