August 1978 - League Cup game against Portsmouth which the Town won 4-2. If I recall correctly, there were some escapees from the Town End who ran the length of the pitch to confront the Pompey fans on the Stratton Bank before the kick-off. There was a bit of a scrap on the pitch before everyone went back to their respective end and the game started. Hooked from that day forward!
My first game was a cup match against Pompey too,but it was in 1977 and we won 4-3.
My old man hated football so a neighbour took me. We stood in the Southside terrace,and I went down the front with all the other nippers,I would've been 7 at the time.
I'll never forget that feeling walking into the ground under floodlights,and the smell of frying onions and pipe smoke.
The thing that caught my attention the most was the chant of "Sa - win -don",which my family,who don't hail from Swindon, found hilarious when I told them later.
My mum still takes the piss today,asking how 'Sa win don' got on
That,and the amount of violence!
I couldn't believe the sight grown men beating the shit out of each other on the pitch just yards in front of me,as Elkie Brooks' "Pearl's a singer" gently played over the Tannoy system.
One bloke even leap frogged over me to get on the pitch and smack someone.
Yet everything around me seemed to carry on as normal,like no one had noticed the ongoing spectacle.
The Announcer wittered away and old boys checked their programmes like nothing had happened.
One Swindon fan that was dragged off by Police, was black,and I remember being shocked at the amount of racist abuse he received.
Even the guy I was with shouted "Get back to the jungle".
As for the game itself,all I remember is Chris Kamara scored and became my instant favourite player.
And I had change out of 50p!
And I've been suffering ever since..
