Talking Of Millwall And All That ....

[gnasher16 29,621]

35 minutes ago, Ken's Deputy said:

Christ, he must have been terrifying, in his prime!

What was that that so upset him, in the latter part there, Gnash? He was the last person out of the ground ....? My hearing, see? I bloody struggle at the best of times. Probably lucky to hear half of what I listen to. Pity I can't lip read, like him!

He had a big mop of curly blonde hair in his 20's ! ....Bill is exactly 10 years older than me so being bossed about by him as a 15 year old getting told things like " if you run you're in trouble " wasnt nice....but it was all stuff that formed your morals i like to think.....he got a bit emotional about leaving the old ground mate thats all....we moved to a f****n great big goldfish bowl about 5 years ago that upset many of us older generation of fans.....i wouldnt expect other folk to understand but for some of us it was a massive loss.

Edited December 11, 2020 by gnasher16

[WILF 44,196]

I felt a bit chastened when I saw the old boy get upset, it brings home that it was beyond football.

Lads like me who tend to see things from a pitch level or lads who wanted the “glamour” of a big stadium probably never fully appreciated it or gave it enough thought.

Fact is my lad probably understood it better than me and he is only a baby.

I found him describing his life very interesting, you wouldn’t wish that hardship in any kid.

As I said, good stuff 

[gnasher16 29,621]

33 minutes ago, WILF said:

Do you know what, I have never read any of his books or heard the bloke talk beyond the odd sound bite here and there.

I absolutely loved that, forget the football.

For me he hit the nail in the head when he said “it’s the people”, I can’t put my finger on it or express it but it was a feeling as much as football.

All the silly little rituals and those things.

Seems silly to repeat it now, but my boy said to me the other morning “I have never been to the new ground Dad and I’m not that bothered because it wouldn’t be the same”

6 years since that young boy was ever at the hammers so where did he pick that up from ?.......he can only have felt it himself when we was having a cup of tea in the cafe or walking round the queens market.

In fact it was funny that Bill mentions it stinking because my boy said exactly the same the first time he went !

Good video mate 

He is a genuine West Ham fan mate....ive seen him walking along in the pissing down rain on his own coming away from games and ive seen him walking away from games surrounded by 20 little lads wanting autographs !.....i cant say as ive seen his book but listened to a number of his interviews and he always speaks very honestly about his feelings for the club.

Hard as it is for me to say your lad is probably better off staying away from the new gaff.....it doesnt have any of the things that made me fall in love with the club,not the atmosphere,the togetherness,the intensity.....nothing....its just a boring modern football arena like the rest.

[Gypsydog94 4,326]

On 10/12/2020 at 16:32, gnasher16 said:

The football thing was just a culture that young lads got into back then,boys/men fight whether its school against school,boys club against boys club or estate against estate it was all about standing up for your friends and your area which in turn tended to also be your football club....obviously like most silly things you do when you're young its all very embarrassing now looking back but they were fun days where you learned a lot about yourself and those around you.....at the time i hated Millwall with a passion but looking back i can acknowledge that they had some exceptionally tough uncompromising lads who were not willing to let each other down....which was essentially what it was all about it wasnt  about winning or losing it was about standing your ground regardless of the scenario.....i can only speak for West Ham but we had several different factions to our mob,amongst others there was the old Mile End mob who just had a reputation for being out and out lunatics,then you had Bill Gardiners lot,Cass Pennants little mob,Swallows,Hoxton Tom,Binnsys little under 5's we were all out for a good time only some took it a little bit more serious than others and wanted things run like an army unit which was just going a bit silly.....it was just a laugh for many of us thats all......i still have the odd natter to old man Gardiner now his book/interviews are the only ones ive seen that i would say are honest although i probably have a soft spot for Bill as he was the only man in my life ive ever been afraid of he just had a presence and an aura about him that as a 15/16 year old kid bothered and impressed me in equal measures.....Millwall had the same types of characters and much as the rivalry is still as hot as ever for us older chaps its something we just look back on with fondness and a little twinkle of the eye now....again,different times.

So you telling me Pete hunnam firm on green street ain’t real? Childhood ruined 

[Blackmag 5,862]

2 hours ago, gnasher16 said:

things that made me fall in love with the club,not the atmosphere,the togetherness,the intensity.....nothing....its just a boring modern football arena like the rest.

I think a lot of older lads feel the same now even in the same ground I know it's all changed but I don't feel the same about it as I did but I could identify with some of the things bill gardener talked about being part of a group being  accepted within in that group and family problems at home ect football seemed to bring those type together on a side note I see Paul dodd from Carlisle passed away yesterday a lad that was in to his dogs but he wasn't my cup tea when I met him  but seemed to be a decent sort 

Edited December 11, 2020 by Blackmag

[dytkos 17,534]

4 hours ago, gnasher16 said:

He is a genuine West Ham fan mate....ive seen him walking along in the pissing down rain on his own coming away from games and ive seen him walking away from games surrounded by 20 little lads wanting autographs !.....i cant say as ive seen his book but listened to a number of his interviews and he always speaks very honestly about his feelings for the club.

