'Memries' Topless Kop

[South London Blade]

Couple of photos just posted on Facebook that I've never seen before showing the Shoreham without a roof vs Norwich in 1991.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Amazingly, somebody at the Club thought "That magnificent structure is so fine it must be preserved. Take away the bulldozers lads, we're going to stick some seats on top of it. A new roof with big white poles supporting it and jobs a good 'un".

 

[Barney]

And there was me expecting a crowd of shirtless blokes.

 

[itsinyerblood]

And there was me expecting a crowd of shirtless blokes.

Wrong forum Barney.

 

[Booker4]

View attachment 20687

Amazingly, somebody at the Club thought "That magnificent structure is so fine it must be preserved. Take away the bulldozers lads, we're going to stick some seats on top of it. A new roof with big white poles supporting it and jobs a good 'un".

I didn't got on the kop before it was seated, although I did attend the Lane when it was still there on numerous occasions, but I am fairly sure that the existing kop is not the original one you see there, just with a roof on. The aisles are not the same, and the standing kop is definitely smaller than the present. Looking at the photo, there appears to be a concorse about half way up too?

Great photo, and we won that day too didn't we! Agana got both I think.

 

[Trigger Blade]

And there was me expecting a crowd of shirtless blokes.

Or at least one of the Village People.....

 

[Boxer Blade]

Pitch looks in a state, got so used to our desso pitch forgot how bad it used to be, progress eh.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

I didn't got on the kop before it was seated, although I did attend the Lane when it was still there on numerous occasions, but I am fairly sure that the existing kop is not the original one you see there, just with a roof on. The aisles are not the same, and the standing kop is definitely smaller than the present. Looking at the photo, there appears to be a concorse about half way up too?

Great photo, and we won that day too didn't we! Agana got both I think.

Well if somebody actually designed and built the current Kop stand from scratch they want taking out and shooting!
I have read on here before that they just put seats on the existing mound of earth as it was too expensive to dig it out?
Also rumours of WW2 bombs possibly being in there although that sounds a bit more unlikely.

 

[itsinyerblood]

Well if somebody actually designed and built the current Kop stand from scratch they want taking out and shooting!
I have read on here before that they just put seats on the existing mound of earth as it was too expensive to dig it out?
Also rumours of WW2 bombs possibly being in there although that sounds a bit more unlikely.

Agree, with the necessary expertise a stand could be built that reflects the need to create supporter involvement. Remove the current supports, provide a 360 degree view of the game, and ensure that a tiered stand isn't that far back that it lacks atmosphere. The crucial element in this is that supporters feel close enough to what's happening on the pitch to act as the mythic 12th man.

 

[DifferentClass]

I didn't got on the kop before it was seated, although I did attend the Lane when it was still there on numerous occasions, but I am fairly sure that the existing kop is not the original one you see there, just with a roof on. The aisles are not the same, and the standing kop is definitely smaller than the present. Looking at the photo, there appears to be a concorse about half way up too?

Great photo, and we won that day too didn't we! Agana got both I think.

The incline (reminds me a bit of the roofless stand at the old Dell) is definitely no longer there, but I think they preserved some of the old Kop under the new one. Partial rebuild.

 

[Bladesway]

Wrong forum Barney.

These days where people put shit everywhere Barney is probably right to be searching here

 

[BushBlade]

Well if somebody actually designed and built the current Kop stand from scratch they want taking out and shooting!
I have read on here before that they just put seats on the existing mound of earth as it was too expensive to dig it out?
Also rumours of WW2 bombs possibly being in there although that sounds a bit more unlikely.

I'd guess it was mainly for cost reasons. Not ideal but not as stupid as designing a stadium for athletics and trying to use it for football.

 

[JJ Sefton]

If memory serves the aim was to get the stand up to the minimum standard required post-Hillsborough as cheaply as possible.

 

[TomHeffernan]

I remember it being red hot that day. Doesn't look it on the pics. Agana had just come back from injury if I remember right.

 

[snootyfenooty]

The old kop corner looked better before they redeveloped it. How the hell did they manage to do that?

