Burnden Park, Bolton - old football grounds remembered (i)

[ClaretPete001]

Bolton had a large and quite active firm in the mid to late 80s. I knew a lad who used to deliver to my workplace who got the 5 am knock, I think this was following major disorder in Southend late 80s. And I would say far from violence at football being on the wane by 1985, quite the opposite was true. Some of the more serious stuff involving Burnley was after this - Bolton home and away 87/88, Scarborough 1987, Stockport 1988, Darlington away when the guy climbed the floodlight pylon and at the Turf on the day of the Hillsborough disaster.

Was Stockport the one where the Police came in the away end and started fighting with our lot...?

One Scarborough visit one of ours threw a fire extinguisher on the pitch.

Does anyone else remember these or am I having some kind of weird Freudian false memory experience.

[ChorltonCharlie]

IIRC Scarborough was mainly cause by their local police having a baptism of fire on landing in the football league. Wolves first day of the season in August. Think they may have had another sleeping giant as well before playing us in September. After what had happened against Wolves they were ready for trouble. I don't think it was so much our fans looking for trouble, more the police being ready for anything and going flying in with truncheons to a packed away end. I was only 10, and we were slightly around the side near the corner flag so was out of the way I remember Burnley fans being brought past us for medical attention with heads oozing blood.

[Silkyskills1]

Just checked and it was 1966 when Everton beat Man Utd and went on to win the cup. We were in the end with the railway running along the back, in amongst Everton fans. Denis Law missed an absolute sitter in front of us.

So I take it you were at that semi final, CC? Colin Harvey scored the winner for Everton but intrigued to know why you were there.

[Dazzler]

I don't recall being involved in any actual fisticuffs when visiting Burnden but got bombarded with missiles a few times on foot and in a vehicle.

I do, however, recall one time my pals & I were being pelted with stones and an altercation looked inevitable, then out of the mist, a van pulled up & out came the Suicide Squad.
Carving knives & spanners? I swear I saw a chainsaw.
One of them was a well-known butcher.

[Quickenthetempo]

I do, however, recall one time my pals & I were being pelted with stones and an altercation looked inevitable, then out of the mist, a van pulled up & out came the Suicide Squad.
Carving knives & spanners? I swear I saw a chainsaw.
One of them was a well-known butcher.

I thought that was just a made up song about knives and spanners haha

I do know we took the Bolton in half a minute though. It's on YouTube

[nil_desperandum]

your right it wasn't there when poor Billy let that fluke in but Jim was trying for a while to get it in the net .

It was no fluke
As you posted Mc Donough fancied it and as the - sadly deceased - O’Rourke kept standing in no man’s land it gave him every chance
Once the ball bounced near the edge of our area it was always going to sail over his head, and eventually there would be one on target.

[ClaretTony]

It was no fluke
As you posted Mc Donough fancied it and as the - sadly deceased - O’Rourke kept standing in no man’s land it gave him every chance
Once the ball bounced near the edge of our area it was always going to sail over his head, and eventually there would be one on target.

Wasn't it about his third such attempt? Billy was dropped after that game which proved to be Brian Miller's last in his first spell as Burnley manager.

[NL Claret]

Was Stockport the one where the Police came in the away end and started fighting with our lot...?

One Scarborough visit one of ours threw a fire extinguisher on the pitch.

Does anyone else remember these or am I having some kind of weird Freudian false memory experience.

Remember both well , the Scarborough one was our 2nd visit there. The fire extinguisher was huge and took a few lads to throw it over the fence and scatter a few coppers. I think the snack bar got dismantled as did the gates at the end of the game when they tried to keep us in.

Stockport, 2 coppers came in to arrest someone for throwing missiles, the crowd surged forward and went for them. Got very violent after that. Fans been dragged across the pitch whilst the game was going on.

[bfcjg]

IIRC Scarborough was mainly cause by their local police having a baptism of fire on landing in the football league. Wolves first day of the season in August. Think they may have had another sleeping giant as well before playing us in September. After what had happened against Wolves they were ready for trouble. I don't think it was so much our fans looking for trouble, more the police being ready for anything and going flying in with truncheons to a packed away end. I was only 10, and we were slightly around the side near the corner flag so was out of the way I remember Burnley fans being brought past us for medical attention with heads oozing blood.

