Record Attendance

Jerry St Clair
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by Jerry St Clair » 11 Aug 2006 18:04

Chaney Reading v Wolves when our winning record came to an end, dont think I ever saw a bigger crowd at elm park, the police had a restriction of 13,000.
and thats what the announcer gave at the time, but its my guess it was at least double that.


Mike Lewis is on record as saying it was indeed much higher than 13. More like 19k iirc.

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1927 crowd

by torbayroyal » 11 Aug 2006 18:40

In 1927 men were much thinner, and have got thicker every day.
It is a well known fact.
If we don't increase the capacity of the mad stad scientists have predicted by2015 the capacity will be nearer 15,000.

Abe Simpson.

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by readingbedding » 11 Aug 2006 18:40

21 years ago.

Long time.

Where has it gone?

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by Bucks Dave » 11 Aug 2006 19:02

I'm ancient enough to remember crowds before safety was much considered. I well remember being lifted off my feet by a crush at Chelsea when Stanley Matthews played for Stoke there and being pinned against a metal terracing arm rest at Birmingham and not being able to breathe for several seconds, feeling myself blacking out.

33,000 could have fitted into Elm Park if noone gave a toss about safety and every available inch was covered. I think that that is exactly what happened.

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by exile » 11 Aug 2006 19:14

The gate for the Southampton cup game was around 27000 i think.I remember watching the game from the base of the floodlights in the Tilehurst end.Hard to believe the gate at Elm park that evening around 27 years or so ago was bigger than the capacity at the Madstad.


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by Tony Le Mesmer » 11 Aug 2006 19:29

Jerry St Clair
Chaney Reading v Wolves when our winning record came to an end, dont think I ever saw a bigger crowd at elm park, the police had a restriction of 13,000.
and thats what the announcer gave at the time, but its my guess it was at least double that.


Mike Lewis is on record as saying it was indeed much higher than 13. More like 19k iirc.


The Simod Cup semi against Coventry was also a simular situation. I reckon there must have been 20k in for that.

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The 17 Bus
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by The 17 Bus » 11 Aug 2006 20:09

Just against Southampton for me, got there a couple of mins pre kick off and it was not till half time that i managed to get to my dad about half way down.
The aisles were all solid no gaps. I seem to recall that at some games there were always folk that could see sod all of the pitch.

After that more barriers were installed and also the southbank divider, the yellow lines came after as well.

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From Despair To Where?
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by From Despair To Where? » 11 Aug 2006 20:51

The highest official attendance I experienced at Elm Park was against Arsenal in 87. About 17,000 IIRC. I remember a few that seemed just as packed but the Simod Cup game against Coventry doesn't stand out as being one of them.

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frimleygreen_shotspur
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by frimleygreen_shotspur » 11 Aug 2006 20:55

i thought your best to date at your "new" ground" was a freindly...or was:)


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by Jerry St Clair » 11 Aug 2006 21:11

frimleygreen_shotspur i thought your best to date at your "new" ground" was a freindly...or was:)


It is. 1900 were in attendance when Aldershot visited Waterside Park to open Thatcham's new ground in 1992.

It remains a club record to this day.

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Re: Record Attendance

by N.BristolRoyal » 11 Aug 2006 22:00

strap
Jerry St Clair
SpaceCruiser Anyway, I note that our record attendance is the 33,042 we had against Brentford


I cannot believe that many people got into Elm Park. I've been in a 16k and that seemed packed solid.

Anyone been in a 20k+ EP crowd?


Several. Arsenal FAC4 in 71-2, Southampton LC4 78-9 I think, Sunderland FAC4 72-3 (just below 20k), Manure WC 70-71, (only 18.5k).

Could hardly see a thing, and best memory was shifting down about 10 rows ofSB terraces after Barrie Wagstaff equalised v the Arse. Feet were nowhere near the ground! Just wedged between bodies!

For what it's worth, I think the best crowd atmosphere I've expereinced was the Wigan play-off sf a few years ago at the Mad Stad.[/quote


Was at Arse game aswell.
Fooking amazing atmosphere. Iwas scared shitless, I started right behind the goal Arsenal end had to move round to the side. Arsenal fans ripped out standing barriers, Can't remember much about the game, but can remember Morgans own goal.

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Re: Record Attendance

by Dirk Gently » 11 Aug 2006 22:13

Jerry St Clair
SpaceCruiser Anyway, I note that our record attendance is the 33,042 we had against Brentford


I cannot believe that many people got into Elm Park. I've been in a 16k and that seemed packed solid.

Anyone been in a 20k+ EP crowd?


When we played Southampton in th e78/79 League Cup I was in the middle of teh South bank in a crowd of 24046, which is as packed as I can ever remember it.

If you needed to go for a slash forget it, - no way to move anywhere or even lift your arms from by your sides, and if the crowd started to move so did you!

Looking back, it's amazing there weren't more Hillsborough/Ibrox-esque disasters.

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by royalsteve » 11 Aug 2006 22:39

SpaceCruiser I'm wondering how big the crowd was for the Simod Cup semi-final against Coventry as that was the most packed I remember Elm Park being. I couldn't bloody move and that was in the Tilehurst End! :shock: It was a bit tricky to stay on my feet when there was bit of angry shoving over to my left (I couldn't see it).


approx 15500 i think.....Arsenal was higher at just under 17000


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by strap » 11 Aug 2006 23:03

You just knew I couldn't resist ... didn't you!?!

46 games attracted 20k+ at EP, from 1920 to 1997. The Mad Stad has already had 35 20k+ games fro 1998 to 2006, and just for RFC games.


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by Tony Le Mesmer » 11 Aug 2006 23:43

royalsteve
SpaceCruiser I'm wondering how big the crowd was for the Simod Cup semi-final against Coventry as that was the most packed I remember Elm Park being. I couldn't bloody move and that was in the Tilehurst End! :shock: It was a bit tricky to stay on my feet when there was bit of angry shoving over to my left (I couldn't see it).


approx 15500 i think.....Arsenal was higher at just under 17000


anyone at the Coventry game will tell you there was a lot more than 15000 in the ground. we had some gates close to 15000 at the end of our stay at EP, & that was spacious in comparison.

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