Atmosphere Malarkey 60’s and 70’s

[Summers & Pace]

​

It’s a bit ironic that when I first started going in the early 60’s, like minded supporters were starting to gather together to sing and chant to support their team. Now 60 years later there is a similar movement to allow safe standing to enable a similar thing to happen.

Anyway I started to think of my favourite away grounds during this period and I have come up with my top 5 based purely on atmosphere, bearing in mind that there are grounds I had not been to, during this period. I have also compared now and then.

No.5 St. Andrews

Was always an exciting and intimidating atmosphere, good noise from the side Kop. Outstanding memories, first match of the season, early 70's won 2-1, Woody scored, remember Gil Reece being knocked into the gravel at pitch side by their centre half Roger Hynd, who looked like the devil.

Also the failed bid for Europe, 0-0, thankfully did not go on the Kop.

Now….. went last year, really disappointing, even after they scored, don’t remember hearing Keep Right On, at any time.

No 4 Maine Rd

Always good and consistent support from the Kippax. I’m fairly certain Woody scored direct from a corner and we won, again early 70’s. Saw us lose by 6, Simon Tracey was sent off. Made my lads stay to the end, I said it was character building…….kin ell, yes they still love me, I think.

Now….

Dull and lifeless, my perception in the past was, local people supporting their local team, don’t think that’s the case now.

No 3 Ellend Rd

First visit 1965, drew 2-2 against a very good Leeds team. Good support from the Scratching Shed, a small terrace with a half barrel roof. I remember a small band of Blades on the open Kop opposite, they were tightly packed together similar to what you would see at Hillsborough when their Kop was open. I seem to remember a criticism from the board, about the disappointing numbers that attended away matches at this time.

Now…… good noise and atmosphere, there fans are back on the Scatching shed end, after transferring to the Geldred when it was covered, I think mainly to intimidate the away fans.

No 2 The City Ground

Always enjoyed my visits, although mixed results in the past. Always good noise from the Trent End. First visit mid 60’s,lost 6-0, stood on the side terrace, where the Brian Clough Stand is now. Also was there when Jim Baxter made his debut, don’t know why that sticks in my mind.

Now…… quite poor, the Trent end is no longer the noisy vibrant place it used to be. Although for the 2018 Remembrance Day, a supporters group Forza Garibaldi organised a moving tribute to Forest players that had lost their lives during the two World Wars. The Trent End was covered with Flags with pictures and names of the players involved.

No1 The Baseball Ground

At this time my favourite away day, really liked the 3 tiered terracing behind the goals and atmosphere was always great with all four sides at it with the DARBEE chant. Blades fans always went on the pop side with the player’s tunnel splitting the home and away section and we always took a good following. Stood/sat on 3 sides but never saw us win. Outstanding memories, Woody scoring a thunderbolt with the ball getting stuck between the net and support and losing in the cup, 4th round mid 70’s

Now….. They bounce, so what more can you say.

Also honourable mentions to the Oak St end at Kenilworth Rd and Blundell Park, which I always enjoyed.

UTB

 

[Silent Blade]

remember Gil Reece being knocked into the gravel at pitch side by their centre half Roger Hynd, who looked like the devil.

I remember you telling me this at St Andrews last year so it didnt take me long to work out who you are! Hope you are well?

BTW it was Salmons who scored direct from a corner at Maine Road in March 1974.

 

[Digs blade]

What I would say about your selection is they are all classic away grounds.

I’m a bit behind you but went to all of these grounds in the eighties as a teenager.

Birmingham was feeble for me but under no illusions that their hooligan firm would be ready if you fancied it.

Man City full of side streets. Can I look after your car mister? Went on the side end of the kippax and also on the benches behind the net.

Leeds pretty scary as a teenager. Went in the side terrace and also behind the net when we got dicked 5 0.

Forest been loads of times, got in a bit of bother at least once.

Derby twice at the baseball. Agree great atmosphere. The stand at the right of the away end was literally on top of us. Missed my minibus back in 1990 had to cadge a lift back of a blade I flagged down in a car.

Honourable mention to Middlesborough, Newcastle, Portsmouth but to be honest could name many more.

Different ball game in those days

 

[metalblade]

The Baseball ground was horrible always loud though and we always took a good following I remember on one occasion Brian Clough jumped into the middle of the United mob well before kick off (the exit gate had been forced and we were in for nowt about 1:00pm) Cloughy asked us to be quiet for five minutes while he did a TV interview in front of the tunnel, surprisingly a couple of thousand Blades hooligans did what he asked. It was a pain in the arse to get out of the Pop side as they had a floodlight pylon across the only exit it caused a unbelievable crush at the end of games.
Hated Bell end road too had trouble on every visit to that shithole.
St Andrews was tasty in the 70's I was at the first game of the season when we won 2-1, the locals were not amused and our coach had a few windows bricked out, at one point stuck in traffic we were fighting them off both ends of the coach they were a bit keen to get at us you could say.
Anfield was a bit intimidating young un's would try to get talking to you by asking the time to see if you had a watch worth nicking by the older lads further down the road, little bastards.

