Tony Currie, Stan Matthews...

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?




I think you can admire another team for what it achieves, especially Leicester, on relatively less resources than a lot of other premier teams. But to support them, or have them, or any other team as a second team, never. Imo.
 
Interesting point on second teams. I have to admit that since being a child I have always followed Juventus (helped by the amount of coverage of Serie A on channel 4 & 5). Growing up I had both United & Juventus shirts and my football manager etc saves to this day are still always United & Juventus. Think the difference for me was that they play in different countries, and Italy always seemed exotic when I was younger.

Like JB says I admire Leicester & have cheered their goals on TV when I have watched their games when I am back in Sheffield with my dad.
 
JasonEllis said:
Interesting point on second teams. I have to admit that since being a child I have always followed Juventus (helped by the amount of coverage of Serie A on channel 4 & 5). Growing up I had both United & Juventus shirts and my football manager etc saves to this day are still always United & Juventus. Think the difference for me was that they play in different countries, and Italy always seemed exotic when I was younger.

Like JB says I admire Leicester & have cheered their goals on TV when I have watched their games when I am back in Sheffield with my dad.
Click to expand...

The thing that chimed with me, just as much as the "second team" aspect, was the bit about going along to watch an individual player.

In the Jimmy Hagan biography there's a tribute from Michael Parkinson which makes the same point: "My father didn't say 'I think we'll watch Sheffield United today.' He would say to me: 'Let's go and watch Jimmy Hagan'."

Richard Williams, author of the Guardian article, is 60-odd and I do think it's a generational thing. There was a time - and most older supporters will remember it - when you did look forward to seeing a particular player or team coming to Bramall Lane. Part of it stemmed from the fact that there was only a limited amount of TV exposure of any player or club, no matter how successful they were, but I think it was a lot less tribal once than it is now. Even the United/Wednesday rivalry didn't prevent plenty of Unitedites going to Hillsborough right up to the 1970s and vice-versa. I was among them. And the Wednesdayite I went with who lived on the same street as me and who came with me to the Lane absolutely raved about Tony Currie. I think it would be considered suspect behaviour now.
 
69-70 season Bert went to see United one week and Wednesday the next. Going to Hillsborough was to be able to see First Division footballers and get the United score on their electronic scoreboard, it certainly wasn't to support Wednesday.
 
Bert said:
69-70 season Bert went to see United one week and Wednesday the next. Going to Hillsborough was to be able to see First Division footballers and get the United score on their electronic scoreboard, it certainly wasn't to support Wednesday.
Click to expand...

Exactly.

Funnily enough, on the second team/individual player theme I have a story that illustrates both.

In the course of my work, I used to bump into a Geordie chap, big Newcastle supporter, but he'd moved to Sheffield in the late-60s. He loved his football and he'd started coming to Bramall Lane on a regular basis soon after. Obviously, he'd chosen a great time in the club's history and he was a big fan of Currie and Woodward but particularly of Gil Reece. He told me he absolutely loved Reece and was gutted when he went back to Cardiff to such an extent that although he never normally went to Hillsborough he made a special trip there the next time Cardiff came just to see Gil. I think he said they'd drawn 2-2 and the Welsh Wizard was, in his words, "different class."

So, a Newcastle supporter goes to watch Wednesday v Cardiff just to see a player who he liked when he played for United.
 
Last edited:
Shalalalafenoughty said:
The thing that chimed with me, just as much as the "second team" aspect, was the bit about going along to watch an individual player.

In the Jimmy Hagan biography there's a tribute from Michael Parkinson which makes the same point: "My father didn't say 'I think we'll watch Sheffield United today.' He would say to me: 'Let's go and watch Jimmy Hagan'."

Richard Williams, author of the Guardian article, is 60-odd and I do think it's a generational thing. There was a time - and most older supporters will remember it - when you did look forward to seeing a particular player or team coming to Bramall Lane. Part of it stemmed from the fact that there was only a limited amount of TV exposure of any player or club, no matter how successful they were, but I think it was a lot less tribal once than it is now. Even the United/Wednesday rivalry didn't prevent plenty of Unitedites going to Hillsborough right up to the 1970s and vice-versa. I was among them. And the Wednesdayite I went with who lived on the same street as me and who came with me to the Lane absolutely raved about Tony Currie. I think it would be considered suspect behaviour now.
Click to expand...
I wonder if anyone still goes to both us and Wednesday on alternative weeks?
 
Shalalalafenoughty said:
Exactly.

Funnily enough, on the second team/individual player theme I have a story that illustrates both.

In the course of my work, I used to bump into a Geordie chap, big Newcastle supporter, but he'd moved to Sheffield in the late-60s. He loved his football and he'd started coming to Bramall Lane on a regular basis soon after. Obviously, he'd chosen a great time in the club's history and he was a big fan of Currie and Woodward but particularly of Gil Reece. He told me he absolutely loved Reece and was gutted when he went back to Cardiff to such an extent that although he never normally went to Hillsborough he made a special trip there the next time Cardiff came just to see Gil. I think he said they'd drawn 2-2 and the Welsh Wizard was, in his words, "different class."

So, a Newcastle supporter goes to watch Wednesday v Cardiff just to see a player who he liked when he played for United.
Click to expand...
Yeah,I loved the Welsh Wizard aswell,great player...I remember my Dad telling me about going to watch both teams as a kid,and a lot of people did the same...but on people turning up to watch a particular player...when TC went to the Dirties,they put adverts in the Star for people to come and watch TC at his new club...I'm not sure many would have taken up the offer though.
 
Ecco1889 said:
I wonder if anyone still goes to both us and Wednesday on alternative weeks?
Click to expand...

Different times now, piggy friend sat with me against Walsall, can't imagine that these days.

Rushing home from work to get changed and go to the Sty for a cup match with him.

Nah, not now.
 
Bert said:
69-70 season Bert went to see United one week and Wednesday the next. Going to Hillsborough was to be able to see First Division footballers and get the United score on their electronic scoreboard, it certainly wasn't to support Wednesday.
Click to expand...
I started being hooked in football in January 1970. The matches I went to during the rest of 1969/70 season were

Jan 1970
17 Blades v Preston
24 Chesterfield v Lincoln
31 Wendy v Ipswich (the electronic scoreboard updated the score for Hull v Blades and revealing the scorers too- Blades fought back to win 3-2)
Feb
9 Blades v Swindon
24 Blades v QPR
25 Chesterfield v Wrexham
28 Wendy v Burnley
Mar
Was in bed with flu when we were at home to Carlisle on the 13th
21 Leicester v Blades
28 Blades v Bolton
30 Wendy v Spurs
31 Blades v Millwall
April
4 Wendy v Everton
15 Blades v Oxford
17 Chesterfield v Bradford Park Avenue
25 Gerry Young's testimonial
27 Chesterfield v Peterborough (I ran on the pitch after the match as Chesterfield were celebrating being 4th division champions)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Carlton Blade
FFP Changes - The Athletic - Explained: Premier League clubs close the ‘Chelsea loophole’ but agree on little else
Replies
13
Views
3K
Melbourne Blade
Melbourne Blade
Isaw Joeshaw
The Great Tony Currie
5 6 7
Replies
188
Views
30K
stringer
stringer

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

Back
Top Bottom