Your trips to Wembley....without the Blades.

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derfblade.3

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Just wondering what your visits to the twin towers were like without the Blades being there.

My first game was England v Ireland in the late 70s. We used to have Wembley trips from the Horseshoe on Bellhouse Rd throughout the 70s and into the early 80s. Saw England v Ireland, Rumania, Hungry and Bulgaria but the best of all was in 1980 when Argentina were the visitors and a 19 year old Maradona was on show. The guy was incredible and the vid below shows you what a fantastic player he was. Iwas right behind the goal when he turned the England lads inside out and went on a mazy run and narrowly missed the far post. Absolute genius. England went on to win 3-1 in an absolute cracker of a match.


My only domestic game was the F.A.Cup final Man City v Wigan. My brother had won a competition at the bookies and the prize was 2 tickets for the final plus an overnight stay at a top hotel. We spent all day in a pub with the Wigan fans and it was fantastic. The Wigan fans were enjoying the day but not expecting to win. Sadly, when we got to the Stadium we realised our complementary tickets were in the City end. The contrast between the two ends was unreal. The Wigan end was bouncing whilst "our" end was quiet and subdued with a feeling that the City fans were thinking it was a formality. City battered Wigan but they kept hanging it there. Then Zabaletta got sent off and the game started to turn. As the announcement came for added on minutes the cross came in and little Wigan scores and i leapt into the air! My brother said something like "sit down you silly cunt , you'll get us fucking killed". It almost felt like the Blades had scored. What a day.
 

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Forest v Wolves - League Cup Final
England v Norway. We sat near a group of Arsenal fans who spent 90mins hammering Spurs players. Disliked it so much, I have never been to watch England since.
 
I've only been to Wembley once when the blades weren't playing, it was the euro 96 game England v Spain where stuart Pearce scored his penalty and he just exploded in sheer relief. Both me and my brother went wearing blades shirts and we stood out like a sore thumb amongst the sea of england tops. From memory the match was pretty average at best and the beer was overpriced. Never been to watch england since and if im being totally honest I don't think I'm that fussed about travelling to Wembley to see them again.
 
Aston Villa v Norwich league cup final 1975.

I was living in Birmingham at the time and used to watch Villa on occassions.

The ticket for the league cup final came via Sheffield. There was a Wednesday scout living on the same road as us when I was growing up (he was the one that discovered Mel Sterland). He managed to get the tickets and passed them onto me.

Villa won. Ray Graydon scoring after his penalty was saved by Kevin Keelan.

Two years later I got tickets to see Villa win the league cup in a replay at Old Trafford beating Everton 3-2. Chris Nicholl scored a superb long distance effort.

So I've seen Villa win a domestic trophy on two occasions but never seen the Blades win one. There's still time.
 
Rotherham 2 Shrewsbury 1 (Auto Windscreens final 1996)
England 0 Italy 1 (WC qualifier 1997)
England 0 Chile 2 (Friendly 1998)

Enjoyed seeing the Millers win something with some Rotherham supporting relatives. The England games were less pleasant, mainly due to the horrible crowd. Racist cockneys.
 
England 3 Poland 1 Scholes hat-trick, Keagan's first game in charge.
England 0 Germany 1 last game at old Wembley, Keagan's last game in charge.
Notts County 0 Brescia 1 Anglo Italian cup final. Hagi played for Brescia and Paulo Rossi who has just died presented the trophy.
 
England v Bulgaria 1979. Got to Wembley which was blanketed in thick fog found out the game was postponed got back on the coach & came home. I was only a young lad at the time time & remember the crushing disappointment on what was my first visit to Wembley.

Though almost made another England game some years later. Went on the coach to Charlton but when we got there the game had been postponed. There was an England game on at Wembley & many Blades went to watch that instead. However I think ours was the only coach that didn't we simply turned round & drove back home. Didn't even stop at an off-licence. Bah!
 
1977 sheffield fc v billiricay town fa vase final about a dozen of us went down in minibus we were on tunnel end and stewards opened gates and let us stand just under royal box finished it off with a fantastic night in lambeth with wifes south london relatives in little cockney pub off lambeth bridge only a piano in pub and all locals singing cockney songs we left em with a rendition of ilkley moor ba tat great day great night
 
Just remembered, saw Grimsby Town beat Bournemouth in Auto Windscreens final. My Dad and Great Uncle thought they would never see their beloved Mariners play at Wembley.
 
