Bycars Memories.....

[MelbourneValiant]

1 hour ago, IanW said:

Some great memories from the Bycars over the years. Too many to list to be honest!

 

Honourable shout out to Tom offering the ref his glasses every week, and yellow hard hat man back in the 90's.

Yes!! Hard hat man!! Brill. 

The big Vale flag, a personal chant for each player before kick off in the 90's.

As the foggy game, the Aldershot one, it was bonfire night, we were 3-1 but one won the 'replay' 3-0.....Andy Jones scored a goal but deflected massively. 

We went to Clough Bonfire after the fog match and couldn't see the fireworks but could hear them. That's how bad it was.

[The man in the pub]

38 minutes ago, MelbourneValiant said:

Yes!! Hard hat man!! Brill. 

The big Vale flag, a personal chant for each player before kick off in the 90's.

As the foggy game, the Aldershot one, it was bonfire night, we were 3-1 but one won the 'replay' 3-0.....Andy Jones scored a goal but deflected massively. 

We went to Clough Bonfire after the fog match and couldn't see the fireworks but could hear them. That's how bad it was.

Always remember the boys from Memoirs of Seth all coming into the Bycars  one game , just before kick off , all wearing yellow hard hats. Great sense of humour and a must read mag every issue. Think they interviewed the guy as to why he wore a yellow hard hat, so his mum could see him on TV was the answer. Simpler, happy times.

[Family Stand Terrier]

I remember around 92/93 a bloke used to run around the Bycars with a wolf mask on (at least that's how I remember it) getting the bycars constantly singing. One game in particular I remember the 0 - 2 loss to Stoke, he never stopped. Even when losing we were singing Rudgey's Barmy Army for ages. I was watching from the Family Stand.

[SPG]

First went to the Bycars in the 69/70 promotion season with Gordon Lee as manager. Strange thing was that the Bycars was only full for half the game. Usually vale kicked towards the Bycars first half then everyone walked round the track to the hamil end at half time. Never many away fans there at that time. The west ham cup game was the exception with no segregation and Londoners everywhere.

[JohnJames]

Played Preston when it was snowing that bad a little lad had built a snowman on the Bycars Terracing. Maguire took a penalty and you could see the trail it left in the snow. Their goalie saved it as the ball was two feet wide by the time it reached him. The Bycars brag school was cancelled that game because of the weather. 
Also remember sitting watching games with no <ovf censored> roof on the stand as we were being converted to all seater.

The Middleport lads who always got in late post pub who used to throw each other over the seats for a laugh.

one thing that never changed over the years is the stink in the bogs

[rob1983]

I remember around 92/93 a bloke used to run around the Bycars with a wolf mask on (at least that's how I remember it) getting the bycars constantly singing. One game in particular I remember the 0 - 2 loss to Stoke, he never stopped. Even when losing we were singing Rudgey's Barmy Army for ages. I was watching from the Family Stand.

I remember watching that from the family stand, too, as a ten year old . I just thought he was an old bloke. Lol

[Dangermouse3]

Started in 67 standing on the Hamil. Standing in Bycars for years, season ticket holder in Lorne st and now infrequent visitor in the paddock.

I remember 4-4 draw with Aston Villa in 1971 and they had supporters in one half of the Bycars! Chico Hamilton, Grayson, Ricoh etc. 

Great atmosphere!

[The Kalamazoo Kid]

Remember a game in April 87 v Mansfield - we were losing 0-2 with something like 13 minutes left and came back to win it 3-2. Saw an old bloke with a massive grin at the end - notable thing was he didn't have any teeth at all!

[CambridgeDon]

For an owd codger like me, first I remember of the Bycars was my old dad taking me to see Bertie Llewellyn after he'd signed from Crewe. Must have been in 1961 because he signed in the previous November and the weather on that day was pretty good. Think we won and the barrel-chested Bertie made a lasting impression on me. 

Then there was two Boxing games I remember because they spoiled our Christmas. One was against Wrexham where they scored the only goal early on and loads of people missed it because there weren't enough turnstiles open. Massive disappointment. Even worse was the game v Walsall where Sammy Gordon (I think) scored for us, then Walsall had a player sent off before half-time. There we all were thinking this was as good as won only for Walsall to come out and beat us 2-1. The only silver lining was that we then signed John Woodward who'd scored both and he was really good for us. No wonder we hate Walsall so much!

Also recall coming home from Uni to see West Ham in the FA Cup when we lost one nil, notable more for having to jump into the Lorne Street to avoid the hordes of Hammers' fans invading the Bycars. Eventually we got back in but it was a long journey back on the train. 

