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First County Visit:	Tuesday 4th November 1980
Competition:	Football League Division 4 – (Tier 4)
Result:	Peterborough United 1 – 2 Stockport County
Attendance:	2,776
Away Trip:	19
Away Day:	32
County Line-up	1 David Lawson; 2 John Rutter; 3 Steve Uzelac; 4 Martin Fowler; 5 Tommy Sword; 6 Les Bradd; 7 Oshor Williams; 8 David Sunley; 9 Tony Coyle; 10 Andy Thorpe; 11 Chris Galvin; (12 David Booth)
Scorers:	Martin Fowler; Davis Booth
Manager:	Jimmy McGuigan
County Visits:	16

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THE PRAM MAKES A TRIP TO PETERBOROUGH

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They’re reasonably local; maybe even worthy of the description “derby”, and were for many years part of the tapestry of being a County follower “on the road”.  But London Road isn’t too far behind them – which, after the research, is a little more of a shock. 

Sixteen visits, with the luxury of 6 wins, and a couple of draws – maybe it was something of a lucky omen.  For those who might argue that this is a pretty average record the term “relative” must come into play.  For large parts of this odyssey, away wins were definitely a collectors item, and for more than a season or so even a draw was something to be savoured.  So London Road was always approached with more hope than many other destinations.

But the attraction of the Posh was also something to do with the journey.  It’s more than frightening to think just how many miles have been travelled, but so many of the trips were on highways and byways that I have come to abhor with the deepest of loathings.  King of them all is the M6 down to the Midlands. 

The motorway South has been, still is and will undoubtedly continue to be a desperate place to travel along, whether it be during the day, or at night, at weekends or on weekdays.  I hate it, and on the longer trips it came to be joined by its twin brother, the M25.

On more mundane roads, the trip to Boston, (or indeed considerably further in the non-league era when for some unaccountable reason Lowestoft were placed in the National League North), is never one to be anticipated as the two lane stretch of the A17 from Newark is simply not built for the demands of the football seeking traveller.  In winter it’s a grim experience; poorly lit.  In early or late-summer it’s even worse as caravanners and tractors just preclude speedy, targeted journeys.  Don’t these people realise that roads aren’t for mooching along, or an afternoon drive?  They are the key factor in ensuring that people with a real purpose have got a game to get to!

As a destination London Road was different.  It involved using the A1, which together with the A19 up to Hartlepool comes out top of my lists for decent roads, never too full, where there can be reasonable confidence of arriving in plenty of time.  Peterborough is around 140 miles from home, so a ride over the Woodhead Pass; a short hop on the M1, turn left for Worksop and then get on the A1 and point the controls for the outskirts of the Fenlands was always a decent trip.  Not that, I hasten to add, Peterborough itself has any attraction other than its football team – to my knowledge anyway.  I haven’t seen enough of the city to know the slightest thing about it which might cause me to consider a non-County visit!!

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As a stadium London Road had a lot to commend it, other than egress from the Car Park, which could prove a lengthy escapade.  On one trip I’d left home with specific instructions to be back in time for a family get-together at 7.30.  Do-able with a swift departure, but still stuck in the exit queue at 5.25, more than unlikely. 

I paid for my late arrival in terms of burned ears for some weeks afterwards, but perhaps not as much as the game in February 1992.  There’s some things in life that you daren’t get wrong, and this was unquestionably one of the days that I transgressed. Nothing to do with beer or a late arrival back.  With two young sons, one only a month or so old, I was charitably given a passport to the game.  My wife, Julie, has been more than long suffering with regards to County fervour but maybe she went beyond the call of duty on this occasion.  So it was off to London Road, with Arthur Brotherton as passenger.  Things went swimmingly, a more than prompt arrival, and plenty of time to wander to the ground, procure a pie and a brew, and settle down to the game. 

