re: Were the annual AL/AU games played in Birmingham considered neutral

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So an entire TEN years before the neutral site ended? How awful that must have been for you.

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Every game I ever played in Birmingham was awful.

Driving to a stadium nestled within a sea of crimson? Yeah... that's insulting. And that's the reason you guys loved it so much and to this day still like to pretend its "neutrality".

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Every year state senators and state congressmen have the ability to buy face value Iron Bowl tickets whether the game is at Auburn or Alabama.

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Didn't know this. What a crock of shite.

(no message)

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Were the annual AL/AU games played in Birmingham considered neutral


Auburn seems to forget they played Tennessee there until 1980 sans 1974, Georgia Tech until 1970 and other non-confernce games until the mid 70's.

The fly in the ointment was some individuals or groups were able to purchase what were known as "stadium certificates" sort of like the PSL in the NFL now where they could purchase tickets to any event at Legion Field. As it turned out a lot of those people (in most years) were for Alabama. Other than that the tickets were split. Even with the stadium certificates that amount was negligible maybe 2-3,000 out of 72,000 seats through 1977 and then 78,000 through the last "split" in 1987.

I went to 3 with the 'split' 1979,1981 and 1987. For the life of me I don't recall anyone thinking "wow,this really is an Alabama home game!" In fact, I would venture to say the Auburn people got hold of the "stadium certificates" in 1987 as it seemed like they had more fans.

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This is all true. I sat in one of those gold seats under the press box in 1970 and watched Sullivan and Beasley beat Tennessee. My uncle owned them. He was not a politician and was nothing other than a citizen who made the investment and yes, they were for life to any game played there. There were not that many of these seats...maybe five or six rows running the length of the pressbox.

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I think 2010 was the first year auburn beat a decent bama team in Tuscaloosa

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Ding ding ding we have a winner! It was actually only the second time AU beat a Bama team in BDS that end the season with 10 wins. The first was the 2002 team. Which was the start of the probation sqads.

It was not neutral. As has been mentioned, the schools got their allotment but the Birmingham Parks and Recreation Board controlled a large number of tickets which they were alloted as well.

I was at 3 IBs in LF as a little kid. I would say 60/40 is about right.

It wasn't just the ticket split though. By the early 80's AU did not play any other games at LF and bama played ALL their big games their (BD was a piece of crap and small stadium). Bama was used to the field and comfortable playing there. And even playing on that turf there made a difference. I played a high school game there and it does take some adjustment. The turf there sucked arse and I fell down half a dozen times trying to make cuts in practice before our game. You have to pay attention how you even run on turf until you get used to it.

If you want the truth, look at the actions of the two schools and the results. Bama fought HARD to keep the game there for years. AU fought hard to move it. The AD at bama that agreed to move it got fired.

Then the results speak for themselves. Without the long standing home field advantage, bama started getting their arse handed to them.

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Then the results speak for themselves. Without the long standing home field advantage, bama started getting their arse handed to them.

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Yeah, THAT was it...it wasn't because Bear Bryant was in the ground, and Mike Dubose and Mike Shula were on the sidelines. It was the turf.

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Were the annual AL/AU games played in Birmingham considered neutral


It was not neutral. As has been mentioned, the schools got their allotment but the Birmingham Parks and Recreation Board controlled a large number of tickets which they were alloted as well.

I was at 3 IBs in LF as a little kid. I would say 60/40 is about right.

It wasn't just the ticket split though. By the early 80's AU did not play any other games at LF and bama played ALL their big games their (BD was a piece of crap and small stadium). Bama was used to the field and comfortable playing there. And even playing on that turf there made a difference. I played a high school game there and it does take some adjustment. The turf there sucked arse and I fell down half a dozen times trying to make cuts in practice before our game. You have to pay attention how you even run on turf until you get used to it.

If you want the truth, look at the actions of the two schools and the results. Bama fought HARD to keep the game there for years. AU fought hard to move it. The AD at bama that agreed to move it got fired.

Then the results speak for themselves. Without the long standing home field advantage, bama started getting their arse handed to them.

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Some of you guys act like a 60-40 split was some sort of Bama conspiracy with Birmingham officals. You guys crack me up. The reality is that during many years, Auburn fans just haven't wanted the tickets. Case in point: In 2009 I, an Alabama graduate and Tide Pride member, bought 4 Auburn season tickets in JHS. No donation to the athletic department, and no waiting list. Ordered them right off the website. Very funny that even after getting the Iron Bowl moved to Jordan-Hare, Auburn can't sell out their season ticket base without Alabama fans buying some of them.

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Were the annual AL/AU games played in Birmingham considered neutral



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Then the results speak for themselves. Without the long standing home field advantage, bama started getting their arse handed to them.




Yeah, THAT was it...it wasn't because Bear Bryant was in the ground, and Mike Dubose and Mike Shula were on the sidelines. It was the turf.

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And getting rid of that clown Doug Barfield probably didn't hurt them, either.