50 years ago today, the final game at The Rockpile

[BRH]

7 hours ago, Dan Darragh said:

For the last game I remember that they played "Auld Lang Syne" on the radio broadcast when the game ended, and the fans came on the field to tear down the goalposts.  Only problem was that these were not '50s-style wooden goalposts, they were '60s-style metal ones.  Van was very concerned that someone would get hurt.

 

 

Today I learned that the goalposts used to be made out of wood.

[HOUSE]

6 minutes ago, PonyBoy said:

 

Sooo.... you actually did own a wallet at one point in your life is what you are saying? 😀

Yes but I was 15 years old. I had a paper route which paid for the ticket. At the time you had to go down to the ticket office on Main Street to renew your season ticket.

Another wasted 25 cents

[T master]

8 hours ago, LeGOATski said:

You guys are old

 

I resemble that remark 😎

[HOUSE]

9 hours ago, LeGOATski said:

You guys are old

It it wasn't for some of these old time Bills  fans who bought tickets in the lean years your team would be in Seattle. 

It's a fact

[Albany,n.y.]

I've been to 281 NFL games including 264 Bills games.  I have 2 big regrets as a football fan.

 

1) I never went to a Bills game at the Rockpile (I once went to a Bisons game there in the early 1980s).  I was in Fredonia the final 2 seasons of the Rockpile. The reason was I had heard how bad the area was & was afraid my new car wouldn't make it out alive.  In 1978 I worked the Erie County reval and spent about a month working in the neighborhood and saw how stupid my fears were.  

 

2) I lived only about 50-60 miles from the Meadowlands in 1985 and didn't go to the final USFL game.  I just didn't want to drive to NJ on a rainy day & have always regretted not going to that historic final USFL championship game.  

 

[Nextmanup]

I can't believe the condition of the field in this video!

 

It's like they didn't have a grounds crew trying to keep it nice.

 

 

[Nextmanup]

My parents had season tickets to the Rockpile in the '60s.  One of their favorite stories to tell is when my mom became pregnant with my sister (older than me; I didn't exist yet), my dad and the couple they shared tickets with had to PUSH my mom up the ramps to help her.

 

I've heard that story 1,000 times.  It's what I always think of when I think of the rock pile.

 

Also, when I was in 8th grade (I think), I played 2nd base in a baseball game at the rockpile!

 

Of course the stands were empty but it was cool playing baseball in a stadium like that.

 

Now it's pretty much all gone.

 

This is what's left: 

 

 

[Augie]

5 hours ago, nucci said:

Me too. My Dad bought seasons in '63 I think. 

 

Haven Moses was easy to like, and Butch Byrd is an all-time favorite! We had seasons back then and my dad had to go from 2 seats to 4 to avoid the fighting over who got to go with him!

 

I just got some stuff to hang in the man cave. Among the collection are matted program covers ready to be framed. Some might remember those old programs with the cartoons on the cover.  My favorite in the collection is the Dec 29, 1963 playoff game between the Bills and the Boston Patriots. Classic Bills artwork! 

1 hour ago, HOUSE said:

It it wasn't for some of these old time Bills  fans who bought tickets in the lean years your team would be in Seattle. 

It's a fact

 

Downtown or in the sticks? Would there be a dome? 

[Wacka]

6 hours ago, behind a post WMS69 said:

I went to a bunch of Bills games there, my family had season tickets and I sat "behind a post".

My grandmother also took me to a ton of Bisons games there as well.

That's probably why Highmark doesn't seem so bad to me, I've seen much worse.

If you ever saw Cleveland Municipal, you've seen worse and that one was around util the 90s.

[Dan Darragh]

5 hours ago, BRH said:

 

 

Today I learned that the goalposts used to be made out of wood.

There is much wisdom to be gained by listening to your elders

[Dopey]

Not old enough for Bills games there. I did see the Bisons there a few times. 

