Blades team photo 1981-82

[Moan? Nope-I saw Longhorn]

he certainly had some fire boxing day 79 booted sabella up in the air after 2 minutes and we never saw our argentine boy again after that lol

Aye, that & losing Speight (early) 2nd half (& compounded by having Richardson in goal) meant we were never going to win (or even draw)
Didn’t JK net n’all ?

 

[Silent Blade]

Great interview, so did we have a bigger gate than Liverpool got for a league game one night?

Yes, when we played Bradford. Our biggest gate of the season - over 24,000. Liverpool’s gate re Birmingham that night was a couple of hundred smaller.

See link below

1982-03-30

www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk

 

[coaxingstar71]

Porterfield said when he was fired that he had worked miracles for the club. We won Division 4 in his first season and then finished higher every season than the season before.

As I have said before, in 40 or 50 years when no one who remembers the Porterfield era is still alive, people looking at his record will wonder why he was fired. The same might also apply to Blackwell and Clough. The answer is that you had to be there to understand it.

I have never heard a team and a manager get so much abuse as Porterfield and the team got that season. The Millwall home defeat was so toxic that the crowd were cheering Millwall in the last 10 minutes, and when Jeff Eckhardt scored our consolation there was even some ironic booing. The team were booed off after beating Fulham just after Christmas and beating Carlisle on New Years Day. After their purple patch in October and November where we went second and had some impressive wins, particularly away, the team reverted to its early season patchy form and the Norwich performance, albeit against a good team, saw the car park demonstration afterwards. The team was certainly underperforming at that point, and selling Glenn Cockerill was a huge loss.

For all that, I do agree that the sacking was harsh, but I think Brealey was driven to it by the supporters. Incidentally, the day Porterfield was sacked, we were seventh, 2 points behind Hull (who had played a game more) and Brighton (who had played a game less). The playoffs came in the following season. I always wonder whether had the playoffs been in operation Brearly would have left Porterfield where he was on the basis we were on the cusp of them.

I remember it very well and was on the kop for all those games aged 14 at the time. I don't think Porterfield did himself any favours in interviews around that time where he would refer to the team 'not giving 100%' and the opposition being 'hungrier' than us. Probably an honest view but as we know, most Blades fans can forgive a lack of talent, but what they won't condone is a lack of effort and I think that was the feeling, even in the games against Fulham and Carlisle that we actually won! I remember those two games and have to admit that the overall performances were pretty dire.

I think the other thing that went against him was the recruitment policy. You may have a better recollection than me Revolution , but I recall that Porterfield was after signing a few players, Peter Nicholas from Palace being one and I'm sure we could have got Ray Houghton from Oxford for £250k. Houghton of course would later play for Liverpool and score the winning goal against Italy for Ireland at the World Cup in 1994. But at the time, although £250k was not a massive amount, it would have broken our transfer fee record, which was then around £160k for Sabella, and possibly a similar figure for the injury prone Alan Young. Brealey of course was having none of it, so instead Porterfield signed older players like Withe, Thompson, Burridge, Eves, Mortimer and McNaught, which almost seemed like a two finger salute to Brealey. Although some of those players did ok for us, I don't think the fans on the whole were very happy about us having become 'Dad's Army'.

I don't think he worked miracles, but when you remember the state of the club and the playing squad he inherited, I don't think he deserved to get sacked at that point either. Still, of course he had given a 10 year contract by Brealey in 1981 so we wouldn't have done too badly.

 

[Eyeball]

Trying to find out who 2 of these players are ... can anyone help !

Top right next to Trenton Wiggan ??????

and the player next to Steve Charles ... ????? middle row 2nd left ????? ... next to John Mcseveney (Coach)

2nd row is Paul garner

 

[ancientblade]

Aye, that & losing Speight (early) 2nd half (& compounded by having Richardson in goal) meant we were never going to win (or even draw)
Didn’t JK net n’all ?

king got the 3rd goal but so much for big jack saying in the star they had no plans to mark sabella kingy was all over him from the kick off mind could have been so different that day if mcphail i think it was had put that chance away from 6 yards after ball had come back off wednesdays crossbar

 

[Revolution]

I remember it very well and was on the kop for all those games aged 14 at the time. I don't think Porterfield did himself any favours in interviews around that time where he would refer to the team 'not giving 100%' and the opposition being 'hungrier' than us. Probably an honest view but as we know, most Blades fans can forgive a lack of talent, but what they won't condone is a lack of effort and I think that was the feeling, even in the games against Fulham and Carlisle that we actually won! I remember those two games and have to admit that the overall performances were pretty dire.

