First away game, without yer dad . . . .

[Grecian2000]

Ok, bored to death now.

Still nearly 6 weeks to kick off and a bit of a lull on genuine Blades news.

Here's one for you all then. What was the first away game you did without any parental control? Why this game and how did you get there/what do you remember of the day? Surely we've all got something to say on this one.

Starter for ten.

January 1974. FA Cup 3rd Round. Portman Road.
I'd been pretty lucky as my dad was more than happy to venture to many places to watch the Blades and we'd been far and wide for quite a while. However, this was an early kick off due to the power cuts and he wasn't going to get up at stupid o'clock to do the journey to Suffolk.
So, just passed my 15th birthday it was a 5am trip to Pond Street to catch an early SUT coach to Ipswich with my mate. Bloody exciting it was too. A coach full of skinheads, or so it seemed, high on testosterone and Watneys Party 7's, and a 5 hour trip (stopping at Sleaford for what seemed an age on the way).
Arriving in Ipswich to be confronted by their "mob" in the coach park and a full scale battle all the way to the ground accompanied by dozens of coppers. I'd never seen anything like it before but this was to be the norm for the next 5 or 6 years on coach or train until we progressed onto our own transport again.

As for the game, one of the best I've seen to this day. 2-1 up (Salmons/Currie) until 5 minutes from half time when we let Kevin Beattie score with headers from two corners in quick succession. No goals in the second half meant a 3-2 defeat and more shennanigans on the journey back to the coach.
Going with my dad would never seem quite the same again and, although he'd still carry on to away days for a few years yet, it meant I was never restricted by his "range" again.

 

[Guesty]

First for me would be at Bradford in, I think, 2003/4. We went behind to a Windass goal but Ndlovu scored a great equaliser and then our own old boy McCall scored the winner (one of only two he got for us.

I went with a mate and his Dad for that one though so it probably doesn't count. The first one I went to with just people my own agae was Crewe away in our promotion season. We won 3-1 (Kenny made a bad error for their goal) and I remember meeting a coked up Ipswich fan at whichever station it was we changed at on the way there. I went to a few away games that season, I also went to Watford (won 3-2), Ipswich (draw 1-1) and the sort-of promotion clincher, Cardiff (won 1-0).

 

[S5Blade]

Tottenham Away in Premier League season. Friend of mine worked for Mansion so sorted us out with some free tickets. Got the train down and back but had toleave before the end of the game to get the last train back, ended up on a bus from the ground back to Kings Cross with some proper Shady characters. Little bit scary!

We lost 2 nil if my memory serves me correct.

 

[bricktop]

First one without an adult family present.

Middlesbrough away at the old Ayresome Park, Easter Monday 1995.

A group of 5 or 6 of us ventured up from Chapeltown on the train, all aged between about 14 and 17. Had problems with the guard on the way up as we was all on child tickets but working our way manfully through a crate of lager, and all got upgraded to a full adult ticket.

Absolutely shat our pants when we got to Boro, and tried to find a boozer that looked ok, went in there and got some beers only to be advised that we might get our heads stoved in if we stayed so we went to the ground instead for 2pm.

Saw a decent game of football, it was a 1-1 draw. Fjortoft scoring for Boro, Nathan Blake netting the equaliser, and Boros German striker Uwe Fuchs got sent off for a 2 footed lunge on Kevin Gage. Inside the ground we found our bottle and spent the full 90 minutes singing "whats it like to shag your kids", without even knowing what it was all about, and spent the walk back to the train station having lost our bravado and shitting ourselves.

It was a cold, wet day with sleet, hailstorms and heavy rain but an absolutely amazing day out with some good mates, most of whom are still Bramall Lane regulars.

 

[mattbianco1]

Tranmere Rovers- New Years Day 2001. I was 17 and i went on the coach with two mates. I remember the coach reversed into the stadium when he was parking. Like, properly hit the stadium wall.

Andy Parkinson scored a curling shot from about 25yrds. We lost 1-0

 

[Coily]

I think my first time alone was at Blackburn in 1990. Went on the official coaches and the trip seemed to take forever on a coach with no cool air on a boiling hot afternoon. I had a bottle of pop which by the time we'd arrived was boiling hot and utterly undrinkable.

It was near kick off time by the time we arrived so I didn't get a chance to get refused service in a Blackburn pub. I tried to take a till roll in with me for in case we scored and it was found by a copper searching me. At first he said he wasn't going to let me in but I probably looked pathetic enough for him to consider I wouldn't last a couple of hours on my own and instead gave me a scutch round the head which knocked me into the turnstile and the relative safety of around 5,000 Blades on the terrace.

