The Football.....

[Accy cyclist]

Will you go the match on Wednesday evening @Accy cyclist ?

Bolton have been given a second allocation of tickets - aren't Stanley supporters that interested?

No, I don't go to EFL Trophy matches. Accy must be after making as much money as they can, if they've given Bolton more tickets. Bolton fans caused a fair bit of trouble when we played them in the EFL Trophy Northern Final last season, especially in the new view of the pitch bar. They've always had a knob head following. I remember going to watch Blackburn Rovers at Burnden Park in the 1970's. It was a dodgy place! Accy's ground holds about 5000. We have about 2,500 go to every game fans, so I'd expect Bolton to have a following of around 2,500. If I went on Wednesday I'd find it difficult to park and with a few mobility and other slight disabilities I tend to watch Accy when we/they play teams with not too many, well behaved fans.

 

[bluenotebob]

They've always had a knob head following. I remember going to watch Blackburn Rovers at Burnden Park in the 1970's. It was a dodgy place!

Every team has its share of knob head fans. I doubt whether Bolton has a higher percentage than any other club. I didn't know there'd been trouble at last season's match - perhaps that's why fewer Accy supporters have bought tickets for this week's game.

Bolton are trying to clean up their act at home (at the Toughsheet - or whatever it's called these days) - a few initiatives have been launched, trying to make the ground as 'family friendly' as possible.

I spent my teenage years at Burnden (in the 1960s). A dodgy place? .. surely not .. well, perhaps it was for away supporters...

It should be a good game on Wed .. Bolton (as current EFL Trophy holders) will go all out for a result.

 

[Chislenko]

Every team has its share of knob head fans. I doubt whether Bolton has a higher percentage than any other club. I didn't know there'd been trouble at last season's match - perhaps that's why fewer Accy supporters have bought tickets for this week's game.

Bolton are trying to clean up their act at home (at the Toughsheet - or whatever it's called these days) - a few initiatives have been launched, trying to make the ground as 'family friendly' as possible.

I spent my teenage years at Burnden (in the 1960s). A dodgy place? .. surely not .. well, perhaps it was for away supporters...

It should be a good game on Wed .. Bolton (as current EFL Trophy holders) will go all out for a result.

I recall having to "battle" our way out of the away end at Burnden Park, would have been the 80's I think. Don't know if my memory is playing tricks on me but did part of the away end become a supermarket or am I dreaming that?

 

[Accy cyclist]

I recall having to "battle" our way out of the away end at Burnden Park, would have been the 80's I think. Don't know if my memory is playing tricks on me but did part of the away end become a supermarket or am I dreaming that?

I think going off my 1970's memories, there was a railway station, or a railway line behind the away end. I also think they built a supermarket where Burnden Park was. I watched Blackburn about 4 times at Bolton in the mid/late 1970's. Every time was a bad experience. With it being a derby match Blackburn usually took a good few thousand, but one night I walked into the away end, naturally thinking these are our fans, but on seeing navy blue and white scarves and not royal blue and white I felt a shudder! It must've been a league survival season for Rovers as there was only a few hundred fans in the far bottom corner protected by about 30 police. Why they'd let home fans in the away end I don't know, but no way could I have struggled through a few thousand Bolton fans to get to that corner and listening to reports after the match of stuff being thrown and the verbal threats and abuse to the Rovers fans I'm glad I didn't try. I just gently took my scarf off, hiding it under my jacket and clapped politely when Bolton scored. I was also at this match. https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/new...-blackburn-rovers-0-wanderers-1-division-two/Now that was an air raising experience!

 

[bluenotebob]

I think going off my 1970's memories, there was a railway station, or a railway line behind the away end. I also think they built a supermarket where Burnden Park was. I watched Blackburn about 4 times at Bolton in the mid/late 1970's. Every time was a bad experience. With it being a derby match Blackburn usually took a good few thousand, but one night I walked into the away end, naturally thinking these are our fans, but on seeing navy blue and white scarves and not royal blue and white I felt a shudder! It must've been a league survival season for Rovers as there was only a few hundred fans in the far bottom corner protected by about 30 police. Why they'd let home fans in the away end I don't know,

I don't think there was any home/away fan segregation at Burnden in the 1960s - I guess you'd have been much "safer" sitting in one of the stands, rather than standing at either end of the ground.

