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Incognito and right in the mix



Bigtomfu

New member
Jul 25, 2003
4,416
Harrow
Tomorrow I will be an undercover brother in the home end - the Loft Upper to be precise - with a QPR supporting mate who's season ticket neighbour can't go.

As it turns out I could have bought a ticket for our end today and previously didn't think I could make Friday but a week or two ago this guy asked me to come with him and I don't want to let him down.

There's part of me that's looking forward to watching you lot sing and bounce around from the other end and I'm genuinely interested in what the locals will think of us as a team and you lot as fans.

Now I've done sitting in the home end before - Villa in the cup, Derby in Sami's Ill fated reign and Brentford - but never in the mix of the home inner sanctum.

Now I'm not suggesting for a second that QPR is venomous vipers pit that I'll be lucky to survive but I just wondered whether anyone has any exciting tales from days gone by where this type of thing was common place?

My old man told me a tale of going to Spurs in the first season in Div 1 were there was no segregation and him and a few mates unwittingly unveiled themselves to the locals when we scored only for beast of a Spurs fan with a nose more crooked than Henry Coopers moved to within an inch of his face fixing him with a death stare only to then utter "Good game innit?" And turn back the other way....
 
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AmexRuislip

Trainee Spy 🕵️‍♂️
Feb 2, 2014
33,727
Ruislip
Tomorrow I will be an undercover brother in the home end - the Loft Upper to be precise - with a QPR supporting mate who's season ticket neighbour can't go.

As it turns out I could have bought a ticket for our end today and previously didn't think I could make today but a week or two ago this guy asked me to come with him and I don't want to let him down.

There's part of me that's looking forward to watching you lot sing and bounce around from the other end and I'm genuinely interested in what the locals will think of us as a team and you lot as fans.

Now I've done sitting in the home end before - Villa in the cup, Derby in Sami's I'll fainted reign and Brentford - but never in the mix of the home inner sanctum.

Now I'm not suggesting for a second that QPR is venomous vipers pit that I'll be lucky to survive but I just wondered whether anyone has any exciting tales from days gone by where this type of thing was common place?

My old man told me a tale of going to Spurs in the first season in Div 1 were there was no segregation and him and a few mates unwittingly unveiled themselves to the locals when we scored only for beast of a Spurs fan with a nose more crooked than Henry Coopers moved to within an inch of his face fixing him with a death stare only to then utter "Good game innit?" And turn back the other way....

Stood in the Ealing road pit, when we courageously fought back to 3-3 v Brentford recently.
Not saying it's a vipers pit, but the excitement reached its peak when Stockers saved that penalty, and none of the home crowd stirred, only me and the Mrs nervously nudged each other.
When our goals went in at the other end, well a few load coughs ensued, disguised with get in :D
 


whitelion

New member
Dec 16, 2003
12,828
Southwick
Tomorrow I will be an undercover brother in the home end - the Loft Upper to be precise - with a QPR supporting mate who's season ticket neighbour can't go.

As it turns out I could have bought a ticket for our end today and previously didn't think I could make today but a week or two ago this guy asked me to come with him and I don't want to let him down.

There's part of me that's looking forward to watching you lot sing and bounce around from the other end and I'm genuinely interested in what the locals will think of us as a team and you lot as fans.

Now I've done sitting in the home end before - Villa in the cup, Derby in Sami's I'll fainted reign and Brentford - but never in the mix of the home inner sanctum.

Now I'm not suggesting for a second that QPR is venomous vipers pit that I'll be lucky to survive but I just wondered whether anyone has any exciting tales from days gone by where this type of thing was common place?

My old man told me a tale of going to Spurs in the first season in Div 1 were there was no segregation and him and a few mates unwittingly unveiled themselves to the locals when we scored only for beast of a Spurs fan with a nose more crooked than Henry Coopers moved to within an inch of his face fixing him with a death stare only to then utter "Good game innit?" And turn back the other way....

It was common-place in the past and seen as a badge of honour to occupy the home fans turf.

One memory was at Spurs in 1976 when myself and two mates went on the Shelf. We were all the worse for wear and when it become known amongst the locals we were the opposition it got a bit tasty.

We were escorted out into the away section behind the goal.

Another occasion was at Pompey on Boxing Day 1985 when we won 2-1. I went with my brother-in-law whilst my wife was at my in laws place in Havant.

Brother in law was Pompey and we stood on the covered terrace opposite the main stand. I didn't hold back in my support and one local behind me punched me in the ribs. I didn't retaliate as I didn't want my brother in law to witness any violence.
 


