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Post by cabazeldegas on Mar 30, 2017 21:45:27 GMT
Do we over romanticise the 'good old days'?
I think we do and I also think it has an impact to attract some of the dickheads who follow our club, and are proud to represent our club. They want to show us to be hard, we can't be beat. We stand.
No disrespect to the Tote End Old Boys thing that's going on, but its logo is a fist with a tat on it's knuckles.
f**kin 'ard in a VIZ style.
I'm old enough to have been on the Tote as a young boy.
Often it was just pure exciting, but often it was just bloody terrifying.
It was aggressive, racist and often just plain nasty.
Let's not forget that the back end of Eastville wasn't nice. It was a rampant recruiting ground for the National Front and could be a deeply unpleasant place to be.
Even when we first moved to Twerton the pub to the right of the ground was rife with ultra right wingers selling the 'Bulldog' newspaper (remember fat Darren?) I remember being in there when they were selling it with the headline "The Last White Hope" as they were so proud.
They were promoting the white man, Joe Bugner, who had become a nationalised aussie, against the evil black man, Frank Bruno (English, end of)
Back in the day it was an excuse to get pis*ed right up and do what you want.
I've seen a fellow gashead get a broken nose by another gashead because he wore the wrong colour top.
That's what's happening again now, led by 'old boys' who should know better, gladly followed by youngsters who are looking for an excuse.
IMO the glorifying of the "good old days" is what has allowed these middle aged idiots to resurrect themselves and for the youth to think its cool to behave like f*cking morons again, because they're following their elders.
Terrifying innocents wasn't big and clever then and nor is it now.
But with this romanticism of the "good old days" it means you're standing up for your club. You're Hard. You're showing everyone else that your club is not for the taking.
It's so out of date, but the 'good old days' are being celebrated.
They shouldn't be.
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Post by yategas78 on Mar 30, 2017 22:20:39 GMT
I was about 16 when I first entered the Tote End 42 years ago (bloody ell)!! I agree, sometimes it was bloody intense from the walk down to Eastville from Knowle getting grief from the Sh1!heads who hadn't gone away then bumping in to the away fans on Stapleton Road getting the odd smack around the ear when the law weren't about, There were often punch ups in the Tote as in those days the visiting fans used to hide their scarves away then pay at the turnstiles , when it kicked off every bugger just started swinging and whacking anyone who was unlucky enough to be in the way home or away fan and it was hard to get out of the way as it was bloody packed!! I like it in the West Enclosure nowadays far more civilised😜
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2017 23:04:22 GMT
I used to go to the north enclosure with my dad 1968-73 then from 75-77 the tote end and never felt threatened or was aware of any trouble in the ground though i know there were issues after the full time whistle.
I played myself for 30 years so only went to the tote end sometimes after 77.
In fairness to the op football hooligans put lots of people off going to matches and attendances suffered badly because of it.
I think the small number of trouble makers at recent matches needs to be treated very seriously and anyone caught causing aggro should be banned for life.
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Post by Gasshole on Mar 31, 2017 5:00:03 GMT
Plenty on here with an urge to p1ss over the back of some poor sods legs. Personally I'm keen just to slide through white dogsh1t in Eastville park.The good old days eh.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2017 5:43:49 GMT
I always preferred standing in the North Enclosure particularly for night games and it had a great atmosphere with good witty banter and none of the unpleasantness that sometimes occurred in the Tote. I did occasionally stand on the Tote and agree there were some characters but can't say I ever really felt comfortable there in the same way I always felt at home in the North Enclosure particularly when the cries of Harold...Harold went up. I do miss the North Enclosure but not the Tote.
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Post by puregas on Mar 31, 2017 7:37:12 GMT
Good post cab, although I do disagree with a lot of it.
Firstly, I don't think we do over romanticise the Tote. It was an amazing place to be. Everything about it was exciting; the steps to go up, the smell, the singing, the fashion, the football, the overall atmosphere. It was a right of passage as a youngster, and once you had been you just couldn't wait to get back, be it midweek, or a fortnight's time. It meant a lot of different things to different people, to some the singing, being with your mates, being part of a big 'club', to others, it may have been the violence. But everybody loved it, otherwise you'd stand somewhere else.
Secondly, the youngsters of today, as you call them, are nothing new. The culture never went away, it just goes through cycles when there may be more or fewer, depending on areas, families etc.
Thirdly, it is extremely rare that any 'innocents' get caught up in any trouble. Generally it's all to do with like minded people finding each other. Innocents do often have uncomfortable train journeys surrounded by fans singing and drinking but I've seen this equally with rugby too, and even cricket.
I think we will all agree though that the racism side of it all was horrendous, and that thank God, in this respect things have changed immensely since those days.
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Post by meader on Mar 31, 2017 9:39:27 GMT
F**K...did someone get out of bed the wrong side??? I'm an old Tote Ender and proud to be associated with the Tote End. Its what made Eastville! I had many a good time on the Tote. Yes there were moments when things go heavy. The game with Stoke City in 1971 when Stoke fans were given part of the Tote on the right side. Then there were the moments when relationships were formed. One moment it pushing against a girl and next u kissing by the toilets.
