50 years ago today

[metalblade]

I went to this game with my pal and his father in their Austin 1100 complete with its hole in the floor behind the drivers seat. Wisely we set off good and early and were parked up just after 12:00 noon near some big warehouses. We headed for the scoreboard end and got as far as the corner where it joins the now Matt Busby stand we were dismayed to see a huge queue which came from the direction of the Stretford end so walked in that direction to find the end of this queue, their was another queue going in the same direction we were even more dismayed to realise it was one huge queue which went the length of the ground and back again. All we could do was join this huge queue at 12:30 by this time we were all thinking this will be touch and go for getting in the ground.About 1:00pm the opened the turnstile and it was carnage the queue was forgot about and the crowd surged towards the turnstiles in a frightening crush. Those at the back of the queue like us were some of the first people into the ground.

I remember the gates were locked a good while before kick of and pre match entertainment was watching blokes climbing up scaffolding onto the building works on the scoreboard end and being chased by coppers trying to keep them out some got in some got arrested. Loads inside were from Sheffield and we could hear there were lots from Sheffield outside. I still say if Hemsley hadn't been injured we would have drawn that game as I thought we were the slightly better side. Their 2nd was just a consequence of us throwing bodies forward to try get an equaliser in the last few minutes, we certainly didn't deserve to go down 2-0. Another return trip over the Snake pass stuck in traffic that seemed to take for ever, practice I suppose for cup semi final defeats by Newcastle and Arsenal.

 

[Sandygate Blade]

For some reason I've not been looking forward to the latest instalment. If only Ted Hemsley hadn't gone of injured what might have been?

 

[Silent Blade]

5/10/1971

League Cup 4th round

Blades 3 (Currie, Woodward 2 (1pen)) York 2 (Swallow, Topping)

I remember the match very well for some reasons. The attendance was nearly 30,000!

Attacking the Lane End, Barry Swallow went round the Blades defence to sweep a cross past John Hope to give York the lead after a free kick was partially cleared.



Not long after, TC made it 1-1.



And then we had a penalty and Woody sent the keeper the wrong way to give us the lead at half time



We needed another goal to make it safe passage for us to go to the next round of the cup but York equalised after a scramble in the penalty box and Chris Topping was the first to the loose ball to blast it into the net.



My dad and then saw a tearful boy a few seats away from us in the front row of the BLUT. His dad warned him that they would leave the ground if he doesnt stop crying.

The equaliser seemed to take a knock on our players drive to find the winner until in the last minute Woody hit an unstoppable from 25 yards to the roof of the net! Wonderful scenes! Woody said it was the best goal he ever scored

Well done to York for making us work all the way!







From the programme

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

Like you , I remember that game well and particularly the fine performance that York produced , when in theory they had no right to be anything other than cannon fodder but in reality gave us a hell of a match .

As to Woody’s winning goal , I was interested to read that he described it as his best ever which coincides with my description of it which I have mentioned on here before .

 

[Blade1959]

I was standing behind the goal at the bottom of the Kop & remember hearing John Hope shouting at Cec Coldwell “ I can’t f*****g see” whilst receiving prolonged treatment.
As mentioned above, Woody’s goal was as good as I seen him score!

 

[ancientblade]

must have been there silent but once again cant remember it

 

[Alan Birchenall's hair]

Remember this game mostly for the fact that a group of middle-aged York fans (i.e. not hooligans) were stood on the right hand side of the Kop next to us wearing horned Viking helmets. They enjoyed the game immensely as they were expecting a 6 goal thrashing.
Also, for the Man Utd game mentioned above, my cousin drove us to Manchester, but when kick off time came and it was obvious we weren't gonna get in, we went to Maine Road to watch City reserves (or maybe juniors?) play (against Sunderland I think?), where there were lots of Blades with portable radios fixed to their ears giving updates from Old Trafford....

 

[Silent Blade]

9/10/1971

Blades 2 (Woodward (pen), Currie) Stoke 3 (Ritchie, Smith, Conroy)

Got into the BLUT early and I was on my own for about a hour because my dad wanted to watch the races at a nearby bookies.