I think the other thing that went against him was the recruitment policy. You may have a better recollection than me Revolution , but I recall that Porterfield was after signing a few players, Peter Nicholas from Palace being one and I'm sure we could have got Ray Houghton from Oxford for £250k. Houghton of course would later play for Liverpool and score the winning goal against Italy for Ireland at the World Cup in 1994. But at the time, although £250k was not a massive amount, it would have broken our transfer fee record, which was then around £160k for Sabella, and possibly a similar figure for the injury prone Alan Young. Brealey of course was having none of it, so instead Porterfield signed older players like Withe, Thompson, Burridge, Eves, Mortimer and McNaught, which almost seemed like a two finger salute to Brealey. Although some of those players did ok for us, I don't think the fans on the whole were very happy about us having become 'Dad's Army'.

I don't think he worked miracles, but when you remember the state of the club and the playing squad he inherited, I don't think he deserved to get sacked at that point either. Still, of course he had given a 10 year contract by Brealey in 1981 so we wouldn't have done too badly.

Porterfield had an eye for a good player: as well as the 6 or 7 he signed for 100 grand who all held their own in Div 2 or higher (King Keith, Morris, Waugh, Stan, Curran, Young and Cockerill were all that amount or over) we were in for Houghton and Peter Nicholas as you say and also Gerry Forrest, Mark Bright and Kevin O’Callaghan, all of whom became top division players. But the cash for transfers ran out in 1984 unfortunately.

That was one of the two times this club has outspent its peers. The Kendall years were the other time.

Some of the older players were good (McNaught, Eves) or good in patches (Burridge, Withe) but there were a few too many injuries for it to work. The youth crop also did well in Div 3 but Tomlinson, West and Philliskirk were found wanting higher up. Eckhardt and Smith were good but not under Porterfield.

In hindsight, I think it was the wrong move, but there were a lot of restless natives!

 

[coaxingstar71]

Ray Houghton from Oxford for £250k.

Edit : I think Houghton was at Fulham at the time and he went to Oxford, so basically at the time Oxford were more ambitious than us.

 

[Revolution]

Edit : I think Houghton was at Fulham at the time and he went to Oxford, so basically at the time Oxford were more ambitious than us.

Sounds right. Dean Saunders was another who we liked who ended up at Oxford - Robert Maxwell money.

 

[coaxingstar71]

Porterfield had an eye for a good player: as well as the 6 or 7 he signed for 100 grand who all held their own in Div 2 or higher (King Keith, Morris, Waugh, Stan, Curran, Young and Cockerill were all they amount or over) we were in for Houghton and Peter Nicholas as you say and also Gerry Forrest, Mark Bright and Kevin O’Callaghan, all of became were top division players. But the cash for transfers ran out in 1984 unfortunately.

That was one of the two times this club has outspent its peers. The Kendall years were the other time.

It's funny as I was writing my last post, I was thinking the same. He didn't sign many what you call 'duff' players given the amount of money he had to spend. I'd add Jeff King, Kevin Arnott and Ray McHale, though I think the latter two were free. Even players like Joe Bolton and Tom Heffernan did a job for us. Curran obviously didn't work out but as we know, he wasn't Porterfield's signing.

