1980/81 - Coventry v West Ham (League Cup Semi 1st Leg - 27.1.81 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter robofcov
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lord_garrincha
Well-Known Member
Sadly though...
Tile Hill Phil
Well-Known Member
One of the most exciting games i ever attended. Incredible atmosphere in the West End that night. We all went ballistic when that 3rd goal went in hoping that would take us to Wembley. 10,000 of us at Upton Park for the 2nd leg. Never felt so pissed off after a match as that night
fernandopartridge
Well-Known Member
That winning goal from Thompson would be in all time folklore had we won over two legs, it's a wonderful goal starting with top class ball playing from Gary Gillespie
Calista
Well-Known Member
Yeah the home game was incredible, and I was in the West End too, immediately behind the goal. Losing the 2nd leg at the death was the worst I've ever felt at a game. Had to travel across London with loads of Hammers fans on the tube afterwards, with my City scarf well buried under my coat
Otis
Well-Known Member
I too was in the West End. Just to the left of the goal. Why didn't you wave to me?Yeah the home game was incredible, and I was in the West End too, immediately behind the goal. Losing the 2nd leg at the death was the worst I've ever felt at a game. Had to travel across London with loads of Hammers fans on the tube afterwards, with my City scarf well buried under my coat
Covcraig@bury
Well-Known Member
I couldn’t get in the west end so had to make do on the side . All I can recall at Upton Park was going over a foot bridge near the ground and it kicking off . Good old days
Theonlywayisskyblue
Well-Known Member
West end for first game then a day off school for the return. My form teacher was a Baggies season ticket holder and very unimpressed. In the second game you knew what was coming when Hateley missed the early chance. The foul given for their second goal was never ever a foul. Even in those days the refs were against us 
Calista
Well-Known Member
I would have done, but we were all a bit jammed in! One of the nostalgic things about that TV footage is how much more fun it was on a crowded terrace, at least if you were young and it wasn't overcrowded to dangerous levels like it was at Hillsborough.
Otis
Well-Known Member
Speaking of a day off, did anyone skip school that time we had an afternoon, midweek game against Man City? I think we won 2-1 and it was down to power cuts, so would have been mid 70's.West end for first game then a day off school for the return. My form teacher was a Baggies season ticket holder and very unimpressed. In the second game you knew what was coming when Hateley missed the early chance. The foul given for their second goal was never ever a foul. Even in those days the refs were against us
joemercersaces
Well-Known Member
That away game was well moody! God knows what it would have been like if we’d won.
NortonSkyBlue
Well-Known Member
December 1973 2-2 league cup tie. Yes I was sick in the afternoon, a 24 hour bug if I remember. Brian Anderson with both goals.
the rumpo kid
Well-Known Member
I could tell you a good story about that second leg
Calista
Well-Known Member
You caught one of the bricks that went through the City coach windows, and returned it with interest?I could tell you a good story about that second leg
Samo
Well-Known Member
Please do!I could tell you a good story about that second leg
Robinshio
Well-Known Member
was he any relation to Brian Alderson
NortonSkyBlue
Well-Known Member
None whatsoever, no where near as good as Alderson
blunted
Well-Known Member
I was in the West End that night. Forgot how many chances we had in the first leg and some in the second too. From the video, Hateley was really disappointing. West Ham fans were animals especially in the second leg (can't understand how I married one, although she is still gorgeous). How many of that team did we sell or lose for a song? Many of them went to clubs higher in the top league or Hateley to Italy after a short stay at Portsmouth. How tight were some of those shorts and how far could some players throw the ball without a run up?
the rumpo kid
Well-Known Member
After the defeat at Upton park we went back to our mini bus parked in a side street , the bus having G.Y. mini buses Coventry on the side had about 20 local lads waiting around it, so after walking past it and regrouping we decided to fuck em and just get in the bus and go home. The lad who was driving (self drive hire) put his hand on the driver's door handle and this huge twat put his hand over the cov lads and said something like where do you think your going. So one of our lads kicked him straight in the bollox, and the fucker never moved , then another one of our boys head butter the c**t with what can only be described as exerset procession , There was a massive street brawl followed resulting in them running off and us getting in the van and fucking off before they came back with reinforcements.
Anyway about have way up the north circular the lad who head butted the big c**t was moaning his head was hurting and bleeding a bit, so we turned the light on to check on it only to find the big cunts front teeth stuck in his head.
Anyway about have way up the north circular the lad who head butted the big c**t was moaning his head was hurting and bleeding a bit, so we turned the light on to check on it only to find the big cunts front teeth stuck in his head.
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Was in the Kop in the first leg standing on a wooden stool and as the teams appeared I fall off the stool arse over tit. So embarrassing with half the Kop end laughing.