I was at that game,my overriding memory was the rain at the end and the dogs abuse Casper got. Really upsetting to hear that hurled at a legend

[mikeS]

Remember going to Burden Park on a coach in the early 70s and on leaving our coach getting bricked near the railway bridge with several windows put through.
The good old days eh!
No thanks.

[Targetman]

IIRC Scarborough was mainly cause by their local police having a baptism of fire on landing in the football league. Wolves first day of the season in August. Think they may have had another sleeping giant as well before playing us in September. After what had happened against Wolves they were ready for trouble. I don't think it was so much our fans looking for trouble, more the police being ready for anything and going flying in with truncheons to a packed away end. I was only 10, and we were slightly around the side near the corner flag so was out of the way I remember Burnley fans being brought past us for medical attention with heads oozing blood.

It was Scarborough's first season in the football league and their opening 3 home games were against Wolves, Bolton and Burnley.

It turned out to be a baptism of fire for Scarborough and their fans, and of course for the local police!

[ClaretCliff]

So I take it you were at that semi final, CC? Colin Harvey scored the winner for Everton but intrigued to know why you were there.

Yes, I was there with my mate, also from Hassy. He had got two tickets but I’ve no idea where from. ‘‘Twas a great day as I remember, particularly as we both disliked United.

[Herts Clarets]

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Scarborough was in the main caused by the Police. I drove there with 4 mates in the car and we caught up with an MG Metro and a van both full of Clarets. We were pulled over by the Police and they turned the vehicles upside down trying to find something. The morning before I set off i put a new set of door seals on my car so had a Philips screwdriver to remove the trim and a Stanley knife to cut the seal to size. Fortunately I took those out of the car before we set off otherwise I doubt we would have got to the ground. One of the lads in the Metro was a bit mouthy until the copper told him he had found a bald tyre on the car, his mate would get 3 points and a fine and if you want to carry on then I am sure I will find something else wrong with his car. As someone has said, they played Wolves first home game which was covered extensively on National news with the Wolves fan falling through the roof, then they had Bolton with another large following and then Burnley.

Stockport started after something was thrown from the home fans to the left of the away terrace. It was thrown back and one of the Stockport fans was trying to point out who threw it. A couple of coppers came in the away end and there was a surge of fans in the packed end and they were forced back out. A few minutes later out came a guy with a huge video camera to film the fans followed by Police in riot gear. They were quite indiscriminate in who they whacked with their batons and a number retaliated, with a couple of Police taking a bit of a hiding. My mate who is a Chelsea fan was one who felt the force of a baton to his head as you can see in the photo. The brother in law of one of my work mates was arrested after the event on the back of video evidence and did 4 months inside.

[SlidingTackle]

I've touched on this before I'm sure.

All of my family was from Bolton on both sides.

We moved to Burnley when I was 10 (not from Bolton).

My Dad was a huge Wanderers fan - Nat Lofthouse - being from Bolton was his absolute hero.

Although he took me to a few games both home and away he never tried to make me a Bolton fan. I remember him kicking a pig's trotter down the road near Leeds Road when we went there for a Huddersfield Town v. Bolton Wanderers game saying it was good luck (the Trotters and all that).

Anyway, my abiding thoughts about Burnden Park (besides one of the floodlights failing during a (cup?) game against Everton and sparks raining down on the fans on the open end below, the horrendous drop around the touchline, and getting kicked and punched by young ne'er do wells as I walked back to the car along Manchester Road with my oblivious Dad and his cousin (I was wearing my early-1980s(?) yellow away Burnley scarf...) is this.

Obviously, it was the scene of the Burnden Park disaster in 1946, when 36 people were killed by a crush before the game. the bodies were laid out behind the goal and the game was then played!

My Dad, Grandad and Great Uncle were all on that same end.

The disaster was caused by more and more fans walking along the railway line behind the open end and then climbing into the ground. The crush got so bad, a joiner, fearing for his young son's life, picked a lock on a door to get out, with the result that hundreds more fans rushed in. My Grand was a joiner; my Dad would have been 8 or 9.... .

Worse, after the game, my Grandma went to the corner shop to get something for tea, and someone burst in saying they'd been a disaster at Burnden Park (having just travelled up to Smithhills on a tram). My Grandam then had to go home and wait and wait for her husband, son and brother-in-law to arrive home. Or not. No mobile phones, interweb, local radio..... .

