Archiestephens_elbow
Well-known member
Didn't we play Blackburn at 12pm KO on Easter Monday 1991?
What’s the earliest you’ve been in a ground?
- Thread starter LeeMiller
- Start date
EuropeTwice
Well-known member
The Darlington game in Division 3 1987 kicked off on a Sunday 11:30 if I remember correctly.
I realise that the OP means earliest in the day but another one I remember for being there a long time before the kick off was a Boro away match at Leeds United in the early 1980s when my dad and I went on the supporters club coach.
The coach left Ayresome Park at something ridiculous like 3pm for a 7.45 kick of in Leeds. The driver clearly didn't want to go through the centre of Leeds so went round by the M62 which felt like it took hours but we still got to Elland Road by about 5. The police then didn't want a load of Boro fans roaming around outside the ground so marched us straight into the away end, which in those days was basically a pen in the corner. By this point it was getting dark but it was about an hour before they even bothered to put the floodlights on and we were literally standing in the dark in an otherwise virtually deserted 1980s football ground.
When the game finally started it was a typical Boro away day at Leeds of playing well, getting into a winning position, getting a man sent off, giving away a dodgy penalty and losing.
Does anyone else remember that?
The coach left Ayresome Park at something ridiculous like 3pm for a 7.45 kick of in Leeds. The driver clearly didn't want to go through the centre of Leeds so went round by the M62 which felt like it took hours but we still got to Elland Road by about 5. The police then didn't want a load of Boro fans roaming around outside the ground so marched us straight into the away end, which in those days was basically a pen in the corner. By this point it was getting dark but it was about an hour before they even bothered to put the floodlights on and we were literally standing in the dark in an otherwise virtually deserted 1980s football ground.
When the game finally started it was a typical Boro away day at Leeds of playing well, getting into a winning position, getting a man sent off, giving away a dodgy penalty and losing.
Does anyone else remember that?
sadgit
Well-known member
Same here, shame my pub was my office.
If my memory serves me right I think it was later than that maybe after 1 I’m sure we were held back 3 hours. Happy days
Rofesleg
Well-known member
Notts County FA Cup game (the Chiedoze game). We got off the train and were shepherded into the ground really early. I can't remember how early but we seem to be stood in an empty stadium for hours. I was wearing a 3-piece suit from John Colliers.
In '82 a group of us sneaked in with the caterers at about 5pm for a night match (WBA I think). We hid in the East Stand ladies bogs and strolled out at 7pm, excepting to mingle into a heaving crowd (there wasn't one). Only to find out the stewards had known we were there all along and were waiting for us.
In '82 a group of us sneaked in with the caterers at about 5pm for a night match (WBA I think). We hid in the East Stand ladies bogs and strolled out at 7pm, excepting to mingle into a heaving crowd (there wasn't one). Only to find out the stewards had known we were there all along and were waiting for us.