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What's the most Grecians have taken away ?

Oldsmobile-88

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Here's the article. I've had to play with the formatting so apologies if it comes out a bit wonky. I'll leave it here as i wasn't sure where to put it on the Memories forum but feel free to move it:

Gazing over the heaving masses at the Anfield Road end during our Cup replay with Liverpool led me to look into the other great City migrations over the years. I took 2,000 travelling fans as a starting point and expected some key games from the distant past to feature comfortably. The promotion party at Lincoln in 1990? No, only 1,500 there, although admittedly this was according to the Express & Error. The “last ever” City game at Northampton in 1995? No, just over a 1,000 City there according to the Northampton Chronicle on the following Monday. Funny how the memory plays tricks on you.

So what were the biggest turnouts of City fans on tour? Well, comfortably out in front was our first appearance at Wembley in the play-off final in May 2007: 30,000 fans – or maybe I should say 30,000 people bought tickets in the City end. The combination of circumstances means that we will surely never see a City away following like that again. The play-off final the following year bought
rather fewer tourists, with 19,650 City there.

After that we come to the Cup games against the First Division/Premiershit teams. The top one, of course, is the Manchester United game that saved the club in 2005. I’ve found two figures quoted here: 12,000 and 9,000. Either way, it stays at the number three spot. After that comes a series of other Cup games against showbiz opponents:

7 Mar 1981 Tottenham (FAC6) 7,500
20 Jan 2016 Liverpool (FAC3R) 6,400
4 Jan 2003 Charlton (FAC3) 3,000
30 Oct 1979 Liverpool (LC4) 3,000

It’s only in 8th place that we get to get our first League games, all famous occasions for one reason or another:

2 May 2009 Rotherham United (L2) 2,454
11 Dec 2010 Plymouth Argyle (L1) 2,230
8 Aug 2008 Leeds United (L1) 2,108

What surprised me was that for some of the mega Cup games of yesteryear, the City turnout was actually pretty modest by today’s standards:

5 Jan 1986 Everton (FAC3) 2,000
21 Dec 1999 Everton (FAC3R) 2,000
14 Feb 1981 Newcastle (FAC5) 2,000

For a couple of other games (Liverpool for the League Cup 2nd round 1st leg and Leicester City in the FA Cup 4th round, both in 1981), I couldn’t find stats for the City following. However, the total crowds for these games were 11,478 and 15,268 respectively and as I recall the City following was noisy at both, but certainly did not appear big in relation to the home support. I doubt that either of those topped the 2,000 mark.

Perhaps I missed off a few games, but it does seem that improvements in travel logistics, increased disposable income and the availability of the internet to buy tickets and make arrangements all seem to have conspired to make City on tour outings bigger affairs these days than they were in the past.

I’ve attended most of the above games myself and it certainly was impressive to see such an army on the march. The stadiums are often magnificent and there is a sense of occasion but, speaking personally, give me a thousand hardcore City fans at Crawley or Pompey any day!

Note: * All figures are based on contemporary press clippings or records kept at the time from official sources.
Thanks for that Log & of course eurogrecian.

If I could add my tuppence worth to the excellent article.
The games at mentioned in the 1980s(and Liverpool ‘79) were of course in a era of you could guarantee a load of aggro if you were not careful or just unlucky to get caught up in it,which would have discouraged quite a few people from attending(especially fans with children)
The recent game at Anfield(2016) sold out very quickly & was attended by all & sundry because it is a pretty safe venue & city compared to those the days of the 1980s.
Times had changed & the product of football is a more sellable safe commodity these days.
 

Oldsmobile-88

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Had it in my head it was 14. Mitch getting **** from everyone for saying that he had to be back in time for his paper round. Stuck in a corner under a floodlight pylon because they didn't think anybody was coming from Exeter. Each of us trying to sing like ten men. I couldn't speak the following day. Had to sing for the Darlo fans too as they were very quiet even when they scored.
Ha,yes remember that,probably was 14.Forgot to add the driver for part of the trip(Me !)
 

Oldsmobile-88

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Had it in my head it was 14. Mitch getting **** from everyone for saying that he had to be back in time for his paper round. Stuck in a corner under a floodlight pylon because they didn't think anybody was coming.
The last time I can remember standing on a cinder terrace.

Mitch 😁😁..The voice of the minibus.
Someone christened him bog brush once 🤣

The protocols of today would mean he would need a letter from his mum to travel & have a chaperone !(I would have nominated Gareth 😎)
 

Bri 'n' God3

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Full-time lurker but only occasional poster here...
Just to say that I'm pretty sure we took more to Leicester in the 81 cup run than to Newcastle because even though it was the earlier round, it's closer.
(Literally don't think my feet touched the ground for the whole game as we were so rammed into that Filbert Street terrace!)

As our coach pulled up the local police told us that they'd parked around 35 coaches. So that would suggest 1750+ and although less people drove independently back then, you'd still expect another 500+ maybe, including train travellers and local based exiles...?

Somewhere there's a yellowed copy of the Echo that will say how many tickets were given to us! :)
 
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Oldsmobile-88

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^^^^
A few minibuses there too.We had one from work(South West Gas)
Always difficult to judge numbers back then because unless you sat in the Grandstand it was usually pay on the gate.

Just to divulge slightly.We were in the process of hiring one for the Liverpool game(‘79) The hire firm got wind of where we were going,then promptly cancelled it !
Such was the reputation of the likelihood of getting it smashed up on a trip to Liverpool.
If anyone in those days said the city was going to be a City of Culture in the future you would have thought them insane.
 

grecIAN Harris

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Beats my 7 at Colchester 😎....Loads at Darlington for the midweeker in 87/88 by comparison.13 on the minibus.You were on that one Tim.
In fact I think I can name most of them 😁
Which Colchester game was that? If it was the Friday night during their members only period when we won 2-0, that means virtually half the City there were my family (me, Dad and Mum) ..........or you got your figures wrong.
 

Oldsmobile-88

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Which Colchester game was that? If it was the Friday night during their members only period when we won 2-0, that means virtually half the City there were my family (me, Dad and Mum) ..........or you got your figures wrong.
Yes,included you & your parents in that number
😎
I remember you posting about it before.
I travelled up in a car with 3 others.
We had membership cards,can’t recall how we got them..Might have just applied in the post with a bull5hite story about being exiled from Essex.😁
 

Grecian2K

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Might have just applied in the post with a bull5hite story about being exiled from Essex.😁
Awe. How sweet mate. You must have looked a treat clumping around in the clinker in your white stilettoes. (Mind you, the fake tan probably saved the home club a fortune in floodlighting costs) :p
 

antman

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I was at the Leicester and Newcastle games and there was definitely more at Leicester.

I was at Doncaster Rovers on a Wednesday night in about 1981 and there must have been 10 of us at the most there. We lost 6-1 and then the copper on the way out couldn't resist taunting with "long trip home". Them weren't the days.
 

Colesman Ballz

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^^^^
A few minibuses there too.We had one from work(South West Gas)
Always difficult to judge numbers back then because unless you sat in the Grandstand it was usually pay on the gate.

Just to divulge slightly.We were in the process of hiring one for the Liverpool game(‘79) The hire firm got wind of where we were going,then promptly cancelled it !
Such was the reputation of the likelihood of getting it smashed up on a trip to Liverpool.
If anyone in those days said the city was going to be a City of Culture in the future you would have thought them insane.
Yep back then, no sooner had you parked up, young scally kids would rock up offering to "Mind" your car for a small fee !
 
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