When and why did you become a Blade?

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The Bohemian

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I was born into a Blades family, lived at Base Green and my Lane 'christening' was during the Currie-Woodward era, when the football was frequently sublime and, as a football crazy kid, it was impossible not to be smitten.

I have vivid memories of Hodgkinson, Badger, Colquhoun, Currie and Woodward. All superb players who would have won dozens of international caps had they played for a fashionable team.

When, 5'9", Hodgy was in goal I never thought we would be beaten. Badger was magnificent and marauding, Colquhoun majestic, Woodward finessed and powerful and Currie, pure class. For those of you who missed it, sorry, it was so good.

When we smashed Arsenal 5-0 at The Lane in 1973, I recall queuing for ages on Shoreham Street before getting in 15 minutes after KO when we were already 3-0 up. Always felt gutted about that, despite the historic victory.

Those early memories proved special and lasting but the family thing was probably decisive.
 



Moved to Sheffield when I was 8. Dad had previously watched Wolves but decided he and my siblings should support a local team. Took us to both grounds and I saw us draw with Northampton Town in 1965
in their only season in the top flight. We all unanimously agreed that our choice had to be the Blades. Just felt right. Lived down south for 35 years, but have never lost my irrational obsession in all things United.
 
My dad became a Blade (although he didnt go to a match until the later years of WW2) before the war because his classmate was Fred Jessop's son. Fred Jessop signed for us from Derby in 1937 and his family moved to live in Dronfield. In the 1969/70 season I had a choice to become a Blade or a Wendy. All my mum's brothers (she had six although one died in 1962) were Wendy fans, only my dad and his youngest brother were Blades. I decided to follow my dad!
 
From wickersley origionally And was brought up on the three horseshoes bus from about 94/95 slight memories of the Luton’s from 91 ish but I was only ten.
Can still remember the pouring rain and bobby bobby bobby bobby Davison when we did them season ticket for years following that and lots of upsets then finally settled down here ( or have I ) miss the Cremorne and the prices utb love to all we going places xxxx
 
Plymouthblade said:
From wickersley origionally And was brought up on the three horseshoes bus from about 94/95 slight memories of the Luton’s from 91 ish but I was only ten.
Can still remember the pouring rain and bobby bobby bobby bobby Davison when we did them season ticket for years following that and lots of upsets then finally settled down here ( or have I ) miss the Cremorne and the prices utb love to all we going places xxxx
Click to expand...
Punctuation marks wasn’t my forte !
On that note Johnathon wasn’t either utb ftp
 
Simple. I’m 3rd generation Blade going back to the early 1900’s.

Little BB is 4th generation :)
 
I lived virtually at the end of Bramall lane, Place called Harrington road which is no longer there. Can remember the roar from the lane as a small toddler, Which was a bit frightening. My dad had no interest in football or me, But luckily my uncle did. He took me to lane possibly in the 70s. I think my first match we played Leeds, Couldn't work out why they were singing united. Remember 24,000 against wolves, and the number of people lighting fags up. Uncle took me home and away 4th division, We sat behind the goal at Darlington, UTMB
 
I've typed this story on here before, but why not tell it again.

I grew up in Intake, and most of my schoolmates in the early 90's were either pigs, or not bothered about football. My dad wasn't interested, so my introduction to the sport came through collecting and trading footy stickers in the playground.

Once, I remember, I had an offer to go with a misguided friend to Hillsborough, but for reasons that are lost to time, it didn't happen. However, the only local team I ever heard about was the unclean. My uncle at the time (by marriage, since divorced and I've not seen him for years) was, and to the best of my knowledge still is, a die-hard Blade, and when I was about 7-8, offered to take me to the lane. My reply still haunts me..."no thanks, I want to watch a proper team like Sheffield Wednesday."

(I'm sorry...I was young and stupid and a victim of my environment. I have made up for it since, many, many times over).

Time passed and a little while later, presumably after resisting the urge to kill me in cold blood, he offered again. This time I was more open to the idea, and a ticket was duly purchased for me to attend Bramall Lane (and a football match) for the very first time.

