BRUM AWAY 1970

I was fifteen at the time and even though I'd been to lot's of away games in the previous few years, Brum away on the train was a big big adventure for a fifteen year old.

Brum had a fearsome reputation and was a scary proposition, three of us from Cwmaman made the trip on the train, me, little Myrf and Nigel, it started off bad and got worse, we decided for whatever reason to sit in first class and think we'd fit in, three fifteen year olds with scarves tied to our wrist (might have even had bobble hats on)

When the ticket inspector walked through for some strange reason he clocked us and suddenly we were looking at being thrown off in Abergavenny, great start, after a five minute lecture, we got away with being returned to the poor people's section, why the f**k we thought we'd get away with it, I still don't know.

There must have been at least a few hundred City fans mixed in amongst the normal punters on what was a scheduled train rather than a football special which was the most common method of travel those days.

Getting off in Brum was a wake up call, No police anywhere, which was normal those days but hard to imagine now, we was on our own.

Gangs of evil looking lads everywhere, or so it seemed, at that age we thought that everyone even the old women out shopping were Brum fans out to get us.
We lost (or were shaken off) by the few hundred City fans who were on the train, but chummed up with another lad our age called Gazzy, from Penarth, short bloke with specs who still goes, a real character.

Well we walked to The ground, and it's a hell of walk through some scarey areas, but somehow we still got to St Andrews about 12.30, so f**k knows what time train we must have caught.

We must have spent the next hour being chased around the stadium, shitting ourselves but also laughing insanely with nerves (what's all that about) Finally we found sanctuary hiding in the Birmingham City programme shop with some big motherly woman behind the counter shooing the big bullies away from us.
After what seemed like a lifetime we managed to duck out and somehow get into the stadium without having our scarves nicked (that was seen as a victory them days, a trophy of sorts getting a rival fans scarf or hat )

Now the Brum fans end was called the Tilton end and behind the goals, the crowd was massive, or it seemed to us it was, but don't remember any gaps in the crowd. We stood on the side terrace and recognised other City fans in small clumps around us. Suddenly the Tilton end erupts and up goes a Cardiff chant from the middle of it.

Great we thought, the cardiff boys are taking the Tilton end, yeh Ok were they f**k, feeling brave now that the big boys from Cardiff were getting the upper hand, obviously we wanted a bit of this, we start working our way across to join in, but so do lot's of other City fans who like us must have been trying to blend in.

Well as we started getting there and in numbers in all fairness, we suddenly realised that the only City fans on the Tilton end were our lot who had been flushed out of hiding, and were now about to get a good one.

Well it was carnage, every man for himself no one knew who was who, just keep moving until you could blend in yet again, scarves and hats still intact.f**k me, they had set us up like kippers and obviously a well worked plan, and to think we used to go to these places out of choice, why!!!!!!!!!!!
I seemed to spend half of my Saturdays shitting myself, and the other half relieved that I had made it home intact and ready for the next scary day out which was around the corner.

Mad days and right at the start of an even madder period which had yet to come.

wonder if that Nigel was my old man

wonder if that Nigel was my old man

Nigel Christopher, or as we know him Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigel (Said in a strong Wolverhampton accent for effect)now living in Wolverhampton and a full on Wolves fan has he's been for many many years now.

wonder if that Nigel was my old man

Nigel Christopher, or as we know him Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigel (Said in a strong Wolverhampton accent for effect)now living in Wolverhampton and a full on Wolves fan has he's been for many many years now.

haha definitely no my dad then

So you went in 1970 - so when were your baron years away 80 - 2000 ?? Did you go through all the 70's maybe you could clear this up for everyone as there's a lot of confusion about when and when you didn't go. Was it ten years in and 20 years out ? How do you calculate your self acclaimed 46 years 0f loyal support ?

I was fifteen at the time and even though I'd been to lot's of away games in the previous few years, Brum away on the train was a big big adventure for a fifteen year old.

Brum had a fearsome reputation and was a scary proposition, three of us from Cwmaman made the trip on the train, me, little Myrf and Nigel, it started off bad and got worse, we decided for whatever reason to sit in first class and think we'd fit in, three fifteen year olds with scarves tied to our wrist (might have even had bobble hats on)

When the ticket inspector walked through for some strange reason he clocked us and suddenly we were looking at being thrown off in Abergavenny, great start, after a five minute lecture, we got away with being returned to the poor people's section, why the f**k we thought we'd get away with it, I still don't know.

