First Game/Best Memory

[1 F in Fleet]

Right - my turn ...

First game I can't remember , but it was the 75-76 season ... my Dad took me , in the league at that time were Darts , Maidstone and Wimbledon . Fond memories at the Fleet include ( but not limited to )...

-Dickie Guy , Wimbledon keeper , punching Colin Norman in the face when the ref/lino weren't watching ! (Colin was hassling in front of him)

-Winding up Tony Sitford , when you could stand behind certain dugouts on certain away games - I remember an FA Cup(?) tie at Walthamstow Avenue , when he and the opposite manager were so slagging each other off we thought he would hit him - and we were stoking it behind the dugout !

-Roger " Boycie " Easterby , our then chairman - his wife's hairdo then was a slight improvement on Myra Hindley's ! But we did hang on to his coat tails to follow him to Carshalton and Dulwich Hamlet when we got lost - his old Jag overtook us at great speed as always while we waited for him to appear in the mirror !

-Losing our seats in the stand to Ron Billings and his Corinthians boys every FAC 1st Round proper ...we sat there every week , come the big game we turn up and all these "reserved" tickets stapled to them - not for long !

-Ted Ditchburn ( my Dad's Uncle ) laying on the grass at the Swanscombe end scouting

-Clough senior and the full Forest first team and the European Cup at the Fleet when they bought Lee Smelt...and they let us score too!

Southern league cup final against Wahey-Muff , and the prat that carried out the little "Gravesend RIP" coffin to the half way line before we WON IT !!!

-The labrador dog that barked (or was told to ) whenever the Fleet scored

-The blonde girl that travelled to all the away games with her mum and dad THAT I NEVER EVER TALKED TO ((( PRATTTTT !!!! )))

-And the Villa , Orient , beating Colchester

-Chris Weller "The Reptileman" interview on Grandstand

-And of course , watching the Ledge Sir Steven Portway , Mickey Cotter , and Simon " What Did He Say?" Ullathorne - if only Steve Brown could have kept going for a few years on the right wing until Simon came along on the left ...

Worst memories - hmmm ...

-Losing 4-0 or 4-1 at Salisbury , and the hut ran out of hot dogs AND chips two people before me in the queue

-Frank Ovard conning refs into penalties whenever we played Maidstone

-My Dad sending me off to get two teas and mars bars just before half times - I always seemed to miss a goal when I was behind the main stand

-Worst of all was the time paying off the debts of our two years in the Alliance (Conference) first time around ... NEVER GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN ... this club now WORKS !!!

 

But this season ain't over yet ... there are more memories to come , probably good and bad if history is repeated .

COME ON YOOOOOO REEEEEDS !!!

[Graham S]

Also a Darts game. Boxing Day or New Year 1971-72 season, I think. We ended up getting promoted, but immediately relegated the next. I went because I was a van boy for Smiths the Bakers on Saturdays & 2 of my van drivers were Fleet fans & kept talking about the games. Went with my Dad & despite losing 0-1, we were hooked. My mum used to drop us off & we'd get the bus home. 3 years later I was off to University & I persuaded my mum to go, so my dad would keep it up & they could phone me reports. She went & is still hooked. My dad is probably looking on from another place & marvelling at how we have progressed.

 

Best moment. Every away win. You never forget them, though many home games fade away. Home win I'll always remember: the total annihilation of Colchester in the FA Cup on our way to Villa Park.

 

Graham S

[reevsie]

Quote:

1_F_in_Fleet said:
Reevsie - the FAC at S*ittingbourne was Sept '93 , with Portway and Cotter as scorers - the screamer you refer to was Cotter's goal .
Will post my own ramble when the b*ss has gone home !

You are right! it was ullathornes pin point cross that set the goal up <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

[reevsie]

Quote:

Alan ( GNFC ) said:
Greetings Stu M , Reevsie and chums. Reevsie, how is the decorating coming along.
See you all soon !

Good to hear from you Alan. you will be pleased to know that with the aid of therapy i am gradually weening myself off of the decorating. i havnt painted a room for 7 days now.

Anyway when i was last in the mecca (B&Q) i bumped into Stu M! it must be catching <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

[DA11]

Reading these stories is bringing back fantastic memories that I had forgot. Especially the coach stop for chips on the way back from away games. Also when you think of some of the great players that have graced our hallow turf. My old man used to get me in the away changing room each week (no comments please)to get autographs. Geoff Hurst(Telford), Jimmy Greaves(Barnet), Jeff Astle(Atherstone) to name but a few. Every home game standing in front of the main stand with a then young, black haired Rowly Edwards. 1F is right more memories to come. Lets start with 3 points tomorrow. Come on you Fleet!!!!!

