SHA Small Heath Alliance

Blues vs WBA - 28th Dec 93

Trialist 13:43, Mon 1 Jun

Overhit corner   0
Replying to Trialist   22:52, Mon 1 Jun
I remember that game so well.

My miserable get boss let me knock off at 2.30 instead of 3 so I could get there. Even so I was still 5 or 10 minutes late getting in the ground.

I dunno if it was that, or the snow, or the excitement of seeing Fry's signings in a well attended derby but for some reason that game has stuck in my mind all these years when hundreds of others have disappeared.

Thanks for posting.
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thethinblueline   0
Replying to Overhit corner   13:38, Tue 2 Jun
If Benno had been a few inches taller he could have had a top, top career.

I seem to recall Liverpool were interested in him at one point but then signed David James. Might have been paper talk though
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Squatnose   0
Replying to JohnP   15:12, Tue 2 Jun
JohnP
I loved Benno, I think I saw his only ever howler, away at Bristol Rovers but played at Bath.

I always thought it was harsh to blame him for that goal at Bristol Rovers as the ball took a terrible bobble.

The one big mistake I recall him making was a 1-1 draw at home to Bolton. He completely misjudged the bounce of the ball and allowed it to go over his head for Michael Ricketts to tap into an open goal at the Tilton End.
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Squatnose   0
Replying to johnthefence   15:17, Tue 2 Jun
Two things struck me as odd that day. The first was the attendance being announced as over 28,000. I remember well that the official capacity of the ground at that time was only 27,500 so they'd actually exceeded what was permitted.

The other odd detail was for that one game only, the groundsmen had got rid of the regular blue & white striped goal-nets we used that season and replaced them with the less fancy ones we saw in this video. I assumed it was something to do with having less space because of the piles of snow behind each goal. Funny how such little details stick in the mind!
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sheffield blue   1
Replying to Trialist   16:59, Tue 2 Jun
This game stands out to me because I am certain that the design of the new Tilton/Kop was featured in the centre pages of the programme.
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Overhit corner   0
Replying to Sheep2   17:48, Tue 2 Jun
Sheep2
From the early 90s until the Kop and Tilton were rebuilt the away fans had either one or two blocks (about 1/3 of the stand each) in the Tilton.

I think it came in after we were promoted in 1980. That's when the fences were built.

The Tilton / main stand corner was the away end from the late 70s onwards. Mostly just the 1st section of terrace but occasionally 2 or all 3 went to the away side (e.g. Villa in 87ish)

There was also a section of away seats in what is now the upper bit of Arthur's Area and very very occasionally away teams were given the lower tier of seats as well / instead - IIRC a cup game v Scunthorpe springs to mind. Maybe the Leyland DAF game (QF?) v Hereford too.
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Sheep2   0
Replying to Overhit corner   23:56, Tue 2 Jun
The 89 game? Not many Hereford fans there and it was a bit foggy to see them.

I don't remember the layout in the 70s.
I thought we had the entire Tilton v Notts County in 1980. Maybe I misremember
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Lansonblue   0
Replying to Sheep2   11:00, Wed 3 Jun
Sheep2
The 89 game? Not many Hereford fans there and it was a bit foggy to see them.

I don't remember the layout in the 70s.
I thought we had the entire Tilton v Notts County in 1980. Maybe I misremember

Before proper segregation you could walk from the clock to the far end of the Tilton.

Often away fans would position themselves near the clock or even at the front of the kop.
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Lansonblue   0
Replying to Sheep2   14:09, Wed 3 Jun
Sheep2
The 89 game? Not many Hereford fans there and it was a bit foggy to see them.

I don't remember the layout in the 70s.
I thought we had the entire Tilton v Notts County in 1980. Maybe I misremember

Before proper segregation you could walk from the clock to the far end of the Tilton.

Often away fans would position themselves near the clock or even at the front of the kop.
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TheHeath   0
Replying to Overhit corner   22:47, Wed 3 Jun
Overhit corner
Sheep2
From the early 90s until the Kop and Tilton were rebuilt the away fans had either one or two blocks (about 1/3 of the stand each) in the Tilton.

