Topic: women of the kop.

[docker]

early to mid eighties, getting my speck on the kop about 1pm, always recall two women right at the front behind Bruce's goal, anyone remember? also was the price of our last season as the kop £7.50 or £9.50.

[mikeb58]

I seem to remember two women behind the kop goal, one was middle aged , and wore round dark specs, can't remember much about the other woman. I've still got my Norwich kop ticket somewere with the price on, i actually thought it cost £8.50!

[Murf]

The one with the dark specs,remember her well,used to stand next to her,got on the telly a few times.
That was the best about the old kop seeing the same faces at  the same specs week oi week out

[docker]

they always had red coats on, chippy dinner,and a flask. £8.50 whats that in inflation terms today..

[mikeb58]

In those days behind the kop goal meant exactly that, you were in touching distance of the net. Those two women used to put there stuff in front of the wall, great times. The kop was later redesigned so there was a walkway behind the wall, probably made it safer, but not as good.

[mikeb58]

It's stuff like this that makes me realise how much i miss the good old days on the kop, getting there early, familar faces etc, the atmosphere building minute by minute, come kick off time everyone was well fired up. I loved those days.

[Jimmy Conway]

I seem to remember the Kop was £9.50 in its last year!
And for those who wondered about inflation and todays price, it would be a measly £11.50. If only every game was that cheap, I'd go everygame and get 2 seats everytime (due to me being 6 foot 3 and anfield having bugger all legroom).

[mikeb58]

You could be right about the ticket price, i was trying to picture it on my ticket and £8.50 came to mind. Regarding the price at todays rate, i never realised just how much it had gone up!

[L7 Red]

Didn't they used to have red shopping trolleys with them full of stuff?

[Mottman]

I seem to remember two women behind the kop goal, one was middle aged , and wore round dark specs, can't remember much about the other woman. I've still got my Norwich kop ticket somewere with the price on, i actually thought it cost £8.50!

They used to go to some away games as well.

[stoz]

There were two categories in those days aswell.

Think it was £8.50 and £9.50

[KiNki]

I've never seen those two since the old kop got demolished and the new seats put in.  Wonder what happend to em? Priced out or demolised with the kop 

[docker]

I've never seen those two since the old kop got demolished and the new seats put in. Wonder what happend to em? Priced out or demolised with the kop

neither have i..

[gregor]

I've got my and my dad's tickets from the Norwich game. It was the first (and obviously only) time I ever stood on the kop. I was 9 at the time. My arl fella took me there even tho he's a blue, top fella. And our tickets were £8.

[WOOLTONIAN]

I remember a lady who used to stand on the kop in the 60's, when it was as rare as hens teeth.
Her name was Maureen Noon, she worked in Dunlops (Speke) with me Mam.
She'd be in her 60's now.
I'm curious if Karl Noon is related.

[Indomitable_Carp]

So I know we have a few women on this forum who've been following LFC since the days of the old standing Kop. The vast majority of stories and fond memories you read come from men.

But I am wandering how it was to be a woman on the old standing Kop, when it was still a rarity? Was it hostile for women? Was it scary? Was it a case of frequent harrasment or were you looked after?

I was having a discussion with my wife and we got onto this topic. I realised I've heard very few stories from the women of the Kop, but when you look at photos there's often some female faces amongst crowd. I can only imagine it must have been a intimidating place in a completely male dominated culture and during a very sexist era, but did the fact you were all there to support the Reds shine through?

Sorry if this is opening a can of worms, but I'm interested to hear.

[CHOPPER]

The bookends still go, still see them at the aways.

[Oscarmac]

Remember about 20 years ago a group of women at the front of the Kop with a sign "score 4-0 for Gail" and we duly won 4-0 and they were going mental.

[Red_Mist]

When I met the girl who is now my wife, she was interested in the fact I went to watch the Reds every fortnight, plus a few aways in between, so I asked her if she wanted to go. She kept saying no, then one weekend said ‘go on then’. So I took her on the Kop and she absolutely hated it! The surges really scared her and just the noise, testosterone and smelly farts made it all a bit of an ordeal. Afterwards she said, I don’t mind you going but I’ll give that a miss from now on thanks. I thought, “great!”

