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Jimm 9:28 Tue Mar 8
We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

Whilst teaching the 3 year old some West Ham chants during bathtime, I was suddenly taken back to those days on the South Bank.
I am sure it has been done a thousand times before on here, but with no search function and being lazy as, I have started a new thread.

So any good memories of the South Bank? I think my favourite was when we had just the small corner and watching some ginger red manc fella get rinsed for ninety mins for all sorts from not washing to being poor, then having to listen to us go mental when Brown scored the winner.
A close second was (i think) a cup game against Sunderland. Again only had the small corner and some lunatic just launched himself into the away fans, led out in cuffs eventually followed by one on a stretcher and another with the St John's chaps.

Not sure why, maybe it was because of the away fans being next door, but the North Bank never felt like home compared to the South Bank for me...

South Bank Exile 5:46 Tue Mar 15
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

I was always a North Bank boy until getting locked out with my mates for the Manc game in 67 and being directed down to the SB by a copper at the turnstile. I never looked back after that. From thereon it was always the SB for me, Apart from the Eintracht Frankfurt semi.

So many great memories and characters, a lot no longer with us sadly.

Don Ravioli 11:17 Sat Mar 12
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

Loved the south bank. Always in there over the north bank all day long.
My old man first took me over there in the west lower. Then one of my mates dads took a few of us in the south bank, slipped the geezer a drink and we all went over the turnstile. Loved it in there.
Grew up just over the other side of the barking rd so could see and hear it from my house.
Walking up to the ground always remember the banging on that corrugated metal sheeting at the back, the smell of fags mixed in with beer and shit burger stalls. Never been the same since they tore it down.
Was in there for the Manc game was mental when we scored.
Best part of the ground by a mile.
Shame kids these days won’t experience that part of football.

Rizla 9:55 Fri Mar 11
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

I cant remember which came first
Let's All Form A Circle... or
Let's Go Fuckin Mental
La la lala

Turk1 6:45 Fri Mar 11
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

Favourite afternoon on the SB in the 70's, no idea who we were playing. We started singing the old favourite 'Harry, Harry Redknapp on the wing' but then it morphed into a continuous stream of soap characters of the day....Ena Sharples, Minnie Caldwell, David Hunter, Meg Richardson, Amy Turtle, Sandy Richardson (who was in a wheelchair). Seemed to go on forever. I really miss that humour.
Anyone else remember this or other off piste afternoons?

Lato 3:41 Fri Mar 11
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

Yep always that extra edginess on The South Bank.....Plus Knees up Muvva Brown, the okey cokey and many, many more.

Jimm 1:28 Fri Mar 11
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

It's a shame actually as I get older, my recollections get vaguer and vaguer, but you never forget the rawness of those days compared to how sanitised it all is these days.

Am I right in thinking that it was basically season ticket holders that got left in the little corner for those big allocation or cup games? It was always quite telling that the away fans were never quite as brazen when it was only a piece of plastic tape and a gap of a few foot between the fans as i am sure they did not close off the access fully, just in case there was a requirement for a "loyal supporter" to deliver some instant justice.

I also remember being down the front and having a perfect view of Gale sticking his finger up at the chicken run after they jeered him for was it ducking a header or something? They then caned him for the rest of the game.

Like most others, in the end i retired to the Chicken Run down by the away fans when they moved them, but it never had the same vitriol of the SB!

Bexley Ironworks 1:51 Thu Mar 10
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

Jimm 9:28 Tue Mar 8

Remember being in the Southbank and seeing some bloke scale the fence and jump into the away support against Sheffield Utd. Same game possibly, or maybe the fella in question just hated red and white stripes.

madeeasy 12:51 Thu Mar 10
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

wd40 10:42 Wed Mar 9

A perfect summary of a young lad going through the years.

The ones that were a little bit more sensible however went chicken run after a few games in the south bank and then stayed in the east upper.

I wish we had a proper stadium with character. I went Everton away this year, weirdly my first ever trip to goodison and it was lovely in every way it was shit, but felt great

Jaan Kenbrovin 9:50 Wed Mar 9
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

I was in the south bank for the kenny brown game too.

LIVELY.

Wish there was footage of that corner when the goal went in.

flamengo 9:17 Wed Mar 9
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

The peanut guy, shouting ‘Peanuts! Peanuts!’ And the SB responding with ‘we hate peanuts, and we hate peanuts, we hate peanuts and we hate peanuts etc’.

I stood there in the 80s in my teens. Much edgier than the north bank.

flamengo 9:16 Wed Mar 9
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

The peanut guy, shouting ‘Peanuts! Peanuts!’ And the SB responding with ‘we hate peanuts, and we hate peanuts, we hate peanuts and we hate peanuts etc’.

I stood there in the 80s in my teens. Much edgier than the north bank.

Side of Ham 1:24 Wed Mar 9
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

Brenty, no wonder you got into hairdressing....... :-)

violator 1:16 Wed Mar 9
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

I think I was about 15 with my MATES and it was against Arsenal. The old bill had taped off some extra space between the away and and the iron railings. We were getting crushed against the fencing so they let us through the hatch and into the taped off area. Then we scored, of course we were jumping for joy and the old bill shoved us back through the hatch and back into the heaving masses.

13 Brentford Rd 12:44 Wed Mar 9
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

My worst experience at football was in the South Bank, FA cup quater final v Villa 1980.

Almost crushed after the final whistle when I was stuck at the front rammed up against the wall backwards, couldn't move, my back was arched over the wall but my legs were stuck as thousands were trying to get on the pitch to celebrate.

Eventually freed my legs and fell backwards into the back of the goal only to then see some cunt copper charging at me with baton raised.

Was frightening as I was only 14 and though I was going to die, had the wall collapsed I would have, still not sure how it didn't.

the coming of gary 12:33 Wed Mar 9
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

.. I remember in 1981, Notts County were our big promotion rivals - the top two !

.. They are playing Dagenham next week
.

boleyn8420 12:18 Wed Mar 9
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

My favourite was the Eintracht Frankfurt semi final, pissing down all night, I found out later my Cortina was not water proof, good old Ford. But the atmosphere in the South Bank that night and the entire ground was just fantastic. I was right behind that Keith Robson goal, everyine remembers Brooking that night but for me it was Robsons goal I rememebr most, the groan as Robson miss-controlled the ball followed by the huge roar as it flew into the net. Wonderful night.

only1billybonds 11:59 Wed Mar 9
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

I was there for the Man Utd game in 75,it did get a bit hairy when the wall gave in.

But the MillWall game in 78 was the 'rawest' i ever saw or felt it,there was a genuine nastiness in the air that day that i never felt again.

Cony Tottee 10:47 Wed Mar 9
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

Being rammed in for the Cambridge game and then onto the pitch when Clive Allen scored. Great day.

wd40 10:42 Wed Mar 9
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

A good education had by many.

Start in the Northbank as a young boy behind the goal take the big step and end up at the back singing songs - mentally you made it tell everyone.
Move on to the South Bank great character building
now your a man - a man's man.
Over 30 years move on to lean against a bar ( same one every match ) in the West Side .


Loved every second.

cholo 10:08 Wed Mar 9
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

East Side, do your job, East Side East Side do your job...

Troy McClure 10:06 Wed Mar 9
Re: We're Not the North Bank, We Ain't the East Side...

"Loyal supporter" as some urchin was frogmarched around the pitch

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