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FRIGHTENED TO DEATH AT ANFIELD! Tony O’Neill | Man Utd vs Liverpool

Webby & O'Neill

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In this episode of Tony O’Neill’s Man Utd Fan Culture series, hear a first-hand account of what following Manchester United away from home was really like in a very different era of English football. Tony later describes what he witnessed at Anfield that day as “pure fear” and explains how those experiences shaped the way United supporters became organised throughout the 1970s.

Subscribe to Webby & O’Neill for more Manchester United fan culture, Old Trafford memories, away-day stories and first-hand accounts from Tony O’Neill’s years following United.

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Welcome to Webby & O’Neill — a Manchester United fan channel built by Reds, for Reds.

Tony O’Neill and Kieron O’Neill bring you honest United opinions, match reactions, previews, transfer talk and everything happening around Old Trafford.

The channel was created alongside our good mate Darren “Webby” Webb, who sadly passed away in August 2026. We are proud to keep the Webby & O’Neill name and everything we built together going in his memory.

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20 Comments

@WebbyONeill Creator 9 days ago Pinned

Tony describes that first trip to Anfield as “pure fear” — Could you imagine going to Anfield with no segregation and no idea how you were getting home? What’s the most intimidating away ground you’ve ever been to?

@PhantomSockRobber 8 days ago (edited)

Red Scouser here, lad. They were naughty days back then. As you well know, it was exactly the same for us in the away fixture. Every United/City fan I meet, I share this story with them. Back in about 1978, I was 13 years old. My family used to go to Pontins in Prestatyn every year. This particular year, on the very first night we were there, me and my cousin were in the disco, when a gang of about ten lads walked in. They were dressed in the Scally attire, so I immediately assumed they were Scousers. How wrong was I? They were Mancs. And bearing in mind the absolute hatred between us, I have to say that every last one of them were absolutely sound lads. They were a mix of different ages, probably between 15 to 20. Me and my cousin spent the whole week hanging around with them. I can't remember any of their names, but I did spot a couple of them a few years later in a police escort along Scotty Road on their way to Goodison. Fair play to those lads, cos truth be told, they could have made our holiday a fucking nightmare if they chose to.

@merasmussen82 9 days ago

This is it lads, you've cemented your status as the only United YouTube channel worth watching. Which other creators can share stories like this?

@dontynan2256 8 days ago

At last, something about United genuinely interesting from one who was there!!! Puts all the other, flip flop, greedy, grifter youtube channel creators to shame....Living legend!!!

@richiea1977 4 days ago

Had that sense of fear in the 80s on a few occasions when I was a kid going with Liverpool
Youre just kind of frozen, tensed up and staring as if youve got something on your mind and youre not taking any notice. You know theres gonna be nothing you can do.
Character building to say the least

Great channel this Tony
Youve got the knack for recalling your memories very well

@Trueblue68-d2w 8 days ago

Wow,this brought back so many memories,I'm a 73 year old city fan and i sometimes try and explain to my two sons just what it was like in the late sixties and the 1970s.yes the eighties was bad,but by then the police had got their act together and it wasn't as bad as the years before in my opinion.I followed city home and away in those days,and to this day i have no idea how i survived.We had a much smaller following than united ,but it didn't stop us from going into the opposing fans end,as insane as it seems now.In 1966 in city's first season back in division one i went to Anfield with my united supporting cousin,it was a night match,we hitch hiked,but found we hadn't taken enough money to get in the Anfield Road end,so w went into the so called children's pen,which ended up being in the top of the kop.I had my city scarf on and we got abuse and spat on.Liverpool went three nil up,and city scored two,and i can honestly say that that is the only time that i hoped that city would get beat,because i don't think we would have been congratulated put it that way.As the saying goes,you had to be there,that is all you can say about following your team in the late sixties and seventies,looking back i must have been mad.

@tonysumner9474 8 days ago

Your reason for being a part of Man Utd mirrored mine I lived just for those Saturdays home and away. Clashed with cocoa at Euston and bumped into Sam the fireman in Liverpool great lads and only have respect for those lads of that era.