I think it came in after we were promoted in 1980. That's when the fences were built.

The Tilton / main stand corner was the away end from the late 70s onwards. Mostly just the 1st section of terrace but occasionally 2 or all 3 went to the away side (e.g. Villa in 87ish)

There was also a section of away seats in what is now the upper bit of Arthur's Area and very very occasionally away teams were given the lower tier of seats as well / instead - IIRC a cup game v Scunthorpe springs to mind. Maybe the Leyland DAF game (QF?) v Hereford too.

Question because the sands of time have had me misremembering things. I remember that baggies game and having to walk into Northfield from Frankley because f problems on the buses die to the snow and the baggies having 2 thirds of the tilton as was customary that season. The following season the tilton was all blues and I was tray inv to figure out where the away fans were even though I got a half season ticket in block 9 for my Christmas present.

I thought the old railway end but can specifically remember sitting in there when we beat Wrexham 5-2 with my girlfriend at the time and giving my season ticket seat to a mate. Did we put away fans in the paddocks that season or did it vary by game?
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Mutley   0
Replying to TheHeath   23:26, Wed 3 Jun
Small Heath, Washford Heath, kings Heath. West Heath I’ve probably missed a couple. Which one?

My memory of that game was Danny Wallace looked a player, it wasn’t to be.

Good times for the club though Fry was a character.
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Squatnose   0
Replying to TheHeath   23:47, Wed 3 Jun
TheHeath
Overhit corner
Sheep2
From the early 90s until the Kop and Tilton were rebuilt the away fans had either one or two blocks (about 1/3 of the stand each) in the Tilton.

I think it came in after we were promoted in 1980. That's when the fences were built.

The Tilton / main stand corner was the away end from the late 70s onwards. Mostly just the 1st section of terrace but occasionally 2 or all 3 went to the away side (e.g. Villa in 87ish)

There was also a section of away seats in what is now the upper bit of Arthur's Area and very very occasionally away teams were given the lower tier of seats as well / instead - IIRC a cup game v Scunthorpe springs to mind. Maybe the Leyland DAF game (QF?) v Hereford too.

Question because the sands of time have had me misremembering things. I remember that baggies game and having to walk into Northfield from Frankley because f problems on the buses die to the snow and the baggies having 2 thirds of the tilton as was customary that season. The following season the tilton was all blues and I was tray inv to figure out where the away fans were even though I got a half season ticket in block 9 for my Christmas present.

I thought the old railway end but can specifically remember sitting in there when we beat Wrexham 5-2 with my girlfriend at the time and giving my season ticket seat to a mate. Did we put away fans in the paddocks that season or did it vary by game?

We used both the lower Railway End and the paddock nearest the Tilton for away fans that season, but would only provide what they needed. So often away fans would only get the paddock like Wrexham did for the 5-2 and Blackpool did for the 7-1. I remember the 3-0 win against Oxford they brought a big following and had both the Railway End and the paddock.

For the Bradford 0-0 draw when we could have sealed promotion, they had so few fans they were only in the paddock close to the dugout and actually shared the rest of that section with home fans.
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Shaun of Brum   0
Replying to Overhit corner   09:08, Thu 4 Jun
Overhit corner
I remember that game so well.

My miserable get boss let me knock off at 2.30 instead of 3 so I could get there. Even so I was still 5 or 10 minutes late getting in the ground.

I dunno if it was that, or the snow, or the excitement of seeing Fry's signings in a well attended derby but for some reason that game has stuck in my mind all these years when hundreds of others have disappeared.

Thanks for posting.

I remember it very well too though seeing the highlights again after so many years was really great.

I remember a headline of an article in the mail in during the following week "28,000 reasons why I signed" Benno speaking after making his debut in the game.

Also Tom Ross I am sure announced during the game to ask the fans in the corner to stop bouncing? I am sure he did. Then after doing so the numbers bouncing went from 50 to 5000
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