Baseball Ground....

[2tups]

Mid week nights. The gap between the Normo and the PopSide. 8 - 2. Archie and wee Willie before him skipping over mud. The grace of Colin Todd. The honest local boys, Webster and Daniel.41,286. Tuffees, the guy from Heanor handing out toffees. Boro boys dropping in to say hello. Back to town through the Arboretum. But most of all being right up there at the top of the tree.

[blackNwhites]

Division 2, Derby County vrs Leicester City, 1992 (I think).

Won't compare to the older generation, I was only 10, but the walk into the Normanton end was quite special. The size of the pitch blew my mind, I'd never been up so close to a football pitch used by professionals before. We was sat so close to the pitch. Whenever we had a corner everybody would stand up to get a look which meant I had to climb on my seat to see over all the curly long haired beefy blokes.

I'd been to Wembley before I went to the baseball ground, it was great but was nowhere near as cool as the BBG. The atmosphere was incredible that day and I was allowed to swear as much as I liked. I got into the singing straight away "Oh Leicestershire, is full of ****, oh Leicestershire is full of ****, it's full of ****, **** and more ****, oh Leicestershire is full of ****." (apologies for the language) Although I thought the "..more ****.." part was "..mustard.." at the time.

"Galooooooze"

Whenever we had a corner it was custom to sing "Come on Derby etc..", every single corner followed by an instant "Ooofff" from a close call, then the "clap, clap, clapclapclap, clapclapclapclap, DERBY".

There was a real sense of unity in that ground, people in one end discussing people in the opposite end. Commenting on the behaviour of people in the side stands. The referee gives a freekick to the opposition and the whole of a stand would stand up in disgust and act out what they thought the opposition player had done followed by more disgruntled shouts.

Sitting right next to the away fans and showing them the finger.

Starting a chant and everybody joining in, because it was custom.

Pride Park has that potential, but it needs organising and the club need to cooperate.

[ladyram]

Yep, I think more could be done and I think it's fair to say that whilst PP has it's own share of over zealous power heads, their hands are tied to a certain extent in terms of what they are actually allowed to do.

There's loads more H & S laws now which means PP won't ever be the same in terms of atmosphere and surroundings - ie, having to swim to the toilets or get crushed at the turnstiles.

I wish I could have visited the BBG, it sounds like it was a great place to be on matchdays. PP may be a sterile bowl but in terms of access, facilities and the fact that folk are allowed out at ht for a fag, this has to be a good thing.

But, in terms of atmosphere, I'm more than willing to take everyone else's word that the BBG will never be beaten, I just wish that every game was as charged as last Tuesday night, cos that's the best I've ever seen PP.

[Cisse]

Really regret that I never visited BBG. I'm sure I would have loved it. I do like PP though. Just wish people would get behind the team more and start enjoying themselves regardless of the score. It is OUR team on the pitch after all.

[blackNwhites]

It can be done, even if we're only debating it here or the other forums for days and days, it at least alerts people to the idea and more and more people back it.

Since I first joined in the first discussions just over a year a go I've noticed more posts backing it.

It'll get there eventually. Just needs cooperation and backing, mostly from the fans because a lot reserve the right to be disgruntled and boo.

Anyway, baseball ground, rate good!

[ladyram]

I've merged this topic for obvious reasons - but Neon, (and any member that hasn't seen it yet) watch the first post. I watched it and thought it was great.

[nfb]

Been watching videos of The baseball ground.. by the look of it you could almost touch the players.. What are you're memories of it?.. I never went unfortunatly:(

'almost ?'

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[Neon]

'almost ?'

i dont know whether to think that was scary, or not.. they seemed to be trying to stay off the pitch.. anybody there?.

[uttoxram75]

i dont know whether to think that was scary, or not.. they seemed to be trying to stay off the pitch.. anybody there?.

I was about 5 yards from the guy who kicked the Fulham player.

made a meal of it if you ask me............. 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' /> 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' />

[sage]

I was there. It was an amazing game. Great goal from Bobby Davison.

People moaning about our current team should have watched the rubbish we had then. Barton, Emson, Brolly and Foster. Dreadful team but great times.

[ramblur]

I was about 5 yards from the guy who kicked the Fulham player.

made a meal of it if you ask me............. 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' /> 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' />

I was probably busy 'cascading'.Feck it,might have been you who pushed me (now I know the company you were keeping) 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' />

[uttoxram75]

I was probably busy 'cascading'.Feck it,might have been you who pushed me (now I know the company you were keeping) 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' />

You was probably one of the older ones who led us young uns a stray................we are the rams, we are the rams, we are, we are, we are the rams.............. 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':P' /> 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' />

[ramblur]

You was probably one of the older ones who led us young uns a stray................we are the rams, we are the rams, we are, we are, we are the rams.............. 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':P' /> 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' />

That'd be smiffy (off to my bunker now) 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ph34r' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':ph34r:' />

[ladyram]

Had a chat with my pops in law today about the BBG.

He remembers years ago when the Burnley GK sat against the posts at HT and smoked a couple of fags. He'd managed to stop all but 1 shot going in and he stated that he'd done his job and wasn't about to get b*llocked in the dressing room. He just got his fags out of his pocket and lit up instead.

Weeeheyyyyy 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' />

Anyone else remember that?

[BOB BIGGS]

Loved every second of the Baseball Ground, the mid 70's on the Popside were for me, the ultimate football experience. Excitement, cameradie, superb football, humour, characters on the terrace and on the pitch.

It was my teenage years, coming of age, learning to fight and drink, belonging, the noise, the banter, the violence, the fear and the sense of history of the old stadium.

The wooden stands, the crush barriers, the surge, the chanting of every players name during the warm up and the cheer when we got the wave back.

Even the walk up to the ground from the town and station was an event in itself and all part of it.

Oh Heck, I've gone moist 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':rolleyes:' /> .

Those were the days, my friend [ I hate that song btw...]

[james_ram]

'almost ?'

Ah, so this is the reason why my friend who's a Fulham fan tells me how they have a disliking of Derby in those parts..

[james_ram]

From a Fulham forum on that game.

"

I was at that game also and what I witnessed was a total disgrace for which Derby County Football Club and their local police were fully and totally responsible. The only people who came out of that game with any credit were the Fulham supporters who under intense intimidation were perfectly well behaved and the Fulham players and officials whose diplomacy and integrity, as can be seen on this film, were commendable. The laws of the game then, as now are very clear ,,,,for an Association football match to be played within the laws, the match has

to be of a duration of two periods of 45 minutes and has to be played on a pitch of specific dimensions with appropriate markings. The crowd’s encroachment (which occurred at the invitation of the police) and the referee's admission that 45 minutes were not played in the second half were more than enough for the Football Association to have demanded that the Football League to order the game replayed. The fact that the promotion and relegation circumstances of the day could not have been replicated was totally irrelevant. Derby County should have been held totally responsible for their fans and it is not an overstatement to say that appropriate punishment would have been a full season of games played away from home and possibly points deduction in the following season. The Football Association even had a precedent.....an FA Cup game played at Newcastle, a few seasons before had suffered with crowd encroachment and the FA ordered that game to be replayed. Fulham were treated unfairly in May 1983 and Derby County in my mind remains in disgrace to this day."

[RebelScum]

i dont know whether to think that was scary, or not.. they seemed to be trying to stay off the pitch.. anybody there?.

Me... I can spot meself on the video halfway between Cherrys goal and the corner flag... Im the 12 year old in bad jeans standing next to my school mate in a donkey jkt and scarf around his wrist...Ah memories...!