Second leg we were entertained with snooker balls and coins flying into the away end from the ‘chicken run’ bless them.
Supporters getting off the coach chasing West Ham back down the road after the game and my window almost going through from a brick.
‘Fond’ memories….
Second leg we were entertained with snooker balls and coins flying into the away end from the ‘chicken run’ bless them.
Supporters getting off the coach chasing West Ham back down the road after the game and my window almost going through from a brick.
‘Fond’ memories….
NortonSkyBlue
Well-Known Member
The way were spread around the ground was as though the West Ham fans had arranged it. It was very tense from the time we arrived in London. You were on your guard all the time, Was gutted we lost but quietly relieved that we could escape the worst case scenario.
Otis
Well-Known Member
I only ever went to West Ham once. Some of their fans just spent the entire game side on, so they were facing us and not the pitch, and just stared at us the whole time and never watched a single second of the game. It was very off-putting and rather weird.
Gleneagles65
Well-Known Member
Absolutely gutted back than we never made the final, on par with Sheffield Utd away in the FA cup 20 + years later.
Chat GPT, write an anecdote about Coventry and West Ham fans in the style of the film The Football Factory:
tisza
Well-Known Member
Away leg was pure mayhem. I was 12 and went down with granddad and a load of his mates from work. Travelled down in a beat up old minibus.
It never stopped throughout the game, before and after the game it was kicking off in pockets everywhere. Had a friend ( much later on) who said that night was written about in some detail in one of those ICF books.
Few things matched the atmosphere for an Upton Park night game.
It never stopped throughout the game, before and after the game it was kicking off in pockets everywhere. Had a friend ( much later on) who said that night was written about in some detail in one of those ICF books.
Few things matched the atmosphere for an Upton Park night game.
SBchimp
Well-Known Member
great night first leg. That second at Upton Park was the lowest point for me, gutted to be so close to Wembley and miss out. Horrible looking around the ground seeing them celebrating. I seem to remember losing away at Spurs in the Fa Cup the following week but that may not be true.
final memory from that night was someone playing the last post on a bugle as we were all leaving and the carnage outside
final memory from that night was someone playing the last post on a bugle as we were all leaving and the carnage outside
Theonlywayisskyblue
Well-Known Member
I think it was the Saturday immediately after the cup game. Absolutely gutted again
It was the Saturday after. We were terrible in that match I remember. Paul Dyson gave away at least one poor goal. I think the team looked deflated after the semi final defeat.
Theonlywayisskyblue
Well-Known Member
Agreed - we never looked in the game
wantageskyblue
Well-Known Member
Agreed. We had c10,000 @ West Ham but less than a fifth of that at Spurs, where we were awful. Heard so many stories about that night at West Ham - I was there - it was probably the most scared I gave ever been at a match but I was only 16. Have hated the media ‘love in’ for them ever since. Went again for the only other time 1st game of the season in 86/7 when Houchen made his debut - another unpleasant experience.
I’m an old man now but I do smile when I see today’s wannabe ‘lads’ - they have no idea what it was like back in the 70s/80s - there is no way they would have got away behaving the way do now back then.
It was mentioned earlier about Hately’s miss early on, that was a game changer but in many ways I was glad he did because I hate to think what would have happened if we had won. It was a horrible night never to be forgotten by those of us who were there. The coach I was on was bricked on the way out as were so many more - thankfully the windows held unlike so many that I saw on the way home.
Williescar
Active Member
It was 2-2 we lost the replay 4-2.There was another midweek afternoon game at HR that season fa cup replay against Sheffield Wednesday.Which we won 3-1.
oscillatewildly
Well-Known Member
I have a confession to make - Allied to what I believe are a unique set of events.
I was at the first leg game and as others have said, the atmosphere that night at HR was unbelievable and to this day I think remains the best for a home fixture I have ever experienced.
I didn't think the Qtr Final replay against Watford ( the same day John Lennon was murdered?) would be surpassed, that was pretty special too.
I wasn't at the second leg at Upton Park - That night I was stood on the Kop at Anfield for the other semi final's 2nd leg.
I also went to the final and the replay at VP.
Split loyalties you see. Long since shaken off.
I was at the first leg game and as others have said, the atmosphere that night at HR was unbelievable and to this day I think remains the best for a home fixture I have ever experienced.
I didn't think the Qtr Final replay against Watford ( the same day John Lennon was murdered?) would be surpassed, that was pretty special too.
I wasn't at the second leg at Upton Park - That night I was stood on the Kop at Anfield for the other semi final's 2nd leg.
I also went to the final and the replay at VP.
Split loyalties you see. Long since shaken off.
