' Only 50 Cardiff fans '

We were banned on advice because of the troubles in Derry, so only 50 of us made the trip



One here from @derrycityfc as Cardiff City Terry Boyle shakes hands with Derry City skipper Stuart Gauld in 1988 European Cup Winners clash.

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I remember it well. Mike Fowler ran a coach. Travelled via Stranraer to Larne where he was approached by the security forces who obviously knew our unofficial trip was coming. Tickets sourced from Ireland did not arrive due to a postal strike but Derry sporting allowed us in. City had declined tickets fearing we would cause trouble. Whatever your political views that was not going to happen in the Bogside beneath the Craigavon Estate which was and still is a staunchly Republican area. It was weird to be met on the outskirts of Derry by an armoured Landrover with RUC/soldiers sat with rifles. They escorted us to the ground then did a quick u-turn before disappearing. Sinn Fein steward the ground but it was one of the friendliest crowds I have been in. No segregation and just fans glad we had made the trip. Stopped for a pint after the game and only just made the ferry. It was our first game in Europe for many years and we could have taken loads which was a real shame but it was an experience. We drew 0-0 I think and won 4-0 at home so drew Aarhus from Denmark in the next round. Pretty crap place to be honest and beaten well over 2 legs. They drew Barcelona in the next round. If only... Now that would have been one hell of a trip. Just sad that these trips are a thing of the past so have to make the most of the Wales games

I remember it well. Mike Fowler ran a coach. Travelled via Stranraer to Larne where he was approached by the security forces who obviously knew our unofficial trip was coming. Tickets sourced from Ireland did not arrive due to a postal strike but Derry sporting allowed us in. City had declined tickets fearing we would cause trouble. Whatever your political views that was not going to happen in the Bogside beneath the Craigavon Estate which was and still is a staunchly Republican area. It was weird to be met on the outskirts of Derry by an armoured Landrover with RUC/soldiers sat with rifles. They escorted us to the ground then did a quick u-turn before disappearing. Sinn Fein steward the ground but it was one of the friendliest crowds I have been in. No segregation and just fans glad we had made the trip. Stopped for a pint after the game and only just made the ferry. It was our first game in Europe for many years and we could have taken loads which was a real shame but it was an experience. We drew 0-0 I think and won 4-0 at home so drew Aarhus from Denmark in the next round. Pretty crap place to be honest and beaten well over 2 legs. They drew Barcelona in the next round. If only... Now that would have been one hell of a trip. Just sad that these trips are a thing of the past so have to make the most of the Wales games

Absolutely spot on and we were all made very very welcome, Oh I miss those days

I remember it well. Mike Fowler ran a coach. Travelled via Stranraer to Larne where he was approached by the security forces who obviously knew our unofficial trip was coming. Tickets sourced from Ireland did not arrive due to a postal strike but Derry sporting allowed us in. City had declined tickets fearing we would cause trouble. Whatever your political views that was not going to happen in the Bogside beneath the Craigavon Estate which was and still is a staunchly Republican area. It was weird to be met on the outskirts of Derry by an armoured Landrover with RUC/soldiers sat with rifles. They escorted us to the ground then did a quick u-turn before disappearing. Sinn Fein steward the ground but it was one of the friendliest crowds I have been in. No segregation and just fans glad we had made the trip. Stopped for a pint after the game and only just made the ferry. It was our first game in Europe for many years and we could have taken loads which was a real shame but it was an experience. We drew 0-0 I think and won 4-0 at home so drew Aarhus from Denmark in the next round. Pretty crap place to be honest and beaten well over 2 legs. They drew Barcelona in the next round. If only... Now that would have been one hell of a trip. Just sad that these trips are a thing of the past so have to make the most of the Wales games

Their beef was with the English not Welsh.

RAF Valley is on the doorstep of Ireland. Obvious target for the IRA during the troubles but it was in Wales so never was.

I remember the return leg and there was quite a bad atmosphere in ninian park .I heard a lot of anti ira / Irish comments.

Some years back I was in Dublin for a weekend on the piss. Saturday about midnight and after being on the Guinness all day I just wanted my bed. Got a taxi back to my hotel which was on the other side of the river right opposite the Guinness brewery, and spotted the welcome lights of a chippy about 200 yards down the road. The taxi driver warned me not to go down there as it was a notorious council estate, but the thought of a burger and chips was too strong. Walked into the chippy and there was a huge guy in there waiting to be served, he was leaning on the counter and his forearms were as big as my thighs. I ordered my chips and hearing a strange accent, he wheels round and is in my face, are yez English he snarled, no I'm Welsh I said, well yez don't fecking sound Welsh he says and he's right in my face. I'm Grangetown born and bred so Cardiff accent, not valleys of course. I snarled back at him with arse twitching, well I am fecking Welsh, what about it. He steps back held out a hand like a shovel and says, well in that case, how d'you do. Shook his hand, got my chips and got out alive. Yes, they are fine with us but English don't seem to be too popular there.

