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Eddie B 12:16 Sat Dec 26
The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

Reading Upton Park Memories, it was closed in 1977 for 'safety reasons'.
Anyone on WHO ever stand on it and anyone any idea if there was a specific reason they closed it?

Far Cough 12:17 Sat Dec 26
Re: The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

"Remember Ibrox"

Dagenhammer 12:59 Sat Dec 26
Re: The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

Stood on the crows nest a couple of times before moving across the North Bank to the big step on the eastern half of the stand.

From memory the riser on the steps were big which made it very steep, so following on from Ibrox it was seen as an accident waiting to happen.

GSCS 2:03 Sat Dec 26
Re: The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

I've got the "remember Ibrox" sign from above the staircase at the corner near the bar in my loft .......

jimbo2. 2:08 Sat Dec 26
Re: The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

I stood there many times in the 1960's, it was popular with teens, which I was at the time! It was caged in & considered too dangerous, as I recall. Later on the announcement was "keep the fences away from UP" & given Villa Park, they were right!

Takashi Miike 2:10 Sat Dec 26
Re: The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

yes, stood on there loads of times as a kid. im sure they sold food and drink up there too

Takashi Miike 2:11 Sat Dec 26
Re: The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

sorry, i mean the east side shelf of the north bank. apologies :.)

Crassus 2:27 Sat Dec 26
Re: The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

Remember well, stood on that and the one down the south bank too

Sarge 4:25 Sat Dec 26
Re: The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

Only time I stood there Mike we lost 2-0 in the cup to sheff wed

Any Old Iron 11:42 Sat Dec 26
Re: The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

As youngsters me and my brother stood on it for two or three years in the mid-sixties. Because it was mostly early teen or younger that stood on it you had a better chance of seeing a decent amount of the action.
The only drawback were the bars that restricted your view of the south bank end.
And yes, the steps were much higher than the others on the north bank, but I don't recall any dangerous surges.
One bonus was that there were a few decent looking sorts up there.

Gentile 2:16 Sun Dec 27
Re: The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

I used to stand up there when young. I remember one game vs Liverpool must have been early 90s. Me and a mate were up there and it was so packed you couldn't move. My mate kept moaning about needing a piss. At the final whistle he pissed himself. No joke.

I'll never forget that moment of seeing a mate stand cross legged as piss poured out of his jeans. Terrible thing to witness.

Eddie B 2:17 Sun Dec 27
Re: The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

Gentile, it was closed in 1977, mate.

Gentile 2:38 Sun Dec 27
Re: The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

You not talking about the odd curved triangle bit up above?

keddy 3:52 Sun Dec 27
Re: The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

There was a caged off section in the North west corner of the North Bank but I never saw it open, from the time I started going (mid 70's) . When and why did they close it off? Was it structural reasons or it because it was a dangerous dead end?
On the other side was the bar, where you could turn your back to the pitch if things got desperate but as people have said, the shelf bit in front was a good place to see the game.

ted fenton 7:32 Sun Dec 27
Re: The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

Used to call it The Boy's in the 60's was up there with mates when we first started going on our own.
1/-9d I think to get in.

keddy 8:01 Sun Dec 27
Re: The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

Was the cage thing made when they put the roof on the North Bank , Does anyone go back that far. Ted??

ted fenton 8:06 Sun Dec 27
Re: The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

Not sure Keddy my Dad took me to my first game 1958 and when I started going with mates in the early 60's it was established !

Annony 12:14 Sun Dec 27
Re: The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

Remember it early 70's and a bar up there, was steeper steps and didn't like watching through a cage so would go back up behind the goal and join in the kumbs.

Bom Stickle 12:22 Sun Dec 27
Re: The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

I started going in 1980 with my old man and we started in the north east corner about 20 foot up with all the kids sitting between the front railings and the dads standing behind them, pretty sure health and safety these days would have a heart attack.

I never see the cage in the north west corner open but later read that it closed after it kicked off massively up there with ManU, not sure how true that is though.

boleynkid 12:24 Sun Dec 27
Re: The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

Seem to remember standing there a couple of times and I seem to recall it actually being known as "The Cage" rather than shelf or anything else.

Annony 12:37 Sun Dec 27
Re: The shelf in the north-west corner of the North Bank

Before my time, but according to some old un's on here Man Utd trouble in NB was 67 so remained open for another ten years according to OP. I was in NB Man Utd 74 and trouble was all SB.

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