Football from 1902

[Psaw]

That thingummy jig on you tube is throwing up vintage footage of football at the turn of the century. I have watched Everton v I cant remember who from 1902 at Goodison with an attendance of 40,000. Football was alive and kicking on Merseyside long before anyone else. Catching a glimpse of old grounds is wonderful.
Its all a bit blurry but you can make it out.

I even saw Burton Wanderers play at Preston , an old Burton team that went bust. Old footage from match of the day is there especially Wolves for some reason. Fascinating stuff. In the 60s the news was full of Britain going bust, the IRA, and the Vietnam war, which most of you wont remember.

I saw a programme on Vietnam, its free and open and democratic.

The Vietnam war was a waste of time. It was Vietnam becoming independent, like the Americans from the British. That's all. Mind you, who wouldn't get a bit hysterical over communism.

Primroses sister, Helga.

[cocopops61]

I've had a look at those videos Frank and they are indeed interesting to watch,it's a pity that they less than two minutes long but I suppose film was a new and expensive thing back then,where was your first away ground,mine was Port Vale following Arnold FC and then Derbys Baseball Ground following Notts,did anybody on here try to do "The 92" challenge? if I could relive my life I think that I would have liked to have given it a go,I haven't counted but I've done about 30 odd grounds I suppose,I bet that tazzy lad could tick off a few before he...erm...had other interests

[Psaw]

In those days the film would be shown in the local hall during the week, a very early match of the day. I find any footage of society back then fascinating. You can get everyday footage of Halifax London or Manchester. My first league game was at Portman road, Ipswich played Arsenal. It was the days of Bobby Robson, Colin Viljoen and Mick Lambert. Bob Wilson was playing for Arsenal.

When I lived in Sheffield I went to Rotherham a lot, I find that club fascinating, for no reason. There is old footage of old Rotherham teams. I think its the run down poverty of the place that draws me. I remember old tenements being demolished in Sheffield and I wondered what the stories were of all the people that had lived there since the 1800s, maybe before. Someone wrote a book along those lines.

I often feel homesick for Sheffield, theres something there that chimes, though its not home. Maybe previous lives. I do take an interest in grounds I covered a lot. I like small grounds, my most recent new one was Mildenhall, a lovely ground. They got relegated from the southern league two seasons ago.

They even had a ex united and Norwich player playing for them, Danny Crow, he must have been about 50. Id like to see more Eastern counties league grounds, there are some very old ones in Anglia. Bury, that's Bury St Edmunds, are knocking down a stand that has stood 100 plus years, I haven't got there yet, unfortunately. Plenty time yet. Swaffam would be good one, the name is wonderful, and Dereham, so Norfolk.

[funny_flopbags]

I've had a look at those videos Frank and they are indeed interesting to watch,it's a pity that they less than two minutes long but I suppose film was a new and expensive thing back then,where was your first away ground,mine was Port Vale following Arnold FC and then Derbys Baseball Ground following Notts,did anybody on here try to do "The 92" challenge? if I could relive my life I think that I would have liked to have given it a go,I haven't counted but I've done about 30 odd grounds I suppose,I bet that tazzy lad could tick off a few before he...erm...had other interests

A nice round 54 grounds for me Chalks. Could probably add about 5 more if you include repeat visits at new stadiums. Shocked to count up how many are now non-league these days. Supposed I'd best get used to that.

[kel_]

Oooh look, a bucket rat on a FRED anboot fitba in the early 1900s.

[cocopops61]

A nice round 54 grounds for me Chalks. Could probably add about 5 more if you include repeat visits at new stadiums. Shocked to count up how many are now non-league these days. Supposed I'd best get used to that.

Sheffield Utd v Bury is one of the games featured from 1902 with William "Fatty" Foulkes in goal for Utd who was possibly the first star of football,asked whether he minded being called Fatty he replied "They can call me anything they like as long as they don't call me late for dinner"

Doing the 92 could be never ending if you think about it,once you have finished there will be another coming up from the NL who you haven't visited and what about clubs like Derby who changed grounds,do you tick them off your list because you went to the Baseball Ground or do you scrub them off and have to head to Pride Park?

[funny_flopbags]

Doing the full 92 is a bit trainspotterish really though Chalks.

[cocopops61]

Doing the full 92 is a bit trainspotterish really though Chalks.

If I had my time over again I think that I would definitely try to do it though

[Psaw]

I wuz a trainspotter, the happiest days of my life. Riding the underground from London station to station, "copping" a rare one, and seeing the odd steamer. It was the culture in those days, and im not ashamed of it.

Our gang used to roam "the dump.", a railway siding where diesels and coaches were parked, even the odd steam engine. We used to clamber all over them. I can remember the diesel oily smell, utterly wonderful. When we were on the station we asked to come into the cab, and even walk through the engine compartment, wed call those numbers cabbed.

By todays values we would be very bad, even criminals. No harm was done. Youngsters today are so molly coddled its tragic. We even went to London and not tell our parents. We used to trainspot till darkness. Those were the days.

[cocopops61]

I was bought up in the 60's in Daybrook and at the bottom of my road was Daybrook Station,it got closer down by Beeching but the old buildings and line lay there for years afterwards and I would explore it as a kid,I would love to have seen it when it was up and running,I can remember exploring the WW2 pillbox defences next to and wondering what good a store room was stuck half in the ground with only a slit for light
It was a sad day when I watched the Daybrook Station bridge that went over Mansfiield Road get knocked down for road widening,they also knocked down a family friends house to boot and we never really was much of them after that,the only thing that's left now is the remains of the line that runs down the side of Arnold park that's now just a path that's used for strollers,a place of escape that has gone forever