There must have been at least a few hundred City fans mixed in amongst the normal punters on what was a scheduled train rather than a football special which was the most common method of travel those days.

Getting off in Brum was a wake up call, No police anywhere, which was normal those days but hard to imagine now, we was on our own.

Gangs of evil looking lads everywhere, or so it seemed, at that age we thought that everyone even the old women out shopping were Brum fans out to get us.
We lost (or were shaken off) by the few hundred City fans who were on the train, but chummed up with another lad our age called Gazzy, from Penarth, short bloke with specs who still goes, a real character.

Well we walked to The ground, and it's a hell of walk through some scarey areas, but somehow we still got to St Andrews about 12.30, so f**k knows what time train we must have caught.

We must have spent the next hour being chased around the stadium, shitting ourselves but also laughing insanely with nerves (what's all that about) Finally we found sanctuary hiding in the Birmingham City programme shop with some big motherly woman behind the counter shooing the big bullies away from us.
After what seemed like a lifetime we managed to duck out and somehow get into the stadium without having our scarves nicked (that was seen as a victory them days, a trophy of sorts getting a rival fans scarf or hat )

Now the Brum fans end was called the Tilton end and behind the goals, the crowd was massive, or it seemed to us it was, but don't remember any gaps in the crowd. We stood on the side terrace and recognised other City fans in small clumps around us. Suddenly the Tilton end erupts and up goes a Cardiff chant from the middle of it.

Great we thought, the cardiff boys are taking the Tilton end, yeh Ok were they f**k, feeling brave now that the big boys from Cardiff were getting the upper hand, obviously we wanted a bit of this, we start working our way across to join in, but so do lot's of other City fans who like us must have been trying to blend in.

Well as we started getting there and in numbers in all fairness, we suddenly realised that the only City fans on the Tilton end were our lot who had been flushed out of hiding, and were now about to get a good one.

Well it was carnage, every man for himself no one knew who was who, just keep moving until you could blend in yet again, scarves and hats still intact.f**k me, they had set us up like kippers and obviously a well worked plan, and to think we used to go to these places out of choice, why!!!!!!!!!!!
I seemed to spend half of my Saturdays shitting myself, and the other half relieved that I had made it home intact and ready for the next scary day out which was around the corner.

Mad days and right at the start of an even madder period which had yet to come.

My first game, as a child was 1974, Cardiff City v Some northern cunts. Couldn't for the life me figure out who fighting who, I was 11, white coats, some boots and T rex on the telly.

On the Sunday morning, I helped a trainee Para out a shop window, infantry against para's, whey hey.

Where ever you go, wherever you are there will always be someone that is harder then you (us).

Had more trouble with with the "hard" guys from the valleys then I've had in my life.

Don't let the arseholes get you down Gwyn.

Yourself, Corky, Neil, I doff me cap. When the shit hits then, I'll be there

So you went in 1970 - so when were your baron years away 80 - 2000 ?? Did you go through all the 70's maybe you could clear this up for everyone as there's a lot of confusion about when and when you didn't go. Was it ten years in and 20 years out ? How do you calculate your self acclaimed 46 years 0f loyal support ?

Clear it up for everyone!!!, I'm sure everyone's not bothered when or where i went I have kept a diary, or as you do put my arm around someone pretend they are my friend and put a date time and location next to it, if only I'D KNOWN HEY.

If it make you sleep easier Steve, let's say I've been going for five or six years and seen thrirty one games, you win, your the biggest most loyal fan and are much better than me.

So you went in 1970 - so when were your baron years away 80 - 2000 ?? Did you go through all the 70's maybe you could clear this up for everyone as there's a lot of confusion about when and when you didn't go. Was it ten years in and 20 years out ? How do you calculate your self acclaimed 46 years 0f loyal support ?

Clear it up for everyone!!!, I'm sure everyone's not bothered when or where i went I have kept a diary, or as you do put my arm around someone pretend they are my friend and put a date time and location next to it, if only I'D KNOWN HEY.

If it make you sleep easier Steve, let's say I've been going for five or six years and seen thrirty one games, you win, your the biggest most loyal fan and are much better than me.