Early in the game we were awarded a penalty at the Kop End. Woody did his usual business by sending the keeper the wrong way and this time it was the best keeper in the world at the time, Sheffield born and bred, Gordon Banks



At the time I thought "we probably will stay at the top of the league after this match"

Midway through the first half, ex-Wendy, John Ritchie equalised with a low shot . He hardly showed any emotion as he trotted off back to the centre circle.




After half time Dennis Smith put Stoke into the lead after a corner.

After that we played great football searching for the equaliser and we were rewarded by a lovely goal by TC whose shot swerved over Banks.



Not long after that TC chased after the ball that was going towards the byline on the right wing. The ref thought TC kept the ball "live" by bringing the ball into the box and shot from a tight angle into the net despite Stoke players hardly making the effort to block the shot



The Blades fans cheered as if we had scored and the ref seemed to give a signal for goal until the linesman attracted attention by keeping his flag up in the air and staying still next to the corner. The ref then followed the linesman's advice. The crowd showed their anger at the linesman and the ref. I joined in the abuse too although I knew from my view in the BLUT that the ball seemed to go out of play (not sure if it was fully over the line) before TC pulled the ball back in.



When Peter Dobing came on as sub for Stoke, I kept a close watch at his "funny" running style as in the previous night my dad did an impression of Dobing's running style and he was spot on!

Near the end Terry Conroy broke away on the right (he looked offside to me) and banged in the winner. I was distraught at the end of the game as we were no longer at the top of the league.











Scores, scorers and line ups of matches played on that day is in the below link.

1971-10-09

www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk

From the programme

 

[ancientblade]

9/10/1971

Blades 2 (Woodward (pen), Currie) Stoke 3 (Ritchie, Smith, Conroy)

Got into the BLUT early and I was on my own for about a hour because my dad wanted to watch the races at a nearby bookies.

Early in the game we were awarded a penalty at the Kop End. Woody did his usual business by sending the keeper the wrong way and this time it was the best keeper in the world at the time, Sheffield born and bred, Gordon Banks

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At the time I thought "we probably will stay at the top of the league after this match"

Midway through the first half, ex-Wendy, John Ritchie equalised with a low shot . He hardly showed any emotion as he trotted off back to the centre circle.
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After half time Dennis Smith put Stoke into the lead after a corner.

After that we played great football searching for the equaliser and we were rewarded by a lovely goal by TC whose shot swerved over Banks.

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Not long after that TC chased after the ball that was going towards the byline on the right wing. The ref thought TC kept the ball "live" by bringing the ball into the box and shot from a tight angle into the net despite Stoke players hardly making the effort to block the shot

View attachment 122549

The Blades fans cheered as if we had scored and the ref seemed to give a signal for goal until the linesman attracted attention by keeping his flag up in the air and staying still next to the corner. The ref then followed the linesman's advice. The crowd showed their anger at the linesman and the ref. I joined in the abuse too although I knew from my view in the BLUT that the ball seemed to go out of play (not sure if it was fully over the line) before TC pulled the ball back in.

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When Peter Dobing came on as sub for Stoke, I kept a close watch at his "funny" running style as in the previous night my dad did an impression of Dobing's running style and he was spot on!

Near the end Terry Conroy broke away on the right (he looked offside to me) and banged in the winner. I was distraught at the end of the game as we were no longer at the top of the league.

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Scores, scorers and line ups of matches played on that day is in the below link.

1971-10-09

www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk

From the programme

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yes remember that dissallowed currie goal at the lane end we didnt play well that day maybe a bit of a hangover from the week before mind stoke were a good side at that time

 

[Harrisblade]

getting closer silent 50 years ago this week was looking forward to the trip to old trafford little did i know i wasnt even going to get in to the ground lol

You should have set off earlier!
If I remember rightly, those of us that went on the SUT coaches were in the ground, stood in the blazing sunshine by about 12.30.

