KEYNSHAM NEWS

Been a while-not been to good, never mind, still here-just recalling with me old mate A***s, we came up in three transits in 75, i was 20 yrs old, no fear, never had a hiding yet at football. Had a bit of success in the Anglo-Scottish pre season, seen the bravest Chelsea boy come into a pub and front up the cream of Bristol that day, never forget that as long as i live. But this was the league match, we were lucky, all your main chaps were up the North Stand-flocking round are supporters, thirty of us crossed the forecourt as one getting nervous looks from the home support, up the steep steps-no going back now, heart pumping, this was big-time-BAARISSTALL! CLAP CLAP CLAP-WHAT THE f**k-how did they get on here. We were quickly surrounded by Fulham old bill, they ushered us down to the front and round the pitch to applause from the away support. Ha! you look back now and it was nothing, but it was a dare if you like, none of us got hurt and yet we felt ten feet tall!.........Mike, Peckham, you still out there, hows things, long time.

Hordes of em all with their banners and songs about tims and fenians and the pope. Fireworks on the pitch, damp sweaties off it, too hot, went in the Sun at half time! Lost one nil, went home to the Ship in Keynsham, no one in but Fat Stan-every pubs got one haven't they? Curry takeaway for tea, in this weather, i know! Can you tell im bored-roll on the start of the season, goodnight!

allright Leigh, if you ever come to Keynsham, i'll take you in the Trout on Temple St and lets see how coherent you are after 2 pints of the apple! Or see how your legs work as well! Speak to you Sat.

Evening all! Everyones nicely wound-up for the impending arrival of the sweaties on Saturday at Ashton Gate! The thing is, there's plenty in this city with affection for them and who belong to various Gers travel clubs, BUT, what happens when the Jocks score and 20 or so Hibernians shoot up from their prev concealed positions in say the Dolman Stand-their gonna come second-cause there's 3 generations of football chap out on Saturday-late sixties to present day youth firms from the Catholic club and Totterdown boys boxing club-who can more than hold their hands up! Being a senior supporter, me and a few mates my age (40) ......well you never know, will be breakfasting courtersey of messers Witherspoons n sons.You cant get a hotel room down the waterfront for love or money. Watch this space sat evening.

Evening all-told you, just been confirmed-Glasgow Rangers to play Bristol City on July 13th 12.30 kick off! As if that will stop it-been given 5,500 tickets for the East-End, still that wont stop them going in other parts of the ground. Should be interesting?

Evening, Jim, Mike, Leigh anyone! Just spoke to A down here in Bristol and he reckons all his Glasgow Rangers mates are booking coaches for the 13th July Sat-to play us. Well i've heard zilch, so over to youse and your connections, can you ask around and let us know?

Evening Leigh/Mike hows things/? Think the Wheatsheaf was the pub we attacked in 1975 Anglo-Scottish Cup, when the landlord came out with an iron bar to us! We then got moved along to the Black Bull where your One-armed man confronted us-what a brave bloke he was! This is all documented in another chelsea site- Memories of a non chelsea fan! I know exactly how you have to watch yourself Leigh when you get older at football-a case in point was the near miss in Bristol with some young guns from the Barking rd, they were sizing me up when i turned up alone to meet J and a couple of other mates, but i read it wrong and they started to snipe me with the usual comments. The older lot soon came to the rescue and J in particular warned them off. How the world turns, i make my way to the ground and im stood on the road overlooking the park with literaly three generations of football geezer, there was probably six, seven hundred near the park wall, waiting-who should come up to me but the snipers from before-uh, uh, R can you show us the way into the away end! Well i could have quite easily offered em up but wheres the honour in that! -Mike was the Royal in Southgate, lots of italians n greeks, and did it have a balcony upstairs which you could jump from if you were being chased by italians with knives cause you had been seeing his girlfriend whilst he was in nick? No? not the same club then-Ha!

Anyone there? Leigh-Jim -just been watching the Chelsea v Cardiff ruck down the side streets off the Fulham rd. And do you know what i noticed straight away? The age difference between the two mobs was quite apparent. To the right, Chelsea-very smart, all Belstaff, Barbour n flat caps -could have been Roma, to the left, Cardiff-tracksuit tops and Burberry. But the Chelsea mob weren't there for posing, they wanted a frankie knuckle all right, but a lot of main faces were putting themselves up, and bugger the consequencies.