Yes you could clear it up for those who are discussing it , quite a few at the present time and I know it's been written on here by others on a few occasions .

So instead of sarcastic replies - just the clear up facts will do and then hopefully it's the end of the matter and everybody is in the clear regards your self claimed loyal 46 years .

Why do you have an issue in telling the truth ? You seem to struggle with the truth on many occasions it seems.

My Second ever away day was up at Birmingham . Caught the bus from Newport with a mate and we turned up in the centre of Birmingham. The Cardiff train crew were coming out of the station . Can't recall the year but some had been ambushed by Zulus and one lad had his head split open by a Machete !
Anybody remeber that trip ?

Good yarn. Particularly as City didn't play away at Brimingham in 1970.

Good yarn. Particularly as City didn't play away at Brimingham in 1970.

I don't know what is the saddest part here, someone checking to see if we played Brum in 1970, or someone hoping to prove that i would go through the trouble of recollecting a story, just to make it look like I was a supporter in the old days
I nearly went through the trouble of looking at old fixtures myself to prove a point, but i'd have more fun watching Jeremy f*cking Kyle

Some homework for you Dave, possibly I was fourteen or even thirteen, so check your alphabetically date ordered history of the team you once supported, to prove I was a year out in my recollection.
I'm gutted really, coz it would have been a far better story if I'd gt the month and year spot on.

The other thing that is great that TLG's infamous enemy Dayo, is now his best friend and their mission is to prove I never seen a game before 2001, because neither of them remember me. (Yes, you couldn't make it up)

O.k. I'll own up, my name is Gwin Bo Yung, I am a Malaysian spy who was moved over here in 2000, given a false identity and played a sleeper role until the great Malaysian take over plan was set in place.
Caught red handed, today Cardiff, tomorrow the world.

I didn't have to check, Gwyn. As you know, I am very keen on CCFC's history.

The game you are referring to is probably the one which was played in March 1971 - a very significant match as it ended in a 2-0 defeat and put a serious dent in City's promotion challenge. I think Trevor Francis scored one of the goals - I believe he was 16 at the time and had made his debut for the Blues at Ninian Park earlier in the season, although I'm not 100% sure on that. I also believe Alan Campbell played from Brum that day.

If it wasn't that game in 1971, then maybe you were at the game in late 1969 (I think it was around October or November). But, as I stated, City didn't play away at Birmingham in 1970.

I have no doubt whatsoever that you were following City as a youngster. However, the Eighties and Nineties are another matter.

As for Dayo, the day that I count him as a friend will be the day I turn up at a City game in a red shirt with an 'I LOVE VINCENT TAN' banner.....

Gwyn, Just wondering if you have a twin brother because I remember traveling to games with someone who looked remarkably like you from when I started in the 74/75 season upto the present day.

I didn't have to check, Gwyn. As you know, I am very keen on CCFC's history.

The game you are referring to is probably the one which was played in March 1971 - a very significant match as it ended in a 2-0 defeat and put a serious dent in City's promotion challenge. I think Trevor Francis scored one of the goals - I believe he was 16 at the time and had made his debut for the Blues at Ninian Park earlier in the season, although I'm not 100% sure on that. I also believe Alan Campbell played from Brum that day.

If it wasn't that game in 1971, then maybe you were at the game in late 1969 (I think it was around October or November). But, as I stated, City didn't play away at Birmingham in 1970.

I have no doubt whatsoever that you were following City as a youngster. However, the Eighties and Nineties are another matter.

As for Dayo, the day that I count him as a friend will be the day I turn up at a City game in a red shirt with an 'I LOVE VINCENT TAN' banner.....

Eighties and nineties, for f**k sake why do i feel the need to justify or have to prove my support, I have never stopped watching cardiff since I was first hooked.

I played my first game of rugby at aged 28-29 to keep fit after easing down from my Judo career,I had two years at Abercwmboi, then two years at Abercynon and two Years at Pontypridd, and even those infamous rugby periods I bet I still managed to see around twenty or so games a season, a mix of home and away, including most mid weekers or Sundays, and saddo that i was often in mid week i would jump in the car with some mates and drive anywhere to watch a game if the City weren't playing. In fact to any obscure games within a three hour drive sometimes.

