Tempted by the Dark Side?

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diplomat

diplomat

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Following on from the "Would you or Wouldn't you" thread I wondered if anyone had either been tempted to switch sides or had a difficult time choosing which side of the red and blue fence to end up on.

I first went in the 4th division but was too young to have anything more than fleeting memories of it. In the mid 80's I probably went to as many Wendy games as Utd with family friends. However, it never seemed right to be at Hillsborough. It was too far away, you had to drive past Bramall Lane to get there. The kit wasn't as resplendent as our red and white stripes. The general aura of BDTBL was preferred by me. Even when they were playing at a higher standard it never even crossed my mind that they might be better than us.

Some things you just have to trust your instincts. :)
 



As a child I was given the option of which side to support.

I could support United or I could support daily beatings to within an inch of my life.

I feel I made the correct decision.
 
My old man was a massive blade before i was born and then as i got older he became less interested in going to the games, then by the time i was old enough, he didnt live at home. one of my mums friends offered to take me to hillsborough when i was 5 or 6 to a kids day where you met david hirst and ozzie the owl, i came home with a shirt and a bag full of goodies.

On seeing this, our next door neighbour (who was a good pal of my dads before he left, and a massive blade too.) was outraged by this and came to our house the next day with the offer to take me to the lane for the upcoming season (free of charge) (mum was skint) and to this day im still a season ticket holder.

THE SHIRT WAS NEVER WORN.

sadly the neighbour died a few years back, massive blade, may he rest in peace.
 
I grew up near Hillsborough and went to a school full of pigs. In fact I was the only Blade.

I never contemplated switching. Red and white in the blood and I was happy to be given a hard time for it. Small price to pay. Couldnt support them if you paid me.
 
Speaking from the other side of the divide, the first game I ever saw was at the Lane, and living in Gleadless Valley at the time it would've made sense for me to become a Blade. It just didn't feel right though and as soon as I saw my first Wednesday game I knew instinctively they were my team. I've stood on the kop with Blades many times over the years and some of my closest pals are Blades. We give each other a load of grief (i've been taking more than giving for the last decade) but it doesn't affect our friendship except on derby days
 
DP8789 said:
My old man was a massive blade before i was born and then as i got older he became less interested in going to the games, then by the time i was old enough, he didnt live at home. one of my mums friends offered to take me to hillsborough when i was 5 or 6 to a kids day where you met david hirst and ozzie the owl, i came home with a shirt and a bag full of goodies.

On seeing this, our next door neighbour (who was a good pal of my dads before he left, and a massive blade too.) was outraged by this and came to our house the next day with the offer to take me to the lane for the upcoming season (free of charge) (mum was skint) and to this day im still a season ticket holder.

THE SHIRT WAS NEVER WORN.

sadly the neighbour died a few years back, massive blade, may he rest in peace.
Click to expand...

Great story - rest in peace that great neighbour.

As one of three lads of a pig supporting Dad I suppose I was rescued too. Unlce John (Mum's brother, massive Blade, and much bigger and harder than my Dad) made sure that at 1pm every Saturday we'd be stood at the window waiting for him to pull up in his Talbot and take us to the lane. I think I thanked him more in my wedding speech for saving me from the unclean than I did the Mrs for marrying me.

RIP Uncle John.
 
My Dad has been a Blade since childhood having been taken from the age of 7 by his Grandad and I too was given little choice as soon as I was old enough to kick a ball.

I have been exiled from Sheffield since age 3 and used to travel up as a kid to see my Gran on Crookes. When I was about 7 I was badgering Dad so much to take me to a game that he promised me the next time we visited my Gran he would take me. The next time we went United were away and I cried and cried I was that upset, so for some reason he decided to take me to Hillsborough to watch the Pigs v Oxford, (finished 2-2).

Walked into Hillsborough a confused Blade, (confused as to why my Dad was doing this) and walked out a Blade for life.
 
1st game i ever saw was the grunters getting battered by Everton's championship winning side in 87. Been a blade ever since :)
 
Otherside? You've lost me mate, what you talking about, there is only one side in Sheffield.
 
My dad was a big Wendy fan, and all his family before him (although I am told my great, great grandad was a Blade, only shortly after we formed in the 1890's). Anyway we lived in Fulwood at the time, and so it was one bus to BDTBL and two to Hillsborough. He must have decided to take me to my first proper game, we'd been to a couple of United reserve matches, and so it was. What a night, standing on the open terrace not far from the corner flag at the BL/pavilion end, watching the Cardiff fans fighting with the Blades. I will always remember seeing grass under the floodlights that was greener that anything I'd ever seen, the smell of cigarette smoke, the banter, the cheers and songs, the jostling on the terraces, and the lads in red and white, especially Currie and Woodward who ran the game that night.

It was April 27th 1971, and that was when I became a Blade.

I did go to Hillsborough a few times with piggy mates, but apart from the great pies they used to have in the late 70's, there was nothing of an emotional attachment and I was always pleased to get back to red and white...
 
The Bus that used to take us from Langold, to Carlton, then Overend Road, Worksop and onto the Lane, did United 1 week and the Snortbeasts the next.

