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Where did you use to stand?

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Started on the Whitewall, then moved to the middle!

God I miss those days!

 
When I was a kid my dad would take me, and I'd stand at the front of the north terrace. My first season I went on my own was in 68/69, at the age of about 11. I'd stand on the terrace between the Shed and the old East Stand. As I got older and bigger I naturally migrated to the Whitewall and middle of the Shed.

Round about 1972/73 I started going into the North Stand in order to partake in friendly banter with away fans, as MKBlue will attest to :wink: . From this point on I only went in the Shed if we were playing a team who might attempt to take it. Early 80's and it was Gate 13 of the East Stand. Some great memories!

 
flyrr100 said:
Usually, as far away from the Hounslow mob as possible! They would love to chase the Whitton mob (mob! all 4 of us) all over The Shed!
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Strange reading that, as far as I know there was never any needle between any groups of Chelsea south of the river. I remember Carshalton, Mitcham, Morden and Sutton mostly knowing each other and getting along.

Just realised where I know the name Hounslow Mob from, there used to be a gang of punks and skins who followed the punk band Penetration about in the late 70s, anyone know if it's the same bunch?

 
BlueBeard said:
When I was a kid my dad would take me, and I'd stand at the front of the north terrace. My first season I went on my own was in 68/69, at the age of about 11. I'd stand on the terrace between the Shed and the old East Stand. As I got older and bigger I naturally migrated to the Whitewall and middle of the Shed.

Round about 1972/73 I started going into the North Stand in order to partake in friendly banter with away fans, as MKBlue will attest to :wink: . From this point on I only went in the Shed if we were playing a team who might attempt to take it. Early 80's and it was Gate 13 of the East Stand. Some great memories!
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Seems a lifetime ago now that our little bunch used to look up to you, Ray, Keith and the rest.

Do you remember your first tear up? We was about 14 or 15 at Notts County, we'd gone up National Express as my dad used to get us free tickets sometimes. After the game most got on the special, leaving us a couple of hours to kill. We got ambushed by some Forest skins who were a good couple of years older than us, we had a little, token, effort then got chased around Nottingham city centre for an hour or so, happy days.

That was also the day we became mates with some Notting Hill lads who were also on the coach, and still see some of them at the game to this day.

 
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I've been thinking about the first time I got physically involved in a tear-up at a Chelsea game, had to consult the league fixtures from years ago.

The first time I was close to being involved was at Derby, New Years Day 1972. I went up on the Special on my own at the age of 14 on the proceeds of my paper-round Christmas box. We went in the Pop Side and stayed all match, and after the game we were ambushed from the side streets all the way back to the station. Chelsea beat f*ck out of the Derby, but it was going off all over the place and somehow I never managed to get stuck in, always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I'm pretty sure the first time I had a real punch-up at a match was at the age of 15, at Highbury, in the Clock End, early on in the 72/73 season. Loads of Chelsea in there (I was with Ray & Keith), and there was a small group of Arsenal fans giving it large. They were about 5 or 6 years older than us, and the usual empty circle opened up between us. This went on for a bit, then I thought 'f*ck it', and steamed into the geezer who was gobbing off the most. All hell broke loose, and we ended up giving them a good hiding. Nothing special, I was pissed off we didn't go in the North Bank.

The following week we were at home to West Ham, they came in the Shed and although we had a go they ran us out.

The week after that I went to Sheffield United away, now that was something else!

 
MKBlue said:
Strange reading that, as far as I know there was never any needle between any groups of Chelsea south of the river. I remember Carshalton, Mitcham, Morden and Sutton mostly knowing each other and getting along.

Just realised where I know the name Hounslow Mob from, there used to be a gang of punks and skins who followed the punk band Penetration about in the late 70s, anyone know if it's the same bunch?
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I know the UK Subs had a big following from Whitton and Ickenham.

 
MKBlue said:
The Subs singer was from Tooting, so almost a local hero, along with Mud and the Damned. Weren't the Lurkers from Ickenham?
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Good old Charlie 'King Of Kids' Harper, last time I saw him was in an opticians in Walworth Road, he must be about 75 now and still going strong I believe. I'm not sure about the Lurkers, I always associated them with Fulham as the photo on the cover of their 1st 7" 'Shadow' was taken outside of the Red Cow in Hammersmith and then there's the title of their first LP 'Fulham Fallout'. Some good bands came out of West London/Middlesex, The Ruts of course and then lesser known outfits such as 4th Reich/Manufactured Romance, from Harrow. Latterly Six Minute War came for Raynes Park and there must be hundreds of others who I can't remember.

