Whats the most

[ladysaint]

fans we have ever taken to an away league game, I am sure it wasnt Dellhurst as I can remember years ago may be in the late 60's or early 70s going I think it was to Tottenham and we took about 15000 with us. Hopefully FF will remember.

[View From The Top]

fans we have ever taken to an away league game, I am sure it wasnt Dellhurst as I can remember years ago may be in the late 60's or early 70s going I think it was to Tottenham and we took about 15000 with us. Hopefully FF will remember.

 

Sheff Wed away in the cup in the mid/late 80s?

[70's Mike]

Sheff Wed away in the cup in the mid/late 80s?

Question was league game?

[70's Mike]

fans we have ever taken to an away league game, I am sure it wasnt Dellhurst as I can remember years ago may be in the late 60's or early 70s going I think it was to Tottenham and we took about 15000 with us. Hopefully FF will remember.

 

cannot remember 15k at Tottenham, think it probably is Dellhurst, followed by Orient in 78 and maybe Luton that same season

[View From The Top]

Question was league game?

 

Oh yeah.

[stanthemanfairoak]

took 16000 to orient in may 1966 paine scored,that was the year we went up .

[Prince Jazzbo]

cannot remember 15k at Tottenham' date=' think it probably is Dellhurst, followed by Orient in 78 and maybe Luton that same season[/quote']

 

We had quite a few at Fulham on the Friday night before Orient in 78. We had the whole of that open end which was pretty big back then.

Edited 19 October, 2009 by Prince Jazzbo
Deleted bit about west brom in cup in 1976

[alehouseboys]

cannot remember 15k at Tottenham' date=' think it probably is Dellhurst, followed by Orient in 78 and maybe Luton that same season[/quote']

 

We had an estimated up to 15,000 at Orient for both Div 2 games in '66 and '78. Luton and Fulham away in '78 also saw massive followings.

 

We've taken some big crowds to Tottenham over the years but I wonder if 'Ladysaint' is thinking of 1963 when we played Nottm Forest at WHL in an FA Cup 2nd replay (neutral venue) when we took 25,000.

[70's Mike]

took 16000 to orient in may 1966 paine scored,that was the year we went up .

 

ITN says 12000 out of total of 19000k so could be most

[70's Mike]

We had an estimated up to 15,000 at Orient for both Div 2 games in '66 and '78. Luton and Fulham away in '78 also saw massive followings.

 

We've taken some big crowds to Tottenham over the years but I wonder if 'Ladysaint' is thinking of 1963 when we played Nottm Forest at WHL in an FA Cup 2nd replay (neutral venue) when we took 25,000.

 

forgot about Fulham that was a friday night, that game Luton and Orient were all very close to each other.

Good days out, little trouble because we just swamped the places

[ladysaint]

took 16000 to orient in may 1966 paine scored,that was the year we went up .

 

Maybe thats the game I am thinking of, all I can really remember was that it was in London

[alehouseboys]

ITN says 12000 out of total of 19000k so could be most

 

I believe we had more than that at Dellhurst. If I remember correctly we had an official allocation sold through the club, another 3000-or-so were sold to Saints fans through Ticketmaster and then others bought Wimbledon tickets.

[mcjwills]

Sheff Wed away in the cup in the mid/late 80s?

 

I know its not what was asked but, at that game We had a coach at the front of the queue and had to walk up the hill, we counted over 100 coaches that day. God that was a great day out, oh happy days.

 

Was there at Dellhurst Park, and Leyton Orient when promotion was achieved, best mid week away support I have EVER seen in my 44 years of going to saints matches.

[alehouseboys]

forgot about Fulham that was a friday night, that game Luton and Orient were all very close to each other.

Good days out, little trouble because we just swamped the places

 

'appy days.

 

Those games will live with those of us fortunate enough to be there for the rest of our days, you just get the feeling some more like that may not be too far away..........:partyman:

[70's Mike]

'appy days.

