uttoxram75 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Not much to cheer about atm so a thread for the old uns on here to reminisce... I'll start, 1975, the Rams are in the top 4 with a chance of winning the league, we have Burnley away and some young lads decide its time to come of age and go on the "Ramaway" football special train. Half a dozen 15/16 year olds get the early train from Utch to Derby armed with plastic bags full of tins of McEwans and Tartan bitter and 10 packs of Players No6 cigarettes. Silk scarves securely tied round our ridiculously skinny wrists we hang round Derby station, drinking our pisspoor beer until huge mobs of older, moustachioued, feather-cutted, denim-jacketed, doc marten wearing, hooligans strut on to the platform. Mingling in with these hard-looking lads we board the football special to Burnley. Chanting and drinking all the way to Lancashire, we come off the train like a mob of William Wallaces'. "Derby boys, we are here, hooo hooo, hooo hooo Derby boys we are here, hooo, hooo, Derby boys, we are here, shag your women and drink your beer, hooo hooo oooo" A few Burnley are spotted across the road and the "hard" (mad!) Derby fans are running across a busy road chasing some poor sods who happened to be walking by with their claret and blue scarves, (no replica shirts back then). Police horses and dogs are running amok as the hordes of Derby lads are mainly kept in order as they march triumphantly to the ground. We end up on a huge terraced side of Turf Moor, maybe 7 or 8 thousand strong, as we witness a 5-2 win for the best team in the land. "We're gonna win the league, we're gonna win the League, and now you're gonna believe us, and now you're gonna believe us, now you're gonna believe us..., we're gonna win the League..." "We are the Derby - the midlands we rule" We leave the stadium, singing and celebrating when a hail of bricks and stones suddenly rain down on us from a high grass bank. Burnley are throwing everything they can get their hands on down on to the departing hordes of Derby fans. A group of lads break free from the police escort and start running up the grass hill toward the tormentors with the bricks. Some of us follow the first wave of suicide boys (remember, this was about 5 or 6 years before the DLF had ever been heard of), and chase the Burnley boys away. The ensuing celebrations and chanting had to be heard first hand to be believed. We still had some dodgy moments walking back to the station, and for all our bravado there was some relieved lads when we were on the train back to Derby! That day, to a young, impressionable 15 year old, it remains a coming of age day that will never be forgotten. It was mad, dangerous, insane, but somehow, it made me proud to be a Derby fan that day. I'm not trying to promote hooliganism, its just how it was then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derbiean Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Love it uttoxram, makes me wish i was there :eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdinburghRam Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 some great stories that you have there. Not saying I want to return to the dark days of hooliganism but football has to change, standing in stadiums would be a start Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamNut Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 kevin hector.....colin todd.....its enough to get by on even 35 years later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alph Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Ha!! Not much to make you smile on these boards right now. Grinning like an idiot reading that! more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dambuster Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 kevin hector.....colin todd.....its enough to get by on even 35 years later How about - Carlisle away on a Tuesday night, promotion season probably 1968, the bus had a puncture on the way so arrived at the game late - is that dedication ? Went to every game that season, never did get a medal though. I remember Dave Mackay being carried off in an away game at Bury, not many people witnessed Dave being carried off the pitch unless it was a broken bone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
48 hours Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Thanks Uttox - you've captured it brilliantly ! Bring back the 'ramaway' - very 'green' and politically correct for today - oh, and bring back standing areas, the modern stadiums look silly when they are only half full. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenportram Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Thanks Uttox - you've captured it brilliantly ! Bring back the 'ramaway' - very 'green' and politically correct for today - oh, and bring back standing areas, the modern stadiums look silly when they are only half full. They would look even sillier if there were standing areas and half empty. Huge swathes of empty terracing looks depressing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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