Football Memories During the Miner's Strike 1984

[Louwil19]

I'm just looking for any one who has any memories from watching football during the Miner's strike of 1984-85 for some research.

Did it effect the way you watched football?

 

[Craig]

Before my time, but I'll ask my dad and uncles who are a mixture of Barnsley and Leeds fans and get back to you.

 

[Camborne Gills]

Went to a few games in Yorkshire during that time, as I was then living in Spalding. The local plod were worse than some of the top firms.

 

[GFCSludge]

I was 2 and my parents coerced me into blowing raspberries at Arthur Scargill whenever he appeared on the telly.

 

[Camborne Gills]

Ah yes Scargill, a Yorkshire version of Donald Trump, complete with 2 shredded wheat for a barnet

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Ah yes Scargill, a Yorkshire version of Donald Trump, complete with 2 shredded wheat for a barnet

And loathed

 

[Posh Red]

We played Mansfield away in April 86, the day we won the Fourth Division title.
I remember seeing coaches being stopped at junctions up & down the motorway, with the OB looking for coach loads of pickets. Always made me laugh in later years when Mrs Thatch claimed to not be able to stop English hooligans from travelling, her & the SS didn't seem to have too much trouble doing it to miners

Anyway, as for the OB at the game, they were more than happy to smack anyone (kids & women included) for having the audacity of celebrating or singing, It did give me a slightly different view of the miners strike, if the OB were happy to do that to us on a day of celebration, I can only imagine what they did to the miners & more shockingly their families

 

[DearneValleyRover]

We played Mansfield away in April 86, the day we won the Fourth Division title.
I remember seeing coaches being stopped at junctions up & down the motorway, with the OB looking for coach loads of pickets. Always made me laugh in later years when Mrs Thatch claimed to not be able to stop English hooligans from travelling, her & the SS didn't seem to have too much trouble doing it to miners

Anyway, as for the OB at the game, they were more than happy to smack anyone (kids & women included) for having the audacity of celebrating or singing, It did give me a slightly different view of the miners strike, if the OB were happy to do that to us on a day of celebration, I can only imagine what they did to the miners & more shockingly their families

Leave it in your imagination because I can guarantee the reality was worse.

 

[Indian Dan]

That Mansfield game was a real eye-opener, or in my case an eye-closer as one of our brave boys in blue clocked me one after Stumpy scored. Fucking disgraceful behaviour on the day.

Good job I was well pissed up.

 

[Fandemonium]

The '84/5 season saw us crowned fourth division Champions.

Problem was so many of our fans were on strike they couldn't afford to witness it.

The police state in operation back then? You southerners have no idea; road blocks on every route out of Chesterfield - and it was the same for every mining town - with anyone who even looked like a picket being turned back. My mate who'd only moved up to the area a couple of years earlier and still had an unmistakable London accent was left utterly bewildered - especially as he held a high profile position in the Civil Service at the time!

One of the many, many reasons Cameron'll never sanction any public enquiry into associated events.

Oh, and by the way; those striking miners did get into Saltergate a couple of times. The Derbyshire NUM held rallies there.

 

[Craig]

Spoke to my dad regarding it, followed Barnsley all over in the 70's and 80's. Didn't really attend matches during the strike though due to money being needed for more essential things, away games were pretty much a no no for the reasons explained in the post above. My uncle who is a Leeds fan and had no dependents at the time did try to attend games though, he had his nose broken in a 'fight' while on one such trip by a copper in plain clothes, needless to say no charges were brought.

 

[Hooped Wizard]

I was shouting at them to get back to work from my directors box.