2nd October 1971

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Jolly Buffer said:
When I was a kid around 74, Some older blades that went in 71 told stories about how the Man U fans had told them they had tough job trying to get the blades off the Stretford that day.

This match must go down in history as our biggest away following for a league match.

Who went to Old Trafford a few years later for their opening home game of season? I did. This was their first home game back in the first division after being promoted with Villa I think.

It was packed. We were on Stretford end in seats at the back. Well I say seats, they we're wooden benches. I think the gates were closed at 2pm. I remember it like yedterday.. I've never experienced an atmosphere like that day or since. Must have been 57000 cramped in there and the noise was something else. The scoreboard end and Stretford were at times a sea of scarves like I've never seen since, not even Anfield in its prime. We got battered on the pitch and the home crowd sensed something special was going on with that team they had. They'd won their first 2 away games at wolves and Brum and were playing well. Did they win the league or cup that season? They scored nine goals against us that season I think and we went down.
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The writing was on the wall after that game man utd hardly gave us a kick.
They had a youthful side out and ran us to death.
After the first match at the lane ( 1-1 against Derby ) I don't think anybody was prepared for the season as it unfolded. Relegated officially in April but realistically we had gone in January.
No Dave Bassett on the scene to shake it up with a Christmas party into the new year.
 

finlaytheblade said:
The writing was on the wall after that game man utd hardly gave us a kick.
They had a youthful side out and ran us to death.
After the first match at the lane ( 1-1 against Derby ) I don't think anybody was prepared for the season as it unfolded. Relegated officially in April but realistically we had gone in January.
No Dave Bassett on the scene to shake it up with a Christmas party into the new year.
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Remember Bob Monkhouse quipping on Celebrity Squares ' Sheffield United , the strongest team in the 1st Division, propping the rest up.'

That got turned off.
 
This was before I started going to watch United, i was a bit to young back then, but some great accounts of the day in here .
 
Paisley Blade said:
Remember Bob Monkhouse quipping on Celebrity Squares ' Sheffield United , the strongest team in the 1st Division, propping the rest up.'

That got turned off.
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Some other time we lost 3 consecutive games by 5-0. There was a comedian on TV who used the gag

'Sheffield United's new telephone number 505050'
 
We got in the ground at about 1.30 because there was huge queues in and around every pub. The gates must've closed shortly after.
We were on the side stand terrace (which Besty zig zagged down) Blades fans seemed to be spread around in all areas of the ground and as soon as they got some songs going the Man U troops appeared and a brawl ensued. Ive never seen a Blades away following as big in my fifty odd years, it was just phenomenal and because there was no (or little) advance ticket buying we'll never know just how many (my best guess would be around 25-30k)
Can't remember much about the game itself apart from the goals. Did we create (many) any chances.Always wondered if there's any significant footage other than the brief clips around.
Sadly also, many fans who were revelling in those brief heady days will no longer be with us.
 
My then fiancee ( now wife ) and I went with another couple. When we got to the turnstyle the guy let her through and closed it behind her! I pointed out that we were together and he let me in but our mates didn't make it.

Years later I called in a pub in Conisborough purely by chance and was surprised to find Geoff Salmons behind the bar. I had a go at him for being the cause of that goal. Ted Hemsley went off injured and Gil Reece came on to replace him. We were on top up to that point and Salmons was obviously enjoying himself. The bench were frantically gesturing at him to drop back and replace Ted and let Gil go up front. Salmons ignored them Gil stood there like a training cone as Best went past him and scored.

When I brought it up he didn't deny it and burst out laughing saying " You Blades never forget anything do you? "

Came across as a decent bloke, shame he didn't take instruction very well, although he did pull me a decent pint.
 
Bert said:
Yes, very true. We are a diminishing bunch.
For two short months we were the very the best team in the land.
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I wonder if the start of 1971-72 season was the first time we’d been top of the league since we won it in 1898? We spent enough seasons in Division One in the intervening years to have done it, however briefly, but I can’t recall ever seeing the statistic.
 