 

Those games will live with those of us fortunate enough to be there for the rest of our days, you just get the feeling some more like that may not be too far away..........:partyman:

 

I hope so i want my 2 sons (21 and 14) to experience that sort of atmosphere because as you say it stays with you for ever and helps sustain you when times have been bad over the last 5 years

[RonManager]

 

Dellhurst - came down from Glasgow for that one.

[Phil the Saint]

forgot about Fulham that was a friday night, that game Luton and Orient were all very close to each other.

Good days out, little trouble because we just swamped the places

 

I was at the Orient & Fulham games.......... special times!

[troutmask]

I was at the Fulham game, Saints everywhere and a great hight. got some vague memories of rumours that Chelsea where there as well

[spyinthesky]

We had an estimated up to 15,000 at Orient for both Div 2 games in '66 and '78. Luton and Fulham away in '78 also saw massive followings.

 

We've taken some big crowds to Tottenham over the years but I wonder if 'Ladysaint' is thinking of 1963 when we played Nottm Forest at WHL in an FA Cup 2nd replay (neutral venue) when we took 25,000.

 

As I recollect it, the crowd for the 1963 2nd replay at WH Lane was 42,000

 

I was there and don't remember more than a couple of thousand Forest fans in the ground.

 

In those days a few neutrals would turn up. But in my view at least 25,000 Saints fans were there that night, a fair proportion of whom didnt arrive until half time due to congestion on the roads

[david in sweden]

fans we have ever taken to an away league game, I am sure it wasnt Dellhurst as I can remember years ago may be in the late 60's or early 70s going I think it was to Tottenham and we took about 15000 with us. Hopefully FF will remember.

 

Not looking to spoil the fun, but do you mean EVER...or just in living memory?

My late father was a Saints fan (postWW2) and he told me about two notorious games v. Spurs at WHL.

He told me lots about these two games. 1948-49 was the " infamous season " when Saints went top of Div.2 (CCC.today)

at Christmas and were 8 points clear at Easter. The crowd was 69265. (Previous Spurs games got around 25,000 fans IN TOTAL.) I don't know if they counted heads but there were tens of thousands from So'ton there. Saints won 1-0 but Wayman got injured and Saints managed only 1 win afterwards and missed promotion by 2 points.

 

THE NEXT YEAR, with roughly the same squad, but without Ramsey who'd moved to Spurs (Jan.1949) and Rochford who was gravely ill, Saints weren't quite the same team. That fixture got 70302 through the gate. Which (apparantly) is and will likely to remain forever, a Div.2 (CCC) record gate. Saints lost 0-4 and Spurs won the title. Saints and the two Sheffield teams all finished on the same points (Wednesday got promoted).

 

Again there's no official record of Saints fans but recalling the 25000+ who went to the Cup replay at WHL in 1963, it sounds likley that there were just as many - maybe more.

Interestingly, a story in one publication stated Spurs hadn't expected so many to turn up for a "neutral game " and only had stewards for half the gates, while the others remained locked. There were (thousands ?)more fans locked out, because the the "open" enclosures were full up - and there was no-one to let the late arrivals enter the ground.

They stood outside and listened, and got goal info. from other fans who shouted over the walls !

[Pancake]

To be fair David, if someone asks ever then they usually mean ever.

[wightman35]

Not looking to spoil the fun, but do you mean EVER...or just in living memory?

My late father was a Saints fan (postWW2) and he told me about two notorious games v. Spurs at WHL.

He told me lots about these two games. 1948-49 was the " infamous season " when Saints went top of Div.2 (CCC.today)

at Christmas and were 8 points clear at Easter. The crowd was 69265. (Previous Spurs games got around 25,000 fans IN TOTAL.) I don't know if they counted heads but there were tens of thousands from So'ton there. Saints won 1-0 but Wayman got injured and Saints managed only 1 win afterwards and missed promotion by 2 points.

