grafikhaus
Kraft durch Freude
April 23rd has always loomed large in my long Blades-supporting life. Obviously, we’ve played other games on this date, but I was present at all these:
1962. My first-ever Blades game. Me, mum and dad got into dad’s Consul and headed over the Pennines for this Bank Holiday fixture. Mum – scared that I might get lost in the big crowd – took the precaution of dressing me so that I’d easily stand out. A bright red jumper…
Needless to say, I did get unattached from my parents but – to their horror – a kindly stranger reunited us. We won 1-0 with the goal coming from ‘Doc’ Pace,
1968. This near-13 year old was feeling the first stirrings of a true love that has lasted to this day. I headed to Bramall Lane for a home game with Fulham. It had been a poor season which would see the initial 9-year reign of ‘Gentleman’ John Harris end at the finish of this season. Fulham were rock-bottom, but still managed to beat the Blades 2-3 – our goals coming from Fenoughty and Woodward. Eighteen days later, Fulham’s near-neighbours Chelsea delivered the coup de grâce by beating us at The Lane on the last day of the season (after the game, I sat on the Kop steps and cried). Us and Fulham were relegated from the top flight.
1973. I re-visited the site of my first Blades game and made up a tiny part of the 55,035 crowd at Old Trafford. The Reds were in decline and would finish the season in 18th place (they would be relegated to the Second Division the following season). This match – Bobby Charlton’s last home game – saw the Blades win 2-1 with our goals coming from Bill Dearden and Keith Eddy.
1983. A forgettable 2-1 win at Bramall Lane over Bradford City in Division 3. Our goals were scored by Towner and Keith Edwards in front of a less-than-enthused crowd of 9,375. (This, unbelievably, wasn’t the lowest home crowd of Ian Porterfield’s second season). The euphoria of promotion from Division Four was forgotten, we would finish this season in mid-table and 9k to 11k crowds were common. At home to Newport County on 1st March 1983 drew a ‘crowd’ of 8,740.
1988. Another pitiful season in Division Two under Billy McEwan, Danny Bergara and the belated appointment of Dave Bassett mean that just 12,091 witnessed this 0-0 draw against West Brom in our final (scheduled) League match of the season. 25 days later, we had lost the 2-leg relegation play-off game v. Bristol City and were relegated back down to Division Three.
This season wasn’t without its ‘moments’, though. On January 2nd, we lost 0-5 at home to Oldham under the egregious Billy McEwan – quite the most shameful Blades performance I have witnessed (although Adkins would try his best to beat this). Never mind. A few days later, McEwan had gone and Dave Bassett – who had just been sacked by Watford - was appointed.
2011. United 3 Bristol City 2 in The Championship. Our goals – by Williamson, McAllister and Slew – couldn’t prevent us being relegated to League One 14 days later.
2016. An utterly dismal season under the equally-dismal Nigel Adkins had just two home games to go. We drew with The Tykes 0-0 on this day before the season ended fifteen days later with a 0-2 home defeat to Scunthorpe. We finished the season in 11th place in League One – our lowest league finish since the 1982-83 season, and Adkins was gone.
‘The course of true love never did run smooth.’
1962. My first-ever Blades game. Me, mum and dad got into dad’s Consul and headed over the Pennines for this Bank Holiday fixture. Mum – scared that I might get lost in the big crowd – took the precaution of dressing me so that I’d easily stand out. A bright red jumper…
Needless to say, I did get unattached from my parents but – to their horror – a kindly stranger reunited us. We won 1-0 with the goal coming from ‘Doc’ Pace,
1968. This near-13 year old was feeling the first stirrings of a true love that has lasted to this day. I headed to Bramall Lane for a home game with Fulham. It had been a poor season which would see the initial 9-year reign of ‘Gentleman’ John Harris end at the finish of this season. Fulham were rock-bottom, but still managed to beat the Blades 2-3 – our goals coming from Fenoughty and Woodward. Eighteen days later, Fulham’s near-neighbours Chelsea delivered the coup de grâce by beating us at The Lane on the last day of the season (after the game, I sat on the Kop steps and cried). Us and Fulham were relegated from the top flight.
1973. I re-visited the site of my first Blades game and made up a tiny part of the 55,035 crowd at Old Trafford. The Reds were in decline and would finish the season in 18th place (they would be relegated to the Second Division the following season). This match – Bobby Charlton’s last home game – saw the Blades win 2-1 with our goals coming from Bill Dearden and Keith Eddy.
1983. A forgettable 2-1 win at Bramall Lane over Bradford City in Division 3. Our goals were scored by Towner and Keith Edwards in front of a less-than-enthused crowd of 9,375. (This, unbelievably, wasn’t the lowest home crowd of Ian Porterfield’s second season). The euphoria of promotion from Division Four was forgotten, we would finish this season in mid-table and 9k to 11k crowds were common. At home to Newport County on 1st March 1983 drew a ‘crowd’ of 8,740.
1988. Another pitiful season in Division Two under Billy McEwan, Danny Bergara and the belated appointment of Dave Bassett mean that just 12,091 witnessed this 0-0 draw against West Brom in our final (scheduled) League match of the season. 25 days later, we had lost the 2-leg relegation play-off game v. Bristol City and were relegated back down to Division Three.
This season wasn’t without its ‘moments’, though. On January 2nd, we lost 0-5 at home to Oldham under the egregious Billy McEwan – quite the most shameful Blades performance I have witnessed (although Adkins would try his best to beat this). Never mind. A few days later, McEwan had gone and Dave Bassett – who had just been sacked by Watford - was appointed.
2011. United 3 Bristol City 2 in The Championship. Our goals – by Williamson, McAllister and Slew – couldn’t prevent us being relegated to League One 14 days later.
2016. An utterly dismal season under the equally-dismal Nigel Adkins had just two home games to go. We drew with The Tykes 0-0 on this day before the season ended fifteen days later with a 0-2 home defeat to Scunthorpe. We finished the season in 11th place in League One – our lowest league finish since the 1982-83 season, and Adkins was gone.
‘The course of true love never did run smooth.’