The Good Old Days.

[Silent Blade]

. Hooliganism didn't kick off in even a minor form until about 1970.

.

http://people.exeter.ac.uk/watupman/undergrad/rowlands/hooliganismhistory.htm

 

[LSF]

Hooliganism did start in the 1960s. I will leave to the older Blades to tell you

Most deffo the 60's Silent. I remember all sorts of shit going off at Lincoln in the FA cup around '64? And at Leicester the following season.

 

[Revolution]

Most deffo the 60's Silent. I remember all sorts of shit going off at Lincoln in the FA cup around '64? And at Leicester the following season.

"The good old days"

 

[LSF]

"The good old days"

Not in my opinion.

 

[Chips1889]

Another memory from the late 70's and early 80's was there wasn't much live football on tv
So any live football on tv was seen as a big event.
Match of the Day with Jimmy Hill was really really popular
Shoot magazine was also really popular.

The FA Cup final was massive, an institution that the whole country watched and showed interest in.
The whole build up was televised starting early morning and there were FA cup related shows the night before too.

Just a memory from a very long time ago.....my mam and dad took me shopping on Cup Final day in the early 60's....I pleaded with them to
allow me to watch from the window of a TV shop (Wigfalls or the like) and they left me for a while to watch (Black & White and, obviously, no sound).
Soon there was a crush and a crowd three deep of husbands and kids watching the game. Great atmosphere!

Well, after that I complained and was never taken shopping again on that sacred day.

I think Spurs won 3-1 (Burnley, i think)

UTB

 

[LSF]

Bert was also at that Man City game. They had a penalty and the player who took it pointed to which side he was going to put it. Bert's memory can't remember who it was.

I too was at that game. The thought of witnessing the pigs being relegated was too tempting to resist. Persuaded my girlfriend to go with me and we sat in the old stand opposite the north stand. She warned me before to 'behave' if City scored. Just about managed it but the huge grin I wore maybe gave me away slightly.
Bowyer definitely didn't listen to the team talk about going at 50% effort!

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

The row of blue 'invalid' cars (did we really used to use that word?)
SUT coaches from Pond Street to away games
Tear-out paper season tickets, more season vouchers really.
Huuuuge queues at the turnstiles before the game.
That view from the old Bramall Lane stand. (Always had a ST for the Kop, but got 'treated' to a seat one game)
Daring to wear my footie shirt a la TC when we were supposed to have them tucked in!!

 

[Revolution]

It's abundantly clear that Man City were prepared to lose to the Pigs and relegate Palace in 1970 - but it's not clear to me why they did this. Does anyone know why?

 

[Silent Blade]

It's abundantly clear that Man City were prepared to lose to the Pigs and relegate Palace in 1970 - but it's not clear to me why they did this. Does anyone know why?

Probably cos they didn't fancy another long trip to Palace? Or saving themselves for the CWC final the following week?

 

[Dnblade]

The row of blue 'invalid' cars (did we really used to use that word?)
SUT coaches from Pond Street to away games
Tear-out paper season tickets, more season vouchers really.
Huuuuge queues at the turnstiles before the game.
That view from the old Bramall Lane stand. (Always had a ST for the Kop, but got 'treated' to a seat one game)
Daring to wear my footie shirt a la TC when we were supposed to have them tucked in!!

I used to wear mine like TC..I moved Schools and they had a dark blue reversible rugby style shirt,but I turned up in my Blades shirt hanging over my shorts..The Games Teacher pulled me up on it,and asked where my School shirt was,and why I wasn't wearing it...Not got one yet Sir..and made a different excuse the following week...I managed to last about 6 weeks before I had to give in and conform...haha.

 

[Mad Mick]

In the 60's you could take in bottles of beer or cider cos no one searched you. They were also handy to piss in. Can't remember what we did with the bottles.
Also you could make and take in banners. If you look at some of the old photos and TV some grounds were full of banners on wooden poles. We had our own made from a blanket and washing line poles. Had to be careful not to block peoples views mind.
There was also for a very short time a fashion of wearing miners helmets. These were handy in case any one threw dem bottles.