 

[oldblade]

​

It’s a bit ironic that when I first started going in the early 60’s, like minded supporters were starting to gather together to sing and chant to support their team. Now 60 years later there is a similar movement to allow safe standing to enable a similar thing to happen.

Anyway I started to think of my favourite away grounds during this period and I have come up with my top 5 based purely on atmosphere, bearing in mind that there are grounds I had not been to, during this period. I have also compared now and then.

No.5 St. Andrews

Was always an exciting and intimidating atmosphere, good noise from the side Kop. Outstanding memories, first match of the season, early 70's won 2-1, Woody scored, remember Gil Reece being knocked into the gravel at pitch side by their centre half Roger Hynd, who looked like the devil.

Also the failed bid for Europe, 0-0, thankfully did not go on the Kop.

Now….. went last year, really disappointing, even after they scored, don’t remember hearing Keep Right On, at any time.

No 4 Maine Rd

Always good and consistent support from the Kippax. I’m fairly certain Woody scored direct from a corner and we won, again early 70’s. Saw us lose by 6, Simon Tracey was sent off. Made my lads stay to the end, I said it was character building…….kin ell, yes they still love me, I think.

Now….

Dull and lifeless, my perception in the past was, local people supporting their local team, don’t think that’s the case now.

No 3 Ellend Rd

First visit 1965, drew 2-2 against a very good Leeds team. Good support from the Scratching Shed, a small terrace with a half barrel roof. I remember a small band of Blades on the open Kop opposite, they were tightly packed together similar to what you would see at Hillsborough when their Kop was open. I seem to remember a criticism from the board, about the disappointing numbers that attended away matches at this time.

Now…… good noise and atmosphere, there fans are back on the Scatching shed end, after transferring to the Geldred when it was covered, I think mainly to intimidate the away fans.

No 2 The City Ground

Always enjoyed my visits, although mixed results in the past. Always good noise from the Trent End. First visit mid 60’s,lost 6-0, stood on the side terrace, where the Brian Clough Stand is now. Also was there when Jim Baxter made his debut, don’t know why that sticks in my mind.

Now…… quite poor, the Trent end is no longer the noisy vibrant place it used to be. Although for the 2018 Remembrance Day, a supporters group Forza Garibaldi organised a moving tribute to Forest players that had lost their lives during the two World Wars. The Trent End was covered with Flags with pictures and names of the players involved.

No1 The Baseball Ground

At this time my favourite away day, really liked the 3 tiered terracing behind the goals and atmosphere was always great with all four sides at it with the DARBEE chant. Blades fans always went on the pop side with the player’s tunnel splitting the home and away section and we always took a good following. Stood/sat on 3 sides but never saw us win. Outstanding memories, Woody scoring a thunderbolt with the ball getting stuck between the net and support and losing in the cup, 4th round mid 70’s

Now….. They bounce, so what more can you say.

Also honourable mentions to the Oak St end at Kenilworth Rd and Blundell Park, which I always enjoyed.

UTB

Agree that the Baseball Ground had a good atmosphere. Much better than Pride Park. And for that matter, I think Coventry City made the biggest mistake of their existence when they moved out of Highfield Road.

One that I've always enjoyed going to is The Hawthornes. I also thought Highbury had a lot of character. But what do I know?! I liked Aldershot. It was like playing in a recreational park, but somehow had that indefinable atmosphere of being a 'proper' football ground.

 

[cahill]

Surprised you didn’t mention the Hockey goal in the 1972, 2-1 win at St Andrews. I was also on their kop and it was « Trevor Hockey day « for me.

 

[cahill]

Baseball Ground was the last match I saw the Blades before joining the RAF in 1971. We lost 3-0

 

[SittingontheBall]

Yes, I was at Baseball Ground that day. Packed in behind the goal. Think Hinton got a penalty that John Hope got his hand to (achievement the way Hinton used to hit them) but it either went on to the post and in or Hinton followed up on. Can’t quite remember.
Went to Baseball Ground a few times never saw us win there.

Highfield Road match around the same year was match I remember for the fact we went into, I think, a two goal lead and it was snowed off after about 65 mins. On the way home in the car it stopped snowing and we felt robbed. Of course, we lost the midweek rerun but I wasn’t there to see that.

 

[Silent Blade]

Yes, I was at Baseball Ground that day. Packed in behind the goal. Think Hinton got a penalty that John Hope got his hand to (achievement the way Hinton used to hit them) but it either went on to the post and in or Hinton followed up on. Can’t quite remember.
Went to Baseball Ground a few times never saw us win there.

