Was the 1979 derby, all ticket at the pig pen?

[Dnblade]

Sounds like something one of their cretins would claim.

The fact that the 2 attendances at the Sty prior to derby day were 10,563 and 11,530, and the 2 games after derby day had gates of 13,287 and 11,958, is indicative of the fact that the gate at the Sty was inflated by one thing: the large Blades numbers. The Sty was roughly half and half that day.

And that stands to reason, given that we approached that game on a high, getting appreciably higher gates than them, and we were expecting to hammer them. The Pigs hadn't quite go their hoofball firing on all cylinders up to that point of the season and were not relishing the fixture quite like we were.

There was a hell of a lot of never been for years if ever plastic pigs that came out of the woodwork for both games...We were getting around 18k at the Lane from memory...I'm sure it was all ticket,but loads turned up without.
The build up to the Boxing Day game was unreal...not played each other in the League since promotion in 71...big let down,our Footballing team lost out to Hoof,and the tide turned that day.

 

[Camden Blade]

When you say 'Leppings Lane Upper' I presume you mean corner terracing? The West Stand was all-seated and was full of Wendies singing 'Boxing Day massacre'. Me and my dad originally entered behind the goal but it was absolutely rammed so I remembered my cousin's advice to head for the corner terrace where it would be less crowded. I often thought of that post-1989.

Yes the terracing with the wall in front. We got in the ground early around 9 or 9.30am I think. I got a spot right on the wall in the upper corner terracing. Such a disappointing day. I couldn't remember whther Pigs had the seating above the Leppings Lane terracing. I stood behind the goal on Leppings Lane for the League Cup 1st round 1st leg game a couple of years later. you could walk around. Much smaller attendance and we lost 0.2. Also a morning kick off.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Home and away fans mixed in 1979 you are kidding me aren't you?
Pigs did come on The Shoreham in the return game but were surrounded by coppers 10 deep but that's normal for them at the Lane anyway

I mean they mixed more freely than now.

I personally saw 3 teenagers (or younger) wearing red and white striped scarfs on Wednesday's Kop for that Boxing Day match in 79. Also during the 92 match I had a season ticket in the JS terrace seats and there were a few people wearing blue and white scarves in the JS stand seats. Also noticed quite a few wearing blue scarfs in the South stand. I've wore my red scarf and sat in Wednesday's north stand during the Data Zenith night match in the late 80's.

It's hard to imagine anyone (even a kid) these days wearing a Wednesday scarf and sitting on United Kop.
Just shows how times have changed.

 

[Doormat]

Thought we had all Leppings Lane end from memory?

 

[snootyfenooty]

There was a hell of a lot of never been for years if ever plastic pigs that came out of the woodwork for both games...We were getting around 18k at the Lane from memory...I'm sure it was all ticket,but loads turned up without.
The build up to the Boxing Day game was unreal...not played each other in the League since promotion in 71...big let down,our Footballing team lost out to Hoof,and the tide turned that day.

Sabella was never the same in my eyes after that game. It was pissing it down, freezing cold and he got a clog early on. He spent the rest of the game hiding behind the referee. One of the most gutless performances from a Blade ever and went a large way towards explaining the result.

 

[Doormat]

Didnt Micky Speight go off injured too?

 

[Camden Blade]

You've a point there. He was anonymous that game. It was all Curran. I mean we were overrun and outplayed but there's no excuse for a lack of guts. Hated playing the Pigs that era.

 

[Cheets]

Thought we had all Leppings Lane end from memory?

No we had the terrace and they had the West Stand IIRC.

 

[Cheets]

Yes the terracing with the wall in front. We got in the ground early around 9 or 9.30am I think. I got a spot right on the wall in the upper corner terracing. Such a disappointing day. I couldn't remember whther Pigs had the seating above the Leppings Lane terracing. I stood behind the goal on Leppings Lane for the League Cup 1st round 1st leg game a couple of years later. you could walk around. Much smaller attendance and we lost 0.2. Also a morning kick off.