 

THE NEXT YEAR, with roughly the same squad, but without Ramsey who'd moved to Spurs (Jan.1949) and Rochford who was gravely ill, Saints weren't quite the same team. That fixture got 70302 through the gate. Which (apparantly) is and will likely to remain forever, a Div.2 (CCC) record gate. Saints lost 0-4 and Spurs won the title. Saints and the two Sheffield teams all finished on the same points (Wednesday got promoted).

 

Again there's no official record of Saints fans but recalling the 25000+ who went to the Cup replay at WHL in 1963, it sounds likley that there were just as many - maybe more.

Interestingly, a story in one publication stated Spurs hadn't expected so many to turn up for a "neutral game " and only had stewards for half the gates, while the others remained locked. There were (thousands ?)more fans locked out, because the the "open" enclosures were full up - and there was no-one to let the late arrivals enter the ground.

They stood outside and listened, and got goal info. from other fans who shouted over the walls !

 

I seem to remember that we were 8 points clear at the new year 1949. I may recollect wrongly, but I thought that by Easter the lead had been eroded. At the end of the Season I saw a couple of games which we should have won, but did'nt and our chance was blown. Sad journey back to the Island!

[krissyboy31]

We regularly took around 12,000 to Eastville in the late 70's and took loads to Fulham, Luton and Orient promotion season. Selhurst v Wimbledon I think was officially 11,000 but there were many more in the home sections of the ground. Highbury the season Keegan signed may have been the biggest of the lot but nobody knows how many Saints' fans (or Arsenal fans for that matter) were in the ground that night.

Edited 21 October, 2009 by krissyboy31

[Fuengirola Saint]

We regularly took around 12,000 to Eastville in the late 70's and took loads to Fulham, Luton and Orient promotion season. Selhurst v Wimbledon I think was officially 11,000 but there were many more in the home sections of the ground. Highbury the season Keegan signed may have been the biggest of the lot but nobody knows how many Saints' fans (or Arsenal fans for that matter) were in the ground that night.

 

Selhurst Park v Wimbledon,99, i reckon at least 15,000 because the gate was 24,085 or something very close to that, and nobody is going to convince me that Wimbledon had more than 9,000 there. I was thrown out of the home end for an over zealous 1st goal celebration but got back in the away end before the end. Well lashed up that night!:-)

[ericofarabia]

Well it certainly wasn't in mid week The League Cup match at Preston (79 ?) ... lucky if there were more than 150 of us to celebrate Bally scoring and getting revenge on the club that sacked is dad. Certainly a few more turned up at Wembley a bit later on in the season

 

Not quite up with The DellHurst crowds but have been a few good turnouts at Brighton in the late 70s early 80s and of course the massive followings at Luton and Orient for the promotion push in 78.

 

I know the question was league matches but a special mention to the Cup days at WBA and The famous Trent End takeover in the 70's.

 

Probably the biggest ever turn out of Saints fans would have to be Branfarts finest hour () at Wembley ... maybe we can out do that this season in teh Johnstones Cup

[ericofarabia]

Also the visit to Notarf Krap just after the 76 semi final win was huge. Both sides (not many in colours though ) as well as Milton road were packed with Saints. Quite a roar when Mickey scored in the last minute even though a lot of us were on the way back to the station for fear of missing the special back. Was the ko late or something as there was little time to get back in time and that to this date is the only Saints goal I've ever missed due to leaving early (only time I've ever left early )

[RonManager]

Also the visit to Notarf Krap just after the 76 semi final win was huge. Both sides (not many in colours though ) as well as Milton road were packed with Saints. Quite a roar when Mickey scored in the last minute even though a lot of us were on the way back to the station for fear of missing the special back. Was the ko late or something as there was little time to get back in time and that to this date is the only Saints goal I've ever missed due to leaving early (only time I've ever left early )

 

Blimey I'd forgotten about that. I was there.

 

Me and a mate stayed to the end and then tried to get home by train to Winchester. The train was stopped by the OB somewhere near Fareham because of trouble in one of the coaches, windows smashed etc. We couldn't see because it was one of those old non-corridor sets. Got as far as Eastleigh and prepared to kip on a bench when a kind-hearted guard got a parcels train to stop and pick us up and drop us off at Winchester.

