Pick 3 Ninian Park Games

[SloopJB]

The most memorable in order.
1. Hereford United 1976 = what a buzz only 12 years old
2. Wrexham FA Cup 1977
3. the 3-3 Draw with the Jacks 1980 (for the Buchanan goal.)

Ps i was overseas for the Leeds FA Cup game and watched it in the British Club Bahrain. I could feel the atmosphere from there.
SJB

 

[TDA]

The most memorable in order.
1. Hereford United 1976 = what a buzz only 12 years old
2. Wrexham FA Cup 1977
3. the 3-3 Draw with the Jacks 1980 (for the Buchanan goal.)

Ps i was overseas for the Leeds FA Cup game and watched it in the British Club Bahrain. I could feel the atmosphere from there.
SJB

The 30,000 plus at the Hereford game must have been a real eye opener for many younger fans, as City had been bumping along on crowds of 10,000 for a few seasons.

 

[Glos Blue]

My first game City 3 - Newport 2 in Dec 1982.
Jeff Hemmerman scored a last minute winner and it got me hooked. I still have the programme somewhere. It was my Xmas present from my uncle and I’ve never forgiven him since.

City 1 - Citeh 0 Jan 1994.
Blakey’s goal. Got knocked unconscious during the celebrations and came round in a river of piss on the Bog Bank terrace.

City 2 - Leeds 1 Jan 2002.
What a night. Must be one of the most electric, raucous, intimidating and exciting atmospheres in the history of football.

 

[Jimmytaff]

My first game City 3 - Newport 2 in Dec 1982.
Jeff Hemmerman scored a last minute winner and it got me hooked. I still have the programme somewhere. It was my Xmas present from my uncle and I’ve never forgiven him since.

City 1 - Citeh 0 Jan 1994.
Blakey’s goal. Got knocked unconscious during the celebrations and came round in a river of piss on the Bog Bank terrace.

City 2 - Leeds 1 Jan 2002.
What a night. Must be one of the most electric, raucous, intimidating and exciting atmospheres in the history of football.

How did you manage to knock yourself out celebrating a goal?

That Leeds atmosphere was superb.

 

[Glos Blue]

How did you manage to knock yourself out celebrating a goal?

That Leeds atmosphere was superb.

In the ‘limbs’ (although no one called it limbs in those days). Think I had an elbow or knee to the suede because I had an egg sized lump on my forehead for about a week afterwards. Didn’t care though, been smoking soap bar all match.

 

[TroggBlue]

I only went to Ninian Park twice, once to watch Robbie Fowler be unveiled to the crowd and another where we lost to Norwich. Would’ve been about 3 at the time of both .


I’ll ask my old man tomorrow, been going down since the early 80s so I’m sure there’s something that springs to mind

 

[Jimmytaff]

In the ‘limbs’ (although no one called it limbs in those days). Think I had an elbow or knee to the suede because I had an egg sized lump on my forehead for about a week afterwards. Didn’t care though, been smoking soap bar all match.

Limbs is a good descriptor but massively overused to the extent you have to call.it proper limbs now

 

[Captain Fishtits]

City v Portsmouth 1982 my very first game
All the noise smells(wtf is Bovril) the fences all that was missing was machine gun posts
I was 10 that was me hooked

City v Leeds. The build up, the atmosphere , the Lee Bowyer chant that seemed to go on forever…..and the result

City v The Jacks. Chopras late winner in 2010
Young Master Fishtits as an impressionable 10 yr old completing the circle as he is also hooked for life

 

[Jimmytaff]

City v Portsmouth 1982 my very first game
All the noise smells(wtf is Bovril) the fences all that was missing was machine gun posts
I was 10 that was me hooked

City v Leeds. The build up, the atmosphere , the Lee Bowyer chant that seemed to go on forever…..and the result

City v The Jacks. Chopras late winner in 2010
Young Master Fishtits as an impressionable 10 yr old completing the circle as he is also hooked for life

Now Captain, what do you think perchance might be the problem with your third answer?

Unlucky Fishtits*

* I've typed this so often if I type in unlucky my phone automatically suggests Fishtits

 

[Captain Fishtits]

Now Captain, what do you think perchance might be the problem with your third answer?

Unlucky Fishtits*

* I've typed this so often if I type in unlucky my phone automatically

Now Captain, what do you think perchance might be the problem with your third answer?

Unlucky Fishtits*

* I've typed this so often if I type in unlucky my phone automatically suggests Fishtits

Didn’t Chopra get a very late winner against them.