 

[Blend-it-like-Harris]

Yes Keith played in the 4th Division Champions team,think Porterfield got shut of Richardson asap ,probably after seeing the 1st training session

How he ever played for us again after his performance on "that" Boxing Day is beyond comprehension, though the way they set about Alex Sabella from the off probably scared the shite out of him. If that match was repeated today the FOWLS would have been down to 9 men after 15 minutes. Big Jack knew how to deal with us - very simple instructions to his hit-men.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

In five seasons under Porterfield United finished in higher league positions year-on-year, going up two divisions in the process, however that 85-86 season the performances were generally woeful (bar the two month spell in the autumn). I think Porterfield by that stage had run out of ideas and he'd run his course at the Lane, especially after Brealy had pulled the plug on big money signings with IP filling the squad with ageing players. And of course Brealy had stop ploughing money in after the Bramall Centre had been back heeled by the pig fans on Sheffield City Council.

As some have said Porterfield had an eye for good players, in additions to the ones mentioned he was also supposedly after Kevin Drinkell at Grimsby, Bruce at Gillingham and Danny Wilson at Chesterfield. I always thought the club missed a great opportunity in summer '82 after promotion to the third division, when Curran and Young where brought in. With Edwards, Hatton and Morris up front we didn't need any more forwards, but the back line and another midfield player would have improved the team considerably.

 

[Weasel]

In five seasons under Porterfield United finished in higher league positions year-on-year, going up two divisions in the process, however that 85-86 season the performances were generally woeful (bar the two month spell in the autumn). I think Porterfield by that stage had run out of ideas and he'd run his course at the Lane, especially after Brealy had pulled the plug on big money signings with IP filling the squad with ageing players. And of course Brealy had stop ploughing money in after the Bramall Centre had been back heeled by the pig fans on Sheffield City Council.

As some have said Porterfield had an eye for good players, in additions to the ones mentioned he was also supposedly after Kevin Drinkell at Grimsby, Bruce at Gillingham and Danny Wilson at Chesterfield. I always thought the club missed a great opportunity in summer '82 after promotion to the third division, when Curran and Young where brought in. With Edwards, Hatton and Morris up front we didn't need any more forwards, but the back line and another midfield player would have improved the team considerably.

Drinkell always scored against us for Grimsby in the early 80s, whilst Edwards returned the compliment with interest. I think Drinkell got a move to Norwich and Rangers later in his career but may be wrong.

Porterfield did have a good eye for a player but the money had run out mid 80s and Bearley had lost interest due to the Bramall Centre being knocked back by SCC, and then there was his business affairs being looked into by the Indian police as there was allegedly money which had disappeared out of the pension fund for the workers at his jute factory. All a bit shady.

Anyway, back to Porterfield. I remember him being after Trevor Senior the big lanky centre forward in the mid 80s from Reading but was quoted £300k and we ran away from that deal. Senior was a very decent player in the old 2nd division. Another name was Andy Ritchie from Leeds who was mooted as a player swap deal with Edwards...before Reg stepped in and took the money from them in a straight money for player sale, instead. What a guy old Reg was back then.

 

[Moan? Nope-I saw Longhorn]

How he ever played for us again after his performance on "that" Boxing Day is beyond comprehension, though the way they set about Alex Sabella from the off probably scared the shite out of him. If that match was repeated today the FOWLS would have been down to 9 men after 15 minutes. Big Jack knew how to deal with us - very simple instructions to his hit-men.

Not saying it's (necessarily) of (any) relevance but many years later Richardson subsequently disclosed being sexually abused whilst a youth on Chelsea's books.
Again,not making any (causal) link but he didn't play @ any 'decent' level after leaving us in 84 (aged 26) - could of course be purely due to him being shite (irrespective of childhood experience)

 

[benn5712]

Drinkell always scored against us for Grimsby in the early 80s, whilst Edwards returned the compliment with interest. I think Drinkell got a move to Norwich and Rangers later in his career but may be wrong.

Drinkell always scored against us. No matter who for.
Delighted and relieved when he signed for Rangers.

 

[Alan Birchenall's hair]

Drinkell always scored against us. No matter who for.
Delighted and relieved when he signed for Rangers.

John Aston always seemed to score against us. As did one of the Futcher brothers, Ron or Paul. Can't remember which one played CF

 

[benn5712]

John Aston always seemed to score against us. As did one of the Futcher brothers, Ron or Paul. Can't remember which one played CF

And Gabbiadini.