 

[bornablade]

It's odd how many strange things we often remember about certain matches. The one memory I have of the Stoke match was that it was a damp day and the grass on the pitch seemed to be longer than usual and very damp.

I seem to recall this prevented our smooth passing play.

I must admit the photos don't really confirm this.

 

[ancientblade]

You should have set off earlier!
If I remember rightly, those of us that went on the SUT coaches were in the ground, stood in the blazing sunshine by about 12.30.

yes your right harris we should have think we set off from sheffield in car about 11 if my memory is correct but it was just one big traffic jam going over the snake and actually saying that 10k blades got locked out might be an understatement had to be 20/25k locked out that day ive never seen anything like it in over 60 years following the blades

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

You should have set off earlier!
If I remember rightly, those of us that went on the SUT coaches were in the ground, stood in the blazing sunshine by about 12.30.

I have always enjoyed your posts, but I will never forgive you for that one

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

You should have set off earlier!
If I remember rightly, those of us that went on the SUT coaches were in the ground, stood in the blazing sunshine by about 12.30.

Or in my case standing in blazing sunshine jammed up against a bloody huge , profusely sweating police horse .

 

[Harrisblade]

Or in my case standing in blazing sunshine jammed up against a bloody huge , profusely sweating police horse .

Come to think of it the 12.30 bit might have been outside the turnstiles
But we were certainly inside the ground much earlier than I've ever been before or since.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Or in my case standing in blazing sunshine jammed up against a bloody huge , profusely sweating police horse .

That makes me feel better about being locked out!

 

[Harrisblade]

I have always enjoyed your posts, but I will never forgive you for that one

I've always secretly wanted to be in the 'Twats' thread

 

[dublin 10 blade]

5/9/1970

Blades 3 (Woodward, Dearden, Tudor) Bristol City 3 (Galley 2, Gow)

My first visit to Bramall Lane since the 5-1 win against Oxford on 15th April. Since then I went to matches at Saltergate (3 times), S6 (twice), Baseball ground, Millmoor and Field Mill. During the car journey to the Lane I was talking to my dad about my granduncle Chris being in hospital and how worrying it is. As soon as the car approached the London Road/Queens Road/ Wolsey Road traffic lights, my dad confessed to me that he thinks Uncle Chris "will die" which made me feel sad.

We watched the match from the BLUT and it was a shock seeing Hodgkinson gifting John Galley a simple "tap in" in the first half after dropping a simple catch. Early in the second half we conceded another soft goal. Some papers credited it as a second goal by Galley but others gave it as an own goal by Barnwell. Then after Gerry Gow hammered in a third goal for Bristol City, my dad stood up from his seat, put his arms out and in dismay said "Three nil??". Not long after Woody scored a good goal to reduce the arrears. This is how the Green Un that evening described the goal " Just after Gerry Gow had put Bristol City three up, three angry Blades fans were led out of the ground by a policeman. In the 67th minute Woodward brought the biggest cheer yet when he hit a glorious goal from the edge of the box"

Bill Dearden then scored his first league goal for the Blades to make it 3-2. In the final minutes John Tudor (came on as sub for the disappointing Barnwell) fired in the equaliser by volleying in an overhead pass by Ted Hemsley. It was a great fightback! After the game my dad and I were outside the John Street players entrance to see the players coming out and it was the first time I met John Tudor and his wife in person and I am still in touch with the lovely couple! It was surprising to see Eddie Colquhoun and Alan Woodward smoking!


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1st half action
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Dearden goes close with a header

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Billy scored the second goal
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Tudor's equaliser (see Hemsley who made the overhead pass on far left)
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Woody jumps for joy at the equaliser, Bristol City players in dismay

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Some nice quotes and stats their silent
When I was in Bluestone Junior School , in Norfolk Park we used to play for a cup in the summer thats was first presented at school by a certain “ John Tudor “ became known as the Tudor Cup

 

[ancientblade]

Some nice quotes and stats their silent
When I was in Bluestone Junior School , in Norfolk Park we used to play for a cup in the summer thats was first presented at school by a certain “ John Tudor “ became known as the Tudor Cup

mick jones and john tudor would have been a fantastic strike partnership pity they never got to play together

 

[finlaytheblade]

I still remember clearly when my dad was picking me up from a children's xmas party organised by his work and he was telling me "United won 6-0". I wasnt really into football yet despite having been taken to the Lane a few times but I was impressed that the Blades had won 6-0. Birmingham City were the opponents.

