Nothing once said “special occasion” like pre-match entertainment. A big crowd meant that everyone arrived early to secure their place, so fans – lacking mobile phones or similar devices – would happily watch any old rubbish while idling away the hour before kick-off. Jimmy Hill started it all with his 1960s Coventry City revolution; once the Seventies dawned, however, things really took off.
The North American Soccer League took place every summer from 1968 onwards. Many British players – tempted there by good wages and warm weather – enjoyed a whole new culture. Cheerleaders, marching bands, mascots and tailgate parties all felt very different to our own austere, drizzly grounds; little wonder, then, that some clubs longed to emulate such carefree razamatazz. They would learn very quickly that Leicester had little in common with Los Angeles.
- shootout
- the fans react
Football’s administrators also hoped that cheerleader troupes or brass bands might distract spectators from braying lumps out of each other. But exciting them unnecessarily often had the opposite effect. Never was this more evident than at the decade’s highest-profile orgy of violence, a 1978 sixth-round FA Cup-tie between Millwall and Ipswich. That afternoon became notorious for battalions of flare-clad loons running amok and enraging Bobby Robson; nonetheless, many who were there remember it best for the Wild West shootout beforehand.
Bristol City became widely and justifiably regarded as exemplifying 1970s pre-match madness. Many elaborate wheezes were dreamt up to delight their supporters during City’s four First Division seasons between 1976 and 1980. The team attracted full houses most weeks, all of whom needed amusing while they waited for Donnie Gillies and Trevor Tainton to entertain them. They certainly weren’t disappointed as – among others – stuntriders, majorettes, llamas, horses, dogs and even performing seals paraded across the Ashton gate pitch.
Matters reached truly surreal heights in September 1976 when chimps appeared before the game against West Ham. Now, however questionable this idea might have been – and we all accepted trained apes on tea adverts, after all – I don’t see how anyone could ever consider the concept as anything other than extremely risky. Indeed. some eyewitnesses now doubt it actually happened; others, made of sterner stuff, debate whether or not a simian tea-party really took place at half time.
Here are some memories of this and other equally bizarre events, via www.otib.co.uk .
“I definitely remember the PG Tips chimps appearing on the pitch.”
“Pre-match entertainment to bring the fans in early. Chimps on a climbing frame, Shag Connor & the Carrot Crunchers, lacrosse, llamas, not forgetting the Rockin’ Robins cheerleaders. All part of the late 70’s matchday experience! I seem to recall a parade of cars, and I’m sure it was City where the marching band would not leave the pitch until they had finished their ‘set’, despite both teams having come back out.”
“I also remember, on a separate occasion, a very pissed Len Fairclough from Coronation Street making as much sense as Charlie Sheen when he was given the microphone at half time.”
“There was performing seals at one game. Tony Rance hired loads of different acts.”
“I remember performing dogs jumping through hoops of fire once.”
“Yeah its true. We had loads of “entertainment”. I well remember llamas being paraded around the pitch – unfortunately Bowyers sponsored that game and the Bowyers girls were out before them tossing pies into the crowd. As the llamas approached the East End they were pelted with pies and pegged it toward the open end, leaving evidence of their shock behind.”
“I also remember a police dog display which went wrong (to the amusement of thousands). Noise from the crowd appeared to confuse the dog and it chased the “thief” towards the Coventry fans. A roar of delight went up as the dog grabbed his wrong (and unprotected) arm. Other police dragged the dog off, greeted by a chorus of boos.”
“Pre-match entertainment was a popular thing in those days and we had lots of different ones. A Royal Marines demonstration, PG Tips Monkeys, Avon & Somerset Police Dogs, circus acts. Some of them were really good as well. Better than today’s offering of seeing someone trying to hit the crossbar, or getting the ball in an inflatable Blackthorn glass….”
“On occasions the entertainment was desperate, but when it went wrong it went spectacularly wrong and amused everyone who was watching.”
“This could be the way forward. Forget ” Quid a Kid”, give out stale pork pies and then parade some llamas around. Who could object to that?”
“I also remember Father Christmas, back in about 1980, getting pelted with the same packets of sweets he had just thrown into the crowd. He seemed a particularly bad tempered Santa.”
“It still goes on today though not as part of organised entertainment. The chimps have iPhones and sit quietly with them throughout the half time interval.”