Viking Supporters Co-operative
Viking Chat => Viking Chat => Topic started by: Sammy Chung was King on July 18, 2022, 10:06:42 am
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Thing you have seen while following rovers, or at non league games?
Things that have made you laugh that you can’t believe the club has done.
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I remember one season, maybe mid-late 80s where the goal nets didn’t have any stanchion. The top of the net was tied by string to poles but there was no shape like we have now, just a half tent like shape. Meant a high shot could hit the net before all the ball had crossed the line.
I thought that was poor at the time.
Pissing in a trough in a roofless walled enclosure at BV doesn’t count however, as I expect that would have been common at other grounds at some point too..
Oh and possibly the “lunar surface” that pretended to be the car park at BV in the 80s…
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You could drop into one of those moon holes in the car park and not be seen for a fortnight.
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When we played Leigh RMI away in the conference days, the catering had sold out before the match started. When we asked them why, I swear they said they had only budgeted 20 burgers and drinks. Also Scarborough away, when the tannoy announcer said they were taking booking for the mini bus for the next away game.
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You’re WAP player recommendations
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Don't know about laugh the most stupid thing they did that made me cry was sacking SOD.
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You’re WAP player recommendations
You will know more about players being Willie’s lad ;) :lol:
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Belle Vue. Might have been half time at a game late conference era.
Announcer who's name escapes me took to the microphone.and said summat like "We're hearing lots of foul and abusive language coming from the popular side. May we remind you we are a family club and it won't be tolerated!"
Silence for 15 secs then mumbling on the tonnoy could be heard then "Is this f*cking microphone still switched on!?"
Cue howls of hysterical laughter...
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Another conference away game. Can't remember where.
Our lads came running out for the prematch warm up. All going through their routines, sprinting, stretching etc. Only after about 5 mins of this, we realised we didn't have any balls!
Home team took pity on us and kicked us a ball from their half and our lads just did the best they could with the one ball.
Don't know if we just didn't have any or the kit man simply forgot the bag of balls!
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Belle Vue. Might have been half time at a game late conference era.
Announcer who's name escapes me took to the microphone.and said summat like "We're hearing lots of foul and abusive language coming from the popular side. May we remind you we are a family club and it won't be tolerated!"
Silence for 15 secs then mumbling on the tonnoy could be heard then "Is this f*cking microphone still switched on!?"
Cue howls of hysterical laughter...
Was it still Crystal Ken then ?
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Not sure if it was Ken. Who took over from Ken?
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I don’t think Ken had words like that in his vocabulary. Too much of an old fashioned gent.
Though in one home game against Watford in the old 4th Division he did his bit announcing the game and said ‘and a warm welcome to the supporters of Watford……both of you’
So he wasn’t above a bit of comedy sarcasm.
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Scarborough away when they announced they were running a minibus to an away game
Sorry Prez just noticed you got there first lol
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Rod Stewart impersonator at Belle Vue
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Walking into BV for the Brighton game I think. the tightest person in the world now driving trains in Australia was the steward at the time, asked how he was getting on, F*****G awful, have you seen the keeper? was the reply.
It was the Sunday League next door neighbour we pulled in for the game warming up.
It is funny all the years later, but it was so serious at the time.
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You could drop into one of those moon holes in the car park and not be seen for a fortnight.
One of those moon holes was so deep it had an American flag stuck next to it.
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You could drop into one of those moon holes in the car park and not be seen for a fortnight.
One of those moon holes was so deep it had an American flag stuck next to it.
Didn't somebody yank it out?
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I heard the yanks were gonna stick another flag inside the ground but there was no atmosphere.
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Leigh again. The gents toilet was a disgusting. Was made out of corrugated sheets and was straight into the soil and ran down into a stream.
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Obviously 97/98 is packed full of examples. The hand drawn club badge on the shirt is the most obvious but the folded A4 ‘programme’ was another low point that season.
Some fairly suspect activity by JR as well in the conference. More than one occasion from memory he paraded ‘clients’ of Transform on the pitch. I never went in to them but the Portakabin ‘executive’ suites behind the Town End always looked highly suspect.
