Ever been a neutral?

[Mucker1884]

Ever been to a game between two sides that you have/had no affinity to?  A proper game, I mean.  Pro's.  League sides?

How did you find it?  Could you muster the excitement you (presumably) feel for a Ram's game?  Any tales to tell?

 

My own little memory, is of Wolves v Grimsby at our very own BBG.  Presumably very late '70's(?).  It was a deliberate neutral ground, so either a replay or following some misdemeanour or summat(?)  Pretty sure it may have been semi-final?  Almost certainly League Cup, not FA Cup(?)

Me and a few mates opted to get tickets, and opted to go in with the Grimsby fans, partly due to them being the underdogs, partly due to a very mild form of dislike for Wolves... and mainly because I already had a scarf in Grimsby colours!  LOL!

I remember very little in all honesty, except that the atmosphere was actually fantastic.  The night match/floodlights helped, of course.  We were in the Columbo Popside (As opposed to The Vulcan), which was a nice change for me, being an Ossie Ender by trade!  Seem to remember it being respectfully packed.  Of course, the underdogs failed to progress, and we came out with the appropriate miserable faces (I was always a good actor!)

The overwhelming memory was a mate of mine, who had virtually no interest in football fandom (though he did play) taking his first ever visit to The BBG, and due to the fact that he was wearing a black and white scarf (borrowed from me), promptly took a Bruce Lee to the face before we'd reached Douglas Street!  Had a proper shiner for best part of a fortnight!  Being a football fan myself, I'd clearly learned when to run!  He was not impressed... and I don't think he ever returned!

OK... not the most interesting story, but a football related memory nevertheless... so feel free to go one (or two) better, and tell us about the time you attended a match as a neutral.

 

PS:
And if anyone can fill in the missing details to the aforementioned game... or better still, was there themselves, feel free to shout up!

[Andicis]

Yeah, went to Sheff Utd vs Sunderland with some mates who supported Sunderland, sat in the away end. Dire game, couldn't really bring enthusiasm to join in the chants. I don't think I would have minded as much if either team was actually half decent, but both teams were shocking. Leon Clarke in particular dropped a 2/10. 

[SaintRam]

Missus is from Beverley and some of her family are Hull fans; corporate tickets from one of their work were going unused for Hull v Sunderland in 2013.

Truly awful, boring, dire football; but a very eventful ending to the first half.  Sunderland keeper got injured in the 43rd minute; and then 2 Sunderland players got sent off (in separate incidents) in first half stoppage time.

I said at HT "Zero chance anything happens in the second half, lets just go." - so we did, and it was the correct decision.

[Mucker1884]

Oh... of course... how could I forget...

Met up for a coach (Felix bus?  Private hire) at Derby Bus Station for our away game at Bolton(?).  Less than 20mins into the journey, it was announced the game had been called off (I presume weather related?).  So with that, we had a chat between ourselves, and seeing as the coach and driver had to be paid for regardless, we diverted to Saltergate... Chesterfield v Charlton.

After a good few hours in a local pub (Obviously we arrived earlier than normal!) and being fans of "a local rival", we found a top Bobby (One with a flat hat, not a pointy one!) and promptly enquired about the most suitable area of the ground for us to watch the match in relative peace, harmony and local concord.. to which his reply was along the lines of "You're from Derbyshire, so the home end for you, so it is"!  (EDIT:  WTF was that!  Perhaps @Owd miner can translate!  LOL!) 

40 or so so tipsy... and not overly shy at this stage... Rams fans, right in the heart of Chesterfields Singy end!  The "Derbyshire, La, La, La" song went fairly well, in all fairness.  But when it changed to just "Derby", well, you can imagine the carnage!  Before the clock struck 5 mins, punches and Ox-Blood were flying everywhere, and the crowd dispersing like the Red Sea! 
We were all promptly escorted around the pitch perimeter to the far end, and the almost empty (bar a few dozen Charlton fans) away section, where the rest of the game was indeed watched in perfect harmony, interspersed with the odd jovial discussion of the finer merits of a certain Mr D Hales esq!

Don't ask me what the score was!    

[Wolfie]

I'm not sure it's possible to be truly neutral but I've been to quite a few where I have no real affinity.

A mate at work is a Yeovil fan, so have been to a few games with him, like Notts County & Mansfield in the last couple of seasons. I must admit it's weird & I felt a bit dirty, trying to join in with chants for another team

I remember going to a classic Sheff Wed vs Villa game ages ago, which was really enjoyable but the best for me has to be Croatia vs Denmark in Euro 96 - though in truth, with Stimac & Asanovic on the field, I was only ever going to cheer for one side. I still remember Davor Suker's chip over Schmeichel. Sublime goal.

[Srg]

In England, no, but several abroad now.

Struggle in England because i'd just rather spend that money going to watch Derby or Belper Town.

[Mucker1884]

4 minutes ago, Srg said:

In England, no, but several abroad now.

Struggle in England because i'd just rather spend that money going to watch Derby or Belper Town.