The game was a near non-event apart from the chance for Billy Whitehurst right at the end of the game which would have promoted us there and then had he scored. Never been in a bigger crowd surge than just then.

 

[Isar]

Forest away 1977, lost 6:1 The start of Brian Clough great reign at NF. we did beat em 2:0 at the Lane.
They went on to win the division 2, then won division1 then European Champions.

 

[LSF]

Man U 1963. I was 10, went with two 14 year olds. My mam was trusting

 

[metalblade]

Ok, bored to death now.

Still nearly 6 weeks to kick off and a bit of a lull on genuine Blades news.

Here's one for you all then. What was the first away game you did without any parental control? Why this game and how did you get there/what do you remember of the day? Surely we've all got something to say on this one.

Starter for ten.

January 1974. FA Cup 3rd Round. Portman Road.
I'd been pretty lucky as my dad was more than happy to venture to many places to watch the Blades and we'd been far and wide for quite a while. However, this was an early kick off due to the power cuts and he wasn't going to get up at stupid o'clock to do the journey to Suffolk.
So, just passed my 15th birthday it was a 5am trip to Pond Street to catch an early SUT coach to Ipswich with my mate. Bloody exciting it was too. A coach full of skinheads, or so it seemed, high on testosterone and Watneys Party 7's, and a 5 hour trip (stopping at Sleaford for what seemed an age on the way).
Arriving in Ipswich to be confronted by their "mob" in the coach park and a full scale battle all the way to the ground accompanied by dozens of coppers. I'd never seen anything like it before but this was to be the norm for the next 5 or 6 years on coach or train until we progressed onto our own transport again.

As for the game, one of the best I've seen to this day. 2-1 up (Salmons/Currie) until 5 minutes from half time when we let Kevin Beattie score with headers from two corners in quick succession. No goals in the second half meant a 3-2 defeat and more shennanigans on the journey back to the coach.
Going with my dad would never seem quite the same again and, although he'd still carry on to away days for a few years yet, it meant I was never restricted by his "range" again.

Not my first away game but notable for being the first time to be locked up before a match, due to a very good away following all SUT coaches were taken and our gang found ourselves on a couple of bright yellow Coopers coaches. As sometimes happens some services got trashed and stripped of anything not nailed down so on entering Ipswich we had a huge Police escort straight to the main nick, those damn yellow coaches made it easy for plod who in the end cautioned a few youngsters after giving a few of us a beating.

 

[Wapping Blade]

Must have been the 82-83 season as we went to the away games in the 81-82 season with my mate's dad, no idea where though!

 

[maidmarion]

Forest away 1977, lost 6:1 The start of Brian Clough great reign at NF. we did beat em 2:0 at the Lane.
They went on to win the division 2, then won division1 then European Champions.

This was my first ever away match, although I did go with my mum, dad and sister. My mum and sister had seats but dad and I had to stand in the terracing with a load of Forwst supporters....not my best ever memory of an away game.....

 

[Silent Blade]

Forest away 1977, lost 6:1 The start of Brian Clough great reign at NF.

October 1976. Ian Bowyer (2), Barry Butlin, Terry Curran, Peter Withe and Viv Anderson for Forest. Chico Hamilton (pen) for us. Three of the Forest scorers later played for us and two later player for Wendy. Ian Bowyer was our hero when his two goals for Man City sent Wendy down in 1970.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

1974, I think and it was Leicester. Great season but we were pretty rubbish, can't remember if we lost 2-0 or 3-0, I've a feeling it was 3.

 

[Silent Blade]

My first away game without parents supervision was supposed to be at West Ham in Sept 1975 (I was 13 then) when my Norwich supporting schoolmate and myself decided to lie to our boarding school teacher on duty that we were going to Newbury for the day but we went by train to London. On arriving in London we realised that going to the other side of London would be too tricky for us to get back to Paddington for the train to Newbury after the game and be at school before bedtime so we went to the Arsenal v Everton game instead (drew 2-2 and we missed Arsenal's late equaliser). We got back to school late. The housemaster drove to Newbury to find us and found us walking the three mile journey from town centre to the school. We were grounded for a week!
#

 

[Silent Blade]

1974, I think and it was Leicester. Great season but we were pretty rubbish, can't remember if we lost 2-0 or 3-0, I've a feeling it was 3.

Lost 3-0 in October 1974.

