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

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I went to the 1989 FA cup final between Liverpool and Everton, the semi-final was of course the Hillsborough disaster. It was a strange occasion, there were about a dozen of us, all corporate guests of a supplier to the company I worked for.
The tickets were amongst the Everton fans and I can't say they were particularly sympathetic to what had happened a few weeks earlier, much the opposite (would we have been any different)
Train up from Southampton for the game, as much food and drink as you could take in. It ended 3-2 after extra time, 4 goals scored by players who would eventually wear the red and white stripes, McCall and Rush, both remembered by Blades fans, one fondly the other not.
I suppose it was a good game but to be honest, I couldn't be bothered. Same goes with a couple of internationals I have seen at Wembley.
If the Blades are not oneof the teams playing then I'm not sure I would bother with football with anything more than just a casual interest.
 

Snake said:
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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Of course. Maybe you're put off by what an England fan is portrayed as, what you see on the Tele, the stereotype as you say. But, from inside the camp, I hope you'll understand, I see it differently. That's not to say the stereotype isn't deserved & doesn't exist. But, I'm a Sports Tourism nut. Hopping to countries I might not otherwise get to. Mooching down the lane to the happening microbrewery. Off the beaten track. The England fans you see in that context are diamonds.
 
My first trip to Wembley was with Brook school to see a schoolboy international, England v Holland, I think we won 7-0. The same day United drew at Tranmere 2-2. Then first time for a full England game v Ireland in 1985. As someone else has mentioned on this thread this was after the Charlton game had been postponed. Remember the coach just pulling up at the Valley and Shred came over to our bus to announce 'game off lads'. Seem to remember we got in at Wembley just before half time. Lineker, Davenport and Waddle made their debuts I seem to recall, what was a vivid memory was seeing the Irish fans disgracefully burning Union Jack flags and this was inside the stadium.

Been many times since for non-United games. England v Jocks last couple of times they played at Wembley, v Germany when Keegan resigned, off the top of my head v Bulgaria and Sweden in late 90s, Brazil in 2000. What I love most about going to England games is the pro-English stance taken by most fans at the game.

Did some stewarding at Wembley in 1988 and saw the League Cup final Luton v Arsenal and was at the league centenary celebration games which unfortunately included the pigs, which I think they lost. Was at the Life Earth concert in 2007 at the new Wembley.

The only time I've seen a Sheffield team win that I was backing was Eagles v Wigan in 1998. Cracking day out, with all neutrals (and there was plenty of them) backing the Eagles and perhaps the biggest shock result in Challenge Cup Final history.
 
Swindon Town vs Millwall
2010 League 1 Play-off final.
A great day out with family and friends, night drinking in London, train home around midnight back to Wiltshire, all very worst for wear.
Millwall won, 40k of them there. 32k Swindon. We were backing Swindon that day.
 
1986 milk cup final 15th birthday present 🤫
 
bornablade said:
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.
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that was my first game at Wembley too, went as a youngster with Nick Jansky, his dad got tickets ( from the lane I think, Nick?). Supported Norwich that day so not a great result. As an aside we also went to the 1977 Villa v Everton League Cup final first replay at SWFC, bought tickets outside from Everton fans for around 75p. Another fairly dire game, I would imagine the second replay you went to was better.
 
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My last non blades Wembley trip was the famous 96 Scotland/Gazza game. It was a work thing and I took a very important Scottish customer. Brilliant day, amazing atmosphere, and still brings a little tear to my eye when I hear 'its coming home...'.
 
England vs Croatia. The Wally with the Brolly. The only England game I’ve been to and the only trip to Wembley not seeing the blades. Not be rushing back any time soon..
 
As others have said, 1977 FA Vase final Sheffield Club vs Billericay Town (1-1, Club lost the replay).

Euro 96 - All England matches (including the Gazza goal vs Scotland and the 4-1 demolition of the Dutch) and the final.

1999 Challenge Cup Final, Loiners vs London Broncos (who I watched a bit when I lived down there). Remember some glue sniffing Loiner yoof behind us puking up everywhere, luckily not on us.
 