DavidRyder

Well-known member
Jul 23, 2013
2,884
I was in the home end at QPR last season. I had very warm hands due to sitting on them all game. Was extremely hard stopping my leg instantly kicking when on goal. There were a couple of QPR fans that I thought were going to suffer exploding head syndrome, they were getting so wound up by the Albion faithful (inward smiles galore!).
 


boik

Well-known member
I accidentally ended up on the North Bank at Highbury in '79. Didn't have to restrain myself too much as I seem to remember we barely mustered a shot on target! The locals were pretty scary though.
 




dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Mar 27, 2013
52,019
Burgess Hill
Was at Fulham v Liverpool with a Fulham-supporting pal a few years ago. Liverpool scored, and two fellas in our row (pitchside) jumped up and started celebrating. A guy (must have been in his 70s) a few rows back went absolutely mental, screaming 'get them out, get those scouse ******s out' at the top of his voice until a few stewards went in hauled them out.

The bloke next to us had a kid of about 6 with him who had also celebrated the Liverpool goal. When they scored another he was very firmly held down and told to keep quiet [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]
 


Coldeanseagull

Opinionated
Mar 13, 2013
7,716
Coldean
First visit to smellhurst didnt go too well when a local steward must have thought it funny to direct us to the white horses arse end.
Didnt twig to start with, but through the alcohol induced fuzzy head realised they werent singing seagulls, but something about a type of raptor. A not too friendly policeman escorted me and three mates down to what looked like a police lined sardine tin. The verbal abuse and the debris being thrown at us as we goaded the locals on the way down would have been frightening if it wasnt for the amount of lager we had imbibed! 1977 I think it was, lots of trouble, over zealous police folk and we lost 3-1
 


Eeyore

Lord Donkey of Queen's Park
NSC Patreon
Apr 5, 2014
23,381
I once got pissed up and followed two Crystal Palace fans, who I'd met in a pub earlier, into the east terrrace away section at the Goldstone. It was a pre-season friendly.

I cheered for the Albion under their benevolent eye. I think one or two others were miffed. It was the night when one of their fans was attacked after the game and a few of the others got snakey. I was spotted near the station but a 'hands off' was issued.

Strange night.
 






lawros left foot

Glory hunting since 1969
Jun 11, 2011
13,673
Worthing
First visit to smellhurst didnt go too well when a local steward must have thought it funny to direct us to the white horses arse end.
Didnt twig to start with, but through the alcohol induced fuzzy head realised they werent singing seagulls, but something about a type of raptor. A not too friendly policeman escorted me and three mates down to what looked like a police lined sardine tin. The verbal abuse and the debris being thrown at us as we goaded the locals on the way down would have been frightening if it wasnt for the amount of lager we had imbibed! 1977 I think it was, lots of trouble, over zealous police folk and we lost 3-1

I got my nose broken at that one. I used to go on my own to various northern hell holes, Stoke, Sunderland, both Manc clubs, and quite a few others
I was based at Rosyth, so, it was too far to come home to Sussex every weekend I was off, I would get on the train Saturday morning, and either get in the away end, or go in with the home crowd. I became quite good at celebrating goals, silently and without moving. Never had any trouble, except at. Brum, but that's another story.
 


junior

Well-known member
Dec 1, 2003
6,490
Didsbury, Manchester
Myself and a couple of others went in the home end at Southend Away in about 2001. It was the first game of the season and a hot summers day. Tje match was sold out with about 3500 travelling i think. We went front row behind the goal and about 2 mins into the game unrolled a big Albion St Georges flag over the advertising hordings. This was gradually spotted by others in the ground and i started to sense some unrest. Of course nobody in the stand we were in had seen it.

After about 10 mins we were rumbled and removed by a bunch of stewards but to our surprise instead of ejecting us they marched us round the pitch and into the away end. We went right past the dug outs, where Mickey Adams gave us a "good effort" as we went past.

It kicked off big time after the game i think, in a big grassy area down the road.
 






studio150

Well-known member
Jul 30, 2011
29,555
On the Border
I was in the West Ham home end when Gerry Ryan scored that brilliant goal by dancing through the whole of the West Ham team before slotting home, fortunately there was a ripple of applause which I could join in with, but still restrained as I wanted to go bonkers.
 


Don Parasol

Active member
Jan 29, 2017
108
Aldershot away in the cup many years ago. I think we won 5-0... couldn't get a ticket for the away end so we went in the main home terrace. Perhaps not wisely, I and a few around me started celebrating when we scored, and we got marched straight into the away end by police to enjoy the rest of the afternoon.
 




Hammer15

New member
Apr 20, 2016
272
Montclair, NJ
Was in the Kop at Anfield in 2012 as the own goals rained in. Lua Lua's free kick was pretty special though. Needed all of my self-control for that...
 


Two Professors

Two Mad Professors
Jul 13, 2009
7,617
Multicultural Brum
In with the Zulus when Jimmy Case's blue and white army came to Brum,and got pulled by a steward accusing me of chucking coins at Uriah Rennie.Fortunately plod had already identified them!
 



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