[Old Coot]

The Rockpile was featured in the Robert Redford film "The Natural."  They used it for the stadium shots.

[Marvin]

Anyone else wish for a few more games with mud in them?

[Marcus Aurelius]

I was at that game. And we made complete asses of ourselves ripping up the turf in search of anything to bring home as some kind of souvenir. 

Edited December 11, 2022 by Marcus Aurelius

[TampaBillsJunkie]

18 hours ago, nucci said:

I was there with my Dad

Me too. It was me and my dad, my grandpa and my two uncles. That was the first year they took me to games. I sat on the cooler and was in charge of passing out the beer and sandwiches. Back in those days you went into the stadium fully stocked and fully ready for some smash mouth football.  It was all about the game back then. Man I Ioved those days.

Edited December 12, 2022 by TampaBillsJunkie

[DCbillsfan]

14 hours ago, nucci said:

I was there with my Dad

Same 

[rockpile]

20 hours ago, I am the egg man said:

The free for all fighting for the field goal and extra pt. balls was a must watch when there.

True. I remember a guy got a ball but it came with a shiner! I saw about a dozen games there from Cookie to OJ.

[Rock Pile Guy]

Saw many games at the Rock! Saw Namath trying to win in the snow, saw Miami destroy the Bills there (what's new), saw the Snow Ball game. 

[rockpile]

13 hours ago, behind a post WMS69 said:

I went to a bunch of Bills games there, my family had season tickets and I sat "behind a post".

My grandmother also took me to a ton of Bisons games there as well.

That's probably why Highmark doesn't seem so bad to me, I've seen much worse.

 

I hated getting a seat behind a roof post. The first time I went to Rich Stadium it took my breath away.

[rockpile]

My father was one of the founding members of the Buffalo Bills Boosters Club, Inc. I have a copy of the paperwork with his signature on it. 

 

I also have his Boosters coat (see my profile for the logo). By incorporating they were independent of the Bills Backers Clubs that came later.

 

My souvenirs from the Booster days are an autographed Styrofoam football centerpiece from the Boosters 1961 Holiday party, and the Christmas newsletter, The Bills Bulletin. 

 

Those were simpler, not necessarily better days. We all have our own Bills history.

 

 

[oldmanfan]

The one memory that sticks out other than The Hit Heard Round The World was seeing guys carry cases of Genny into the Rockpile, and drink them all during the game.

Edited December 12, 2022 by oldmanfan

[Old Coot]

50 odd years from now you youngsters will be fondly recalling the Ralph and getting the same response from the younger generation.

 

As one who played on grass / mud and synthetic turf I much prefer grass / mud.  It's softer when you land on it & no rug burns.

[PromoTheRobot]

23 hours ago, HOUSE said:

Yes but I was 15 years old. I had a paper route which paid for the ticket. At the time you had to go down to the ticket office on Main Street to renew your season ticket.

Another wasted 25 cents

 

I thought it was in the lobby of the Statler Hilton?

22 hours ago, Albany,n.y. said:

I've been to 281 NFL games including 264 Bills games.  I have 2 big regrets as a football fan.

 

1) I never went to a Bills game at the Rockpile (I once went to a Bisons game there in the early 1980s).  I was in Fredonia the final 2 seasons of the Rockpile. The reason was I had heard how bad the area was & was afraid my new car wouldn't make it out alive.  In 1978 I worked the Erie County reval and spent about a month working in the neighborhood and saw how stupid my fears were.  

 

2) I lived only about 50-60 miles from the Meadowlands in 1985 and didn't go to the final USFL game.  I just didn't want to drive to NJ on a rainy day & have always regretted not going to that historic final USFL championship game.  

 

 

I went to a bunch. I was a Stars fan.

12 hours ago, oldmanfan said:

The one memory that sticks out other than The Hut Heard Round The Wold was seeing guys carry cases of Genny into the Rockpile, and drink them all during the game.

Kegs too.

Edited December 12, 2022 by PromoTheRobot