Prompting the next tangent: any strange choices for one-off home games, usually in the cup for non-league sides, wanting a bigger capacity. If Blyth Spartans playing at Newcastle in 1978 was "normal", which venues weren't?
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You've got your Leicesters and Derbys the wrong way around Ian (I know, I was there). Burton switched their cup tie against Leicester to Derby and the crowd trouble at the Baseball Ground meant a replay in Cov which Leicester won 1-0.Originally posted by My Name Is Ian View PostComment
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He's still angry about it, I'm guessing. It seems odd that Burton were not awarded the tie but I guess this was pre-Heysel and the prevailing norm was "let's not punish the club for the acts of a few idiots."Originally posted by My Name Is Ian View PostComment
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(Oops, on getting them the wrong way round)
I was just reading that the issue was that they made it pay on the gate, which seems extraordinary, nowadays.Comment
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Well I've done a bit of digging and thanks to the excellent Harley Lawer's Argyle Classic I can tell you the it was "a gent who threw a bottle and fellow 'terrorists' using tea cartons" that earned Argyle the closure but against whom isn't specified. Looking at the fixtures one of Leeds, Huddersfield or Aston Villa.Originally posted by Satchmo Distel View Post
Of more interest on the Monday of that week, the game was ordered to be played at White Hart Lane by order of the Football League Management Committee, but late Wednesday it was switched to Plainmoor (whether Prenton Park was considered is not recorded) leading Alf Ramsey to exclaim, in capital letters, 'never have so many been muddled by so few for so long'.
Torquay initially cancelled their Saturday reserve game and began printing tickets but the FL didn't contact them to confirm the game so they then refused to stage it stating they may only be a third division club but they weren't going to be messed about. By this time the FL committee were doing something at the Ministry of Labour so it was left to a spokesman to shout 'This is an order'. So the big gripe turned out to be that the FA shut the ground and left the Football League to ineffectually to deal with it.
Just over 9500 turned up in the end though it's suggested not many from Plymouth and though it was the lowest attendance of the season there was a similar crowd at an earlier League Cup game. Ipswich might have been a bit of a draw to the riviera folk as they were romping to the division two title and would be league champions the following year.Comment
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Enfield switched their FA Cup fourth round replay match against Barnsley in 1981 to White Hart Lane. Spurs were building the new West Stand at the time so it was a bit of a weird atmosphere, but there were still 35,000 in there and quite a few locked out. Bigger crowd than Spurs were getting at the time, I think.
Lost 3-0, obviously.Comment
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How does it work that Enfield could get a lock out when Spurs were not. I can't see there being that many latent Enfield fans, even allowing for them being one of the top non-league clubs of the time nor Barnsley bringing thousands. What was the attraction of the tie, the chance to witness history?Originally posted by My Name Is Ian View PostComment
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The first match had been one of the featured matches on the previous weekend's The Big Match and Enfield had already put two league clubs - Hereford and Port Vale - out in the last two rounds, so there was a lot of local interest. It was all over the local press at the the time. I've still got the two page spread they got in the Evening Standard after the first match on a scrap at my dad's house, I think.
It's also probably worth remembering that although Spurs ended the season by winning the winning the FA Cup, they weren't doing any great shakes in the league - I think they finished that season in tenth place - and crowds for their matches fluctuated far more in those days because there were fewer season ticket holders.
But yes, it's true that there was no huge latent support for Enfield. They always struggled for crowds in the Conference when they got into that league.Comment
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In the 1974 FA Cup Third Round, Hendon drew at Newcastle and the replay took place at Vicarage Road. Newcastle won 4-0.
https://youtu.be/4JSEBH1exIc
In the 6th Round, Newcastle would meet Nottingham Forest beating them 4-3 after trailing 1-3, thanks in no small part to a mass pitch invasion.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KHWoY-0SThs&t=5s
The FA ordered the match to be replayed at Goodison Park. The first replay ended in a 0-0 draw after extra time and Newcastle won the second replay, also at Goodison Park, 1-0.Comment
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Stevie, I’ve arrived late for this thread - must have went to the wrong ground! I remember all of those apart from the Fort at Lossie. What was the background there? Per google maps it’s 111 miles between the two. Inverness is 66 miles. Why not play at Clach?Originally posted by steviecowden View PostLast edited by DPDPDPDP; 12-11-2020, 11:45.Comment
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Inverness Coachnacudden has a certain ring to it...Comment
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Newcastle played Leeds at Hillsbrough in 1971 as a spill over from the Elland Rd WBA carry on the previous season. Dont think we we the only team affected by Leeds closure eitherOriginally posted by Southport Zeb View PostComment
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We also got drawn at home to Man City in next season third round but had to play at Maine Rd as continued punishment from Forest game. I remember Forest were not only aggrieved about SJP game not being awarded to them but having drawn at Goodison felt fully entitled to having 'replay' at City Ground rather than traipsing back to Goodison.Originally posted by cantagalo View PostComment
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On a further tangent. 42,157 turned up at SJP for that Blyth Wrexham cup game. So wretched was the home club that season the highest league crowd was 40,735. What are other examples of highest seasons attendances at a club ground not being provided by home club? Along with references to ground sharing will also have to exclude neutral FA cup semi final games & the like.Originally posted by tee rex View PostComment
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Didn't My Name Is Ian say that Enfield out did Tottenham at White Hart Lane back in the day?Comment
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Aye, they’re good at parking the bus! Typo now corrected.Originally posted by blameless View PostComment
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Well that takes Leeds out of my list of clubs who've played every home league game on the same pitch.Originally posted by ale View Post
I haven't done exhaustive research but this is what I have so far, basically from Wikipedia. Thought Sheff Utd might have clashed with cricket at some point?
Burnley (1888)
Preston (1888)
Sheffield United (1892)
Liverpool (1893)
Newcastle (1893)
Barnsley (1896)
Chelsea (1905)
Oldham (1907)
Portsmouth (1920)
Swindon (1920)
Exeter (1920-2003, 2008-)
Rochdale (1921)
Tranmere (1921-2015,2018-)
Barrow (1921-1972, 2020-)
Mansfield (1931-2008, 2013-)
Ipswich (1938)
Peterborough (1960)
Cambridge (1970)
Wycombe (1993)
Cheltenham (1999)
Accrington (2006)
Burton (2009)
Stevenage (2010)
Crawley (2011)
Fleetwood (2012)
Newport (2013)
FGR (2017)
Salford (2019)
Harrogate (2020)
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Harrogate Town don't belong on the list because they started the season at Doncaster while they had a grass pitch laid.Last edited by Capybara; 13-11-2020, 16:14.Comment
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Dont think he was as specific as that. And with good reason. The Enfield WHL attendance 35,244 was beaten by Spurs on a number of occasions that season with 43,270 being the highest League attendance. They also managed over 40,000 against Exeter in the FA cup.Originally posted by Gangster Octopus View PostComment
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Also do Newport count as only being a league club from 2013 playing at Rodney Parade? While the original club collapsed in 1989 the reformed club still carry & continue the club history from 1912 formation which includes the games at Somerton Park.Originally posted by Capybara View PostComment
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It's weird they're still called The ExilesComment
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How many ex-league clubs could be added to that list (having played all their home games since relegation on that same ground)?Comment
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