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Things now gone from football


east end jag
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Given that we’re getting close to the New Year and the weather has (albeit very slightly) started to get a bit colder and frostier, it got me thinking about what has gone from following football that we used to accept as part of ‘the experience’ in the past. Obviously, at the moment, watching it in a stadium is the big difference but hopefully (or maybe not!) we’ll get that back soon. So l mean the smaller, less headline grabbing parts of going to football that passed without mention.

For me the one that disappeared without fanfare, and took place post the introduction of mobile phones and undersoil heating, was the game being called off as you walked up to Firhill on a Saturday. Having a stranger tell you the game was off (usually well after 2pm and with no way to independently check they weren’t at the sly) and having to believe them because they were going the other way and wearing a Thistle scarf, was a real leap of faith.  And then the afternoon left wandering about because you had no football to go to and heading home just didn’t feel right.

Anyone else got memories of less obvious things that used to happen at football (especially if it’s uniquely Thistle related) which they now only have as memories? Be good to hear them!

 

 

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3 minutes ago, BowenBoys said:

Standing.

Self-flagellating monks.

Don't know if it happened here but in my youth in Englandshire fans would swap ends half time. Pre-segregation obviously.

I used to do that at Firhill in the days we had terracing behind both goals. Defintely miss being behind the goal Thistle were shooting into.

Also miss leaning on the crush barriers. The ones at Firhill had enough width to them to give you a table for your pie and bovril whilst being sturdy enough to prop you up if your pre-match pint had left you 'tired and emotional'.

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3 minutes ago, BowenBoys said:

Don't know if it happened here but in my youth in Englandshire fans would swap ends half time. Pre-segregation obviously.

Very much so. Possibly worth a thread on its own as I'm sure there's many a tale to tell of this. Maybe wrong but I think the half time break was only 10 mins. Not much time to go for a pee, visit the pie stand and accidently spill your Bovril over some passing opposition supporter.

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23 minutes ago, BowenBoys said:

Standing.

Self-flagellating monks.

Don't know if it happened here but in my youth in Englandshire fans would swap ends half time. Pre-segregation obviously.

Oh changing ends at Tynecastle and a few other grounds at half time was full of fun and friendly banter :wacko:

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20 minutes ago, BowenBoys said:

Standing.

Self-flagellating monks.

Don't know if it happened here but in my youth in Englandshire fans would swap ends half time. Pre-segregation obviously.

I remember going to Stirling Albion's old Annfield ground. At half time all of the opposing fans at both ends of the ground went onto the running track, and proceeded in a clockwise direction to the opposite end. No opportunity to spill Bovril there.

I occasionally go to see Dover Athletic at their Crabble ground, and the fans pass each other changing ends through one of their stands at half time.  For the H & S conscious,  there is a passageway that runs the length of the stand.

Never seen flagellating monks at a game. Was this  at St Albans or St Austell?   Perhaps St Johnstone or St Mirren?   :happy2:

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16 minutes ago, laukat said:

I used to do that at Firhill in the days we had terracing behind both goals. Defintely miss being behind the goal Thistle were shooting into.

Also miss leaning on the crush barriers. The ones at Firhill had enough width to them to give you a table for your pie and bovril whilst being sturdy enough to prop you up if your pre-match pint had left you 'tired and emotional'.

South terracing at Firhill is my spiritual home. The barriers were, as you say, very useful. It wasn't a great place for the 'tired and emotional'. With the irregular terraces you could never be sure where next footfall would be.

I gaze at the Bing with great sadness.

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2 hours ago, east end jag said:

Given that we’re getting close to the New Year and the weather has (albeit very slightly) started to get a bit colder and frostier, it got me thinking about what has gone from following football that we used to accept as part of ‘the experience’ in the past. Obviously, at the moment, watching it in a stadium is the big difference but hopefully (or maybe not!) we’ll get that back soon. So l mean the smaller, less headline grabbing parts of going to football that passed without mention.

For me the one that disappeared without fanfare, and took place post the introduction of mobile phones and undersoil heating, was the game being called off as you walked up to Firhill on a Saturday. Having a stranger tell you the game was off (usually well after 2pm and with no way to independently check they weren’t at the sly) and having to believe them because they were going the other way and wearing a Thistle scarf, was a real leap of faith.  And then the afternoon left wandering about because you had no football to go to and heading home just didn’t feel right.

Anyone else got memories of less obvious things that used to happen at football (especially if it’s uniquely Thistle related) which they now only have as memories? Be good to hear them!