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CBCB
The Portacabin 'Executive Boxes'. I remember clambering up some steps (scaffold pole supports if my memory is right) to have a look. They were second hand, had had an white emulsion mop over on the inside. A table, half a dozen plastic chairs and a DRFC team picture on the side wall.
I vaguely think there might have been a tannoy speaker to enhance the Belle Vue Experience. The one I saw was musty and had Balfour Beatty or something under the jaunty red paint.
I remember thinking, " I can imagine some wealthy Saudi businessman coming here to entertain clients" As I remember no one stopped me. I had a nose and left.
I also remember climbing over the fence at Belle Vue. A police officer stopped me and said
"Oi you, get back in"
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Dave Parker provided many cringeworthy moments. Was it him that introduced Southport as South Park?
JR coming on as a player.
Also, the slogan "Going4It" was widely piss-taken by my non-Rovers supporing friends at the time and in hindsight that was cringe too. I don't think delivered on it that season either.
Controversial one here.... the antics when we beat Hull to the title. Parading the trophy in front of them and the plane stunt. Funny, but still made us look a little tinpot. They didn't take it well mind which sort of made it better/excusable.
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Just thought of another one. Who can ever forget "the greatest player ever to grace the Belle Vue turf...."
RIP Mirsad Bubalsovic.
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Obviously 97/98 is packed full of examples. The hand drawn club badge on the shirt is the most obvious but the folded A4 ‘programme’ was another low point that season.
Some fairly suspect activity by JR as well in the conference. More than one occasion from memory he paraded ‘clients’ of Transform on the pitch. I never went in to them but the Portakabin ‘executive’ suites behind the Town End always looked highly suspect.
Haha, I had one of those “executive boxes” through my business for a couple of seasons.
You didn’t miss much by not going in them.
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The goal that wasn’t a goal? Anyone remember that? I can’t remember where it was but the ball slipped through the underside of the back of the net and the ref must have thought it’d gone off the side netting!
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Don't know about laugh the most stupid thing they did that made me cry was sacking SOD.
At the time it didn’t seem very stupid. The team had 1 point from 7 games and was playing with no plan B
We had been worked out by the other teams and we didn’t have an answer.
Sharp and Hayter getting injured at Brighton in the 1st game was a big factor of course. So in that respect SoD was very unlucky. We just didn’t have the replacements.
Yes maybe SoD may have turned it round and if he had stayed on, who knows. We never will.
We would never have had that farcical “Experiment” which ultimately took us down anyway.
I just think JR panicked as he could not bear the thought of going back to League 1
But we all said on the coach after the defeat at Derby ( 7th game ) that SoD had lost the plot and the writing seemed to be on the wall.
In Hindsight i wish he hadn’t been sacked. But hindsight eh!!!
Although I did enjoy the following season 12/13 under Saunders/Flynn. Yes the football wasn’t for the purist but that was a proper team in the true sense of the word.
We may never have had that day at Brentford if SoD had never been sacked. :)
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The goal that wasn’t a goal? Anyone remember that? I can’t remember where it was but the ball slipped through the underside of the back of the net and the ref must have thought it’d gone off the side netting!
Believe this was away at Brentford. Possibly in a cup match? We still won in the end fortunately.
I remember seeing the bit on that documentary about 97/98 where the lock on the changing room door bust and most of the players got stuck inside.
Those f**king bins that were upturned next to Belle Vue forever.
The bootham crescent away end in its entirety.
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The goal that wasn’t a goal? Anyone remember that? I can’t remember where it was but the ball slipped through the underside of the back of the net and the ref must have thought it’d gone off the side netting!
That was also Brentford. Mark McCammon scored it. I was there and it definitely went in and through a hole in the net. We won 4-0 anyway. Think it was an FA cup match. Not 100% on that. We beat Brentford 3 times that season. Now look at them!!!
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Was it Aldershots ground you walked through a park to get to, open on one side to the cricket pitch. Harsh to say tinpot more quaint
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When we had the three stars put on the shirt when we won League 2 (as it is now).
My dad asked me what the three stars were for and thought I would cringe myself to death when I saw the look in his eyes.
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Was it Aldershots ground you walked through a park to get to, open on one side to the cricket pitch. Harsh to say tinpot more quaint
Feethams at Darlington had cricket pitch to one side of the Football ground didn’t it? Sure it did.
