Can you be a big Blade even if your dad wasn't?

[John Street West Terrace]

My old fella was an ardent pig fan tried his damndest taking me to Styboro in 1976 to see the likes of Tommy Tynan & Roger Wilde in a bid to impart his affiction on his youngest but was all to no avail , brought up in Handsworth obvs a red & white stronghold ,with older bro’s & schoolmates also Blades there was only gonna be one outcome , my first season was 77/78:at The Shrine in the pen , fuck me I remember it like yesterday & its 40 yrs ago !!!

 

[Tezza1889]

Dads an owl, never* took me to swills even though he never worked weekends.... so I chose my team myself when I got my first wages..

My brother in laws dad is a blade, never took him when he was younger even though he had the money and time also.... he’s a owl...

Take your kids tonthe fucking match, it’s a couple of pints in whatever year you brought the kids up.. or a bet or two... they’ll moan if you don’t follow thier team but it’s their fault..

*first game at swills blades vs owls reserves, midweek night match 25p to get in, until then I didn’t know there was a Sheffield United... talk about that backfiring in him

 

[bornablade]

My dad was born and brought up around Bramall Lane.

He went to the Lane every week. First team and reserves. In the early 1960's he took me to the Central league (reserve) matches and for what seemed an eternity finally took me to first team games.

But my dad went beyond just influencing me to be a Blade.

There were loads of kids my age on our road on the estate we lived. Most of these kids dads were not interested in football.

Down the road there was a big Wednesday fan with his two sons. My dad seemed to take it upon himself to make sure that not only me but all my mates were brought up correctly and took us all to the Lane.

Last November I saw in the distance at Burton Albion one of those 'kids' - he'll be about 65 now.

I think it's fair to say my dad completed his mission successfully.

 

[grafikhaus]

I'm a Blade because my Dad is.

My dad was a big Blade fan, but I'm convinced that if he'd been a pig fan, I would have naturally gravitated towards the Blades. United are a state of mind and attract the free-thinkers, those with a bit of anarchy, those who are fiercley loyal and those with an off-beat sense of humour. We're the St. Pauli, the Rive Gauche, the ‘més que un club’ of English football. Strong in our many periods of adversity, we'll never lie down or give up. Ask Wednesday.

Thank you for listening.

 

[FTPE]

I'm a Blade because my Dad is.

I 'supported' Man Utd when I was a kid in the 90s but gradually saw the light the older I got.

It sounds strange but when we win I'm happier for my Dad than I am for myself.

I actually get a bit emotional about it at times.

I 100% understand that. I'm as passionate as they come but my dad is on another level. United and family mean the world to him and when we win I'm chuffed to bits because I know it'll make his week or weekend. If it's a Sheffield double (they lose we win- incase you thought he was weird and liked both) i know he will be in a great mood for days and days.

 

[Sean Thornton]

My Wendy mates only child, a boy, never wanted to go to the Sty with his Dad and used to come with us to the Lane. His Dad never gave up hope of him turning Puggish though. When they reached the league cup final, the boy wasn't interested and went out in the garden to play football. Sheridan scored and my mate opened the window to tell him. He burst into tears (8 years old). As his Dad said solemnly in the pub that night, "that's when I knew I'd lost him". Still a Blade to this day.

 

[Paisley Blade]

My old fella was an ardent pig fan tried his damndest taking me to Styboro in 1976 to see the likes of Tommy Tynan & Roger Wilde in a bid to impart his affiction on his youngest but was all to no avail , brought up in Handsworth obvs a red & white stronghold ,with older bro’s & schoolmates also Blades there was only gonna be one outcome , my first season was 77/78:at The Shrine in the pen , fuck me I remember it like yesterday & its 40 yrs ago !!!

You might have been stood net to me in the Kiddies Corner around that time , lanky greasy hair , spotty , parka .... that should(n't) narrow it down much ....

