Away followings at Bloomfield Road

RoyNice said:
Rarely post, but i loved this thread. I thought I would jump in and maybe correct a few mistakes (imo). The largest away following was definitely Man Utd in 74. There was about 15,000 of them and all housed in the Kop (although a few elsewhere). Villa also brought about 15,000 for their promotion celebration the following season, but outside of that, I'm not sure I agree. The 30,000 against Everton was pretty much 18,000 Blackpool and 12,000 Everton, and Bolton brought about 10,000 that day mentioned too. Fantastic numbers and not what we were ever capable of taking (although Sunderland away in 75 was pretty impressive), but I'm not sure as many as mentioned. Maybe my old memory is letting me down
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Anyone who thinks there were more Bolton than Blackpool is wrong. Half the kop then was 6/7k and they probably had another 2/3 mixed in the East and South. Maximum 10k which is still more than they ever brought before and since.
 
20togo said:
yep two games I remember for different reasons. Was on the Kop for the United game and found a fob watch and for the Everton game was in the small north west corner stand.
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I was at the Everton game, sat with the other kids around the perimeter. I always wondered who got to sit in those small corner stands in the SW and NW.
 
1966_and_all_that said:
I was at the Everton game, sat with the other kids around the perimeter. I always wondered who got to sit in those small corner stands in the SW and NW.
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I had a season ticket for the Kop but went to that game with my Dad so he must have got the tickets for there. That would suggest they weren't reserved for season ticket holders. Remember being in the South Stand for the Chelsea [Hatton own goal] game and also the Arsenal game. The latter, I'd got battered by Arsenal skinheads on Abingdon St as I had my tangerine scarf on. They nicked my watch but I wasn't letting go of my scarf! Arsenal scum.
 
L’étranger said:
I remember Ray Hankin got sent off for Burnley, possibly 75/76 in my first ever FA cup game.
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Cheers L’ - I can sleep at night again, thanks for solving that riddle 👍 amazed to see that he’s only 2 years older than me, so @20 when he played in that game, funny as at that age I always thought players were years and years older than me! Nowadays of course the only thing older than me at Bloomfield Rd would be Stan Raby’s “Golden Rake”.
 
WiltsSeasider said:
Bristol Rovers, 1990.

They needed a win to win promotion, we were already down. They brought loads up.

They pipped Bristol City to the league title and there was a pitch invasion.
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The Gas also brought shed loads of fans in 1998 when we beat them and effectively kept them from getting promotion. I had to go through the masses of Rovers fans after the match with my daughters and they were really fantastic. Will always respect them unlike their City neighbours who just don’t travel and are racist dicks.
 
I think the funniest was when Bristol City took over the whole of the East and by half time there were more on the bridge walking away from the ground than still in there 😄
 
That game against Bolton in 1977 with a crowd of 26000 was the biggest attendance I can remember at Bloomfield Road in my time supporting the Pool.
 
Cuthbert said:
The Gas also brought shed loads of fans in 1998 when we beat them and effectively kept them from getting promotion. I had to go through the masses of Rovers fans after the match with my daughters and they were really fantastic. Will always respect them unlike their City neighbours who just don’t travel and are racist dicks.
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That was the same day as my stag night. My so called mate's took great delight in watching me get my arse thrashed in some Blackpool hotel by a whip o gramme they'd planned
 
Wasn't anywhere near some of these crowds but does anyone remember that brief window where the West and North were open but the east paddock and old south stand remained (though due to the pitch realignment the south was quite a distance from the pitch). We played Crewe I think who were up near the top of the league and they filled the old south stand and paddock. Probably only game where the away team had the old south.
 
kuriousoranj said:
No way was there 15k Bolton, 10K max (which was still huge) and nearly all on the kop. I was in the south and it was silent when they scored. The home side of Kop was pretty full too as was the south and west and the vast, vast majority were Blackpool fans. Blackpool would easily get 16,000-17,000 for big games in the 70s. We had 17,000 for Fulham and 19,000 for Arsenal with hardly any away fans.
I remember Burnley coming in the FA Cup 3rd round around 1976? They easily brought 10K and they did have fans in the south.
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I remember being a kid in a crowd of 32000 plus in the 50’s against Wolves when Bloomers was full to capacity. Too young to remember how many away supporters. Sat on a small stool on the cinder path around the pitch, left side of Kop. Also at match v Busby babes similar crowd where we lost 2-0 or 2-1
 
hampshire_exile said:
I remember seeing Peter Houseman get sent off as one of 3 Oxford players sent off that day.

PH moved to a village near where I now live and there is a Sunday League named after him. Aon reffed in it couple of years ago.
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Was that our first ever game on a Sunday or is my memory playing tricks as well? 🤔
 
kuriousoranj said:
Anyone who thinks there were more Bolton than Blackpool is wrong. Half the kop then was 6/7k and they probably had another 2/3 mixed in the East and South. Maximum 10k which is still more than they ever brought before and since.
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Felt like there were more than 10K of them, was surrounded in Scratchers. Clearly remember the lads in the South Paddock evicting several of them to reclaim the area behind the goal.
 
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