You were in the Railway Embankment - an uncovered stand behind one of the goals - and yes, there was a railway line behind it.

Part of the Railway Embankment was sold off to a supermarket chain in the mid-80s @Chislenko .. so it wasn't a dream.

I'm sure I saw Bryan Douglas playing at Burnden in the 1960s @Accy .. a great player but before your time perhaps?

 

[Chislenko]

I don't think there was any home/away fan segregation at Burnden in the 1960s - I guess you'd have been much "safer" sitting in one of the stands, rather than standing at either end of the ground.

You were in the Railway Embankment - an uncovered stand behind one of the goals - and yes, there was a railway line behind it.

Part of the Railway Embankment was sold off to a supermarket chain in the mid-80s @Chislenko .. so it wasn't a dream.

I'm sure I saw Bryan Douglas playing at Burnden in the 1960s @Accy .. a great player but before your time perhaps?

Just found this picture of it

 

[Accy cyclist]

I don't think there was any home/away fan segregation at Burnden in the 1960s - I guess you'd have been much "safer" sitting in one of the stands, rather than standing at either end of the ground.

You were in the Railway Embankment - an uncovered stand behind one of the goals - and yes, there was a railway line behind it.

Part of the Railway Embankment was sold off to a supermarket chain in the mid-80s @Chislenko .. so it wasn't a dream.

I'm sure I saw Bryan Douglas playing at Burnden in the 1960s @Accy .. a great player but before your time perhaps?

Bryan Douglas played for my town Great Harwood http://www.greatharwoodtown.co.uk/legendbryandouglas.html in the late 1960's, early 70's. I can't say I remember him playing, but I do remember him from when I was having cancer treatment at Preston Hospital in 2008. There I was having chemotherapy one day when he walked into the unit with his wife. I just happened to be wearing an Accrington Stanley sweat shirt which must've caught hie eye. He wandered over and commented on my top. Straight away I said "I know who you are", then we got chatting. I saw him a few times in that unit as his wife was having treatment for bowel cancer. In fact my claim to fame was telling him to book patient transport instead of driving from Darwen to Preston, then trying to find a parking space. He was a nice bloke who told me of his games against Scotland at Hampden in front of something like 140,000 and his game against Brazil in the 1962 World Cup. At the time I had a pair of Adidas 'Chile '62' trainers which I got him to sign on one of the 3 stripes. He gave me tickets to one game and was there to greet me, showing me around parts of the ground before that game. After a few months he wrote to me asking how I was. I kept that headed letter for a few years, but sadly it must've been lost when I had a few home moves in 2017. Sadly his wife died from her illness about 2 years after her treatment. I remember a male nurse from Northern Ireland asking me "who's your friend"? I told him, but it just went over his head, even when I mentioned he'd played against Brazil in a World Cup (think it was the quarter final). I think he still does pre match hospitality at Ewood Park. He must be well into his 80's now. His friend and ex Rovers and England (captain) team mate Ronnie Clayton died about 10 years ago. I also met him while I was out on my window cleaning round one day and I shared a pint or three with 'Rovers legend' Simon Garner in a rough pub in Blackburn one Saturday night after a Rovers home game. Now he could drink and he smoked one cigarette after another! I also met ex Man City and Rovers Nicky Reid in my local pub while he was having a game of darts. I kept looking and thinking, then I asked him, but he wasn't friendly at all and said something like "I don't talk about my footballing days". Ah well, three out of four isn't bad!

 

[Chislenko]

