When we all went along to Roker Park even though Newcastle United weren’t playing…I recall Bazoox wrote on here about the Gloaters, a bunch of Newcastle United fans who made the trek to Roker Park on 17 May 1987, not to witness another derby over there where we didn’t lose, rather to watch Sunderland v Gillingham.
I can still recall walking into Central Station and seeing quite a few other like minded individuals intent on seeing misery heaped on the Mackems. One or two Newcastle tops and scarves. Some, like me and HAM, decked out in designer wear, Green Gazelles amongst the attire I distinctly remember I was wearing that day. I recognised a few others milling around with similar dress sense.
As we sped off, with no windows to see where we were heading, speculation in the van was rife. “I think we’ve just been nicked” says an old hand. “What for? They can’t do that” comes the retort. “I reckon we’ll get driven back to Newcastle” offers someone else, whilst the consensus seemed to be that we’d be driven to the nearest cop shop and detained until after the match.
Once inside, it became apparent that where we’d gained entry wasn’t even the Gillingham end. Their fans were housed across the pitch in the corner of the Roker End. Unbelievably,