1987

[cricketfieldclarets]

Cricket Field was nowhere near full.

it was full but for the bit on the left where away fans used to sit. Probably about 1,000 tops? (The area they put Burnley fans last season when Lincoln were in the CFS).

Rest of the ground is absolutely packed. Glory hunting bastards . Even with a pitch invasion Longside and Beehole are pretty full!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2sQG_f1fLU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[cricketfieldclarets]

That should never be allowed to happen. To think the hard work Mullen did to get us back on track, was nearly ruined just ten years after Orient as we nearly ended up back in that level. But for Payton and Cooke (and to a lesser extent that season Little) I dread to think what would have happened. We could have ended up in an even worse position if we lost to Plymouth that day. We certainly wouldnt be where we are today!

[UpTheBeehole]

There is no way the gate was only 15,000 that day,the long side and bee hole were nearly full + Bob Lord & cricket field were nearly full.Ground capacity was 42,000 then taking off 4,000 for away fans + the 500 too 800 Leyton orient brought.

Ground capacity was nowhere near 42,000 in 1987.

This is the Cricket Field that day

CFS.png (361.31 KiB) Viewed 2552 times

[Silkyskills1]

Despair and relief in the space of 5 days; Crewe away then Orient. Incredible shift of emotions. Mentioned earlier by a poster that despite the outcome he/she didn't celebrate. Neither did I as far as I can recall.

[UpTheBeehole]

Orient end

AwayEnd.png (329.21 KiB) Viewed 2548 times

[BFCmaj]

Went on a few games that season and it was the first season I became a regular. My brother, me and my dad were members in the cricket field end. No idea how I became hooked considering how bad we were but I’m so glad now that I did!

[NottsClaret]

That should never be allowed to happen. To think the hard work Mullen did to get us back on track, was nearly ruined just ten years after Orient as we nearly ended up back in that level. But for Payton and Cooke (and to a lesser extent that season Little) I dread to think what would have happened. We could have ended up in an even worse position if we lost to Plymouth that day. We certainly wouldnt be where we are today!

Definitely, that escape in '98 wasn't quite as vital as Orient as we'd been in the bottom division already. But it was perhaps even more unlikely, winning 5 of the last 9 games and the fixtures giving us our relegation rivals on the last day. If we'd gone down with Payton, Cooke and Little it would have been some achievement.

[9thMay1987]

Every post brings tears to my eyes.

[cricketfield73]

[Herts Clarets]

I was in the pub before the Watford game, with a couple of lads that I used to work with and went to many away games during the darkest years. Tranmere, Stockport, Scunthorpe, Chesterfield, Halifax and plenty of others. We were chatting about memories from those times and said that there are still faces around who we remember from back then, who like us had put the miles in back then. To be where we are now is beyond belief compared to where we were.

I missed 2 home games that season, Hereford and Wolves. I was helping out a mate and played a few games for Cliviger Res. On the day of the Hereford game we had played at Lucas Sports in Reedley, won 3-1. One of the players scored from the kick off at the start of the second half - ball played to him and he smacked it over the keeper who had done his best O'Rourke at Bolton impression. I had a really good game and came out of the changing rooms to put on Radio Lancs and see how the Clarets were getting on. I really did think that day that the 11 who had just played couldn't have done any worse than our first team. However, despite how poor we were, I missed going on the Turf and decided I didn't want to play on a Saturday when I could be watching Burnley.

[SlidingTackle]

Interesting caption under the celebrating goalscorer photo....

[ontario claret]

The Orient Game was never even mentioned in Canada. Shameful. I had to find the score (as usual) at the bottom of the results page.

[ontario claret]

And who, exactly, was Nigel Cock?

[Longsidebovril]

And who, exactly, was Nigel Cock?

The game is afoot

[ontario claret]

Some peoples' feet are bigger than others.

[cricketfieldclarets]

Definitely, that escape in '98 wasn't quite as vital as Orient as we'd been in the bottom division already. But it was perhaps even more unlikely, winning 5 of the last 9 games and the fixtures giving us our relegation rivals on the last day. If we'd gone down with Payton, Cooke and Little it would have been some achievement.

Eveeyone goes on about that crewe game. Too young to remember. My version was oldham away 3-3.

[mdd2]

If I remember things correctly our gates doubled the next season. I assume due to supporters coming back because of what they nearly lost. I have had a ST ever since that season along with my 3 boys until they flew the nest and all 3 became supporters too, eventually shunning Liverpool.
As I have repeatedly said going from the 50's to then and now to where we are has been one epic journey with BK and SD big big players in our successful climb back not to mention Miller who just about managed to steadythings Mullen who started the climb back, Stan who got us "permanently" out of tier three, Cotts who steadied a sinking ship again post ITV Digital and the luck of OC, because his successes since do suggest he was a lucky manager

[ontario claret]

"ST". Is that something like a STD?

