Your memories going to BDTBL when a kid

[torridon]

My first memory as a lad in my first couple of seasons was standing on John St, walking down to the front and grabbing hold of the railings whilst standing on the wall. Then waiting for the copper to walk past, telling us all to get down and then when he'd walked past, we all climbed back up again. Repeat 47 times!

Don't ask me about the games. Can't remember f'k all

I remember that, constantly getting down then back up when he'd gone, scarf tied round my wrist and dangling in front of the advertising hoardings, looking out for myself on the telly next day, we used to go in the corner between John Street and Bramall Lane, it was called the pig pen

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

To think that on that day, we had that team.

Makes me want to weep looking at us where we are now.

 

[super_pig]

To think that on that day, we had that team.
Makes me want to weep looking at us where we are now.

i just did :'(

 

[blade too long]

I remember going to watch the juniors at Ball Inn training ground on the mornings before home games, seeing the young Wagstaffes and the like, before the walk down the hill and going in the cricket pavillion to eat a sarnie

 

[dublin 10 blade]

I remember that, constantly getting down then back up when he'd gone, scarf tied round my wrist and dangling in front of the advertising hoardings, looking out for myself on the telly next day, we used to go in the corner between John Street and Bramall Lane, it was called the pig pen

Saw myself on them railings when we played Derby once on YTV the following day , look its me when he takes the corner I'd say , such innocent times , my lads 18 now and thinking back I d be doing the trip back to Sheffield on my own at his age , if its not on the x-box or Y-Tube he doesn't want to know . Youth of today .

 

[Cheets]

I begged my dad to take me after we signed Sabella in 78 and he took me in the Bramall Lane Stand against Palace in September. It struck me how huge the pitch looked. Thereafter he used to take me to 2 games a season and I didn't start going regularly until the div 4 season. The catalyst was when SUFC distributed free tickets to the Northampton game to local schools. The game took place on a Tuesday night in March 82. We were 6-0 up and ended up winning 7-3. The atmosphere was amazing despite the lack of away fans. Ended up going to the remainder of the home games that season as well as the end of season carnival at Darlington.

 

[Cheets]

Does anyone remember the Charlton home game in April 1979? We were staring relegation to division 3 in the face but held on for a nervy 2-1 victory. As me and my dad walked back to the car you could still hear the Kop shouting "United! United!" about 20 minutes after the game had finished. As it was only my 2nd game I just thought that was normal. My dad joked that they would still be shouting it at midnight.

 

[brownie4583]

I remember on Radio Hallam years ago,on a saturday afternoon,in the middle of a song it would say,"It's a goal" when a goal was scored at any of the local games!

 

[Damski]

It's so good reading all your recollections, especially the older fellas. So much history in this club.

Well I'm only 26, so I started going to Bramall Lane about 20-odd years ago, early to mid 90's. To be perfectly honest, my memories are pretty hazy from that time. Someone posted up a video from Brian Deane's return to BDTBL earlier in the thread - I was at that game, and I remember going nuts when the 2nd goal went in. What a fucking top squad we had back in those days.

I used to go (and still do go) with my dad. He's been a Blade since the late 70's. He always said he wanted to take me when I was a lot younger, but my mum didn't allow it until I was about 5 or 6. We've always favoured sitting in The Kop, we have season tickets there these days, but I've been in every part of the ground at least a couple of times (apart from the away end bottom tier, of course!) I can't remember a time when I wasn't really into it.

My first game I used to recall as a 2-2 league draw with Reading. I know that's not right tho, as I checked it with the master statisticians on here and there wasn't a scoreline of 2-2 against Reading at BDTBL in the 90's. But I do remember us getting there very early. It was quite late in the year, November time. Me and my dad were pretty much the first two people in The Kop, he must've got us in an hour before kick-off. I loved it. I remember shouting at the players until I was hoarse. Those early days for me were golden - Counting down the days in the week at school until I could go to see The Blades with my dad on Saturday. I'm from Chesterfield, so we'd do Chesterfield games when United were away. My life was basically dedicated to football. I'd always get a program and my favourite player's name on my shirt every season. The best shirt I had was one of those '98 ones with the Ward's logo on it, Fjortoft on the back. Didn't he score a hatrick on his debut?