Some years back I was in Dublin for a weekend on the piss. Saturday about midnight and after being on the Guinness all day I just wanted my bed. Got a taxi back to my hotel which was on the other side of the river right opposite the Guinness brewery, and spotted the welcome lights of a chippy about 200 yards down the road. The taxi driver warned me not to go down there as it was a notorious council estate, but the thought of a burger and chips was too strong. Walked into the chippy and there was a huge guy in there waiting to be served, he was leaning on the counter and his forearms were as big as my thighs. I ordered my chips and hearing a strange accent, he wheels round and is in my face, are yez English he snarled, no I'm Welsh I said, well yez don't fecking sound Welsh he says and he's right in my face. I'm Grangetown born and bred so Cardiff accent, not valleys of course. I snarled back at him with arse twitching, well I am fecking Welsh, what about it. He steps back held out a hand like a shovel and says, well in that case, how d'you do. Shook his hand, got my chips and got out alive. Yes, they are fine with us but English don't seem to be too popular there.

I spent time down in Cork in the 80s. I was in a relationship with a girl who knew all the notorious ones. I got to know a few of them and to be honest they made me welcome. I mainly put it down to being Welsh but I got to know a few English there who had made Cork their home. I was more intrigued with these English than the Republicans. Their outlook was very much anti English although they were English themselves. To them England was a police state with a few other conditions that you would question them on. i came to the conclusion they had to believe it to survive there.

I remember it well. Mike Fowler ran a coach. Travelled via Stranraer to Larne where he was approached by the security forces who obviously knew our unofficial trip was coming. Tickets sourced from Ireland did not arrive due to a postal strike but Derry sporting allowed us in. City had declined tickets fearing we would cause trouble. Whatever your political views that was not going to happen in the Bogside beneath the Craigavon Estate which was and still is a staunchly Republican area. It was weird to be met on the outskirts of Derry by an armoured Landrover with RUC/soldiers sat with rifles. They escorted us to the ground then did a quick u-turn before disappearing. Sinn Fein steward the ground but it was one of the friendliest crowds I have been in. No segregation and just fans glad we had made the trip. Stopped for a pint after the game and only just made the ferry. It was our first game in Europe for many years and we could have taken loads which was a real shame but it was an experience. We drew 0-0 I think and won 4-0 at home so drew Aarhus from Denmark in the next round. Pretty crap place to be honest and beaten well over 2 legs. They drew Barcelona in the next round. If only... Now that would have been one hell of a trip. Just sad that these trips are a thing of the past so have to make the most of the Wales games

Their beef was with the English not Welsh.

RAF Valley is on the doorstep of Ireland. Obvious target for the IRA during the troubles but it was in Wales so never was.

Western coastal parts of Wales well known to have assisted the IRA in the past

I remember it well. Mike Fowler ran a coach. Travelled via Stranraer to Larne where he was approached by the security forces who obviously knew our unofficial trip was coming. Tickets sourced from Ireland did not arrive due to a postal strike but Derry sporting allowed us in. City had declined tickets fearing we would cause trouble. Whatever your political views that was not going to happen in the Bogside beneath the Craigavon Estate which was and still is a staunchly Republican area. It was weird to be met on the outskirts of Derry by an armoured Landrover with RUC/soldiers sat with rifles. They escorted us to the ground then did a quick u-turn before disappearing. Sinn Fein steward the ground but it was one of the friendliest crowds I have been in. No segregation and just fans glad we had made the trip. Stopped for a pint after the game and only just made the ferry. It was our first game in Europe for many years and we could have taken loads which was a real shame but it was an experience. We drew 0-0 I think and won 4-0 at home so drew Aarhus from Denmark in the next round. Pretty crap place to be honest and beaten well over 2 legs. They drew Barcelona in the next round. If only... Now that would have been one hell of a trip. Just sad that these trips are a thing of the past so have to make the most of the Wales games

Their beef was with the English not Welsh.

RAF Valley is on the doorstep of Ireland. Obvious target for the IRA during the troubles but it was in Wales so never was.

If you think their beef was with the English only and not Welsh you are sadly wrong. Many Welsh lives taken by them.

I remember the return leg and there was quite a bad atmosphere in ninian park .I heard a lot of anti ira / Irish comments.

Yes they were quite mouthy.

City fans were also giving it back