Duncan Adams
Age:
35
Nationality:
British
Team Supported:
Birmingham City
First League Ground Visited:
Do I have to admit this? who designed this
questionnaire? it was in actual fact Villa Park in 1970! I was taken by my dad at the age
of six and witnessed Aston Villa beating Manchester United in the semi final of the League
Cup, in front of a crowd of nearly 60,000. I first visited St Andrews in 1972 and have
(God Knows Why!) been visiting there ever since.
Last Ground Visited to complete the 92:
Withdean Stadium, Brighton
Date Completed:
16/10/99
Myself & Brighton Club Secretary, Derek Allen at my last ground, Withdean Stadium.
How long has it taken you to visit all 92
grounds?
Nine years.
Taking into account teams that have dropped
out of the league (such as Aldershot, Maidstone) and visits to grounds that have now been
replaced with new stadiums (such as the Den, Millwall, Fellows Park, Walsall) I have in
fact visited 106 league grounds.
Best Ground visited (& why).
I think in terms of design, then the Reebok
Stadium, Bolton, is in a class of its own. It is simply stunning. However for sheer size,
crowd and the pure theatre that football can be, then the Stadium Of Light in Sunderland
has to be my favourite. Of the older grounds, then Hillsborough Sheffield is still quite
majestic.
Poorest Ground Visited:
Apart from Villa Park :-) The old County Ground in Northampton used to be awful, but it still could produce a good atmosphere. Of the current 92, Cheltenham, Barnet & Macclesfield were poorest in terms of size and facilities, although I did have enjoyable days out at all of them.
Best experience on your travels:
There have been many great days out over the
years and far too many to go into great detail here. Last season a second visit to the
Stadium Of Light was again memorable. After the game I popped into a Sunderland pub, only
to emerge 4 and a half hours later, in a Sunderland shirt, given to me by one of a number
of very hospitable Sunderland supporters that I met in there!
Worst experience on your travels:
Unfortunately I was at Valley Parade,
Bradford, on the day of the fatal fire in 1985.
Funniest experience on your travels:
Swansea City v Birmingham City 1990.
A long trip to the Vetch Field saw Birmingham quickly going 2-0 down. The team never looking like they were never going to get back into the game and with the baiting by the Swansea fans, it seemed like the match would last an eternity. For some unknown reason a kind of carnival atmosphere, spread throughout the Blues supporters. A large Conger started going up and down the terracing much to the disgust of the Swansea lads, who thought that we really ought to be mourning our teams demise. Then from nowhere some Blues fans started singing 'Summer Loving' from Grease! Before you knew it most of the Blues fans had joined in and it became hysterical as half the Blues fans tried to sing in a high pitched voice to imitate the Olivia Newton John verses! When it came to the chorus, a number of Blues fans did their best John Travolta impressions by jumping down the terracing one step at a time, with hands stretched out in front them, going 'Hoo-Ha-Ha, Hoo-Ha-Ha, Hoo-Ha-Ha.....' The Swansea fans just looked on in utter disbelief!
Most Goals Seen In One Match:
Nine. Birmingham City 4 Swindon Town 6. Now before you think, thick so and so, that adds up to ten, not nine. Well Birmingham City were leading 4-1 and coasting the game. Being pegged back to 4-4 was unbelievable, when Swindon went 5-4 up, I walked out! I never saw their sixth.
Best Match Witnessed:
Birmingham City 3 Aston
Villa 0 27/12/82
The traditional Boxing Day fixture had
wetted the appetite, ever since the fixtures had been announced. Villa at home, this was
either going to be the best Christmas ever or one to totally forget. Ron Saunders had
earlier moved from Villa Park to Blues and this was his first game against his old club,
who under Tony Barton had lifted the European Cup. (As Ron later said Mickey Mouse could
have managed that team for 18 months, he had it running so well). However as with most
local derbies, the odds were not in Blues favour, we were firmly rooted to the bottom of
the league, whilst Villa were in fifth spot. Recent history was also not in our favour,
with Blues not having beaten Villa for nearly four years. Nevertheless, you could not get
a ticket for this game, it had been sold out for weeks. Nearly 44,000 supporters were
crammed into St Andrews that day and it was an impressive site, one I have never
forgotten. The noise was unbelievable, I was at the back of the Spion Kop and you could
not hear the Villa fans singing. You could see their arms move and point towards the Blues
fans so they were singing, but the noise in the Spion just drowned it out.
The game did not start too brightly for Blues, Gary Shaw (whom to the Blues fans were chanting 'Who the Shaw is Garry F**k?') had a shot cleared off the line in the opening minutes, here we go again, I thought to myself. I shouldn't have worried, Blues started playing like a team possessed it was all one way traffic towards, the Villa goal. When a knock down in the Villa penalty area was smashed into the net by defender Noel Blake (who often smashed the ball into his own net), I just knew this was going to be our day. The second half saw a wonderful pass by Alan Curbishley, send Ian Handysides away, to face a one on one situation with the Villa keeper Rimmer. Ian nicely slotted the ball under Rimmer and the Blues fans went absolutely wild, I have never heard so much noise in all my life at St Andrews. Villa managed to hit the bar, but they were never going to get back into the game and a few minutes later Mick Ferguson tapped in the third for Blues. The Villa fans were in the state of shock, but to be truthful so was I. 3-0 against the European Champions! What a day! What a Christmas present! I'll never forget it.
Best Goal Seen:
John Gayle, Birmingham City
v Tranmere Rovers, Leyland Daf Final at Wembley Stadium 1991
Blues were 2-0 up at half time, but Tranmere in the second half levelled the score at 2-2. Some of the heads of the Blues team began to drop and things didn't look too good. Six minutes from time Blues were awarded a free kick about 25 yards out towards the corner of the penalty area. The Blues fans sensing that this was probably our last and only chance, got behind the team. come on you blues, Come On You Blues!, COME ON YOU BLUES! echoed around the stadium as the free kick was whipped in to the penalty box. It was met by John Gayle, falling backwards and meeting the ball with a perfect overhead kick, that flew into Nixon's top left hand corner. Pele would have been proud of this goal, it was to me one of the finest I have ever seen a Blues player strike. The roar from the crowd was deafening, John Gayle ran towards the Blues supporters, hurdling some advertising hoardings along the way, unbelievable! 3-2! You could not have wrote a better script, even if you had dreamt it up.
Best Player Watched:
Frank Worthington
This charismatic player had it all. He scored many wonderful goals for a number of league clubs during the 1970's and early 80's. What particularly impressed me about him was the wonderful skill he displayed. His first touch on the ball was second to none and he always had a great eye for goal.
Stupidest Chant Heard:
'You dirty Yorkshire Bas***ds!' Sung by Oxford
United fans against Oldham Athletic. Oldham is in Lancashire!
Any tips for those intending to visit the
92?
Don't do all the best grounds first, leave
some for the end of your travels. Parking tip: If for example you are coming off the
motorway towards a ground, drive as close to the ground as you possibly can, turn round
and start going back towards the motorway. Look out for a side street on your left where
you can park and park up. This way when you come out of the ground after the game, you
will normally get away quickly as you are already pointing in the right direction for the
motorway and don't have to drive across any lines of traffic.
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