[ontario claret]

OC was lucky. He only cared about the offensive side of things. Remember that League Cup game at home against Arsenal where The Beast stopped at least 4 clear cut breakaways, but somehow we won 2-0?

[chekhov]

Article from today's Guardian...
https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... rient-1987" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Sausage]

Article from today's Guardian...
https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... rient-1987" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Absolutely brilliant. Can't read that without welling up.

[chekhov]

Feel sheepish saying it but it was one of the most memorable days of my life.
I had a feeling of elation that lasted several days.

[SlidingTackle]

Good to see that the Bastards ground gets a mention very early on....

[houseboy]

Here are the home gates from that "ahem" historic season. Average 3,364. If you take out The Orient Game, then the average home attendance was 2,803. Honourable mention for our lowest ever home league gate of 1,696 (Colchester). How times have changed! UTC!

Scunthorpe 3,008
Hartlepool 2,465
Swansea 2,775
Halifax 3,296
PNE 5,974
Stockport 2,410
Peterboro 2,229
Colchester 1,696
Lincoln 2,177
Cardiff 1,717
Crewe 2,560
Rochdale 4,217
Hereford 1,961
Wolves 2,947
Tranmere 2,394
Exeter 1,792
Northampton 2,691
Aldershot 2,690
Cambridge 1,874
Torquay 2,718
Wrexham 4,090
Southend 3,991
Orient 15,696

I've always questioned that attendance for the Orient game and it is strange to see that you have it as 15k (not saying you're wrong by the way). I always believed the official attendance to be 17k (I still have the old Evening Telegraph from the following Monday in my loft) but I've always said that I think the club somehow underplayed that. As I recall the ground held, at that time, around 30k or more given all the terracing and I'm absolutely convinced that it was well over half full and my 'estimate' at the time was more like 20k at least.
How do others recall the attendance that day and does anyone else think that the club 'lost a few' off the gate for whatever reason? Don't forget the kick off was delayed for about 20 minutes on the day to allow for the crowds, would that really have happened for a 15k crowd, especially when a massive crowd WAS predicted for a 4th division game.

[Quicknick]

I've always questioned that attendance for the Orient game and it is strange to see that you have it as 15k (not saying you're wrong by the way). I always believed the official attendance to be 17k (I still have the old Evening Telegraph from the following Monday in my loft) but I've always said that I think the club somehow underplayed that. As I recall the ground held, at that time, around 30k or more given all the terracing and I'm absolutely convinced that it was well over half full and my 'estimate' at the time was more like 20k at least.
How do others recall the attendance that day and does anyone else think that the club 'lost a few' off the gate for whatever reason? Don't forget the kick off was delayed for about 20 minutes on the day to allow for the crowds, would that really have happened for a 15k crowd, especially when a massive crowd WAS predicted for a 4th division game.

I think the official attendance was upped to over 17K after initial staggering disbelief at the first figure. I'd say it was really around 20K.

[RocketLawnChair]

The kick off was delayed by about 20 minutes due to crowd congestion but I reckon on the day between about 15k to 18k would be about right with the Longside (home) Bob Lord and Bee Hole all being packed.

I would say the delay caused by crowd congestion was more due to the fact we weren't really geared up for such crowds in them dark dark days. I would imagine through most of that season we would have needed one or perhaps two turnstile operators per stand at most.

[houseboy]

I think the official attendance was upped to over 17K after initial staggering disbelief at the first figure. I'd say it was really around 20K.

I'm not the only one then, thank goodness for that.

[houseboy]

The kick off was delayed by about 20 minutes due to crowd congestion but I reckon on the day between about 15k to 18k would be about right with the Longside (home) Bob Lord and Bee Hole all being packed.

I would say the delay caused by crowd congestion was more due to the fact we weren't really geared up for such crowds in them dark dark days. I would imagine through most of that season we would have needed one or perhaps two turnstile operators per stand at most.

I thought about that one with the crowd problem and it could well be right, but it was well known at the time that very large numbers were going to turn up for that game as many thought it would be the last game ever to be played there seeing as how, as it rightly turned out some time later as admitted by the club, we couldn't have sustained non-league football financially. I'm certain there were more turnstiles open on the day.
As for the attendance estimate of 20k I was basing that on having not missed a home game for years and looking around the ground and seeing very few spaces in the stands or terraces. As I said the capacity pre redevelopment was well over 30k (I was on one night against Leeds with the ground as it was and the gate was about 35/36k). With that capacity a gate of 15k would have made it less than half full, which I am absolutely certain wasn't the case, especially when you take into account there were a decent number of Orient fans because they still had a chance of the play-offs.