A coolish February afternoon demanded the use of a decent coat, which was always left in the car boot.  Opening it up a vision of horror awaited.  The coat was certainly there, but sat on top of it was the baby’s pram, (a posh Silver Cross affair from memory), which was needed 140 miles away for Julie to get out that afternoon.  Mobile phones were in their infancy then, and I hadn’t graduated to one.  A search for a functioning phone box, and a supersize helping of humble pie and fawning apologies was in order. Not a pleasant 5 minutes – its memory remains vivid with me to this day!!  A collection of brownie points carefully assembled over many months were spent in seconds.

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The seating never changed much over the years, but the standing paddock in front was converted to seating in the early 1990’s. (Photo from ‘The Posh Trust’)

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London Road was an excellent place to watch football.  An unusual lay-out, saw a decent Main Stand, with a paddock at the front, two great covered terraces behind each goal, but very unusually a completely open, Glebe Road, terrace along the opposite touchline, (see picture).  There haven’t been many grounds like that – the Goldstone; Forest Green; Sincil Bank.  There’ll be others but not too many.  Latter visits have seen it replaced by a double decker type structure.  All very neat, and to be fair not a bad design, but at a cost of losing something that felt a little bit different.

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Not many league grounds that I’ve been to have an open “side” terrace – Sincil Bank and the Goldstone Ground from memory

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It was the two ends which always, to me, contributed to a decent atmosphere.  One for the home fans, (the London Road End), one for visitors, and the low roofs of each of these contributed to the overall experience.  Certainly in the Moys End, to the left looking from the Main Stand was a place that County fans always enjoyed.  An epic win, courtesy of Alun Armstrong in 1994, saw the atmosphere reach fever pitch, as what was a decent Hatters following celebrated reaching third spot in the table.  Not that it was maintained that season, but the signs were good. 

Danny Bergara had put together a team, which would form the basis of that promoted to what if now the Championship a couple of years later.  Names like Flynn; Dinning; Todd; Gannon; Ward; Beaumont; Francis and Armstrong were at the heart, and all turned out at Peterborough that day.  County legends one and all.  No argument either brooked or entertained

The acoustics at the Moys End also helped another afternoon in April 2008.  Darren Ferguson was in charge of the Posh at the time.  Given his connection there was never going to be any love lost. Tales of a court appearance and a guilty verdict against Ferguson Junior had emerged in the couple of days prior to the game. The County lyricists, (never shy of addressing things head on, and always with plenty of humour), got to work to remind Sir Ferguson’s offspring of his misdemeanours.  The words, (which modesty; good taste and frankly considerations of what is printable), must remain in the past, but it’s fair to say that much entertainment was had that day. 

Not that it wasn’t helped by events on the pitch.  Coming into the game, with 5 games of the season Posh lay second and looked good bets for automatic promotion if not the title itself.  County were 4^th and pushing Hereford for the last automatic spot.  Tommy Rowe gave County the full three points in front of over 10,000.  It was one of those times when the atmosphere was electric.  In the end Peterborough went up automatically and County joined them via the Play Offs.

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Sadly that’s now disappeared from the Moys End.  It fell victim to the bulldozers and in its place was constructed another anodyne seating area.  Just how much has been lost with the disappearance of stands like that.  Easy to answer that one – what’s been lost has been far too much.  As I write there’s talk about the installation of “safe standing areas”.  Frankly, the over-reaction to Hillsborough, in terms of the fundamental change to the spectating experience, has much to answer for.  One of the great joys during the County no-league era has been the chance to go to places where standing is the norm.  Younger followers in the Football League will never have experienced this, and it’s a loss to them.  It’s also a mystery to me why Edgeley Park is an all seater stadium, totally unsuited to our current status, whilst we still see some Football League Grounds with standing areas.  All this designation of Sports Grounds business is total nonsense as far as I’m concerned.  The rule of common sense should apply.