 

[dublin 10 blade]

Forest away 1977, lost 6:1 The start of Brian Clough great reign at NF. we did beat em 2:0 at the Lane.
They went on to win the division 2, then won division1 then European Champions.

My first away game as well on my own , pigs attacked us in pond st also , loads of hassle from them in our bit of terracing , memory serves me right they tried steaming our old Kop in the reverse game and got smashed to bits in response .

 

[Cyprus Blade]

28th Feb 1970 v Blackburn - I seem to recall missing the first 20 minutes due to Blackburn police's over-enthusiasm and ended up with no bootlaces as they confiscated them.

 

[Swanseablade]

I "think" it was 1984, Rotherham (Millmoor).
Ran the gauntlet down "that alley" into the ground.
Blades in all 4 sides of the ground - "he's a blade & he's a blade nah nah nah".
And I think Bob Matthews with the winner in last 10mins- the scruffiest (but best!) goal ever..
Such a grin!
Nearly as much fun as trying to get back to the bus station.....

 

[JJBlade]

I "think" it was 1984, Rotherham (Millmoor).
Ran the gauntlet down "that alley" into the ground.
Blades in all 4 sides of the ground - "he's a blade & he's a blade nah nah nah".
And I think Bob Matthews with the winner in last 10mins- the scruffiest (but best!) goal ever..
Such a grin!
Nearly as much fun as trying to get back to the bus station.....

Scruffiest goal ever ??????????
From what I remember he took it on his knee on the edge of the area, swivelled and volleyed it into the top corner. Brilliant goal that sent Millmoor mental.

My first away game without supervision was Mansfield away 1979-80
Got talked into hitching a lift by a mate, stood on the end of the Parkway for about an hour, got bored and went to catch the service bus from Pond Street, my mate carried on trying to hitch it.

I got on the bus on my own, got off in Mansfield and made my way to the noisiest pub full of Blades.
Had a couple of pints and met some new Blades mates, as a 17 year old it was brilliant to be drinking in the pub and nobody caring a damn how old I was.

We won the game 4-3 and went to the top of the League, thousands upon thousands of United fans there.

Coming home I arrived at the bus station in Mansfield only for about a hundred fans to be told there is no return buses because a bus got smashed up on the way down.

I had a return ticket and had spent most of my cash. So, about a hundred fans set off on the road walking back to Chesterfield to try to catch a bus from there.

Chesterfield Road in Mansfield was like a warzone, I honestly didn't do anything wrong and kept out of the way of everything that was going on. After a while a convey of Black Marias full of police turned up, they chucked us all in the vans and drove off to the police station.

I was starving hungry, knackered, thirsty, virtually penniless and stuck in a prison cell until 4.00 am on the Sunday morning.
No phone call, no food, no drink, nothing. Just left to sweat bucket loads in a cell with 104 other United fans.

They then dropped us off in Sheffield at about 5.00 am. One of the lads in the police van next to me lived in Worksop and we'd practically driven past his house on the way back to Sheffield but the police told him to sit darn and shut up when he asked if he could be dropped off.

I had to walk home from Sheffield City Centre and when I got in my Mum was like a nervous wreck, she made a complaint to Nottinghamshire Police later that day saying that even if I was a murderer I'd have been allowed a phone call.

That's was the difference between a murderer and a football fan in those days though...............a murderer had rights.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Forest away in the 97/98 season. It was a dreadful game, I went with my brother (a Villa fan), main reason I was allowed to go given it was midweek was the close vicinity to home. A few days after that I went with my uncle to the Newcastle FA Cup semi final at Old Trafford. Only things I can really remember were:

- Dellas having an absolute shocker as one of the centre backs (think we were still going with the 3 then with wingbacks)
- Bassett was in charge of Forest I think, Thompson was caretaker boss for us
- we got battered 3-0, weather was awful, and I was sitting near the front

First away game by myself was I believe the same place for our season opener in 2001, where Paul Devlin equalised late on in front of the away end.

 

[maxtheblade]

Man City away towards end of 93/94 season, drew 0-0

Main memories being a lass sat about three rows in front getting hit in the head by a half whisky bottle thrown from the Kippax Corner, and a police horse dropping it's knob out and having the biggest slash I have ever seen in the car park after. It was like a lake of horse wazz. Cue mass cheers from our coach when some city fans walked through it.

Game a bit of a blur, seem to remember Blake getting taken out near the end but no penalty given.

 

[Swanseablade]

Scruffiest goal ever ??????????
From what I remember he took it on his knee on the edge of the area, swivelled and volleyed it into the top corner. Brilliant goal that sent Millmoor mental.