[Lets B Avenue]

Well it certainly wasn't in mid week The League Cup match at Preston (79 ?) ... lucky if there were more than 150 of us to celebrate Bally scoring and getting revenge on the club that sacked is dad. Certainly a few more turned up at Wembley a bit later on in the season

 

Not quite up with The DellHurst crowds but have been a few good turnouts at Brighton in the late 70s early 80s and of course the massive followings at Luton and Orient for the promotion push in 78.

 

I know the question was league matches but a special mention to the Cup days at WBA and The famous Trent End takeover in the 70's.

 

Probably the biggest ever turn out of Saints fans would have to be Branfarts finest hour () at Wembley ... maybe we can out do that this season in teh Johnstones Cup

 

It was the FA Cup 4th rd and was played on a Monday night after 2 postponements. Sorry to say I didn't make it, as I hitch-hiked from London and got as far as Brum at 3pm in the snow. Rang home and my lying mother told me it was off again. Got home and found my Dad listening to it on the radio.

[ericofarabia]

It was the FA Cup 4th rd and was played on a Monday night after 2 postponements. Sorry to say I didn't make it, as I hitch-hiked from London and got as far as Brum at 3pm in the snow. Rang home and my lying mother told me it was off again. Got home and found my Dad listening to it on the radio.

 

You are indeed correct =D>

 

We had so many Cup Games that season ( 14 in all ) that I lost track . I always get the previous round at Wimbledon also mixed up with the LC run for some unknown, but probably alcohol related reason

[manji]

Nottingham Forest away FA Cup 3-3 draw (1979 ?) We took 13,000 and I remember Cloughie saying he wished he could play us every week as our fans made such a brilliant atmosphere.

[alehouseboys]

Nottingham Forest away FA Cup 3-3 draw (1979 ?) We took 13,000 and I remember Cloughie saying he wished he could play us every week as our fans made such a brilliant atmosphere.

 

...and I wouldn't think the away fans completely taking over the home-teams partisan 'kop' has happened too many times over the years!

[docker-p]

Also the visit to Notarf Krap just after the 76 semi final win was huge. Both sides (not many in colours though ) as well as Milton road were packed with Saints. Quite a roar when Mickey scored in the last minute even though a lot of us were on the way back to the station for fear of missing the special back. Was the ko late or something as there was little time to get back in time and that to this date is the only Saints goal I've ever missed due to leaving early (only time I've ever left early )

Not a league game, but Portsmyth in '84 (28th January) was a huge turn out. 10k on the open terrace and god knows how many in the Home end.

3 of my mates had tickets in the portsmyth north terrace and 2 watched the game there and one managed to convince the OB that he was a SAints fan and got escorted across.

[Under Weststand]

Great turn outs the last week or 2 of the promotion year 1978 Luton & Orient were special. Also as ericofarabia has jogged my memory my first away game was at Farton Carp 1976 just after the cup Semi final great moment when Channon scored in injury time. I was with my Dad in one of the side,s couldn't believe how many Saints were in there when we scored as most had no colours on.

[Jonnyboy]

So is it the stadiums becoming all-seater that has ruined all these fun sounding days out??

[red&white56]

Nottingham Forest away FA Cup 3-3 draw (1979 ?) We took 13,000 and I remember Cloughie saying he wished he could play us every week as our fans made such a brilliant atmosphere.

 

I'd forgotten this game - it was immense. I was totally surprised by the number of Saints fnas there. I was at Uni in Leeds, told my mates that I'd see them at the game - got there and couldn't find anyone in the huge mass of saints fans - and the game was a cracker !

[fareham saint phil]

As far as Dellhurst was concerned, whatever the official number was you could add a few thousand on to that, all i seem to remember was a group of "home" fans and that was it, everywhere you looked there was red and white, what a day!!!

[Sour Mash]

Not looking to spoil the fun, but do you mean EVER...or just in living memory?

