On This Day (5 April 1901): Revolting Newcastle Fans Ruin The North East’s Big Day
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The latest episode of Haway The Podcast’s “On This Week” series ends with the story of what was meant to be a Good Friday showdown between rivals Newcastle United and Sunderland.
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With both a possible league title and local pride on the line, the fixture attracted huge numbers to St James’ Park, but as was detailed in the pod, large-scale overcrowding forced the game to be postponed and the ground instead witnessed a riot as angry home team followers let their frustrations get the better of them.
The reaction shocked many observers on both side of the Wear-Tyne divide, and the details outlined in the following day’s Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette were so rich and colourful that we’ve decided to present an abridged version of their reports here as an accompaniment to the podcast…
EXTRAORDINARY SCENES ON A FOOTBALL FIELDTHE MATCH ABANDONEDCROWD OCCUPY THE ENCLOSUREBATON CHARGE BY THE POLICEELEVEN PERSONS INJUREDThe return match between Newcastle United and Sunderland was announced to take place at St. James’s Park, Newcastle, yesterday afternoon, but it had to be abandoned owing to the overcrowded state of the ground and the riotous conduct of the people.
There has always been a strong rivalry between the premier clubs of Newcastle and Sunderland, and this feeling has been greatly intensified since both clubs are making such resolute to take leading honours in the League tournament.
It certainly reached its culminating point yesterday, when St. James’s Park — extensive though it is — was found too small to accommodate the thousands of enthusiasts who came from all parts of the centres of Northumberland and Durham.
For over two months in the first part of the season, Newcastle United headed Sunderland in the matter of points for the League championship; but since Christmas, Sunderland had proven themselves the better team, and recently the Wearsiders gained the topmost place.
The issue of the match under notice was of the most vital importance to Sunderland, as a win of them practically meant that they would once more secure one of the highest classic competitions in the football worlds, if not the highest.
Naturally, with the encounter invested with such a strong interest, it was anticipated that there would be a mammoth crowd in the event of fine weather, but it was never dreamt, with so many counter-holiday attractions, that the assemblage would reach such large proportions as it did.
There was an unprecedented scene, one which perhaps has never had its counterpart in any other football centre in the country, and one which altogether does not redound to the credit of North-Country footballers.
Three-quarters of an hour before the time appointed for the kick-off, every part of the enclosure was crowded far beyond its capacity. Over 30,000 people were already within the enclosure, occupying every inch of accommodation outside the rails.
Before three o’clock, the gates were all closed, and still over twenty thousand people were clamouring for admission.
Finding the gates closed against them, the people on the Gallowgate Leazes took matters entirely into their own hands. Indeed, a calamity both to the covered-in stand and the press-box was momentarily expected. The whole building shook from end to end, and in a few places the roof actually gave way under the severe pressure.
At half-past three o’clock, when the match should’ve commenced, the position of affairs had assumed a most alarming character, and grave results were feared in the event of a postponement. Any hope of starting the match was quickly dissipated as the people continued to stream through the gaps they had made for themselves. There was chaos everywhere, and it was readily seen that it would be utterly impossible to clear the playing pitch.
Even the space between the barrier and the touch line would not have accommodated standing room for those within the area. Mr J. Scott, the referee, together with the principal officials of Newcastle United and Sunderland, pushed their way to the field, and when they had taken a survey of the chaotic conditions they immediately decided that it would be quite impossible to play.
Accordingly the players then left the ground, and when it was learnt that the match would not be proceeded with a series of unparalleled episodes followed. A rebellious spirit was at once manifested, and as the managements of Newcastle United were utterly helpless in the matter, a numerous section of the rough element commenced to riot and wreck the wooden stands.
For a time, the small body of constabulary — who numbered about 25 — kept the unruly mob within bounds, and it is gratifying to record that the bulk of the people viewed the affair in a humorous mood, and were supremely indifferent to the cry that was made in some quarters for a return of the gate money. Under the circumstances, the management could not possibly accede to the request for a return of the admission money, for fully 20,000 persons got into the ground without payment.
The 30,000 people in the stands delighted in watching the 10,000 or 12,000 people within the barriers indulging in all sorts of horse play. There was, too, at least a score of “schools” of pitch and toss, and the protests as to whether they were “heads or tails” as well as the heated arguments amongst others over the remarkable situation and the merits of Newcastle United and Sunderland to the numerous free fights.
These comparatively common incidents developed in affairs of a more serious description. Three or four thousand persons, mostly young fellows with caps on, formed themselves into one compact body, and went on an expedition of wreckage. They tore down the nets at the bottom goal, but were thwarted by the police in their attempts to smash the goalposts.
They, however, at once besieged the top goal, which was only protected by a single policeman. This constable gallantly held the mob at bay single-handed, but he was soon overpowered, and the posts and nets were quickly demolished, to the accompaniment of loud cheers.
A policeman’s helmet was knocked off by the crossbar, but happily no more damage was done, though it seemed that there would be an ugly scene. Whilst they were marching down the field a number of men at the top of the bottom stand hauled down the large black and white striped flag and tore it to ribbons, whilst the crowd jeered and cheered at the operation.
Gathering at the bottom goal, the hosts of roughs tried to repeat their destructive effort at the other end of the ground. The policemen, to the number of about a dozen, boldly held their ground. Then some of the ringleaders led their blind, thoughtless followers in hustling the policeman, who were in imminent danger of being trodden underfoot.
