well this brings back painful memories. Again no hooligan related comments (although I do remember once being chased down Shoreham Street by what seemed like a Zulu-esque number of Newcastle fans!)
My first ‘hit’ at a football match was in fact by Clive Best, the West Ham striker. I was in my usual position of third crush barrier from the front of the kop behind the goal as we were playing the shammers.He let fly a rocket shot which happily missed the goal but sadly hit me full in the face. I literally saw stars and the shot completely flattened me as a 10year old child. As I lay on the kop steps coming round, my abiding memory is of one of a fellow, much older Blade looking down on me uttering the immortal words “..gerrup kid, tha’ll be reet”
I’d like to say that I have used those words as a metaphor for life but the truth is the tw*t could have at least offered to pick me up!