Hi Matt, How did you get into football and when?
My dad took me to my first Exeter game when I was 9 against Swansea in 1977, I can still remember the smell of fags, cigars booze etc and the atmosphere was great both sets of fans giving each other loads in the ground, Exeter won 2-1 and I was hooked.
What was your first memory of trouble at a football match?
A year later dad promised to take me to the Exeter v Plymouth derby game, Plymouth turned up in big numbers and bits and pieces were going off before and during the game (loads after too but the old man lead us away from it) I can remember the city lads mobbed up at the tea stand nearest to the argyle lot, I think that was where my interest in the whole scene began although it was years later before I got involved, I think this was the 78-79 season.
When did you become a football casual?
With school mates at the game, I began to notice a group of lads dressed in the coolest clothes I’d ever seen and I knew I wanted to be a part of it but it was still a few years before I finally bought into it, mainly because of my music tastes I couldn’t decide whether I was a punk a mod or a goth, I finally settled on casual around 86 I reckon but I would still be seen wearing a clash or pistols t-shirt to gigs or alternative indie nights out, But come Saturday afternoon I would be where I felt most comfortable on the terrace with the lads watching shit football.
Who are your main rivals?
We have had quite a few rivals that we love to hate over the years, Torquay, Hereford Cardiff Bristol rovers and of course Plymouth, Torquay was my first ever away game and it felt like city had taken the town over the gates got kicked through at the end of the game and there were groups of exeter all over, I feel we have the upper hand over Torquay but they definitely had some good game lads back then, We have had loads with Hereford over the years and I rate them personally and there is quite a bit of history there, we took one of our biggest mobs to them in 1990, there must have been 150- 200 of us there that day, massive mob for us as normally we would get about 40 – 50 on a good day back then, this was a bit of a show as they had turned a pub over in the game at ours earlier in the season then wrote a letter telling us to come to them in the return game which we did in numbers, the day was 100% ours but the Hereford lads we saw were game as fuck.
Who else did you have a big battle with?
Cardiff were always impressive at ours loads of trouble over the yrs , in 1988 there was mass disorder resulting in 60 odd arrests mainly exeter , we never took a decent mob up there , but I can remember we had two buses booked in 86/87 but game got postponed on the Friday night for some reason , 18 of us went one season on a rapide coach thought we were gonna die Cardiff were fuckin mad , can still see one of their lads in a red beret seemingly calling the shots was glad to get back across the bridge that day , Bristol rovers always turned up at ours and we have had a few goes with them don’t think our lot came out on top very often to be fair but think our older lads fared better in the early 80s , we did go there once and had a decent row outside the wellington pub fa cup 97 I think As for Plymouth what can I say they hate us and we hate them they will say they have the upper hand and on occasions they have had massive mobs at home and away for us , for a few yrs we could only pull around 30 lads , we would still go but knew it wouldn’t be enough In recent yrs we have taken good mobs to them but don’t go much anymore so can’t really say too much on that , our older lads had it proper in the 80s down there in the cup and think we had the best of it from what I heard , pains me to say it but in the time I was going Plymouth were very good hated them but rated them ( begrudgingly) We have had rows with plenty of mobs over the yrs Cardiff , stoke ( I got nicked home and away against Stoke one season maybe 89 ish ? ) Leeds in Wakefield one yr , Aston Villa fa cup 94 ish , Swansea , also had battles with bury Burnley aldershot Brighton Shrewsbury Colchester
Who have you come unstuck against?
At the end of the day, we are Exeter city and I have to admit on occasion we have been embarrassed, Aldershot for me are as game as anyone and have turned us over as have Colchester, had a rough time there one evening game and ended up in some blokes front garden covered in shit and bruises, Brighton stopped at ours on the way home from Plymouth one yr and it’s gone off outside a pub and had a result, had a good row with Oxford one yr which was a to and fro affair spoke to a couple of theirs after and think we called it a draw, in the end, Bristol rovers did us at ours one season we had good lads out but just couldn’t do the job always rated them.
Name 5 firms you rate and why?
Everyone has their own idea of the top mobs the 5 I have come up against would be Cardiff Stoke Wolves Bristol rovers Pompey We all know who the big boys are it’s always West Ham Millwall Pompey Cardiff Birmingham Stoke Middlesbrough Wolves I have met lads from most of those mentioned when away with England ( even Cardiff ) and most were quality lads.