I must have been stood near to you. I can still remember the sound of the ball hitting the bar when we were attacking in the first half. I think we would have equalised if it had gone in.

 

[Cheets]

I mean they mixed more freely than now.

I personally saw 3 teenagers (or younger) wearing red and white striped scarfs on Wednesday's Kop for that Boxing Day match in 79. Also during the 92 match I had a season ticket in the JS terrace seats and there were a few people wearing blue and white scarves in the JS stand seats. Also noticed quite a few wearing blue scarfs in the South stand. I've wore my red scarf and sat in Wednesday's north stand during the Data Zenith night match in the late 80's.

It's hard to imagine anyone (even a kid) these days wearing a Wednesday scarf and sitting on United Kop.
Just shows how times have changed.

I stood in the middle of their Kop in the ZDS game and cheered when we scored. I wouldn't dream of it now. For the 1991/92 derbies there were loads of rival fans in the home ends at both grounds - was post Hillsborough and there was less hatred between the fans for a while with the growth of the fanzine movement etc.

 

[Darlington82]

We definatly had advance tickets for the North stand, leppings lane end. Not sure if my dad got them from the rust bucket or lane, vast majority round us were blades. Only game I remember leaving early, as had no say in it. Then car ran out of fuel on rivelin bank, with an awful half hour walk home with piggies giving us verbal as they drove past. Been to every derby since and we still owe them for that gutless performance.

 

[bladestrivia]

When you say 'Leppings Lane Upper' I presume you mean corner terracing? The West Stand was all-seated and was full of Wendies singing 'Boxing Day massacre'. Me and my dad originally entered behind the goal but it was absolutely rammed so I remembered my cousin's advice to head for the corner terrace where it would be less crowded. I often thought of that post-1989.

i was stood in the same spot, also went end of season we won 1 0 in county cup trenton wiggan scored

 

[Sean Thornton]

I stood in the middle of their Kop in the ZDS game and cheered when we scored. I wouldn't dream of it now. For the 1991/92 derbies there were loads of rival fans in the home ends at both grounds - was post Hillsborough and there was less hatred between the fans for a while with the growth of the fanzine movement etc.

I don't recall many Pigs on the Kop in our home game. There were plenty of Blades on the Kop at the sty, it kicked off and they were escorted off.

The hatred at those two games was palpable. A Wendy mate said the home game was the most intimidating atmosphere he'd ever been in. The return game was one of the greatest nights for atmosphere we've ever seen. Ian StJohn said he'd never seen anything like it, loads of flares etc. Said it was like a major European game.

It kicked off after both games as well.

 

[Cheets]

I don't recall many Pigs on the Kop in our home game. There were plenty of Blades on the Kop at the sty, it kicked off and they were escorted off.

The hatred at those two games was palpable. A Wendy mate said the home game was the most intimidating atmosphere he'd ever been in. The return game was one of the greatest nights for atmosphere we've ever seen. Ian StJohn said he'd never seen anything like it, loads of flares etc. Said it was like a major European game.

It kicked off after both games as well.

There were loads in the South Stand towards the Kop and also in the John Street terrace east. United had a scheme where you had to buy a ticket for Wendy and Luton so loads of Wendies ended up with unwanted tickets for United v Luton.

 

[Dnblade]

Sabella was never the same in my eyes after that game. It was pissing it down, freezing cold and he got a clog early on. He spent the rest of the game hiding behind the referee. One of the most gutless performances from a Blade ever and went a large way towards explaining the result.

Yes got kicked out of it,Speight getting nobbled didn't help either.

 

[The Crab]

True, but the introduction of family enclosures makes it far easier to aim at children.

