It certainly was, coming out of the dark up those steps,then suddenly that burst of colour, magical
That is (I think) the biggest though the old Molyneux had a huge terrace which might have come close irc. I think the Holte End was the biggest 'end' of any English ground.
Thanks for that, good watch.
Pommo
His name is spelt with one m but it doesn't look right abbreviated. That's why I put in 2.Glad you agree Wiz as I got corrected.
May 1980 ( it was less than 20 years old )When did the roof come off the Kop? And was it for safety reasons.
I ask as after seeing @Potts Must Go video I’d never realised it had one as I spent most of the 80s as a kid in America so didn’t really go to Bloomfield Road then.
When we came back to Blackpool in the early 90s. I remember my first game walking up the steps to the inside of the South Stand the atmosphere hit me, and remember seeing the old Kop, it looked absolutely massive to me then even though it was divided then with no roof and in a bit of a state.
I can’t remember what year but we got thumped by Burnley at home and they’d packed the stand out and we’re going crazy in there remember thinking there must be millions of them in there not fingers just the people.
You're right, it was the first home game of the season and was played on a Tuesday night from memory, we lost 1-2, it was the game after we'd won at Swindon 2-1 on the opening day.....but yes, 10k + attendance.
Well done Wiz ten out of ten
What caused the changes to it in 1980? I assume it was just falling apart and it was a way of keeping it open?May 1980 is correct. The Rotherham game mentioned we drew 0-0, having won the first game away at Swindon, and beaten everyone pre-season. We got beaten by Everton in the League Cup the following week. Everyone was buzzing with Alan Ball at the helm but it all went pear after that really.
The Scratching Shed was divided and fences put up at the same time as the Kop Roof came off, so at the start of the 1980 season people were a bit undecided as to where to go. I think that night the Scratching Shed was full, with its limited capacity for the first time. I know I was in there and can remember only just getting in before they closed the gates, there was still a big queue behind me, must've been the Rammy lads
Entry from the back of the Kop was deemed unsafe as it was too steep from the turnstiles up to the top. The away side could be accessed from half way up, reducing the risk. There had been issues at other grounds where a crush on steep stairs resulted in fatalities, including Ibrox.
In the 1970's Blackpools kop was the third largest behind Liverpool's kop and Villa's Holte end
This is correct. This is also what caused the roof to be removed. The ground in that part of Bloomfield Road is very very boggy due to there being an old underground stream there. The bit of the Kop on concrete stilts was starting to sink so had to be demolished. Presumably they had to take the roof off to demolish it, and also one of the roof supports stood on that part of the terracing.
though i don't know the original derivation, i believe that the bloke in the op's clip is arthur hopcraft, former football writer and author of the seminal book 'the football man'. he went on to write numerous screenplays including, famously, the tv adaptation of 'tinker, tailor, soldier spy'.
www.bbc.co.uk
Thanks! Appreciate that.though i don't know the original derivation, i believe that the bloke in the op's clip is arthur hopcraft, former football writer and author of the seminal book 'the football man'. he went on to write numerous screenplays including, famously, the tv adaptation of 'tinker, tailor, soldier spy'.
'nairn across britain' is still available on the bbc iplayer and 'football towns' is on youtube. both great.
Nairn Across Britain
Ian Nairn takes a critical look at the townscapes and landscapes in which we live
I recall the decision coming down to the crush barriers where the metal had rotted. It would have cost too much to replace each and every one of them.
We were also on the Kop that day, as my mate said ‘ not letting United stop me standing on my own end’! We were squashed down by the scratchers, no scarves mind!
It was pay at the turnstiles back then as you say. Over 25,000 there that game, it would be interesting to know how many spectators were allowed on each side back then, any ideas?I've always wondered this. Given that our record attendance is around 38,000, I would suggest something along the following:-We were also on the Kop that day, as my mate said ‘ not letting United stop me standing on my own end’! We were squashed down by the scratchers, no scarves mind!
Yeh, that must have been some squash! Probably about 10.000 on Kop for the Man U game, remember most big games in the early 60’s when the Kop was totally rammed and you ended up being carried downwards with no control after a goal! Fun but a bit scary also.
Suspect the West Paddock held more than 2kLook like pretty good estimates to me, apart from the South Paddock of course
After reading AVFTT for a few years, I reckon there were 15,000 in the South Paddock when Mickey Walsh scored against Sunderland
I can't remember any all ticket games until the 80s.
Did not mention 1974 and Charlton could have been a sub 54 years ago is a long time
Okay Kopite just remember as young lads we were chocked off Best and Law did not play
I was standing along the side at the half way line when he cut inside for the shot. Pure magic....
In England.
Originally to be a Kop, it had to sit on an earth banking and had to sweep straight back on one incline (ie. no separation as with a two tiered stand).
![1200px-Spioenkop01[1].jpg](https://avftt.co.uk/data/attachments/3/3256-3342cfbce9257f678626bc37b583c509.jpg "1200px-Spioenkop01[1].jpg")