Turf Moor Burnley has cricket pitch next to the football ground. That’s certainly not tin pot although it has improved considerably since our games against them in the 1980’s.
Never been to The Recreation ground at Aldershot so don’t know about cricket pitch at that one.
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Speaking of Darlo, I'll always remember going to watch us play in this shiny new 30,000 all seater up there, with about 3000 home fans in it. We got beat an all.
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Getting into the away end at Luton through the backyards of houses, and then the non existent legroom..
I was also surprised at the very small concourse area at Bramhall Lane, compared to the size of the stand..
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Speaking of Darlo, I'll always remember going to watch us play in this shiny new 30,000 all seater up there, with about 3000 home fans in it. We got beat an all.
Mistake by Morley playing at right back. He was useless in that position. Lost 1-0
Yes remember it well. 1st season after promotion from the Conference. 1.400 from Donny and gate 4.400 so your bang on with that 3.000 home fans.
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Was it Aldershots ground you walked through a park to get to, open on one side to the cricket pitch. Harsh to say tinpot more quaint
Feethams at Darlington had cricket pitch to one side of the Football ground didn’t it? Sure it did.
Turf Moor Burnley has cricket pitch next to the football ground. That’s certainly not tin pot although it has improved considerably since our games against them in the 1980’s.
Never been to The Recreation ground at Aldershot so don’t know about cricket pitch at that one.
Northanpton"s old ground was a cricket pitch,
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Getting into the away end at Luton through the backyards of houses, and then the non existent legroom..
I was also surprised at the very small concourse area at Bramhall Lane, compared to the size of the stand..
And no leg room in that Bramhall Lane end stand. It’s awful.
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This one might not be popular but...
The "Rovers Till I Die" printing on the shirts when John Ryan was in charge. It looked naff and was rather redundant.
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Was it Aldershots ground you walked through a park to get to, open on one side to the cricket pitch. Harsh to say tinpot more quaint
Feethams at Darlington had cricket pitch to one side of the Football ground didn’t it? Sure it did.
Turf Moor Burnley has cricket pitch next to the football ground. That’s certainly not tin pot although it has improved considerably since our games against them in the 1980’s.
Never been to The Recreation ground at Aldershot so don’t know about cricket pitch at that one.
Northanpton"s old ground was a cricket pitch,
Crikey almost forgot that one and my Brother lives in Northampton.
Bramhall Lane of course also.
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The goal that wasn’t a goal? Anyone remember that? I can’t remember where it was but the ball slipped through the underside of the back of the net and the ref must have thought it’d gone off the side netting!
That was also Brentford. Mark McCammon scored it. I was there and it definitely went in and through a hole in the net. We won 4-0 anyway. Think it was an FA cup match. Not 100% on that. We beat Brentford 3 times that season. Now look at them!!!
The late and very great Harry Gration did a piece on Look North about it.
I didn't know what he was on about at first and thought he was saying watch this for a glaring miss. I then got confused when Marky McCammon netted it but then I saw it want allowed by Ref
Turned out he meant the Ref had had the glaring miss
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Was it Aldershots ground you walked through a park to get to, open on one side to the cricket pitch. Harsh to say tinpot more quaint
Feethams at Darlington had cricket pitch to one side of the Football ground didn’t it? Sure it did.
Turf Moor Burnley has cricket pitch next to the football ground. That’s certainly not tin pot although it has improved considerably since our games against them in the 1980’s.
Never been to The Recreation ground at Aldershot so don’t know about cricket pitch at that one.
Northanpton"s old ground was a cricket pitch,
Search best Stadium visited ... I posted photo of it with the peculiar Kop ending half way behind goal
Good write up on Donbass region as well by someone .. sorry can't remember who and z
I only just read it !
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The goal that wasn’t a goal? Anyone remember that? I can’t remember where it was but the ball slipped through the underside of the back of the net and the ref must have thought it’d gone off the side netting!
That was also Brentford. Mark McCammon scored it. I was there and it definitely went in and through a hole in the net. We won 4-0 anyway. Think it was an FA cup match. Not 100% on that. We beat Brentford 3 times that season. Now look at them!!!
I was there Campsall and I'm sure that we only won 1-0, a Lewis Guy goal.
