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Who here...

H

HarrowGill

Vital Youth Team
... was at the 1987 play-off semi-final at Sunderland?

And roughly how many 'Geordie Gills' were there that day?
 
HarrowGill said:
... was at the 1987 play-off semi-final at Sunderland?

And roughly how many 'Geordie Gills' were there that day?
Click to expand...

I was, Harrow. There were a lot of Newcastle fans in the other corner of the end of the ground that we were placed. May well have been around five hundred to a thousand. IIRC we were all standing so not so easy to quantify.
 
Yep, best game ever for me - it had everything. I can still remember the "Geordie Gills" chants...
 
I was there. I remember being literally spitting distance from segregated Sunderland fans to our left, Eric Gates being about half a mile offside when receiving a pass for their first goal, and the site of 50 blokes taking a piss on the side of the A1 after we got the coach driver to make a refreshment stop on the way up! I would say about 300-400 Geordies there, in fact I met a couple who had been there a few years later at a Darlington away game as Newcastle didn't have a game that day.
 
I went up there with WGUFC in his car, along with a couple of other lads (one since dead). Cannot remember much about the number of Newcastle supporters other than there seemed to be a lot. Best memory was of going back to the car via the sea front shitting ourselves.
 
I was there. The NUFC fans had a separate pen on the side. Hard to remember numbers but few hundred sounds right.

My memory was coming back in a bit convoy of coaches and people standing by the road clapping. NUFC suburbs at a guess.

Crazy game.
 
I was there, reported as about 300 at the time. They were loud, which may have made them seem more. In fact Roker Park was altogether loud, very loud. Full credit to ours for not buckling under the Roker Roar.
 
I missed the first goal because Kent Police in their infinite wisdom decided that no coach could leave Gillingham until they could all be escorted out of the Medway Towns in convoy. As one empty coach broke down on its way to the ground, none were allowed to leave until a replacement turned up. As a consequence the majority of coaches, including mine, arrived late. I’ve never fully forgiven them for such an obvious bit of ‘jobsworth’.
 
Mixed in with us behind the goal were a good 200 or so. To the left of us they had an entire segment about 500 or so of terrace surrounded either side by unhappy Mackems. I would say about 750 of them on the day. Remember them going apeshit each time Cas scored. Never been held in a ground by the plod for so long after the final whistle. An amazing day.
 
Ta everyone! I remember reading the BMH reports and recollections about 20 years ago or so; was barely five years old in 1987 so didn't go.

Don't have the fanzines to hand to reminisce though, but here's hoping we can pull off the difficult and make the 4 hour journey worth it! :party:
 
I remember being escorted to the ground
And a big roar went up. Thinking we were already losing one nil. But when we got into the ground we were winning 1-0. There were a lot of Newcastle fans supporting us that day.
It was the most nerve wracking game I have
Ever been to.
When they scored to make it 3-2 in injury
Time I feared the worst.
But Cascarino scored to make it 3-3
Meaning they had to score twice to go through.
They scored again to make it 4-3 in extra time. But we managed to hold on with my finger nails down to the bone.
 
markinkent said:
My memory was coming back in a bit convoy of coaches and people standing by the road clapping. NUFC suburbs at a guess.
Click to expand...

I remember that too Mark, it was like being on a carnival float ! Don`t remember our coaches being held up or late though, as per Waldo`s coaches..
 
I was too young to travel there on my own and despite much pleading I couldn't persuade my Dad to take me.

I've never let him forget it either!

Remember seeing a Newcastle fanzine some time after that had an A-Z of football. The entry for 'G' read: "'G' is for Gillingham who deserve a Magpie Merit Award for finally condemning Sunderland to their rightful place in the Third Division!"

After reading that and hearing about the Geordie Gills I've always had a soft spot for Newcastle and I hope they win the Cup this year, doubly so cos of Steve Bruce!
 
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