Also thanks to paying attention in School Biology I can aim a fairly accurate Kidney Punch

 

[Igor]

I remember we all got a lift off our mates mum. Not sure how we got the tickets but we were stood on the Leppings lane lower standing about 2/3 rd of the way up to the left of the goal. I remember getting there pretty early and choosing where the best view would be. It seemed like a good ides at the time to get behind one of the crash barriers, something to lean on at least. As it rapidly filled up, a very fat bloke came and stood behind me. By the time the game started I was well and truly pinned up against that barrier. I remember I was struggling to move my arms and was stuck in that position for an hour. At half time the chap moved away, hunger got to him and I quickly ducked under the barrier and stood there for the rest of the match. I painful lesson learned that day. Can't remember much of the game but we all walked back home through town to Woodseats.
The "Bobby Davidson" Derby was the best. It pissed it down all night and I sat undercovered , soaked to the skin for the 90 mins. Had a permanent beaming smile for weeks. The joys of football.

 

[Camden Blade]

There were loads in the South Stand towards the Kop and also in the John Street terrace east. United had a scheme where you had to buy a ticket for Wendy and Luton so loads of Wendies ended up with unwanted tickets for United v Luton.

Yes you had to get a ticket for the Luton game 1-1 bryson I think. There were a few wendy on the seats above John Street terrace West as that's where I sat nearest to the Lane End but as kick off got nearer there was a volatile atmosphere among blades and the Wendy fans that were in the seats were very quiet and after Whitehouse scored and we all went ballistic and with all the 'barmy army' in the terrace below they were shitting themselves.

 

[Paisley Blade]

We were in the north stand, I was wearing my brand new Sheff utd Jumper I never wore it again, it was a shit day the game wasn't as one sided as they make out they just got the breaks .
Hate Derby games .

Well how about that , I was also sat in the North Stand ( 50-50 around us) wearing my brand new SUFC V neck black jumper , a present from the day before ..... couldn't bring myself to throw it away though , quickly became a mainstay of my 14 yr old wardrobe!

 

[Sean Thornton]

Yes you had to get a ticket for the Luton game 1-1 bryson I think. There were a few wendy on the seats above John Street terrace West as that's where I sat nearest to the Lane End but as kick off got nearer there was a volatile atmosphere among blades and the Wendy fans that were in the seats were very quiet and after Whitehouse scored and we all went ballistic and with all the 'barmy army' in the terrace below they were shitting themselves.

Not loads all over the home ends though. I don't even know of a Pig who claims that. They were in John Street in numbers in the Easter game after BD though. Although not the thousands some reckon.

 

[Old Eckingtonian]

Was also at the boxing day game.This was in the day before the BBC had arrived.The Blades hooligan element of that era went under the name of the Barmy Army.They all congregated on the road low side of the Park pub and marched en masse down to the Leppings Lane turnstiles.Some got in some didn't and went in their kop end.Dont recall any Wednesday fans in the upper West stand though.In the return match at the Lane i remember them being on the left hand side of the Shoreham as you look at the pitch.Loads of trouble which ended with the wire meshing fence giving way and loads of fans ending up down the banking behind the kop.They also had the West Terrace down to the half way line.

 

[Sean Thornton]

I stood in the middle of their Kop in the ZDS game and cheered when we scored. I wouldn't dream of it now. For the 1991/92 derbies there were loads of rival fans in the home ends at both grounds - was post Hillsborough and there was less hatred between the fans for a while with the growth of the fanzine movement etc.

Are you sure you're not mixing fanzines up with "E's"?

In any event, it didn't matter as trouble was happening most weekends game or not.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Was also at the boxing day game.This was in the day before the BBC had arrived.The Blades hooligan element of that era went under the name of the Barmy Army.They all congregated on the road low side of the Park pub and marched en masse down to the Leppings Lane turnstiles.Some got in some didn't and went in their kop end.Dont recall any Wednesday fans in the upper West stand though.In the return match at the Lane i remember them being on the left hand side of the Shoreham as you look at the pitch.Loads of trouble which ended with the wire meshing fence giving way and loads of fans ending up down the banking behind the kop.They also had the West Terrace down to the half way line.

Ive just commented about them in the West Terrace.

 

[Camden Blade]

Not loads all over the home ends though. I don't even know of a Pig who claims that. They were in John Street in numbers in the Easter game after BD though. Although not the thousands some reckon.