 

[Captain Fishtits]

Didn’t Chopra get a very late winner against them in 2010?
Pretty certain he did

 

[Jimmytaff]

Didn’t Chopra get a very late winner against them in 2010?
Pretty certain he did

Yes, he did - one of my favourite games at CCS. What's the title of the thread

 

[Captain Fishtits]

Yes, he did - one of my favourite games at CCS. What's the title of the thread

Ah
You make a very valid point
My bad
In which case City v Jacks 2009
McCormack late penalty to rescue the draw
I bloody hope that was at Ninian Park and my poor addled brain hasn’t let me down….again

 

[Chas michael michaels]

No question man city and Leeds. The latter was the best atmosphere I've ever been in.

QPR Play off final. Including this as it was during the ninian park era. An amazing final in my hone city with all my mates, family out and bumped into loads of people on the beers in town

 

[Gladitsfriday]

1:Hereford.2:Leeds playing for my Sunday League team in a cup.final

Scratch my Sunday League cup final we lost.The 3 3 draw with the jerks John Buchanan's screamer

 

[Dicky Davies]

That last night game v Derby for me, too
Leeds FA Cup
Possibly Brentford 4-1 if I remember. They were top, Fowler scored with that chip, felt great that day

 

[Dicky Davies]

Exeter 1987, first game W 3-2
Bolton 1988, key promotion game
Derry City, only time I saw us win in Europe, 1988. Or the next round tie v Aarhus.

I picked those three, I was 11. Eddie May's team was great, and that was my favourite season. But, if I could live through those three matches, it would be those first years of watching City. I know we've had great years, Leeds, Man City, all those were great. But, going to football, paying on the gate, not worrying about owners. Just the innocence of it all. It's what got me hooked.

Forgot about the Derry game, good night that was. Gilligan hat-trick?

 

[NumberAde]

Forgot about the Derry game, good night that was. Gilligan hat-trick?

Yeah, and Frankie Burrows slagged him off afterwards in a Cloughy-esque type move. I think he refused to sign the match ball, but later did.

 

[NumberAde]

Yeah, and Frankie Burrows slagged him off afterwards in a Cloughy-esque type move. I think he refused to sign the match ball, but later did.

Just looked, and Aarhus knocked us out next round and played Barcelona in the next round. Barcelona beat them 1-0 over two legs (Linekar). Barcelona at NP in 1988 would have been amazing.

Aarhus had 3700 for our game, and 25,000 for Barcelona.

 

[Cyncoedslumdog]

@Cyncoedslumdog I`d love to hear your experience of that game if you went. My dad wouldnt stop banging on about it.

I was there and it was an amazing evening. Lots of people watched rugby and football in those days and in the afternoon my father and I watched Wales v Ireland at the Arms Park. It was expected that the rugby would be a good game but City would get done on the Saturday evening (City games were often rescheduled so as not to clash with rugby internationals). As it turned out, exactly the opposite happened with the rugby being a dull 6-0 win for Wales. Straight after the game, my old man and myself walked to Ninian Park straight from the rugby with thousands of others to get into Ninian Park early and get a good spot on the Grange End. It was pay on the gate and there was a big crowd in the ground long before kick off with the atmosphere reaching fever pitch as time went on. Spurs had won the League and Cup double the season before and were fully loaded with internationals but City played like lunatics that night in an incredible atmosphere inspired by a left winger called Derek Hogg who looked about 90 and had been signed from Leicester but ran the Spurs defence ragged. He was ably assisted by Derek Tapscott who played up front for City and Wales after signing from Arsenal. He wasn't the best footballer but always gave 110% and harassed defenders for 90 minutes as well as getting his share of goals through sheer persistence. The crowd were definitely an extra man that night and roared City on to a 3-2 win.
My next games was a 5-3 win over Middlesborough in 1966 (I think @TDA was there). Whoever lost the game would be relegated so things haven't changed much since then. Although there were only about 13,000 there, the crowd again created a brilliant atmosphere and a winger called Greg Farrell was the star of the show. Farrell was know as 'Fingers' after having his collar felt for a spot of thieving and could be brilliant but was inconsistent. On that night, however, Boro just couldn't cope with him and he was probably involved in all the goals as well as scoring a penalty himself. Weirdly, the visitors' goals were a hat trick from Dickie Rooks who was their centre half. City still had two games left and with safety assured, they travelled to Preston the following week and lost 9-0 - probably after being on the piss all week.
My final game has to be the ECWC semi-final against Hamburg in front of another massive crowd screaming City on throughout. A brilliant game and performance by City looked as if it would go to extra time at 2-2 until keeper Bob Wilson (not the other one) let a tame shot through his hands for a devastating defeat which ranks along with the Blackpool play off final as my biggest City disappointments. Jimmy Scoular went mad with Wilson in the dressing room and, despite him being the regular keeper, told him he'd never pick him again and he didn't before transferring him to Exeter.
Incredible games played in front of noisy, fanatical City crowds - times change!