by Rex Robinson
Our Georgia Football Traditions, “The Tracks”
Very few traditions can match the uniqueness, and the craziness of The University of Georgia’s “Tracks”. If you are under 40 or so, you might not understand. To use the old saying, You may think you know, but you have no idea! There was no feeling quite like coming down East Campus to the back side of Sanford Stadium and here the fans that had been camped out waiting for the Dawgs to play on Saturday.
I am one of those that never got to experience the tracks. I only attended games before my playing days as a recruit…and I’m not sure a recruit could have handled the hard core folks up there. On the flip-side I played in the last game prior to the closing of that end of the Stadium. The Georgia Tech game of 1980 was it.
I have heard quite a few stories, but I want to hear yours. Please keep your comments clean, because I want to approve them to share with everyone.
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about 11 months ago
Hmm… I have a few memories. Well, maybe memory of memories. I attended GA from 76-80. I don’t recall being in the stadium often but I know I went to every single home game. So I guess I was there
My favorite experience occurred early one Saturday morning, just after sun up. We had spent the night partying on the tracks (what a night!) and were just waking up from our stupor, when an old car pulled up on east campus in front of everyone on the tracks, a old woman jumps out of the car, dressed in an old cheerleader outfit (or was it pajamas?), arm in a cast, hair disheveled, she then proceeds to lead everyone in a cheer! Don’t recall the details, but it might have been, “Give me G, give me E…” That was priceless!
I also recall that any fan from the opposing side that walked by did so at their own peril! I recall distinctly, everyone chanting “DOG FOOD! DOG FOOD!” to them.
Lastly I recall, the undercover cops arresting girls for peeing in the cemetery while the guys were left alone as we wouldn’t even bother to be that modest!
Someone needs to put a book together. There must be 100’s of these stories!
One last thing, I read elsewhere an article that portrayed the “track people” in a pretty negative light. Yes there was the occasional ruckus (worst I saw was some drunk fell from some height and landed on top of someone), but for the most part things were remarkably in check. That environment could never exist or be allowed to exist today.
about 11 months ago
Schooly,
I’m sorry that I never made it out there with y’all. For some reason it just didn’t sound like fun to me at the time. It seems like every home game weekend there were big and unique stories from you guys every Saturday night and Sunday after a night and day at the tracks. I knew I was missing out, but I was “technically married” as you know and already didn’t have the freedoms I needed at the time. I can state with fact that “You were there!” because of the things I heard afterwards.
Your forever friend,
Danny ‘80
about 11 months ago
Hey Rex,
I was a track fan! I have sat in the same seats (still do) for most of my life in the stadium! But, my years at UGA 77 – 80! I only sat on the tracks! Always had some “guys” do the camp out the night before. So, we always had a great spot! We were some of those that brought Mom-ers old sofa there for comfort. And we had a LOT of fun! Wouldnt give anything for the track experience! It was Great! There were plenty of consumables there for all to share or not! Good people! I have some pictures from the AJC, that were taken at that last game!
Go Dawgs!!! Julien
about 11 months ago
I attended many games on the tracks from ‘77 through ‘80. We would sell our student tickets for booze and go to the tracks…I don’t remember much but in my mind this is where the freaks went, not the greeks. It was definitely a party place and I mean HARD partying, mucho booze, rowdyness, and general youth craziness, but not much trouble except the ocassional fall down the hill, or thrown bottle down onto the road (forgot name of the road)…if I remember the drinking age was 18 then….I spent the night there several times and got better spots but mainly arrived early in the am with stocked cooler and sat up near the top in the gravel, dirt, broken glass, cooler shards with my blanket and friends…much better than any seat inside! I would not trade these memories for any forgettable stadium seat! Some people would set up scaffolding with flags and other adornment for their “skybox” seats. Boy the memories….and I remember the sadness when they boxed Sanford in. I graduated, moved out of state and have not been to a game since the tracks!! Shame on me!!
about 11 months ago
Chris,
Thanks for sharing your memories. Where are you now?
about 11 months ago
Thanks for all of the stories, y’all. I wish I’d experienced the view from the tracks but I was a couple of decades late. Does anyone have any more pictures or videos either of or from the tracks?
about 1 year ago
The tracks were alot of fun…but one had to be careful and not just a little bit savy! Throngs of BullDawg faithful spending the night partying on the tracks the night before gameday got to be dicey at times. The Satuday that Dooley surprized “The Bear” between the hedges was one of them. A fairly drunken fan bounced a beer bottle off the head of my future wife (then a co-ed at Augusta Medical College)….precipationg a trip to Saint Marys for a few stiches. The culprit was dragged bodily down the side of that hill by surounding fans and turned over to security. He looked as if he had slid off a motorcyle at a high rate of speed. Fan juctice? I think at times the picnics at the cemetary were laid back affars … the kind of Saurday’s our Grandparents spent. The tracks were beginning to get rowdy and I believe The University was becoming concerned. But HEY it was great to be a Bulldog during that era!
about 1 year ago
I have two different stories to share. The first is a build on the story from the ‘76 Bama game. The crowd did indeed gather on Wednesday, and since I was living in Reed Hall we got to follow their antics up close. The most impressive thing I saw was a group that erected scaffolding abreast of the tracks to raise their sightlines by about 8-10 feet. As if that were not enough, they hoisted up a couple of recliners and a keg of beer to make it just like home.
