I enjoyed Upton Park for a few reasons:- - It was part of the process of going home (Selhurst was part of the process of leaving). - It was a nice old school ground that, even with a sparse crowd, had a bit of an atmosphere. - It wasn't Selhurst, which was, is, and always will be, a shithole.
In terms of memories:- - Leaburn seemed to come good at Upton Park - moved on from assisting to actually scoring. - Simon Webster's two late goals against Bristol City - Beating Millwall (I think the only time I have seen us do so) - Leicester's invasion - Robert Lee playing against us for Newcastle in the last "home game" of our exile.
There was an article in the paper when he'd got his first goal there, saying he could be considered a good park player - he'd only ever scored at grounds with 'Park' in the name, Selhurst, Upton and I think Villa and St James's.
Also remember Marco Gabiadinni (excuse the spelling) scoring a hat trick against us. I have left the ground early on 3 occasions and that was one of them.
Also remember Marco Gabiadinni (excuse the spelling) scoring a hat trick against us. I have left the ground early on 3 occasions and that was one of them.
1-4 I think it was - midweek game. I took a young lady that night. Who said romance is dead?
Always found it a pain driving through the Blackwall Tunnel from Petts Wood, but always easy to park near the ground. Was also a decent Working Man's Club behind the South Bank. Always made us welcome!
Also remember Marco Gabiadinni (excuse the spelling) scoring a hat trick against us. I have left the ground early on 3 occasions and that was one of them.
Also remember Marco Gabiadinni (excuse the spelling) scoring a hat trick against us. I have left the ground early on 3 occasions and that was one of them.
I seem to remember David Speedie mouthing off to our supporters whilst playing for Blackburn, he then had to take goal kicks as their keeper couldn't and he got pulled back over the advertising hoardings by a few of our fans.
I was rather worried at the next "home" game when there was a page about the incident in the programme saying anyone in the picture who was involved would be banned and there was my 15 year old self in the picture laughing, pointing and shouting some kind of abuse at Speedie.
Also remember Marco Gabiadinni (excuse the spelling) scoring a hat trick against us. I have left the ground early on 3 occasions and that was one of them.
Scored in about 9 minutes?
A bit like me down the millers
Love these threads 25 years time I'll be 68 yrs your be knocking on 100
Also remember Marco Gabiadinni (excuse the spelling) scoring a hat trick against us. I have left the ground early on 3 occasions and that was one of them.
Scored in about 9 minutes?
A bit like me down the millers
Love these threads 25 years time I'll be 68 yrs your be knocking on 100
I never minded upton park, maybe it was just leaving selhurst and knowing it was only temporary. But also some of my favourite players were during that period and around the return to the Valley. Webbo, Balmer, Minto & Walsh, Myself of course, Nelson, Robinson, Stevie Brown. They'd all be in my top 15 favourite players.
Websters Volley (v Bristol City?) We were all waiting for it to end up in row z. I had him to score and the 2-1 result, made over £300 which was a lot to me back then.
Also remember Marco Gabiadinni (excuse the spelling) scoring a hat trick against us. I have left the ground early on 3 occasions and that was one of them.
Also remember Marco Gabiadinni (excuse the spelling) scoring a hat trick against us. I have left the ground early on 3 occasions and that was one of them.
Scored in about 9 minutes?
A bit like me down the millers
Love these threads 25 years time I'll be 68 yrs your be knocking on 100
Webster v Southend at 40/1, 6 of us "explaining politely" that we'd like our collective £500 in cash there and then. His winner against Bristol City, the Leicester game, just a feel good factor that the end of exile. We were great in that first season, Nelson and Gatting coming in about 2 days before the Newcastle game - really unlucky not to make the Play Offs.
I loved it there too after Shithurst. I had a season ticket at both grounds, something I continued right up until my first move to Australia in 2005. Memorable games were against top of the table Swindon and Hoddles boring playing out from the back style and his derogatory comments about us in the match reports. Barness and his wonder own goal. Leicester Home and away.... the hordes coming down the Chicken run was a bit daunting as we stood on the left of the North bank. Listening to the geordies trying to summon up the bottle to have a go in the North bank and deciding they would probably get done. I didn’t miss a game back then and saw most always too. Made a few friends in the Sainsbury end and that continued on the North bank and beyond. We used to drink at a cracking little pub in East Ham, can’t for the life of me remember the name of it but they made us very welcome. We even had a really good session there with some Sheffield Utd fans before a game anwe ended up missing the kick off. Happy days in a proper old football ground.
