nthstander73

November 1974 I'm young, skint and birdless, so Newcastle away where a mate was at University seemed a good idea. Being skint I decide to hitch. Despite 'O' level geography being my sole qualification all I knew was that Newcastle was in 'the north', so I set off Friday evening trying to get a lift on the M1. Hindsight, now tells me that the A1 would have been better but what did I know at that age. Anyway, quite quickly I get a lift to about Leicester which wasn't a bad start. That's when it started to fall apart, next lift a lorry going to Manchester which I knew was still north so I hopped in. After a bit the driver, a big brick sh*thouse of a fella begins to tell tales of his lurid sex life which were frankly unbelievable given that he had the smell of a monkeys cage, anyway I coped a deafun and after a bit he can tell I'm bored and starts to touch me up. I nearly sh*t myself, here I am speeding up the M6 with some brummie nutter who's the size of a house. I squeezed meself into the corner of cab and prayed for a swift trip to Manchester. Thankfully, we approach Manchester and he drops me at the side of the M62 about 4am in the morning with my backside intact. It starts pissing down, and I wait and wait and wait, soaked to the skin around 6.30 I get a lift to Leeds which means I am at last heading in the right direction. One more lift and I roll into Newcastle about midday. I am knackered and hungry, I meet up with my mate and a quick couple pint and a pie and we're off to the match. My mate has never been to St James Park before, so he's brought along a mate who is a local and a massive Newcastle fan ( so we find out ) Geordie boy takes us into the Leazes end where what appears every pysco in the north east is standing. He thinks this is hilarious as we are unable to utter a word for the best part of two hours while Chelsea get beat. Actually, not just beaten but slaughtered 5 - 0 Five bar steward nil after that journey and I've still to get home. After the match me and my mate dive back to his place and grab a bite to eat and then out to his local Working Mans Club where after a long night of beer, cards and dominoes I had won enough to get the National Express home on the Sunday. I know many fans will have had trips like this, but I am still haunted by this one. I had to work in Newcastle last year and someone asked if I had been there before, yes I replied, Five bar steward nil !

Doncaster away friendly in 85? I was living up there and there was about 20 Chelsea including Mick Greenaway there. It was in the week before the first game back in the first division away to Arsenal with that Kerry goal.

Article in The Independent today about Alan. Update about how he is and what he's up to now. Updating his autobiography so doing a bit of media stuff. Says he feels disconnected with Chelsea ( must be a vintage poster ! ) and feels more for Stoke. A real shame as you could not have got a more local hero than Alan. He was an amazing talent would be worth £ 30m in todays market, also had the biggest beer belly I've ever seen on a sportsman in that pre-season team photo around 71 ish. Alan Hudson legend.

Excellent thread, the blues attending today might have the trophies, but they'll never have what we had. The atmosphere and sheer madness of the terraces will never come back even with 'safe standing', you even knew what to expect from the police if you caught out of order, a beating plain and simple. The countries changed and not for the better and footballs gone the same way.

Remember this one, was working at a bank in Westminster and about ten of us had doctors, hospital appointments, funerals etc to attend that afternoon. The bosses weren't bothered they knew what was going on. It was packed with Chelsea all over, I got in the South Africa road side and was keeping quiet when I realised I was surrounded by Chelsea.

75/76 was the one I remember. I went on my own on a Green Line bus from twickenham to Luton. We were getting beaten when the pitch invasion started. I think this was the one where Mickey Droy gave one of our fans a slap as he ran past him. Whilst it was going off, I took the opportunity to chat a girl up who was with a couple of her mates. She wasn't interested as 'my fella's on the pitch' but I had thought it was worth a punt. Green Line took forever to get home and I think we well beaten. Never liked Luton.

Started off at the front of the shed by the greyhound track. Moved in about 71 to the middle of the shed, although do remember legging it round under the East stand to the North stand ( the old one ) at half time. About 73 moved to the North stand and stayed until segregation when I moved back to the Shed.

46 years a blue and I never knew the two stars were to celebrate the two early 70s cup wins, well done Seven Times.

Seen a new Big Match DVD with Charlie Cooke on the cover, is a different to the Match of the 70s DVD with Ossie on the cover ? I went to most of the games on the first one, Coventry away was one of my first aways, two trainloads, Chelsea fans in both ends and a 3 - 1 win. I think Gary Locke made his debut. Just watch Big Match revisited on ITV4 CFC v Liverpool during Danny Blanchflower's time, Ron Harris kicking lumps out of David Johnson, happy days.

Terracing was great as a kid. Best / worst crush was Spuds league cup semi in the shed, took ne 20 minutes to get me cigs out of me pocket at half time. Grimsby away when we went up was a sell out all ticket and they let you in pay on the day as well - madness !

I remember this one, got locked out of the north stand which was where we used to stand so went in the shed instead. Remember waiting on the the Fulham Road for United to come out afterwards but the bill weren't having any of it so we went back to Earls Court and waited there. Funny though, I can't remember any bother afterwards so we must have just got fed up of waiting. Gawd knows what time they must have let United out as there.

Anyone remember those first membership cards ? Just a laminated bit of paper with your picture on, I had 99% more hair, a tank top and a blue and white scarf on mine. Never used, just one of those ' anti hooligan' measures though up after a bit of mither somewhere. Had mine up to a couple of years ago, when it got lost in a house move. Anybody still got theirs ?