[ashdoy]

Firstly; im 24 & I apologise if i sound as if life only exsisted post 1990.

I just wondered what Football, and Albion games in particular were like before the "modern era".

Did fans go to pibs beforehand? Did we make a day of it? Etc etc etc.

I know the vast majority of users on here are 60 or younger, but id be very keen to get an insight into games in the 30s, 40s & 50s if at all possible.

Was it purely men that attended? Were the atmospheres good/better?

[halifax_baggie]

Firstly; im 24 & I apologise if i sound as if life only exsisted post 1990.

I just wondered what Football, and Albion games in particular were like before the "modern era".

Did fans go to pibs beforehand? Did we make a day of it? Etc etc etc.

I know the vast majority of users on here are 60 or younger, but id be very keen to get an insight into games in the 30s, 40s & 50s if at all possible.

Was it purely men that attended? Were the atmospheres good/better?

No mate, we never went to pibs, had to walk to the nearest railway station, get off at Hawthorns Halt, trudge to the ground, buy programmes and badges of our favourite players off the vendors, squeeze into the turnstiles, stand in your favorite place, next to your mates, have bovril or beers from the back of the old rainbow, walk round the ground and change ends at half time, stand next to opponents supporters, take the proverbial win or lose, shake hands, get the train back, (steam engine), walk back home. or if you went by coach listen to the football results on sports report and half time and discuss the game.

Happy days, walk up pay your money, walk in, watch the game cheer the team simples

[Tony Goddens Gloves]

In the seventies my dad used to go to the old Throstles club on Birmingham Road before the game. i would sit next to old guy who checked the members in until 5 to 3 then me my Dad and the the other members of my family would walk up to the ground. When we played in the cup games we used to go in the Smethwick and regularly I would crawl under the legs of the fans to get in for free ! Oh and it was mixed fans then as well..great times and seeing us in Europe as well....!

[Droitwich Baggie]

When I lived just down the road in Halfords Lane..I walked.
When the family moved to Handsworth, I walked up Sandwell road.
When the family moved to B6 not far from the Vile ground, I caught the number 8 and then the 72/73/74 or 75 to the Baggies.
Mid '60's I followed the baggies around England, both home and away. The company I worked for (Concentric Pressed Products), allowed me to go to travel to mid week matches.
Supporters' coaches to away games and WEMBLEY in '67 and '68.
Moved to Droitwich in '68, drove at first then travelled by train to watch the Baggies.
I remember standing up the Brummie Road end, watching Astle, Hope, and Brown in the 60's.
It was a family game, even though it was mainly blokes who went.
Oh, happy days.

[Slimbo]

Started going in 69 aged 8. Me dad took an empty beer crate into the brummie road end for me to stand on. How things have changed

[iwastherein68]

Dad took me to my first match in 1954 (aged 8 years) in those days there was a standing enclosure in front of the Halfords.
The Halfords was the only area in the ground with seats. The Brummie had a roof but no back and the wind used to howl around there. Where the East Stand is now, and the Smethwick was all terracing. I think that the first time that sing or chanting was heard in England was after the 1962 World cup where we heard the first chants of B-R-A-Z-I-L.
I became a member of the first singers and chanters at the baggies. Went to 2 losing League cup finals, and the greatest moment in 1968. Bought my first season ticket in 1969 (standing one on the Brummie). Had a season ticket ever since, (now in the East Stand) some of the best days out in my life following the baggies away before hooliganism reared it's ugly head.Had 2 great pubs (Woodman and Hawthorns) in the shadow of the ground. My dad went to the 1954 cup final, and on the Sunday morning he took me to Albion's captain Len Millard's house nearby and at 8years old I had his cup winners medal in my hand. 2 weeks later Len brought the F.A cup to my school. Imagine that happening today.The players were so humble and lived amongst us in those days.

[geoff]

No mate, we never went to pibs, had to walk to the nearest railway station, get off at Hawthorns Halt, trudge to the ground, buy programmes and badges of our favourite players off the vendors, squeeze into the turnstiles, stand in your favorite place, next to your mates, have bovril or beers from the back of the old rainbow, walk round the ground and change ends at half time, stand next to opponents supporters, take the proverbial win or lose, shake hands, get the train back, (steam engine), walk back home. or if you went by coach listen to the football results on sports report and half time and discuss the game.

Happy days, walk up pay your money, walk in, watch the game cheer the team simples

Wading threw the 1 inch of Wee at half time. in the toilets

[mank baggie]

Teams like Spurs  West Ham. Man Utd  coming in the brummie rd to try and take it and in some cases doing so.

[Atomic]

Teams like Spurs  West Ham. Man Utd  coming in the brummie rd to try and take it and in some cases doing so.

The days where morons ruled. Thank god they are gone.

