The "Pigs"

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What is absolutely undeniable in this whole debate is the high density of ' piggeries ' throughout Hillsborough and Wadsley Bridge during the 19th Century .

The Sheffield flood of 1864 sadly decimated these areas . Aside from the tragic loss of life ( over 240 lives were lost ) entire livelihoods were destroyed . A great number of insurance claims were made by small businesses in the area and what is abundantly clear is the sheer number of claims made for the loss of livestock due to the flood . The overwhelming majority of claims made were for the loss of pigs . This in itself reveals , unequivocally , the dominance of piggeries as small businesses in the area .

What this reveals of course is the fact the Hillsborough WAS built on land dominated by a number of piggeries .

The records of the claims made in the wake of the flood are in the public domain and are freely available for members of the general public to view .

Now , was the undeniable fact that Hillsborough WAS built on piggeries the reason they are known as the pigs ? Well , I'll leave you to decide . Personally speaking , for me , there's absolutely no doubt whatsoever who are the pigs and why they are called t'pigs :)

Apologies if already posted .

When do you think people started referring to each other's team as "Pigs"?
 



Never heard it in the 50's or 60's. First time i heard it was October 1973, coming back on a coach from a league cup match at West Brom.

Bert never heard it in the 70's.

He has never once referred to Wednesdayites as "Pigs" either.
 
When do you think people started referring to each other's team as "Pigs"?


I have absolutely no idea . But what I do know is this ......

I first heard the name " Pigs " being used as a term of denigration for our dearly loved friends from across the city in the late 70 's ......

I also know that our dearly beloved friends from across the cities denial that Hillsborough was built on the site of piggeries is simply untrue . It's a matter of Historical record that it was .

Sorry I can't be of any more help in this matter Bert but to be fair I did say I my original post that whether or not the matters of historical fact I outlined are the reason they are called the pigs is , for , " you to decide " .
 
I first saw this after boxing day , when we where due to play em at BDTBL .
The place that used to be the council offices in town , know The hotel ( St Paul's I think ) should know I stayed in it .
Anyway there used to be a water feature sort of under the council offices , and while walking down to the lane by the peace gardens , someone had sprayed on 3 pillows Blades kill pigs , when I used to
"Tag " around Sheffield I just used to spray Blades kill fowls with an owl with an arrow through its head , Oh and Beeffy as well so they knew who it was .
We Almost Won At Wembley . wankers
 
I have absolutely no idea . But what I do know is this ......

I first heard the name " Pigs " being used as a term of denigration for our dearly loved friends from across the city in the late 70 's ......

I also know that our dearly beloved friends from across the cities denial that Hillsborough was built on the site of piggeries is simply untrue . It's a matter of Historical record that it was .

Sorry I can't be of any more help in this matter Bert but to be fair I did say I my original post that whether or not the matters of historical fact I outlined are the reason they are called the pigs is , for , " you to decide " .

Can you actually supply the information as to what was previously on the site of their ground? Not some Internet made up crap though.
Either way don't you think that it's odd that it's has taken a hundred years for this term to be used?
 
I first heard it in the late '70s
Wendy had a long running FA Cup replay battle with Oldham - went to around 3-4 more games to settle it, I recall.
Some Wendy fans were pictured in the local papers getting friendly with the Oldham Plod - seeing them so many times in a couple of weeks, etc.
Given the Plod are also known as Pigs then the term "Pig Fans" applied to the Wendy.
"Youre just a bunch of Pig Fans" was the pejorative term, applied.
That's how I remember it being started.

Then in '78 / '79 we had the "Cantors" single red stripe (a la Ajax) with thin red and black stripes either side and the Pig Fans at school began to try to turn it around and suggest the kit looked more like bacon, therefore, we were the Pigs. Oh, how the tit for tat flowed and we did laugh about it all (bollocks did we?)

It's a simple as that. The other sutff around the old maps etc of Olwerton and Hillsborough is just urban myth.
 
