Who was at this game

[Sheffsteel]

Yes, it's funny, both the 1981 and 1988 relegations were the start of something a lot better.

Even now a lot of older Blades say the 1982 season was their favourite.
We were the Man Utd of the division and took a good 5K to so many away grounds.

Over 75% of teams had their highest gate when playing us with some incredible sites where there were more Blades in the ground than home fans.

The incredible stat that not many people are aware of is

On the evening of 30th March 1982 there was a few fixtures being played.
In Div 1….top of the table and reigning European Champions Liverpool were playing Birmingham City atten; 24,224
On the same night in div 4….Sheff Utd were playing Bradford City attendance 24,593

Hard to believe that any club down in league 2 could attract more than the most successful club in England.

 

[Silent Blade]

Even now a lot of older Blades say the 1982 season was their favourite.

I have never understood this and I find it cringeworthy

 

[borg elite]

I have never understood this and I find it cringeworthy

Why should it make the enjoyment of seeing your team winning any less just because we were in the bottom tier? We played some great stuff, enjoyed huge followings and got some pride back into the club. It was a very enjoyable season after bleak times. One of my favourites too.

 

[Silent Blade]

Why should it make the enjoyment of seeing your team winning any less just because we were in the bottom tier? We played some great stuff, enjoyed huge followings and got some pride back into the club. It was a very enjoyable season after bleak times. One of my favourites too.

Being in the bottom tier of the FL was an embarrassment It was like watching big boys playing against little boys. Definitely not my favourite season.

 

[United Aren't Back.]

Not the worst shirt we’ve had, that was the infamous red & white diamonds in 95/96, but this one was pretty shite.

White with red pinstripes, Clough Adkins era, absolutely crap.

 

[DaveBassettsgoneonholiday]

I have never understood this and I find it cringeworthy

As a 13/14 year old it was the first time I'd seen United actually go up instead of the three times I'd seen them relegated, so it will always be my favourite.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

What did you think of the shirt as it reminds me of that monstrosity we had around 95 season.

I really loved that shirt, but it’s such a reminder of a shitty time in the clubs history. It was the Boxing Day massacre shirt for starters, with the pigs eventually getting promoted, leaving us in a Div 3 mid table malaise. Don Givens missed a famous penalty in that shirt, ultimately getting us relegated to the 4th division…I guess that’s why it never gets a look in with the retro shirt market.

 

[coaxingstar71]

So that season:

Lost 1-0 in successive home games with John Ryan missing a penalty in each game
Chucked away a 2 goal lead against Huddersfield
Went 4-3 up in injury time at Walsall, only for them to score and make it 4-4 straight from the kick off
Draw at Brentford with 4 games to go, thanks to a last minute equaliser from Bob Booker
Spend only 5 minutes of the entire season in the relegation places, which were of course the last 5 minutes, missing a last minute penalty to keep us there
Relegated with a positive goal difference
Relegated in the last season of 2 points for a win, when 3 points for a win would have seen us stay up comfortably

I remain of the view that, as bad as it was, our 1980-1 relegation was one of the biggest fluke seasons of all time. You replay that season 100 times and we stay up 99 of them.

We won 5 of our first 7 games and we were top of the league.
Also lost 3-2 to Millwall at home after being 2-0 up at home on 28th March 1981

I think in hindsight, it did us a favour being relegated that season as there was a definite reset at the club.

 

[Lane Ender]

Snowy, shitty pitch Steve Kindon terrorised us as usual

One we should have signed

 

[Pollingtonblade]

I have never understood this and I find it cringeworthy

Did you like the 93/94, 06/07 ones better cos we were playing the "big" boys?

 

[Blade58]

Even now a lot of older Blades say the 1982 season was their favourite.
We were the Man Utd of the division and took a good 5K to so many away grounds.

Over 75% of teams had their highest gate when playing us with some incredible sites where there were more Blades in the ground than home fans.

The incredible stat that not many people are aware of is

On the evening of 30th March 1982 there was a few fixtures being played.
In Div 1….top of the table and reigning European Champions Liverpool were playing Birmingham City atten; 24,224
On the same night in div 4….Sheff Utd were playing Bradford City attendance 24,593

Hard to believe that any club down in league 2 could attract more than the most successful club in England.

I went to most of the games that season home and away. But strangely I missed Darlington away last match

 

[Silent Blade]

Did you like the 93/94, 06/07 ones better cos we were playing the "big" boys?

Yes

 

[NAP]

I went to most of the games that season home and away. But strangely I missed Darlington away last match

No Blade I know of that era has ever admitted to something like that! Think I saw about 40 of the 46 that season

 

[Pollingtonblade]

Yes

Losing to Chelsea in May 94 was better than Darlington away in 82?

 

[Silent Blade]

Losing to Chelsea in May 94 was better than Darlington away in 82?

Missed both games. Played cricket at Castledyke on the day we were at Chelsea as I was the captain of the team. Only went to three away matches in 1981/82. York, Mansfield and Peterborough.

My point was about the season rather than just one match

 

[Pollingtonblade]

Missed both games. Played cricket at Castledyke on the day we were at Chelsea as I was the captain of the team. Only went to three away matches in 1981/82. York, Mansfield and Peterborough.

My point was about the season rather than just one match

Fair enough, so what about the 3rd Division 100 points was that cringe or was that one ok?

 

[Silent Blade]

Fair enough, so what about the 3rd Division 100 points was that cringe or was that one ok?

