Supporting Crewe in the 1970s……

[Phil1965]

The 1970s were dark days following the Alex, but I didn’t care because I just enjoyed going!

I was born in 1964 and went to my first match in 1970. Season 1970-71 was quite entertaining as we had Stan Bowles playing for us, but the following three seasons were truly awful as we had to apply for re-election three seasons running, and we retained our place in 1972 but Barrow were voted out to be replaced by Hereford. Particularly awful was a 8-1 home defeat to Rotherham in September 1973.

1974-75 started well and we were top of the league following a 2-1 win over Doncaster and crowds were over 4,000. We beat Birmingham City (1st Division) in the League Cup with a crowd over 7,000, and then drew 2-2 with Aston Villa with a crowd over 12,000 but lost the replay 1-0.

In the FA Cup we lost regularly to non league teams, Blyth Spartans in 1971, twice to Scarborough in replays and once to Gateshead in 1974/75 in a midweek replay.

Then came the Harry Gregg era between 1975 and 1978, and we turned into one of the most violent teams in the league with regular sending offs and regular trips to the FA to explain a bad disciplinary record. You could see the fear in some opposition players when they came to Gresty Road. Paul Bevan was the chief enforcer.

But for me, I just loved going. Crowds would often struggle to climb over 2,000 but I felt part of something, the ground was only a 10 minute walk from home, and we would go to away games at Chester, Stockport, Tranmere and Shrewsbury where I saw my first away win in 1974/75. 

There would be 30 or 40 of us who would stand on the wooden terracing at the back of the Gresty End, and sing silly songs like ‘We all live in the back of the Gresty End’ to the tune of Yellow Submarine. The 70s ended with another season finishing bottom of the Football League in 1978-79, but sometimes it is the adversity that defines you as a person.

For me, supporting a crap team between the age of 7 and 16 was all part of the fun!!!