whilst being a sheff and hallam ref got tickets to 4 fa cup finals , was amazed no one really wanted to go so wasnt a task getting them
saw west ham beat arsenal 1-0 was in the Arsenal end , was like a morgue, been to livelier funerals
was among the Brighton fans during their draw with man utd total opposite but that miss oh dear
the last one I saw was everton beat Watford 2-0 was a really poor game
but the best was man city 2 spurs 3, fabulous game, amazing atmosphere

but Wembley in the eighties was a crumbling edifice desperate for updating
shame was they didnt resite it in the midlands and got more for the money
the new ones ok but pales by US standards and some european grounds.
wouldnt make my top 10 of stadia
 
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Community shield final about 15 years ago. Chelsea v Man United. We had booked a weekend in London that coincided with the game. A friend of mine works for man utd and when he realised I would be in London he organised a couple of tickets. Crap game spent sitting among crap fans.
My dad is originally from Birmingham, he moved to NI aged 3 when his dad was posted here by the RAF. Throughout my youth he would follow Birmingham city from a distance but had never attended a game. For his 60th birthday I took him back to Birmingham for the first time in 57 years and we went to a game. This was the start of an annual visit to st Andrews. Anyway, I degress, when Birmingham city reached the league cup final in 2011 I pulled out all the stops and paid a fortune to get 2 tickets. We were seated on the row right beside the barriers that divide the 2 sets of fans. You can only imagine the scenes along that barrier when Birmingham scored a late winner.
 
I'm a committed traveling England fan. I've never really understood the "anti International football" stance of some posters on this board over the years. It's not like United will ever play England. So, no one has to choose to support one or the other. It's not "United or England". It can be United & England. I've got enough love to spread around both teams. One of the great things about International Football is that you can't flash the cheque book. You can't buy the league. And Chuck money at it in the January Window. You have to have a pathway to develop your own young players. Anyway, I've been to most of the England games at Wembley since 1977.
 

Went to 4 England schoolboys games during the early 80s. The head at our middle school was involved with the schools FA (think he was chairman for a while).

Also an England game in 97 against Moldova, only and last England game I went to, hated the experience, nothing like a United game.
 
I'm a committed traveling England fan. I've never really understood the "anti International football" stance of some posters on this board over the years. It's not like United will ever play England. So, no one has to choose to support one or the other. It's not "United or England". It can be United & England. I've got enough love to spread around both teams. One of the great things about International Football is that you can't flash the cheque book. You can't buy the league. And Chuck money at it in the January Window. You have to have a pathway to develop your own young players. Anyway, I've been to most of the England games at Wembley since 1977.
Bert only ever went to see England once. 1997 lost 1-0 to Italy.
Horrible atmosphere, Rule Brittania, No surrender to the IRA, God save the Queen.
Rabid nationalism from half the crowd.
Bert never went again.
 
Bert only ever went to see England once. 1997 lost 1-0 to Italy.
Horrible atmosphere, Rule Brittania, No surrender to the IRA, God save the Queen.
Rabid nationalism from half the crowd.
Bert never went again.
I was at that game and that was also my experience. Chile the year after was the same.
 
Bert only ever went to see England once. 1997 lost 1-0 to Italy.
Horrible atmosphere, Rule Brittania, No surrender to the IRA, God save the Queen.
Rabid nationalism from half the crowd.
Bert never went again.
Fair enough. And this thread is about Wembley. So that was your experience then. I find I can blank that out. Like I did the naming the victim chants at The Lane during the Chef Evans fiaco. Bert is sensible to know that things might have changed since 1997. I was in Sofia for Bulgaria/England when the UEFA Anti Racism protocols were invoked. The support from the England fans for Sterling & the stance of the team was a sight to behold. A real prospect of the game being abandoned, and expensive trips "wasted". But no one was bothered, as there was real shit to deal with.
But, I understand Bert's point - Wembley was & can be more toxic
 
Bert only ever went to see England once. 1997 lost 1-0 to Italy.
Horrible atmosphere, Rule Brittania, No surrender to the IRA, God save the Queen.
Rabid nationalism from half the crowd.
Bert never went again.
The Rabid Nationalism point is interesting. Because Rabid Support is what you want as a fan, what you want to be part of. And, if it's your National Team, then "Rabid Nationalism" sort of fits the bill - if you ignore the connotations. I take your point that Nationalistic songs, nothing to do with the game, about wars & history & shit are a pain in the arse. I stopped singing the National Anthem at games years ago. I'm an Atheist & a Republican. So God Save The Queen don't work for me personally.
 
I've never seen a non-United football match at Wembley, but I have seen three NFL games, Patriots vs Rams, Lions vs Falcons and Vikings vs Steelers. It's weird seeing people drinking in the stands.
 
