Wettest I have ever been at a football match

[Dutch Uncle]

Of course there have been a few, but I wonder if anyone else on here was at the match at Belle Vue on 20 March 1965?

The score: Doncaster Rovers 4 Barrow 2 

Rovers were 9th (just like yesterday), not quite threatening the top four promotion spots, and Alick Jeffrey was chasing leading scorer in the country. Wild wild weather with the rain almost horizontal, and unsurprisingly the lowest crowd of the season with 4399 brave souls desperately seeking any shelter possible. I seem to remember the cowshed being suddenly popular, Rossington End deserted. Players sliding everywhere, probably wouldn't have been played today. Lewis Guy would have had a field day. That day sticks in my memory just for the weather. Alick scored twice, and Alex Tait scored the other two. Certainly no pitch invasions, no-one stupid enough to risk drowning.

 

[TonySoprano]

Honestly thought this was going to be another thread about yesterday 

[5minstogo]

Friendly v Real Sociedad for me, although that was more post match after the heavens opened just after the final whistle.

[Dazator]

Definitely Southport away in their own stand behind the goal. Think we won 4 v 1 after going behind. Comedy wet, hail, the works. We started singing some comedy chants. Think it took a day to dry off

[streathamdave]

Behind the goal at Belle Vue vs Gillingham. The ground was in a bad way back then and by that time that 'stand' was hardly ever open. Not sure why I watched from that end as I didn't normally. It snowed. Think it was a mixture of snow and rain actually with no cover :cold:but we won.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Definitely Southport away in their own stand behind the goal. Think we won 4 v 1 after going behind. Comedy wet, hail, the works. We started singing some comedy chants. Think it took a day to dry off

This. It is not physically possible to be wetter than that day.

There was a ten minute queue to get into the men's toilets at Harthead Services on the M62, 2 hours later because it was packed with Donny fans stripping off and drying their clothes under the hand driers.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Mind, to be fair, yesterday was close given that I pissed myself involuntarily three times in the last 10 minutes.

[Draytonian III]

Definitely Southport away in their own stand behind the goal. Think we won 4 v 1 after going behind. Comedy wet, hail, the works. We started singing some comedy chants. Think it took a day to dry off

The Southport goalkeeper that day was  tv presenter Elton Welsby son, I can’t remember his first name but he got a bit of grief with the continuous chanting of Welsby,Welsby,Welsby

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Friendly v Real Sociedad for me, although that was more post match after the heavens opened just after the final whistle.

Wettest for me too but it did start before the whistle as the pitch nearly flooded with the ref (Mark Halsey?) blowing the whistle prematurely to get everyone off the pitch.

Another very wet one was the big Friday night Lincoln match at OBV which we lost during that great season. Packed into the Town End where there was no escape form the constant heavy rain. Very dismal but mitigated by winning the League.

[turnbull for england]

Wigan in Leyland Daf must be close

[turnbull for england]

I wasn't there but wasn't there a biblical storm in pre season against Spanish side ?

[Wokingviking]

At Brighton in the Withdean.  They handed out plastic ponchos I seem to recall. Circa 2007?

[LakesideOwl]

Honestly thought this was going to be another thread about yesterday 

I mean... It was that good 

[Dazator]

Definitely Southport away in their own stand behind the goal. Think we won 4 v 1 after going behind. Comedy wet, hail, the works. We started singing some comedy chants. Think it took a day to dry off

This. It is not physically possible to be wetter than that day.

There was a ten minute queue to get into the men's toilets at Harthead Services on the M62, 2 hours later because it was packed with Donny fans stripping off and drying their clothes under the hand driers.

Brilliant. Yeah I was living in Liverpool at the time and there was 3 of us with a steam of water coming off us down the middle of the merseyrail train back into Liverpool. Full change required and borrowed clothes for my mates when we got back

[NickDRFC]

Definitely Southport away in their own stand behind the goal. Think we won 4 v 1 after going behind. Comedy wet, hail, the works. We started singing some comedy chants. Think it took a day to dry off

This. It is not physically possible to be wetter than that day.

There was a ten minute queue to get into the men's toilets at Harthead Services on the M62, 2 hours later because it was packed with Donny fans stripping off and drying their clothes under the hand driers.

