With no midweek game and no transfer news to talk about I thought we could do a little reminiscing, writes Albion blogger Jarrod Hill.
We play Peterborough tomorrow in the FA Cup, and I want to hear your FA Cup stories, whether they are funny, strange, or just the best memory you have.
I am not old enough to have witnessed our triumph in 1968, so my memories of the Cup games are a little mixed.
One game that sticks in my memory for a rather strange reason was when we played Everton at home in 1989.
I, my mate, my uncle, and my Dad went. The game was pay on the turnstile, and this is where the story begins.
I have never seen so many fans outside the Brummie Road End, the police were frantically trying to get fans through the turnstiles due to the fans spilling all over the road and forcing the traffic to a standstill.
I was aged 14, and as much as I hate to admit it publicly, I have one fear, at this point I would like to point out I am not scared of snakes, sharks, or crocodiles.
But I do go quite wobbly at the knees when confronted by a horse.
The crowd was literally carrying me and my mate who at this time had become parted from my Dad and Uncle, all over the place.
The Police were out in force due to the size of the crowd and had a number of horse mounted officers in attendance, due to my inane fear I was monitoring where they were, and yes you guessed it, the next thing I know me and my mate are pushed up against this huge police horse.
The officer shouts down to us to go underneath the horse to get to the turnstile, frozen with fear I stammer no ******* way, the officer tells us that the horse will not move (trying to reassure me), at this point my mate bends down and goes through the horses legs while grabbing the collar of my coat.
Not being ready, I proceeded to have my face rubbed along the underside of the horse and then slapped in the face by, ……. well you work it out, but lets just say it was definitely a male horse who is not mocked in the stables by the other male horses.
Due to the pre match experience I can only remember a few match details, we took the lead through a Colin Anderson header from a Don Goodman cross, and they equalised from a penalty.
I can also remember the announcer saying the attendance was something like 28,500 and everyone laughing.
It is the most crammed I think I have ever seen the Brummie Road End, and I am sure they had let more in than they should have done due to the crowd outside.
So there you go, I have bared my soul, my fear, and a rather embarrassing moment in my life as a Baggies fan, so know I want to hear yours.
Just a bit of fun on a Friday while looking forward to the game tomorrow, oh and if you were wondering, no it did not cure my fear of horses.
Albion fans have your say below
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23 Comments
I remember the game well. Was on the BRE myself and could hardly breathe we were packed in so tight! On amusing memory I have was as I was waiting to get into the ground seeing a skinheaded chap inside having his white sheet with “Cottee is s~*t” written on it confiscated. Poor chap, must have taken him seconds to make it!
Jarrod
Morning mate. I bet hung “like a horse” brings back horrible memories!
Good luck against the Posh.
Nath.
I remember the same game very well. We played them off the park for most of the match and they ended up getting a draw. I agree, being a regular brummie road ender at the time the stand was heaving and someone pinched my normal spot.
We took thousands up to the reply and lost to some last minute goal, it was a real sickner.
I remember some skallys trying to brick the coaches has we left, I think their was something like 50 coaches go that night up there.
Hi
I was 13 at the time and i was in the smethwick end. We had to stand in the walkway as there was no more room. i had to watch the game through the rflection of the boxes in the halfords. only saw colins goal when i got home and watched motd. If i remeber right though they said the crowd was 38′000 but i am sure it was more than that even as its the most packed i ever saw it.
Bloomin hilarious Jarrod, I bet you did’nt go home and tell your neighh….bours lol (it is early sorry)
I was at that game 10 years old, i stood on the front railings of the Smethwick End, I that is one goal that will always stick in my head.
I was standing so close to the legendary Neville Southall, who at my age looked like a giant and i could’nt get in my head round how we’d score past him, and then to see Anderson’s header go past a sprawling Southall, that will remain an undefiable memory for me.
Along with the Tony Ford goal against Charlton, which spluttered i think being the word through the mud to beat them 1-0.
The romance of the FA Cup, stills lives in me.
Great story Jarrod, had me in stitches.
Hi Jarrod - good story mate… brought back memories of me getting “headbutted” by a police horse outside the BRE before our European Cup game against valencia. Again there was a huge crowd outside and I was about 14 - and just got pushed towards this huge animal who raised its head and brought it down again with me underneath.
My FA cup memory was from about 77/78 when we played Derby away on a cold dark Tuesday night. Again I was a young teenager and as I could only get one ticket I went with some older work colleagues of my brothers.
Inside the ground it was ALL albion - the noise was deafening - and what a great match. We won 3-1, I remember Laurie scoring and Wee Willie Johnson having a storming match.
Upon finally leaving the ground we got seperated from the Albion crowd - and were approached by a group of Derby youths who “asked the time”….
Being naive I looked at my watch - as the rest of my group legged it, followed by 10+ yelling Derby fans - leaving me looking at my watch on my own.
Apparently one jumped on a bus and one into a police car - and i was left to wander around Derby in the dark looking for our parked car. I finally found it and we managed to regroup and go home.