[summitclaret]

January 1983. One of our most embarrassing away days, and my last visit to Burnden
We were so bad that their keeper, aided by a strong wind and egged on by the crowd, kept having a pop at goal, until inevitably one eventually sailed over our keeper's head and into our net. At that point we left.

Jim McDonagh?. Think we went to Spurs and won in the LC shortly after.

[Dy1geo]

A mate of mine at the time was a Wanderers fan so used to go a few matches with him as he also came to a few Burnley matches. I can remember the 1988 match pretty well where you could barely keep your eyes on the pitch with all the missiles flying back and forth, then the stewards opened up the gates to the open terrace, where for the rest of the match I had the pleasure of listening to Rocky for the rest of the match.

[dougcollins]

Just there and Ninian Park we drove home with some extra and unexpected aircon.

When we asked the plod where was safe to park at Ninian Park, the reply was 'England'. Very droll.

[Woodleyclaret]

I was living in Preston and decided in a moment of insanity to ride my bike to Bolton to watch us.But I forgot my lock and a steward let me put the bike in the board room.On my return after the match an old "gentleman '" yelled at me for putting my f ing bike inside.Nat Lofthouse was not impressed.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

Was at the 4-0 defeat in the early 90’s. My only memory of the game is John Clayton playing for us I think he’d scored a wonder goal at home the week before probably his only one!
An early turf memory the 1988 cup tie!

[Stockbrokerbelt]

Stockport was caused by the GMP & some comments on the miners strike, witnessed a few skirmishes outside between some of our fans & the plod, was in the long line getting in & Teasdale was arguing with a copper in charge about how they had warned them there would be trouble. Inside was brewing from the off then the police decided to had a few lessons out something they regretted with 33 of them needing hospital treatment. Left at halftime & went to a black & white pub on a roundabout which was ok for 5 mins then all hell broke out with pool balls being thrown with bottles & glasses. It’s fair to say that’s the worst football violence in Stockport. Lived in Macclesfield & had issues with their fans for years even at Manchester airport going on holiday. I know that Stockport idiots have come unstuck with Burnley lads at England games & was pretty bad. Bolton was always lively & if you asked Bolton they will admit Burnley was horrendous for them.

[jdrobbo]

Really interesting thread this. Sort of thing that you could do as a weekly series. Sure there’s some great tales of many grounds.

Possibly of more interest to me as my grandad came from over that way and in that old fashioned way followed Bolton as well as Burnley. He was at Burnden on the day of the disaster.

As a kid in the 80’s/90’s I never made it to Burnden. Must have clashed with other things my dad had on. I wouldn’t have thought of Bolton as being that bad a bunch until reading this. By the time I was going away from around 85, violence at football was on the wane. I only really remember seeing trouble at Scarborough, Mansfield at Cardiff, yet reading this was still a regular occurrence at the time at Burnden.

Cheers. That was the intention. Pleased to see that it has generated a long, productive and healthy discussion.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

Cheers. That was the intention. Pleased to see that it has generated a long, productive and healthy discussion.

Safe to say we weren’t very well liked when in the lower division. As above Stockport there was always trouble and also places like Chesterfield and Grimsby!

[AlargeClaret]

I seem to to remember us playing them 3 times in one season maybe 86/87? When there was fa cup game at turf ( 0-1 ? I think ) and loads of trouble after game ,absolutes mayhem . The league match too at Burnden where the Bolton fans smashed through the doors in the foyer , scaffolding and all sorts . Always remember a copper almost out on his feet trying to get out after being hit in the forehead pretty badly . After the game was like some medieval battle charge across the waste ground outside the exit as Bolton had a huge mob waiting . Happy days …

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

I seem to to remember us playing them 3 times in one season maybe 86/87? When there was fa cup game at turf ( 0-1 ? I think ) and loads of trouble after game ,absolutes mayhem . The league match too at Burnden where the Bolton fans smashed through the doors in the foyer , scaffolding and all sorts . Always remember a copper almost out on his feet trying to get out after being hit in the forehead pretty badly . After the game was like some medieval battle charge across the waste ground outside the exit as Bolton had a huge mob waiting . Happy days …

87/88 season.