We were scoring for fun at the Lane that season.
Unfortunately it went pear shaped on the run in especially at Easter.

 

[ancientblade]

We were scoring for fun at the Lane that season.
Unfortunately it went pear shaped on the run in especially at Easter.

yes it did think from being in a great position we lost 4 out of the last six games but it was a stepping stone to the fantastic season that was to follow

 

[Silent Blade]

16/10/1971

Southampton 3 (Channon 2, Jenkins) Blades 2 (Dearden, Flynn)

The night before my friend, Mark, who lived three doors away from me and his dad, Melvyn, came to my house to discus the route Melvyn will be taking to Southampton in the next morning. On the map, it seemed that Southampton were at the other side of the world and it was decided that we leave for 6am. I probably slept in Melvyn's car for most of the way and I was surprised that we already arrived in the city by 11am! Four hours to kill! Dont remember what we did for most of the next four hours but on arriving outside the Dell stadium I was surprised how small the ground was. The court where the ticket office, the car park and the players entrance wasnt what I had expected for a 1st division ground.

The photos below were probably in the 1990s and I can assure you that the ticket office had a better makeover than when I went there in 1971, 1973 and 1976



The four of us stood in the side terraces probably as shown in the photo below (or maybe on the other side) and the first thing I noticed were the floodlights that looked like the ones you see at military bases!



For years I hadnt realised that Woodward missed the game due to an injury which ended a run of 148 consecutive league starts.

I do not remember Mick Channon's opener (below)



But I remember Billy Dearden's equaliser after he chased after a bouncing ball and he hit it over keeper Eric Martin.

The the Saints raced to a 3-1 lead, Tommy Jenkins usually impressed me with his fast wing play whenever I saw him on MOTD, and he scored their 3rd goal after rounding past John Hope. Flynn reduced the arrears shortly before half time.

The 2nd half was goalless and I was frustrated that our brilliant start were halted by three successive losses in the league.










Scores, scorers and line ups on that day are in below link.

1971-10-16

www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk

 

[bornablade]

Just looking at some of those attendances that day. We were often getting over 40,000 for our home games which is more impressive when you look at those attending at other apparently bigger clubs.

The public really bought into how good that team really was.

 

[Silent Blade]

23/10/1971

Man City 2 (Doyle, Lee) Blades 1 (Dearden)

A lad called David (who came with us to Man U 3 weeks earlier) and Steve Dixon travelled with us in my dad's car to the game. A few of you will know Steve who is quite a well known Dronfield Blade in the 1970s and 1980s. He is a friend of my Uncle Ronnie's for many years and I quite often bump into him around Dronfield. It was the last time I saw David and recently I asked Steve if he could remember David who travelled with us as he was about the same age as him. He says he remembers going to Man City with me and my dad but cant remember David (he might not be from Dronfield but my dad knew David's dad). I remember Steve had long hair on the day we went to Maine Road. When I saw him again a month later he ended up with a skinhead haircut!

My dad and I were sat right at the front row of the West stand at Maine Road. I remember seeing Colin Bell and Eddie Colquhoun having a chat before the kick off. My dad explained that Colin and Eddie had played together at Bury in the mid 1960s (see below photo).




As for the match, I do not remember any of the goals or much of the match but I remember promising my dad that I wouldnt throw a hissy fit again if we lost again and I took the defeat better than I did in the previous three weeks!





Mike Doyle scores the opener. John Harris was angry with the ref about the goal but I do not remember the incident





Billy Dearden equalised for us but soon after Francis Lee restored City's lead.










The scores, scorers and line ups on that day are in the below link.

