50,000 fans storm Ashton Gate

Memorable Matches 6
F.A.Cup Round 4 Replay. Wednesday 30th. January 1935.

Bristol City 2 Portsmouth 0

The Bristol factories, offices and schools were hit by a sudden flu epidemic and a spate of funerals on the afternoon of this F.A. Cup replay. Third Division City played mighty First Division Pompey after holding their distinguished rivals to a 0-0 draw at Fratton Park. In reaching this stage, City had beaten Gillingham, Rotherham United and Bury ( after two replays ), but now faced an even sterner test.
Ashton Gate was full to capacity an hour before the kick off, but thousands were locked outside and they managed to break open the gates, so that an estimated 50,000 were in the ground, 42,885 of whom had paid for the privilege.
My father often told me of the crowd scenes of that day and the trouble he was in, with his parents, when he returned home without his Cotham Grammar School cap which he had lost in the frenzy.
The Portsmouth team boasted ten of the side who had been losing finalists in the previous season and were fully expected to progress to a fifth round tie against Preston North End.
The hectic opening skirmishes were interrupted for five minutes as problems occurred in controlling the vast crowd, railings collapsed and hundreds of spectators spilled onto the pitch. Some fans climbed onto the roof of the covered end for a better vantage point, while others were content to remain in the eight deep throng lining the touch lines.
Possibly Pompey were intimidated by the proximity of the baying Bristolians, they did have chances particularly when Worrall broke through but Bridge rescued City with a brilliant late tackle. However City won the epic struggle with two goals in the last fifteen minutes, first Ted Harston heading home from a right wing cross by Jack Hodge, who then scored the second, in the 82nd. minute, after being given the chance by Banfield.
Portsmouth were denied in the closing minute by a brilliant save by Dolman and City progressed to Round Five.