I was only a youngster, so you may be reight.
"Took it on his knee & volleyed it" doesn't sound like the Bob Matthews I remember, but it wer a long time ago...........
You're spot on about Millmoor going mental - I'll never forget that

 

[grafikhaus]

I'm another whose first away game without mi dad was the Forest 6-1 defeat. I remember Tony Pritchett (United's correspondent in the Star and originally from Nottingham) warning Unitedites not to go as Forest were well 'ard. It was a nasty atmosphere in the ground but, back then, mass away support was pretty rare and we only took 6 'Sheffield United Tours' coaches. (Always liked that name - as if we had or own, dedicated coach firm!)

Man City away towards end of 93/94 season, drew 0-0

Main memories being a lass sat about three rows in front getting hit in the head by a half whisky bottle thrown from the Kippax Corner, and a police horse dropping it's knob out and having the biggest slash I have ever seen in the car park after. It was like a lake of horse wazz. Cue mass cheers from our coach when some city fans walked through it.

Game a bit of a blur, seem to remember Blake getting taken out near the end but no penalty given.

I was also at that match with two mates and saw the 'bottle incident'.. The game was a shocker. I spent the entire match snoozing against the chain link fence that separated us from the Kippax. At the end of the game, some City gobshite started giving me verbals which continued as we made our way out of the ground. So far so good. Until the fence ended! Luckily he fucked off and, outside the ground, I could sense the locality as there was a pub with plastic windows!

Away games were pretty hairy back then. We went to the old Roker Park to see the Blades beat Sun'lan (I think) 2-0. Anyway, I remember Bryson scoring. Before the game, about six of us were walking to the ground (no scarves or colours, but they just knew we weren't from Sunderland). Around the corner, about 30 Mackems - fresh from the pub - surrounded us and it looked bad. Suddenly a police meat wagon roared up - siren going and back doors flung open. The cops got out and threw all of us into the van. They drove us right up to the away turnstiles! Happy days! Not.

 

[Shalalalafenoughty]

The game was a near non-event apart from the chance for Billy Whitehurst right at the end of the game which would have promoted us there and then had he scored. Never been in a bigger crowd surge than just then.

It was in the air for ages, long enough to actually think "if he scores this we're up," but I never really thought he was going to do it, somehow. It made the following Saturday at Leicester all the more enjoyable, though.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Div 4 promotion season for me and I reckon it was Rochdale away. Horrible day, the pitch was sodden and if memory serves the ball was crossed into the middle, got stuck in the mud and Sir Keith put it away for a 1-0 win.

 

[Small Mendonca]

MK Dons 2011-2012 season with BadgerBlade, good day out ruined by the 'funeral' atmosphere of the game and of course Alan Smith.

 

[Darren]

1974, I think and it was Leicester. Great season but we were pretty rubbish, can't remember if we lost 2-0 or 3-0, I've a feeling it was 3.

19th October 1974. It was 3-0.

 

[Selly]

Oldham Away 1994, 1-1, Alan Cork.

Also my first Away game full stop...

 

[Darren]

I "think" it was 1984, Rotherham (Millmoor).
Ran the gauntlet down "that alley" into the ground.
Blades in all 4 sides of the ground - "he's a blade & he's a blade nah nah nah".
And I think Bob Matthews with the winner in last 10mins- the scruffiest (but best!) goal ever..
Such a grin!
Nearly as much fun as trying to get back to the bus station.....

I think you mean Bob Atkins and it wasn't scruffy at all.

I remember it as if it were yesterday. Atkins had come on as sub as Edwards was injured and played up front. In the last minute we had a free kick in the centre circle. It was played to Atkins with his back to goal on the edge of the box. I was there with my dad and he uttered the immortal words "don't give it to him he's hopeless".

In one movement, Atkins contreolled the ball, turned and wacked it into the top corner from 25 yards.

Apart from that, though, he was hopeless.

 

[Darren]

Man City away towards end of 93/94 season, drew 0-0

Main memories being a lass sat about three rows in front getting hit in the head by a half whisky bottle thrown from the Kippax Corner, and a police horse dropping it's knob out and having the biggest slash I have ever seen in the car park after. It was like a lake of horse wazz. Cue mass cheers from our coach when some city fans walked through it.

Game a bit of a blur, seem to remember Blake getting taken out near the end but no penalty given.

He was indeed taken out, but the ball fell to Franz Carr who should have had a tap in. He delayed too long and a defender got back and blocked his shot :-(