No not on the Kop. I just saw a few on the seats on John Street. Easter 1980 they had half the John Street terrace or John street West. They had a lot on the South stand and maybe 400 on the Kop. Barmy Army was on the Kop beneath them which caused the trouble. That's the only time I saw them in such numbers at the Lane.

 

[Cheets]

Are you sure you're not mixing fanzines up with "E's"?

In any event, it didn't matter as trouble was happening most weekends game or not.

Sorry - I should have said 'home sections', not 'home ends'. If memory serves we had a membership scheme in place on the Kop which would have made it very difficult for away fans to get hold of tickets. Yeah I've seen the theory that the decline of hooliganism in the early 90s was linked to E but I'm wasn't close enough to it TBH to pass judgement.

 

[spongebobblade]

We were in the north stand, I was wearing my brand new Sheff utd Jumper I never wore it again, it was a shit day the game wasn't as one sided as they make out they just got the breaks .
Hate Derby games .

My pride and joy was a blades scarf covered in those sew on patches you bought from the market. I never wore it again after Boxing Day but put it in the loft and for some reason it stayed with me as I grew up. I swore it wouldn't ever see another football match until my cousins lad (who was the same age I was when it was last worn) wanted to wear it for lane derby. Idiot here let him and we promptly lost to Tudgays scuffed daisycutter for the first time at home to them in over 40 years. I ashamedly take full responsibility for that defeat. It will never see another match again

 

[LS16Blade]

At the 1991 match at the Lane, my then next-door neighbour and another bloke from a couple of doors down - who were both middle-aged fair-weather Pigs - got seats in the John Street Stand 'cleverly, so they thought, as close to the Bramall Lane end as they could. Of course, this meant that they were sat behind the John Street West Terrace.

About 20 minutes in, they asked the Police whether they could be moved as it was getting a more than a bit 'uncomfortable'. The Police duly acceded to their request, escorted them from the stand and simply put them out on John Street. They had rather expected that they would be moved into the Bramall Lane end. Instead, they were sat at home by half-time.

 

[Sheffsteel]

The "Bobby Davidson" Derby was the best. It pissed it down all night and I sat undercovered , soaked to the skin for the 90 mins. Had a permanent beaming smile for weeks. The joys of football.

Totally agree.
We won the home fixture 2-0 but I thought it was a bit smash and grab, although the win was emotional because it helped exorcise the Boxing Day ghost.

But for the away fixture Wednesday were near the top and we were big underdogs but Bassett played the perfect away performance. Wednesday had loads of the ball but never looked like scoring. Whilst when we broke we always looked dangerous.
We definitely deserved to win on the night, even Wednesdayites would admit we were the better team.

I was in the uncovered bit in the corner, someone had knicked some red and white plastic tape that road works people use to block roads off with. Also coming out of the ground into Leppings Lane I remember seeing a group of about 40 Wednesday fans across the road trying to look reight hard being monitored by the police. United fans were doing the conger dance singing 'let's all laugh at Wednesday. Let's all laugh at Wednesday... dah dah dah da.....dah dah dah da."

It's the only time I've been really close to crowd trouble breaking out and was so happy that I wasn't bothered and was laughing at the sad wannabe hooligans.

 

[Snowman]

I was there and I believe it was all ticket for where I was on the Leppings Lane lower terrace. I was 25 and at that time my mates Pete, Pete and Stu would have got me a ticket. I don't recall queuing and paying. I recall Sabella getting some rough treatment to put him out of the game (Geoff King?) and Richardson being shit and some aggro between us and some twats in the stand with the clock which housed the directors box in the middle. A chant, I'd rather be a Muppet than an Owl and a long walk up past the Park pub up towards Dial House to retrieve the car after we lost. Grey murky day. For me we were in a false position that season when we played em and we finished where we deserved to be. Not that I can recall much about him but he was a shit manager and he and the board deserved each other.

 

[Dkc]