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The most impressive and the most pathetic away support at the Bridge

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Raynes Park Blue

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Having just seen the aerial photo of the Bridge, and Peckhams very correct comments of the meagre turnout in the North Stand, what's the best and worse away turnouts you've witnessed at the Bridge?

This can be based on pure numbers, noise generated, the general impression they made.

I can't remember too many teams being given all of the North Stand and packing it.

Then again we only had half a dozen or so full houses full houses from the mid 70s to the mid 80s. It was pretty rare to hear away fans from the shed, due to the distance between the two and the North Stand being open.

Everyone goes on about Newcastles away support in the Div 2 days, but I can't remember them bringing down more than 3 to 4 thousand.

Pompey filled in but didn't pack it 84. Ditto Spurs in the cup in 82. That could well in its own way be a candidate for the most pathetic show up, considering it was the QF of the cup, a London Derby, and they couldn't sell their allocation.

Liverpool when they won the double in 85 had a good few down; fun and games on the Edgware Rd after.

I'm going West Ham in 84/85. They made lots of noise, turned up everywhere, although the ones who appeared late on in the shed got a fearful spanking.

Most pathetic- Not sure. There were many times, when you could count them. Ie Shrewsbury, Hereford. I'm plumping for Spurs in 82 for the reason already mentioned.

Ps During the inflatable craze, didn't Grimsby once turn up with a dingy?

 
I'd go with the West Ham match you mention for pure bringing the aggro to us, but numbers wise Spurs in '78 the match where the railings to the West Stand were nearly pulled over. I'll discount the Liverpool and 'Boro matches where they filled the North Stand as they were deciders and anyone ought to have filled it.

QPR were always pathetic.

 
Burnley and Oldham teams like that you could more or less count how many supporters they had usually about 50. Liverpool filled as you said the North Stand in 85 but used to have two sections before and after until 93 i think it was when Shipperley scored when we beat them 1-0. Man United would rarely fill it as well. In my time Spurs 78, West Ham 80, Spurs 82 are off the top of my head the only games till the mid 80's that the North Stand was filled. It used to make me laugh as a young Shed boy that if the away team had a couple of hundred fans down then the chances were the North Stand would do there job. If at about half an hour into the game a load of blokes would look like they had come in late and start chanting the away team's name you knew what was going to happen. How the old bill never cottoned on to this i'll never know.

 
Probably Tottenham '78. Got there late and saw they still had a good few trying to get in.

Still love that chant when the way support was bad (Hereford) etc. 'We'll see you both outside'.

 
Nottingham Forest in '75 were pretty game too, not a massive number but gave as good as they got in the North Stand.

 
Didn't Millwall fill the North Stand in the FA Cup in 85? Night game. Seem to remember them brawling with the OB. Fearsome lot.

 
Most impressive support I have seen at the bridge was Plymouth, worst was Hull City on the night game that had the most rain I have ever witnessed, both circa mid 1970s.

 
Nitro said:
Most impressive support I have seen at the bridge was Plymouth, worst was Hull City on the night game that had the most rain I have ever witnessed, both circa mid 1970s.
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Plymouth were pretty good that first year in Div 2, they got scattered at the end of the match though. Next season pretty much non-existent. Dead right about Hull too, both seasons we played them. Surprising Bristol Rovers were invisible in the league and FA Cup that season too unlike their more game neighbours.

 
Always felt Portsmouth brought good support, many of them well up for it as well when we played them in the early 80s.

Worst I ever saw was a night match v Coventry towards the end of the season, late 70s early 80s hardly any Coventry on the terrace, but may be wrong on Coventry as mind failing with some games that weren't memorable

 
Worst Derby County 82/83 week after they beat us in F A cup ( thanks Kevin Wilson!) After they were 500 seats light, their chairman said they should boycott the Bridge for safety reasons! 49 turned up!

There is a BBC documentary on you tube about it. It's a good watch, they show the seats ripped out that had only just replaced from Leeds the week before!

The Best a couple mentioned already, will add Millwall 85 (fa cup game) Anyone that builds a bonfire on the terrace during a game with a fairly good turnout certainly created an atmosphere!!

 
Everyone goes on about Newcastles away support in the Div 2 days, but I can't remember them bringing down more than 3 to 4 thousand.

Never saw Newcastle have anywhere near that number back then specially 4-0 and 6-0 around 80-81

 
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For a club so close QPR 's support was woeful, can't really remember any great support, possibly Sheffield Wednesday late 80's in the league cup, think they went banana's when they scored. So did we but not in a good way.

 
Raynes Park Blue said:
. Ditto Spurs in the cup in 82. That could well in its own way be a candidate for the most pathetic show up, considering it was the QF of the cup, a London Derby, and they couldn't sell their allocation.
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I may be getting on in years, but i'm sure because of segregation issues, they were given the whole of the North Stand, and had an estimated 12,000 there that day?. 

 
man united early to mid 90s. im sure they packed the north stand and even had supporters comming in the shed end and being allowed to walk straight down to front to be escorted down their end! An ariel shot was on the cover of one of the yearbooks. Liverpool  86 when they won the title. West ham always brought thousands, big day out for them and their club is not exactly a trophy magnet, so not glory boys. Worst has to be QPR. massive mouths - tiny fan base.

 
Although Liverpool in the league in 85/86 was good, their support in the cup the same season was poor. The game is on YouTube and the North Stand was pretty sparse.

 
charlton pretty much filled it in the relegation play off semi final, had a right tear up in there, down by the benches after we couldn't get into the shed, so went in their end. ouch 

 
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