Golden Memories - The Football Hooligan Phase

Any old timers remember a period when New Order started attracting football hooligans and casuals? Every other gig used to end in a scrap, often between the locals and the Manchester crowd. "Manchester, lah lah lah" was par for the course at many gigs.

My first New Order gig (to which I was denied entry at the last minute) at Blackburn King George's Hall in 85 had a big off during the gig between Mancs and Blackburn Youth, right on the dancefloor. Outside later loads of car windscreens were smashed and police hovered.

I also remember Manchester City's Young Guvnors turning up at GMEX in 1988 and taking on allcomers outside in the car park.

Anyone from Lancashire will remember a huge graffiti in Burnley saying "Suicide Squad - New Order". In fact Burnley's young hooligan crew were named "Suicide Section Five" which was directly lifted from Section 25. Their leader was a massive Factory fan.

The mid to late eighties, when the casual era was at its height, was the time when these incidents seemed to happen loads at New Order gigs.

Can anyone remember this era? Was anyone at any of the gigs mentioned?

Golden Memories- Everyone getting the shit kicked out of each other.

Blunderer wrote: My first New Order gig (to which I was denied entry at the last minute) at Blackburn King George's Hall in 85 had a big off during the gig between Mancs and Blackburn Youth,

yeh was at that one too.

da Yoof showed up in Warrington too. Good job they werent at Macc, the Aytoun St boys were ready for them that time.

All very fascinating for a little kid wearing a thin leather tie

Fac That wrote:

Blunderer wrote: My first New Order gig (to which I was denied entry at the last minute) at Blackburn King George's Hall in 85 had a big off during the gig between Mancs and Blackburn Youth,

yeh was at that one too.

da Yoof showed up in Warrington too. Good job they werent at Macc, the Aytoun St boys were ready for them that time.

All very fascinating for a little kid wearing a thin leather tie

I was at Warrington Spectrum Arena in 86,is that what you refer to, Fac? Lots of lads singing about City and United but I never saw any trouble. Thin Leather Tie? What was that about? I seem to remember them having a quick fashion rennaisance around 83 but definitely not for New Order fans?!?!?

I always remember seeing Alex in his lumberjack outfit at Old Trafford in the '80's, was he a naughty lad then

Blunderer wrote: I was at Warrington Spectrum Arena in 86,is that what you refer to, Fac? Lots of lads singing about City and United but I never saw any trouble. Thin Leather Tie? What was that about? I seem to remember them having a quick fashion rennaisance around 83 but definitely not for New Order fans?!?!?

It was during the support slot, Andy Robinsons band.

leather tie...errr yeh, oops. Bit of a Joy Division look, not worn outside NO gigs. I was only a nipper, thats my excuse.

Fac That wrote:

Blunderer wrote: I was at Warrington Spectrum Arena in 86,is that what you refer to, Fac? Lots of lads singing about City and United but I never saw any trouble. Thin Leather Tie? What was that about? I seem to remember them having a quick fashion rennaisance around 83 but definitely not for New Order fans?!?!?

It was during the support slot, Andy Robinsons band.

leather tie...errr yeh, oops. Bit of a Joy Division look, not worn outside NO gigs. I was only a nipper, thats my excuse.

Who were the support band at that gig?

I remember an older mate saying it was two roadies and a drum machine.

We were quaffing lager in the bar at the time so didn't see any bother.

Blunderer wrote:

My first New Order gig (to which I was denied entry at the last minute) at Blackburn King George's Hall in 85

so you didn't actually go to your first gig?

Blunderer wrote:

Who were the support band at that gig?

I remember an older mate saying it was two roadies and a drum machine.

We were quaffing lager in the bar at the time so didn't see any bother.

Life? I think. Andy R was a roadie/technician then. To be honest the story is second hand to me, I was so smashed on Vodka I thought the support band were new order, dont remember a thing.

hibster wrote:

Blunderer wrote:

My first New Order gig (to which I was denied entry at the last minute) at Blackburn King George's Hall in 85

so you didn't actually go to your first gig?

A tragic, tragic story, one from from which I have never fully recovered. January 85, I had a ticket to see New Order with all my mates. On the night of the gig I had a shower and decided to have a quick fag in the bathroom because I thought the smell of the shampoo etc would drown out the fag smell. My mum went in, hit the roof and I was grounded for the night, ticket in pocket.

Rock and fuckin roll

I was at the Blackburn St Georges hall gig, and yep, my girlfriends car side-window got smashed as 2 hooligans fell onto it fighting each other.

Also at Preston Guildhall later that same year there was a massive scrap during the actual gig.

Andy was Life's singer, wasn't he?

Other swedges mid 80s - Portsmouth was a massive one, Chippenham a bit smaller, Margate the same, Tower Ballroom 85 fairly inconsequential, Oxford had its moments, Wolverhampton 86, even sleepy little backwaters like Malvern.

If he's counting that as a first gig, I can count Werchter, as at least I heard them and got to see them play LWTUA and BM from 300 yards away!

No, it was not my first gig but it should have been. My Mum denied me entry, that's for sure, in fact she denied me exit from the house in actual fact.

El Jarvo wrote:

ally wrote: Doesn't "denied entry" usually mean being turned away from the venue?

You should at least get one almighty shoeing off the bouncers being being allowed to use such an excuse.

The shoeing came from my Dad

Obviously the gig swedge had its own Factory catalogue number in those days and it should have been included in my "Great Lost Factory Products" thread.

FAC 180 - The Gig Swedge.

El Jarvo wrote:

hibster wrote:

Blunderer wrote:

My first New Order gig (to which I was denied entry at the last minute) at Blackburn King George's Hall in 85

so you didn't actually go to your first gig?

Does that still count as a 'first gig' then?

And does 'denied entry' actually equate to 'being grounded'. Surely not?

i think you should at the very least get to the venue before you start saying you've been denied entry

There is no end to this. I was denied entry to every gig I would have liked to have seen before 1966, as I wasn't born and therefore couldn't go. And quite a few after that until about 1980, when I was born but lived too far away or was doing something else, couldn't afford it etc etc.

By the same token, can I just add that I've attended every New Order gig since 1989, but been barred from entry to all but two of them?

His Holiness, The Pope wrote: By the same token, can I just add that I've attended every New Order gig since 1989, but been barred from entry to all but two of them?

Absolutely! Who knows what breakthrough our blundering amigo has just made!

El Jarvo wrote:

Tim wrote: If he's counting that as a first gig, I can count Werchter, as at least I heard them and got to see them play LWTUA and BM from 300 yards away!

I'm counting Bedford Boys Club. I was in the county at the same time.

Er, I think?

I was at that gig (Bedford).To be honest the guy who promoted them that night did a much better job a few years later when he secured New Order for what i believe was a secret gig in Leicester.I think the venue was a nightclub,any way it was full of Bedfordians. Highlight was IALP.Lowlight was no BM.And yes there were plenty of football types.

The Palais in June 84? Some secret! Great set, great recording!