Cut to September 10th 1994. My uncle picked me up from home, and we arrived in the upstairs room of the Cricketers. The noisy, smoky atmosphere was like nothing I'd ever experienced, and I immediately thought it was "cool" to be somewhere like this. After a couple of hours of mooching around with other kids while my uncle played cards with his mates, we decamped to the Kop. I can remember it was Row "O" and seat 80-something. I can also remember the very first moment I walked onto the kop. The noise, the sights, the smell of pies, fags, sweat and Bovril. From that first fateful moment I was a Blade for the rest of my life. I remember trying to understand the words to the songs (in particular I remember wondering what a "Green CJ Batty" was, during my first exposure to GCB). It was a truly life-changing experience. The first time we scored, I went mental without even knowing really why. We beat Bolton 3-1 that day, and from then on I was asking when I could go again. Wednesday no longer existed in my 8-year-old world. There was only ONE team that mattered, althought it would be a few months before I started to work out what league tables were, and how results affected the team.

Since then I have occasionally been known to mutter about my erstwhile relative "that bastard is responsible for all the money I've spent, and all the misery of (insert most recent Wembley defeat)," but despite that I'm grateful to him for introducing me to it all.

A couple of years later my dad (Numpty's Dusty Ruts. ) decided to come along to a game "to see what it was all about," and immediately got as hooked as me. That was at some point in 1996/97 season, and since then we've been going to games together, and only had a couple of season gap (when I was working every saturday) without having season tickets.

Looking back on my 31 years on Earth...the best decision I ever made was to go to the lane.
 
In about 1986, I entered a competition to win a guided walk around Richmond fish pond with Bill Oddie. Unfortunately, I didn't win and I was gutted as Oddie was my birding hero and I loved him when he was in The Goons. I didn't even win the second prize, which was a Ladysmith Black Mambazo comb and hair clip set but I did win 3rd prize, which was a lifetime supporting Sheffield United.

I was so pissed off at not being able to discuss the finer points of western palaearctic sub-species with my hero and how discarded crisp packets and used condoms may be employed to attract more migratory species to the area, that I just chucked it in a drawer when it came and forgot about it.

It wasn't until I was having a clear out in 1989 that I found it and, as I was bored through having shingles, I thought I'd give it a go. The rest, as they say, is history as once the bastards got their claws into me, I've never been able to shake them off.
 
Brought up in North Yorkshire in the 50's and 60's. Went to whatever was the best local game with mates at Ayresome Park, Roker Park or Elland Road but never really felt a connection.

Came to Sheffield Uni in 71 and, before I came, a guy already here took me to the Cardiff game. Stood near the pavilion and had never experienced the like.

Lived here for 6 years 71-77, what brilliant timing, and never missed a game. Have lived in South Warwickshire for nearly 40 years now, but always came when work allowed.

Now I'm retired and never miss a game (200 mile round trip). I'm an old fart on the halfway line in the SS, shouting at opposing managers and linos at the appropriate moment!

Doesn't time Fly - Currie, Edwards, Deane, Fleck - a few heartbeats and nearly 50 years have passed. Things have never looked brighter though - since we sold Salmons to Stoke I’ve never felt that we were building something that could last until now.

The Magic is Growing
 
Parents not interested.
Went on holiday where we were spending a weeks pocket money on enamel football badges, my brother had already declared his allegiance to Wednesday so got that badge, I wanted the same one! But they only had one of each, have the United one said the shopkeeper and my folks, didn't like it. Scanned the rest of the badges and plumped for one of an elephant standing on a ball. When I went to school one of the pushiest kids (but likeable) said to me, 'who do you support?'
'Erm...'
'You're a United fan now.' And it stuck.
Turns out my uncle was a United fan too and took me to my first match, since then I've introduced my younger brother to United, a wife and 2 girlfriends though I doubt it will stick with the women.
 



Silent Blade said:
My dad became a Blade (although he didnt go to a match until the later years of WW2) before the war because his classmate was Fred Jessop's son. Fred Jessop signed for us from Derby in 1937 and his family moved to live in Dronfield. In the 1969/70 season I had a choice to become a Blade or a Wendy. All my mum's brothers (she had six although one died in 1962) were Wendy fans, only my dad and his youngest brother were Blades. I decided to follow my dad!
Click to expand...

Phew that was lucky then. Good decision!
 