 
MKBlue said:
The Subs singer was from Tooting, so almost a local hero, along with Mud and the Damned. Weren't the Lurkers from Ickenham?
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<p>Good old Charlie 'King Of Kids' Harper, last time I saw him was in an opticians in Walworth Road, he must be about 75 now and still going strong I believe. I'm not sure about the Lurkers, I always associated them with Fulham as the photo on the cover of their 1st 7" 'Shadow' was taken outside of the Red Cow in Hammersmith and then there's the title of their first LP 'Fulham Fallout%

 
Peckham Blue said:
<p>Good old Charlie 'King Of Kids' Harper, last time I saw him was in an opticians in Walworth Road, he must be about 75 now and still going strong I believe. I'm not sure about the Lurkers, I always associated them with Fulham as the photo on the cover of their 1st 7" 'Shadow' was taken outside of the Red Cow in Hammersmith and then there's the title of their first LP 'Fulham Fallout%
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I'm sure I read somewhere way back then that Fulham Fallout referred to them being from families that had moved out from the centre of town, another link was the Beggar's Banquet shop on NER that was the headquarters of their label. Ah don't get me started on the punk days mate, I'll never stop

 
MKBlue said:
I'm sure I read somewhere way back then that Fulham Fallout referred to them being from families that had moved out from the centre of town, another link was the Beggar's Banquet shop on NER that was the headquarters of their label. Ah don't get me started on the punk days mate, I'll never stop
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Uk Subs.......got up on stage when they played the Marquee, loved 'em, still playing by all accounts, not quite Sham's Last Stand at the Rainbow though, that was a riot!

 
jezza said:
Uk Subs.......got up on stage when they played the Marquee, loved 'em, still playing by all accounts, not quite Sham's Last Stand at the Rainbow though, that was a riot!
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Probably up there with you! The Subs gig at the Rainbow (Crash Course) with the Angelic Upstarts was something else too !

 
My old man and my Uncle used to stand in The Shed when they were at The Bridge.

 
I started going to the Bridge as a fan rather than a visitor (Dad was a Man U supporter) in Jimmy Greaves' last year. The first two matches were against Man City and WBA and Chelsea won 6-3 and 7-1. That did it for me. But within a couple of weeks we'd lost at home to Crewe in the cup and next year Jimmy was gone and we went down.

I used to stand about half-a dozen steps down from the back of the West Terrace on the half-way line. There was a group of blokes who used to have a draw for the first goal scorer - anyone who got Greaves was celebrating. I remember one chap who'd be quiet as a church mouse until Peter Brabrook got hold of the ball when he'd go ballistic, then shut up as soon as he'd lost it. I think it was 4 bob to get in in those days.

 
West side of the shed , it was about as far as we dared go in ! Sometimes if it was jammers we'd go down to the fella who was on the gate between the Shed and the West stand and give him a pound and we'd be left in there and get a better view.

I once ended up in the away end Sheffield Utd cup game we won 1-0. Got down late and was turned away from our end , so decided it was a good idea to go in with them. The OB stopped me going in , I told them I was a tourist and they let me in. Seeing the Shed going mad when we scored from that end was odd , and i couldn't celebrate some right nuts in there.

 
In the middle of the shed, sometimes right at the back and sometimes lower middle, depending on the crush. I loved the "we all come from Battersea woof woof woof woof" chants made me chuckle. Once got slung out by OB having gone to a home match v dirty Leeds on my own. OB said I was pushing when I clearly had my hands buried deep in my crombie pockets! So went out and paid to get back in again, what a feckin mistake that was it was a nil - nil draw!!

Mid 70's I made a foray into the NS with my mate Pat from Sutton. Most memorable was v Liverpool. Got in early, sang Liverpool songs and drew their fans to us. When the players came out of the tunnel we erupted with CHELSEA, CHELSEA, CHELSEA and steamed 'em - made the mousers bolt to all corners. We were given a police escort back to the Shed end where we were royally greeted - could you imagine this sort of thing happening these days - oh the innocence of youth!!!

 
I used to travel up from Chichester with a gang of Lads from Bognor. They were a good crowd and they all seemed to work for the Old Lec refrigeration company which was based there.

We always headed for the Worlds End Pub to watch the lunchtime football on the old TV up on the wall. At the Ground, we mostly stood in the Middle of the Shed and it was to me absolutely brilliant to be part of such a crowd of kindred spirits on those Saturday afternoons.

The first time I sat on the benches was when West Ham came in the Shed early one Christmas in the late 70's. There were hardly any Chelsea in the Shed at the time and I just heard someone shout "Their in". All hell broke lose and I legged it with everyone else. I unfortunately ran onto the end of a punch and went down like a sack of spuds. Some Guy picked me up-I don't know who it was to this day as it all happened so fast. Then in a daze I made my way into the West stand where I spent the rest of the game. I remember the West Ham mob were then hemmed into the corner of the Shed by the police as more and more Chelsea fans arrived for the game. Eventually the Police took the West ham down and onto the pitch. As they were being escorted to the away end, they all turned and charged back at the Shed again. This time however The Shed enders came down to meet them and they failed to get back in. I remember my pride being shattered after this game for a long time. I had never seen the Shed being taken until that point at it had always seemed a safe and happy place for me to be.

I often wonder what happened to those lads I used to travel up with on those know long ago days of my late teens

 
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