John Hope RIP

[loyalblade95]

before my time but like with hodgy my dad remembers him, class goalkeeper thoughts go out to his family R.I.P John

 

[Grappler]

He used to have a Gonk (don't ask)in his goal as a lucky omen and a Wendy player kicked it at Hillsborough so John grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. The Wendy not the Gonk

What the fuck was a "Gonk" ?

Gonks were hairy kids toys from the late 60's and early 70's, different ones but I remember the troll type

 

[Grappler]

I think these were also called Gonks in the early 70's

 

[Blade56]

RIP big fella, I always believed you when you thought wet spam fiddled with their floodlights!

Sad loss

 

[Harry's Game]

Just before my time, he played in the era I most wished I'd seen,

Once asked my old dad about him years ago when we were watching an old United video and he said started off really well but then suddenly went rapidly off form and never got back to his best, he also said anyone was going to struggle to be a keeper at the Lane Imediately following Hodkinson.

 

[Kelso]

One of the greatest saves I ever saw was made by John Hope, remiscent of the Gordon Banks save against Pele,
One of my Heros, so sad.

 

[Silent Blade]

You will have seen him on tv many times. He was the keeper in that George Best's goal that is shown on tv over and over again!

 

[Willie Carlin]

RIP John.

Went to Johns first game for United away at Oxford. Impressed the way he caught crosses. Came home on the same traits as him and had a good chat with him. RIP John Hope

 

[BerksBlade]

John was just taking over from Hodgy when I started to go regularly - it was always going to be tough to follow Hodgy in the United goal. As others have said, he did seem to lose confidence at one point, but he'll always be remembered for being part of "that" team.
RIP John.

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

Some good memories of John Hope playing for us,god bless you John.

 

[COME BACK CHED]

As a kid i always remember him singing along with the Kop , Going up going up going up , with Big John clapping his big hands .

 

[Blackheath Blade]

RIP ,like I said in the shoutbox ,not the best keeper weve had but part a big part of the best side weve had.
Hope ,badger ,Hemsley ,Flynn ,Colquhoun ,Hockey ,Woodward ,Salmons ,Dearden ,Currie , Reece should all be regarded as Sheffield united legends if there is such a thing.

Echo these sentiments from Sitwell.

I'm hoping that someone on here (Walthamstow Blade?) can post one of the most iconic photographs of our recent history, of John raising his arms aloft to the Blades behind his goal after we'd scored again at the other end against Cardiff in the 5 - 1 victory that more or less sealed promotion that amazing night.

Great memories of the big man, God bless and condolences to your family and friends.

 

[finlaytheblade]

John Hope was responsible for one of the best saves I ever saw - Roger Hynd of Birmingham met a corner in front of the Kop, and Hopey didn't just save it, he caught it at full stretch.

Rest in peace, big fella, and thanks.

GBS

I remember that save well George, at the kop end Hynd headed the ball and it seemed an eternity before John Hope clutched the ball at full stretch.
Everyone went quite for an instant and then the cheers rang out loud and clear,one of the best saves I have witnessed. I think the score was 1-0 at
the time,we went on to win 3-0 but that save came at an important time.

 

[Silent Blade]

Went to Johns first game for United away at Oxford. Impressed the way he caught crosses. Came home on the same traits as him and had a good chat with him. RIP John Hope

I was at that game too. I remember my dad being impressed with how Hope handled the crosses as it had been months since we had a keeper that confident at going for crosses. My dad often stood up from his seat to applaud the catches Hope made

 

[Silent Blade]

The reunion 5 years ago

 

[originaltrueblade]

Very sad news....we forget all the old players are getting older. He replaced my boy hood hero all those long years ago. He was not very old RIP John

 

[spongebobblade]

Just a few years before my time watching the blades but played his part in a team I wish I had the pleasure of having seen

RIP John

 

[sitwell]

The reunion 5 years ago

Badger-Salmons-Dearden-TC-Hope -Colquhoun
? Woody, Ted ,Flynn and Ford ?

 

[Silent Blade]

Badger-Salmons-Dearden-TC-Hope -Colquhoun
? Woody, Ted ,Flynn and Ford ?

Badger-Salmons-Dearden-TC-Hope -Colquhoun
Goodall (physio), Crawford ,Flynn, Staniforth and Ford

Hemsley and Hodgy were there too. Hodgy had left early (he was still keeper coach at Oxford and probably didnt want to be home too late as Oxford had a match in next day. Hemsley was probably at the bar unaware about the photos being taken. Woody was too ill to travel from USA. Powell, Addison, Barlow and Tudor couldnt make the evening. Heaton, Reece and Hockey had passed away before the reunion

 

[Silent Blade]

At Leicester 18th Sept 1971

 

[Matty]

John Hope, Newcastle United’s cover keeper in the 1969 European Fairs Cup final, has died suddenly at the age of 67.

John, who suffered from Parkinson’s Disease, was found dead in bed at his Stockton home.

Born in Shildon, John played for Darlington before Newcastle signed him in March of 69 for £8,000.

He was understudy to Willie McFaul and only played one first-team match at Manchester City before he was transferred to Sheffield United along with David Ford in exchange for John Tudor.

However John became a star at Bramall Lane being a regular first-teamer and helping them win promotion to the top flight in 1971.

Alan Foggon, who scored for Newcastle in the second leg of the Fairs Cup final in Budapest, arranged a do for John Hope at the Irish Club in Newcastle in January which was attended by several of his old team mates including Tony Currie and David who came up from Sheffield.