My late father was a Saints fan (postWW2) and he told me about two notorious games v. Spurs at WHL.

He told me lots about these two games. 1948-49 was the " infamous season " when Saints went top of Div.2 (CCC.today)

at Christmas and were 8 points clear at Easter. The crowd was 69265. (Previous Spurs games got around 25,000 fans IN TOTAL.) I don't know if they counted heads but there were tens of thousands from So'ton there. Saints won 1-0 but Wayman got injured and Saints managed only 1 win afterwards and missed promotion by 2 points.

 

THE NEXT YEAR, with roughly the same squad, but without Ramsey who'd moved to Spurs (Jan.1949) and Rochford who was gravely ill, Saints weren't quite the same team. That fixture got 70302 through the gate. Which (apparantly) is and will likely to remain forever, a Div.2 (CCC) record gate. Saints lost 0-4 and Spurs won the title. Saints and the two Sheffield teams all finished on the same points (Wednesday got promoted).

 

Again there's no official record of Saints fans but recalling the 25000+ who went to the Cup replay at WHL in 1963, it sounds likley that there were just as many - maybe more.

Interestingly, a story in one publication stated Spurs hadn't expected so many to turn up for a "neutral game " and only had stewards for half the gates, while the others remained locked. There were (thousands ?)more fans locked out, because the the "open" enclosures were full up - and there was no-one to let the late arrivals enter the ground.

They stood outside and listened, and got goal info. from other fans who shouted over the walls !

 

Great post and great thread. One slight query though, would fans have really travelled in those sort of numbers back in the late 40s? Would that many have had the finances to do so and was there really the culture of travelling hours to follow ones team?

[beatlesaint]

I would think Dellhurst............we had fans everywhere that afternoon....I would think we had more there than the "official" figures

[Fan The Flames]

Great post and great thread. One slight query though, would fans have really travelled in those sort of numbers back in the late 40s? Would that many have had the finances to do so and was there really the culture of travelling hours to follow ones team?

 

Indeed it was a good post, I love this stuff. Train travel was quick and cheap and probably just as quick as today, so games in london could easily attract large numbers.

[ladysaint]

So to make this thread even more interesting whats the lowest amount of fans we have taken to an away league fixture.

[Brittanysaint]

Not a league game, but Portsmyth in '84 (28th January) was a huge turn out. 10k on the open terrace and god knows how many in the Home end.

3 of my mates had tickets in the portsmyth north terrace and 2 watched the game there and one managed to convince the OB that he was a SAints fan and got escorted across.

 

I along wit 20 others from Basingstoke were in their end at the 76 game, well, i say in their end...we actually got as far as the under terrace concours area ( tunnels) before all hell let lose.....and it wasn't done on purpose either, we were a bit late and just paid at the first turnstile we found, we were scattered all around the ground by half time, one was scattered off to hospital.

 

Luton seemed a huge crowd but we only had the one end and I think it wasn't that big an end.

Dellhurst was huge, I like many others bought a tickect for their end as it was all I could get, and got oiked out and put in our area.

Remember we had the whole end at Fulham but I seem to remember we wern't packed in there.

However, my memory says possibly Orient was the biggest crowd when the wall came down...we had the whole side terrace that day.....then again which has the biggest terrace..Dellhurst or Orient ?

[Iowsaintsfan]

So to make this thread even more interesting whats the lowest amount of fans we have taken to an away league fixture.

Sheff utd last season was quite poor

[Sour Mash]

So to make this thread even more interesting whats the lowest amount of fans we have taken to an away league fixture.

 

I reckon that's an easy one, Newcastle away, circa 93/94 I think, they were redeveloping St James' Park and I know of only maybe one or two Saints that managed to make it in. Luton when they banned away fans was similar, but wasn't too hard for a fair handful to get in, think Newcastle was a real struggle though.

