[SocraticCFC]

Assuming this came at Saltergate. From memory - Boxing Day v Barnsley 1980 - 17,000 there. I don't know the capacity of Cross Street away end or the side bit but am assuming c 8,000. Not full from memory, so I'm going for this game. Before that , a vague memory of Blackburn Rovers 14k with about 3 k from them.
Over to you older folk!

[essexspireman]

No way Cross Street held 8000, maybe 3000

[SocraticCFC]

essexspireman, on 29 March 2024 - 08:52 PM, said:

No way Cross Street held 8000, maybe 3000

Behind the goal - yes- but the side was at least another 3000, surely

[essexspireman]

SocraticCFC, on 29 March 2024 - 09:05 PM, said:

Behind the goal - yes- but the side was at least another 3000, surely

The side was Compton Street, I was at the Barnsley Game, can’t remember if they had Compton as well, a lot of big away teams were given half of Compton, but even with that they would probably have had 5000 there

[Osborne again]

There were some very impressive crowds during the 69/70 season and if I remember right there were near on 19,000 when we played Swansea, and there must have been some good numbers for when we played Villa, Wednesday, Sheffield United and Scabfield.

[SocraticCFC]

Osborne again, on 29 March 2024 - 09:13 PM, said:

There were some very impressive crowds during the 69/70 season and if I remember right there were near on 19,000 when we played Swansea, and there must have been some good numbers for when we played Villa, Wednesday, Sheffield United and Scabfield.

Was only 3 years old then - but yes, there looks to have been 16k+ for Swansea and Wrexham at home. No doubt, there were 11K+ home fans. Nice and comfortably cosy I would imagine.
A sobering thought that in general it's all those years ago when this appeared to happen regularly. Some pretty low attendances in the later 1970s. Good times at Whitt Moor. Happy days!

[essexspireman]

Osborne again, on 29 March 2024 - 09:13 PM, said:

There were some very impressive crowds during the 69/70 season and if I remember right there were near on 19,000 when we played Swansea, and there must have been some good numbers for when we played Villa, Wednesday, Sheffield United and Scabfield.

The Barnsley game was the biggest crowd I was in at Saltergate

[Mr Mercury]

SocraticCFC, on 29 March 2024 - 08:49 PM, said:

Assuming this came at Saltergate. From memory - Boxing Day v Barnsley 1980 - 17,000 there. I don't know the capacity of Cross Street away end or the side bit but am assuming c 8,000. Not full from memory, so I'm going for this game. Before that , a vague memory of Blackburn Rovers 14k with about 3 k from them.
Over to you older folk!

I was one of the “lifted over the turnstiles” brigade from that era, so the attendances may have been many more!

[warfey is a spireite]

Osborne again, on 29 March 2024 - 09:13 PM, said:

There were some very impressive crowds during the 69/70 season and if I remember right there were near on 19,000 when we played Swansea, and there must have been some good numbers for when we played Villa, Wednesday, Sheffield United and Scabfield.

Unbeaten at home boxing day 1969 v Workington drew0-0 there was 16000.

[60s 70s Spireite]

Workington at home Boxing Day 1967- c. 16,663- very few away fans.

[SocraticCFC]

60s 70s Spireite, on 29 March 2024 - 09:28 PM, said:

Workington at home Boxing Day 1967- c. 16,663- very few away fans.

To put it mildly, that must have been a little uncomfortable! 16k in home end!

[azul]

Osborne again, on 29 March 2024 - 09:13 PM, said:

There were some very impressive crowds during the 69/70 season and if I remember right there were near on 19,000 when we played Swansea, and there must have been some good numbers for when we played Villa, Wednesday, Sheffield United and Scabfield.

Not that many, Swansea and Wrexham 16000+ (both night games), Aldershot 14000+ in 69/70 and Villa 16000+ first game of next season. Don’t think any came close until Barnsley a decade later when those gates were surpassed.

This post has been edited by azul: 29 March 2024 - 10:16 PM

[azul]

SocraticCFC, on 29 March 2024 - 09:20 PM, said:

Was only 3 years old then - but yes, there looks to have been 16k+ for Swansea and Wrexham at home. No doubt, there were 11K+ home fans. Nice and comfortably cosy I would imagine.
A sobering thought that in general it's all those years ago when this appeared to happen regularly. Some pretty low attendances in the later 1970s. Good times at Whitt Moor. Happy days!

Can’t be that many away fans for those two games and there wasn’t true segregation either back then

[Westbars Spireite]

SocraticCFC, on 29 March 2024 - 10:01 PM, said:

To put it mildly, that must have been a little uncomfortable! 16k in home end!

There was no away end then. With three sides of unimpeded terracing and the ground nearly identical to when 30k+ got inside, it should have been just fine and with room for more.

[Brookie]

In 69/70 I remember standing on Compton Street when attacking Cross Street then moving to Kop when kicking that way. There was an area on Kop that was usually left for kids in corner near stands.

[Zigsuk]

azul, on 29 March 2024 - 10:14 PM, said:

Not that many, Swansea and Wrexham 16000+ (both night games), Aldershot 14000+ in 69/70 and Villa 16000+ first game of next season. Don’t think any came close until Barnsley a decade later when those gates were surpassed.

Agree there were a few crowds of 16000 but never 19000. The biggest crowd of living memory was that 17000 against Barnsley. There were only a handful of crowds of 16000 but plenty of 14/15000. I also vaguely remember the days before true segregation walking past I think Notts Co fans as we swapped ends st half time. Remember being shocked when the fence went up on Compton Street. Oh for the days when people could be trusted to behave like decent human beings and segregation was unnecessary. But then there's little hope for decency these days even on internet forums.

[azul]

Westbars Spireite, on 30 March 2024 - 06:24 AM, said:

There was no away end then. With three sides of unimpeded terracing and the ground nearly identical to when 30k+ got inside, it should have been just fine and with room for more.

It was vey cosy especially in the kop but compared to the Normanton or. Osmaston end at Derby it was spacious

[Westbars Spireite]

azul, on 30 March 2024 - 09:17 AM, said:

It was vey cosy especially in the kop but compared to the Normanton or. Osmaston end at Derby it was spacious

Exactly. I stood on the Pop side at Derby in a sell-out a time or two before it was seated when the capacity was much reduced and that was still far more densely populated that Saltergate will have been since the 40s/50s.

[Osborne again]

SocraticCFC, on 29 March 2024 - 09:20 PM, said:

Was only 3 years old then - but yes, there looks to have been 16k+ for Swansea and Wrexham at home. No doubt, there were 11K+ home fans. Nice and comfortably cosy I would imagine.
A sobering thought that in general it's all those years ago when this appeared to happen regularly. Some pretty low attendances in the later 1970s. Good times at Whitt Moor. Happy days!

The 19,000 for the Swansea game came from someone involved in the club who knew my brother, and it was alleged that a good 3,000 to 4,000 extra had been allowed in without being counted. I know I was asked to clamber over the turnstile many times saving myself half the entrance fee.
I remember him telling me, because it was the day my mate's mum used her News of the World big slipper and she fell, breaking her collar bone while trying to answer the door to the Corona pop man 😁.

[SocraticCFC]

Westbars Spireite, on 30 March 2024 - 06:24 AM, said:

There was no away end then. With three sides of unimpeded terracing and the ground nearly identical to when 30k+ got inside, it should have been just fine and with room for more.

Didn't realise you were that old!