For me Football will never be the same again that period of time was perfect I was the right age no cares in the world a real group of us grew up at shithurst and Upton Park meant
we we’re going to be at the valley when we finally got back home
We sung about being born under the coveted end
Show me the way to go home
It was all on the horizon a huge part of our history unfolding and we were young enough but old enough to embrace it and be that future group of hard core Home and away fans who could help mould the cafc landscape
And we did
what happend in that short space of time from Upton to the premiership was just unreal real Roy of the Rovers stuff
That’s why filth like keohone and Meire and Roland two shit chalets wont ever understand why we hate them and their morals so much
And to any of them who still read my posts to bleat and cry and tell plod
Nowhere could replace the Valley but at least West Ham staff didn't treat us with the contempt they did a Sellout so our last years of exile were slightly less painful than the early years and at least we were were out of the clutches of Noades.
Favourite personal memory of Upton Park @Hartleypete doing the Barclays player of the month presentation of a silver salver to Anthony Barness on the pitch before a game. Still known as "Pete the Plate" to this day.
Oh yes remember that well, I have worse nick names as well!
Beating Millwall 1-0, I cant remember the name of who scored, some bloke on loan from somewhere.
Cambridge United, the only game I have ever left early. After eighty minutes of John Beck's antifootball my younger brother and I left to go back to the pub, my older brother remained and saw Paul Gorman's consolation goal, which in my mind I have built up to be a wonder goal that he bullet headed in from twenty-five yards. Please someone confirm that it was just a bundled tap in off his backside from a yard out so that it can stop haunting me.
The only time I ever stayed back to specifically jeer the opposition off the pitch (apart from Jimmy Hill's Coventry).
John Beck was dubbed as Dracula in some circles as he systematically sucked the life blood from football with his appalling tactics (unfortunately with some success).
We knew what was coming of course, as during the warm up the Cambridge squad split into two and fired 40 yard aerial bombshells at each other. This practice then proceeded to ensue throughout the entire 90 minutes of the match. Cambridge played the percentage game of getting the ball into the penalty area by any means possible. They played for any dead ball situation, be it a free kick, corner or throw in, where their bean pole athletes would seek to gain advantage. Very clever, but had it caught on football would be dead and buried by now.
I note that the FA employed John Beck in 2013 at St Georges Park as a coach educator, God help us.
3-1 FA Cup 3rd round win over Barnet. Heady days reaching the 4th round. I can’t remember who knocked us out.
Sheffield United in the replay. We battered them at Upton Park in the 1st tie but just couldn't get the goal we deserved. We took around 2,000 up for the replay and were 0.3 down by half time. Brian Deane got at least one. Their keeper Simon Treacy had an absolute blinder against us up there.
3-1 FA Cup 3rd round win over Barnet. Heady days reaching the 4th round. I can’t remember who knocked us out.
I became a regular after that game. Before then I had only gone to occasional games, but clearly I was so overwhelmed by us beating the might Barnet that I started going all the time...
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from Petts Wood, but always easy to park near the ground.
Was also a decent Working Man's Club behind the South Bank.
Always made us welcome!
I was rather worried at the next "home" game when there was a page about the incident in the programme saying anyone in the picture who was involved would be banned and there was my 15 year old self in the picture laughing, pointing and shouting some kind of abuse at Speedie.
I loved Minto and Walsh down the left, such a great combinaton
Websters Volley (v Bristol City?) We were all waiting for it to end up in row z. I had him to score and the 2-1 result, made over £300 which was a lot to me back then.
we we’re going to be at the valley when we finally got back home
We sung about being born under the coveted end
Show me the way to go home
It was all on the horizon a huge part of our history unfolding and we were young enough but old enough to embrace it and be that future group of hard core Home and away fans who could help mould the cafc landscape
And we did
what happend in that short space of time from Upton to the premiership was just unreal real Roy of the Rovers stuff
That’s why filth like keohone and Meire and Roland two shit chalets wont ever understand why we hate them and their morals so much
And to any of them who still read my posts to bleat and cry and tell plod
Suck my big fucking hairy bollox
John Beck was dubbed as Dracula in some circles as he systematically sucked the life blood from football with his appalling tactics (unfortunately with some success).
We knew what was coming of course, as during the warm up the Cambridge squad split into two and fired 40 yard aerial bombshells at each other. This practice then proceeded to ensue throughout the entire 90 minutes of the match. Cambridge played the percentage game of getting the ball into the penalty area by any means possible. They played for any dead ball situation, be it a free kick, corner or throw in, where their bean pole athletes would seek to gain advantage. Very clever, but had it caught on football would be dead and buried by now.
I note that the FA employed John Beck in 2013 at St Georges Park as a coach educator, God help us.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/oct/05/john-beck-fa-coaching