Loved that game. My dad and I were in the directors box so completely dry and the 2 lads we’d taken with us in the car were totally exposed. We stopped somewhere to buy a couple of towels for the seats on the way back.

[Glyn_Wigley]

Saltergate one (I think) Boxing Day in the 90s. Completely exposed away end, torrential and freezing rain and sleet blown straight at that away end that went straight through a thick parka and several layers of clothes andhad me wet to the skin within minutes. It's still the only football match I've stood with my back towards and watched over my shoulder.

[Padge_DRFC]

Accrington away this season

[Bentley Bullet]

Talking about getting "wet through", it has to be the friendly v Real Sociedad at Belle Vue. It took me an hour to get my Rovers shirt off when I got home.

Talking about getting "piss wet through", though, it has to be the Bootham crescent bogs at York City. It took me an hour to get my socks off when I got home.

[turnbull for england]

Saltergate one (I think) Boxing Day in the 90s. Completely exposed away end, torrential and freezing rain and sleet blown straight at that away end that went straight through a thick parka and several layers of clothes andhad me wet to the skin within minutes. It's still the only football match I've stood with my back towards and watched over my shoulder.

New year's Day perhaps? Remember being in fancy dress and that dissolving in rain - Steve Adams won a penalty

[DonnyNoel]

Mansfield away in the FA Cup first round, mid 90's, torrential rain when their away end was open terrace. Rumours were Ken had picked the side that day and we were 4-0 when we came away on around 80 mins. Think we pulled in back to 4-2 but can't say I was bothered about missing those goals.

[Dazator]

Definitely Southport away in their own stand behind the goal. Think we won 4 v 1 after going behind. Comedy wet, hail, the works. We started singing some comedy chants. Think it took a day to dry off

The Southport goalkeeper that day was  tv presenter Elton Welsby son, I can’t remember his first name but he got a bit of grief with the continuous chanting of Welsby,Welsby,Welsby

That was one of the funniest and most effective chants I've witnessed, it was all in the way it was said and was clearly getting to him which meant we over played it to death

[roversdude]

Southport wetter than an otters pocket

[adamtherover]

Stanley away this season was pretty brutal..

[Butchers Red]

Saltergate one (I think) Boxing Day in the 90s. Completely exposed away end, torrential and freezing rain and sleet blown straight at that away end that went straight through a thick parka and several layers of clothes andhad me wet to the skin within minutes. It's still the only football match I've stood with my back towards and watched over my shoulder.

Me too - unbelievable rain and wind that day

[PDX_Rover]

Saltergate one (I think) Boxing Day in the 90s. Completely exposed away end, torrential and freezing rain and sleet blown straight at that away end that went straight through a thick parka and several layers of clothes andhad me wet to the skin within minutes. It's still the only football match I've stood with my back towards and watched over my shoulder.

Me too - unbelievable rain and wind that day

Yes. On that exposed away end. It was freezing too.


Leyland DAF at Wigan as Turnbull mentioned. That was a lot of fun though…. Mudslides

[Dutch Uncle]

I am beginning to think I am the only one on here who was at at that Barrow 4-2 game all those years ago 

[Wokingviking]

Methuselah was there with you Dutch.

[Dutch Uncle]

Methuselah was there with you Dutch.

Along with Scawsby Steve, Bentley Bullet and Wolfie (Allegedly) 

Unless they were fair weather fans in those days 

[idler]

I was there Dutch but my wettest was probably 1969/69 Southend at home we won 2-0. We were at the edge of the pop stand and I was still getting wet so I just stood in it. Wet to the skin and squelched back home to Balby. The second wettest was probably
1-5 at home to Crystal Palace 1960/61? The ref took the players off for 10 minutes during the first half.
Away is probably Southport in the conference followed by Wigan in the Leyland daf. Both wet through but happy at the end.

[Ye-Aul-Tavern]

https://youtu.be/Krb1vjEaGgw?si=D9DWzmj0-H0ffdQe

This game. You'd think when you draw an Italian team the weather would be decent. We drove all day through downpours from Pisa to Modena with rumours the game was going to be called off going around all day. I was out in Dublin the week after the game and got out two €50 notes from the ATM for pints. My wallet still hadn't dried out and nearly ruined my money.