70 years a Blade

[Silent Blade]

Excellent read about supporting United from another era ... do you have any specific recollections of the Div 2 Champion season 52-53 and promotion in 60-61, plus the run to the FA cup semi-final in that same season? My dad would have started watching United at a similar time, got bits of info about United in the 50s from him, but nowhere near enough, ditto my great uncle Bert, who would have remembered the Cup winning teams of 1915 and 1925!

My dad had been a Blade since the 1940s until his death in 1999 but didnt really remember much about the 1952-53 season and the 1960-61 seasons when I asked him for his recollections. He preferred to talk about the Woody and Currie era.

 

[Blade56]

I thought my first game at the Lane was a charity match around 1956/7 but memories fade and after a bit of research the game was at Ollerton. I know Mike and Bernie Winters played as well as Tommy Steele and I think Adam Faith and Joe Brown against a Blades 11. No one else I have met can recall the game and I can't find out about it ont tinternet.
Started going regularly after that (to the Lane) but don't know which my first game was . My dads still alive but won't speak to me, well that's what it says on his solicitors letter

 

[XM657]

I had forgotten about them being used at football matches (I never sat in the seats). However, they were widely used for cricket matches and we could sit on them on the concrete steps. At the close of play we would throw them on to the pitch so that they could be collected. I think they were green (?).

They were green leather on both sides with, about 2", red strip forming the edge with the aforementioned handle .Stencil lettering, in white, stating "Property of Sheffield United Football Club" and believe were 3d to hire, even for cricket matches. Happy memories.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

. My dads still alive but won't speak to me, well that's what it says on his solicitors letter

Your own fault for running away to join the circus...

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

View attachment 44575 Just in case my hunch is correct....... finished 2-2

Not a good start then, losing at home 2-2 to Wednesday...

 

[bornablade]

My first 'first team' game was on February 22nd 1964 against Everton. I took my place on the kop, somewhere I went for the next 50+ years. We drew 0-0.

There's probably been more disappointments than triumphs although I wouldn't change a thing.

This year due to failing eyesight I decided to change my seat and moved to the Tony Currie stand. I was sure this would be a start of a new era. An era where the triumphs would be greater than the down times.

My first game was against Birmingham. We drew 0-0.

History about to repeat itself?

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Excellent read about supporting United from another era ... do you have any specific recollections of the Div 2 Champion season 52-53 and promotion in 60-61, plus the run to the FA cup semi-final in that same season? My dad would have started watching United at a similar time, got bits of info about United in the 50s from him, but nowhere near enough, ditto my great uncle Bert, who would have remembered the Cup winning teams of 1915 and 1925!

I missed the 52-53 promotion by a few months, but can never resist the opportunity to talk about the 60-61 season, which was perhaps the most enjoyable season for me (I was 13, and had the freedom to go to away matches). United had been close to promotion the previous 2 seasons, but despite having no right-winger (Lewis was sold to Liverpool, and was not replaced), we went on a run of 8 successive wins in the autumn, before having a mid-season wobble. The Cup run then really brought everything back to life, with away wins at 2 of the top clubs in the country, Everton and Newcastle. The crowds in the league were poor (under 20000), but the Cup support was phenomenal, very colourful (rosettes, no less) and noisy (Ilkla Moor bah tat, constant). The semi-finals were disappointing, though Pace in the first 0-0 draw swore he had a goal wrongly disallowed for handball, pointing to a muddy mark on his chest. At this point, we finally signed a right-winger, Len Allchurch, and a week after the first semi-final at Elland Road, we went back and beat Leeds 2-1 in the league, Allchurch scoring the winner. A run of 5 wins and a draw, with Allchurch and Pace seeming to score every game, got us promoted with 2 games to spare - against Derby, at home, with a crowd of 21000! Looking back, I can't believe how poor our support was, and whatever we think of McCabe, he is to be applauded for building up the fan-base. If your Dad was young and a Blade, he will have enjoyed that double-assault season.

 

[Kentblade]

No, I only went to see Wednesday once, to please my best mate who was an owls fan. Somehow it didn't feel right, though I saw Derek Dooley score a hat-trick. Later I persuaded my mate to come to Bramall Lane with me for the Sheffield Derby. That was the year we beat them 7 - 3. I don't think my pal ever fully recovered from the trauma.

Remember it well.
I did on occasions go to Hillsborough but that was when the original tram service was running.
Certainly not after 1962 as I got married and was skint.
Getting to the Lane could be difficult financially sometimes.
Lets keep the flag flying now.

UTB

 

[Kentblade]

Would I be right in thinking that Collindridge is the only player still alive from that team?

Yes I believe is still the answer.
Very good player.

UTB

 

[Kentblade]

Many congratulations.I am 84 and share your pain.My first match was in 1940 wartime teams gathered from local RAF and Army camps. Still a ST holder after78 years

Well done mate

UTB

 

[Kentblade]

Well done mate

UTB

A very interesting thread and brings back many memories but I do not recall the cushions except at the Lane cricket matches when my grandfather used to take me before my Dad came back from the war in 1946.
Cricket not for me as I recall running up and down some of the steps.

A very well put composition by Broomhill on Lane days in that period and not a lot to add.

Regarding the best manager/ players etc I would just say we have had some brilliant players since I started but unfortunately not all together at the same time due to us selling our better talent.
I well recall the Wednesday offering some sum for Jimmy Hagan who the club was going to sell until Jimmy refused to go.
Tony Currie what a favourite, the signing of Derek Pace from Villa was very astute making his home game in a Boxing day encounter at the Lane.
We cannot talk Blades without mentioning Joe Shaw and Woodward, Len Allchurch and another Len Badger.

Players sold are to numerous to mention but Jones & Birchenall come to mind, sold within a few days of one another.