 

[Old Clegg]

I first started going in the late '60s but can't remember many of the games other than being left at home for the Everton cup game in 1969 because it was a "big game" and my dad didn't fancy holding on to me in a big crowd, but still able to hear the cheers at Heeley Green. After promotion we had season tickets in the BLUT and one of the things I remember most is how they used to change the posters fro the next fixture on a Sunday morning, there were huge posters on each corner of the ground - we used to go across town from Heeley every Sunday to see my grandmother and the posters would be showing the next game to against one of the so-called "giants" of the First Division - but we were above all those giants at the top of the table.
On match day, climbing those stairs and hearing "golden-goal tickets 5 pence each!", the inedible crisps that were so salty you had to have a carton of that vile orange drink. Getting a programme with the Football League Review in the middle.
Getting home after the game in November 1971 and trying to convince my mum (who was a Pig) that we had won 7-nil against Ipswich. Then wagging Sunday School the next day to watch the match on YTV, such a pity that the footage of that game has been lost. Anyway, great memories of a different era watching the Blades.

 

[Hodgyman]

I remember a most of the pre-mentioned memories too. I was at S6 to witness their relegation game against Man City & I have never seen a team try so hard not to win, but failed. The penalty was a joke as the taker signalled to Grommet (Wednesday keeper)which way it was going and the shot was so weak it only just got to Grommit. That was the first time that I had seen seat cushions thrown onto the pitch. All in all a great night.

As for Hooliganism, the first that I encountered, Everton fans who stood at the top of the Kop throwing coins and banner poles down on us below. Late 60's i think.

Earlier, fans being co-located in stands and terraces in most areas was something enjoyable that added to the atmosphere. It was an opportunity to enjoy friendly banter and in some cases (certainly with our family) a way to meet up with other supporters, season after season at home and away grounds.

In the good old days, if someone was tackled they tried to jump over the outstretched leg to continue their run with the ball. Nowadays, players look to make sure that there is contact to "draw" a foul and a free kick. I first notice this creeping into our English game when Kevin Keegan returned from his spell in the German league for Hamburg (?).

In my opinion, this has spoiled our game and now we see all sort of cheated attempts at gaining an advantage by conning the match official.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Huuuuge queues at the turnstiles before the game.
!!

We only needed a crowd approaching 20,000 for huge queues to form and a long long wait to get in.
No wonder though, imagine 10,000+ fans turning up 15 minutes before kickoff and giving a turnstile operator cash then waiting for their change. Missing the start of matches, especially at away games, was a very common occurance.

These days almost everyone buys their tickets in advance.

 

[Dnblade]

We only needed a crowd approaching 20,000 for huge queues to form and a long long wait to get in.
No wonder though, imagine 10,000+ fans turning up 15 minutes before kickoff and giving a turnstile operator cash then waiting for their change. Missing the start of matches, especially at away games, was a very common occurance.

These days almost everyone buys their tickets in advance.

Crowds seemed to fluctuate depending on results...if we went away and won a couple of games,expectations would be built up,and we'd bring in a few more thousand on the gate...There were less season ticket holders and more walk up support.

On the Hooligan thing,It definately was around from the mid sixties..but not on the scale of the 70's onwards..I think away numbers were a lot less in the 60's..the Lane terrace was often 80 to 90% Blades,and even when the odd larger following came,there was still plenty of Blades on there.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

We made Scrapbooks didn't we. The players signed the pictures. Any player would sign a proper signature and with a Best Wishes or any message if asked. My collection disappeared too, shame really.

Were you one of the ones who knew which train teams were arriving on, which hotel they were staying at, etc? Never knew how they knew. I remember one half-term in the early sixties going to the Grand Hotel, I think it was, on the Friday and getting all the Fulham team autographs. They were generous with their time. I had been to the doctor's a couple of days before, by myself, and I swear he never said what I'd got. Turned out later it was chicken-pox. On the Saturday one of the Fulham players did a Madine, and dropped out ill. For a long time I believed I helped us get a point (pretty sure it was a draw).