 

 

I always used to park the car in the street on the other side of Maryhill Road (part of the more modern estate that replaced previous tenements). On poor weather days, as soon as you got out of the car, a young lad would venture out of the  nearby play park to say "Game's aff, mister". 

There was always that debate as to whether to believe him, and we would normally proceed a little further until older and more authoritative figures wearing Thistle scarves and trudging in the other direction would provide the inevitable confirmation.

Edited by partickthedog
Forgot to mention the play park.
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11 minutes ago, East Kent Jag II said:

I remember going to Stirling Albion's old Annfield ground. At half time all of the opposing fans at both ends of the ground went onto the running track, and proceeded in a clockwise direction to the opposite end. No opportunity to spill Bovril there.

I occasionally go to see Dover Athletic at their Crabble ground, and the fans pass each other changing ends through one of their stands at half time.  For the H & S conscious,  there is a passageway that runs the length of the stand.

Never seen flagellating monks at a game. Was this  at St Albans or St Austell?   Perhaps St Johnstone or St Mirren?   :happy2:

St Austell's under 20s team is known as "Youth Austell".

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4 minutes ago, East Kent Jag II said:

I remember going to Stirling Albion's old Annfield ground. At half time all of the opposing fans at both ends of the ground went onto the running track, and proceeded in a clockwise direction to the opposite end. No opportunity to spill Bovril there.

I occasionally go to see Dover Athletic at their Crabble ground, and the fans pass each other changing ends through one of their stands at half time.  For the H & S conscious,  there is a passageway that runs the length of the stand.

Never seen flagellating monks at a game. Was this  at St Albans or St Austell?   Perhaps St Johnstone or St Mirren?   :happy2:

Not a saint in sight. It was at Firhill at the Ne'erday match. Half a dozen guys dressed as monks regularly attended the fixture. No idea who they were. Hazy memory but I think they stopped appearing around the time that the seats arrived.

 

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1 minute ago, partickthedog said:

I always used to park the car in the street on the other side of Maryhill Road (part of the more modern estate that replaced previous tenements). On poor weather days, as soon as you got out of the car, a young lad would venture out of the  nearby play park to say "Game's aff, mister". 

There was always that debate as to whether to believe him, and we would normally proceed a little further until older and more authoritative figures wearing Thistle scarves and trudging in the other direction would provide the inevitable confirmation.

It was usually a different question from young local lads. Its been a long time since I've been approached by an entrepreneurial youths with a concern for automobile presevation.

Not sure if thats because I now park in Murano Street or kids these days have other interests?

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I miss the terracing, the agro at the fence (it’s now too sanitized), the basic ness of football (2 strips, choice of pie, bovril or quenchy cup), live games on TV only being cup finals or internationals, the characters that used to attend (now likely unwanted at grounds), the natural progression with age from Main stand to enclosure to south terracing to shed, then back again as you aged.  Waiting for results on the radio on supporters bus home. 

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Getting lifted over the gate by a randomly picked "haw mister..." adult.

Asking visiting fans if their cars needed watched (and if not, could their new fangled car alarm pump up tyres) for a bob or two.

Maybe my mind is fuzzy but us shed boys serenading someone I recollect as "Spike" as he made his way in across the terracing (now the crappy bing) towards the shed.

The no roof toilet in the away end - a much more classy and civilised way to take a leak instead of against the wall behind the shed.

Molly Stallon.

Standing.

A bunch of skilful players who played as a team and worked hard for the jersey (while presumably being paid peanuts).

Jerseys without a horrific advertising sponsor logo.

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1 hour ago, BowenBoys said:

There was also the tradition, in the terracing days, of pausing at the top of the steps, on the way out, to berate the players and manager as they made their way off the pitch after another inept performance.

 

You see that's what's missing and why certain posters think we are content with what we see on the pitch :P

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For us older fans how about Macaroon bars, chewing gum, the smell of pipe tobacco, the best scotch pies in the world and that large board at the city end displaying the letters of the alphabet against which the half time scores would be inserted. You had to buy a programme to know what game each letter represented........oh yeah and we had a decent Thistle team as well :thumbsup2:

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All of the above. Plus buying the pink Times and green Citizen to get scores and match reports. I think they came out at about 5-30pm. I used to always take a radio to the game. Before 2012/13 season wheelchair users had to use the enclosure in front of the main stand. On a number of occasions i was asked the latest scores by subs who were warming up. I think sometimes they did a warm up just to find out the up to date scores.

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