Another thing that I thought rendered London Road unique was the mascot.  Growing up clubs had mascots which had a bit of identity.  Think of the Toffee Lady at Goodison.  My first visit there, which predated a County trip by a good number of years saw this Lady, in a flowing blue and white outfit; resplendent with a brolly in similar colours.  Over her arm was a basket, from which she produced handfuls of toffees, and threw them into the crowd.  Whether she purveys her wares I don’t know, but if not, it’s a sure thing that the Health and Safety officiendos will have been in on the act.  If the E content of the comestibles wasn’t sufficient to stop them being distributed to children, then undoubtedly the prospect of a speccie getting one in the eye would have the bureaucrats rushing for banning orders.

Mascots now are generally self-publicists, garbed in some moth eaten furry animal costume, which has not only seen better days, but has only the most tenuous links to the Club in question.  Come on, “Fred the Red” and its ilk , give me strength. At the risk of being charged with bias, I’ll also say that the effigy at County, aka Vernon Bear, is equally as unedifying.

Peterborough were, and are, known as the Posh.  It’s something to do with a manager many years ago coming out with a statement that he only wanted to “sign posh players for a posh Club”.

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It’s been over 6 years since I last did the trip, and very, very sadly I note from research that one of these dreadful animal costumes seems to have appeared.  It looks like a rabbit, maybe even is one for all I know, but has no connection with the Club, other than the nomenclature “Peter Burrow”.  Hopefully Mr Posh, (left), hasn’t been consigned to the dustbin.

If he has then it’s your loss Peterborough – the uniqueness of your ground has gone with the disappearance of the Glebe Road terrace; the Moys End and maybe a proper mascot.  Hopefully the London Road terrace for home fans will remain for many years to come.  An element of self-awareness tells me that I’m too much of a traditionalist but the London Road terrace is a throwback to times when football grounds were, in my very humble opinion, more atmospheric; designed for purpose, (rather than corporate hospitality), and catered, (metaphorically and literally), for the common man.

London Road – highly commended and always worth a visit.

December 2016

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VISITS

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Day	Date	Competition	Tier / Round	Opponents	Res	F	A	Crowd	Away Day
Tues	04/11/80	Football League Division 4	Tier 4	Peterborough United	W	2	1	2,776	32
Sat	15/01/83	Football League Division 4	Tier 4	Peterborough United	L	0	1	2,911	70
Sat	13/10/84	Canon League Division 4	Tier 4	Peterborough United	L	1	3	3,739	102
Sat	12/03/88	Barclays League Division 4	Tier 4	Peterborough United	D	0	0	2,193	157
Sat	23/03/91	Barclays League Division 4	Tier 4	Peterborough United	D	0	0	7,047	209
Sat	15/02/92	Barclays League Division 3	Tier 3	Peterborough United	L	2	3	5,301	224
Sat	15/10/94	Endsleigh League Division 2	Tier 3	Peterborough United	W	1	0	5,369	288
Sat	15/03/97	Nationwide Football League – Division 2	Tier 3	Peterborough United	W	2	0	4,857	352
Sat	22/02/03	Nationwide Football League – Division 2	Tier 3	Peterborough United	L	0	2	4,386	479
Sat	30/08/03	Nationwide Football League – Division 2	Tier 3	Peterborough United	W	2	1	4,395	487
Sat	05/02/05	Coca-Cola Football League – League 1	Tier 3	Peterborough United	L	1	2	3,719	523
Sat	04/03/06	Coca-Cola Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Peterborough United	L	0	2	3,406	550
Sat	20/01/07 (Highlights)	Coca-Cola Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Peterborough United	W	3	0	4,330	571
Sat	12/04/08	Coca-Cola Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Peterborough United	W	1	0	10,023	603
Sat	18/04/09	Coca-Cola Football League – League 1	Tier 3	Peterborough United	L	0	1	8,333	632
Tues	16/11/10 (Highlights)	FA Cup	Round 1 replay	Peterborough United	L	1	4	2,312	664

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ON MY JOURNEY WITH COUNTY AROUND 180 GROUNDS

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Previously – VALLEY PARADE Next stop – BRAMALL LANE