My favourite seasons in order

1970/71
1971/72 (went to 39 out of 42 league games plus all cup matches apart from the 5-0 defeat at West Ham)
2019/20 (I attended every match until the lockdown)
2018/19
2005/06
1989/90 (went to 44 out of 46, still my personal record in attending matches for a season, I thought it was going to be 100% in 2019/20)
2022/23
2016/17
1988/89

 

[UddersBlade]

Being in the bottom tier of the FL was an embarrassment It was like watching big boys playing against little boys. Definitely not my favourite season.

I disagree - after 5 years of abject failure from top division to bottom - I loved every minute. It was a different era though - you could pretty much decide on the day if you wanted to go to games home or away. Had some amazing away days (apart from Darlington). It was just good fun &’days out with mates. I’d go through that season again tomorrow if I could.

Footnote - the biggest attendance fiddle of all time was the Blades v Peterborough last home game of the season - declared as something like 23,000 but it was rammed - easily nearer 35,000 . Those were the days.

 

[blade too long]

I have never understood this and I find it cringeworthy

its like a whole new world the land that time forgot
york away 4-3 win posh away 4-0 home and away crewe away 3-2 win 7-2 v northampton , 90 plus points and a shiny pot and darlington15000 in a 9000 capacity ground. rochdale ground ,,, more atmosphere on Pluto, grounds so bad they were good

 

[blade too long]

its like a whole new world the land that time forgot
york away 4-3 win posh away 4-0 home and away crewe away 3-2 win 7-2 v northampton , 90 plus points and a shiny pot and darlington15000 in a 9000 capacity ground. rochdale ground ,,, more atmosphere on Pluto, grounds so bad they were good

weve won all 4 divisions titles, lets not forget other teams that been in div 4 thats been in the top division,
palace brentford bournemouthall wolves and brighton all have been in div 4, now in the prem

 

[VictoryBlade]

Remember that shirt of yours very well..is that bob hatton in the program cover.

Remember that shirt of yours very well..is that bob hatton in the program cover.

Looks like Bob and a young Mike Trusson?

 

[Silent Blade]

Looks like Bob and a young Mike Trusson?

Yes, also Graham Brown, Paul Stancliffe and John Breckin for Rotherham

 

[ancientblade]

I disagree - after 5 years of abject failure from top division to bottom - I loved every minute. It was a different era though - you could pretty much decide on the day if you wanted to go to games home or away. Had some amazing away days (apart from Darlington). It was just good fun &’days out with mates. I’d go through that season again tomorrow if I could.

Footnote - the biggest attendance fiddle of all time was the Blades v Peterborough last home game of the season - declared as something like 23,000 but it was rammed - easily nearer 35,000 . Those were the days.

yes your right lots of fiddling with attendances in that era the 17k in the cup against newcastle is the main one that springs to mind had to be 25k there that night and the peterborough 4 - 0 home game in 82 was another you couldnt move on the shoreham that afternoon had to be minimum 30k in the ground

 

[bruce]

Remember that shirt of yours very well..is that bob hatton in the program cover.

As others have said, yes it is Bob Hatton.
I associate the shirt with nothing but bad memories. Anyway, it made us look like we were playing with an Embassy fag packet draped over us.

 

[Weasel]

I think the third United player in that picture was our goalscorer on the day. Looks like him with the hairstyle.

 

[programmechap]

Slight correction. The Ryan penalty misses were away at Portsmouth on 10 Jan and then home to Gillingham on 17 Jan..

There was also the game v Millwall in March when we were 2-0 up at HT only to lose 3-2.
Oh and away to Rotherham in Feb. 1-0 for virtually the whole game. They equalise on about 80 mins and Ronnie Moore gets the last minute winner.

 

[Yoonited]

Slight correction. The Ryan penalty misses were away at Portsmouth on 10 Jan and then home to Gillingham on 17 Jan..

There was also the game v Millwall in March when we were 2-0 up at HT only to lose 3-2.
Oh and away to Rotherham in Feb. 1-0 for virtually the whole game. They equalise on about 80 mins and Ronnie Moore gets the last minute winner.

Was that the game where the wall at the front of the stand fell over.When we scored perhaps

 

[Weasel]

Was that the game where the wall at the front of the stand fell over.When we scored perhaps

From memory, I think the wall collapse at Milmoor was when Bob Atkins swivelled and fired in the last minute winner for United in 1984.

For me, it's rubbed out the late winner that Ronnie Moore had got against us in early 82 after Steve Conroy punched the ball onto his head from a corner, and it popped back over him into our net. Jammy twats.

 

[VictoryBlade]

From memory, I think the wall collapse at Milmoor was when Bob Atkins swivelled and fired in the last minute winner for United in 1984.

For me, it's rubbed out the late winner that Ronnie Moore had got against us in early 82 after Steve Conroy punched the ball onto his head from a corner, and it popped back over him into our net. Jammy twats.

Me and Joff were at Rotherham that day! Then the crush on the way out, luckily we survived!

 

[Silent Blade]

From memory, I think the wall collapse at Milmoor was when Bob Atkins swivelled and fired in the last minute winner for United in 1984.

For me, it's rubbed out the late winner that Ronnie Moore had got against us in early 82 after Steve Conroy punched the ball onto his head from a corner, and it popped back over him into our net. Jammy twats.

Wall collapse was in 1979-80 season, we won 2-1