Bryan Douglas played for my town Great Harwood http://www.greatharwoodtown.co.uk/legendbryandouglas.html in the late 1960's, early 70's. I can't say I remember him playing, but I do remember him from when I was having cancer treatment at Preston Hospital in 2008. There I was having chemotherapy one day when he walked into the unit with his wife. I just happened to be wearing an Accrington Stanley sweat shirt which must've caught hie eye. He wandered over and commented on my top. Straight away I said "I know who you are", then we got chatting. I saw him a few times in that unit as his wife was having treatment for bowel cancer. In fact my claim to fame was telling him to book patient transport instead of driving from Darwen to Preston, then trying to find a parking space. He was a nice bloke who told me of his games against Scotland at Hampden in front of something like 140,000 and his game against Brazil in the 1962 World Cup. At the time I had a pair of Adidas 'Chile '62' trainers which I got him to sign on one of the 3 stripes. He gave me tickets to one game and was there to greet me, showing me around parts of the ground before that game. After a few months he wrote to me asking how I was. I kept that headed letter for a few years, but sadly it must've been lost when I had a few home moves in 2017. Sadly his wife died from her illness about 2 years after her treatment. I remember a male nurse from Northern Ireland asking me "who's your friend"? I told him, but it just went over his head, even when I mentioned he'd played against Brazil in a World Cup (think it was the quarter final). I think he still does pre match hospitality at Ewood Park. He must be well into his 80's now. His friend and ex Rovers and England (captain) team mate Ronnie Clayton died about 10 years ago. I also met him while I was out on my window cleaning round one day and I shared a pint or three with 'Rovers legend' Simon Garner in a rough pub in Blackburn one Saturday night after a Rovers home game. Now he could drink and he smoked one cigarette after another! I also met ex Man City and Rovers Nicky Reid in my local pub while he was having a game of darts. I kept looking and thinking, then I asked him, but he wasn't friendly at all and said something like "I don't talk about my footballing days". Ah well, three out of four isn't bad!

A lot of pro footballers were smokers back in the day. Was it Jimmy Greaves who used to have a cigarette during half time?

 

[Accy cyclist]

A lot of pro footballers were smokers back in the day. Was it Jimmy Greaves who used to have a cigarette during half time?

Simon Garner used to have a pre-match ciggie and a half-time ciggie. Bryan Douglas told me on one of his hospital visits that Jimmy Greaves drank a bottle of red wine, the night before that England v Brazil game. He also said that the team and staff lived in Butlins style huts during that 1962 World Cup. Imagine World Cup finals players doing that now!

 

[Accy cyclist]

I don't think there was any home/away fan segregation at Burnden in the 1960s - I guess you'd have been much "safer" sitting in one of the stands, rather than standing at either end of the ground.

You were in the Railway Embankment - an uncovered stand behind one of the goals - and yes, there was a railway line behind it.

Part of the Railway Embankment was sold off to a supermarket chain in the mid-80s @Chislenko .. so it wasn't a dream.

I'm sure I saw Bryan Douglas playing at Burnden in the 1960s @Accy .. a great player but before your time perhaps?

You'll remember ex Rovers John Byrom playing for Bolton then? He came back to Ewood Park at the end of his playing days in the late 1970's.

 

[bluenotebob]

You'll remember ex Rovers John Byrom playing for Bolton then?

I do indeed ! .. .gosh - that's a name from the past. I reckon I might have his autograph somewhere..

He was a very good striker/goal-poacher - and I reckon he'd not be out of place in a current Championship side.

Nice story above (if a bit sad) about Bryan Douglas. I'm surprised (and pleased) that he's still with us. I reckon he must be over 90 now.

 

[Grant Fondo]

Quite chuffed we beat the 2013 FA Cup winners last night ... hope we get non league Eastleigh next round. As for Prem games coming up ... Spurs, Wolves, Hammers, Villa .... if we get 12 points from those I'll cycle naked up Deansgate.

 

[Kevberlin]

Quite chuffed we beat the 2013 FA Cup winners last night ... hope we get non league Eastleigh next round. As for Prem games coming up ... Spurs, Wolves, Hammers, Villa .... if we get 12 points from those I'll cycle naked up Deansgate.

….and I will cycle back down Deansgate

 

[Grant Fondo]

A lot of pro footballers were smokers back in the day. Was it Jimmy Greaves who used to have a cigarette during half time?

Big Jack had a packet at half time.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I do indeed ! .. .gosh - that's a name from the past. I reckon I might have his autograph somewhere..

He was a very good striker/goal-poacher - and I reckon he'd not be out of place in a current Championship side.

Nice story above (if a bit sad) about Bryan Douglas. I'm surprised (and pleased) that he's still with us. I reckon he must be over 90 now.

Just looked it up. If he (Bryan Douglas) makes it he'll be 90 on the 27th of May, which is the ex Mrs Accy's birthday, though she'll be a mere 55.

I had this shirt, as in a bought replica obviously, but when we were 'evacuated' from some flats due to a fire hazard seven years ago, it was sadly stolen from my flat a few days later.