@patrickbyrne2996 9 days ago

My first game away at anfield was the same day 1972 ian storey moore. Was our winger i also was on the special and i knew Derek whittaker went the same school and from the same area not seen him for years. But yes i never ever missed away games from 1972 onwards Anfield was always scary i would be only about 14 Good old days them

@crockettobaggio 8 days ago

Coco was a top red! I was stuck outside of Elland Road one year without a ticket to get in our end. I'd tried all day to get one but fell short. 10 mins before kick off he spotted me lurking outside with a worried look on my face and he gave me a ticket to get me in so I didn't have to be stuck outside in danger from marauding Leeds fans

@colincolman1796 9 days ago

Well said tony I went to Anfield with the cockney reds when we first came out of div and it was horrible like you said just hunted down like dogs

@Sam-SD7 9 days ago

Broooo!!! What a story. 👏👏 absolutely brilliant. Stopped doing whatever i was doing and I was there with you 😂 felt like i was in the story

@eamonnbarrett7995 8 days ago

Thanks Tony. I can listen to you about United all day.

@doinacrancher8412 9 days ago (edited)

We got attacked coming out of Anfield in 1978. The West Brom London supporters club, around 10 of us just regular supporters which included women with their husbands and a couple of kids. I was 15 at the time. It was on the walk back to Lime Street, a group of around 20 scousers came out of a side street and just attacked us, we had no chance. I also know a Southend supporter who went there in the FA cup around that time, he got beaten up twice walking back to Lime street. When he finally got to the station the same lads were hanging around, so he pointed them out to a copper who just said "its your own fault for coming", exactly as Tony says in this video.

@andychatt23 8 days ago (edited)

One of my first away games in 78, 14 years of age went with my mate without tickets, the coach dropped us off on Priory Rd walked through Stanley Park it was like the wild west.
He managed to get a ticket outside the ground I didn't, for most of the match I was chased around the ground like a scene from Benny Hill😂
RIP Coco.

@ste2442 6 days ago

Scouse red here , first two trips to old Trafford where in 88-89 and 89-90 when I was 14-15 . The absolute tension on the Barnes coach as we got on at priory road you could cut with a knife , loadsa bravado and all that . Soon as we got on the M62 the coach was quieter and quieter as he headed towards Manchester . Few scuffles on the walk the ground from game mancs diving head into the escort fists flying , absolute mad bastards . Plenty of scousers where enjoying it as much as these mancs where . Me personally was absolutely shitting my self 😂, think we won the first game there but the second time I think we got battered in the cup (3-1 I think ). After that Game it was half carnage as we had the k stand as well above the scoreboard end (I think ) so it was 10000 Liverpool .
92 at anfield was moody as well when we won 2-0 to help Leeds with the league . Nothing worse than angry mancs trying to kick you down utting avenue . Served in the army with some great Manc lads whom I’m mates with still to this day , 52 nearly now and Man United are still the ones I class as our biggest rivals , the hatred is still there but also is the grudging respect .

@paulh6213 1 day ago

Thanks Tony. Will there be similar stories from the 80s? Especially the semi final in 85

@stevenattias1803 8 days ago (edited)

Great war stories Tony. Here in New York, we just went to war inside Yankee stadium with Red Sox fans and being a Rangers fan fighting with Islanders fans at Madison Square Garden and Nassau Coliseum. It wasn't ever like your stories. Cheers from New York.

@glenmaeght8356 9 days ago

Been there know those feelings , following United coming from London , head down walk hoping to be the grey man many a time , was a relief to get out of many a situation , it’s all a massive learning curve like Tony’s saying . 🇾🇪

@Chris_p_Bacon72 8 days ago

Great story had me hooked from the beginning! So frightening how violent things were back in the 70's

@ShaunFrere1 8 days ago

Exactly the same crack at their "cousins" gaff over the park, Everton. Went with Leeds to both Mersyside clubs in the 70s and It was the same "modus operandi" by both Liverpool and Everton to get at the Leeds fans before, during and after the match. Great podcast Tony, all the best mate.