40 years ago today, the Eastville stadium fire

As well as the football, the dogs, flower beds , I remember the huge firework displays there, great memories, sad to see the end of an era there, it was our home for so long

Too young to have ever gone to Eastville but great pictures all the same.

I remember that. Didn't you have to buy a programme to find out which half time scores were being displayed.

Oscar

Some great ones there francegas.

I loved the smell too. Walking from the Muller Road entrance, around the back of the North Stand to the Tote. A combination of cigarette smoke, stale beer, and hot dog onions! Sounds pretty minging, but it was fantastic. Can smell it now!

Remember that day like it was yesterday. On holiday in Bournemouth with the Family. I had just gone off the top board for the first time so was absolutely fizzing . Ran back to tell Mum and Dad, then they gave me the bad news , absolute fkin buzz killer. We packed up and fckd off home.
I naively thought they would replace it, but that was the start of the decline really.
I really hope one day before they put me in the box that we have something better that will help our club thrive.

Eastville memories for me.
Mickey Barrett v Millwall 3-2
O.G. by Ray Cashley when ball came off his back after hitting the bar (Ipswich I believe)
Autograph hunting on Southamptons team coach whilst watching one of the Wallace brothers flick peas at Peter Shilton and enjoying his inability to catch them.
Cottee & McAvennie arguing outside team coach with manager that they would make a good strike partnership.
Being convinced Phil Kite would get lobbed as spent most of time on edge of 'D' doing stretching exercises (I don't think he got lobbed though)
Sat in car watching brick flying towards me only for it to miss window by an inch and hit roof (Newport I think that was)
Strange how you remember the odd snippet

I sat in the south stand from 74 until the fire. Towards the Tote end next to the glass section .My Dad worked the turnstiles , so I was always first inside the ground 30 mins before the gates opened.
Then spent the next 2 hours watching the ground slowly fill and the atmosphere / excitement build. There was always something going on, I barely had time to read the program.
If there had been speedway the night before, I was guaranteed to find money just by walking the rows.
Loved the smell of the place. Happy days.

The smell of gas, Marching bands, still miss them, Tarrs ice-cream around the pitch, Oscar, half time scores, changing ends at half time, The Tote, Gordon Bennet and his hunting horn, flower beds, dog track, the box on top of the South stand for radio broadcasts. The mentally handicapped man selling rosettes which grew to merchandising and became a multi million pound industry, walking through Eastville park from Fishponds, the tannoy saying things like 'youre wife's having a baby, get home quick' Geoff Bradford, Alfie Biggs, Smash & Grab, the Watney Cup, playing West Ham in the Cup Bobby Jones flying past Bobby Moore, the open air bogs, a goal from Doug Hillard from inside his own half, 'arold, 'arold with him flying down the wing beating two defenders and scoring, Pete Budd & the Rebels, Preston with Tom Finney, the man on the motorbike taking the video highlights to HTV and of course as now 'Irene' bellowing from the terraces.