At that time, Ferguson's Man UTD side were just utterly dominating the Premier League, even more so than in recent years, so there were lots of lads at school wearing MUFC shirts. I was pretty much the only kid with a set of SUFC shirts. I used to wear those ridiculously colourful goalie jumpers everyday and be Alan Kelly when the lads played football. He was better than Paddy Kenny if you ask me...

 

[Eskimo]

My Grandfather would take me to watch the reserves on Sat aft whilst my Grandmother shopped in the Rag and Tag, then County Cup games before the big thing. I remember the ground before the Bramall Lane stand was built so I guess I started in 1963 or 64.

Pushing to the front of the terrace to get to the railings, the pall of tobacco and cigarette smoke drifting on to the pitch, banners on poles in the kop bearing slogans and CND symbols. On the back of my cheapo Parka I wrote The Blades - Harrises Untochables (sic)

But the main thing was the oxo at half time and my generally placid grandfather behaving differently at the match to any other time.
One one occasion we went in the John St stand in, maybe 1966 v Leeds and it was un segregated, we were surrounded by Leeds fans. In those days you couldn't just sub, the player coming off had to be injured. Bremner (maybe Giles) went down feigning injury so Leeds could bring on a sub which led to the predictable cheating Leeds accusations from Grandad.

You're a moaning old bugger and your team is second best said this Leeds fan turning round in his seat two rows in front.

Yes and you are a Bloody Bastard said Grandad and amazingly tried to get to the guy to thump him but was restrained by my cousin and uncle. You Leeds shithouse, he went on. I'll split you in two.

So what year would that be Darren and what's the name and address of that Leeds fan please?

 

[Grecian2000]

Yes and you are a Bloody Bastard said Grandad and amazingly tried to get to the guy to thump him but was restrained by my cousin and uncle. You Leeds shithouse, he went on. I'll split you in two.

I was already quite enjoying this thread, that's just taken it up a couple of notches. I hated the "Revie Leeds" far more than the pigs for many years.

 

[Silent Blade]

My Grandfather would take me to watch the reserves on Sat aft whilst my Grandmother shopped in the Rag and Tag, then County Cup games before the big thing. I remember the ground before the Bramall Lane stand was built so I guess I started in 1963 or 64.

Pushing to the front of the terrace to get to the railings, the pall of tobacco and cigarette smoke drifting on to the pitch, banners on poles in the kop bearing slogans and CND symbols. On the back of my cheapo Parka I wrote The Blades - Harrises Untochables (sic)

But the main thing was the oxo at half time and my generally placid grandfather behaving differently at the match to any other time.
One one occasion we went in the John St stand in, maybe 1966 v Leeds and it was un segregated, we were surrounded by Leeds fans. In those days you couldn't just sub, the player coming off had to be injured. Bremner (maybe Giles) went down feigning injury so Leeds could bring on a sub which led to the predictable cheating Leeds accusations from Grandad.

You're a moaning old bugger and your team is second best said this Leeds fan turning round in his seat two rows in front.

Yes and you are a Bloody Bastard said Grandad and amazingly tried to get to the guy to thump him but was restrained by my cousin and uncle. You Leeds shithouse, he went on. I'll split you in two.

So what year would that be Darren and what's the name and address of that Leeds fan please?

Keith Peacock of Charlton as the first to come on as sub at the start of the 1965/66 season. Tony wagstaff was our first sub to come on (cant remember who we played). I think it was in the following season when a sub could come on even if a player isnt injured so I would expect that the L**ds match you are referring to was in the 1-1 draw in March 1966 (Joe Shaw was our unused sub in that match a week after having played in his last game, the 4-0 defeat at West Ham)

 

[Shalalalafenoughty]

Keith Peacock of Charlton as the first to come on as sub at the start of the 1965/66 season. Tony wagstaff was our first sub to come on (cant remember who we played). I think it was in the following season when a sub could come on even if a player isnt injured so I would expect that the L**ds match you are referring to was in the 1-1 draw in March 1966 (Joe Shaw was our unused sub in that match a week after having played in his last game, the 4-0 defeat at West Ham)

Tony Wagstaff came on for Alan Birchenall at Fulham on September 8, 1965.