But as I have said, if it makes you or others feel happier, let's just say I had twenty years off, actually If you llok back through your old programme collection you will find that i sponsored a few players kit items like shorts or socks etc (but usually in my young sons name) so he could see it in the programme.

Also sometime early nineties and bought and donated the trophy for the disabled section to present yearly at the end of season presentation, or was it a dream, I feel like bobby Ewing in the shower.

Oh and my first caution at football (dig up th records if it pleases you) was watford away again possibly 1970, the year one of our fans was shooting watford fans on the opposite train platform with an air pistol, any older heads remember that one.
First away game Stoke in the cup, Gordon Banks in goals, and I think we lost four nil love to know the year but must have been about 65-66.

I didn't have to check, Gwyn. As you know, I am very keen on CCFC's history.

The game you are referring to is probably the one which was played in March 1971 - a very significant match as it ended in a 2-0 defeat and put a serious dent in City's promotion challenge. I think Trevor Francis scored one of the goals - I believe he was 16 at the time and had made his debut for the Blues at Ninian Park earlier in the season, although I'm not 100% sure on that. I also believe Alan Campbell played from Brum that day.

If it wasn't that game in 1971, then maybe you were at the game in late 1969 (I think it was around October or November). But, as I stated, City didn't play away at Birmingham in 1970.

I have no doubt whatsoever that you were following City as a youngster. However, the Eighties and Nineties are another matter.

As for Dayo, the day that I count him as a friend will be the day I turn up at a City game in a red shirt with an 'I LOVE VINCENT TAN' banner.....

The defeat against Birmingham March 1971 at St.Andrews was disappointing specially as it came a few days after our greatest victory in our history by being the first British team to beat Real Madrid. However I would not say it put a serious dent in our promotion push. A dent yes put after this game we were left in 3rd position a point of 2nd with a game in hand.
Two games later we were back up to 2nd with still a game in hand although the team chasing us Sheffield United we still had to go to their place. Even so win our game in hand and that would not matter. That was the feelings of the time.

The serious dent came when we played Watford at home on the 17 April. Watford were relegation fodder and it showed as we totally dominated the game. Unfortunately and like in some typical games like this Watford scored in the last 10 minutes with their only attack of the game to win. That result left us two points behind our promotion chasing rivals although we still had the game in hand and a better goal difference.

We needed a result at Sheffield but we suffered our worst defeat of the season losing 5-1. Although it had not quite finished us off some will say that was the game that killed our promotion dream. I'll stick to the Watford game that seriously dented us.

Can you remember who was in goal for Watford?

Can you remember who was in goal for Watford?

Nope

I can't remember who was in goal for Cardiff, the Gordon Banks thing was a bit special.he was a legend at Stoke and England and he's the only player on the pitch that day I can remember.

Can you remember who was in goal for Watford?

Mike Walker

Castelblue wins today's prize, which is a week's supply of Kenny Rogers Roasters.

Castelblue wins today's prize, which is a week's supply of Kenny Rogers Roasters.

Don't tell me you'll get VT to fly a few bargain buckets over.

Good yarn. Particularly as City didn't play away at Brimingham in 1970.

Look out another cockroach has appeared

Look out another cockroach has appeared

That's not good. I'd clean the house if I was you.

Look out another cockroach has appeared

That's not good. I'd clean the house if I was you.

Dont try wit to hide the fact i think your a cockroach

Gwyn, Just wondering if you have a twin brother because I remember traveling to games with someone who looked remarkably like you from when I started in the 74/75 season upto the present day.

I must have travelled to home and away games in the 90s with Gwyns twin brother also named Gwyn aswell

Strange family identical twins both named Gwyn, funny though the one I ve watched Cardiff for all those years and did one or two non Cardiff games was also pretty good at judo and rugby.

Love a good story about the old days, always crack me up

Castelblue wins today's prize, which is a week's supply of Kenny Rogers Roasters.

Or you can get your hero (hammam) to donate a couple of brown envelopes, he's pretty good at that by all accounts.

Why don't you all scram each others eyes out. FFS....

So the bottom line is the thread title is bullshit because City never played Brum in 1970.

The question is why did Davies post it in the first place ?

The answer is popularity stakes , look through his posts --- these type of posts come up after an exposure ! more than once in fact on many occasions!