As for managers then in my opinion John Harris would be around the top of my list but who could forget the Bassett era and promotion gained at Leicester when I was right behind the goal.

Would never have missed any of it and still made the journey to the Lane from Kent, 420 miles round trip for many years but not to frequent as before.

At Millwall on Saturday.

UTB

 

[Willie Carlin]

Today marks exactly 70 years since my dad took me - as an 8-year-old - to Bramall Lane to see Jimmy Hagan & co. for the first time.

From that day I was hooked, and relegation at the end of that 1948/49 season did nothing to dampen my ardour.

It's been a roller-coaster ride, but one with so many good memories - and many more to come, I hope!

My 70th next year broomhillblade. I was six when my dad took me to see Jimmy Hagan.

 

[metalblade]

When I started going to the lane Joe Shaw was coming to the end of his career and Doc Pace was my dads favourite. Then there was Graham Shaw I never did work out if Joe or Bernard was his brother or related still no idea but I know at one point we had a lot of Shaw's.
I remember at a family wedding a couple of my cousins were telling us to go to the reserve games as there were some great youngsters coming through. These turned out to be Mick Jones, Alan Birchenhall, Alan Woodward, Len Badger etc all of them played at a very high level. In my time the pigs never had players of this calibre, I mean fuck me they used to think Tommy Craig was good.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

I missed the 52-53 promotion by a few months, but can never resist the opportunity to talk about the 60-61 season, which was perhaps the most enjoyable season for me (I was 13, and had the freedom to go to away matches). United had been close to promotion the previous 2 seasons, but despite having no right-winger (Lewis was sold to Liverpool, and was not replaced), we went on a run of 8 successive wins in the autumn, before having a mid-season wobble. The Cup run then really brought everything back to life, with away wins at 2 of the top clubs in the country, Everton and Newcastle. The crowds in the league were poor (under 20000), but the Cup support was phenomenal, very colourful (rosettes, no less) and noisy (Ilkla Moor bah tat, constant). The semi-finals were disappointing, though Pace in the first 0-0 draw swore he had a goal wrongly disallowed for handball, pointing to a muddy mark on his chest. At this point, we finally signed a right-winger, Len Allchurch, and a week after the first semi-final at Elland Road, we went back and beat Leeds 2-1 in the league, Allchurch scoring the winner. A run of 5 wins and a draw, with Allchurch and Pace seeming to score every game, got us promoted with 2 games to spare - against Derby, at home, with a crowd of 21000! Looking back, I can't believe how poor our support was, and whatever we think of McCabe, he is to be applauded for building up the fan-base. If your Dad was young and a Blade, he will have enjoyed that double-assault season.

That's a great read HBT, sounds as though the 60-61 season was a fine campaign to be a Unitedite! Take it you went to a few away games that season? My dad would have been about 18/19 then, got bits of stuff out of him over the years about United (pre to when I first started going), one stand out story was going to the Lane to help build a temporary stand for one particular cup match (perhaps late 50s) and getting a free ticket for the game for his troubles. Kick myself I didn't get more stories from him before he passed away. My mates dad would have been a similar age to you HBT, and I did get a few stories out of him about the 60-61 semi-finals, he went to the first two, Elland Road and the City Ground. The replay was an afternoon kick-off midweek (any idea why btw?) and so he had to wag school, from what he said someone at school dropped him in it, something along the lines of "Briggy's gone to Nottingham for the match, sir". I think he was adamant that Pace's goal in the first game was never handball ... typical United, never get any luck with referees!

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

That's a great read HBT, sounds as though the 60-61 season was a fine campaign to be a Unitedite! Take it you went to a few away games that season? My dad would have been about 18/19 then, got bits of stuff out of him over the years about United (pre to when I first started going), one stand out story was going to the Lane to help build a temporary stand for one particular cup match (perhaps late 50s) and getting a free ticket for the game for his troubles. Kick myself I didn't get more stories from him before he passed away. My mates dad would have been a similar age to you HBT, and I did get a few stories out of him about the 60-61 semi-finals, he went to the first two, Elland Road and the City Ground. The replay was an afternoon kick-off midweek (any idea why btw?) and so he had to wag school, from what he said someone at school dropped him in it, something along the lines of "Briggy's gone to Nottingham for the match, sir". I think he was adamant that Pace's goal in the first game was never handball ... typical United, never get any luck with referees!

The temporary stand on the cricket pitch was for a cup match that we prefer not to talk about - 6th round v Wednesday, March 1960, lost 2-0. It seated 3000, and boosted the crowd to 60,000. If I had helped build it, it could have led to a major disaster, given my lack of DIY skills; your dad presumably was more reliable! But a free ticket won't have made up for the result.
I assume the City Ground had no floodlights in 1961. The second replay, at Birmingham's ground, was an evening match under lights.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

So the temporary stand was against the pigs, is that the one where we battered them for most of the game and lost? Always scratched my head about why the replay was an afternoon kick off, mates dad didn't know either, yeah such a simple reason why, can't have an evening kick off without floodlights! And they'd have had the game there as geographically it makes sense, half between Sheff and Leicester!

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

So the temporary stand was against the pigs, is that the one where we battered them for most of the game and lost? Always scratched my head about why the replay was an afternoon kick off, mates dad didn't know either, yeah such a simple reason why, can't have an evening kick off without floodlights! And they'd have had the game there as geographically it makes sense, half between Sheff and Leicester!

I don't think stats were produced in 1960, but we were on top most of the game, and just couldn't score. I was at the front of the Kop, and right behind the line of the shot into the bottom corner for one of their 2 goals (both in the first half). Horrible moment.

 

[broomhillblade]

Yes I believe is still the answer.
Very good player.

UTB

Colin Collindridge: so good, they named him twice.