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Was it Aldershots ground you walked through a park to get to, open on one side to the cricket pitch. Harsh to say tinpot more quaint
Feethams at Darlington had cricket pitch to one side of the Football ground didn’t it? Sure it did.
Turf Moor Burnley has cricket pitch next to the football ground. That’s certainly not tin pot although it has improved considerably since our games against them in the 1980’s.
Never been to The Recreation ground at Aldershot so don’t know about cricket pitch at that one.
I don’t remember Aldershot having a cricket pitch. The park area was by the main road past the ground and as I remember, the other end (the away end when I went) exited onto what was effectively heathland - or so it appeared.
The tinpot thing I remember about Aldershot was their ballboys refusing to fetch the ball from a huge puddle so one of our players had to use a long wooden bench to walk across the puddle to fetch the ball.
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The goal that wasn’t a goal? Anyone remember that? I can’t remember where it was but the ball slipped through the underside of the back of the net and the ref must have thought it’d gone off the side netting!
That was also Brentford. Mark McCammon scored it. I was there and it definitely went in and through a hole in the net. We won 4-0 anyway. Think it was an FA cup match. Not 100% on that. We beat Brentford 3 times that season. Now look at them!!!
I was there Campsall and I'm sure that we only won 1-0, a Lewis Guy goal.
You know Idler I think you are right. It was the FA Cup wasn’t it. :)
The 4-0 was the League game that season on a Tues night. Could have been 8
Brentford were very poor that season and we’re relegated to League 2. Were in financial difficulties also.
Season 2005/06 I am sure it was. Will Google head to head with Brentford.
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Your correct Idler.
It was in fact 2006/07 season. SoD’s first as manager.
Cup game Nov 06, 1-0 and league game following month Dec 06, 4-0 both at Griffin Park.
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To be honest I had forgotten the 4-0 win but well remembered driving over to Donny and then the bus down for the cup game.
A poor game but the hand pulled London Pride in the Griffin Hotel was very nice.
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Was it Aldershots ground you walked through a park to get to, open on one side to the cricket pitch. Harsh to say tinpot more quaint
Feethams at Darlington had cricket pitch to one side of the Football ground didn’t it? Sure it did.
Turf Moor Burnley has cricket pitch next to the football ground. That’s certainly not tin pot although it has improved considerably since our games against them in the 1980’s.
Never been to The Recreation ground at Aldershot so don’t know about cricket pitch at that one.
I don’t remember Aldershot having a cricket pitch. The park area was by the main road past the ground and as I remember, the other end (the away end when I went) exited onto what was effectively heathland - or so it appeared.
The tinpot thing I remember about Aldershot was their ballboys refusing to fetch the ball from a huge puddle so one of our players had to use a long wooden bench to walk across the puddle to fetch the ball.
I was confusing Northamptons ground with Aldershot , Prez mentioned it above and that's my memory refreshed cheers
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A snowy owl flying over the pitch from the Pop Stand which happened quite a few times, it also urinated as it left the stand.
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The board had a funny period in the 2020s where they thought that employing inexperienced manager’s ( 3 in a row) and it never worked for us, look at us now in 2027 in the championship play offs all because of a decent we’ll proven manager.
We can dream
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The ‘Media Manager’ posted “wtach this sapce” on the DROS website when he first started. It summed everything up rather beautifully.
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Leigh again. The gents toilet was a disgusting. Was made out of corrugated sheets and was straight into the soil and ran down into a stream.
Well, that’s not to be sniffed at! :coat:
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Bradford City. I queued up for 20 minutes for a burger and when I finally got it it was just a breadbun with no bloody burger in it.
Dead livid I was.
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I once was given a cup of milk and warm water with no tea bag at Belle Vue. When he heard what was happening one of the old regulars on the Main Stand Terrace (short little red faced round bloke, glasses, ginger hair, always very shouty) who always stood in front of us turns around and says "You need to tek the c**t back young un". Wise words at the time I thought.
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Welling away. Tannoy was broke so they wrote the team changes on a blackboard
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I once was given a cup of milk and warm water with no tea bag at Belle Vue. When he heard what was happening one of the old regulars on the Main Stand Terrace (short little red faced round bloke, glasses, ginger hair, always very shouty) who always stood in front of us turns around and says "You need to tek the c**t back young un". Wise words at the time I thought.