 

[Silent Blade]

Surprised you didn’t mention the Hockey goal in the 1972, 2-1 win at St Andrews. I was also on their kop and it was « Trevor Hockey day « for me.

 

[SittingontheBall]

My memory is worse than I thought!
Wonder when/where/who it was that I was remembering?

 

[Silent Blade]

My memory is worse than I thought!
Wonder when/where/who it was that I was remembering?

You thinking of this one?

 

[cahill]

Yes, I was at Baseball Ground that day. Packed in behind the goal. Think Hinton got a penalty that John Hope got his hand to (achievement the way Hinton used to hit them) but it either went on to the post and in or Hinton followed up on. Can’t quite remember.
Went to Baseball Ground a few times never saw us win there.

Highfield Road match around the same year was match I remember for the fact we went into, I think, a two goal lead and it was snowed off after about 65 mins. On the way home in the car it stopped snowing and we felt robbed. Of course, we lost the midweek rerun but I wasn’t there to see that.

Pretty sure we were stood on the side terrace. Plenty Blades there that day. Some crombie wearing Derby types went into our side of the terrace fancying their chances but were straight over the wall onto the pitch in panic.

 

[cahill]

Yes, I was at Baseball Ground that day. Packed in behind the goal. Think Hinton got a penalty that John Hope got his hand to (achievement the way Hinton used to hit them) but it either went on to the post and in or Hinton followed up on. Can’t quite remember.
Went to Baseball Ground a few times never saw us win there.

Highfield Road match around the same year was match I remember for the fact we went into, I think, a two goal lead and it was snowed off after about 65 mins. On the way home in the car it stopped snowing and we felt robbed. Of course, we lost the midweek rerun but I wasn’t there to see that.

Yes always lost there except for the promotion season 2006-7

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

Yes, I was at Baseball Ground that day. Packed in behind the goal. Think Hinton got a penalty that John Hope got his hand to (achievement the way Hinton used to hit them) but it either went on to the post and in or Hinton followed up on. Can’t quite remember.
Went to Baseball Ground a few times never saw us win there.

Highfield Road match around the same year was match I remember for the fact we went into, I think, a two goal lead and it was snowed off after about 65 mins. On the way home in the car it stopped snowing and we felt robbed. Of course, we lost the midweek rerun but I wasn’t there to see that.

Me and 3 mates were at both those matches and both were a bummer .

We played very well at Coventry and would have won easily , but the ref had no option but to call it off not so much because of the snow but by the sheer amount of water on the pitch . I clearly remember that just before he did so , Len Badger went past the terrace we were on and the water was coming over the top of his boots and the pass he tried to make just got stuck .

The other thing I remember from that day was calling at a chippie on the way back to the car and being served the biggest bag of chips I've ever seen . The bag was about a foot tall and the guy filled it almost to the top !

Not so happy days .

 

[SittingontheBall]

You thinking of this one?

Bloody hell Silent, you’re good!
My brain (?) has completely mashed together the 71/2 & 72/3 matches. The save I remembered was the latter match, but it looks to me like it was Tom Mcalister who made it.
Rather than plead old age I think I’ll plead too many pens in those two matches!

 

[bypassblade]

No1 The Baseball Ground

At this time my favourite away day, really liked the 3 tiered terracing behind the goals and atmosphere was always great with all four sides at it with the DARBEE chant. Blades fans always went on the pop side with the player’s tunnel splitting the home and away section and we always took a good following. Stood/sat on 3 sides but never saw us win. Outstanding memories, Woody scoring a thunderbolt with the ball getting stuck between the net and support and losing in the cup, 4th round mid 70’s

In 70's Derby was my must go to away game as you say on the popside, and yes all through the game all you heard was nah, nah, nanna, nah nah DERBEEE. Same as you I never saw United win at Derby, they just had some sort of hex over us lol.

As for the failed Europe attempt I was daft enough with my mate to go on side kop, was shitting myself very intimidating. We got back to coach park after being chased all over the place, to find all coaches had windows put through.

 

[bypassblade]

I was there that day when McAllister saved 2 pens, neither was a pen ref was a grade A prick I also remember Rodney Marsh breaking McAllister's leg at the Lane in front of kop.

 

[Bert]

The Baseball ground was horrible always loud though and we always took a good following I remember on one occasion Brian Clough jumped into the middle of the United mob well before kick off (the exit gate had been forced and we were in for nowt about 1:00pm) Cloughy asked us to be quiet for five minutes while he did a TV interview in front of the tunnel, surprisingly a couple of thousand Blades hooligans did what he asked. It was a pain in the arse to get out of the Pop side as they had a floodlight pylon across the only exit it caused a unbelievable crush at the end of games.
Hated Bell end road too had trouble on every visit to that shithole.
St Andrews was tasty in the 70's I was at the first game of the season when we won 2-1, the locals were not amused and our coach had a few windows bricked out, at one point stuck in traffic we were fighting them off both ends of the coach they were a bit keen to get at us you could say.
Anfield was a bit intimidating young un's would try to get talking to you by asking the time to see if you had a watch worth nicking by the older lads further down the road, little bastards.