 

[sitwell]

I didn't got on the kop before it was seated, although I did attend the Lane when it was still there on numerous occasions, but I am fairly sure that the existing kop is not the original one you see there, just with a roof on. The aisles are not the same, and the standing kop is definitely smaller than the present. Looking at the photo, there appears to be a concorse about half way up too?

Great photo, and we won that day too didn't we! Agana got both I think.

There was a concourse the full width of the Kop ,the trick was to get in early when you were little and stand on the top which was about 4 foot deep(seemed 20 foot when you were 7)

 

[Patient Bus]

The new kop was built on top of the old one. They didn't use any of the steps or anything just covered over with the new concrete sections. I remember going to look during building which is why there is no concourse under the stand. It was indeed a hot day remember getting sun burnt.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Where's the big Blades flag?

Remember someone at that match unfurled a massive flag over everyone's head.
Then some fans were climbing into it and using it as a slide. Oh the days ha ha.

 

[Wards]

Agree, with the necessary expertise a stand could be built that reflects the need to create supporter involvement. Remove the current supports, provide a 360 degree view of the game, and ensure that a tiered stand isn't that far back that it lacks atmosphere. The crucial element in this is that supporters feel close enough to what's happening on the pitch to act as the mythic 12th man.

Definitely don't need a 360 degree view, unless we're bringing Nigel Adkins back.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Looking from the Bramall Lane end, I always stood to the left of the goal towards half way up ( X marks the spot). That pic was taken too early for me to be in the ground. And my head got burnt that day.

 

[I should coco]

Remember someone at that match unfurled a massive flag over everyone's head.
Then some fans were climbing into it and using it as a slide. Oh the days ha ha.

'Andy' (you know who you are) had it made for the day. Then he did a bigger one that we occasionally took away.

Best ever spot of our 'big flag' was away at the Pig in 1992.



You can see it in the corner of the Lep/ North Stand on the above clip. Andy gave the stewards some line about he had official club permission to set it up and the silly sods believed him.

He carried it in on his own in the dry. It pissed it down all night and took about ten of us to get it back to the car, in the days when there was only wool/cotton and we all wore clogs.

 

[JordoBlade]

I wasn't sure if I was excited by this post or the exact opposite. On one hand I thought there'd be some beautiful darling female blades with there bangers out and on the other I had visions of Tango on the uncleans kop end,

 

[Booker4]

https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/yorkshire/blades-to-kickstart-bramall-lane-redevelopment

Whilst we're on the subject of the kop, I wonder if the redevelopment that was talked about over recent years is still afloat? The attached article is over a year old now.

 

[grafikhaus]

I didn't got on the kop before it was seated, although I did attend the Lane when it was still there on numerous occasions, but I am fairly sure that the existing kop is not the original one you see there, just with a roof on. The aisles are not the same, and the standing kop is definitely smaller than the present. Looking at the photo, there appears to be a concorse about half way up too?

Great photo, and we won that day too didn't we! Agana got both I think.

11th May, 1991.

​

Source.

 

[Kenilworth]

11th May, 1991.

View attachment 20706​

Source.

I can see me in there, just up from the goal as we see it, about 3/4 of the way up

 

[Russ]

I was there too. Got a Reight sun tan that day!

 

[spongebobblade]

Looking from the Bramall Lane end, I always stood to the left of the goal towards half way up ( X marks the spot). That pic was taken too early for me to be in the ground. And my head got burnt that day.

View attachment 20690

I used to stand just behind you SEB above the concorse. Well within spitting distance. Remember me and my mate having a Tesco bag full of cut up newspaper after Sabella had signed. Not quite 78 World Cup style but we thought our tickatape was the dogs bollocks

 

[Kenilworth]

Looking from the Bramall Lane end, I always stood to the left of the goal towards half way up ( X marks the spot). That pic was taken too early for me to be in the ground. And my head got burnt that day.

View attachment 20690

I fully suspect that you and I have bounced about and bumped into each other during goal celebrations without ever realising that we'd prat around on an internet forum together, 25 years later.

 

[Kenilworth]

I was there too. Got a Reight sun tan that day!

I can see from your avar

Hair in lovely condition, too.

 

[HighfieldBlade]

I thought this would be a thread about the female streaker when Bassett was in charge. I remember she ran over to kiss him or summat.