Matches 40 years since the smoke bomb game

[OxfordYankee]

I noticed that yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the infamous match at The County Ground.

Too young to go, I was, despite the loss, delighted to see the mayhem we caused had made the national news, second only to the sinking of HMS Sheffield on the News at Ten. I literally skipped into school the next day to laugh at my Freak supporting mate. Looking back on it now, as a man in his early 50’s, I should probably feel the tinge of embarrassment at such revelry. I don’t, of course. It seemed so normal back then.

40 years, though.

 

[Colin B]

"Refereed" by the infamous Eric Read!

I was there that evening, and anyone that was, will never forget it.

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

What happened? I've heard that was the game that kickstarted the hatred between us and them?

 

[Roge]

Certainly a game I will never forget. As the game entered its last few minutes a smoke bomb was thrown onto the pitch by a Scum supporter and, amidst the confusion, the referee did not stop the game which allowed Swindon to score a late winner.

 

[Foley]

I was there.
Horrendous from a footballing front ( lost to that lot due in part to awful refereeing and the smoke bomb)
Then awful news on the way home

 

[Sarge]

What happened? I've heard that was the game that kickstarted the hatred between us and them?

it was there already .... before then ( the 'rivalry'/ hatred) .... in previous , non segregated visits , Oxford always took the Town end.
memory may not be what it was, but that particular one, may have been the first time a scum Oxford game was segregated- though it may not have been the first segregated Oxford visit there?... the visiting Oxford hoardes were put in the Statton bank , and part way along the side too.

Second half was about to kick off with Roy Burton in front of the town end- a smoke bomb was thrown on the pitch engulfing the penalty area... leaving roy burton unsighted, instead of stopping the game, referee eric read allowed play to continue, resulting in scum scoring. from the restart the play was in front of incensed Oxford fans in the lower side terrarace, read was greeted , and felled by a hail of coins. THEN the games was stopped- Throughout the rest of the 2nd half Oxford stood on the stratton bank were subjected to bricks coming over the back of the stand.... hoardings were totalled, crash barriers uprooted and thrown onto the pitch surround. At the final whistle - a 3-2 defeat Foggy and Billy Jeffrey scored for us-, by at the time relegation threatened scum- who I think we had battered 5-0 at the manor a few weeks earlier? -, the Wiltshire police locked the gates to keep Oxford fans in the skip- the gates didn't last long- Oxford burst out and it was literally mayhem outside the ground , several Oxford fans were savaged by police dogs during the many confrontations

That said, one or two separate spicy derby games there may have blurred into each other in my memory, though late 70s early 80s they were all a bit similar- apart from eric read ignoring the smokebomb when he should've stopped the game, resulting in crash barriers being uprooted and thrown onto the pitch surround

 

[Northstandboy]

I was there.
Horrendous from a footballing front ( lost to that lot due in part to awful refereeing and the smoke bomb)
Then awful news on the way home

What news on the way home?

 

[horseman]

Certainly a game I will never forget. As the game entered its last few minutes a smoke bomb was thrown onto the pitch by a Scum supporter and, amidst the confusion, the referee did not stop the game which allowed Swindon to score a late winner.

was your namesake their manager? memory playing tricks

 

[Sarge]

was your namesake their manager? memory playing tricks

I think it may have been an early game in Jimmy Smith's tenure?- he got the OUFC job in 1982.... though I may be wrong on that?

 

[Roge]

What news on the way home?

HMS Sheffield is hit by an Argentinian Exocet missile during the Falklands War.

 

[Sarge]

What news on the way home?

HMS Sheffield hit by a missile in the Faulklands conflict/war

 

[Roge]

was your namesake their manager? memory playing tricks

Gerry left in 1975. I think Jim smith had just taken over.

 

[OxfordYankee]

In his book, Smith described the scenes as the worst he saw in his career.

Brought a lump to the throat.

 

[horseman]

I think it may have been an early game in Jimmy Smith's tenure?- he got the OUFC job in 1982.... though I may be wrong on that?

Gerry Summers managed both didn't he hence my question if he was in charge of them lot.

 

[Roge]

Gerry Summers managed both didn't he hence my question if he was in charge of them lot.

Definitely not. Oxford United (1969–1975) and Gillingham (1975–1981) and coached at Derby County and Leicester City

 

[horseman]

Definitely not. Oxford United (1969–1975) and Gillingham (1975–1981) and coached at Derby County and Leicester City

Thanks

had it in my head he managed both

 

[christenedinjericho]

If what happened that evening (and I witnessed this from the 'Snivelling Road stand') from the Oxford fans was replicated today at a football league game it would not just be rated an adult television x it would rated an adult adult television treble treble x and some.

I cannot believe that the Str*tton Bank is still there impersonating itself as a stand as the aftermath of that 'serene' evening was akin to watching several large human JCB's eating away at the concrete terracing and crash barriers.

Oh...and the 'Eric Gates' at the end of the game..........

However, I digress.

And in wrapping up, I'm sure that many (over a certain age) will agree that from the late sixties till now - the little robins are still forever in our shadow and as time and periods like the above move aside (for the right reasons) our class will forever stay permanent and it always helps to move things along nicely being located on Gods side of the A420.


COYY'S

 

[ChamonixOx]

I think the manager then was Ian Greaves but might be wrong? Mayhem inside as the barriers were uplifted and used to attack the police. Corners were impossible to take as the police were lined up on the line as dare not get too close to the Stratton End. At the end of the game they tried to hold Oxford back but the gates were literally torn off the hinges - looking, back it could have been nasty as broken by the force of the crowd and they weren’t small gates! As we exited a line of coppers, but couldn’t stop the usual pilgrimage to the roundabouts and Town End. Nothing much happened afterwards this said - very few Swindon seemed to want to frequent the same space!

As for the hatred, for as long as I can remember - long before this day. They used to hate Bristol City more back then, but pretty sure it is us now without question.

 

[Scrongo]

What a night that was , absolutely mayhem.One of many over the years.You could just feel it in the air, that day &night. What an era that was football hooliganism, riots in all major cities, jail riots in all the major prisons.miners strikes, steel work strikes, car work strikes crazy times

 

[Thecurraghofkildare]

Was there also - remember Oxford fans all over the Magic Roundabout before and afterwards - utter mayhem inside and outside the ground.