Abroad is good!  ;-) 

I appreciate there is already a "games abroad" thread, but anything new... fresh... anything, if only to liven this p155 poor attempt at a new, clean, unsoiled thread would most surely help!  LOL!

[King Kevin]

Always find away to support one side ,if it's Northern club v Southern then Northern all day long .If a team plays in red than 99% of the time I support the other etc.

[Mucker1884]

4 minutes ago, King Kevin said:

Always find away to support one side ,if it's Northern club v Southern then Northern all day long .If a team plays in red than 99% of the time I support the other etc.

A guy after my own heart!   

[MK]

I went to university at Bournemouth so went to a few games there. They were in League One at the time and were pushing for promotion. It was quite fun going with a group of mates, cheering them on but not really caring all that much. It's odd looking back at these games of watching 'little old Bournemouth' when they're now establishing themselves as a Prem team. One day it'll be us too......right?

I also went to the League Two play-off final between AFC Wimbledon and Plymouth in the Wimbledon section. I grew up in SW London and knew a few Wimbledon fans who'd lost their club, so I've always had a bit of a soft spot for AFC (and, like any right minded football fan in England a fairly strong hatred of MK Dons).

I wasn't truly neutral for either of these games as i was definitely supporting a team. But it didn't feel the same seeing them score compared to seeing Derby score. I just sort of stood up and applauded, rather than going ballistic.

[Turk Thrust]

Am a season ticket holder at West Ham because I live nearby and it's only £145 for over 65s. Also I sometimes go to watch Orient which is even closer. No stress, can just watch and appreciate football 

[David]

Been to a few Grimsby games, just a bit of an odd feeling, I naturally want them to win living in the area but when they attack, take a shot or score there’s no real feeling going through me and it’s a bit of a numb experience. 

I think you get to see the game a bit different without that emotional attachment, but the quality is so poor which makes me laugh when I jump on here and see fans ripping into the players calling them League 2 at best.

[Millenniumram]

In London on Sunday so considered the arsenal game (Not a true neutral, half my family are arsenal fans) until I saw the 70 pound ticket price! I’d barely spend that on Derby yet alone a team I vaguely want to do well. Not cheap these decent neutral games in this country. 
 

Sorely tempted to make a trip to the san Siro before it’s replaced mind, may head over some point over my Christmas holidays

[King Kevin]

34 minutes ago, David said:

Been to a few Grimsby games, just a bit of an odd feeling, I naturally want them to win living in the area but when they attack, take a shot or score there’s no real feeling going through me and it’s a bit of a numb experience. 

I think you get to see the game a bit different without that emotional attachment, but the quality is so poor which makes me laugh when I jump on here and see fans ripping into the players calling them League 2 at best.

I bet you've got a half and half scarf really.

[David]

Just now, King Kevin said:

I bet you've got a half and half scarve really.

By accident!

[GenBr]

The only football game I've been to as a neutral was a Reading v Villa game last season. Its bad enough watching Derby when they aren't playing well, but when you have no ties to either team it is excruciating. Won't be doing that again - I was impressed at how empty Reading always manage to make their stadium look though.

3 hours ago, SaintRam said:

Truly awful, boring, dire 

I like how you can describe both the city of Hull and the match with exactly the same words.

[RadioactiveWaste]

notts county v burton on someone's stag do once, swansea a few times when I lived down there.

it's a different thing to supporting Derby, but it's still enjoyable.

[uttoxram75]

Burton v Leicester in a cup match at the BBG.

Not neutral though, loads of Derby were there to have a go at the fester boys and it was a pretty violent affair before, during and after the game.

 

My son-in-law is a Stoke fan and talked me into going to a Stoke v Birmingham match with him once when the Rams weren't playing.

It was fairly dismal stuff and had little interest in the result as such but it was notable for a half time incident.

I went to get the beers, son in law went for a pee, I was in the queue when a melee broke out in the adjacent queue, seriously, two stokies fighting with their mates trying to pull them apart. I tried not to laugh at the stereotypical behaviour of the chip eaters when a bloke from work walked through the crowd, stopped in front of me and loudly declared, bloody hell mate wtf is a Derby fan doing in the Boothen End....just as people began to turn and look, the son in law appeared (in his stoke shirt) and the moment passed without further incident, attention instead fell on the angry hordes across the way which luckily for me had turned into a full blown shouting match with police and stewards pushing folk apart.

[Parsnip]

My family are all Notts County fans - the first proper game I ever went to was 1990(ish) Notts County v Brighton, play off final at Wembley. One of the most memorable days of my childhood. Loads of future Derby players in that team, Tommy Johnson, Craig Short, Dean Yates probably more. And of course Notts were managed by the magnificent Niel Warnock. 

Obviously I've withdrawn my support of Derby County now so any future visits to Pride Park will be as a neutral.

[Wolfie20]

Been to plenty - used to go to Goodison Park with a mate and his dad. One match was a cup replay against Derby but that was best part of 50 years ago so not a cat in hells chance of being a neutral now.