Plenty of good times too, including beating Hartlepool in the snow and walking around the pitch for the second half to the snow-covered Hamil End. Worked to our advantage because after the 'Pool goalie had waved cheerily to us and turned his back he got pelted with hundreds of snow balls. Great memories!

[Kevin The Valiant]

I recall a fantastic story at the Bycars End from days of yore.....

Vale were playing Brentford (early 80's?) and I think their goalie was called Johnny Francis(?)

In the very last minute Vale were awarded a direct free kick at the Bycars End. I could be wrong, but I think Chunky Bailey took the kick and ballooned it high (a la Harry McKirdy) into the terraces......and straight into my arms.......

I put the ball under my coat and walked off to my car!

Little did I know the consternation that I created......

I put the ball in the car and drove back home to Surrey where I was living......and left behind a mystery which in the following week became a front page story for the Evening Sentinel.....

(Surely the Sentinel archives should be able to track this story of the missing ball)

Meanwhile, Vale, as impecunious, made an appeal for the return of the ball......not knowing that it was being used the following week on a school football pitch in Surrey where I was a PE teacher.....

Only when I returned to the Potteries the following weekend did I discover what a big issue the missing ball had become (and the clamour to find it).....that my conscience got the better of me and I left it at The Sentinel offices in Hanley with a cryptic note attached......

Can anyone find the Sentinel coverage of this incident to back up my story.......I wonder.....??

[Bycarsbill]

18 minutes ago, CambridgeDon said:

For an owd codger like me, first I remember of the Bycars was my old dad taking me to see Bertie Llewellyn after he'd signed from Crewe. Must have been in 1961 because he signed in the previous November and the weather on that day was pretty good. Think we won and the barrel-chested Bertie made a lasting impression on me. 

Then there was two Boxing games I remember because they spoiled our Christmas. One was against Wrexham where they scored the only goal early on and loads of people missed it because there weren't enough turnstiles open. Massive disappointment. Even worse was the game v Walsall where Sammy Gordon (I think) scored for us, then Walsall had a player sent off before half-time. There we all were thinking this was as good as won only for Walsall to come out and beat us 2-1. The only silver lining was that we then signed John Woodward who'd scored both and he was really good for us. No wonder we hate Walsall so much!

Also recall coming home from Uni to see West Ham in the FA Cup when we lost one nil, notable more for having to jump into the Lorne Street to avoid the hordes of Hammers' fans invading the Bycars. Eventually we got back in but it was a long journey back on the train. 

Plenty of good times too, including beating Hartlepool in the snow and walking around the pitch for the second half to the snow-covered Hamil End. Worked to our advantage because after the 'Pool goalie had waved cheerily to us and turned his back he got pelted with hundreds of snow balls. Great memories!

Bert Llewellyn--now there's a name to stir memories!  Don't think I've ever seen anyone with such a barrel-chested person apart, perhaps, Stan Steele?  I suspect I'm a tad older than you as I started in 1953 (originally in Lorne Street with family) and then when i was older, in the Bycars with friends.  A specific early memory wa s an 8-0 thrashing of Gateshead on Boxing day with the crowd chanting for "doctor's orders" i.e. nine!

[Bobnewtonian]

Started going in there with my day back in 1971.... still go in there with my dad now !! 

Havent sat anywhere else for all those years.

Sat will be tough especially as I don't think my dad will renew now he has to walk a bit further round to the Hamil.

Got some incredible memories in there from Keith Lenard, Bernie Wright, Alan Boswell, Bill Bentley, Tommy Mac, Felix Healey, Bob Newton etc etc.

Portsmouth throwing stones over the top of the stand was probably the most scary. Stoke derbies best atmospheres. Beating Tottenham in the cup most thrilling.

Cant help thinking though, boy have i spent some money on some crappy teams we ve had over the years 🙂

Onwards and upwards though. 

UTV

[George]

4 hours ago, The Kalamazoo Kid said:

Remember a game in April 87 v Mansfield - we were losing 0-2 with something like 13 minutes left and came back to win it 3-2. Saw an old bloke with a massive grin at the end - notable thing was he didn't have any teeth at all!

I was the mascot that game. I was 5 years old. Still remember it vividly. I was crying when we were 0-2 down, thinking it was my fault. And then the 3 goals in the last 15 mins are still up there with the best experiences of my life. 

[barny61]

For me my worst memory of the bycars was a shot by John Rowland (older folk on here will know what I'm on about) he had fair shot at goal that whistled just over the bar. The crowd split and the ball made an almighty SLAP on my thigh about three inches from the unmentionables.  Lucky escape,  just ended up with a red face because everyone was laughing at me.

[jjvale_03]

Lee Mills - last minute equaliser versus them lot in 1996.