Neil Hallsworth - Hinckley
fanatstic collection of Derby Photos - click here
Well when you are an old fart like me, your memory starts to go, but here's what i can remember......
My interest in the Super Rams started in the '60's, when me and a group of mates from the Parks Estate in Belper used to be regulars watching Belper Town in the old Midlands League. One of the older members of the group (Kevin Parker if anyone knows him) thought it was , well , a bit tame. He used to tell us wonderful stories about the few occasions he had visited the BBG. We decided it was about time we all graduated to the 'real stuff' and before long we were thumbing lifts down the A6 to get to the BBG.
The first game i remember was in 64 or 65 when we all crammed in to the kids corner (1/6d each) to watch dcfc demolish Portsmouth 4 or 5-0. After that we were hooked and attended as many games as our meagre pocket money would allow. Soon after this i got a part-time job at Fine -Fare supermarket in Belper and was able to afford the luxury of travelling by steam train rather than thumbing lifts, i could also afford the entry fee (4/6d) to the Popside rather than the kids corner, couldn't see a bloody thing ! but the atmosphere was unbelievable! It's funny how little things stick in your mind for years afterwards, one of the things i will never forget for some reason is the vending machine selling half pint cartons of milk at Derby Train Station (i remember those too Neil! - blue with red buttons they were !- Steve)
I was there through the glory years of promotion from the 2nd Division, winning the league twice and the most unforgettable European Nights. The memories are too numerous to recount, but the highlights would have to be the night in '72 when i heard on the Radio at the Regal in Ripley that we had won the league for the first time. European games against Benfica, and Juventus and standing in a queue outside Baileys to get in to the DCFC night in 1975 and hearing we had won the Championship for the second time .
I was a Popside regular for about 15 years, but then things like getting married, buying a house and having kids meant that i wasn't able to go as often as i used to and then moving out of the area in '85 to a new job in Coventry really put the kibosh on things. As the lads grew up though they started to get interested in footie and around '93 , Russ told me that he wanted to go with some mates from school to see L*******r C**y play! No bloody way i told him , if you want to see some real footie you can come with me to the glorious BBG! Our first game with me as a Dad with two youngsters in tow was against Oldham, in what i still remember as the Ley Stand (then Toyota). Not sure about the score (2-1?) but the kids were both hooked and thoughts of watching L*******R c**Y with their mates went out of the window ! After that it is just a samall matter of persuading the missus that we ought to get season tickets for the 3 of us and we've been regulars ever since.
One of the weird things about being a Dad is seeing your kids experience the same things that you can remember from being their age. Russ has turned out to be an absolute fanatic about DCFC, he was the one who insisted hat we moved from teh relatively quiet North Stand to what he calls the 'nutters corner' of the SE section of PPS. It may not be exactly like the Popside , but on some days the atmosphere gets close. He also finally got to the chance to see L*******r c**y with his mates, but wearing his Derby shirt with pride as he sat in the middle of the home supporters (bloody idiot !)- we lost that game 4-2 , god knows what would have happened if we had won !
c2002 Neil Hallsworth - don't forget the photo link at the top of the page as the DET says 'A Fantastic collection'