Memories of Rovers matches at Eastville

1. Being a ball-boy in the early 70's and running for miles every game behind the Muller Road goal (they didn't have spare balls in those days!)
2. Getting my finger broken trying to stop a shot by Micky Droy of Chelsea.
3. Running for my life every time the away fans invaded the pitch.
4, Getting changed in a broom cupboard under the south stand and the dust/crap falling on your head when fans in the stand above stamped their feet.
5. Standing around in the tunnel area chatting with your heroes before every game.
Fun times

Being in the boy's enclosure for the Preston cup match in 1960.
1958 cup run, saw the Mansfield and Burnley matches.
Evening Post specials on sale when we drew a big club in the cup.
Rovers being a solid Division 2 side, knowing little about clubs in the bottom two divisions such as
Crystal Palace, Southampton, Watford,Millwall.
Beating City 4-0 December 1963, what a Xmas present!
Seeing famous England players in league matches, Johnny Haynes, Ray Wilson, George Cohen.Brian Clough.
Football League v Irish League 1961, when the full England side including Bobby Charlton played.
Beating Shrewsbury 7-0 .
All the league cup games in the early 1970's.
The black pie/pasty/tea/ coffee stall at the side of the Tote End.
Changing ends at half time when the gates were smaller.
Going on the pitch after a friendly match v Swedish side Djurgsrden, circa 1960 for some reason with e erroneous else.
Football bus specials from Kingswood Park every home game.
Loads of heartbreaking defeats, City in the cup 1968, Gillingham 1970 when promotion seemed to be in the bag.
After promotion, playing Villa, Man Utd, Sunderland, City, Southampton, WBA etc in the mid 1970s.
Nothing has been the same when we left there.
Going to away games for the first time, realising what a big ground Eastville was in comparison to all the others in League 3,
all of whom have better grounds than weave now.

I too was at the Aston Villa match in the middle of the Tote End, absolutely bricking myself, more Villa fans in there than Gasheads, I don't think I watched any of the match, just trying to escape the mayhem, but absolutly brilliant atmosphere. Who remembers Oscar walking round the dog track selling programmes. How about Wilf Smith fighting an opposing forward for throwing a ballboy into the flower beds behind the goal? Lots of good memories, spectating in the 70's was always frightening and exciting.

Interesting you should mention Djurgarden - I believe they came to Eastville for a friendly to mark the first match under floodlights at the ground - I was certainly at the game. I can also remember Ron Yeates & Ian St John making their league debuts for Liverpool against us in 1961 I believe. 

Mum had an affinity with the Gas, although she was from Knowle, and served teas at Eastville. So from a young age would tell me stories mainly of her flirting with players - not sure if any were true though but made good listening. Dad had no affinities to any club & I just loved kicking a ball about, but as we lived in 'artcliffe, he thought he would take me to Ashton to see my first game - Brentford 1963. If I am honest I thought wow this is great. However, although it was 3-3 I couldn't tell you one goal & the only thing I took away from the game was how the sweat from the players soaked their shirts. Never did I think I wanted to go back. Mum said I would like it better at the Rovers so in Sept 1964, at the age of 11, I took my 8 year old brother to Eastville. We played Carlisle & won 5-2, with Alfie Biggs hat-trick - we stood at the front in the Tote End. I think the team was Hall, Hillard, Jones G, Oldfied , Davis, Mabbutt, Jarman,Brown,Biggs,Hamilton & Jones R. We caught the wrong bus coming home & didn't get home til about 7pm, but I think I must of relived every minute of the game over tea. I was hooked from that moment on. I didn't know at the time we only rented the ground, to me it was our ground. There was just something about the place that Ashton didn't have. Whether it was the atmosphere, the smell of the gas or the pretty flowers behind the goal, I don't know, but I felt I belonged there. Although have had some great times at Twerton & the Mem, they just don't feel like home to me. Whether it will if we rebuild the Mem, I don't know.
So many great times there, the league cup games of the 70's probably stand out most. Tote end packed, sea of blue & white scarfs held aloft, singing until we were left hoarse. I remember the Stoke game, they had a brilliant footballing team then & we lost 2-4 but gave em a game - I remember a save by Gordon Banks from a Jarman piledriver was world class. I also remember an FA Cup game home to Luton, think they were top of the 4th Division at the time. We were 0-2 down but we came back in the secondhalf to win 3-2. Arsenal in the Cup, we lost but weren't fans sat behind the goal by the flower beds or am I dreaming now? At the infamous Villa game where they were in part of the Tote, my mate got hit on the head by a flying DeKyper Cherry Brandy bottle - don't know why I look back on that with affection ?
Anyway, enough of this nostalgia - anyone got any gossip?

Does anyone remember:

Mad Harry in North Enclosure? Used to roll his programme up and shout 'SHOOOOOT' when we had ball on half way line....older fella wore trilby.. ?

Sometimes on occasions, a promotion of product would go around the outside track throwing stuff in crowd? I definitely remember small cartons of milk on milk cup games..?

Us kids sat on the hare rail in North Enclosure? When rovers scored we encroached on pitch a bit until stewards got wise to it.. ??

Ski hat craze?

Rovers tellers selling scratch cards before they were popular in todays times..?

Bricking Leicester's coach windows when we beat them in cup, their fans after match weren't in a good mood..?(!)

Kings Lynn posse wanting it before the fa cup match.....and truly getting it! ? I think they were well serviced.. ?

Your right,i was there when Doug Hillard scored from the halfway line.

"Mad Harry in North Enclosure? Used to roll his programme up and shout 'SHOOOOOT' when we had ball on half way line....older fella wore trilby.. ?"

Yes! That brought so many memories. Used to be there every match, trilby hat on - and he'd even shout "SHOOOOT!" when our goalie had the ball. Always had a dewdrop hanging from his nose in cold weather.

Here are my Eastville memories...

Hot dogs with loads of onions from the Muller Road end snack bar
Being told to put my legs behind the wall when sitting on the North Enclosure wall (was a young lad back in the 1960s)
Oscar selling programmes for a shilling each - my Dad gave him 2 bob once and Oscar gave him 2 programmes instead of giving him change...
Cracking league cup matches in the early 1970s.
Ray Graydon's mazy runs in any direction
Alex Munro kicking hell out of all and sundry
Robin Stubbs contriving to clear the bar from only 2 yards out
Larry Taylor in tears whilst having a mare of a game
Harold Jarman and Bobby Jones in full flight. A joy to behold

Many, many more. Interestingly we were normally in the same position in Division 3 (League 1) as we are now. But no internet forums then. Happy days indeed.