The Leeds match was on February 26, 1966. I remember watching it from the cricket terracing with the pavilion away to my right. The crowd was 35682 and whenever there was a crowd of that size people ended up watching from over there. The view wasn't great and, if I remember correctly, there were TV cameras covering the game that day which made it even worse. The acoustics were bad as well - I don't think the tannoy covered the cricket area - and I vividly recall that news of the dropping of Joe Shaw reached us by word of mouth. It was regarded as a pretty sensational event.

 

[Silent Blade]

Tony Wagstaff came on for Alan Birchenall at Fulham on September 8, 1965.

The Leeds match was on February 26, 1966. I remember watching it from the cricket terracing with the pavilion away to my right. The crowd was 35682 and whenever there was a crowd of that size people ended up watching from over there. The view wasn't great and, if I remember correctly, there were TV cameras covering the game that day which made it even worse. The acoustics were bad as well - I don't think the tannoy covered the cricket area - and I vividly recall that news of the dropping of Joe Shaw reached us by word of mouth. It was regarded as a pretty sensational event.

I have been trying to find more info about highlights of Blades matches shown on ATV before YTV started in 1968. There were only two that I know of, they were Wendy 2 Blades 2 in Sept 1966 and Blades 1 L**ds 0 in Sept 1967 (Woody played in goal for 81 mins). Now you saying that the Blades v L**ds game in Feb 1966 was shown on ATV is new to me and I find that interesting, Maybe one day footage for these games will be found?

 

[JohnDenver]

Random childhood memory of Bramall Lane… Wondering why blokes would lose their rag, stand up, and accuse opponents of being a "currant". Baffled for years.

Really.

 

[Isar]

My earliest memory of my first visit to BDTBL was being with my Dad, I think it was in the very early 70's standing on what I think was the John Street terrace. It was very cold and some snow about, I wanted to go home at half time so my Dad bought me some grub to keep me quiet. I remember climbing onto the metal railings at the edge of the pitch and swinging off them.
For some reason I think we played Newcastle. It is all a bit vague now!

 

[CarlingBlade]

Goal, Assist and generally ran the opposition ragged. Possibly the best ever debut by a Blade?

Apart from Bobby Davison.

 

[JJ Sefton]

I used to go on the South Stand with my dad, my cousins, and my cousin Mick's stepson. I remember how vast that space under the stand seemed when I was 8 or 9. I remember the first time I walked up the steps onto the terracing and how everything just fell away on every side and I felt like I was going to pitch straight down head first onto the pitch. I remember the view back into town over the John Street Stand and the players' shadows lengthening and reaching out in every direction as night drew in. I remember having dinner in some fancy room my cousin got us into before a game and meeting Reg Brealey and an injured John Francis. I remember how I used to tug my mums sleeve whenever I saw someone in Sheffield city centre in a Blades shirt and pointing it out to her and her replying "Well, you are in Sheffield now"; I never saw anyone else wearing one where I lived. I remember my cousin shouting "Gerroff Gannon" whenever John Gannon was visible. I remember having to give a talk to my class on what I'd done that weekend and giving them a breathless report of a 1-1 draw against Bradford City to 30 bored faces.

 

[bricktop]

I used to go on the South Stand with my dad, my cousins, and my cousin Mick's stepson. I remember how vast that space under the stand seemed when I was 8 or 9. I remember the first time I walked up the steps onto the terracing and how everything just fell away on every side and I felt like I was going to pitch straight down head first onto the pitch. I remember the view back into town over the John Street Stand and the players' shadows lengthening and reaching out in every direction as night drew in. I remember having dinner in some fancy room my cousin got us into before a game and meeting Reg Brealey and an injured John Francis. I remember how I used to tug my mums sleeve whenever I saw someone in Sheffield city centre in a Blades shirt and pointing it out to her and her replying "Well, you are in Sheffield now"; I never saw anyone else wearing one where I lived. I remember my cousin shouting "Gerroff Gannon" whenever John Gannon was visible. I remember having to give a talk to my class on what I'd done that weekend and giving them a breathless report of a 1-1 draw against Bradford City to 30 bored faces.