[DAVETHEVICAR]

Went on with school friends who were wanderers fans as I was at school in Bolton.
Around the late fifties and early sixties
Burnley seemed to win most games in those days even against the dreadful full backs Hartle and Banks who would be sent off every week if playing today.
Going in later years it was a dreadful ground with the supermarket blocking the view on the terrace at the away end where I stood in the Fifties

[JohnDearyMe]

Why did the supermarket come into being there? Seems a really strange place to build it

[NL Claret]

Why did the supermarket come into being there? Seems a really strange place to build it

They were proper skint and sold the land.

[oswyclaret]

remember one game there when Bolton were playing Chelsea last game of the season when Chelsea went up and took thousands in fact took most of the ground and it wasn't friendly..

yep,I was at that one too,I,d be about 16.Chelsea were in the Leaver end pre match,then lots more Chelsea ran across the pitch to join em.I couldn,t get out of there quick enough!

I was also there when they played Everton in a league cup semi final1st leg ,think there was 49,000 on ,night match too.Never seen trouble like it.Everton won 1-0, with a Bob Latchford goal!

Used to go on a few times with a Bolton mate in the 80,s!! Horrible place!

[Clive 1960]

yep,I was at that one too,I,d be about 16.Chelsea were in the Leaver end pre match,then lots more Chelsea ran across the pitch to join em.I couldn,t get out of there quick enough!

I was also there when they played Everton in a league cup semi final1st leg ,think there was 49,000 on ,night match too.Never seen trouble like it.Everton won 1-0, with a Bob Latchford goal!

Used to go on a few times with a Bolton mate in the 80,s!! Horrible place!

It certainly was not a nice ground to go to like you said, i remember playing at home against Bolton and me and the lads used to meet up in the Prinny and soon as i walked in it was quiet just after 11 and there lads were in about 30 of them and i didn't hang about ...

[Too old to be grumpy]

My parents were born and raised in Bolton before moving to Nelson in 1947. I was born in 1953. My Dad was a lifelong Wanderer.

My first visit to a Div 1 football ground was in the early 1960s and I was frequently taken there for a few years after that. Bolton was my second team so to speak. My favourite players were goalkeeper Eddie Hopkinson and later Franny Lee and Wyn Davies before they moved to Man City.

My Dad was on the ground during the infamous Burnden disaster. At that time the open end was not terraced. It was made up of banked up cinders – waste from the many cotton factories in the town. He told me that he and my uncle John saw it all unfold. The crush was immediately behind the goal at the open end. They were stood in a corner well away from it where there was plenty of room.

My Dad always refused to take me to any matches against Burnley as he said ‘there will be too much trouble’.

L S Lowry’s famous painting ‘Going to the Match’ was painted from the front bedroom over my great aunt’s shop opposite the ground. We would call in there before and after every game to avoid the crowds.

[claret wizard]

I was at the 4:0 game in the early 90’s as well, living in Manchester I rode up on my motorbike and parked on the waste ground car park with the access to the away end. It was a poor performance and I thought I’d avoid the traffic and get away early. As mentioned above, not a great idea as the Burnden knuckle draggers left the ground early to pick on unsuspecting away fans. I’d got on my bike and was moving, heard some of the home fans taking the **** singing the Boon theme song (90’s TV about a bloke with a bike). Then I got hit, as i was riding away, then a stone on the helmet and a group of idiots in front of me. I just throttled back and aimed at them and they scattered with a couple of them going down. Didn’t look back, maybe a close call.

[Cubanforever]

Remember it from the bank holiday Monday game 87/88, as mentioned up the thread a very rough day. I went with my mums friend from church and a lad called Neil who was deaf. We got dropped off on a main road miles from the ground and looking down the road I you just saw waves of lads running across the roads at each other. I put my Burnley ski hat away and we walked down towards the ground. Outside a pub called the Duck and Ferkin a group spotted the Burnley badge I had on.....I was 17 but looked about 12 so they filled Neil in and there was absolutely nowt we could do. He needed stitches in his chin but we carried on to the ground, watched the first half and think we left at half time to get Neil stitched up....had to go Blackburn Infirmary just to rub salt in and saw characters I knew from Clitheroe coming off Rovers game against Shrewsbury I think getting together to brick the train on the way back. Roughest away game I've been to.