Capacity at Old Show Ground

[Son Of Steel]

Hi everyone – I wonder if anyone here knows what the capacity of the OSG was during its final season in 87/88. Cheers.

[SouthYorksIron]

Not sure whether this is a definitive figure, but Simon Inglis’ Football Grounds of Britain gives a figure of 10000, including 2796 seats.

It also gives Glanford Park as 11226 (4800 seats) before changing to 9183 (6410 seats) when seats were installed in the away end.

I can’t find a figure in John Staff’s centenary history, but he cites an attendance of 7178 for the cup tie against Sunderland as the highest crowd in the final season at the OSG.

[Deereyme66]

Was it similar capacity v Leeds in the FA Cup replay early 80s? Wasn’t that attendance 8,500 plus?

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saleiron

[Iron-awe]

Wasn’t there 19000 for the Newcastle cup replay in 1974? Think the record is around 23000 for a cup tie back in the late 50’s early 60’s.

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Awaywego

[MK Iron]

Seem to recall 16 or 17 thousand reported for the Arsenal league Cup tie. Don’t think the Newcastle replay was that high given it was a midweek afternoon. Got a right bollocking from British Steel for skipping the afternoon at college.

[Son Of Steel]

Cheers – didn’t know that about GP either, and that’s really useful detail too!

[saleiron]

The 1987 version of Simon Inglis’ “Football Grounds of Great Britain” states: “In 1985 [post Bradford fire], the Old Showground became designated under the Safety of Sports Ground Act and found its capacity reduced to a mere 5000. Initially the club had to spend £45000 on safety, then a further to £40000 to raise the limit to 6096…” This capacity must have increased by the final season at OSG. (I had 9000 in mind, but i can’t find a source). In 1987-88 we had four attendances exceeding the 6096 limit cited by Inglis. These were against Exeter in the last league game, Torquay in the play offs plus Sunderland and Blackpool in the FA Cup. The Sunderland game was the highest at 7178.

SouthYorksIron wrote:

Not sure whether this is a definitive figure, but Simon Inglis’ Football Grounds of Britain gives a figure of 10000, including 2796 seats.

It also gives Glanford Park as 11226 (4800 seats) before changing to 9183 (6410 seats) when seats were installed in the away end.

I can’t find a figure in John Staff’s centenary history, but he cites an attendance of 7178 for the cup tie against Sunderland as the highest crowd in the final season at the OSG.

[SouthYorksIron]

The 1996 edition of Inglis’ book says that the £45000 expenditure raised the capacity to 10000, “but a further £300000 worth of work was still needed”. The 6096 figure isn’t mentioned in this edition of the book.

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saleiron

[billpuntonsghost]

13,300 attendance https://youtu.be/c3X8VZ60K-4?si=XklbydNK_5nt1YCo

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SODIron, saleiron

[Awaywego]

19,028 for the afternoon replay with Newcastle.

[MK Iron]

Shows I’m getting old Awaywego.
My memory says the ground was much more rammed for the Arsenal game.

[saleiron]

That makes sense.

billpuntonsghost wrote:

13,300 attendance https://youtu.be/c3X8VZ60K-4?si=XklbydNK_5nt1YCo

[saleiron]

The pre-1985 capacity was only occasionally tested and this was the closest it came in the ‘80s.

billpuntonsghost wrote:

13,300 attendance https://youtu.be/c3X8VZ60K-4?si=XklbydNK_5nt1YCo

[Awaywego]

Only cos we were kids at the arsenal game MK.

[Xxx]

Question who did play before Newcastle I have an idea

[Iron-awe]

MK Iron wrote:

Seem to recall 16 or 17 thousand reported for the Arsenal league Cup tie. Don’t think the Newcastle replay was that high given it was a midweek afternoon. Got a right bollocking from British Steel for skipping the afternoon at college.

Still remember going to the Arsenal game, night game behind the DRE goal at the OSG as a young lad, brilliant atmosphere, when we scored I thought the roof was coming off the old stand , unbelievable noise and excitement, happy days and the result didn’t matter it was all about the buzz of being a part of it. We didn’t get many nights like that back in the OSG days.

[Deereyme66]

You older lot were spoilt. Best night cup game I can recall apart from Leeds was against Hartlepool! It was great but hardly v Arsenal level!

[billpuntonsghost]

Scunthorpe v Arsenal league cup 1968:attendance 17,450
Got drenched watching from fox street end, never stopped raining ,we scored at that end 1-1 at half time,lost 6-1,they had Redford and Kennedy up front.
Scunthorpe v Newcastle 1974 replay Attendance 19,028
Got “crushed”in the Donny Road End ,game a bit of an anti-climax after the memorable game at St James Park drawing 1-1. ( fighting and arrests included in the price!)Malcolm McDonald up front for them.

[Awaywego]

I was up against the front wall it pissed down and got absolutely soaked, to equalise was amazing against a first division side let alone scoring.

[saleiron]

According to the records, Radford and Kennedy did not feature for Arsenal. Kennedy didn’t make his debut until the following season.

billpuntonsghost wrote:

Scunthorpe v Arsenal league cup 1968:attendance 17,450
Got drenched watching from fox street end, never stopped raining ,we scored at that end 1-1 at half time,lost 6-1,they had Redford and Kennedy up front.
Scunthorpe v Newcastle 1974 replay Attendance 19,028
Got “crushed”in the Donny Road End ,game a bit of an anti-climax after the memorable game at St James Park drawing 1-1. ( fighting and arrests included in the price!)Malcolm McDonald up front for them.

[Iron-awe]

Always thought the Newcastle replay was a bit dodgy, in the first game Chris Simpkin ( hard as nails ) marked Malcom McDonald out of the game completely and even left him on the floor in a tangled heap a couple of times, those who were there will remember it. Replay and Simpkin never went near McDonald who scored two of their three goals, never felt right that result.

[billpuntonsghost]

Please accept my apology saleiron, you are right. John Radford played in the match not Ray Kennedy- over time I always associated them as a partnership! Thanks for correcting me.

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saleiron

[saleiron]

That game is a little before my time, so only going off online records.

billpuntonsghost wrote:

Please accept my apology saleiron, you are right. John Radford played in the match not Ray Kennedy- over time I always associated them as a partnership! Thanks for correcting me.

1 user thanked author for this post.

billpuntonsghost

[Awaywego]

We were so brave back then against Newcastle the nearest pub we dare go in was the Bell and Anchor lol.

[Northumbiron]

Was at St James Park (Gallowgate End) for the original tie. Should have won. A certain Neil Warnock had an open goal to aim at but narrowly missed the corner flag!

Remember being at the Fox St end for the Arsenal game but don’t recall being bothered by the rain. I guess kids were tougher in those days!

[Author]

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