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With tonight being our first trip to Cumbria in some years, I was thinking of the two other Giants from that way.. Workington and Barrow.
I've a vague recollection of us having a game postponed (Plymouth?) and a large amount of our fans going to Eastville. I'm sure they played Workington and the chairman of same wrote in our programme thanking us for the fantastic away support.
😂
Last time Bristol Rovers played Workington was in 1967. They played Newport into the mid-70s but if you are confident that it was at Eastville it is unlikely that the opposition was Workington.Quote:
Originally Posted by Louth
FA Cup? I'm thinking this was mid 70'sQuote:
Originally Posted by cyril evans awaydays
NopeQuote:
Originally Posted by Louth
https://www.11v11.com/teams/workingt...stol%20Rovers/
I was at the Newport Workington game at Somerton Park around 1972.Quote:
Originally Posted by cyril evans awaydays
I recall the game was all over after about 8 minutes as Newport I think were 2-0 up.
My good friend long dead walked out on 10mins after announcing this is shit. 🤣
So we’ve never played Workington then, not surprising really, I doubt they ever got out of the 3rd Division North and were gone before our dungeon adventures.
Newport's home results against Workington during the relevant period:Quote:
Originally Posted by AlwaysAway2
1969/70 = 0-1
1970/71 = 2-2
1971/72 = 0-1
1972/73 = 2-0
1973/74 = 4-0
1974/75 = 3-1
Curiously, Workington's final two matches in the Football League (1976/77) were against Newport in May 1977. County won both games 1-0.
They were promoted from Division 4 to Division 3 in 1964 and narrowly missed out on promotion to Division Two in 1966, but they were relegated in 1967 and spent the next decade in the bottom tier before being voted out of the league (Wimbledon replaced them).Quote:
Originally Posted by splott parker
Wasn't it a football special to Swindon back in 1973? Game postponed and it stopped for signal lights at Stapleton Road on the way back. A lot of our more 'excitable' fans got off and headed to Eastville.
Workington had some strange results against Swansea Town. Within 12 months around 1965 the Swans were hammered 7-1,6-1 and 6-1.
Curiously, Workington's final two matches in the Football League (1976/77) were against Newport in May 1977. County won both games 1-0.[/QUOTE]
You’d have thought that at least one of those was a rearrangement as the game up north was the 14th and the game at Somerton 3 days later. Most probably a waterlogged postponement from earlier in the season, I remember that 1976 was a ‘splitting the flagstones summer’ but then the most successful politician in his role ever, the ex football referee, Dennis Howell was appointed as Minister of Drought, he was so successful that after his Autumn appointment it lashed down continually for weeks.:hehe:
F*ck all strange about those results, bloody marvellous I call them:thumbup:Quote:
Originally Posted by David Vincent
You are very interestingQuote:
Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman
Did Workington man still support them ?
I think you may be talking about an away game at Bolton in about 1976. A big away following arrived just after 2pm to find the home fans laughing and walking away from the ground- there'd been a thunderstorm and the pitch was waterlogged and game postponed. After discussions with police, they allowed the official supporters' club coaches to go to Rochdale v Workington. We all supported Workington,who were well adrift at the bottom of the league and they won easily, perhaps 1-3 or 4 even. Their bemused players all came over to thank us.
It was the same day as Scotland v Wales rugby as we knocked on a few doors to ask if they'd let me and 2 mates in to watch! No chance!
Wouldn't walk around after dark down Stapleton road these days, up there with Lawrence hill in the sewer stakes of Bristol.Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Gillis
Good story that, can't think of knocking someone's door these days to watch the rugby 😂Quote:
Originally Posted by Penywaun gentrified
Can anyone on here beat my record of having seen Workington play twice as a Football League club? First time was in 1972 I believe when I went to watch Hereford United's second home game after they were elected to Division Four - it was a boring 0-0 draw. The second time was Workington's final game in the league at Newport in 1977 when County completed a miraculous escape from re-election with a 1-0 win in front of a big crowd - another dreadful game mind.
I was on one of the supporters' coaches going to that Bolton game. We arrived outside the ground, only to be told it had been called off.Quote:
Originally Posted by Penywaun gentrified
As you rightly say, we then went to Spotland to watch Rochdale Vs Workington, which was a game between two struggling Fourth Division sides. I remember how it was possible to walk around all four sides of the ground, if you so wished. I also recall the weeds growing between the cracks of the concrete terracing.
It was quite a surreal atmosphere, the home club were very friendly and accommodating, however, we were cheering on the away team, 'underdogs'.. Workington!
You should have seen the looks of belwilderment on the faces of those Workington players as they prepared to attack a corner at the end we were massed. :hehe:
Some years later I told this story on Radio 5 Live over Xmas. There was a slot called 'wasted sporting journeys' or something and I phoned up and got on air. The presenter laughed loudly at the thought of 3 youths clad in Cardiff scarves politely knocking doors in Rochdale to ask to watch the rugby. You're right about the ground, it was down on it's luck to say the least. Great memories.
Certainly were!Quote:
Originally Posted by Penywaun gentrified
I seem to recall it was 2.50 GBP to travel to northern games on the supporters' buses at that time; London games were 2.25 - and a whopping 3.10 to do the Carlisle game!
That sounds about right. I seem to remember Hull away was £3.40. Perhaps the costs were different from different locations? Our pick up was in Aberdare, so possibly more expensive?
Sorry, I was confusing Carlisle with Hull (both long trips, naturally).Quote:
Originally Posted by Penywaun gentrified
I didn't actually go to Hull, where I think we won. I was annoyed as they were the only away points I'd not witnessed that season. One of my fellow door knockers did the trip mind.
I'd love to see all the old FL club's back in the League; Workington being one of them. Call me nostalgic but it would be great to see the likes of Bradford PA, Darlington, Chester, Halifax, York, Southport, Aldershot et al get back to where they belong. At the last count I think there's 15 of them still adrift; some, like Bradford, way down in the depths.
This season could see another old face returning to the League: Barrow clear leaders of the National League at the moment. I'm rooting for them as well as the other Bluebirds!
I agree with you, I'd love to see Barrow back in the Football League, but, like Workington, it's a bit of an outpost, and i think they could well be back in the National League all too quickly. Barrow are one of two sides out of those you list that I've never seen play (seen Southport play County in the Conference a couple of times), Bradford Park Avenue being the other one and, as you say, they don't see set for a return to the top four divisions any time soon.