A mystery that may never be solved (especially by the taxman).

[padihamclaret]

Eveeyone goes on about that crewe game. Too young to remember. My version was oldham away 3-3.

Same here! I remember I couldn't get over it for days that we'd thrown survival away to a team that were a man down.
Looking back though, it had everything that day, massive Burnley crowd, pitch invasions, excellent goals, drama and a massive storm at the end.
Missed the Plymouth game as I was forced to go to a family christening

[Spijed]

Wasn't anywhere near a 30k capacity as we only got 23k for the Fa cup qf v Sheff wed and 22k v Liverpool semi final in 1983

[RingoMcCartney]

Me and some lads I worked with at the time were home n away that season. The card school before the games was better entertainment than the footy that season! Wrexham away we never left the pub!

[Dazzler]

I would have liked to have gone into town with my pals after the match but I was far too emotionally drained and just went home and shed more tears of joy watching Burnley FC being headline news.

Never been all that keen on the song but always remembered this was top of the charts that 9th of May.

https://youtu.be/3wxyN3z9PL4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Somethingfishy]

My first proper season of attending games. Sat mostly in the Cricket field stand right behind the goal surrounded by empty seats. I used to save up money from my Sunday morning paper round and add the money my mum gave me for my bus pass to school (i walked it instead) to go on games...all to watch that standard of football. It was all i knew though and believe it or not there were some enjoyable games. Crewe at home we won 4-0 i think? Phil Murphy scored a hat-trick..just before Christmas. The Torquay game on a Tuesday night with a crucial penalty (as it turned out)scored by Leighton James to get a 2-2 draw. I am sure someone can confirm that. I seem to remember we started off ok and the confidence and performances dipped badly...culminating in the hammerings by Hereford and Wolves.

It is hard to comprehend where we are now to back then. Football itself was vastly different...less glamorous. The standard in general was much lower than it is now. Totally incomparable in my mind.

[Claretforever]

Wasn't anywhere near a 30k capacity as we only got 23k for the Fa cup qf v Sheff wed and 22k v Liverpool semi final in 1983

The capacity was 38,000 not too long before when the Bob Lord stand wasn’t there. We had 40,000 on v Leeds too in the mid 70’s.

The capacity and what the ground could hold are two different things though. Our ground was affected a lot in the mid 70’s with the safety at sports grounds act after the Ibrox disaster, so despite it being able to hold 40,000, the capacity couldn’t be anywhere near it, and it was 25,000 at the time of the Orient game.

Lack of exits at the front with the fencing, and within the terraces, plus location of exits affected our capacity, and the equation they use to calculate safe numbers per area.

[martin_p]

Interesting piece on the game from The Guardian yesterday (apologies if already posted).

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... rient-1987

[MrVmax]

First went on in 85, with my best mate and his dad, we were pitiful . Then we got worse, but I was 15 and just thrilled to be going on the games, the quality never really bothered me. I think the attendance on the orient game was perhaps a little low on the reporting but for those of those that spent the late 80's going on, 16000 felt like 100000. Despite only supporting us for 2 years at the time I was utterly drained at the end, we didnt shut up in the Longside all game. My mate ended up full length on the back page of the daily mirror doing the conga, with just my arm showing and my brothers leg behind. Fantastic day. I never saw the Great teams of the sixties and seventies so It struck me the other day that it has been an upward curve for me ever since really. Always remember taking my place on the beehole and being allowed through into the Longside if it started raining by the Bobby on the gate. Happy times
What a time to be a claret now, UTC

[Billy_Bumface]

Me and some lads I worked with at the time were home n away that season. The card school before the games was better entertainment than the footy that season! Wrexham away we never left the pub!

Dunno whether it’s relevant Ringo, but me and my mates were in Wrexham’s Sports and Social club, next to the ground before that game, seem to remember being part of a rather large school of “chase the ace” The Welsh lads had never seen it played and were utterly fascinated.

I don’t remember a damn thing about the game

[RingoMcCartney]

Dunno whether it’s relevant Ringo, but me and my mates were in Wrexham’s Sports and Social club, next to the ground before that game, seem to remember being part of a rather large school of “chase the ace” The Welsh lads had never seen it played and were utterly fascinated.

I don’t remember a damn thing about the game

Could well have been us. It was close to the ground I know that. I think Mickey Thomas played for them possibly Joey Jones after his Liverpool days. He came on as a sub the year after to chants of , "you're not famous anymore!"

Classic!

[Top Claret]

Had a season ticket from 1971 until today bar the Orient season. I went to the ticket office to buy my ticket but it was shut, so I thought cluck it. Has normal as I still do today go to most of the home (now live in Spain 50%of the year) and go to around 12 away games. What a clunking hero I am........ UTC