But you just had to accept what the Tote End was. It had a reputation with other clubs who wanted to "Take" the Tote. Most failed. And those who were at the FA Cup game with Southampton when their fans invaded the pitch and made their way towards the Tote. We just stood there and waited. And as the Southampton fans got closer, there was a charge from the Tote! Good old days. And by the way, anyone know how Joe90 is??? Now he was a proper tote ender and sometime started the chanting...Happy Days.
But that's how football has been since the 1960's. Yes, things are changing. Most stadiums are safer places due to Bradford and Hillsborough. and of course you will get idiots, just like you do most week ends in most town and city centres.
But at the end of the day i'm a proud Tote Ender and a proud Gashead - until I die that is....UTG
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Post by countygroundhotel on Mar 31, 2017 9:48:00 GMT
Have I missed something where is all this rampant hooliganism? One bloke gets head butted & some PC idiot is bigging it up like it's the return of the 70s & 80s. Christ the molehill has become the mountain again.
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Post by zulugas on Mar 31, 2017 10:47:04 GMT
There was a lot of humor on the Tote as well. I think it was in '78 when the Tote split into two factions Tiswas & Swap-shop and started chanting at each other. Can't remember who we played that day just that it was a boring game with a very small away following, but inter tote end Saturday morning TV rivalry was hilarious (You had to be there).
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Post by gasstrictband on Mar 31, 2017 10:54:29 GMT
Can remember on the tote , used to sing the song ,all the nice girls love a sailor.
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Post by gonzales on Mar 31, 2017 10:58:16 GMT
Interesting post, I think the points the op is making are more pronounced away from home. has anyone seen the sieg heil adidas leaf rovers stickers?
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Post by syg on Mar 31, 2017 11:12:57 GMT
Im 47 and went in the north enclosure (if that's the stand with the players tunnel). I had no idea the tote was like that. My earliest memories of Eastville are being in what was or became the away terrace as a child with my legs dangling over the adverts and the stewards telling me to move my legs. I asked my dad recently why we went in that end and he said that at that time it wasn't an away end.
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Post by lympstonegas on Mar 31, 2017 12:36:06 GMT
Well there certainly was some scary times on the Tote when we shared it with other teams - especially remember all the Villa games, Fulham, Tottenham, Stoke, Westham to name but a few. Police horses on the Tote, Sharpened washers made into stars (Bruce Lee era) coins, darts it certainly went on inside and out of the ground.
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Post by chilly1883 on Mar 31, 2017 15:02:21 GMT
I always sat in the north stand with my grandad, as a kid I used to love watching to the tote end more than the game. Used to love the drive in, looking at all the skin heads under the motorway, tinged with excitement and a little fear. Great memories UTG
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Post by cookinongas on Mar 31, 2017 15:46:01 GMT
Im 47 and went in the north enclosure (if that's the stand with the players tunnel). I had no idea the tote was like that. My earliest memories of Eastville are being in what was or became the away terrace as a child with my legs dangling over the adverts and the stewards telling me to move my legs. I asked my dad recently why we went in that end and he said that at that time it wasn't an away end. That was the south stand mate, the one that got burnt down |
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Post by Topper Gas on Mar 31, 2017 16:22:52 GMT
Im 47 and went in the north enclosure (if that's the stand with the players tunnel). I had no idea the tote was like that. My earliest memories of Eastville are being in what was or became the away terrace as a child with my legs dangling over the adverts and the stewards telling me to move my legs. I asked my dad recently why we went in that end and he said that at that time it wasn't an away end. That was the south stand mate, the one that got burnt down Pretty sure that was the North Stand as the player always came out opposite the South Stand were I usually sat or stood? As far as end Tote Enders if this really was an issue wouldn't there also be an issue at the Mem? You sense they do it away from home as they know they can probably get away with it. |
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Post by miltongas on Mar 31, 2017 16:32:10 GMT
That was the south stand mate, the one that got burnt down Pretty sure that was the North Stand as the player always came out opposite the South Stand were I usually sat or stood? As far as end Tote Enders if this really was an issue wouldn't there also be an issue at the Mem? You sense they do it away from home as they know they can probably get away with it. Do they do it more away because people have longer to get more tanked up on our travels. Reports from Cov game suggested that they were drinking early. Surely no one does this at home games. |
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Post by aghast on Mar 31, 2017 16:45:43 GMT
People seem to drink a lot more before games than I remember in the past.
No doubt lots will disagree with me, but way back when we would never have more than 1 or 2 pints before a match because 1) you could get caught short midway through the first half and miss the inevitable goal as you hauled yourself through the masses to get to the stinking bogs, and 2) how can you watch a match after 4 lunchtime pints? I'd be seeing 44 players on the pitch.
This boozing seems to me to be the element that encourages the bad behaviour today, but it stops short of the violence of the 70s and 80s. They're too p*ssed to throw a punch.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2017 17:47:44 GMT
That was the south stand mate, the one that got burnt down Pretty sure that was the North Stand as the player always came out opposite the South Stand were I usually sat or stood? As far as end Tote Enders if this really was an issue wouldn't there also be an issue at the Mem? You sense they do it away from home as they know they can probably get away with it. The players came out from the south stand, the one that had the extra bit through the roof,and as has been stated it burnt down. |
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Post by miamigas on Mar 31, 2017 17:59:22 GMT
Anyone else remember Compost Corner? UTG!
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