39 years ago the greatest away day took place

[Scargill]

We took a coach from Treeton pit. Got there about 11 o’clock, the town was just full of Blades . What a day, Stopped in Knaresborough on the way back . Every pub was packed with blades and we had a collection for HMS Sheffield . Happy days.

 

[ancientblade]

darlington town centre was just one giant blades pub crawl our coach was the 2nd one in about 10.30ish and the 52 on our coach were never in the same pub first lot were drinking up while stragglers in had just been served must have been spread out between about 4 pubs lol fantastic day never laughed as much in my life at all the fancy dress antics on a final note i think there must have been 15k in the ground that day not the figure that was reported

 

[Darlington82]

First away day with mates at 13 on the Not so special train!

My Dad was there apparently, he was happy me going with my mates, so I did not get in the way, no taking 13 year olds in the pub in those days.

Never seen owt like it and was at Leicester obs, which way special in a different way.

MK was nearer to a Darlo experiance.

 

[Dkc]

Parked just in front of us. Seemed like half the Kop staggered out. How many of you were in it ?

Probably between 20 and 30. I really can't remember that much, I'm 56 now, must have been 16 or 17 at the time. Will say it was a privilege to go up to Darlington with the main Blades crew from the Limit at the time, all I can remember of the van is loads of bottles of piss, weed, lines of powder, loud singing and much hilarity. Can't remember the match, we did get back to Attercliffe that night for a pub that had put a spread on for us, one lad walked in the door and promptly threw up on the floor. We had at least one gorilla in the van.

 

[St Albans Blade]

I was in that van, we left after the Limit closed the night before.

I remember a really cool Pink Panther in the crowd that day too.

Anyone have the team sheet from the day as I also got a souvenir shin pad from one of our players, I can picture him but have forgotten his name!

 

[St Albans Blade]

First away day with mates at 13 on the Not so special train!

My Dad was there apparently, he was happy me going with my mates, so I did not get in the way, no taking 13 year olds in the pub in those days.

Never seen owt like it and was at Leicester obs, which way special in a different way.

MK was nearer to a Darlo experiance.

Would have been if MK had allowed us to take over the ground like Darlington did!

 

[St Albans Blade]

I remember a really cool Pink Panther in the crowd that day too.

Anyone have the team sheet from the day as I also got a souvenir shin pad from one of our players, I can picture him but have forgotten his name!

 

[John Street West Terrace]

Incredible day with scenes you will never see again . Went up with my mates as 14 yr old on the special , one big party & more fancy dress than Mr Benn ( one for the old uns ) arrived at the ground across the cricket pitch and it was absolutely rammed all 4 sides of the ground with Blades . Sat in the pitch next to goalpost asking Keith Waugh if he’d give me his keepers gloves & getting told to shurrup as he was concentrating... never did get em despite my pestering lol . The pending pitch invasion & the players all making a dash for it ( well the Darlo ones ) Edwards getting held a loft minus his boots . The celebrations on the pitch & the happiest trip home after
For Blades of my age it was the first time we’d seen our lads win owt .. felt like winning the World Cup & European Cup rolled into one ... a day in my life I’ll never forget UTB

 

[cahill]

oh darlington keeps cropping up on here and rightly so craziest day ive ever seen following united for 60 years

You're right it does. I wasn't there. Must have missed something special.

 

[St Albans Blade]

Take a look at this for more background to that day...

 

[Lane Ender]

Those of you that have mentioned Boro fans looking for aggro.

I know hooliganism was much more rife back then but surely they didn't travel about 16 miles out of their way to do so?

That would be like us travelling all the way to Worksop!

Were they just Boro fans that happened to live in Darlington?

We used to go to Chesterfield and Rotherham regularly if a decent away following was there.
Remember Rangers being at Chesterfield for a friendly balloon went up that day

 

[richblade]

What was the team when we played at Darlington 15 May 1982 Last Day Division 4
- anyone know ?

and was this picture taken at Darlington the same day ... or was it Peterborough away ?

 

[John Street West Terrace]

What was the team when we played at Darlington 15 May 1982 Last Day Division 4
- anyone know ?

and was this picture taken at Darlington the same day ... or was it Peterborough away ?

View attachment 123371

Darlington that , I posted this on another thread and has some pics I hadn’t seen before

.. Darlington fan sent me this from Northern Echo when it was on a Facebook forum

When Sheffield United came to Darlington and the fans took over Feethams - North East Sport News

The penultimate match of Darlington’s 1981-82 season remains an infamous and remarkable occasion, when Feethams was filled and most of the fans were from South Yorkshire. Thousands of Sheffield United supporters headed north and invaded [...]

www.nesportnews.co.uk

 

[richblade]

Cheers for that ..... any idea what the team was please ?

 

[John Street West Terrace]

Cheers for that ..... any idea what the team was please ?

I’ll try & dig the programme out

 

[Panini]

Cheers for that ..... any idea what the team was please ?

It's at the bottom of the link John Street West Terrace sent

Waugh, Charles, Garner, Matthews, MacPhail, Kenworthy, Morris, Trusson, Edwards, Hatton, King.

