Your first Reds game

A 0-0 draw with Blackburn around 83 ish
The only thing I really remember was Noel Brotherston a real tricky winger for them.

 

Was it his haircut you remembered? -)

 

Or lack of it

 

V Brentford at home 65/66 or 66/67 I do know it really kicked in for me 67/68 cos I never missed a home game that season. Probably missed 5/6 since.

 

It was a game that Ironside missed and Brian Arblaster made his debut in goal. Had virtually nothing to do all game. Allen Bradbury was magic that day and scored two. Jimmy Robson missed a sitter in the first minute and we were 3-0 up by fifteen minutes and then rested for the next game at home to Darlington (1-0). Sorry Darlington was the one before Brentford.

 

Everton FA Cup Third Round. Lost 0-3, but did really well until Everton score three times in the last twenty minutes, or so. Ken Oliver hit the bar with a header. It was the hard winter and the game was postponed countless times, eventually being played on rolled snow with orange lines and orange ball. Really quite picturesque. Eric Winstanley played Alex Young (the golden vision) out of the game. 30,000 there that night.

 

I’m impressed if that’s from memory if not thanks anyway will add to my memory bank.

 

I was at that game I remember it well. I also remember that the Everton fans wrecked Wellington Street.

 

That description sums up my feelings at my first ever game except that it was against Bradford in the FA Cup in Nov 1973. It ended in a 1-1 draw in front of a crowd of about 6.5k. Think Mick Butler (my first hero obviously) netted our goal.

 

Torquay 1977, I think, when I was 8. I supported Leeds United at the time but the excitement of going to the game with my Dad and his enthusiasm convinced me to change team. Then Allan Clarke came and there was no looking back.

 

10th October 1981, we lost 2-1 away at Blackburn. I'd got hooked on Barnsley the previous season, promotion and lots of TV coverage. Despite that defeat, I loved it. Taken by my late father and grandad, set a routine that lasted for a decade, then passed on to my own son. The match? No Aylott as I remember, replaced by Riley who got carried off. Banks penalty for us I think?

 

20th August, 1955 with my 10 year old elder brother. Just the two of us. That wouldn't be allowed now. We beat Leeds 2-1. The legendary John Charles was playing for Leeds. The Barnsley team was: Hough, Thomas, Betts, Smith, Spruce Jarman, Kaye, Lumley Chappell, Wood, Brown. I have the programme for the match. It cost threepence. You could get 80 programmes for £1 in those days!

 

8th March, 1974/5 season vs Crewe 1-1 draw.

Can't remember who scored for us though. Surely @JLWBigLil must know!

 

Like to think it was distinctive

 

Mick Butler?

 

Peter Price scored a couple of minutes from the end of the game at the Ponty End. Shrewsbury had a decent team that season and won promotion.

 

I was also present at the Bradford City cup-tie. Frank Bartlett scored both our goals. The official attendance for the Leicester replay was 39,250. Thousands (some estimates were up to 10,000) were locked out and many watched from the hill near the site of the current Metrodome. I think you could just about see the penalty area at that side. The match was not all-ticket, because in those days replays were held within 3 or 4 days of the original fixture, so there was not enough time to organise ticket sales. I did not need to skive off school, because the Holgate Grammar School headmaster, J. W. Roche, known by all as "Sag", had the good sense to declare a half-day holiday that Wednesday afternoon, to save him from the problem of disciplining (i.e. caning) hundreds of lads. Many of the staff were no doubt grateful too. You are right about the F.A. Cup. It was far bigger than the League in those days. Such a shame that has almost become an irrelevance these days.

 

All the lads that wagged it from our junior school were paraded in front of assembly and embarrassed in front of the whole school. I was glad my dad made me go to school. Funnily enough I went to Holgate the year after when "Sag" was still headmaster. I remember a big cup game against Carlisle when they brought quite a large number of fans to a packed Oakwell. One of their fans ran on the pitch with a stuffed fox and laid it on the centre circle. A Barnsley fan then ran on and shifted it, putting a red & white rosette in its place. Happy days those cup games.

 

I wasn’t at the game but I was playing on for the YMCA against the Co-op on the ground behind the old kop. Saw the fighting when catching the bushome.

 

So the earliest match someone has been to currently is August 1955- can anyone beat that?