Coldest and Wettest?

[POD]

Did anyone else get absolutely soaked on Saturday?

I left home to walk from Bessacarr at 1.50pm and it was cloudy, but not raining.  As I approached the lakeside, the heavens opened and I got a real soaking.  The shower only lasted about ten minutes and by the time I reached the ground, it was blue sky all round and those that live on the North side of town will have missed it altogether. 

With the cold wind blowing into the West Stand during the game my wet clothes and feet made it absolutely freezing and I can't remember being as cold at a match for a long time.

Does anyone else have memories of particularly cold and wet matches in the past?

[Surrey Rover]

Yes, Plymouth Nov 81, open away end, got soaked, lost 4-2 followed by 7 hour coach journey back home.

[roverssam1879]

Scunny at home boxing day at BV.

Couldnt undo my zip for a half time tiddle my fingers were that cold!

[DonnyNoel]

Wettest was maybe Mansfield away in the cup (95?96?). Torrential downpour on an open terrace for 80 minutes when my mates dad said we were leaving at 4-0 so we even missed our consolation goals.

Coldest I would say a game at home to Lincoln (under John Beck at the time so mid/late 90's again). Think it was a 1-1 draw. Despite having at least two of everything on I was utterly freezing. Genuinely think the weather said it hit -8 that so no idea how the game was even on.

[Al4475]

That Pre-Season Friendly at Belle Vue against Real Sociedad was very very wet - but perhaps not too bad as it was quite warm too.

I also remember an amazing Coca-Cola Cup Game (I think but may have been Leyland DAF or somesuch) against Blackpool round about 1992 ish - was absolutely horrendous, we were given red raffle tickets on the way in just in case it got called off before half-time, I remember saying to my sister that they'd get through to half time and call it off a minute into the second half so no-one would be refunded.

I seem to recall there were less than 1000 in the ground (but gain I may be wrong) but as it happens it was an amazing game that night despite the wet so again it wasn't so bad.

[RedJ]

Coldest I've ever been at a match has to be that Boro game in 2010, 2-1. Absolutely mental conditions to get a game on in.

[Wild Rover]

God knows when it was, But a game against SWANSEA, many years ago at BV. Heavens opened, there was a tidal wave (Small, but a wave non the less ), ran from Rossington end down to town end, outside perimeter wall. That's the wettest ive known. But wasn't cold, think it was early October time.

Of course I stand to be corrected on any point.

[swintonrover]

Sociedad was ridiculous. The scenes of everybody slowly moving backwards further under the sstands to avoid the rain will live in the memory for a long time. IIRC, Sociedad cancelled the rest of their pre-season tour the day after!

The coldest I've been was a Tuesday night away at Burnley a couple of years ago. Absolutely brutal.

[Woodhead Passer]

Grimsby away in the JPT was awful! It was raining sideways towards us in the away end, as we were on row C we opted to move to the corner stood at the back to stay sheltered  the performance wasn't much better either!

[Jenny]

Southport away in the Conference has to be up there with Sociedad for the wettest.

[drfcbenny625]

Scunny away last season was quite cold. Mind you I was on the bottom row and was ankle deep in snow

[BigColSutherland]

Southport away in the Conference has to be up there with Sociedad for the wettest.

More hail than rain. Pretty wet though.

[IDM]

Charlton away this season was pretty wet!

I also remember one away fixture at Huddersfield (Leeds Rd) in the early 80's.  We had already decided to sit in the stand, but the weather was so bad that the stewards shunted all the Rovers fans, who were standing in the open terracing, into the stand under cover.

[DaveDRFC]

I was playing for the R'Sonists at WorldNet in Leeds the day of the Sociedad friendly and remember us all piling into a tiny tent to try and escape the rain!

I don't really remember ever getting that wet while watching football, opening day in the Conference against Forest Green when Duerden scored a hat trick I remember it hammering it down and those on the Rosso End trying to find cover, but I was on the Pop Side so didn't affect me!

Coldest I've ever been was Burnley away, think it was in November 2008 but could have been 2009, never been so cold watching football. Helped slightly by the fact I went to Lanzarote the next day! It was also pretty chilly the night Ipswich hammered us 6-0 at the Keepmoat, a great birthday present for me that was, and a fantastic reward for renewing my season ticket the day before!

[Lytham Rover]

Coventry away this good Friday was freezing had 2 coats with me and being optimistic put the slightly lighter one on  mistake

[Beerseller]

Fulham away in a 2nd leg league cup match about 1982 ish.  The floodlights were crocked and the kick off was put back until around 8.30 maybe even 9pm.   It was cold and my memory says one of those nights when a ground frost was forming early, however, being young and daft I didn't wear a coat and relied only on my Rovers shirt to keep warm.  Looking back, I don't think we did so well in the league cup that it would have been later than October so maybe it wasnt that cold.