[Pollywood]

I used to take my younger Brother in the 70s 80s and can honestly say I was treated with the greatest respect from the Gents in the Kop. Stood behind the Goal about a third back, loved the atmosphere there and if someone swore it never bothered me, cause that's what you expect in the Kop but someone always piped up "excuse me there's a young Lady here", I was so looked after.

[Red_Mist]

^^^ that’s good to hear, and not surprising to be fair.

[redgriffin73]

Me and a friend stood on the old Kop in the early 90s until it came down, never any problems, older guys would check we were OK if there was a particularly strong surge and we were getting knocked about. Taught us early on we'd be safer to stand in front of a barrier, not lean on one from behind. Loved every minute of it.

[Millie]

I used to stand on the Kop back in the 70's/80's.  We had our "spec".  It was mostly ok but did get groped a few times which was really unpleasant and totally unacceptable, looking back.

I was never bothered by the surge - used to stand right in front of one of the barriers which helped a lot.

[Redbonnie]

I didn’t like the surge so used to stand in the bit that juts out near the scoreboard, old man’s corner. I used to hate how early you had to get there but no issues.

[jillcwhomever]

I always had a speck by the corner flag on the left of the Kop when I went. Never remember having any problems though.

[Indomitable_Carp]

I used to stand on the Kop back in the 70's/80's.  We had our "spec".  It was mostly ok but did get groped a few times which was really unpleasant and totally unacceptable, looking back.

I was never bothered by the surge - used to stand right in front of one of the barriers which helped a lot.

That was kind of how our conversation started actually. She said there was no way a women could be in amongst a crowd of drunk men throughout the 70s/80s and not get frequently groped. I thought that was kind of a depressing view of the Kop (and menfolk), but I also thought she could well be right.

It sounds like it was not as frequent occurance as it could of been, which is something I guess, although its a grimly low bar! But perhaps back then it was so normalised that people don't even think about it.

The other thing that came up through our conversation was I told her how men in football terraces used to relieve their overly staturated bladders through a rolled up Echo. I reckon that might've been a more tricky manuever for a woman.

My main take away from the conversation is my wife thinks men are a disgrace! 

[Son of Spion]

I remember hearing lads bragging about "coping a feel" in crowd surges or when females were passed overhead to the front occasionally back in the 70s.

One night my mum went in the Kop against West Ham. I was horrified when she told me.

[TheTeflonJohn]

I didn’t like the surge so used to stand in the bit that juts out near the scoreboard, old man’s corner. I used to hate how early you had to get there but no issues.

Wasn’t that called “The Crows nest”? That was my spot when I was a short arse kid, I’d get to the ground early and make sure I was one of the first in.

[alonsoisared]

Almost completely off topic but the thread title immediately made me think of a girl who stood on the Kop who made the highlights of pretty much everyone home game during the 04/05 champions league run. Anyone know her/what happened to her? Can't really offer much more of a description, if you watched the road to Istanbul dvd on repeat like I did you probably know who I'm on about

Also, around the same time, they always used to show a bloke probably in his 50s covered in badges. Known as badgeman. Is he still around?

[Redbonnie]

Wasn’t that called “The Crows nest”? That was my spot when I was a short arse kid, I’d get to the ground early and make sure I was one of the first in.

Yes I’m still a shortarse … it was called the crows nest I remember now.

[kesey]

Didn't they used to have red shopping trolleys with them full of stuff?

Yes. She twatted some young urchin with it once as he threw a pie at her.

They used to go to some away games as well.

She was on the photie on the front of the programme the following season that was taken in Rome .

[LuverlyRita]

Me and a friend stood on the old Kop in the early 90s until it came down, never any problems, older guys would check we were OK if there was a particularly strong surge and we were getting knocked about. Taught us early on we'd be safer to stand in front of a barrier, not lean on one from behind. Loved every minute of it.

I stood on The Kop in the early 80s after stints in The Paddock and Anny Road. I tended to avoid the centre and, like you, stood in front rather behind a barrier. I never had a problem and never felt unsafe. It was slightly scarier away from home where everyone is on unfamiliar territory. Getting out of Villa Park after we won the League Cup replay is not something I'd want to repeat. Everyone seemed to be heading for the same exit at the front and I got spun around and lifted off my feet by the weight of people. I've thought about it often in the aftermath of Hillsborough. The only groping I've experienced was on the Paris metro on the way to the 81 cup final but that was nothing to do with our fans - just some locals who thought it might be amusing