Allright Leigh-The Gold Mine-was the name of the club in Canvey Island-just this minute came to me as i could see you were reading my post! Robbie Vincent was the DJ, as you can see the old grey matter is not too good now, after all it was 38 yrs ago. Stayed in Rayleigh last year, went to a large pub with A from Bristol, met all the locals and my mates, went on to the large golf/country club for the 50th. Have to go now mate, the medication wears off about 9.30-speak to you again.

Welcome back Yorkley, the Bamboo was, as you know, in St Pauls and strictly members only. It was owned by Tony Bullimore the yachtsman, always getting into trouble around the world in his boat. In all my years in Bristol i've never been in there, western dominoes club -yea-Blue Lagoon, DJ Seymour n his brother Superfly (yea i know) but to my shame, even when the Pistols played there-not my cuppa tea-i wasn't interested. Burnt down one night under suspicious circumstances-alledgedly. Put the Fatback Band on and with 5 pints of Stella in me i'd make a right c**t of meself. Dug-Out on Park Row was better and less risk, you didn't wanna get caught down there at 2 oclock in the morning!

Morning Peckham, as you can imagine at my age the punk scene didn't really grab me. I was still a soul boy frequenting venues in Bristol like the Guildhall a downstairs club/bar-wild dressing for the times. We used to catch a train up for £5 return to Paddington and go to places like Stanley Adams on the Kings rd for our clothes, another place we went was Acme Attractions downstairs in the market. A black guy used to work in their called Don Letts who went on to greater things. We used to drink in the Chelsea Drug-store on the left hand side and move up to "boy" which was McClarens-bit wild for us. We would end up in Johnsons at the top near Worlds End, then on to the 100 club on saturday afternoons. This was mostly black guys and funk music, my mate Alan Perry knew a black guy in there called Bevis, who came down to Bristol in the hot summer of '76. Wonder what happened to him? We went to a few venues in and around London over the years-Royalty or Royal, Southgate, Canvey Island, Crocs, Shagaramas, Samanthas-perhaps some of youse older Chelsea will remember?

wellcome back mate, hows things? Vice Squad had two of our lot playing with them, Shane Baldwin-drums-and my mate from many away game Dave Bateman on bass. They drank in The Crown down the road from Keynsham and the Maypole in Hanham. Thats where i knew Dave-who sadly died in Spain a few years ago. There peak i suppose was supporting The Dammed in Bristol-my mate Timmy Lewis was a sort of roadie for them and still sees Shane now. He says he wrote reviews for various music papers after they split. He says Dave was always up London and knew some of the Rejects/Bushell etc. Afternoon Leigh, yea i get around, invites only, get introduced, never outstay my welcome. Cant answer your question about the mans health as i didnt get a chance to speak to him, not that i would anyway, got a few friends up there over the last 10 yrs and its well known we lost a few-still thats football for you-speak to you later!

Welcome back Cobham, what a tragic storey about a young man who i barely knew, but looked like he was going on to better things in his writing career. In those early days there were lots of young chaps plying there trade in and around the music/football scene, another name i followed with interest was a talented photographer working for Sounds or NME, he flirted with his own combo for a while under the guidance of Garry Bushell, Grant Flemming was his name-i got a feeling he did a shoot on Becki Bondage and Vice squad in the Victoria Rooms in Bristol in the early days. And by chance i was in Portugal in 2003 for the Euros in Albufera with A an all our lot, well we stayed at this large hotel on the strip and who should be in there but the Boys from BARKING. As there was no history between us at the time we seemed to click and started a friendship that lasted Thirteen years. Lo and behold one morning at breakfast, i was sat with W*****H chatting away about my favourite photographer and he says "thats him over there" not ten feet away was this long-haired tanned hippy type aving his scran! Sad thing was by the time i built up the courage to chat he upped an left, didn't see him again till JONO'S 50TH at Rayleigh Country Club, with Bill, Carlton et. al. ps had crap weather first two days on holiday and 14 yr old was "bored" all the time-it gets better doesn't it!

keynsham news is on holiday with family in Majorca, will speak again in a week, ok Jim? oh and Cobham welcome, you are a good read. The original casuals feature was by Dave Rimmer and Kevin Sampson (away days) in 1983 i think, but as you correctly said Gavin Hills was maybe early 1992. I also think he passed away in tragic circumstances. If i remember his article was entitled (Whatever happened to the likely lads).

Afternoon Munich! the site is on the same page as mine-Chelsea memories from a non-Chelsea fan-scroll down quite a way and there's enough storys on there to last till tea-time! As for a book a well known black fella in Bristol who runs a security outfit in IRAQ comes home on 7th June to meet his publisher, and has asked A and me to a meeting to discuss one, so lets see!