Who remembers this day 1988 - Oldham away & the swinging gate

[Erimus74]

In the pouring rain, we paid our money & passed hrough the turnstiles & made our up the away end steps to the terrace standing section

When a big enormous puddle awaited us to the entrance on to the terrace
The only alternative was a massive, heavy swinging iron gate, you Ora couple woukd out your feet between the rails, hold on & someone woukd swing the gate over the puddle to 'safety', then jump off & pass back for other fans to use it

The weather improved with the rain slowing down & stopping but a Paul Kerr goal was the only bright spot of an afternoon that seen us suffer a 3-1 defeat, a fantastic season but we ended the year losing at Leeds 2-0 & starting the year hammered at Oldham, things improved greatly & normal service was resumed to cap another brilliant season

UTMB

 

[Subbuteo_171]

Horrendous day. They absolutely battered us, the swinging gate and conditions were typical of how poorly fans were treated in those days.

Tried to leave 10 minutes from the end, coppers wouldn’t let us out initially however my old man told them I wasn’t feeling well after being rained on for 2 hours solid, they eventually decided a mid forties bespectacled man and his 15 year old son clearly weren’t intent on seeking out the Oldham hoodies for a rumble and let us out.

 

[Erimus74]

Horrendous day. They absolutely battered us, the swinging gate and conditions were typical of how poorly fans were treated in those days.

Tried to leave 10 minutes from the end, coppers wouldn’t let us out initially however my old man told them I wasn’t feeling well after being rained on for 2 hours solid, they eventually decided a mid forties bespectacled man and his 15 year old son clearly weren’t intent on seeking out the Oldham hoodies for a rumble and let us out.

What was the worst, the weather, the game or trying to get across the gate

 

[Erimus74]

Oxford won the 2nd division that season & beat QPR 3-0 in the league Cup final

What a season & what fantastic memories for the older Oxford fans to look back on

 

[Subbuteo_171]

What was the worst, the weather, the game or trying to get across the gate

Probably the weather tbh. Was a cold, horrible trip back home.

 

[Erimus74]

Probably the weather tbh. Was a cold, horrible trip back home.

Certainly was, we very rarely missed an over game over a couple of seasons back then, infact not until 93 when my daughter was born

 

[goalscrounger]

I had the hangover from hell at this game!

Did Oldham have the plastic pitch at this time? Or is my memory playing tricks on me?

 

[Tomato Soup]

Think the plastic pitches were taken out in the early 90's.

What year was Oldham away postponed about an hour and a half before kickoff? Remember finding out just as we exited the motorway.

 

[boroPE]

Did loads of Boro fans go in the home end then end up getting escorted round the pitch back to the away end ? If so i was there ?

 

[Lemmy_kilmister]

I was there.

Roger Palmer must have absolutely loved playing us. Might be fuzzy in the memories but he always seems to score against us.

 

[Lemmy_kilmister]

Did loads of Boro fans go in the home end then end up getting escorted round the pitch back to the away end ? If so i was there ?

Yes... Boro tried to get into the Oldham end behind the goal from both sides.

 

[since1970]

Did loads of Boro fans go in the home end then end up getting escorted round the pitch back to the away end ? If so i was there ?

That was the Feb 1983 game.

It was also the first match I'd been to where away fans could buy beer inside the ground. It was absolutely putrid.

 

[ska66]

yes i was there. felt really ill (hung over) and considered getting out of the transit van when we picked someone up in guisborough.

wish i had.

 

[since1970]

That was the Feb 1983 game.

It was also the first match I'd been to where away fans could buy beer inside the ground. It was absolutely putrid.

*correction*
I got that a bit wrong. Some of the lads I was with were in their side stand seats and passed me a pint through segregation fence. It was still putrid though.

 

[boroPE]

That was the Feb 1983 game.

It was also the first match I'd been to where away fans could buy beer inside the ground. It was absolutely putrid.

Cant have been that one my first away game was Carlisle Boxing Day 84.

 

[Redwurzel]

The pitch was definitely 100% 1980s superball plastic - we could not cope with it particularly in the rain.

The away terrace was completely open - good planning in an area with one of the highest rainfalls in England.

Yes I remember swinging on the gate to avoid a 12 inch deep puddle.

Wearing spectacles is no fun in the rain, like driving in the rain without wipers. One of my worst days out - still around 3,000? Boro turned out. We could sense we were on the up.

 

[indeedido]

I was there - and wasn't on the gate...
So cold, hung over and all in all one of the worst days I can barely remember.
Transit van, soaking, freezing, no seats.
Shocker.