 

[norfolkblade]

I can't stand people who support say Liverpool when they have never even been there, I believe you should support your home town/city I was born in Sheffield & theres only one team worth supporting, Dad supported Rotherham but he was born there so that's ok

Oh, sorry. I'd best sit in the home end on Saturday then

 

[ourbob]

My dad wasn't in to football,took me to half a dozen county cup/friendly/cup matches etc but it was down to me but regarding"bigger blade" the guy that goes to practically all the away matches rather than half a dozen a year like me and his dad is a blade is the bigger supporter.

 

[Deleted member 875]

My Dad wasn’t a Blade. He was a Crystal Palace supporter from Croydon, who joined the Navy at 15,and he met a wren from Sheffield, got married to her, left the Navy and moved to Sheffield and had kids and I was the eldest. When I was a kid I used to on occasional visits to Selhurst Park, and saw Palace at quite a few games up north when they played away. My first visit to Anfield drubbing and my first visit to Wembley was decorated in red and blue for the 1990 cup final. I was also subjected to my next door neighbour in High Green attempting to corrupt me by taking me to a handful of games when I was at an influential age but thankfully his efforts were thwarted.

Thankfully the maternal side of the family was all staunch Blades, my Grandad and three uncles in particular, and I was weaned on tales of Jimmy Hagen, supplanted by trips to Bramall Lane, my first visit coming when my Grandma had arranged for him to babysit for me, on the same evening she had an important engagement to fulfill at the Bingo Hall on Barnsley Road so the 4 year old Brownie was taken to the night fixture against Northampton Town in the old 4th Division,

Being a father has been challenging as well. My lads mum is a Wednesdayite and grows up in the pig stronghold of S35, which under normal circumstances would be too much to overcome, but I’ve made him aware that any football trips with me will be watch United only, he has had dalliances with Man Utd and Liverpool but his heart is now firmly with the Blades. I knew the war had been one when we left Hillsborough with smiles as wide as our faces on a sunny Sunday September afternoon, and he confided in me that he was very happy that all the annoying Wednesday fans wouldn’t have anything to shout about at school the next morning.

 

[speedymcgeady]

Myself and 2 of my nephews are all season ticket holders at the Lane,despite our Fathers all being from the "dark side".
Both sides of the family are ,I was the first to be a Blade ,until Young Deadly D'Jaffo came along, then 16 years later,our "Kev" arrived.
Slowly but surely,the tide is turning.

 

[S6 Blade]

My Dad is from america and coached american football so i don't think he had any interest in football. don't know much about him though so i maybe wrong. my step dad is a massive wednesday fan but as me and my brother grew up on norfolk park and could hear the cheering at bramall lane we grew up and still are massive blades. both had season tickets for a while and get to as many games as we can work permitting

I don't think you have to have had a parent supporting the same club for you to have some intense passion for it as well

 

[TONY_TONY_AGANA]

I'm a Blade, my dads a blade, his dad was a blade, his dad's dad was a blade...no idea before that!

It's either 'in yer blood' or 'in yer 'art', same thing really!

 

[Piffle and Tosh]

I started going to the lane in the early sixties with my dad ,we stood at the Bramall lane end until the work began on the stand ,so we moved to watch from under the cricket pavilion of which I remember as a small boy trying to watch a football game through the railings not being easy .
My Grandma was a wednesdayite ,she was from a large family 8 girls and 3 boys their father was a blade but wasn't a kind man so the 8 girls chose to support them while the three brothers remained Blades , I remember my grandma trying to persuade me to support them but a smart purchase by Dad of a red and white scarf and a badge soon made my mind up .The rest is history
I bought my first son a season ticket on the kop before he was 2 years old and then a few years on got one for the next one too we moved to John street and went to the games with my Dad again .