It raised £3,500 for John, who lived by himself, with a further £1,000 going to the Parkinson’s charity.

“John was a lovely man and we’re all shocked at the news,” Foggon told me. “We hold regular meetings in Newcastle for the old apprentices and reserve players from our era and John always came up on the bus from Stockton to attend despite having Parkinson’s.

“It’s so sudden it has caught us all out. He was a very popular member of our Fairs Cup squad.”

John’s two sons also played in the Football League.


In January 1971, Sheffield United exchanged striker John Tudor for Hope and forward David Ford.[7] Hope went straight into the starting eleven, replacing former England international goalkeeper Alan Hodgkinson. Of his home debut, in a 2–1 defeat of Luton Town on 6 February, the Guardian's correspondent wrote that he made some fine saves but "had a lot on his plate following the popular and long-serving Hodgkinson".[8] He kept his place as Sheffield United went on to clinch promotion to the First Division at the end of the season, with a run of results that included seven consecutive clean sheets, a club record that stood until beaten byMark Howard more than 40 years later.[9] According to team-mate Tony Currie, Hope "was a top line player who, like everyone else made a couple of mistakes, but because of his position they were highlighted more than the rest of us. John, though, had the heart of a lion. He was one of the bravest I've ever seen."[9]

After Peter Shilton injured a finger, Hope received a late call-up to the England under-23 squad for a January 1972 fixture against Wales, but Phil Parkes, originally selected as substitute for Shilton, played in the match.[10] Despite a poor performance in a 5–0 home defeat by Arsenal at the end of the month,[11][12] coinciding with unfounded rumours about his lifestyle, Hope was in Sheffield United's team for the next League match, a 3–3 draw with Manchester City,[13] and received a second call-up to the U23 squad, again as understudy to Parkes with Shilton injured.[12] He kept the starting place for most of that season,[14] but played relatively little thereafter. In January 1975, the Daily Mirror reported that Hope had been available on a free transfer for three months, no offers had come in for him, and although he would be willing to play part-time in order to remain in football, he was intending to give up the game and resume working as a welder.[2] He spent the 1975–76 season with Hartlepool United in the Fourth Division,[15] and then moved into non-league football with Whitby Town.


Sad news, he was one of my first Blades heroes.RIP

Rip John

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

RIP ,like I said in the shoutbox ,not the best keeper weve had but part a big part of the best side weve had.
Hope ,badger ,Hemsley ,Flynn ,Colquhoun ,Hockey ,Woodward ,Salmons ,Dearden ,Currie , Reece should all be regarded as Sheffield united legends if there is such a thing.

Wonderful side, and great memories. Sadly 4 of whom are no longer with us. RIP Big John.

 

[LSF]

He used to have a Gonk (don't ask)in his goal as a lucky omen and a Wendy player kicked it at Hillsborough so John grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. The Wendy not the Gonk

What the fuck was a "Gonk" ?

David Sunley, Hopey nearly throttled the twat.
RIP Big John.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

He used to have a Gonk (don't ask)in his goal as a lucky omen and a Wendy player kicked it at Hillsborough so John grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. The Wendy not the Gonk

What the fuck was a "Gonk" ?

Ignore the other two - this was a Gonk

 

[Shalalalafenoughty]

I'm very sorry to hear this news.

John Hope was an integral part of that great side, the United side most fondly remembered by older Blades.

He replaced Hodgy at a very important time. Hodgy's form had gone downhill and it was affecting the defence's confidence to such an extent that our season was in danger of going off the rails, just like it had the previous year at the same stage. Hope was physically bigger and was a real character who immediately instilled confidence in the defence and established a rapport with the crowd from the moment he made his home debut in that big game against Luton. He played well in that match and, memorably, refused to watch TC's missed penalty, preferring to crouch in the back of his net facing the amused Kop as TC lined it up at the Bramall Lane end.

He was great in the run-in to promotion, playing in every game as seven consecutive clean sheets were kept and only two goals conceded in the last ten games. And nobody who saw that save in the tension-packed game against Birmingham will ever forget it. He did well to reach the ball but to hold onto it at full stretch in mid-air was phenomenal.

And he was great in the early part of the following season as we took the top flight by storm, with victories to nil over the likes of Leeds at home and Everton and Arsenal away. You can't fluke these things.

He did lose confidence and form and the home defeat to Arsenal was probably the lowest point although the Man City 3-3 draw shown on MOTD wasn't great either. He took a bit of stick from some in the crowd - we've always had that element - but he deserves to be remembered as a great character and as someone without whom we probably - and I don't think that's too strong a word - wouldn't have been promoted in 1971.

RIP, John.

 

[BladeFisher]

At Leicester 18th Sept 1971

That is the keeper's kit I got. Even remember those gloves! Keepers wear green (except internationals where its yellow) not this multi-coloured swap shop bollocks.

Shorts the same as the outfield and of course 'numero uno' on the left leg of them.

 

[boo radley]

Really sad. when you're a kid you always think all your side is the best. You see brilliant saves and think "yeah he'll be the next England keeper". It is sometimes good to remember how you thought as a kid.
Thanks John and rest in peace.

 

[Partaloablade]

Very sad news.
Absolutely key to gaining promotion, taking crosses and making super saves that Hodgy (my all time favourite keeper) would no longer have been able to do.

 

[Eskimo]

Na na na SUFC. Na na na SUFC

 

[Hartley Hare]

Sad news.

Nice to read on these here pages about a past player, that well respected forum members have a good word to say about.

Quite refreshing in these modern times.

HH