Newbury Blade said:
I wonder if the start of 1971-72 season was the first time we’d been top of the league since we won it in 1898? We spent enough seasons in Division One in the intervening years to have done it, however briefly, but I can’t recall ever seeing the statistic.
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November 1963 and October 1965

Sheffield United Historical Standings 9th Nov 1963

Sheffield United Historical Standings 9th Nov 1963
stats.football.co.uk stats.football.co.uk

Sheffield United Historical Standings 16th Oct 1965

Sheffield United Historical Standings 16th Oct 1965
stats.football.co.uk stats.football.co.uk
 
Guesty said:
Best was trying to cross it...
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That’s a very interesting point of view. My dad always said the same whenever the footage of the goal was shown - which, let’s face it, was often - and he never budged from it despite my brother and I strongly disagreeing with him.
 

bornablade said:
Some other time we lost 3 consecutive games by 5-0. There was a comedian on TV who used the gag

'Sheffield United's new telephone number 505050'
Click to expand...

To be precise It was 0-5, 0-5, 5-1. We managed to score against Sunderland away. We expected a tonking from Arsenal but the next Home game against Bolton was a suprise. If I remember right Cec Coldwell was caretaker manager and these results sealed his fate. Pigs dined out on that gag for the next 10 years.
 
Newbury Blade said:
I wonder if the start of 1971-72 season was the first time we’d been top of the league since we won it in 1898? We spent enough seasons in Division One in the intervening years to have done it, however briefly, but I can’t recall ever seeing the statistic.
Click to expand...

Not quite what you were asking, but we have topped the Premier League.

Early kick off, Rob Hulse flying header, then that penalty saw us dislodged
 
Addison said:
To be precise It was 0-5, 0-5, 5-1. We managed to score against Sunderland away. We expected a tonking from Arsenal but the next Home game against Bolton was a suprise. If I remember right Cec Coldwell was caretaker manager and these results sealed his fate. Pigs dined out on that gag for the next 10 years.
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We scored against Bolton too. Woody the scorer
 
Shalalalafenoughty said:
Those points totals are wrong, Silent. They’re calculated on the current three points for a win system. It was two back then.
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If you look at the 1963-64 and 1965-66 summaries in the complete records, it says that "we led the league for 4 weeks in autumn" and "we led the league in October" respectively. I remember reading about it in the Morning Telegraph/Green Un archives in the Sheffield Central Library some years ago I hadnt noticed that the website had calculated 3 points for a win. Thanks for the "heads up"
 
bladesince64 said:
We got in the ground at about 1.30 because there was huge queues in and around every pub. The gates must've closed shortly after.
We were on the side stand terrace (which Besty zig zagged down) Blades fans seemed to be spread around in all areas of the ground and as soon as they got some songs going the Man U troops appeared and a brawl ensued. Ive never seen a Blades away following as big in my fifty odd years, it was just phenomenal and because there was no (or little) advance ticket buying we'll never know just how many (my best guess would be around 25-30k)
Can't remember much about the game itself apart from the goals. Did we create (many) any chances.Always wondered if there's any significant footage other than the brief clips around.
Sadly also, many fans who were revelling in those brief heady days will no longer be with us.
Click to expand...

I was on the same terrace and remember the Manure fans coming in at the back chanting " Where are the Sheffield fans ?"

My worst memory apart from the goal is that of a young copper on a horse getting slowly trapped in by the sheer weight of numbers outside the ground . After a while he completely lost it and started deliberately ramming the horse into the crowd and screaming " Get out of the way ".

He calmed down when a bunch of hard blokes pointed out that we weren't enjoying it any more than him and threatened to pull him off and give him a slapping .

No way was Best trying to cross but I said at the time that Hope made it easier for him by coming too far off his line and if you watch it again you'll see what I mean .

Not a Happy Day .
 
Addison said:
Went with Booth and Fisher from Halfway with some Beighton Blades. Decided to go by coach as Man U had a reputation with knives. Some Blades were set upon on their way from the train station. It didn't help we were young skinheads and the Yorkshire badge on our crombie was easily recognisable. Coach went over the Snake, took forever, Blades jumping off the coach in Manchester as we crawled towards the ground.

The picture Silent posted was at the other end from the Stretford End. It was a temporary wall due to ground alterations and it began to sway because of the crowd pressure hence the police horses trying to keep the crowds back. The majority of Blades inside the ground were too the left of that picture but they had closed the turnstiles for this section when we got there due to the number of away fans.

Blades got into the end in the picture but there was a load of fighting. We were just about to go in and mate got whacked while he was paying to get in. That led to the Police closing these turnstiles as well. They said there were 20,000 locked out most of them seemed to be from Sheffield.

