ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Sitting with the Enemy

Martin Cutler's Birthday Surprise! post got me thinking.

I realised that at the Spurs game, sitting with the home support never makes for a good evening. I couldn't cheers, jump up, shout encouragement, nothing. We were brilliant, yet all I could do was sit on my hands. I would have honeslty enjoyed it more down the pub.

Away to West Ham we lost and throughout most the game I had to put up with smug Cockney comments.

So do I go to the London games sitting with the home support not enjoying a win or loss, but proud that at least I have made the effort to see my team, or watch on Sky in the pub and enjoy my self?

For £30+ a ticket that goes to their coffers I'm not too sure.

Thank God for Fulham having a neutral area!
Nick Entwistle, London Posted 17/09/2007 at 10:53:56

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Richard Jones
1 Posted 17/09/2007 at 11:50:26

I once made the brave attempt to watch Everton Arsenal a few years in the North Bank with a Gooner mate.

I managed to sit on my hands for most of the game and remained safe till Arsenal scored and my so called friend decided to point at me while jumping up and down and shouting ’Take that you scouse c****’

Ejection quickly followed!

Ben Howard
2 Posted 17/09/2007 at 12:11:40

Being a shandy-drinking southerner I’ve found myself in the home end at a fair few hostile grounds over the years.

An ex-girlfriend surprised me with tickets for the Arsenal game in 2005 and it hadn’t occurred to her that we were in the clock stand.

We’d had a great season and had already bagged 4th place but our heaviest defeat since 1949 was a little hard to take and the jeering of delirious Gooners only made things worse (I was outed after their first goal when I obviously refused to stand).

By the end I actually felt compassion from a few Arsenal fans sat around me.

When we left the ground she also told me that the tickets had cost £120 each!

Chris Brown
3 Posted 17/09/2007 at 12:18:13

Nick
Why sit with the home support just join
Everton Supporters South Coast Area

10 Topaz Grove

Waterlooville

Hants

PO7 8ST
Enjoy the game with fellow blues.
Regards Chris Brown

Paul Okell
4 Posted 17/09/2007 at 12:19:18

My friend and I sat with the Sheff Wed fans at Villa Park in a cup semi final. I cant remember how we ended up with tickets there. We were abused by a bunch of squaddies who threatened to beat us up. I must admit most of the Wednesday fans said to them leave us alone. At the final whistle, when we won, we were 3 rows from the front amd we jumped over the wall and legged it across the pitch to the Everton side jumping on Bobby Mimms on the way across who had a rare start in place of big Nev and had played well.

Nick Entwistle
5 Posted 17/09/2007 at 12:43:36

Hey Chris,

Thanks for that, will get on to it.

Mark Stone
6 Posted 17/09/2007 at 13:00:02

Living in Newcastle and Leeds I’ve never had a problem getting tickets for the Everton end. I haven’t been to that many other away games - but those I’ve been to I just turned up on the day and bought tickets.

Allan Hobbs
7 Posted 17/09/2007 at 14:07:41

I too am a southern softy and I’ve been to a few games darn sarf where Ive sat with the away fans; Reading a few weeks back being one example. Never had a problem though, even sat among the Chelski fans last season goes mental when Vaughny bagged one and they scored their dubious equaliser. At the reading game, the guy in front of me did at one point ask me and my mate to ’keep it down a bit’ due to him being neutral and trying to sleep.

Dick Fearon
8 Posted 17/09/2007 at 13:53:57

Reminds me of a trip to Leeds during the Billy Bremner era.

We arrived late and was about to enter the Elland Rd. ’end’ when a scuffer advised us that it was the Leeds fans ’end’ and for our own safety we should go to the Everton fans ’end’.

Three of us took that advice the other two did not saying they were not scared of ’Poncy’ Leeds fans.

Two minutes after kick off we saw to stretcher cases being carted to hospital.
Not funny at the time but worth many a laugh in years to come.

Gavin Ramejkis
9 Posted 17/09/2007 at 14:24:22

Had a few "moments" in my time, most memorable one was a few years ago at the Spurs game when they won 4-3 think it was McBride’s first game. It was end to end stuff but eventually Keane got the winner, the guys around me realised I was a bluenose early on and had a good laugh between us about the defensive mistakes either end at the final whistle got a few pats on the back but some young bellend sat in front of me that had been as quiet as a mouse the whole game decided to give me shit and also push me. Not realising his seat was a few inches below me one careful placed crack on the chin sent him down like a bag of spuds and my Jessy Owens impersonation to get out was comical, the others Spurs supporters I had been having a laugh with helping me out and blocking the approaching stewards.

Ray Roche
10 Posted 17/09/2007 at 15:54:18

I must admit to having sat with the away support at a few grounds, Blackburn,Bolton, the away games where it can be difficult to get a ticket due to the high demand with the grounds being quite close.I?ve always found it ok and generally had an interesting exchange of views with the other fans in the vicinity. The "away end" experience I have tried to forget these many years was back in September 1965...at Analfield.For those of you not around in those days, we had stuffed the RS 0-4 in the corresponding fixture the season before,and with a weakened team I might add. ( I had missed that match, being a young apprentice I?d had to work) I was made up when my ?arl feller got me a ticket for the Kop. Decked out in blue and white a load of us stood right in the middle crowing "Four nil" and waving four fingers at the RS fans.90 minutes later we were sliding out after a 5-0 hammering, five fingers being waved in our direction.I remember walking back to the Pier Head and someone asked me the result, seeing my Blue and white scarf etc. I told them to "Fuck off, smart arse".....i could run in those days.....bad loser? You bet.

roy coyne
11 Posted 17/09/2007 at 21:35:43

Dick if that was the game where Joe Royle scored that great header I was in the wrong end as well and after that goal I stupidly screamed goal and was shot with a air gun and stabbed in the arm where the police sympathetic? one word no

patty blue
12 Posted 18/09/2007 at 12:17:34

Went to see Swansea v Everton many moons ago [twenty plus years?] when they were in the old First Division. In those days Swansea supporters were frightening and it didn’t matter whether you were female, a young kid or what, they would come after you with a vengeance so you had to hid your strip, scarf etc. when you came out of the ground. That day we beat Swansea 3 - 0 away from home and one eagle eyed Swansea supporter spotted our Everton shirts and ended up making such a hullabaloo about it that I had to hit him on the head with my handbag to shut him up!! [Still think we should have bought Lee Trundle this year!!]