Bert was on a coach that got the windows smashed that day at Birmingham. A lad at the back of our couch opened the emergency exit and repelled them with a large knife.
It was very draughty on the way home.

 

[Bert]

Baseball Ground was the last match I saw the Blades before joining the RAF in 1971. We lost 3-0

The only consolation was that Wednesday got knocked out of the cup at home that day to 4th Division Scunthope.
It cheered Bert up very slightly on the way home.

 

[Bert]

Pretty sure we were stood on the side terrace. Plenty Blades there that day. Some crombie wearing Derby types went into our side of the terrace fancying their chances but were straight over the wall onto the pitch in panic.

It was the side terrace. Jammed in under the stand with a brawl every five minutes.

 

[Bert]

A few years later Grimsby was always a good day out, a bit dangerous but we always used to win.

 

[SW12 to S12 to S18]

Baseball Ground was the last match I saw the Blades before joining the RAF in 1971. We lost 3-0

Of course we did, we always lost there in those days no matter how well we played.

 

[cahill]

The only consolation was that Wednesday got knocked out of the cup at home that day to 4th Division Scunthope.
It cheered Bert up very slightly on the way home.

That day was it ? I remember watching it on TV, must have been that Sunday ITV offering. The Scunny /Pig match that is

 

[Bert]

That day was it ? I remember watching it on TV, must have been that Sunday ITV offering. The Scunny /Pig match that is

Bert was trying to get out of this hell hole when the news came through.

 

[oldblade]

Yes always lost there except for the promotion season 2006-7

Also won there 3-2 in early 1995 to complete a double over them.

It was our first season back in the second tier after the excruciating relegation of 1994. We started the season fairly indifferently. Pretty mid table. But towards the end of the year (1994) and in the early part of the new year things picked up and we started to look like real promotion contenders. Unfortunately it all fizzled out.

We were involved in a couple of strange games that season. We had lost at home to Luton, but won the return fixture at their place 6-3. Can't remember any other occasion when we scored six away from home in a competitive match.

And there was the early January away fixture at Wolves where we went 2-0 up and we were cruising. Still 2-0 up with the 90 minutes almost played out. Then , quite literally at the death it all went pear shaped and we conceded two goals right at the end. Two points thrown away. Rightly or wrongly I have always felt that had we won that match we would have gone on to get promotion. But, in fairness, it was quite difficult that year because the numbers in each division were being adjusted and I think only two were being promoted - one automatically and the other via the play offs. Never the less, our season did seem to just fizzle out.

 

[Silent Blade]

.We had lost at home to Luton, but won the return fixture at their place 6-3. Can't remember any other occasion when we scored six away from home in a competitive match.

Cardiff in December 1977

 

[oldblade]

Cardiff in December 1977

Quite right. Although you wouldn't have thought it possible we could give a side a 6 goal thrashing during that season!

And in true United fashion, that wasn't a comfortable season.

I remember us as hovering just above the relegation zone for much of it, but our home form was pretty good and I think it was that which kept us clear of trouble.

 

[Alf Tuppers Shorts]

Bloody hell Silent, you’re good!
My brain (?) has completely mashed together the 71/2 & 72/3 matches. The save I remembered was the latter match, but it looks to me like it was Tom Mcalister who made it.
Rather than plead old age I think I’ll plead too many pens in those two matches!

Any of those games in the FA cup, think it may have been 3rd round. Definitely on the side terracing with all the Blades. Pitch looked like a ploughed field.
Also Birmingham away, think we won 2-1 no idea of the year (early 70s) awful away trip by train about 10 of us ,we had to make it all the way to the ground dodging the City Fans. Reason I think we won 2-1 is because we only saw the 1st half , at half time we got the old “They’ve sused you lot out ,your from Sheffield, suggest you get out sharpish.”. Oh happy days.

 

[Bert]

Any of those games in the FA cup, think it may have been 3rd round. Definitely on the side terracing with all the Blades. Pitch looked like a ploughed field.
Also Birmingham away, think we won 2-1 no idea of the year (early 70s) awful away trip by train about 10 of us ,we had to make it all the way to the ground dodging the City Fans. Reason I think we won 2-1 is because we only saw the 1st half , at half time we got the old “They’ve sused you lot out ,your from Sheffield, suggest you get out sharpish.”. Oh happy days.

The 3-0 Cup defeat at Derby was the 4th Round, after we'd put Everton out in the previous round.