My only domestic game was the F.A.Cup final Man City v Wigan. My brother had won a competition at the bookies and the prize was 2 tickets for the final plus an overnight stay at a top hotel. We spent all day in a pub with the Wigan fans and it was fantastic. The Wigan fans were enjoying the day but not expecting to win. Sadly, when we got to the Stadium we realised our complementary tickets were in the City end. The contrast between the two ends was unreal. The Wigan end was bouncing whilst "our" end was quiet and subdued with a feeling that the City fans were thinking it was a formality. City battered Wigan but they kept hanging it there. Then Zabaletta got sent off and the game started to turn. As the announcement came for added on minutes the cross came in and little Wigan scores and i leapt into the air! My brother said something like "sit down you silly cunt , you'll get us fucking killed". It almost felt like the Blades had scored. What a day.

that wigan game mustve be cracking game to go. it was 1 of underdog games where the country was behind Wigan & what a time to score. for timing & reaction up there with gerrard in 2005

ive never got to get to an England game. been thwarted twice. had tickets for england v holland in 2011, but annoyingly the riots postponed it & then i tried to get some tickets for any of the 3 group games at the euros but missed out on the ballot. which was annoying but had to happen sometime as i done well in all the ballots i went for

but i have been on the wembley tour in 2011, which was brilliant but very weird to be there on a non matchday. because you expect to see the hustle & bustle. but had a great time & there a point where you go up the famous Wembley steps to have a picture with the fa cup in the royal box. but they ask a question 1st, to (unknown at the time) be the "captain" & the lead the group up there & i cant remember the question . it was either who scored the last goal at old wembley or 1st goalscorer in 1st fa cup final at new wembley. but i remember thinking this was easy. but i didnt want to jump in & wanted to give others a chance. also didnt want the attention. but as i was looking around to bemused faces. so i realised ive got to answer the question :rolleyes:
 
My first visit was to the old Wembley for the Man U v Everton final when Moran was sent off.
I also was dragged there by an ex to see Madonna on the Blonde Ambition tour. It was actually very good.
My last visit without The Blades was for the old American Football. Never been as bored in my life. How could it take 4 hours to play 1 hour?
 
I also went to the Sheffield v Billericay FA Vase final. My mate had a couple of mates playing for Sheffield FC at the time and we went to support them.
 
First trip to the Old Wembley was in 1977 as a twelve year old to watch Villa v Everton in a 0-0 bore draw. To say I was underwhelmed by the place after all I had heard about it was an understatement.

First trip to the new Wembley without the Blades was in 2012 to watch the Olympic Men’s Final where Mexico beat Brazil. I don’t know what possessed me to go in the ballot for tickets to this day. Decent enough match but no atmosphere for £90 a ticket high up in level 5. At least I ’won‘ some tickets for the men’s 200 m at the Olympic Stadium as well and I couldn’t believe it when we got there that we were right next to the start line. Like the New Wembley much more.
 
England v Poland at the original Wembley and that blue haired bell ringing Portsmouth freak was sat behind us playing a fucking bugle all game - twat!
 
Barnsley vs Cardiff, FA Cup semi final. Can't really remember it, couldn't get interested at all. Spent most of the day telling people I don't actually support Barnsley but someone had a spare ticket.
 
Barnsley v Millwall 2016 L1 Play-off Final.
Girlfriend is a dingle. We were on a trip to Wales to see Manics in Swansea/a few days in Brecon Beacons and had to travel across to London especially for the game on our last day.
Barnsley outplayed them to be fair, to which the Millwall fans took exception and started to break through the cordoned off area to get to the Barnsley fans. Got a bit hostile for a time until the stewards and plod regained control.
Weird to be amongst winning, happy fans at Wembley. Felt unclean for a time after.
 

The Rabid Nationalism point is interesting. Because Rabid Support is what you want as a fan, what you want to be part of. And, if it's your National Team, then "Rabid Nationalism" sort of fits the bill - if you ignore the connotations. I take your point that Nationalistic songs, nothing to do with the game, about wars & history & shit are a pain in the arse. I stopped singing the National Anthem at games years ago. I'm an Atheist & a Republican. So God Save The Queen don't work for me personally.
I know its irrational but I can't stand the England football team or what I see as the stereotypical England fan. I too am Athiest and Republican. I also see myself as much more European than English. Which again is a bit strange as I'm an ex member of HM Forces.

I can't really explain it, I just can't be doing with England or the English. 🥴

Oh and to stay on topic ...... I've done a couple of England games back in the early 80s (before the onset of my irrational feelings) and a couple of concerts down there over the years.
 
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