Going to watch Wednesday

[Ridgeway Blade]

I am 73 and when I first started going to BL at 10 I was taken by a family friend to Hillsborough on the next week, sat in the old main stand. I remember seeing ther great Spurs team of 1961 when Wednesday were also high up in the old Div 1. If they were playing a team in red I would put a red scarf on. Unless you di this kind of thing you never got to see any of the famous players atually play because there was no football on TV then. All you had were the reports in the papers and The Green Un to get a footie fix. No local radio either which is why Sports Report became so famous. After two or three years of that I used to go more to the reserve matches at BL with my grandad and of course to the first team games. Used to be on the terrace then.

 

[cahill]

1960s? No idea. Wendy finished 6th in 1962, 63 and 1964, 8th in 1965, 17th in 1966 so I looked at the results for the 1965-66 season but none of the teams we played away to in April or May were Wendy's rivals for the drop. In 1966-67 both Sheffield clubs finished in the middle of the table. Most definitely not 1967-68 season because both clubs were in danger of relegation in the last few weeks of the season

I was more referring to the change that made football rivalries deepen to the point of becoming visceral hate fests. For example I remember sitting in the open seats during our 1966 derby at Hillsborough and rival fans were all mixed, and supporting our clubs without anything beyond banter. Now, if rival fans, of any match, go in the wrong part of the ground they’ve a good chance of being assaulted. Matches require police operations to seperate fans before games and are even required to drink in designated pubs, and it’s an « accepted » routine of football matchday. It’s crazy.

Seems to be an accepted thing.

Not Sheffield United related to be fair

 

[Newbury Blade]

I am 73 and when I first started going to BL at 10 I was taken by a family friend to Hillsborough on the next week, sat in the old main stand. I remember seeing ther great Spurs team of 1961 when Wednesday were also high up in the old Div 1. If they were playing a team in red I would put a red scarf on. Unless you di this kind of thing you never got to see any of the famous players atually play because there was no football on TV then. All you had were the reports in the papers and The Green Un to get a footie fix. No local radio either which is why Sports Report became so famous. After two or three years of that I used to go more to the reserve matches at BL with my grandad and of course to the first team games. Used to be on the terrace then.

Of my six uncles, two were Wednesdayites (as we called them then), two Unitedites, two weren’t bothered. For a time they too k me to the Lane one week, the Sty the next, inviting me to choose. Of course I very quickly chose the Blades. But I recall seeing Swan, Kay and Layne playing for Wednesday shortly before they got banned for throwing a game.

 

[Silent Blade]

I was more referring to the change that made football rivalries deepen to the point of becoming visceral hate fests. For example I remember sitting in the open seats during our 1966 derby at Hillsborough and rival fans were all mixed, and supporting our clubs without anything beyond banter. Now, if rival fans, of any match, go in the wrong part of the ground they’ve a good chance of being assaulted. Matches require police operations to seperate fans before games and are even required to drink in designated pubs, and it’s an « accepted » routine of football matchday. It’s crazy.

Seems to be an accepted thing.

Not Sheffield United related to be fair

I was born in 1962 so I dont remember the rivalry between the Sheffield clubs in the 1960s

 

[Badger Blade]

My father in law is a Pig fan but it wasn't until I was at his dad's funeral a good 8 or 9 years ago during the vicar's eulogy bit that it was mentioned that he took him to Bramall Lane and to Hillsborough as a child. Wasn't the time or the place of course but just thought to myself that he'd kept that detail bit quiet!

IF (and a big if) I was at a loose end and had nothing to do on a very rare weekend when Mrs Badger and the kids were doing something where my presence wasn't needed, I might go in with the away fans, what with them being in League One, cash on the gate and the fact that it's a ground to tick off the list in my slow crawl to doing the 92 having never been there before. Interested to see just how shitty the Leppings Lane end really is.

 

[Ridgeway Blade]

Of my six uncles, two were Wednesdayites (as we called them then), two Unitedites, two weren’t bothered. For a time they too k me to the Lane one week, the Sty the next, inviting me to choose. Of course I very quickly chose the Blades. But I recall seeing Swan, Kay and Layne playing for Wednesday shortly before they got banned for throwing a game.

I saw those players too plus - John Fantham, Alan Finney, Don Megson etc. My maternal grandmother was one from a family of ten, yes ten, girls living up at Firth Park and fortunately she married my Grandad who was a Blades fan. The rest of her siblings and partners etc all seemed to be Owls fans. How lucky was I.

 

[Newbury Blade]

I saw those players too plus - John Fantham, Alan Finney, Don Megson etc. My maternal grandmother was one from a family of ten, yes ten, girls living up at Firth Park and fortunately she married my Grandad who was a Blades fan. The rest of her siblings and partners etc all seemed to be Owls fans. How lucky was I.

Fantham had a barber’s shop in Division Street in the early 70s. Not that I as a Blade would ever go in there of course.

 

[BushBlade]

Fantham had a barber’s shop in Division Street in the early 70s. Not that I as a Blade would ever go in there of course.

It was still there in the 80s when I went regularly. I think it shut some time in the 90s. One of the barbers was a character called “Polish Steve” who was, in fact, Ukrainian. I think he was a POW who stayed after the war, as he’d fought for the Germans against the Russians.

 

[BiggerBladeThanThou]

Remember my grandad (Blades season ticket holder for 60 odd years) who is from Pig territory nearby s6 took me to Hillsborough when United were playing away. He took me (and these were his exact words with a smile on his face) because;

“you’re a good footballer son, I think you can make it one day if you concentrate. I’m bringing you here because I want you to witness what football shouldn’t be played like, take notes”

In reality, my grandad just loved football and still does, he watches everything.

 

[Westran]

My Uncle took me to watch Wednesday once, almost as revenge, it was the only time I've been not watching United. I'd given my cousin, who was 3 at the time, one of my old united shirts and not knowing what rivalry was, he wouldn't take it off and was a Blade until his Dad managed to turn him to the dark side again.

I wasn't happy about having to go, I think he was a bit pissed off because I refused to enjoy the game and didn't celebrate when they scored. Think they ended up drawing 1-1 and I was delighted they'd threw away a lead. He didn't ask me to go again thankfully.