 

[Camden Blade]

I was gutted I didn't go. Went to quite a few away that season, Bury, Crewe, Blackpool, Mansfield, Bradford, Halifax, Hull, Scunthorpe (2 out of the 4 defeats that season!) and first season as a season ticket holder (BL upper) but missed Darlington. I was only a kid and that afternoon ended up playing tennis at High Hazels park with my dad. First thing he said to me, I've seen um all getting on buses in fancy dress at Darnall this morning and nearly phoned you but didn't think you'd want to go !!!!

Made up for it at Leicester and too a lesser extent at Northampton/Port Vale/Milton Keynes in 17 but always gutted I missed Darlo.

Other way around for me. Was at Darlo but gutted I missed Leicester. But I suppose at least I was at one of the two.

 

[richblade]

It's at the bottom of the link John Street West Terrace sent

Waugh, Charles, Garner, Matthews, MacPhail, Kenworthy, Morris, Trusson, Edwards, Hatton, King.

Thanks ... I got carried away scrolling through the pictures and I had to find my
glasses to read it all ... Up the Blades

 

[Camden Blade]

Other way around for me. Was at Darlo but gutted I missed Leicester. But I suppose at least I was at one of the two.

I don't think a promotion was ever celebrated as much as in that season with Peterborough and Darlo away with another pitch invasion at home to Peterborough in the final game. I can't remember the final home game before Leicester away under Bassett.

 

[Blade56]

39 years ago arguably the greatest away day in Sheffield United history took place as Blades supporters swarmed Darlington to watch the Blades win 0-2 to win Division Four and get promoted back to Division Three.

If you were there let me know your thoughts, the scenes, etc from your perspective.

I was a steward on one of the HQ supporters club coaches. It was a quiet time of reflection on the way home, after all we had just won promotion to Division 3.

 

[Garibaldi]

From the other Darlo thread. A few photos here I've not seen before. My first season watching United. Rochdale at home was my first match.

Some great photos there. Unreal how close all 4 sides are to the touch line.

 

[Pollingtonblade]

I don't think a promotion was ever celebrated as much as in that season with Peterborough and Darlo away with another pitch invasion at home to Peterborough in the final game. I can't remember the final home game before Leicester away under Bassett.

It was Bournemouth we won 4-2 there was a pitch invasion but we weren't confirmed promoted.

In fact Leicester could have been a dead rubber if Billy Whitehurst didn't miss a sitter at Blackburn in the midweek.

That all said we could have lost to Leicester as it was and still gone up.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

I don't think a promotion was ever celebrated as much as in that season with Peterborough and Darlo away with another pitch invasion at home to Peterborough in the final game. I can't remember the final home game before Leicester away under Bassett.

I have a feeling there were pitch invasions at Crewe and possibly Bury too?? In fact I seem to remember a lot of our fans at Crewe used the pitch to go from one side of the ground to the other before the game had even started! I'm sure the tannoy bloke even asked our fans to stop taking the piss, or words to that effect.

 

[Silent Blade]

In fact Leicester could have been a dead rubber if Billy Whitehurst didn't miss a sitter at Blackburn in the midweek.

Not a dead rubber for the 2nd division title

 

[Caveblade]

An ex colleague was a Darlo fan. This was his first ever game as a young kid. He thought it was amazing with all the fancy dress and atmosphere.

He nagged his Dad to take him to the last game of the season and was mortally disappointed with the reality of 1500 fans and not a Gorilla in sight

 

[Camden Blade]

I have a feeling there were pitch invasions at Crewe and possibly Bury too?? In fact I seem to remember a lot of our fans at Crewe used the pitch to go from one side of the ground to the other before the game had even started! I'm sure the tannoy bloke even asked our fans to stop taking the piss, or words to that effect.

Yes, was at Crewe multiple pitch invasions. Great away day.

 

[Sharrow Snuff Mill]

It's at the bottom of the link John Street West Terrace sent

Waugh, Charles, Garner, Matthews, MacPhail, Kenworthy, Morris, Trusson, Edwards, Hatton, King.

As for Darlington, their number 6 was David Speedie who shortly after signed for Chelsea.

 

[Eskimo]

We wandered round Darlo, drink here and there an eventually got fish and chips. We at on a wall to eat in front of a parade of shops including a ‘Private’ shop. Suddenly a group of lads ran out of the shop with armfuls of stuff chased by a guy who was as fat as he was tall who then fell over theatrically to cheers all round. Anyone remember the blown up doll and various other stuff at the ground later?

 

[Boro blade]

39 years ago arguably the greatest away day in Sheffield United history took place as Blades supporters swarmed Darlington to watch the Blades win 0-2 to win Division Four and get promoted back to Division Three.

If you were there let me know your thoughts, the scenes, etc from your perspective.

 

[Boro blade]

39 years ago arguably the greatest away day in Sheffield United history took place as Blades supporters swarmed Darlington to watch the Blades win 0-2 to win Division Four and get promoted back to Division Three.

If you were there let me know your thoughts, the scenes, etc from your perspective.

First game following the Blades, age 13 jumped on train from Boro just to get a game in, hooked from.that day , unbelievable atmosphere was at the front of tin shed when got in ground early , by the time kicked off can't remember many darlo fans, was a few boro casuals went through that day on the train I got looking for bother with the blades dont think they expected that following , I'd Never seen a following like it , remember going into school Monday after in boro telling my mates ⚔