In ‘79, my girlfriend (now wife) had graduated and therefore could no longer get student tickets. We were too poor to buy a regular ticket, so we saw every game from the tracks. We’d get a case of PBR, park my ‘66 Ford on River Road in some frat’s front yard and walk to the tracks. It was so crowded we’d watch the game standing on top of the cooler (all of about two square feet). We watched that whole miserable season from the top of that cooler, which we still have 30 years later.
about 1 year ago
I only saw one game from the tracks and I was a kid. My uncle a UGA alum wanted to see us play Auburn that had a QB named Pat Sullivan and a receiver named Terry Beasley. It was an impressionable day. The party was going on when we got there at about 7am (we lived in Macon so we left home at about 5am). I remember stopping in one of the small towns on the way and buying some boxes of home-made fried chicken. My uncle explained that once we got there we couldn’t leave for drinks or food. Initially our seats weren’t very good but as folks passed out or slid down the hill our position got better. Georgia played a heck of a game that day but couldn’t overcome the offensive combination. I remember how sick I felt after the game that we had lost but I felt a comraderie with all of the people on the hill because we had put so much effort in to trying to get our beloved Dawgs to win. It’s an experience I will never forget.
about 1 year ago
great times, as a 19 yr old we made it up for a big game with the great #34 in our presence, dont even remember who we played, one of my craziest buds went down hill to relieve himself and as herschel busted loose my pal was trying to run up hill to see with his pants around his ankles, didnt get far and i remember him cussing up a storm,as he missed the run,still gotta laugh
about 1 year ago
That’s awesome…thanks for leaving a comment.
about 1 year ago
Hello Rex.
I have vauge memories of the tracks, as I only went once when I was 5 years old. I remember a fight breaking out and being scared. I penned an article about the tracks if you are interested.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/108668-georgia-football-now-has-an-official-curse/show_full
Good times.
Go DAWGS!
about 1 year ago
I was in the stands for the 1980 Tech game. It would have been to hard to run on the field from the tracks. Truly the last time the tracks were used to watch Georgia football was the Spring G-day game where they could still see through the construction.
I only attended one game on the tracks. Got there early AM to get a good seat with my styrofoam cooler of beer. I fell down the backside of the hill when I went to find a place to remove excess fluids. A few scratches and abrasions. Some fan during a show of passionate support of the Dawgs jumped up and fell on my styrofoam cooler, rendering the cooling process useless. At some point in time, I noticed there was a football game going on. Somehow I made it back home, not sure how.
I did get to see your final game in the little town of New Orleans Rex. Children laughed and grown men cried.
about 1 year ago
I have many memories of the tracks, among them the 21-0 whipping of Bama, which stands out alone for having to get there so early for a game seat. You had to get there on Thursday before the game to get one and I think we went through 18 cases before kick off. Also the memories of all the beer and spirits that I consumed there, well, maybe I probably forgot a few of them. It was always interesting when opposing teams fans tried to get a seat, because they usually were gone in a few minutes, especially if they did not behave. The tracks were a one of a kind game experience and I’m proud I was able enjoy that atmosphere a number of times. Go Dawgs!
about 1 year ago
Usually when a train would come through during a game, the folks on the track would move and let it pass. During the ‘Bama game in ‘76, however, they wouldn’t budge. They’d been out there since Wednesday!
The engineer stopped the locomotive, and folks scrambled up on top for a better view. He just stood outside the engine and watched the game with them.
And, I’m sure you’ve seen this letter from Erk. It still give’s me chills … a voice from the grave. Woof!
Gentlemen,
The football season of 80′ will be my seventeenth as a Georgia Bulldog. During this time there have been many thrilling Saturdays of competition, each with its individual memories, because each game has its own personality. There are two Saturday traditions and experiences which have remained basically the same throughout the years for me and I would like to share them with you.
The first one concerns the RAILROAD TRACK CROWD. These are my people because they love the Dogs almost as much as I do. Oh, I know they do some crazy things- like turn over our opponents’s buses sometimes and now and then they throw one another down the bank and into the street below. But they stamp out Kudzu and they pull for us to win and that ain’t bad. If you can get off the bus to cheers of THE RAILROAD TRACK CROWD and walk down those steps to the dressing room and not be inspired to play football as best you possibly can, something important is missing beneath the Georgia jersey you wear. It is impossible not to be inspired. They choke me up! The season of 1980 will be the last for THE RAILROAD TRACK CROWD. A great Georgia tradition will have passed with the new addition to our stadium. The view from the tracks will be no more. Your team will be the last Georgia Team to be greeted and cheered by the RAILROAD TRACK CROWD. Wouldn’t it be fitting if their last team was also the best Georgia Team ever. Think about it!
Another Saturday tradition which has meant so much to me over the years can be stated very simply. “THERE AIN’T NOTHING LIKE BEING A BULLDOG ON SATURDAY NIGHT—–AFTER WINNING A FOOTBALL GAME.” I mean like whipping Tennessee’s ass to start with, then ten more and then another one.
This is the game plan. We have no alternate plan.
Sincerely,
Erk Russell
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erk_Russell
about 1 year ago
Thank you!
about 1 year ago
I am just (barely) too young to have experienced the tracks firsthand. But growing up in Athens, we passed by them on the way to church each Sunday. On fall Sundays after any home game, the tracks were littered with empty 12 ounce bottles of courage. Each of which were undoubtedly used to fend off trains who had the audacity to pass by Sanford DURING a game.
According to my uncle who “studied” in Athens at the time, these trains were pushed back by hundreds of Dawg fans hunkering down in a way only Erk Russell could be proud of.
I remember the “closing” of the stadium being a very big deal. Especially to those who had defended the tracks for all those years.
about 1 year ago
What happened on the Tracks Stays on the Tracks. I’ll tell You Later
about 1 year ago
You don’t have to name names…or even tell the worst (or best) part of the stories depending on how you look at it. There has to be some good stories out there that won’t end in divorce or prosecution.
about 1 year ago
I’ll tell You at the Luau, I don’t wanna Incrimanate myself where the world can Read it.