That is exactly how I remember the Lane in my childhood.

 

[Isar]

That is exactly how I remember the Lane in my childhood.

Me too!

 

[CarlingBlade]

My first match was the centenary game against Wednesday, a pre season match in the summer of 1989. I'd never really been into football up to that age, my dad had stopped going for a number of years when we were relegated to the old 4th division so promotion the season prior may have prompted him to start going again, I was 12 years old at the time and we stood on the old east terrace on the John St stand. I remember I'd got the luminous green away kit that summer which I wore and was amazed as I walked up the steps, the smell of cigarettes, the smell of cut grass, the view of all he shirts on the Kop and he singing which totally took me by surprise.

I went to the first home match of that league season when we beat Ipswich 2-0, the first goal celebrated just came naturally to me to go bananas, however I remember some bloke looking at me like I'd gone mad.

I don't recall any players getting slagged off or fans being so cynical, it seemed everyone had just turned up to totally support the Blades.

The cynic in me may have ruined the true match day experience for me, the 4 pints prior to the match usually help me enjoy the game a little more though.

 

[JJ Sefton]

That is exactly how I remember the Lane in my childhood.

Me too!

 

[JJ Sefton]

 

[JJ Sefton]

Stood on the Cricket pavilion Balcony for the last game of the season May 73 against Spurs (3-2) for the last 10 minutes. The old man knew it would be the last opportunity to do so.

 

[Silent Blade]

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looks like Keith Waugh the keeper? was it against Oxford?

 

[Silent Blade]

I used to go on the South Stand with my dad, my cousins, and my cousin Mick's stepson. I remember how vast that space under the stand seemed when I was 8 or 9. I remember the first time I walked up the steps onto the terracing and how everything just fell away on every side and I felt like I was going to pitch straight down head first onto the pitch. I remember the view back into town over the John Street Stand and the players' shadows lengthening and reaching out in every direction as night drew in. I remember having dinner in some fancy room my cousin got us into before a game and meeting Reg Brealey and an injured John Francis. I remember how I used to tug my mums sleeve whenever I saw someone in Sheffield city centre in a Blades shirt and pointing it out to her and her replying "Well, you are in Sheffield now"; I never saw anyone else wearing one where I lived. I remember my cousin shouting "Gerroff Gannon" whenever John Gannon was visible. I remember having to give a talk to my class on what I'd done that weekend and giving them a breathless report of a 1-1 draw against Bradford City to 30 bored faces.

Gannon got a lot of stick from our fans but he scored a great goal for us that day against Bradford!

 

[JJ Sefton]

Started going in the 57/58 season when I was 17. the only interest my dad had in football was the pools, in fact I don't think he knew one end of a case ball from the other, so the only reason I was a Blade was from the school yard where you had to be one or the other and my favourite colour was red..
A gang of us used to go down town Saturday round the music shops and listen to the latest records, the last shop we went into was Wilson and Pecks on London road and then we'd walk on home.
One day some said "United are at home lets go there", and in those days they used to opened the gates on Bramall lane at half time so you could see the second half for free. We did this a few times until they stopped it. but by then we were hooked so we started paying 1/6d ( 7and a half pence ) to get on to the kop.
I remember,they had just bought Doc Pace and Joe Mercer was the manager, he left the following year to manage Villa, and John Harris took over, the rest is history..

 

[Silent Blade]

My first match was the centenary game against Wednesday, a pre season match in the summer of 1989.

Nil Nil draw. Carlton Palmer got sent off after retaliating to Bob Booker's sly ankle tapping

 

[JJ Sefton]

looks like Keith Waugh the keeper? was it against Oxford?

Beats me, these are just photos I've found online over the years. We're playing in red socks and the oppo have yellow shirts and socks and blue shorts if that helps.

 

[Silent Blade]

Beats me, these are just photos I've found online over the years. We're playing in red socks and the oppo have yellow shirts and socks and blue shorts if that helps.

Looks like 1983-84 or 1984-85