[DA11]

Oh one other thing. Tommorrow sees the start of a new chapter of memories as I take my soon to be four year old daughter to her first game. No dressing room visits for her though.

[Maccormb]

First game: GNFC vs Dagenham, first game back in the Conference. Had seen a fair bit of Conference football with my dad (a Yeovil fan - wasn't too happy with the first game of that season...) and went along with a mate who'd been to Stonebridge Road a few times in previous seasons. I was immediately hooked - my mate still comes occasionally but I've missed only three first team home games since and recently realised I'd passed the 100 game mark.

 

Best memories: both against Exeter City 03/04. FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round Replay; my first ever live penalty shoot out after an excellent game and same season 1-0 win away (superb Essandoah goal) laughing at Eamonn Dolan jumping up and down in a tantrum as the last few minutes ebbed away! Soon followed by a walk back to my car with hundreds of Exeter fans moaning that if they wanted to get back in the league they "had to beat sh!t like that" - nothing much has changed there then!

[Harry J Allstars]

Is there anyone that reads this forum that wasn't on that coach?

[Riverview Supporter]

First Game was Forest , I was about 7. That was followed by 9 years of trips to Higbury where I was gradually being brainwashed.

 

I saw the light and didnt turn to the darkside of top flight footie.

 

Went to a few fleet games for 4 or 5 years then not missed one since the Canvey at home.

 

Best Memory.

 

Theres been a few. I always liked the welcome Jeff "Burger" King received (home and away). A late goal away form home to clicnh three points (charlie at Canvey last year after a mulling by Grays 4 days before).

 

But the top one is the Exeter Penalty Shootout.

[EUFC superb]

My first game was Eastbourne Borough in the FAC4Q about 5 years back. I think I've only missed about 1 Saturday game since.

Best memory would have to be 1 of 3 from the following:

Bedford away.

Scarborough at home when we beat them 5-2 (our first real big win in the Conference.)

Morcombe home when we beat the 6-0. (Fleet's highest scoring match since I've been).

[Gordon T]

first game was around 1999 for me, we beat dulwich and hamlet 4-1 i think.

Way too many great memorys. Morecambe when tastao scored in the last minute, exeter fa cup....

[Slartibartfast]

Quote:

gnfc superb said:
Scarborough at home when we beat them 5-2 (our first real big win in the Conference.)

If you ignore the 3:0 spanking of Hereford and the 4:1 humilation of Nuneaton (which included THAT goal from Sodge).

[EUFC superb]

Quote:

Slartibartfast said:

Quote:

gnfc superb said:
Scarborough at home when we beat them 5-2 (our first real big win in the Conference.)

If you ignore the 3:0 spanking of Hereford and the 4:1 humilation of Nuneaton (which included THAT goal from Sodge).

Well ok the first real big win in the conference that I can remember.
I think I can remember those games actually, thanks for jogging my memory, i retract the statement <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

[Slartibartfast]

<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Sodge's goal was bloody good though wasn't it?

[EUFC superb]

I think so. I'm probably thinking of the right one but I may not be.

[Slartibartfast]

He hit it from the right hand side at the Swanscombe end, if the net hadn't gotten in the way the ball would have made it all the way up the hill to Swanscombe.

[EUFC superb]

Ah, yes it was the one I was thinking of, brilliant goal!

[kieronoliver]

first game i saw was against Fareham Town 1983 we won with our prolific striker Steve Hermitage scoring

[Hirsty]

Steve Hermitage ?

 

AndrewC - didn't he turn out for us ( Springfleet ) a couple of times ?

 

Cheers,

[Rainham Bob]

First game, Nottingham Forest, 1980. Being 1-0 up against the European Champions to allow them to come from one down to shade it 6-1. Good old Cloughie substituting 6 internationals at half time and bringing on 6 more internationals!!!!!!!

Now that's what you call strength in depth!

Most memorable since;

Game that always sticks is the trophy run of 1989. Drawn 1-1 home to Kettering and went up there for the replay. Came from behind to win it in the last minute with a Gary Julians diving header.

Losing 2-1 at half time to Bury Town then watching Portway score 6 times in the second half.

Canvey away when the floodlights went out etc etc,

Bedford obviously!!!!!

Enjoyed my visit to Ruislip. They couldn't change a twenty so I got in for nothing. (That was the day of either the Bradford fire or Hillsborough disaster, can't remember which).

Leyton Orient, Huddersfield, Colchester and Villa, of course, will always be special games.

Most nerve-wracking game, being top of the Ryman, away to bottom Croydon. 4-0 up at half time and Croydon scored their third with about 5 minutes left.

I'm sure there are many, many more that will come to me.