Bycars Memories.....

[Family Stand Terrier]

2 hours ago, Kes1974 said:

Cracking thread this. Same memories as many posted on here. My first Bycars game was the Blackburn invasion in 1975, thankfully the Bycars was a safe place that day. Not so in 76 when Sheffield Wednesday came to town. It was great being in a packed Bycars terrace for the cup games against Hull and especially Burnley in 77. Like many others the Spurs win, Earle's unforgettable goal against Brizzle and Everton after the seats were installed, these games take some beating. Thought of a bizarre one today, beat Plymouth 3-0 in 1990 and we were protesting after they had closed off part of the Bycars around the period it was being re-built. I remember we pushed through the closed off section to form a mob back by the old tea bar! Eventually the old bill ushered us back to the front. Would be nice to see it pretty full tomorrow 🤞

I remember that. Wasn't it raining on everyone at the front so they forced their way to the back. I watched in shock from the Family Stand. I'm pretty sure there was another game v Plymouth when Glover scored an own goal, lobbed Grew, or Wood. Fans were booing him after.

[ClntonBoulton]

My memory might be playing tricks here and I suppose someone on here will remember or not remember this from 74/75 season, (I think???)

Monday night match v Charlton......standing on Bycars singing to the one minibus load of Charlton fans about how they were going home in a St Johns Ambulance and they were going to get their f'kin heads kicked in when suddenly there were chants of CHARLWTON...CHARLWTON....as about 6 of em appeared in the Bycars from the top entrance on the right of the T bar. There was a stunned silence before a few Clampets and some Cobridge Mafia waded in and the Old Bill leapt off the running track, well the 3 of them that were there earning overtime, and dragged them out....not before there was some blood spilt and shirts ripped.

i remember thinking Judas H Priest these are well hard or daft or both......half a dozen trying to take the Bycars.

Does anybody else remember this or is it a product of fevered old brain?

[CambridgeDon]

8 minutes ago, ClntonBoulton said:

My memory might be playing tricks here and I suppose someone on here will remember or not remember this from 74/75 season, (I think???)

Monday night match v Charlton......standing on Bycars singing to the one minibus load of Charlton fans about how they were going home in a St Johns Ambulance and they were going to get their f'kin heads kicked in when suddenly there were chants of CHARLWTON...CHARLWTON....as about 6 of em appeared in the Bycars from the top entrance on the right of the T bar. There was a stunned silence before a few Clampets and some Cobridge Mafia waded in and the Old Bill leapt off the running track, well the 3 of them that were there earning overtime, and dragged them out....not before there was some blood spilt and shirts ripped.

i remember thinking Judas H Priest these are well hard or daft or both......half a dozen trying to take the Bycars.

Does anybody else remember this or is it a product of fevered old brain?

Dunner remember it yewth but going by the last Ale and the Vale podcast on the Charlton game, those Charlton fans' grandkids are now working as stewards at The Valley 😂

[Kes1974]

1 hour ago, Family Stand Terrier said:

I remember that. Wasn't it raining on everyone at the front so they forced their way to the back. I watched in shock from the Family Stand. I'm pretty sure there was another game v Plymouth when Glover scored an own goal, lobbed Grew, or Wood. Fans were booing him after.

Yes, think it was raining, that's why everyone went back under cover. The Glover own goal was against Millwall, night game, bucketed down, no roof on Bycars and I think we spent half the match under cover in the bogs. 

[leedsvaliant]

First ever Vale game watched with my Grandad from the Bycars. Early 90s v West Brom in heavy snow, we won 2-1.

Boxing Day I believe. That game would be postponed nowadays. There was snow on the pitch!

[Conrad]

1 hour ago, ClntonBoulton said:

My memory might be playing tricks here and I suppose someone on here will remember or not remember this from 74/75 season, (I think???)