[oldsarum]

I reckon that's an easy one, Newcastle away, circa 93/94 I think, they were redeveloping St James' Park and I know of only maybe one or two Saints that managed to make it in. Luton when they banned away fans was similar, but wasn't too hard for a fair handful to get in, think Newcastle was a real struggle though.

 

I was at Newcastle game along with 7 other London Saints, and was surprised how many other Saints fans I saw either on train up or in pub before the game, some blagged hospitality, others like us got relatives who lived locally to get tickets for them.

 

Must have been at least 30 up there.

 

For Luton had Newcastle mate who lived in Dunstable who lent me his membership each year, I even lent it to som ep*mpey fans one year so they could get in at Luton.

I would say we always had at least 50 probably more there, in our 4-3 win there you can clearly see the Saints fans dancing around at the current away end as the goals go in.

 

The worst support I have ever witnessed must have been away to Everton in 1992.

Which I think was the tuesday after the ZDS final. I would be surprised if we even had 50 there, days after we had 30,000 + at Wembley.

[krissyboy31]

I reckon that's an easy one, Newcastle away, circa 93/94 I think, they were redeveloping St James' Park and I know of only maybe one or two Saints that managed to make it in. Luton when they banned away fans was similar, but wasn't too hard for a fair handful to get in, think Newcastle was a real struggle though.

 

Watched the Newcastle (Bally's first) match on beam-back at Hulse Rd Social Club. Went to the Luton match, tried everything to get in but never managed it. Had to listen to the game on the radio, outside the ground.

[Sour Mash]

I was at Newcastle game along with 7 other London Saints, and was surprised how many other Saints fans I saw either on train up or in pub before the game, some blagged hospitality, others like us got relatives who lived locally to get tickets for them.

 

Must have been at least 30 up there.

 

For Luton had Newcastle mate who lived in Dunstable who lent me his membership each year, I even lent it to som ep*mpey fans one year so they could get in at Luton.

I would say we always had at least 50 probably more there, in our 4-3 win there you can clearly see the Saints fans dancing around at the current away end as the goals go in.

 

The worst support I have ever witnessed must have been away to Everton in 1992.

Which I think was the tuesday after the ZDS final. I would be surprised if we even had 50 there, days after we had 30,000 + at Wembley.

 

I've been told about the support at Everton before and the figure quoted of "50", so I guess that's the lowest in recent memory in terms of games where we've actually had an allocation. Never knew that many made it into that Newcastle game, fair play to all those that managed it, Luton was never too hard to sneak into though.

[yorkie]

I think that's easy the smallest crowd - there was about 90 of us at Sunderland one cold night at the Stadium of Light. It has to be a close second to a game at Hillsborough in the mid-1980's stood on the Leppings Lane End - it was cold there too. From memory we drew 1-1 against Wednesday.

 

Some of the biggest crowds at away games I can remember:

 

West Brom in 1976 Cup run

Forest in 1977 Cup run (already mentioned)

Orient the season we got promoted in 1978 (already mentioned)

 

In my experience it needed to be a big day out to attract hoardes of Saints fans...probaly why I can't remember all that many! However the reverse can be said for a normal Saturday when you can virtually count fellow Saints fans on one hand! Although I think our away following has got much bigger in the last 3/4 years, must be the quality of football we play away from home!

[MbaleSaint]

I was at Middlesbrough when we went top of the league for the first time (Keegan scored) in the early Eighties and there was only around 150 there - an exclusive crowd for a special occasion.

[Lets B Avenue]

I was at Middlesbrough when we went top of the league for the first time (Keegan scored) in the early Eighties and there was only around 150 there - an exclusive crowd for a special occasion.

 

Plus those of us who were in the bench seats alongside the dugouts. I include our enobled Woolston correspondant.

[MbaleSaint]

Plus those of us who were in the bench seats alongside the dugouts. I include our enobled Woolston correspondant.

 

It was probably warmer there because it was a typical freezing day in the north-east up on the terrrace in the corner. I'm only just warming up now twenty six years later. And the locals werre walking around in t-shirts asking us what the time was!