Like I said, I deffo heard it in 73, it was also in the Blades fanzines in the mid 70's, so it was way before the late 70's.
 



I think it was in the 'Red and White Wizard' fanzine, probably 77-78 an article about Wednesday signing Rasher Halfcooked (Rachid Harcouk) from Crystal Palace.
 
Can you actually supply the information as to what was previously on the site of their ground? Not some Internet made up crap though.
Either way don't you think that it's odd that it's has taken a hundred years for this term to be used?

There is a link to the information ive cited , its a link to the Sheffield Archives and the relevant area in question . Ill see if i can dig it out .

For what its worth though , whilst i was conducting research of my own in the Archives back in 94/95 , id been told about this information by a friend . Whilst bored one day ( id been in there and the archives in Sheffield University for close to one month by this time ) i decided to look for it . It was surprisingly easy to find and also incredibly interesting to view . What i can say with absolute clarity is this , the information is there and is freely available to view and i know it is because ive seen it first hand .

On the subject of the " 100 year gestation period " that you mention . I dont think its odd at all if you accept that historical fact is just one of a number of disparate elements that make up the explanation as to why we call them the pigs . And it is a number of disparate elements which when taken together make the story of why we call them the pigs so compelling . For me its one of the many fascinating elements of Blade - Owls social history . Some of it is based upon fact , some myth and urban legend and some of it downright bollox and pisstaking . For me , its what makes our rivalry so compelling .
 
Bert never heard it in the 70's.

He has never once referred to Wednesdayites as "Pigs" either.

Well done then lad. Keeping on the subject of things posters have never done...i can confirm that of ive never bothered to post on a fans football forum making reference to myself as a third party. Always found that a tad egotistical myself...and maybe just a tad 'pathetic'...

As you find it all to your distaste then maybe you should just leave them that want to get on with having a bit of fun, banter, and piss taking with our feathered friends, to those who dont find it all so much beneath themselves.

Those long winter nights must just fly by in that fun loving household of the Bert family.
 
Bert, as usual, has nailed it with this one. No need for insults.
We are all for a bit of banter but the whole 'you're a pig' 'no you are' thing is just puerile nonsense.
 
Its because there badge in the early 70s looked like a pig took them 10 years to call it us
 
Bert, as usual, has nailed it with this one. No need for insults.
We are all for a bit of banter but the whole 'you're a pig' 'no you are' thing is just puerile nonsense.


Haven't you read the posts on this thread or have you read them and don't understand what's being said ?

That's a genuine question by the way not a dig
 
Bert, as usual, has nailed it with this one. No need for insults.
We are all for a bit of banter but the whole 'you're a pig' 'no you are' thing is just puerile nonsense.

Have read and re-read through this thread and can certainly say im puzzled as to how 'bert as usual as nailed it'. If you had said 'bert as usual was talking about himself as a third party' or even 'bert has written a couple of patronising self smug posts as usual', then i could get your drift. You didnt. All you did was come across as someone who was trying particularly hard to get yourself 'in' with a certain poster.

By all means have an opinion. Everyone has one. You dont have to butter up or try and win favour with others to validate your own.
 
I'll just say piggy jack the flying pig Mel and the badge which when brought out soon had a curly tail and a snout . abart 1978 it started
My father in-law always said United fans used to call jack Charlton piggy jack, and it just got shortened to pigs for any Wednesday fan . The best thing is he is a Wednesday fan
 
My uncle took me to my first match in March 1975 and him and his friends always referred to Wednesday at the Pigs. He never missed a single match home or away from the late 60's to the late 80's.

In a previous discussion on this someone said it referred to Wednesday new badge when it was an outline of an Owl looking very similar to an outline of a Pig.
 



Jack charlton is dead and the pig fans have fled.

That's proof we called them pigs late 70s early 80s.

As them if they have any proof of them calling it us any earlier. They don't.
 

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