Saw England play Kazhakstan. The only time I've seen England live. A friend got me a ticket and invited me along. I've never particularly been a big England fan, I've always been as interested in what Wales, Scotland, N Ireland and Ireland do, as much as England. My wife is Welsh and I have a few Welsh friends, and I wish I was as bothered about internationals as they are, but hand on heart I'm not.
The England fans wearing Borat mankinis kept me amused though!
 
derfblade.3 said:
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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Most enjoyable:

1. Carl Froch Knocked out George Groves.
2. Antony Joshua beat Klitchko in an all time classic.

I actually got to see the fireworks going off from inside the stadium.
 

May 1973. I was 13 years old. My dad had managed to get us tickets for the England v Scotland "Home international". We had neither of us been to Wembley.

Tragically, 48 hours before the match, my Dad was killed in a road traffic accident. The match tickets were in his wallet when he was pulled from the wreckage. Sadly poignant.

It was 20 years later before I got to Wembley for the Pig Semi Final, and of course Dad never made it. Still miss him, mega Blade

RIP John Robert B.
 
Been to numerous England matches at Wembley but can’t think of any other trips to Wembley without United there.

Did go to the Millennium in about 2002 with a mate to watch Norwich-Birmingham in the playoff final, supporting Norwich. Lost on penalties.

Took a Gillingham supporting mate to the 2012 playoff final against Huddersfield. Could have turned him into a blade if that day hadn’t been so dreadful.

Also saw Aerosmith at old Wembley back in about 1998, they were fantastic.
 
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Off road but ... the only England game I've attended was England 2 Turkey 0 at Sunderland 2003.

Highlights were witnessing a 17 year old Rooney at close quarters , and Beckham running the show.

Lowlights, rampant widespread unchallenged racist chanting throughout , jollied along by stewards.

Never again for me.
 
England v Scotland 1983 Home International - two players later to have Blades connections, Gordon Cowans & Bryan Robson, scored in a 2-0 win.

Plus...

1984,1985 & 1986 FA Cup Finals and have presented live from the Stadium for Hull Kingston Radio, when covering North Ferriby United's FA Trophy win v Wrexham in 2015.
 
Went on a school trip to an England v Scotland schoolboy International circa 1980. Quite enjoyed the day, bought an England flag from a service station, Dave Lee Travis got the crowd going and the game was a great one for kids, with Scotland winning something like 5-4, a young Paul Rideout scoring a hat-trick for England.
 
Only ever seen the Blades play there. Took my son on the Wembley tour in the late 1990s though.
 
FA vase 1977. Sheffield FC
England vs Brazil-82 vintage- 1981. The colourful Brazil fans making their usual noise high up behind us. W. Midlanders in between making their noise😖
 
White shite versus Sunderland final 1973 - all of us decked out in Red/White with a couple of quid on Sunderland. Great day out all round.
 
Only time I’ve been to Wembley and it be non Blades related is when the NFL have been over. Seen 4 NFL games there, always a decent day out.
 
I was there on a school trip when Gary Linekar famously fluffed his attempted pananka penalty v Brazil which would, I think, have seen him draw level with Bobby Charlton.

It was a shit old stadium in a shit part of London then and it's now a shit new stadium in shit part of London.

Twickenham is far, far superior and should have formed the blueprint for the rebuild.
 
Man City v Newcastle 1976 League Cup final, mate was a City fan got me a ticket.

England v Holland 1988 2-2, Gullet, Keuleman, Rijkaard, Van Basten, only time I've seen England play.

Luton v Forest , League Cup Final, don't know year.

Saint Helens v Leeds Rugby Final.

Warrington v Wakefield.

Hull v Hull KR
 
Went to Gleadless Valley and went to few mid week games with school , got you off an afternoon, during late 70s, early 80s , remember the fogged off game , Bulgaria ? And seem to remember going day after , got turned round and remember an impromptu game at some service station , saw the Argie game with Maradona , broken peanuts everywhere.... silly polyester rwb flat caps , all ended when joint trip with local youth club , plus some local vips , v Swiss I think in World Cup qualifier , think something happened to our Stars?? coach driver , was all over front of Star following night ... or am I dreaming that ..... never went again until our semi final
 

Tottenham v Notts Forest FA Cup Final

Saracens v Toulouse RFU European match

Saracens v Harlequins RFU Premiership
 
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