 

[Billyblade]

My Dad was a grunter. He stopped going to games in 66. Partly due to family straining the finances but mainly due to the fact that he, along with loads of other snortbeasts didn't get a ticket for the FA cup final. Apparently, they all disappeared "corporate".
My older 2 Brothers were Blades which may have been due to locality (we grew up in S2) or following the herd of school mates. I don't know.
I have always felt like I was a Blade and am really glad my Dad never took me along to games and made me a pig. However, I often think that if he had have took me along then I'd have had an affinity with them not us
There was a lot of tension in our house at the weekend because my Dad was a bit of a WUM even though he was outnumbered. It led to some "interesting" Sunday lunches.
After the Mickey Mouse cup win in 91, it went to his head and he would often say "Your lot will never get to Wembley. In fact, if you do get there I'll pay for all 3 of you to go". In 93 we called his bluff and true to his word he paid for all 3 of us to go. Match ticket, coach ticket, food, beer, the lot. We went down on a mixed coach with my Brothers football team which stopped in a little town on the way down(can't remember where). My Dad and me had a wander round a car boot sale after the beer that was going on next to the pub. At one stall the seller was staring at us so much I had to say "is something wrong?" He said "You're a United fan and he's a Wednesday fan". "Yes, and?" I said. He replied "and you're talking to him". I said "I know. He's my Dad. What do you want me to do, hate him for a day?"
I miss my Dad every day. He was my favourite piggy twat!

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

My Dad was from Devon, met my mum who was from Sheffield. They married and then moved to Sheffield when I was very young. Mum's family were mixed but mainly Blades and my Dad had been a player at a very good level rather than a watcher at that point. He was taken to both grounds but mainly the Lane. He settled on watching United and when I was deemed old enough, 1971-72 season, I was taken to a proper match rather than the few Saturday afternoon reserve games I'd seen. That was that, over the years my Dad became an ardent Blade, so have my kids and even though I now live in London it hasn't diminished over the years. The days of season tickets for the kop have long gone and my Dad is now not well enough to attend, but it doesn't stop us having phone calls almost every day to discuss all things Blades.

 

[Tazzy]

Dad hated football was more a beer and western fan ie clint eastwood .I started going with my mates mum when we was 10 ish first game was v man utd think we lost 4-0 or 4-1 remember woodward hitting the bar .Was hooked after that .My best game was west ham we was 2 down Mervin day in the net for them ended up winning 3-2 what a game that was

 

[Silent Blade]

Dad hated football was more a beer and western fan ie clint eastwood .I started going with my mates mum when we was 10 ish first game was v man utd think we lost 4-0 or 4-1 remember woodward hitting the bar .Was hooked after that .My best game was west ham we was 2 down Mervin day in the net for them ended up winning 3-2 what a game that was

The West Ham game (we equalised twice before the winner) was 9 months before the 4-1 home defeat to Man U

 

[Wapping Blade]

That West Ham game was one of my first matches (went with a friend’s dad on their ST when one of his sons was doing Birkdale school stuff on a Saturday afternoon!).

Looking at Soccerbase we beat WHU 3-2 at home in 1975 and 1976!

 

[raul]

All my family are Blades just about. Does that mean I win?

The one who isnae also has impeccable taste.

 

[super_pig]

My Dad was a pig but never went so I wasn't abused by being made to attend that shithole and fortunately my Mum and her brother were Blades and he took me to the Lane from the age of 4. Additionally, one of my brothers is a Pig and my Kids have grown up calling him "Uncle Pig". I actually think that for us,maybe because we have opposing fans who are so close, the rivalry is actually greater (or I can't see how it could be stronger) - although now we've grown up we don't actually come to blows any more .

uncle pig .. quality

 

[super_pig]

My dad was a big Blade fan, but I'm convinced that if he'd been a pig fan, I would have naturally gravitated towards the Blades. United are a state of mind and attract the free-thinkers, those with a bit of anarchy, those who are fiercley loyal and those with an off-beat sense of humour. We're the St. Pauli, the Rive Gauche, the ‘més que un club’ of English football. Strong in our many periods of adversity, we'll never lie down or give up. Ask Wednesday.