Since then Derby have never been my favorite team - and for some reason that continues to this day (can’t think why)!
Sorry my post was so long - I’m off for some nose bag now !
on the way to school this am my daughter says are we going back to wembley this year, i replied i hoped not and we may get promoted but then i remembered the fa cup ,so the excitement gets going,the players may not love it but what a day out!!! runners up and fa cup winners sounds good,but then next year would europe get in the way of our champions league push!!! i am probably being a little optimistic i realise!!!
Jarrod.
I bet that was one in the eye for you…
However. I am suprised at you, swearing at a policeman at the age of fourteen, that’s whats wrong with society today. I think you behaviour was ******* disgraceful!
Oh - and watching us lose 2 FA Cup semi finals - both at Bloody Highbury !
John Wile’s blooded head in that bandage - they should use that picture as the club badge with the motto - NEVER SAY DIE underneath it.
Puts Ellington’s bad toe into perspective !
Anyone remember us going to plough lane the season they won the cup and getting hammered 4-1 (I think it was.)
I went down with a group of friends and we staying in London the weekend.
The only highlight of the weekend was going to Wimbledon Dogs and winning all the money it cost us for the weekend. I think we all came back with about £100 more than we went with.
As an eleven year old in 1982, I can remember the disappointment of losing 1-0 to QPR in the semi final of the FA cup(45,000 at highbury) and in the same year of course, losing to spurs over two legs in the league cup(32,000home / 47,000away)
Boing-boing
Jarrod
Would I be right in thinking that “Ride a cock-horse” is not your favourite nursery rhyme ?
Congrats Jarrod,
superb blog, and i think you will win the funny anecdotes by a……..
length!!
When i read your thread, it got my
old memory bank creaking into action, you see unlike your good self i am old enough to have witnessed our 68 triumph and indeed did.
I was in my formative years at the time, 16 years old in fact,
the 67-68 season was the beginning
of a 4 year period where i never missed a game.
I joined a supporters club in town
the meetings were held two or three nights a week in a pub,
discovering the demon drink and actually getting served was less problematical then, publicans were far more relaxed,and with facial hair that would put Dusty Hill of ZZ Top to shame, i got away with it easily.
The supporters club ran coaches to away games, you could choose to come straight back after the game or get a late return coach,
well with my new found adulthood……it was no contest.
At the meetings in the pub was a girl Diane, whom i really fancied,
and much to my delight she was on the next late return trip, so i positioned myself on the coach very close to her so i could chat her up.
to my everlasting astonishment she agreed we should meet up after the game for a drink.
On the way home i suggested we should make a date for the next club meeting……….i would she said, but how old are you, i think you are to young for me,
being quicker of mind in those days
i retorted how old are you…….
25 last month Diane replied…….
Oh just a few months older than me then i fired back rapidly.
We had a great time all season,
i had discovered utopia,
watching the Baggies with a Baggies
mad cracker……….until an away trip to Arsenal the week before the
cup final,
when one of my EX mates asked me in
Diane`s earshot………are you having a party for your 17th birthday?
Wbaforever, is this true Diane asked, err yes i`m 16, and there ended our relationship.
The following Saturday,
the FA cup final, as usual on the late return so was my now ex girlfriend it was a difficult trip,
When King Jeffs shot hit the back of the net……..NOTHING else mattered.
Sorry for the war and peace length
of this post.
Jarrod
I do hope you can one day get over the trauma that haunts you and become more “stable”.
I think you’ve set yourself up for some ribbing here mate, we might be making you feel like you’ve made a big “ass” of yourself lol
(love to humour myself if no one else)
To HB
Nay nay lad it is not!!!
To wbaforever,
I felt like i should have been singing der der der der, while reading your story (in a Dave Lee Travis styleeee).
Mate, women come and go, but you will always have the Baggies!!!!
wbaforever… that must have been SOME facial hair pal.
It’s easy to fool a publican with one eye on his profits - but to convince a 25 year old woman…. RESPECT !!
Bomber
DLT-LOL
To be honest mate, whilst i was typing the story, i was doing so
with a very good impersonation of
the proverbial Cheshire cat,
one great flashback after another on all those away trips,
almost always and sometimes completely missing the late return coach……being arrested by the police for hitchhiking on the M1.
And you are right,
women do come and go……..err
and indeed have!
but the Baggies are an eternal mistress.
Happy
I suppose most if not all blokes are the same,
when young you do your level best
to look older,
when you are at the age you were
purporting to be when an adolescent,
you are then trying to purport being an adolescent……..
to suit your agenda.
(if anyone understands what iv`e
just typed, would they mind explaining it to me)
wbaforever.
I have read your last statement and looked at it from all angles and perspectives, and what i deduce you wish to convey is that at 17/18 we are all horny little devils who would do anything to bed a 25 year old woman… or was that just me ?
p.s - at 15 I had a big pair of Amos Brearley style sideburns… I thought I was sooooo cool !!
Happy
the words,
nail the head on hit the,
just mate have you.
nice post yoda