That sounds very much like the late Bryan Vaughan, he was never one to hold back was Bryan, I remember him pulling the head of the mascot at Chester thus making the 16/17 year old lad in the costume cry
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When we had the three stars put on the shirt when we won League 2 (as it is now).
My dad asked me what the three stars were for and thought I would cringe myself to death when I saw the look in his eyes.
I had the piss mercilessly ripped out of me while I was in the army over them 3 chuffin stars.
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The three stars was bad don't think any other club has done that. If they have it's probably for champions leagues!
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This is incredibly embarrassing but unfortunately true and it was only this April just gone .
Taking just over 500 fans to Huddersfield when we needed to win and survive another week , it's a distance of 16 miles .
Utterly embarrassing and tin pot .
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This one might not be popular but...
The "Rovers Till I Die" printing on the shirts when John Ryan was in charge. It looked naff and was rather redundant.
And for that as well....in fact ive just checked in my wardrobe and its on the shirt with the 3 stars, its also got belle vue 1922 - 2006 stitched on the back.
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I remember under Richardson him reducing the price to get in the ground, but when we got there the car park price had gone up.
Read one somewhere, Halifax players went to put their Vandenel shirts on and the club badge pulled off and there was a Torquay one underneath :lol:
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One of my favourite letters into the fanzine fits this theme.
[EDIT: I initially wrote this post from memory, but have just dug out the letter in question – to issue 20 – so I can now flesh out the detail]
The letter came in from someone who worked in a shop in Crowle. Pre-season in summer 2002 one of his regulars, knowing he was a big Rovers fan, had asked him if he'd like a Rovers shirt. She worked at the golf club that had hosted a Rovers golf day earlier in the week, and at the end of the day, one of the Rovers staff had thought it a nice gesture to gift a couple of shirts to the golf Club. Naturally he says yes. Customer duly drops off his shirt Friday, and he's surprised to find it's the brand new one, only just launched for that season, with the number two on the back. He didn't even realise they were out yet. So proud as punch he decides to wear it to work in the shop the next day.
Saturday morning, there he is in the shop, wearing his new Rovers shirt when the phone rings. It's the golf club and they've got Rovers kit man with them. Has he been given a Rovers shirt? Why yes, in fact he's wearing it. Ah, well we need it back for this afternoon's friendly against Sunderland, can we have it back? First off they asked if he could bring it with him to the match; as he's working he isn't. OK, says the kitman, I'll come and get it.
Which he duly does. Literally taking the shirt off the back of our correspondent. "I had to work the rest of the day with no shirt on. Try explaining that to every customer who comes in!"
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I once was given a cup of milk and warm water with no tea bag at Belle Vue. When he heard what was happening one of the old regulars on the Main Stand Terrace (short little red faced round bloke, glasses, ginger hair, always very shouty) who always stood in front of us turns around and says "You need to tek the c**t back young un". Wise words at the time I thought.
That sounds very much like the late Bryan Vaughan, he was never one to hold back was Bryan, I remember him pulling the head of the mascot at Chester thus making the 16/17 year old lad in the costume cry
I wondered if anyone would get him from the description. Always Main Stand Terrace, Town end side. Slap bang in the middle of the terrace with his mates. Always seemed very jolly with it and he was certainly amusing. Sobering to hear some of them are no longer with us. It seems like yesterday.
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I can remember being at Northampton’s ground in the early 80s and pre kick off there was several young local kids in normal clothing and kicking a ball about in the goal area until the players came out to start the match, the kids then ran off the pitch and climbed back over the wall on to the street.
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I once was given a cup of milk and warm water with no tea bag at Belle Vue. When he heard what was happening one of the old regulars on the Main Stand Terrace (short little red faced round bloke, glasses, ginger hair, always very shouty) who always stood in front of us turns around and says "You need to tek the c**t back young un". Wise words at the time I thought.
That sounds very much like the late Bryan Vaughan, he was never one to hold back was Bryan, I remember him pulling the head of the mascot at Chester thus making the 16/17 year old lad in the costume cry
Certainly sounds like him, had the pleasure of working with him at Markham Main