Long suffering Imp
Vital Squad Member
That was mostly that season we had the compulsory identity card membership scheme, total disaster inflicted upon us by a clueless government who didn't have a scooby doo how to stop hooliganism.
1980s ID cards
- Thread starter Long suffering Imp
- Start date
That was mostly that season we had the compulsory identity card membership scheme, total disaster inflicted upon us by a clueless government who didn't have a scooby doo how to stop hooliganism.
Merthyr Imp
Vital Football Hero
Those very low gates were spread over four seasons - 83/84, 84/85, 85/86 and - mostly - 86/87 when we went out of the league.
Although the government had plans for compulsory identity cards for football supporters it never actually happened. With City, if I remember right, they introduced a scheme where you had to have a card for admittance to certain parts of the ground. I know I had to have one to get in the Railway End for the privilege of peering at the game through the metal bars.
It was 85-86 we had this scheme in and it only lasted part of the season.From memory it disappeared around November 85.
Long suffering Imp
Vital Squad Member
I must have remembered it wrongly then, I didn't realise it was a LCFC thing, my memory of it was that other clubs also had a scheme. Im pretty sure it was for all parts of the ground as we viewed from the St Andrews stand back then and if it was needed for there it would have been needed for all stands. Still got my card somewhere. Some shocking attendances that season.
Merthyr Imp
Vital Football Hero
Oh, I'm fairly sure lots of other clubs introduced a similar scheme.
This was in the programme for the first home game of the 1985/86 season. I got a card so I could continue to stand in my then usual spot to the right of the Railway End goal. I'm sure I've still got mine somewhere too, but no idea where.
Long suffering Imp
Vital Squad Member
Brilliant attention to detail again Merthyr, I had no idea there were non member areas, I'm guessing most of Lincoln didn't either hence gates might have been higher. A bit self defeating really, I can't imagine many of the LTE were keen to purchase cards and give the club their details when they could turn up without anyway.
1985/86 was a post war low point in attendances across British football, so I 'm not sure gates would have been any higher (and we got relegated that season too).
Recession, hooliganism and the terrible state of most grounds were key reasons. A slight bounce back began in the late 80s with implementation of the play offs, then Italia 90, post Hillsborough facility improvement and the start of the commercialisation of football with the formation of the EPL in 92 cemented the upward trend, which has by and large continued to this day.
imp73
Vital Squad Member
I remember as a 13 year old going with my mates to get an ID card on the morning of the match. It was quite a performance and we were definitely under the impression it was mandatory. I was was slightly annoyed the turnstile operator wasn't remotely interested in checking it.
Merthyr Imp
Vital Football Hero
Re the ID card scheme in 1985, at the risk of continuing off topic.
it did receive quite a bit of publicity at the time. I'm far too lazy to dig out any more of the programmes for that season, but I imagine details continued to be published there. I don't remember, but I would think Radio Lincolnshire reported on it.
As for the Echo, the following appeared in the pre-season period under the headline 'City Launch Card Scheme'. It received plenty of coverage in the Echo, especially when it came into force in early September, particularly when there began to be complaints about long queues to get into the ground in the non-member areas.
Long suffering Imp was right to say there was some resistance to the scheme and it began to be one of the reasons cited for poor attendances. John Reames, however, said the club were going to stick with it out of fairness to the 2,000 people who had obtained the cards.
But then, as 57harry says, it came to an end in late October, the reason being that due to safety concerns over the structures at Sincil Bank the South Park stand had to be taken out of use. With cuts to the capacity of the Railway End also necessary these changes therefore messed up the allocation of non-members areas and the scheme was 'suspended'.
it did receive quite a bit of publicity at the time. I'm far too lazy to dig out any more of the programmes for that season, but I imagine details continued to be published there. I don't remember, but I would think Radio Lincolnshire reported on it.
As for the Echo, the following appeared in the pre-season period under the headline 'City Launch Card Scheme'. It received plenty of coverage in the Echo, especially when it came into force in early September, particularly when there began to be complaints about long queues to get into the ground in the non-member areas.
Long suffering Imp was right to say there was some resistance to the scheme and it began to be one of the reasons cited for poor attendances. John Reames, however, said the club were going to stick with it out of fairness to the 2,000 people who had obtained the cards.
But then, as 57harry says, it came to an end in late October, the reason being that due to safety concerns over the structures at Sincil Bank the South Park stand had to be taken out of use. With cuts to the capacity of the Railway End also necessary these changes therefore messed up the allocation of non-members areas and the scheme was 'suspended'.
Imphistorian
Vital Reserves Team
Perhaps some of the comments could be transferred to a separate thread.
I have two different membership cards. One is laminated, on red card, with the heading 1985-86. It has my name and address, a passport style photo and is number 1799. This appears to be the card referenced in Merthyr Imp's newspaper cuttings.
I have a second card, undated and unlaminated. It just has my name and a number (2523). This was a different membership scheme. The rules on the back say that only "members and their bona fide guests" will be admitted to the South Park and St Andrew's stands and also the south-east corner terrace between the two. "Other areas of the ground are non-membership areas." This appears to have been an earlier version of the 1985-86 scheme, but based on the club logo still from the early 1980s.
I have two different membership cards. One is laminated, on red card, with the heading 1985-86. It has my name and address, a passport style photo and is number 1799. This appears to be the card referenced in Merthyr Imp's newspaper cuttings.
I have a second card, undated and unlaminated. It just has my name and a number (2523). This was a different membership scheme. The rules on the back say that only "members and their bona fide guests" will be admitted to the South Park and St Andrew's stands and also the south-east corner terrace between the two. "Other areas of the ground are non-membership areas." This appears to have been an earlier version of the 1985-86 scheme, but based on the club logo still from the early 1980s.
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Merthyr Imp
Vital Football Hero
That's the kind I've got (or had).
Rottweiler
Vital Reserves Team
That was my mother, always said she was City’s number one fan.
Merthyr Imp
Vital Football Hero
The days before colour photography!
(But I wish I could find mine)
(But I wish I could find mine)
Red Wimp
Vital Football Legend
Is this the definition of a plastic fan?
I remember writing to Chris Rodman (CEO) about how daft I thought this idea was,and the adverse effect on attendancies as a consequence. He wrote back saying my points were valid and would be discussed at the next board meeting.
Who knows if my letter had made any difference to this ?
I still have my red membership card btw.
Who knows if my letter had made any difference to this ?
I still have my red membership card btw.