 

[Mad Mick]

Yeh I think real hooliganism started mid 60's. Before that everyone mixed together and there was very little trouble. also a bit earlier singing songs started. May well have started at Liverpool. I also remember if you were lucky you would get free tickets from your school. This was handy as we never had no money. We thought pocket money was posh.We never got owt, apart from a clip if we asked for money.
Also footballs were rare ont Park Hill, so if you found a kid who could afford one {not those cheep black and white balloons that burst dead easy} you became his best friend. I had one who was a right mardy arse, if the game was going the wrong way he's take his ball home.
Very rarely could we afford to go to away matches. One exception was the County Cup matches. We always played Wednesday and there was always a punch up from the mid 60's on.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Were you one of the ones who knew which train teams were arriving on, which hotel they were staying at, etc? Never knew how they knew. I remember one half-term in the early sixties going to the Grand Hotel, I think it was, on the Friday and getting all the Fulham team autographs. They were generous with their time. I had been to the doctor's a couple of days before, by myself, and I swear he never said what I'd got. Turned out later it was chicken-pox. On the Saturday one of the Fulham players did a Madine, and dropped out ill. For a long time I believed I helped us get a point (pretty sure it was a draw).

Never been ' in the know' ever.

 

[Woodwardfan]

1 no league cup.
2. No paint trophy etc etc
3. Dick Wragg, John Short, John Harris.
4. Eric Taylor
5. Tony Kaye, Peter Swan and Bronco Lane.
6. No security stewards.
7. No announcers
8.No alcohol
9. Players tunnel on John Street, wire netting cover.
10. Linesman were allowed to make decisions and put their flag up!!
11. No diving.
12. No shirt pulling
13. No wrestling at corners
14. Three or four handshakes on scoring, nothing more.
15. No yellow or red cards.
16.Temporary stand on cricket pitch for big games and 57000 capacity.

 

[VLYDONIMIR]

Football 'hooliganism' can be traced back to the late 19th Century,
it was in the 1960's that the public attention was more widespread.

 

[georgebernardshaw]

Yeh I think real hooliganism started mid 60's. Before that everyone mixed together and there was very little trouble. also a bit earlier singing songs started. May well have started at Liverpool. I also remember if you were lucky you would get free tickets from your school. This was handy as we never had no money. We thought pocket money was posh.We never got owt, apart from a clip if we asked for money.
Also footballs were rare ont Park Hill, so if you found a kid who could afford one {not those cheep black and white balloons that burst dead easy} you became his best friend. I had one who was a right mardy arse, if the game was going the wrong way he's take his ball home.
Very rarely could we afford to go to away matches. One exception was the County Cup matches. We always played Wednesday and there was always a punch up from the mid 60's on.

Frido were the best balls, lasted at least a week

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

Anyone know when Ilkley Moor first became a Blades song? I used to love it, particularly on away Cup days. But being as its about the wrong part of Yorkshire, it seems a bit daft now.

Ah but we changed the words

"All Wendyites are twats,
All Wendyites are twats
All Wendyites are twats!"

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

The secondary school I went to De La Salle ( passed my 11 plus) wouldn't field a football team, had to be fucking Rugby, Union of course.

I played Rugby Union for DLS from 1961 to 1969.

They also always had very good football teams prior to and including those years so I don't understand that comment.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Football 'hooliganism' can be traced back to the late 19th Century,
it was in the 1960's that the public attention was more widespread.

I worked with an elderly Sunderland exile and fan many years ago
He says that there was serious crowd trouble and fighting at Newcastle v Sunderland matches BEFORE the war. He challenged me to do some research on one incident, said it was in the papers and the trouble lasted days.

Still never got round to checking it out. Told me there was a serious rivalry with Newcastle and Sunderland from before the war due to taking work and losing jobs/redundancies etc.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Frido were the best balls, lasted at least a week

The cheap ones would sometimes develop an egg.

 

[georgebernardshaw]

The cheap ones would sometimes develop an egg.

You never saw frido eggs...

 

[SandyMcBlade]

The first time I remember organised hooliganism on a large scale at the lane was when Newcastle fans came to take over the kop in the mid sixties.

 

[sitwell]

Used to get my Green un from the paper shop on Smithywood rd ,the owner sometimes took a mini bus to away games and was a shirt sponsor last season.
He also sold toilet rolls ,which use to get thrown into the goals when the teams came out ,I tried once but the thing never unravelled and just landed in the penalty area intact.

 

[sitwell]

Remember these at every ground on the touchline ?

 

[I should coco]

Remember these at every ground on the touchline ?

Best car I ever had.

0 to 60 in an afternoon and a nice little shelf for the Werthers.