Hard as it is for me to say your lad is probably better off staying away from the new gaff.....it doesnt have any of the things that made me fall in love with the club,not the atmosphere,the togetherness,the intensity.....nothing....its just a boring modern football arena like the rest.

But surely you've got to say f**k it and give a chance of gaining some atmosphere? The fans in the stadium are what it's all about.

Cheers, D.

[Blackmag 5,862]

Im sure you will agree dy the atmosphere at any ground isn't what it was and even more now all seating is in place 

Edited December 11, 2020 by Blackmag

[dytkos 17,534]

2 minutes ago, Blackmag said:

Im sure you will agree dy the atmosphere at any ground isn't what it was and even more now all seating is in place 

True mate but what can you do, go down, shout the lads on, if only I was closer

Cheers, D.

[gnasher16 29,621]

2 hours ago, dytkos said:

But surely you've got to say f**k it and give a chance of gaining some atmosphere? The fans in the stadium are what it's all about.

Cheers, D.

Its not a football ground though mate its an athletics stadium.....footie grounds are designed in such a way that sound/atmosphere stays within the ground this place just isnt designed like that its the total opposite of The Boleyn which was a tight little ground intense atmosphere and intimidating for visiting clubs.....it was a proper football ground, and this isnt,simple as that.

[Ken's Deputy 4,456]

10 minutes ago, gnasher16 said:

 The Boleyn which was a tight little ground intense atmosphere and intimidating for visiting clubs.....it was a proper football ground

 Ahh! I see now! I never knew " The Boleyn " was the name of the ground.

By the way; I've Also discovered, just thirty minutes ago, that my poxy fukking volume control had fukked up! I've been listening to shit on about 50% volume levels! No wonder I couldn't hear the man!!!

Must say, Gnash Meister; This whole concept of the 'Football Family' thing is completely new to me. (I've honestly only ever been interested in catching things. My entire life) But, yeah, I'm starting to get a glimpse now into what makes you guys tick, in respect to your teams, grounds and 'families' though. Cool.

Never too old to learn, eh?

[gnasher16 29,621]

8 hours ago, Ken's Deputy said:

 Ahh! I see now! I never knew " The Boleyn " was the name of the ground.

By the way; I've Also discovered, just thirty minutes ago, that my poxy fukking volume control had fukked up! I've been listening to shit on about 50% volume levels! No wonder I couldn't hear the man!!!

Must say, Gnash Meister; This whole concept of the 'Football Family' thing is completely new to me. (I've honestly only ever been interested in catching things. My entire life) But, yeah, I'm starting to get a glimpse now into what makes you guys tick, in respect to your teams, grounds and 'families' though. Cool.

Never too old to learn, eh?

Not sure id call it a " football family " thing anymore i think once you get into your late 20's and 30's that whole fighting at the footie thing gets a little bit embarrassing and you just become a regular fan..... theres nothing more cringeworthy than a bloke in his 30's or 40's jumping about like a teenager at the footie you get all that out your system as youngsters but yes the loyalty to your pals and the club is eternal.

[Greb147 6,808]

2 minutes ago, baker boy said:

Yeah its best to get the scrapping out of your system early on, I remember years ago after a big scuffle at a Stoke v Cardiff match coppers raided my place of work and carted off  about half a dozen blokes from the do, all fathers in their 30s, I remember thinking thank fck Im out of all that, it was quite embarrassing to be honest

Very embarrassing hiding in the toilets.

[gnasher16 29,621]

On 08/12/2020 at 21:23, Ken's Deputy said:

 

The living God Of War which is Roy Larner demonstrably shows us that these loons are no fukking faerie tale! They walk among us!

So, how do they do it? I'm pretty much guessing that " Millwall " represents some part of London? Like " Chelsea ". But, what happens?

 

I hadnt seen the start of this topic but just as a little afterthought as im not sure it was ever deemed worthy of making the news....but do you know this " hero " Roy Larner who possibly saved lives and risked his own on London Bridge that night never received one penny of compensation after the attack and was infact later forced to attend a " Counter Extremism " class. 

[WILF 44,196]

I can honestly say I have never been in a scrap going to watch football or even been in a situation where it may happen.

Maybe a couple of time after the match but that never had anything to do with football, that was more a case of a group of lad going into darkie wine bars looking for mischief after the game or getting into normal scrapes as lads do on a day out.

But actually at football (watching) never.

[gnasher16 29,621]

5 minutes ago, baker boy said:

Yeah its best to get the scrapping out of your system early on, I remember years ago after a big scuffle at a Stoke v Cardiff match coppers raided my place of work and carted off  about half a dozen blokes from the do, all fathers in their 30s, I remember thinking thank fck Im out of all that, it was quite embarrassing to be honest

I remember our last game against Millwall at Upton Park silly fuckers in their 40's parading around on the pitch with a big flabby darby hanging over their trousers covered in West Ham tattoos with their arms out giving it " well come on then " ....go and sit down you daft c**t you're embarrassing.