Promotion near misses - '57. '67, '68

Whilst Palace Away is not even a memory for me (I was not even five years old then) I was at Ayresome, and at one time still had a picture that was featured in the local evening paper up there of myself and Mervo fast asleep on the pavement outside the turnstiles in the morning sunshine.

You see, for the second successive year we had embarked on a twelve hour journey to the North East for a promotion decider (the earlier one being successful at neighbouring Darlington in 66) it took FOUR hours merely to get past Bristol in those days and the nearest bit of the motorway system to South Devon began at Tewksbury with the M5 which only ran as far as Strensham and then one had to negotiate Kidderminster and Wolverhampton (and a sighting of the famous Molyneux)Grounds) town centres before picking up the M6 in Staffordshire.

We rumbled through Manchester, Oldham, Huddersfield and Leeds (breakfast!) en route to the Great North Road (A1) what an adventure commencing at 8.30pm on a Friday night in NA and not getting back until 8am Sunday morning......................all for 12/6. About sixty two and a half pence!

Crowd segregation was unknown in those days, and we stood on the Holgate Kop surrounded by guys in red pitmen's helmets and British Steel hard hats................"why do you wear such headgear?" we asked 'you'll find out if you score' came the reply.

We didn't, and so the ones who swung like apes in the rafters above us never did "drop in", in fact the game was over before it had begun - I seem to recall they scored twice in the first ten minutes and I had never heard such a roar from a football crowd in my life.

An abiding memory is of Merv and I getting a conducted tour of the dressing rooms and the gymnasium in the roof void of the grandstand of this World Cup venue from Harold Shepherdson- the England physio and assistant manager of 'Boro.

Oh, and that game at Reading? Merv and I used to"collect"corner flags if we could get on the pitch and nick'em.................and a pair from Elm Park were in the collection................in fact I remember being chased down the street by an irate steward and getting in a tug of war over the pole. Merely the pennant was the rule after that!

Thats Ok Pete, thanks for your great match report, but can I please ask just one thing on forums it is better to break the post up with spaces IE paragraphs, just makes it easier to read.

Many thanks Dave