About 1968-ish I agreed to go with some of my mates from Langold to an FA Cup Game, they were at home to Scunny.

Scunny won, 0-2 or 1-2, I cant remember, I remember getting 1 or 2 deadlegs on the way home, but it was worth it.

What has since made it even better, was that a couple of years ago I found out that Keegan scored one of Scunny`s goal :D
 
My uncle who lives between Bradford and "The Dirt'ies", tried his best to get me to go there, another uncle who was doing some scouting for Barnsley (he got Speedie and McCarthey signed up for them), tried his best to get me as a fan there, another uncle even took me to the dark side to watch them when the match fixers played a few games after their ban. But my 'Best Mate' at the time took me to BDTL in 73-74 and the rest is History (you just know when something is right don't you!).
 
I lived from birth to 17 less than half a mile from Hillsborough. All my family were Blue, all my pals (except 1) were blue, and first few games I ever went to see were with my dad supporting Wendy. My uncle, thank God, then took my to The Lane (I think just to upset my dad) and that was it - I never looked back :-)
 
Torrix1889 said:
My Dad has been a Blade since childhood having been taken from the age of 7 by his Grandad and I too was given little choice as soon as I was old enough to kick a ball.

I have been exiled from Sheffield since age 3 and used to travel up as a kid to see my Gran on Crookes. When I was about 7 I was badgering Dad so much to take me to a game that he promised me the next time we visited my Gran he would take me. The next time we went United were away and I cried and cried I was that upset, so for some reason he decided to take me to Hillsborough to watch the Pigs v Oxford, (finished 2-2).

Walked into Hillsborough a confused Blade, (confused as to why my Dad was doing this) and walked out a Blade for life.
Click to expand...

No wonder your posts are full of angst young man!

;)

---------- Post added at 04:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:27 PM ----------

I was born quite near to BDTBL!

When I was 2 we moved away and when I was 9 I lived in Coal Aston and was taken to my first game ever (1959 it was) and my love for the Blades was cemented by the next game I went to which was a night match. Has there ever been an atmosphere like BTDBL under the (proper) floodlights?
I only went to the odd game and when I was 11 we moved onto the Foxhill estate. Pigland! I desperately wanted to go to the Lane but mumsy didn't want me to travel all that way what with "the hooligans that go to Bramall Lane" so I was told that if I wanted to go to football I had to go to Swillsborough and only to reserve matches.
I had an aunt that was a wendyite and she bought me a hat and scarf and rattle and off I trotted. I had another little bell thing that was red and white - a marble in between two metal cylinder things painted red and white - I know don't ask! - and I rattled it when the pigs scored. I even had to stand on the Leppings Lane End. It didn't last long - I started playing Rugby Union for school and got in with some Blade fans and fortunately I was able to go to t'Lane again.

It didn't help that the last time I went to Swillsborough back then one of the filthy pigs fingered my backside as I was walking away after the match. I was 11 for god's sake!

IFHTB!
 
Anyone who saw Football Focus today would realise that we are like chalk and cheese. It's their unbearable smugness and belief that they are far better than they are (similar to Scotland fans). It's the fact that they've got the local (and after Football Focus today, it would seem national) media in their pocket. It's the fact that they've always had 'friends in high places' who make sure they get favourable treatment - from Eric Taylor 50 years ago to Dave 'Cunt' Richards today.

A few years ago, our H Block was ordered to be closed for some minor infractions. Hillsborough hosted the worst disaster in British football and continued to be awarded semi-finals.

Typical supporters? Blunkett. Betts. Ashton. Hattersley. Michael Vaughan. Reverend & The Makers. Seth Bennet. Wankers all.

Ex-players? Waddle. Hirst. Curran. Sterland. Palmer. An uglier bunch of tossers would be hard to find.

My dad instilled a love of United in me from an early age. If he'd have taken me to Hillsborough instead, I would have ended up supporting the Blades. We're just different.
 



Fife said:
I lived from birth to 17 less than half a mile from Hillsborough. All my family were Blue, all my pals (except 1) were blue, and first few games I ever went to see were with my dad supporting Wendy. My uncle, thank God, then took my to The Lane (I think just to upset my dad) and that was it - I never looked back :-)
Click to expand...

Ayup Fife - coming up to Dunfermline next month, where's the places to go on a Saturday night?
 
grafikhaus said:
Anyone who saw Football Focus today would realise that we are like chalk and cheese. It's their unbearable smugness and belief that they are far better than they are (similar to Scotland fans). It's the fact that they've got the local (and after Football Focus today, it would seem national) media in their pocket. It's the fact that they've always had 'friends in high places' who make sure they get favourable treatment - from Eric Taylor 50 years ago to Dave 'Cunt' Richards today.

A few years ago, our H Block was ordered to be closed for some minor infractions. Hillsborough hosted the worst disaster in British football and continued to be awarded semi-finals.

Typical supporters? Blunkett. Betts. Ashton. Hattersley. Michael Vaughan. Reverend & The Makers. Seth Bennet. Wankers all.

Ex-players? Waddle. Hirst. Curran. Sterland. Palmer. An uglier bunch of tossers would be hard to find.

