Remembering Ayresome

On nearly full afternoons/nights, the crowd surging back and forth. Shared this one for Rob's recent book but my first game was vs Man City in the early 70s. They were the team to see at the time - Colin Bell and a host of other top players. I was about 8 or 9 and it was absolutely packed. The crowd was going back and forth and I was getting alternately carried along by it, dropped and trampled. My older cousin who'd took me on the bus, was highly disgruntled at having to leave at half time and take me home!
 
I remember the FA cup match v Barnsley in 81 and getting air lifted down that alley between the new gym and Ayresome Street heading for the Holgate .

Always will remember that Sheepskin smell from the coats pressed against my face .
My feet were about a foot off the ground . 😬
 
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Going down that alley, through the turnstiles, up the steps into the Holgate corner, and seeing the floodlit pitch on an evening game as you reached the top. Then making my way around to behind the goal. Ahhhh, happy simple days.
I spent a good few seasons stood on that Holgate corner because my Dad was a bit old to go down the middle.

You could gauge the size of the crowd by the queue or lack of it at those turnstiles.

I drove past that alley the other day and you just can’t help thinking back to the match days, in fact whenever I’m anywhere near where Ayresome Park was it all comes back because the surroundings haven’t changed at all 👍
 
Coming out of the Holgate after a good victory and turning right to go past the gym and under the main stand chanting loudly so the team could hear you in the changers.
 
I remember the FA cup match v Barnsley in 81 and getting air lifted down that alley between the new gym and Ayresome Street heading for the Holgate .

Always will remember that Sheepskin smell from the coats pressed against my face .
My feet were about a foot off the ground . 😬
Used to smell dobbin as well from the leather jackets and Macs 🤥
 
Does nobody else remember the foot stomping in those old stands?
It was based on Queen’s We Will Rock You and basically went: stamp-stamp, stamp-stamp, stamp-stamp-clap. Repeat.

It was so loud, amplified by those wooden floors and walls. The place literally did rock.

Riverside drummer adds atmosphere my *rse!
 
The floodlight pylons and lads climbing them

The stamping on the wooden floors from those sitting in upper tiers

the half-time scores being hung on the hoardings

The wall for the boys end and climbing over it

the clock for which time stood still for years

How ridiculously green and even the grass was under floodlights

The Football League Review in the middle of the programme

The goal stanchions (see Erimus 74’s Souness thread)
Brilliant that Red! My main memory of my 1st match in December 1966 is at the top of the steps in the boys end and being absolutely amazed at how green the grass was and also how red our kit was.
Football had been in black and white up until that point!
 
Brilliant that Red! My main memory of my 1st match in December 1966 is at the top of the steps in the boys end and being absolutely amazed at how green the grass was and also how red our kit was.
Football had been in black and white up until that point!
Exactly! I imagine that first view from the boys end is shared by so many of us older gentlemen 😉
 
Does nobody else remember the foot stomping in those old stands?
It was based on Queen’s We Will Rock You and basically went: stamp-stamp, stamp-stamp, stamp-stamp-clap. Repeat.

It was so loud, amplified by those wooden floors and walls. The place literally did rock.

Riverside drummer adds atmosphere my *rse!
From the Rioch era, no ?
 
Does nobody else remember the foot stomping in those old stands?
It was based on Queen’s We Will Rock You and basically went: stamp-stamp, stamp-stamp, stamp-stamp-clap. Repeat.

It was so loud, amplified by those wooden floors and walls. The place literally did rock.

Riverside drummer adds atmosphere my *rse!
86 onwards for a couple of seasons, around the Rioch era (y)
 
Walking back to the car as Bernard Gent turns on THAT music from the advert......bog rolls thrown over the fences as the players came out and the lads at the back shouting 'away away away......' if there was a queue at the turnstile as The Power Game started
 
My 1st memory of AP is walking up the steps in the boysend, tanner I think it cost me to get in, well my dad
Standing against the boysend wall with my brother, with our dad stood in front of the wall in the bob end

The Powergame played when Nobby Stiles ran out in an red strip, clutching an orange / brown ball

About 73-74 we had our own little kop in the boysend near to the seats

Nightmmatch when you could see in the stands when people were lighting up a fag

My 1st FAC match was an FAC 3rd round replay v Man City January 1972, snow all around the ground pushed up against the boards, I can still remember Franny Lee squared up to Stuey Boam close to the south terrace & Boamy just sort of picked him up & moved himaside
My 1st ever time in the holgate my dad took me in for a treat was the game we beat Sheff Weds 8-0, looking back now I wished he hadn't now, we scored 8 goals & paraded the trophy when the players celebrated after the game & the only thing I recall about the game was when Stuey Boam hit the crossbar at the east end seats with the score at 3-0 & thinking we're going to score after every attack

Great, great memories
 
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