1971-10-23

www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk

 

[ancientblade]

23/10/1971

Man City 2 (Doyle, Lee) Blades 1 (Dearden)

A lad called David (who came with us to Man U 3 weeks earlier) and Steve Dixon travelled with us in my dad's car to the game. A few of you will know Steve who is quite a well known Dronfield Blade in the 1970s and 1980s. He is a friend of my Uncle Ronnie's for many years and I quite often bump into him around Dronfield. It was the last time I saw David and recently I asked Steve if he could remember David who travelled with us as he was about the same age as him. He says he remembers going to Man City with me and my dad but cant remember David (he might not be from Dronfield but my dad knew David's dad). I remember Steve had long hair on the day we went to Maine Road. When I saw him again a month later he ended up with a skinhead haircut!

My dad and I were sat right at the front row of the West stand at Maine Road. I remember seeing Colin Bell and Eddie Colquhoun having a chat before the kick off. My dad explained that Colin and Eddie had played together at Bury in the mid 1960s (see below photo).

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As for the match, I do not remember any of the goals or much of the match but I remember promising my dad that I wouldnt throw a hissy fit again if we lost again and I took the defeat better than I did in the previous three weeks!

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Mike Doyle scores the opener. John Harris was angry with the ref about the goal but I do not remember the incident

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Billy Dearden equalised for us but soon after Francis Lee restored City's lead.

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The scores, scorers and line ups on that day are in the below link.

1971-10-23

www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk

6 of us went on the train for this one after getting locked out at old trafford going in a car christ what a scary place mosside was in those days city fans had moved off the kippax to their new north stand behind the goal so we went on the kippax big mistake united fans got scattered by city lads coming round and was a very nervy and uneasy afternoon as for the game i think we played well and deserved a point but it was another defeat that kept us tumbling down the table

 

[Bert]

6 of us went on the train for this one after getting locked out at old trafford going in a car christ what a scary place mosside was in those days city fans had moved off the kippax to their new north stand behind the goal so we went on the kippax big mistake united fans got scattered by city lads coming round and was a very nervy and uneasy afternoon as for the game i think we played well and deserved a point but it was another defeat that kept us tumbling down the table

That brought back memories, Bert can't remember a thing about the game but he does remember standing on the Kippax terrace and all the shenanigans.

 

[ancientblade]

That brought back memories, Bert can't remember a thing about the game but he does remember standing on the Kippax terrace and all the shenanigans.

same here bert plenty of blades on the kippax that day but everybody melted when hundreds of citys lads came on mean looking bunch anall can remember them on kop in 67 loads of trouble on the shoreham that day

 

[Silent Blade]

26/10/1971

League Cup 4th round

Arsenal 0 Blades 0

As it was the school October holiday week it was decided that we make the trip to London and go in the Underground trains for the first time in my life also my first visit to a London ground. I think we travelled in my dad's car with Melvyn and Mark who lived three doors away from us or it could have been 4 of us in Melvyn's car. We stopped outside the Swiss Cottage tube station , there were less parking restrictions in these days. We got the Bakerloo line train to Piccadilly Circus, I think, and then went on the Piccadilly line train to Arsenal tube station. I did find the journey exciting!

At the time I loved eating roasted chestnuts after I got introduced to them by my dad a year or two earlier. There were plenty of roasted chestnut street vendors outside the Highbury ground (it was the same when I last visited Highbury in 1999) so we got a bag of chestnuts for each other. I dont think Mark was keen on them. Highbury looked more impressive in 1971 than in 1999. I dont remember much of the game or the journey home. I am sure we deserved the draw.

 

[ancientblade]

a great result after a few dissapointing defeats

 

[Sharrow Snuff Mill]

same here bert plenty of blades on the kippax that day but everybody melted when hundreds of citys lads came on mean looking bunch anall can remember them on kop in 67 loads of trouble on the shoreham that day

Plenty after the match as well. City`s coaches were parked on John Street outside the the ground, and on the John Street section above the Cricketers.