My dad instilled a love of United in me from an early age. If he'd have taken me to Hillsborough instead, I would have ended up supporting the Blades. We're just different.
Click to expand...

That's the best post I've read for a long long time. It just sums up in a few paragraphs what a disease they all are.
 
diplomat said:
Following on from the "Would you or Wouldn't you" thread I wondered if anyone had either been tempted to switch sides or had a difficult time choosing which side of the red and blue fence to end up on.

I first went in the 4th division but was too young to have anything more than fleeting memories of it. In the mid 80's I probably went to as many Wendy games as Utd with family friends. However, it never seemed right to be at Hillsborough. It was too far away, you had to drive past Bramall Lane to get there. The kit wasn't as resplendent as our red and white stripes. The general aura of BDTBL was preferred by me. Even when they were playing at a higher standard it never even crossed my mind that they might be better than us.

Some things you just have to trust your instincts. :)
Click to expand...

Nah, never an option, always a Blade.

Most of my friends are Wednesdayites and whilst I have nothing against them the thought of being a Wednesday fan just makes me feel ill. Bouncing around, supporting wankers like Morrison, Purse and creaming themselves over heros such as Howard Wilkinson, John Sheridan and Carlton Palmer.

The way most of them egged on that idiot Strafford too was cringeworthy at best too.

This probably won't make sense, but my friends who support Wednesday I like, but in general when I think of Wednesday fans I just think of simple thick weirdos.
 
I was born in Jessops and when my Dad did the Del boy bit and held me up to the window you could see the floodlights at the Lane. Did the same with my first lad but my second lad was born on a corridor facing the church and all we could see was prozzys. He doesn't like football.
 
My dad supports Sheffield United so that's why I do. Simple as that really. Neither of us have any connections with Sheffield though.
 
For me it goes back to being 4 or 5 years old, and living in High Green which was and still is a huge Wednesday stronghold. My mother wasn't interested in football, and my Dad was a southerner who supported Crystal Palace. I decided amongst peer pressure that i was a Wednesday fan, and then a few days later i went to my Grandma and Grandads at Shiregreen. Made the disclosure that i was a Wednesday supporter and was made to sit on the step until i saw the error of my ways and my Grandad smartened me up a bit and in a way started the enrolment in to being a Blade. This was cememted a couple of weeks later when i was took to the Lane for the first time and absolutely loved it. I used to get occasionally taken to Hillsborough by the next door neighbour and it didn't compare to me to going to the Lane.

I've still got a few mates who are Wednesday fans, but despite being from a Wednesday stronghold side of the city, most of my best friends are all Unitedites. There is a kid i know whose Grandad grew up with mine, his parent grew up with my mother, he grew up with me, and we now both have little lads they will in all probably grow up as Blades together just like the 3 generations before them.
 
family all blades cept one of my sisters, simple but i do have a lil story
irish friend of minecame in the 60's to live with his uncle, a devout blade.
one saturday he walked from near darnall to the sty to watch george best play for manure against the filth.
when he got home later that night his uncle asked him where he had been all day, he said to watch the football.
his uncle looking a little confused said there has been no football in this city today boy, pat told his uncle where he'd been and was promptly thrashed senseless and told if he ever mentioned the heathens of hillsborough in his house again, he would beat him again, then put him on a boat back to ireland, pat was a dyed in the wool blade forever more and bre 5 sons in the same mold

MunXy
 
You've got vans everywhere, haven't you Batey?
 
My Dad hated football. When I was young I showed an interest in football but didn't support anyone at the time. I just enjoyed playing it. My dad seemed quite pleased that I had an interest and one day he came home with some pig sweatbands. I think he chose the pigs as they were the more successful and respectable side at the time. We were in the old fourth division. Later that year our junior school received free tickets for Rochdale at home to see the Blades. I went and was immediately hooked. I think we won 3-1. When I got home I took the pig sweatbands to the top of our garden and set them on fire.
 
My dad's dad's dad was a Blade and it's been that way ever since despite my mum's side of the family being pigs. It ended up with my brother being a pig and me a Blade. He was a Blade for a couple of years but didn't like that we were in the fourth division (he was about 5) so swapped after granddad teased him.

When my nan was dying she 'confessed' to being a Blade and that she'd faked it. When her father died he asked to have the window open so he could hear the crowd from the Lane.

My cousin played for the Blades for a couple of years so I used to get all his old shirts as hand-me-downs.
 
when i was really young.. like 5 years old, i had loads of dental problems (ribena.. don't get me started).. so as a bribe to go to the dentist, my mom took me to suggs for a 'present'.. they had some neat football badges and being young and having only ever heard of george best and man utd, i asked for one of theirs.. the bloke at suggs was disgusted, he said i should support a local team (i had no idea we had one).. so who was it to be utd or wednesday?.. seeing as wednesday was such a stupid arse name for a football team i picked united.. when i got home, my grandad said 'fucking good job an' all'.. it was about the first time i'd ever heard him swear.. my step dad was a pig and attempted to convert me to the unclean at about age 9 but i wasn't having any of it.. prolly the reason we still to this day don't get on.. meh
 



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