[wolverhampton baggie]

I started going in 75/76 . the 70's and to some extent the 80's were ruined by hooliganism although I'd have to say whilst conditions for fans now n the ground are superb compared to back then , I'd love terracing to return. Echo the pre match ritual of the throstle club, my Dad was a member of the Halfords lane one and was great in there pre match, smelt of pipe smoke as did the ground back then. Still reminds me of going to the match when I smell pipe smoke even now. Happy days

[Atomic]

I started going in 75/76 . the 70's and to some extent the 80's were ruined by hooliganism although I'd have to say whilst conditions for fans now n the ground are superb compared to back then , I'd love terracing to return. Echo the pre match ritual of the throstle club, my Dad was a member of the Halfords lane one and was great in there pre match, smelt of pipe smoke as did the ground back then. Still reminds me of going to the match when I smell pipe smoke even now. Happy days

I agree. The whole football experience was a million times better back in the 70's / 80's. If we could return to those times without the yobs and with a bit more of a safety ethic everything would be fantastic.

[baggieboyfred]

remember first going to the baggies in the late fifties when i was a kid, watching likes of Ronnie Allan, Derek Kevan, Bobby Robson and then moving on through the 60's with the "King" and the "Bomber" and Bobby Hope and all the other heroes of 68, then we moved into the seventies with the " Three Degrees"  Robbo and the other great players of that ilk, To all those fans who never had the match day experience of  going to the Hawthorns during those great days, its your own fault for being so young, but seriously  although i have enjoyed the last 10 years generally speaking, it cannot and probably never will beat the experience of those fabulous years

[Adamstv]

Teams like Spurs  West Ham. Man Utd  coming in the brummie rd to try and take it and in some cases doing so.

I remember Spurs doing that around 1974 came in before the game and stood at the top left of the Brummie Road ( if looking down to the pitch) then marched across singing , not many Albion in at the time. At half time they were winning 2-0 at the end we had won 4-2. They came steaming up the middle entrance of the Brummie End - mayhem ensued! Happy Days

[glosterbaggie]

I can remember going on a bus and we had to get off so it got up the hill we came to.Blokes running down the side of the pitch with the takings off the turnstiles.Barmy days!!
 

[mank baggie]

I remember Spurs doing that around 1974 came in before the game and stood at the top left of the Brummie Road ( if looking down to the pitch) then marched across singing , not many Albion in at the time. At half time they were winning 2-0 at the end we had won 4-2. They came steaming up the middle entrance of the Brummie End - mayhem ensued! Happy Days

i was at that game, they came in early when all the big men were still in the pub Haha I was about 13 at the time hiding round the back of the brummie

[philwba1]

I remember Spurs doing that around 1974 came in before the game and stood at the top left of the Brummie Road ( if looking down to the pitch) then marched across singing , not many Albion in at the time. At half time they were winning 2-0 at the end we had won 4-2. They came steaming up the middle entrance of the Brummie End - mayhem ensued! Happy Days

Remember that game well, thought it was later than 74 though. Spurs in the Brummie at about 2.15 then all kicked off when Albion lads turned up a bit later. As for the game wasn't it Peter Taylor's debut for Spurs, there big signing from Palace and he scored 2 goals but 2nd half we battered them and won 4-2. After the game there was mayhem on the coach park where the East Stand car park is now.

[Black Country Pride]

76 I think? The main difference between now and then was the sheer noise. Perhaps I'm romanticising as I was a just a kid in the late 60s but when surged forward the roar was deafening and when we scored it seemed to go on and on and on. The players were proper men too.

[philwba1]

76 I think? The main difference between now and then was the sheer noise. Perhaps I'm romanticising as I was a just a kid in the late 60s but when surged forward the roar was deafening and when we scored it seemed to go on and on and on. The players were proper men too.

knees up mother Brown in the Brummie, used to lose all your mates when it surged forward then spend next five minutes looking for them and regrouping ready for a chant of Fish clap clap clap clap clap,chips clap clap clap clap clap, where did that start 

[Ska-dForLife-WBA]

This video might be of interest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUfNY7R0KJA

[AlbionFan]

This video might be of interest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUfNY7R0KJA

That is a great compilation, bought back so many memories of some of my heroes.

I loved the bit with the guy combing his eyebrows in the crowd.

But the best bit, well that has to be the mini skirts. 

[Ska-dForLife-WBA]

That is a great compilation, bought back so many memories of some of my heroes.

I loved the bit with the guy combing his eyebrows in the crowd.

But the best bit, well that has to be the mini skirts. 

Fashion definitely got a few things right back then 

The book itself has loads of details and stories about being an Albion fan in the Sixties and Seventies too; might be useful to the original poster.

[mank baggie]

Fashion definitely got a few things right back then 

The book itself has loads of details and stories about being an Albion fan in the Sixties and Seventies too; might be useful to the original poster.

recently bought this book of Amazon keeping it till I go away in may

[geoff]

Them old leather laced balls killed your head has they got heavier in the rain.   

[albionden]

standing in the under 15's queue (25p to get in if I remember correctly) with some very tall 15yr olds 
the roar every time willy Johnson got on the ball 
being relegated with Don Howe as manager 
getting hit by a bottle underneath the BRE lobbed by some spurs knob 

[caravanc58]

This video might be of interest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUfNY7R0KJA

great memories that brought tears to my eyes and goose pimples, the Rotherham beach party, losing to stoke AGAIN 3-2 and the unforgettable Swansea play off game, I say this with  honesty WE HAD THE BEST FANS IN THE WORLD. we had that many different coloured strips amongst us it was unbelievable. those were the days.