Thank you for listening.

great post
i remember this family in our street who were massive pig fans.. one time in the shop at Norton Derek Dooley walked in
‘can i have your autograph mester’ and all that
Dooley looked at me and said ‘what about you?’ .. ‘sorry mister i support united’ i replied.. he just laughed
they also once hung me off Jordanthorpe shops roof in an attempt to convert me.. and failed

 

[snootyfenooty]

I come from an 'ethnically pure' Blades family, from my grandfather through to my grandson.

Me too. It's a great feeling occupying the moral high ground isn't it!!

 

[Silent Blade]

Looking at Soccerbase we beat WHU 3-2 at home in 1975 and 1976!

0-1, 1-1, 1-2, 2-2 and 3-2 in both matches. Woody and Billy Jennings scored their respective teams second goal too

 

[Sean Thornton]

I'm a Blade, my dads a blade, his dad was a blade, his dad's dad was a blade...no idea before that!



!

Probably a roundhead

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Oh, sorry. I'd best sit in the home end on Saturday then

It's generally glory-hunters that are annoying. Nobody ever accuses a Blade of that...

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

My Dad wasn’t a Blade. He was a Crystal Palace supporter from Croydon, who joined the Navy at 15,and he met a wren from Sheffield, got married to her, left the Navy and moved to Sheffield and had kids and I was the eldest. When I was a kid I used to on occasional visits to Selhurst Park, and saw Palace at quite a few games up north when they played away. My first visit to Anfield drubbing and my first visit to Wembley was decorated in red and blue for the 1990 cup final. I was also subjected to my next door neighbour in High Green attempting to corrupt me by taking me to a handful of games when I was at an influential age but thankfully his efforts were thwarted.

Thankfully the maternal side of the family was all staunch Blades, my Grandad and three uncles in particular, and I was weaned on tales of Jimmy Hagen, supplanted by trips to Bramall Lane, my first visit coming when my Grandma had arranged for him to babysit for me, on the same evening she had an important engagement to fulfill at the Bingo Hall on Barnsley Road so the 4 year old Brownie was taken to the night fixture against Northampton Town in the old 4th Division,

Being a father has been challenging as well. My lads mum is a Wednesdayite and grows up in the pig stronghold of S35, which under normal circumstances would be too much to overcome, but I’ve made him aware that any football trips with me will be watch United only, he has had dalliances with Man Utd and Liverpool but his heart is now firmly with the Blades. I knew the war had been one when we left Hillsborough with smiles as wide as our faces on a sunny Sunday September afternoon, and he confided in me that he was very happy that all the annoying Wednesday fans wouldn’t have anything to shout about at school the next morning.

Downhill all the way from the Northampton match, then. Until last September...

 

[super_pig]

Me too. It's a great feeling occupying the moral high ground isn't it!!

how very dare you sir.. Sheffield was royalist i believe

 

[georgethecat]

I have no Sheffield connections. I just started following the blades from a distance in the early 90's. Indeed until I travelled over to my first game I had never been in Sheffield before, never met another blade nor seen anyone else wearing a blades shirt in the flesh! Since then I have travelled to about 5 or 6 games per season. On occasions I have travelled alone for the weekend to attend games! Along the way I have managed to watch us twice at Wembley and enjoyed beating the Pigs in my first steel city derby (Alan Quinn). I was also witness to the Lee Baxter debacle at Burnley ! I have 2 young sons who have been dragged across for weekend games. Ironically the oldest professes to hate football but is more than happy to run about in full blades kit. The second boy is mad for the blades and recently attended his first steel city derby. During the summer he forced me to drag him to all the blades academy games at the supercup NI youth football tournament where the coaches adopted him as the team mascot. I regularly bring friends across to games and will be attending the PNE match next week (really wish it was still Villa) along with 2 mates. Before the game I will be taking my second stadium tour of the season (sad, I know). My dad wasn't a blade but I am and so are my lads. UTB

 

[dublin 10 blade]

Dad was a pig fan , Mam was a pig fan , younger brother was a pig fan , youngest brother was a Leeds fan
I’m the only Blade , and fucking proud to say
it .
Although walking through the door on Boxing Day was a beaut
Dad never took me to see pigs , although he took me home and away to see United