Monday night match v Charlton......standing on Bycars singing to the one minibus load of Charlton fans about how they were going home in a St Johns Ambulance and they were going to get their f'kin heads kicked in when suddenly there were chants of CHARLWTON...CHARLWTON....as about 6 of em appeared in the Bycars from the top entrance on the right of the T bar. There was a stunned silence before a few Clampets and some Cobridge Mafia waded in and the Old Bill leapt off the running track, well the 3 of them that were there earning overtime, and dragged them out....not before there was some blood spilt and shirts ripped.

i remember thinking Judas H Priest these are well hard or daft or both......half a dozen trying to take the Bycars.

Does anybody else remember this or is it a product of fevered old brain?

 I remember agame against Charlton, where the vale fans walked round to the Hamil for the second half and half a dozen Charlton fans lead by a woman walked round the opposite way into the Bycars.

[ValeForever.]

54 minutes ago, leedsvaliant said:

4 hours ago, ValeForever. said:

First ever Vale game watched with my Grandad from the Bycars. Early 90s v West Brom in heavy snow, we won 2-1.

Boxing Day I believe. That game would be postponed nowadays. There was snow on the pitch!

February 1993 I think it was. We were 1 down before Nicky Cross equaliser & then Foyley bagged the winner. Would 100% have been postponed nowadays.

[CAVALIER]

2 hours ago, ClntonBoulton said:

My memory might be playing tricks here and I suppose someone on here will remember or not remember this from 74/75 season, (I think???)

Monday night match v Charlton......standing on Bycars singing to the one minibus load of Charlton fans about how they were going home in a St Johns Ambulance and they were going to get their f'kin heads kicked in when suddenly there were chants of CHARLWTON...CHARLWTON....as about 6 of em appeared in the Bycars from the top entrance on the right of the T bar. There was a stunned silence before a few Clampets and some Cobridge Mafia waded in and the Old Bill leapt off the running track, well the 3 of them that were there earning overtime, and dragged them out....not before there was some blood spilt and shirts ripped.

i remember thinking Judas H Priest these are well hard or daft or both......half a dozen trying to take the Bycars.

Does anybody else remember this or is it a product of fevered old brain?

Recall it well. Night game, poured down, they got beat up and Brownbill scored as we won 1-0.

[Biddulph_PV]

31 minutes ago, ValeForever. said:

February 1993 I think it was. We were 1 down before Nicky Cross equaliser & then Foyley bagged the winner. Would 100% have been postponed nowadays.

Yes, great game. Was it that Donovan that scored a cracker for them? What Boxing Day football should be like. I was standing in the Lorne St Bycars side in those days.

[rob1983]

Boxing Day I believe. That game would be postponed nowadays. There was snow on the pitch!

Boxing day 96, you're thinking of. 3-1 win also in the snow

[ClntonBoulton]

27 minutes ago, CAVALIER said:

Recall it well. Night game, poured down, they got beat up and Brownbill scored as we won 1-0.

Thank God for that......didn't the teams have to go off it was so heavy?

[ValeForever.]

28 minutes ago, Biddulph_PV said:

Yes, great game. Was it that Donovan that scored a cracker for them? What Boxing Day football should be like. I was standing in the Lorne St Bycars side in those days.

That's the one, he lobbed Mussy from corner of the box. 

[Sandyford_Lion]

7 hours ago, Biddulph_PV said:

I’ve basically watched games from literally every part of the ground at various stages, but specifically from the games watched from the Bycars (which is were I started and where I now am….

1) Macc in 87 and Finney’s 85th minute winner that arguably saved Rudgie’s job and transformed the fortunes of the club for the next decade or so, starting with…

2) Spurs…. just wow. FA Cup football how it should be (but sadly isn’t these days).

3) Vale 3-1 Stoke.

4) Earle vs Brizzle for the last 2-legged POF win before they moved to Wembley.

5) Beckford hattrick vs PNE in the POSF.