Born a a Blade I guess and always embraced it. Grandad and Dad both Blades so I was taken as a four year old in 1972 and have never stopped going.
Mum was born on Woodhead road and sometimes helped my Grandma when she helped out when Yorkshire were playing at The Lane.
Dad brought up on Bennett Street and was an apprentice with Utd in the 50's. Grandparents still lived there when I was a nipper and we used to go back "home" from Matlock at weekends.
I was born and bred in Matlock,never lived in Sheffield, but was always incredibly proud (and still am) to be a Blade....going through school and work as pretty much being the only one and not following the crowd of Derby Liverpool and Man Utd fans.
 
ForgeBlade said:
I've typed this story on here before, but why not tell it again.

I grew up in Intake, and most of my schoolmates in the early 90's were either pigs, or not bothered about football. My dad wasn't interested, so my introduction to the sport came through collecting and trading footy stickers in the playground.

Once, I remember, I had an offer to go with a misguided friend to Hillsborough, but for reasons that are lost to time, it didn't happen. However, the only local team I ever heard about was the unclean. My uncle at the time (by marriage, since divorced and I've not seen him for years) was, and to the best of my knowledge still is, a die-hard Blade, and when I was about 7-8, offered to take me to the lane. My reply still haunts me..."no thanks, I want to watch a proper team like Sheffield Wednesday."

(I'm sorry...I was young and stupid and a victim of my environment. I have made up for it since, many, many times over).

Time passed and a little while later, presumably after resisting the urge to kill me in cold blood, he offered again. This time I was more open to the idea, and a ticket was duly purchased for me to attend Bramall Lane (and a football match) for the very first time.

Cut to September 10th 1994. My uncle picked me up from home, and we arrived in the upstairs room of the Cricketers. The noisy, smoky atmosphere was like nothing I'd ever experienced, and I immediately thought it was "cool" to be somewhere like this. After a couple of hours of mooching around with other kids while my uncle played cards with his mates, we decamped to the Kop. I can remember it was Row "O" and seat 80-something. I can also remember the very first moment I walked onto the kop. The noise, the sights, the smell of pies, fags, sweat and Bovril. From that first fateful moment I was a Blade for the rest of my life. I remember trying to understand the words to the songs (in particular I remember wondering what a "Green CJ Batty" was, during my first exposure to GCB). It was a truly life-changing experience. The first time we scored, I went mental without even knowing really why. We beat Bolton 3-1 that day, and from then on I was asking when I could go again. Wednesday no longer existed in my 8-year-old world. There was only ONE team that mattered, althought it would be a few months before I started to work out what league tables were, and how results affected the team.

Since then I have occasionally been known to mutter about my erstwhile relative "that bastard is responsible for all the money I've spent, and all the misery of (insert most recent Wembley defeat)," but despite that I'm grateful to him for introducing me to it all.

A couple of years later my dad (Numpty's Dusty Ruts. ) decided to come along to a game "to see what it was all about," and immediately got as hooked as me. That was at some point in 1996/97 season, and since then we've been going to games together, and only had a couple of season gap (when I was working every saturday) without having season tickets.

Looking back on my 31 years on Earth...the best decision I ever made was to go to the lane.
Click to expand...

Two lucky escapes.

1. Nearly went to the dark side
2. Seat O 80something - nearly directly behind a pillar!
 
As a 6 year old I became a Man U fan. I remember my mum ironing George Bests number onto my football shirt.
As an 8 year old my mum and dad bought me a luminous Blades watch which I still have.I seem to remember deciding in the school playground to become a Blade.Much to the probable disgust of mums side of the family who were all Owls. (Dad didn't really bother about football).
 
Never an issue. Born S2. First game 1956 I'm told. Remember Hagan for example. Heritage/ loyalty/ love of parents.
Travelled all over to away games with parents, then with girlfriend/wife, then with our kids, occasionally now.

Still season ticket holders. Travel from Whitby still.

We all talk United when we meet.

Life of mysery!!
 



As soon as I popped out into this world, and because my old man took me and carried me into the Lane on his shoulders as a little lad. I don't really remember much about my first games at the Lane only it was nil nil. I was more interested in just being with my dad tbh.

Though bearing in mind I'm a fourth generation Blade - my great grandad used to go to games at the Lane who took his lad at some point, who then grew up and took his lad, who then took his lad (me)... i suppose the writing was on the wall for me. I have since took my eldest 2 lads to the Lane now and my youngest lad will be going sometime soon. Poor buggers ;) it builds character I say.
 
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