We went back to the coaches and listened to the game on the radio. Then with 30 minutes to go we made our way back to the ground as it was customary in those days for the gates to be opened early to let fans out. Hundreds of Blades tried to get in the end where the Blades were but the Police thought we were Man U fans so turned the dogs on us. We made our way to the Stretford End and got in to the left of the goal high up.

We were singing but no-one bothered us, that was until Best scored that goal. They noticed we weren't jumping up and moved towards us but soon moved back when mate pulled out a tizer bottle, unbelievable what you could take into the ground in those days. We didn't move but then Gowling got the second and the sheer weight of numbers pushed us back towards the steps. We left at this point. So yes some Blades did get on the Stretford End that day albiet for around 20 minutes.

They turned up at the coaches after the game with their stupid MU, MUF, MUFC ok chant. Yes it was that bad. They got a surprise as all the coaches emptied.

That was probably the highest number of away fans the Blades ever took to an away game outside of the Pigs. It was the only time I ever went to Old Trafford for a league game and I still can't get that useless chant out of my head even after all these years.
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That sounds like a chapter out of the Book of Blades Memoirs you ought to be writing mate. Reminded me of the Skinhead and Suedehead paperbacks from the same era.;)
 
Addison said:
Went with Booth and Fisher from Halfway with some Beighton Blades. Decided to go by coach as Man U had a reputation with knives. Some Blades were set upon on their way from the train station. It didn't help we were young skinheads and the Yorkshire badge on our crombie was easily recognisable. Coach went over the Snake, took forever, Blades jumping off the coach in Manchester as we crawled towards the ground.

The picture Silent posted was at the other end from the Stretford End. It was a temporary wall due to ground alterations and it began to sway because of the crowd pressure hence the police horses trying to keep the crowds back. The majority of Blades inside the ground were too the left of that picture but they had closed the turnstiles for this section when we got there due to the number of away fans.

Blades got into the end in the picture but there was a load of fighting. We were just about to go in and mate got whacked while he was paying to get in. That led to the Police closing these turnstiles as well. They said there were 20,000 locked out most of them seemed to be from Sheffield.

We went back to the coaches and listened to the game on the radio. Then with 30 minutes to go we made our way back to the ground as it was customary in those days for the gates to be opened early to let fans out. Hundreds of Blades tried to get in the end where the Blades were but the Police thought we were Man U fans so turned the dogs on us. We made our way to the Stretford End and got in to the left of the goal high up.

We were singing but no-one bothered us, that was until Best scored that goal. They noticed we weren't jumping up and moved towards us but soon moved back when mate pulled out a tizer bottle, unbelievable what you could take into the ground in those days. We didn't move but then Gowling got the second and the sheer weight of numbers pushed us back towards the steps. We left at this point. So yes some Blades did get on the Stretford End that day albiet for around 20 minutes.

They turned up at the coaches after the game with their stupid MU, MUF, MUFC ok chant. Yes it was that bad. They got a surprise as all the coaches emptied.

That was probably the highest number of away fans the Blades ever took to an away game outside of the Pigs. It was the only time I ever went to Old Trafford for a league game and I still can't get that useless chant out of my head even after all these years.
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In that case you missed the win when Keith Eddy scored. Happy days
 
finlaytheblade said:
I managed to get a seat for this match ,getting in must have been a nightmare for our fans who had to pay thousands milling around outside.
It was well worth it although we lost the match to Best and Dowling goals.A very close game which we had started to dominate when Bestie stepped in . A great goal maybe but we had lost our left back and Gil Reece came on and was put in that left back spot! defending wasn't his strong point and when Best went on this jinking run the central defence did its job pushing him wide right Reece wasn't able to continue the strategie to push him wider and he got a weak shot in which deceived Hope and went in.In my opinion losing I think it was Ted Hemsley cost us at least a point as Reece wasn't able to shut Bestie out.
That goal changed the game and Gowling got a 2nd.
We were going great guns until that defeat we probably wernt strong enough to maintain the impetus of that great start to the season but I've always wondered where we would have finished if we had got the result we deserved on the day .
Really it was another instance of United not showing the ambition to push on as that squad with the right strengthening could have took the 1st division by storm.
Missed opportunity !!
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" Gowling ". It was Gowling, i'm starting to think I was the only Blade there
 

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