My first ever Birmingham City game! Bluenoses get nostalgic
Yesterday we asked Birmingham City if they could remember the first game they ever went to and what it was like - we had a great response, here's what they had to say:
Clynicalcynical: I was 10 yrs old The war had just ended (Boar war) it was freezing cold day I think it started snowing at half time and got frost bite in my toes as didnt have any shoes on my feet , Small Heath Alliance, as the club was known then, won 4-1 gainst Accrington Stanley .......... and the date 1899?
Tilton1875: My dad took me as a nipper and I dont have any lasting memories during my teens I begged him to take me alas he did not relent as he said "They will always let you down son"
The first game I was allowed to go on my own was aged 16 years. I attended the match BLUES 0 PALACE 6 in 1987
Found it on Youtube too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tvYj4hq8DI
This was me cutting my teeth amidst the misery of being a blue nose. We weren't that bad in the first half but the second half was a stroll in the park for the eagles. I got to chant what a load of rubbish, the fans were still in good voice considering how poor we really were.
Even after this dismal showing I got the bug after all child price was two pound and it was only four pound for adults. No wonder I loved it so much because it was the feeling of being part of the blues family without being hurt in the pocket.
In my own opinion it's what makes Birmingham City's fans unique we have some terrible times but these sometimes make the good times all the more sweeter. My dad is no longer with us and I can see why he wouldn't take me but once that club gets under your skin there is no turning back.
Yeung, Yu, Pannu ..... You have been warned get hooked at your peril....
Harborne1: August 1981..Blues 4-Forest-3...
Will never forget this one,i was 9 at the time!!!
A beautiful sunny saturday afternoon in a packed St Andrews and Blues were taking on European Champions Nottingham Forest who had just splashed out £2.5m (mega money in those days) on Coventry City goal machine Ian Wallace and Norwich City very exciting and fast Justin Fashanu,they also had Blues old boy in defence Kenny Burns plus 5000 travelling fans with them.
Blues main signing that summer was Neil Whatmore from Bolton for £350,000 and looked more like a train spotter then a footballer.
Blues had a shaky start to that season,they lost the first home game against Everton 3-1,scraped a 1-1 draw at Portman road(Ipswich) on the Tuesday and now it was Forest.
But Blues were more then a match for the star studded Forest team,right from back to front.
Wealands made some superb saves,Broadhurst was a rock,Gemmil and Dillion mastered the middle and Evens and Whatmore caused no end of trouble to their defence all game.
Gemmill scored 1,Evens 1 and Whatmore grabbed a brace to seal the 3 pts.
I remember the buzz and adulation walking out the ground with my brother and thinking Blues could beat anyone after this and Whatmore will be the new Francis!!!
The following week Blues went to Ayresome Park to play Boro and got turned over 2-1 and Whatmore went on to play and score just a handful of games and goals and was released a few months later.
ExPatJohn: I actually can't remember my first game, except to say it would have been 1957/58 season.
I can remember a midweek game, against Arsenal I think, and we had big injury worries. Terry Hennesey made his debut as an 18yo, and again if memory serves we hammered 'em 3-1. Not sure of the year for that, but I do recall Schofields injury and Orrit ('Orrible) going in goal and Giles breaking his leg in the same game.
Problem when you become a geriatric is memories fade, and what remain role into one. Except, of course, for the true Blue heroes, as per: Francis, Latchford, Hatton, Burns, Merrick, Auld, Bridges and of course, Enckleman. (Sorry for others equally worthy I have forgotten.)
Plattypuss 1952: Along time ago a very long time my first ever Blues game was against Ipswich Town all I remember was Ipswich conceded an own goal havn't a clue what the final score was.
I should imagine it must have been when I was about 13 yrs old so I would think about 1964-ish....I recall Schofield.....Green....Lynn.....Smith....Helliwell....Hennesey.....Leek.....Auld.....thats not in any playing order.
If my next door neighbour had been a Villa fan or Baggies fan my history with BCFC would not have happened............I will kill him if I ever see him.
K.R.O
Tiredandweary: or me it was 1967 (I think) vs Norwich City at Stan's. Decent side: Bertie Murray, Pickering, Bridges. I stood on the Kop and was enthralled by the vastness of the place and instantly hooked.
We took the lead but it was flattering to deceive, Norwich scored two and I was off to a losing start.
PendreyinMcLeishOut: My grandad who will be 91 this year and is still a season ticket holder to this day can remember going down in since 1925 when him and his mate used to wait until the men used to open the gates and watch the last twenty minutes.
He said his first real memory was from 1932 when they played - WBA in the final of the FA cup. He remembers the blues team as Hibbs,George Liddle, Ned Barkus, Jimmy Cringon, Lofty Morrell, Alex Leslie, George Briggs, Johnny Crosby, Ernie Curtis, Joe Bradford, Gregg. Excuse the spelling!
Harold Pearson was in goal for the Baggies and was Harry Hibbs cousin and they were both from Tamworth. Aparently Hibby was the prince of goalkeepers. We lost the game 2-1 at Wembley. Gentleman Joe Bradford scored for Blues and and W G Richardson scored both for albion. Aparently albion took the lead, blues levelled and then albion scored the winner!
At that sort of time He recalls Dan Tremeling playing for England so Harry Hibbs played for Blues and Tremeling never got his place back!
I could go on for hours and he remembers it all so vividly!
Keeping Right On for 87 years!!!
Lichfield Blue: 1984-85 season when Blues got promoted to the old first division.
My first match was a 2-1 victory against Notts County, at Stans - Blues were 2 up before County pulled one back. Then they were awarded a penalty in the last minute - now i am sure i remember this correctly and it is not just one of those things has changed in my mind over the years - David Seaman saved the penalty only for the ref to make it be retaken - Seaman saved the rekick too and we won - we were promoted soon after after a 2-0 win over Cardiff
We were promoted in 2nd behind Oxford that year - it was also the season of the Leeds riot, which I remember well, not least because my cousin got hit by a lump of brick that the Leeds fans were throwing over - I also a kettle flying over after they had trashed the burger can at the back.
GerryBlue: For me it was the latter half of the 71/72 season and I was in my final year at school.
I started going down the Blues with my mate Macca.
St. Andrew’s was buzzing with the emergence of the young wonder kid Trevor Francis who was the same age as me.
I can’t remember my exact first match, but Blues were having a great season and a good FA Cup run to boot.
I worked part time after school and all day Saturday’s in a Gents' Hairdressers in Stechford called Tony’s, just sweeping up and making drinks etc.
Tony had been great letting me have the occasional Saturday off to watch my new found Blue & White heroes, and then.... shock horror .... he said enough is enough and I had to choose between my part time job and the football.
This was the worst possible timing as the very next game was the FA Cup semi final against the mighty Leeds United, but I needed the wages from my job .....what to do?
Come Saturday morning I found myself on the coach up to Hillsborough and unemployed!!
Still keeping right on.
ZuluBlue: in the Tilton us kids were stood behind the goal,our hero Gill Merrick in goal, playing Blackpool, Stan Mathews wasn't playing that day,
Stan Morteson scored the 1st goal,we won 2-1 as Cyril Trigg scored 2 in the second half, that day my blood became blue, I was 10yrs old,
the only time I changed my colours I became a Blackpool supporter for the day, I went to see Villa V Blackpool to see the great Stan Mathews turn the Villa inside out - OH THE JOY!!!!!!!!!!
KRO
Bluenose12758: my 1st game down the Blues was the early 80's and it was against Spurs. The only thing I can remember from that day was Steve Archibalds (i think) back post header which won Spurs the game.
