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The old Grange End

Thu Jun 23, 2022 6:24 am

As we all await some hopefully fantastic news re transfers it got me thinking about the old days of supporting city and I drifted back to my first season as a 16 year old and in particular the first time I set foot on the Ild Grange end in 1977.
Everton in the FA Cup was the fixture and police barred entry to the Bob bank from the canton side and herded us towards the grange end. No problem I thought as my dad had said that there was a way to get in the Bob from this side - he’d mapped it out for me. I entered the turnstiles and realised that I’d got into the GE instead.
As a 16 year old it was pretty formidable. I remember the waft of Players number 6 smoke drifting towards me and so the mass of denim jackets, budgie coats and crombies and bing carried by the surges of fans singing.
It was t long before I asked a copper if we could be moved to the Bob and he duly obliged.
The GE was a real sight to behold and it was packed to the rafters that day. Little did I know that a section of the Bob was taken up by Everton fans and all hell was to shortly break loose.
Great memories though.
Are there any other stories of the first time on the grange end?
Annis, do you have any photos from around 1974 - 1979?

Re: The old Grange End

Thu Jun 23, 2022 11:17 am

bluebirdoct1962 wrote:As we all await some hopefully fantastic news re transfers it got me thinking about the old days of supporting city and I drifted back to my first season as a 16 year old and in particular the first time I set foot on the Ild Grange end in 1977.
Everton in the FA Cup was the fixture and police barred entry to the Bob bank from the canton side and herded us towards the grange end. No problem I thought as my dad had said that there was a way to get in the Bob from this side - he’d mapped it out for me. I entered the turnstiles and realised that I’d got into the GE instead.
As a 16 year old it was pretty formidable. I remember the waft of Players number 6 smoke drifting towards me and so the mass of denim jackets, budgie coats and crombies and bing carried by the surges of fans singing.
It was t long before I asked a copper if we could be moved to the Bob and he duly obliged.
The GE was a real sight to behold and it was packed to the rafters that day. Little did I know that a section of the Bob was taken up by Everton fans and all hell was to shortly break loose.
Great memories though.
Are there any other stories of the first time on the grange end?
Annis, do you have any photos from around 1974 - 1979?


Shocking scenes after the match with Everton fans pelting exiting City fans with stones from the railway line at the end of Sloper Road. All I remember from the match is Tony Evans scoring for us, Duncan McKenzie scoring for them...oh and we lost.

Re: The old Grange End

Thu Jun 23, 2022 6:30 pm

1973 boxing day Swindon Town home think we won 2-1,was hooked there and thenloved the old Grange end like a big cave wooden sleepers ,remember the Everton game well and spurs and Wrexham before that game good cup run ,Peter sayers great winger.

Re: The old Grange End

Thu Jun 23, 2022 6:32 pm

Caztheturkk wrote:1973 boxing day Swindon Town home think we won 2-1,was hooked there and thenloved the old Grange end like a big cave wooden sleepers ,remember the Everton game well and spurs and Wrexham before that game good cup run ,Peter sayers great winger.


That was a great cup run if somewhat dangerous at times. Pity we don't put 10% of the effort into the FA cup anymore, not that anyone else does either.

Re: The old Grange End

Thu Jun 23, 2022 6:35 pm

I have a patchy memory of the old GE. I remember it being wooden structure and when i walked into the ground the lights were on and the grass looked so green, I was definitely behind the goals.

Next time i remember was the ground was all concrete.

When was the last game of the old GE

Re: The old Grange End

Thu Jun 23, 2022 7:33 pm

llan bluebird wrote:I have a patchy memory of the old GE. I remember it being wooden structure and when i walked into the ground the lights were on and the grass looked so green, I was definitely behind the goals.

Next time i remember was the ground was all concrete.

When was the last game of the old GE

Strangely, I remember the very green grass under the lights.

Re: The old Grange End

Fri Jun 24, 2022 9:23 am

bluebirdoct1962 wrote:As we all await some hopefully fantastic news re transfers it got me thinking about the old days of supporting city and I drifted back to my first season as a 16 year old and in particular the first time I set foot on the Ild Grange end in 1977.
Everton in the FA Cup was the fixture and police barred entry to the Bob bank from the canton side and herded us towards the grange end. No problem I thought as my dad had said that there was a way to get in the Bob from this side - he’d mapped it out for me. I entered the turnstiles and realised that I’d got into the GE instead.
As a 16 year old it was pretty formidable. I remember the waft of Players number 6 smoke drifting towards me and so the mass of denim jackets, budgie coats and crombies and bing carried by the surges of fans singing.
It was t long before I asked a copper if we could be moved to the Bob and he duly obliged.
The GE was a real sight to behold and it was packed to the rafters that day. Little did I know that a section of the Bob was taken up by Everton fans and all hell was to shortly break loose.
Great memories though.
Are there any other stories of the first time on the grange end?
Annis, do you have any photos from around 1974 - 1979?



I remember seeing little fires under wooden stands, the rubbish fell through and then the fag buts dropped and started little fires, dangerous as hell but no one seemed to bat an eye lid back then.

Re: The old Grange End

Fri Jun 24, 2022 9:51 am

My first City game on the Grange end was against Man City in the FA CUP early 1967. We drew 1-1 but lost the replay. I remember not necessarily on that day but on many other games, the wooden floor of the stand actually springing and bouncing up and down. The smell of cigarette, pipe & cigar smoke. The glowing cigarette ends and bits of rubbish under the stand which you could see through the slats of the wooden planks. Looking to the the left to see the halftime scores on the board above the GOLDEN GOAL hut. People walking to & fro under the stand going to the bogs (in this case a really true definition of the word) :laughing5: :lol: Then in 1969 the cup game against Arsenal. Drew 0-0. Over 55,000 in there. Apparently the first time we ever appeared on Match Of The Day. Sorry to see the old stand be modified at the time, but the ground can't be compared to what we have now even if sometimes the atmosphere isn't what it was. Those were the days eh? :lol:

Re: The old Grange End

Fri Jun 24, 2022 12:00 pm

Nothing has ever replaced the old Grange End which we guarded jealously, though I remember Pompey getting in early once and the police stopped us getting on it to reclaim our territory by directing us under the Bob Bank.

The top two thirds were wooden planks which were suspended and the bottom third was concrete terracing - the boys enclosure making up about half of that. We would stand at the back and when we burst into songs like "Those were the days" and "Knees up Brian Clarke" we would jump up and down and the top of the terracing would shake. Its a miracle not one of those planks ever broke. It would have been a disaster if they had. If the very back one had gone you would have ended up in someones garden!!

Re: The old Grange End

Fri Jun 24, 2022 12:29 pm

llan bluebird wrote:I have a patchy memory of the old GE. I remember it being wooden structure and when i walked into the ground the lights were on and the grass looked so green, I was definitely behind the goals.

Next time i remember was the ground was all concrete.

When was the last game of the old GE

A very good question. The Safety of Sports Act which came in about 1976- and the vigour with which Cardiff City Council the licencing authority enforced that act- was the end of the old Grange End. I know it was open in 1977/78 season but capacity was limited - (hence the Wales - Scotland game being played at Anfield). So quite possibly the last home game that season. I seem to remember the stand was just closed for a while but games played in front of an empty stand. It was then demolished and a pile of rubble left there before the new concrete open terrace was built which was only half the size of the Grange End. This was then of course covered at the start of the current century