Old Grounds

[Deleted User 728]

I've been to loads of grounds as a neutral, but strictly for Leeds away games I'd say not that many :

The Dell
The New Den
Highbury
Goodison Park
Fratton Park
The Vitality Stadium
Ashton Gate

... off the top of my head.

[Selby White]

I visited Highbury a few times its between that and Loftus Road for my most among London Club grounds. I say London Club Grounds because one we've all failed to mention is the Old Wembley. Saw Leeds there in 72 lifting the cup but visited it so many times as a went to many England matches back in the day. Was one of not too many wearing England colours the day the Scottish tore down the goal posts (loved the home internationals).

Anyway back to Highbury my first visit was December 1975 when two goals from Duncan McKenzie gave us a 2-1 victory. British Rail where running a shoppers special from York which stopped at Selby leaving early morning and returning from London at 6pm.
Plenty of Leeds fans took advantage of the reduced fares

Worst experience and one of the few times I've walked out of a Leeds match was again in the 70's but a League cup match when they drubbed us 7-0, worst Leeds performance to this day.
Left the ground at 5-0 to go drown my sorrows. Was a little wrecked by the late train (the mail train stopped at Selby) and have been unable to drink Pernod ever since.

[Selby White]

Upton park was always a place that was a bit dodgy and you had to keep your wits about you at all times.

Think it was sometime around 1980 me and my mate went down on the train. If anyone remembers the promotion it was the period that with 4 Persil packet tops you could get 2 for one train tickets, had half the street collecting so could use for Leeds away games.

Anyway once reaching the ground we decided to go in the West Ham section and bite our tongues rather than the Leeds section. The theory been that after the game coming out the Leeds section we would have been picked off when the Police escort turned towards the coaches and we went to the Underground. Far better mingling with the locals as always found the West Ham fans very good at Hide & Seek in those days.

Was going great managing to keep quiet despite surrounded by hyperactive Hammers. That was until one of their players chopped down Trevor Cherry who needed treatment. Bloke stood at side of us screamed in a cockney accent "C'mon get up footballs a f------ mans game" to which my mate in a Yorkshire accent replied immediately "That's why Cockneys are no good at it".

Fortunately we were near the front as had to leave very quickly over the wall, the stewards took us to the Leeds section. Fortunately we were not the only ones on the train and were kept in afterwards, the streets cleared before escorted back to the tube.

[Selby White]

Ayresome Park is another place I went numerous times but one I could say never really enjoyed.

Always remember been housed in the early days in that silly open corner and you could guarantee it would rain and we got a real soaking, seemed to happen every year.
Convinced to this day they saved a years worth of rain just for our visit.

[Deleted User 728]

Upton Park !
Forgot about that one.
Vile atmosphere there, right up there with Millwall where I've been as a neutral.
We were in the bloody family centre too

It was the night of the infamous near plane crash when Dolly saved the day.
We got Julianed 3-0 and went to the pub outside the ground with our jackets zipped up to hide the colours and a couple of Hammers fans came over, shook our hands and told us to relax and actually they were really sound and we had a bit of a laugh despite the result.

[Leicester White]

Thanks for bringing back some great memories. Only one to add to the list above... Plough Lane - big adventure going up to London with my best mate when we were about 13. Mervyn Day in goal and I think Tommy Wright up front who ran his socks off. Day managed to put their striker off in a 1 on 1 with some crazy arm and leg movements. 2-2 I think and we had needed a win to keep our chance of promotion going.

[Deleted User 728]

Thought of another one : Histon.

Proper non-league ground with a pitch more suitable for a WWI re-enactment.

[Selby White]

On grounds where it was always a bit nasty was Manchester City at Maine Road. The ground was in Moss Side a proper inner city area that was really rough. The ground had loads of alley ways & narrow streets ( think Coronation Street ) probably the worst away you could get in terms of trouble.

Agree Maine Road was always a interesting trip and you could guarantee a very warm reception

Remember once about 2,000 Leeds fans being escorted back to the buses and all starting to whistle the tune "Johnny comes marching home again" as they were paraded past the City Mob.

Was at the Wolves Semi in 73 which was my first visit there.

Another time we used it for a neutral ground was when we beat West Brom in a FA Cup 2nd replay 1-0. I believe that was Jock Steins last match as our manager, if not it was very soon after. Leeds fans liked Jock but the rumours were rife he was resigning so his name was sang for most of the match.
I did say it was a neutral ground but I can't recall seeing any West Brom fans that night.

[BrighouseWhite]

Ground I've visited to watch Leeds
Leeds Rd
Filbert St
Loftus Rd
Highbury
White Hart Lane
Selhurst Park (Palace & Wimbledon)
Stamford Bridge

Most of them are in London because I lived there 1990 to 2005 and it was easy back then just to go to the ground a few days before the match and get a ticket, even if I did end up in one of the main stands among the home fans. The only time I've felt threatened was at Stamford Bridge when I went with a few lads from work and ended up behind the goal. Leeds won 3-0 and I spent the whole game with my mouth shut and sat on my hands. From the start they were baying for blood and it got worse every time we scored and to say I was bricking it is an understatement.

[NottinghamWhite]

We were invited into the directors box at Forest for our midweek game there, the game after Gary Speeds death. When we arrived at The City Ground we were told that unfortunately we couldn’t get in the box as the directors room & box were full. We were put in the corporate room & given seats literary outside the directors box. Harvey & Pete Lorimer were sat right next to us, Lash winked at me as he knew I was Leeds from having met him several times. When the first goal went in I gave a muted yell & two guys in front of me turned round & glared at me. In went the second & the same happened, when the third went in the whole area where we were sat went up as one. The guy who had glared at me gave me a massive hug. As the fourth hit the back of the net we really celebrated it didn’t matter as all the Forest fans had gone by then. Great night