“You had to run the gauntlet and I were covered in spit and all sorts.”

Nottinghamshire miner’s son Mark is a Mansfield Town season ticket holder and even today opposing fans chant “Scabs!” at them. It’s an insult thrown because most Nottinghamshire miners didn’t strike in 1984. It’s ironic for Mark, because his dad was one of the minority that did.

But why were miners in Nottinghamshire different? And what was it like to be a working miner opposing the union’s national leadership and crossing picket lines?

Archive: Tom Pike (chanting football fans); Kinolibrary (Arthur Scargill speech); BBC.

Presenter: Mark Watson
Series Producer: Simon Maybin
Editor: Clare Fordham
Sound mix: James Beard
Production Co-ordinator: Ellie Dover
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke Show less