I also think the 5 or 6 pints of well-chilled lager from the kiosk at the back of the terrace didn't help with the temperature as well as I'd hoped.  If I remember correctly we lost 3-0 making it 6-1 in aggregate over both legs.

Because of the extremely late kick-off, there was no transport home from town when the coach finally got back into Donny at around 2am so a long coatless walk followed.

[colin cramb]

scunny away about 8 years ago, some reason only had my rovers shirt on, i nearly died..... 

[BillyStubbsTears]

Southport away. It wasn't physically possible to be any wetter than that. Didn't dry out till I took my kecks off and held them under the hand driers in the bogs at Hartshead services.

Coldest ever for me was on the away end at Hartlepool one February Tuesday night. Sleet blown in on a 50mph gale that felt like it had come from a deep freeze. On Pluto. Only colder. Al tell thi how cold it were. Uncle Jack Ashurst were on the away end at kick off. He lasted 10 minutes before he buggered off to the main stand.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Another contender for wettest was a Boxing Day match at Saltergate, when Stevie Adams slipped in a puddle in the box in the last minute to gain the winning penalty.

Have been looking at taking my kids to his football training sessions in Sheffield. Looking on his website, it seems like the old lad's a bit poorly.
http://www.trickywingers.co.uk/

Steve is currently fighting a long battle with Kidney (Renal) Cancer.

Best of luck to a proper entertainer.

[roversdude]

Southport and Chesterfield away for wettest
Coldest - Hartlepool the night Billy Tight Shirt got sent off for missing ball, also Northampton (old ground) even heater in car wouldn't work

[not on facebook]

Yes, Plymouth Nov 81, open away end, got soaked, lost 4-2 followed by 7 hour coach journey back home.

Was that the tuesday nite game ?if so i went down to said game on the Supporters coach from waterdale.

There was 3 Of us but we sat in the seats i recall.if rovers had Won 0-6 it would have never Made that coach journey back home any better.

Sure it was only time i went via Supporters branch

[1879Rovers]

Coldest - York City away on Boxing Day, probably about 1988. Started snowing on the open terrace. Consolation was we won 1-0.

[IDM]

Rochdale away over christmas/new year in the early 80's was a proper quagmire.  I think the game finished 3-3 but there was at least one time when the ball was rolling goalwards but got stuck in the mud before the line, and was hacked clear.  And we thought our pitch last season was bad!

[boro_rover]

Yeovil away, the year we came up through the playoffs.
It was probably my shittiest experience as a travelling rover. Catching the coach with a monstrous hangover and no sleep at stupid o'clock. Then it pisses down with rain, we play terribly and lose. Freezing, and miserable on the way home, I will never go there again!

[Crowle Rover]

Another contender for wettest was a Boxing Day match at Saltergate, when Stevie Adams slipped in a puddle in the box in the last minute to gain the winning penalty.

Have been looking at taking my kids to his football training sessions in Sheffield. Looking on his website, it seems like the old lad's a bit poorly.
http://www.trickywingers.co.uk/

Steve is currently fighting a long battle with Kidney (Renal) Cancer.

Best of luck to a proper entertainer.

Remember this one Billy.

Absolutely sheeting it down on that big open terrace and me and a couple of mates huddling in a corner.

My brother, on the other hand, was stood taking the full brunt of it wearing just a Rovers shirt (and a pair of jeans before any smart arses suggest otherwise) and at one point his arms did start to have a bluish tinge to them!

Sad news about Steve Adams. Wish you all the best fella.

[The Red Baron]

Rochdale away over christmas/new year in the early 80's was a proper quagmire.  I think the game finished 3-3 but there was at least one time when the ball was rolling goalwards but got stuck in the mud before the line, and was hacked clear.  And we thought our pitch last season was bad!

Remember it well. Old school footy!

[POD]

I remember the Carling Cup 3rd round tie against Gillingham at Belle Vue during our cup run of 2005.  I stood on the old main stand terrace with no cover for the whole game.  I dug out my programme recently and it wasn't in a very good state.  My Real Sociedad programme is even worse though!!

[glosterred]

Wettest the Real Sociedad game, coldest a few years ago up at Hartlepool, wind coming in off the sea it was effing freezing. As for the cloud bust on Saturday, missed it by about 5 mins, the only thing that went right on Saturday!

COYR

[RTID75]

Real Sociedad wettest by some margin. Never known rain like it at football, and like probably everyone else there that day, was very surprised to see the game run to the end with the lightning so close!

Was anyone else in ASDA after the game? I don't know where it struck, but the lightning took out their power and there was total darkness in there for a few seconds!

Coldest? Hmmm... Lots of them, but struggling to remember specifics apart from Villa at BV, and the game a winter or two ago where the announcer (very temporarily) called the game off at half time due the frozen pitch even though the ref hadn't!

[duggiesmyhero]

Wigan away,  Leyland dad quarrel final,  rained all day and night.  Slidding down the grass bank when Bruno scored,  drove bk home in just my boxers,  now that was a wet day out