Old heads corner

                 


*Please note all names have been changed to protect the identities of old boys in this post.

The year was 2001, Atomic kitten topped the pop charts, The UK and United states were busy bombing Baghdad, and Stuart Pearce playing for West Ham United was named February's player of the month when a group of, now older and wiser Casuals from Mansfield, piled in the back of a hired transit van and made their way north to Hartlepool.

As the February snow had set in up north a small number of what I will now call "more experienced" casuals made their merry way up the A1 to Hartlepool to see what the infamous blue division had to offer.
With beer crates as make shift seats and dressed to thrill looking for a night out in Mansfield on their return,
Would wearing loafers be a wise decision in these near Arctic conditions?

The small Mansfield set managed to go in under the radar and set up camp in one of the monkey hangers main pubs, with no sign of the Blue order, was this a small victory for Mansfield to be in Hartlepool town centre unscathed and unopposed?

The game passed by resulting in a 1-1 draw with ex stag Tony Lormor stealing a late point for the home side.

Spirits weren't dampened by the result as the lads still had a night out in Limo's to get back to, cheap beer and even cheaper women.

One major problem - word had gotten out that the MSE had travelled north, and this was not taken lightly by the local hordes.

The rented transit van was parked in a car park surrounded by northern monkeys looking for some action, An agreement was made to meet the blue order on route back to the vehicle.
Heavily outnumbered but game as always, the Mansfield boys hatched a "plan"...

"Right then George, you can take at least two, Henry you can take two as well, Fuck it lads we can all handle two a piece can't we? Just stand and swing like" 

As Mansfield made the move, the Cleveland police went in heavy handed and had the Blue order on their toes. A free pass back to Mansfield for the boys then? Only time would tell.

As the lads get back into the van with a stolen gas heater in to warm up the cockles, the destination was Mansfield, Back on the dark cold street of Hartlepool it seemed the old bill had had enough of the weather and packed in for the day, The same couldn't be said for the Blue order, they knew the only way the boys could get out of their town, and waited around for the "inconspicuous" van emblazoned with Mansfield Van hire down the side to come crawling passed.

As the traffic lights turned to red it was on, the van had been spotted and ambushed by the Blue Order, Heavily outnumbered, there was only one option and that was to fight their way out. The side door opened and the windows opened, as line after line of Rogues donned in Stone island and Burberry kept coming, Police style coshes were wielded out of the window cracking a few northern skulls, the make shift seats had also come in as handy tools being launched into the attacking firm. As the Blue Order were being barraged by the vans contents, the lads from Mansfield decided getting out would be a great idea until their shoes turned into skis and chasing the order could have turned into a night in A&E with a broken leg rather than a broken nose.

The lights turned green and the MSE - outnumbered - had more than held their own against a very experienced Hartlepool firm.

Needless to say every service station on the return was raided by the boys. Pockets full of whatever they could get their hands on and headed back to Mansfield - Pride and bones still in tact.



MSE