Sergeant Potts and one or two constables were in particular very roughly handled, but, happily, when they all appeared likely to be thrown off their feet, they, together wither their comrades, drew their batons and charged their assailants. They gave no quarter, plying their batons with such energy and smartness that in a few minutes they had extricated themselves from what was unquestionably a very critical situation.
There can be no doubt that such an extreme measure by the police in dealing with the unruly mob was fully justified, and the booing of a small section of the crowd was overwhelmed by the appreciative demonstration of the respectable portions of the crowd.
Several people were hurt by the batons in the melee, and one was so much injured that he had to be conveyed to the Royal Infirmary.
The crowd threatened to again attack the policemen, but immediately they presented a solid front to them and they retreated. Meanwhile, the stands and wooden erections in other parts of the enclosure were damaged, and many people were bruised had their clothes torn, and lost their hats in the crushing.
The people on the roofs caused some excitement by the ingenious methods they adopted in dropping to the ground. Some had narrow escapes from falls, and one poor young fellow unfortunately dropped from the roof on the barrier in front of the director’s stand, a distance of some thirty feet.
Reinforcements of police were summoned, but it was not until nearly five o’clock that they arrived in sufficient numbers, with Inspector Middlemass mounted, that the ground was cleared of everyone, both on the playing pitch and on the stands.
Endeavours will doubtless be made to throw blame on the some one’s shoulders for such disorderly scenes, but though the force of 25 constables was admittedly incapable of controlling such a vast multitude, the cause of all the trouble was directly traceable to he unreasonable disorderly conduct of the people, who stormed the barriers in such numbers that neither the police nor the officials were able to prevent the disgraceful and uproarious incidents that happened afterwards.
LIST OF CASUALTIES“What will be done with the gate receipts?” asks the Newcastle Journal.
We are officially assured that no less than £970 odd were taken at the turnstiles. Doubtless had there been any reasonable chance of the money being paid back to each individual the executive would have done so. But the hubbub, disorder, confusion, and rioting rendered that course utterly impossible.
Upwards of 20,000 people scrambled into the enclosure without paying.
This placed the executive in a still more difficult position, however willing they may have been to return entrance money to those who had paid.
There were early indications of trouble, and to precent any raid upon this considerable sum of money it was taken away from the scene at an early period. But for this precaution the crowd, which was in no agreeable humour after the disappointment, would have made for the bullions and helped themselves to it.
Clearly, the money does not belong to the United executive, who, had the game been played, would have appropriated the whole of the spoil. Seeing, further, that it was impossible to return it to the rightful owners, the problem to be solved is, “What is to be done with it?”
As a compromise for the public loss and disappointment, we suggest that it would a grateful act on the part of Newcastle United, after deducting a reasonable sum to cover the damage done by the riotous conduct of the people, to devote the balance to wholly to local charities or to divide in proportionately between the borough charities of Sunderland and Newcastle.
The Wearside borough has an undoubted right to a share of the spoil as many hundreds, if not thousands, of people from Sunderland paid their admission money.
THE SUNDERLAND SPECTATORSA great many people received injuries of a more or less serious nature, very often owing to their imprudence in trying to gain some coign of vantage which was far from safe, and falling down in the attempt.
Some of the more daring spectators clambered on the top of a boundary wall studded with broken glass, and several came to grief in this way. One in particular was seen bleeding profusely from both hands, which he bound up by tearing his handkerchief in two. Despite his injuries he continued to maintain his position on the wall.
A great number made attempts to claim up the almost precipitous sides of the stands, and although a few were successful, several sustained very nasty falls, in some cases for a distance of nearly twenty feet. Other had the audacity to tear planks from one portion of the stands to aid them in climbing up to the top.
This quickly became a favourite device, and at one part of the field men could be seen clambering up these planks by the dozen. It was, however, a method attended by considerable danger. Very often a man would nearly reach the top, for all the world like a monkey on a stick, when suddenly he would lose his balance and come toppling to the ground, only to make another attempt if he had not been severely hurt.
Some of the less fortunate ones might be seen limping away in disgust, and other rubbing their bruised limbs whilst their companions stood by enjoying their discomfiture. Now and again, a man would climb his plank successfully, and be congratulating himself on his good luck, when some unfeeling spectator on the stand would give him a push, and he would descend rapidly once more to Mother Earth.
Many fell in their endeavours to climb various buildings in the rear of the stands, and were hurt in this way. Altogether the list of injured must have been uncommonly long, and cannot at all be gauged by those who were attended to at the Infirmary.
The majority would doubtless make direct for their own homes. Those who reported themselves at the Newcastle Infirmary numbered 11, but it was only found necessary to detain one at the institution, a young man named James Wilkie, belonging to Gateshead, who had a fractured leg.
It will be seen that some of the injured belonged to Sunderland, from which place a large number of the adherents of the Wearside club had journeyed specially to see the match.
The injured were attended to by Dr Durbridge. Appended is a list of those who reported themselves :-
The Newcastle Chronicle remarks that it says much for the sportsmanlike spirit of the Sunderland spectators that they made no complaint about the loss entailed by their journey.
Their grievance was that their team was spoilt of a probably two points, which they held their players were most likely to secure. But, beyond this expression of opinion, they walked quietly away from the scene of their disappointment.
The Sunderland crowd included all grades of people, from newsboys to most prominent merchants, but on all hands the feeling of amused disgust was the same in every case.