6) Northampton game in 2013. Never has a 2-2 draw salvaged with an o.g. felt so good.

7) Burton 7-1.

8)Rotherham 6-2.

9) Corden scoring against the mighty-Bergkamp inspired Arsenal and the crushing blow of losing on penalties (I think they went on to do the double that year).

10) Proctor’s winner against Orient.

11) Finney’s back pass in the 3-3 with Sheffield Utd in 1988/89. Cannot beat games like that under the lights (disappointing as it was).

12) 0-0 with Wolves in 1988/89. Massive top of the table game, big travelling support…Glover’s debut and taming the prolific Bull.

13) Beating Stoke 1-0 in a pre-season friendly (think it might have been 89 with Paul Atkinson netting a pen?)

14) Vale 6-1 Cardiff and then I think we hit Chesterfield for 5 the next game.

15) First game after selling Andy Jones. I think it was vs Blackpool, was 0-0, it was absolutely lashing down, we never looked like scoring, and it was a surreal feeling of depression having lost a top, top striker.

As a young kid, running up and down the steps trying to find cups to put over disguarded fag ends so they’d fill up with smoke and go bang! My earliest memory of a game seems to involve Swindon which I think ended 4-4 or something??

No doubt missed a few but these are the immediate things that spring to mind.

Brilliant memories all of em. Couple that i have good memories of:

Early seventies i think and we played stoke in a friendly. Colin Tartt equalised late on and i think Banks was in goal, not sure tho. What a result we all thought at the time.

Started with my mate who found a way of free entry into game. Selling programmes on car park and then we went into Bycars. 69 / 70 season. Remember seeing two Walsall fans on car park singing songs and later they came in Bycars. One had a white shirt on and within five minutes he was lead out covered in blood.

Missed the West Ham game. Playing youth football for Bennett youth at Bradwell School but we could hear the roar at the top of Bradwell.

Strange memory to me is after another evening defeat in the early seventies, first 15 years had many many defeats supporting the Vale, leaving the Bycars and the tune of Miss Grace being played. Sombre tune and it has stuck with me for nearly 50 years tokeep reminding me.

Spurs was probably the best memory. Stood near the front with my 6 year old son and we were on tv too. Steves done 36 years now and his daughter Maisie is in her 4th season

Greatest memories are of the friends made. Mike Lakin first led me to the side of teabar in the Bycars 74 / 75 season. Met him at work. Had many years travelling all over the country in Mikes great company together with  Eric Smith, Joe Dodd and many others for odd games.Mikes dad, a stoke fan, came many times too and offered plenty of banter.Micky Wallbanks in there too and i met an old friend in Graham Wood from Bradwell by the teabar also. Selwyn , Ginge and his brother, Jonny Edwards from Wolstanton

Usually arrive at 3.00 or five minutes late due to enjoying a drink and chat in the pub. The pub for many years was the Foaming Quart. Good Vale pub. Joey Wright and his mates from Kidsgrove / Butt lane. Barry Mac [ McCambridge ] from Bradwell. Chap from Chesterton Barry [ Bazza ] and Phil Bourne and his brother Keith from Wolstanton. George Reaney i think also came in the Quart.

Loads of great friends, great people and great Vale fans. They are memories !!!

 

[valiantguy]

Absolutely loved reading all those memories, brought back many for me. My first memories of supporting Vale are as a kid in the late 70's, early 80's with my Dad and uncles.......my uncle giving me a few Uncle Joe's sweets each half!!!! As for the memories of games, many have already been mentioned.......happy days!!!! I've been a season ticket holder in the Paddock for many years now, but did pay a nostalgic visit to the Bycars for the FA Cup game v Accrington last season.

[CAVALIER]

4 hours ago, ClntonBoulton said:

Thank God for that......didn't the teams have to go off it was so heavy?

I think so now you mention it. I can recall the mither vividly. It was bizarre and unexpected. Talk of the 6th form block the following morning 😀