Eastville Stadium, Bristol Rovers 1979

Following an agreement with the copyright holder reproduced here is short film footage of a number of English and Scottish Football grounds taken during the 1979/1981 seasons. The original Cine film was shot in Super 8 format in colour and last approximately 90 seconds the quality is variable. (This version 640x480).
The footage captures the scene in and around grounds revealing the stands and terraces and they are a unique snapshot of crucially how the grounds appeared at the time before some of which disappeared forever or had yet to be redeveloped. Clubs not featured were either never filmed or they refused permsission to film at their ground.
They can be viewed following the links below and the screen size of the clip can be changed using the controls on the bottom right hand side of the google viewer. In providing these clips all I ask is that you respect the copyright holder and do not edit or redistribute any of the footage but links back to this post are fine.
Thanks to the Internet Football Ground Guide for their support.

[@johnbristow5665]

Glad the last floodlight got such a touching send off! Great bit og why footy is such a warming hobby

[@tartantony08]

love it takes me back the good days rovers and speedway .

[@josephinebailey1253]

I rem it well, went there with my dad regularly as a kiddie back in the 70s, he was a die hard Rovers supporter!! Sadly we lost him a week ago today💔right up until the end he wanted to know how Rovers did after their match, he would ring my brother to find out if he couldn't get to watch the game.....

[@pauldoyle2554]

I went here once as a kid of 11 in the 80's when I followed Bradford City. I still remember that day well, it hammered it down all day so we went in the home end as the away end was open. Rovers beat us 2-0

[@123Scears123]

My God! That almost reduced me to tears. This was my childhood and youth!

[@flashdance5574]

Me too worked there in early 80s. Star rooms, Beaufort rooms ,dog racing sat nights and best of all the true blue club. Best days of my life.

[@226pya]

OUR TRUE HOME - HAPPY DAYS !!!

[@chrisjenkins7049]

It was run-down but it was where we played. First went to Eastville in the early 80's as a kid. It was awe inspiring at the time, it seemed to be so big from my view in the North Enclosure. Makes me sad when I watch this video, Eastville in my heart.

[@glennbaker5430]

tote end great days

[@irnickkkknowles]

Not to mention the heady stench of burgers and shit wafting over from the portaloos behind the North Enclosure...

[@robbrowne5184]

loved the place , first time on the tote was Sat 28th Sep 1974 lost 3.1 against Blackpool and was hitched from that moment. ended up watching from north stand enclosure when the football casual scene started. Also done work for the supporters club like selling programmes when I was a kid and also done a season as a ball boy 1978/79 .still can recall the true blue club, the dogs and the speedway on a Friday. great times and even greater memories..ROVERS TILL BY LAST BREATH ...

[@joolspirog]

Where many of us had a rite of passage. Hard to watch now.

[@jamiedoyle3147]

when the game had soul

[@iancipsher7978]

Not just a football ground,the Tote was a way of life.Its creepy-like a ghost haunting Ikea..SMILER

[@flashdance5574]

Worked here in the 80s, true blue club, star rooms, dog racing, best days of my youth, and the music is so haunting,

[@rogerlewis7984]

I was part of the bugle boys at all home games so many good memoirs

[@1061andy]

lovely clip - saw speedway there in 78

[@qubesquared]

Blimy, Eastville Stadium! This takes me back lol.

[@davidrowe7967]

Still the nearest Rovers will ever get to owning a new stadium!

[@rybolfc]

Proper old fashioned stadium!

[@Albion102]

I even remember those adverts. That was my childhood too.

[@mjwilcox1]

There's a clip there where it says 1.3 per ticket. Having done a degree in Economics and working for 7 years in statistics and database related fields I had to get the calculator out. This would work out as £5 in today's money so at £16 up the Mem ticket prices are over 3 times more expensive than they were back then!

[@roverssue]

my dad played here, Mavis the tea lady in the Tote End, Alfie Biggs running his car lot on the side 1959, wish I could have gone, only have his stories now, too young to have been there but hey it lives on......

[@brendan697]

Haunting music

[@waverunner3911]

The only good thing to come out of Eastville stadium, was Friday night, speed way night

[@MrBazzabee]

I'm not a BR fan but I do remember Smash n' Grab ..Bruce Bannister and Alan Warboys !!

[@stevemcconnell8708]

Went there once about 79/80 with qpr sure there was a motorway or flyover right next to the away end?

[@stevebennett8996]

Come on me babbers! An elegy to a long-lost time, losing to Arsenal in the FA Cup 3rd with 30000 in the ground and the floodlit replay versus the Robins, what (depressing) memories.

[@stevethomas5849]

What it could of evolved in to could of been on a par with my teams ground can you guess. The Gas should still be there and the speedway" 2-4-6-8 who do we appreciate B- R- I- S -T -O -L Bulldogs"

[@brocanova]

American Beauty

[@glennbaker5430]

the good old days now its gone and my youth ,😥

[@Forlogson]

They weren't GREAT dreams though, were they, to be honest?

[@peterdemeteor8399]

Up The Gas!

[@kennethperry5500]

Yep spent many a saturday drunk and fivhting and the team were great i remember franky prince used to drink with us at the fullmoon fishponds much slower days back then now its dissapearing up your own backside days buckets of stress and nothing else . To Ian Bell if you are out there m8 hope you are doing ok are you still in lockleaze? Boy do i miss the SkinHead fashion

[@simonwakeling1282]

I hope you've read "Bovver" by Chris Brown...there may be some names and certainly some games you'll remember mate.

[@jamisbillson4872]

So sad seeing such wonderful old grounds demolished. They hold millions of our memories. If a Lord stayed at a country house in the 1800’s it’d be a grade listed building so wouldn’t be allowed to be demolished. But we fans don’t have the same memories!! Tories out.