Name 5 firms you don’t rate and why?
Can’t really slag any mobs off as we all know any team can put it together on their day.
You had any battles travelling with England?
Been away with England maybe 20-25 times and had some great trips , my first was italia 90 big row with the carabinieri in Sardinia before the Holland game , ENGLiSH lads in Union Jack shorts and t shirts ran them for a bit but they got revenge a bit later when they got their act together, went off with Italians a few times outside our campsite too , didn’t go to the mainland for the other matches , massive regret ☹️ Sweden 92 was fun england seemed to be doing what they wanted in malmo , riots looting etc , Stockholm was tougher though and can remember the swedes having a good go after the game , Holland 93 was England at its best for me thousands of lads there we had a row with a black gang the night before the game in Rotterdam who pulled blades on us , think we were fortunate the ob were nearby and fucked us all off , we were drinking in a bar on the day of the game 5 of us exeter lads some Chelsea/ Colchester when a few Dutch lads came past giving it loads they didn’t hang around though England were mad that day brilliant times Been Poland 3 times and have to say they are fuckin mental , 93 97 and 99 got myself cs gassed in 93 battoned and glassed in the hotel foyer in 97 , , Warsaw 99 was probably the moodiest trip though , we missed the big row in the park where some England lads got badly hurt but the poles were game as fuck and it kicked off in the ground where I took a rock to the head and ripped my cp coat ( ffs) and again nr the Staion with the ob who were very Batton happy , thought we were gonna get killed in the station when a firm of poles walked in 100 plus strong there was probably 40 or so of us , but they hesitated long enough for a few ob to see what was going to happen, everyone stood though and was ready to have a go , the poles were still hanging around at 6 in the morning when we got the train to Berlin fuckin loons this was the game that German lad Ronald was on the phone to the poles all day dodgy fucker Italy 97 was class loads of bits and bobs Italians getting booted off scooters etc 😂 Munich for the 5-1 game too england had big numbers there for that we had a small row before the game but know england took the piss to be honest , Got filled in nicked and banned for 3 yrs during the World Cup in 2006 in Germany and since then only been to one other England away in Germany for a friendly good England mob there but didn’t see anything personally, Ireland 95 was nuts too england mobs everywhere and the riot in the ground , Always loved england away some great memories with great lads , 🏴🏴🇬🇧🇬🇧
What clobber do you wear down the match?
The casual scene is addictive and the clothes and music go hand in hand in my opinion, personally started off wearing Pringle, farahs etc around 89 /90 got into the whole baggy/rave look, pink knickers and flares FFS! then stone island, cp Bonneville, Armani became massive, don’t really go to many games anymore as I have a young family but still like to dress casual Paul smith jeans trainers and Paul and shark polos and still dig out the occasional stone island sweater.
What was your music scene on your awayday?
My music would vary and as I would do a lot of the driving back then I called the shots on the tunes from Peter and the test tube babies to the clash, pistols damned on to the smiths the cure happy Monday’s etc but nothing could beat Weller/ the jam or stone roses top bands IMO I have a couple of songs I could call my favourite one is liberator by Spear of destiny another would be English rose by the jam, step on by the happy Monday’s would be there too as always reminds me of going to Sardinia for Italia 90.
And lastly, tell us what you enjoyed about being a football casual?
For me the casual scene was everything we wore the coolest clothes spending thousands along the way had great mates and memories we ll never forget, some of my favourite times we’re following england and no matter how tough it got we still went back for more the Poland away games were always particularly moody I still love the scene now even though I’m retired although you can never say never I guess , Respect I would like to mention Barnet as one of our good battles if that’s ok We went to theirs in 98/99 I think and took good numbers as the season before they took a few liberties with a few of ours , we all met in a boozer and waited for a call , when it came we went out and it’s gone right off until the ob sorted themselves out and calmed it down , we definitely had the better of it although most of theirs won’t have it , we heard they had some spurs Chelsea and even an Aberdeen lad with them , got a call from one of their good lads I met away with England who held his hands up to be fair good row to be fair👍👍 Would like to say I’m not a top boy , I’m not the hardest or Gamest either , I can say though that I was one of the lads for many yrs , if possible could you put this at beginning of the interview as don’t want people thinking I’m being big time 😂
Thanks for talking to us at Awayday radio Matt.
