A question for older Blades

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Was in the Currie suite for the Wrexham game and the special guest was David Ford. Obviously I know nothing on him other than that he played for us and Pigs.

Any good?
 
Ndiayewillalwaysloveyou said:
Was in the Currie suite for the Wrexham game and the special guest was David Ford. Obviously I know nothing on him other than that he played for us and Pigs.

Any good?
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Played for Wendy in the 1966 FA Cup final and scored their 2nd goal before Everton fought back to win 3-2. Joined Newcastle in 1969, came to us in January 1971. Made not too many appearances for us in the next 2 years before joining Halifax, I think
 
Silent Blade said:
Played for Wendy in the 1966 FA Cup final and scored their 2nd goal before Everton fought back to win 3-2. Joined Newcastle in 1969, came to us in January 1971. Made not too many appearances for us in the next 2 years before joining Halifax, I think
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Came through the system playing for pigs ,a very quick and speedy player at his best while playing for pigs.He was in a bad road accident where I think his girlfriend died.It took a lot out of him as he was never able to reach the heights of his early career.
Did play a cameo roll in our promotion but really faded as I say after the crash.
I think the mental scars from that took there Toll
 
finlaytheblade said:
Came through the system playing for pigs ,a very quick and speedy player at his best while playing for pigs.He was in a bad road accident where I think his girlfriend died.It took a lot out of him as he was never able to reach the heights of his early career.
Did play a cameo roll in our promotion but really faded as I say after the crash.
I think the mental scars from that took there Toll
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Speedy and quick same thing really good finisher with real power which as I said faded later in his career and
 
He became a central heating engineer when he retired
Fitted my central heating system
 
Biggest problem into the mid 70's, we were an aging side that peaked 75 . Our reserves were not very good and recruitment dried up from 68. Our mainscout Archie Clarke who had brought so many young talents sadly passed away and we never really got back to finding young gems.
 
Silent Blade said:
Difficult question to answer. Think the decision to build the South Stand was made at the wrong time. It was thought in 1972 that the South Stand would cost £650,000 and it would take a year to build and that itr would be ready for the 1974-75 season.
View attachment 107421
Then there were problems in getting the stand built within the timescale and the costs had risen to a lot more than £650,000. The board wasnt expecting the average crowds to drop by 10,000 (33,000 in 1971-72 and 23,000 in 1972-73). In summer 1973 the board offered a contract to TC with the promise to sign players to build a team round him and TC was happy to sign the contract despite that Man U were trying to sign him. I would say that the Blades fans were still happy with John Harris being our manager and it was a surprise that the board decided to move him "upstairs" in December and appoint a "track suit" manager in Ken Furphy. I was only 11 at the time and wanted to know my dad's thoughts on this rather than forming my own opinion. He seemed ok with the decision as we moved into a new era but I noticed throughout the 1973-74 season that the builders were very slow in getting the South Stand ready. I think in the last home game of the 1973-74 season (v QPR- same day as Wendy lost 8-0 at Boro) I was still expecting the stand to be ready for August 1974. I think most fans were ok about Furphy (apart from some booing Keith Eddy who took the penalty in the 2-2 home draw against Spurs because Woodward was expected to take it).

It was a shock when we sold Geoff Salmons to Stoke for £180,000 in summer 1974 (TC was angry with the sale because of the board's promise to him in the previous summer). The board told the media that we had to accept Stoke's offer because of the rising debts in building the South Stand. Not Furphy's fault but the fans werent really happy with Furphy's signings (apart from Jim Brown who was decent). It was a surprise that the team finished as high as 6th for the 1974-75 season so we all were looking forward to the 1975-76 season. Furphy wanted to sign Francis Lee from Derby but the board said "No". Furphy then made an offer to Southend for Chris Guthrie but it was rejected by the board. Our chairman, John Hassall, then agreed to pay Southend the asking price despite that Furphy thought it was above valuation.

Results didnt come to our way in the first 11 games of the 1975-76 season and Furphy was sacked. I was in my 3rd year at my boarding school and didnt really know what I really thought of the sacking when I found out in the papers in the next morning. By coincidence that morning my dad had driven down a pupil from Chesterfield (think she had been attending her grandmother's or grandfather's funeral in the previous day and her parents paid the travel costs to my dad) to my school and I had bumped to him near the school entrance with him holding a newspaper wanting to see if I knew about the sacking. I told him that I did but wondered what he thought of it. He said that it was a good decision and he was now more confident of us beating the drop!

Now to answer your question "was it the right decision?". I thought Furphy was unlucky in some ways but at the same time we needed someone to stop the rot but Jimmy Sirrel wasnt the ideal replacement despite that my dad thought at the time that he was a good appointment!
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I never understood one word Jimmy S said!
 
I do remember Ken as a youth . Seeing his old man face on the front of the program. Hardly what you would imagine as a tough guy manager bless ♥️
 



A couple of top signings could have seen us as title contenders instead we plundered the best players from division three while not always a bad thing to pick up gems from lower leagues (Harris made a habit of it) when you bring in three or four at once they don't make the team better they make it worse. After an initial few decent games it was clear they were struggling at the top level, losing confidence and going into a downward spiral which would see us in division four.
 
The Bear said:
Ugh? Thought it was the other way round.
We stuck with John Harris for yonks, a promtion, a relegation (though one might argue Rowley was in charge) and a promotion. Great manager for his flair of the the teams he managed. Oh for guys like that now. Sob, sob.

Thought Warnock's teams the better fighters with Bassett's and Chris's close second.

Flair side JH your man.
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When you watch clips of John Harris' side, they played in a style very similar to some modern teams. One forward (Dearden), 2 no 10's Salmons & Currie, wingers (Woodward & Gil Reece) that had free roles, Fullbacks (Badger & Hemsley) that got forward at will. Some of the football was superb. Problem was, we had a brilliant 1st 11 but nothing else in the squad. A couple of seasons we led the top division early but dropped off as the season progressed. The Biggest problem as always, we didn't have a board/Chairman willing to push the boat out & build on the success.

We built a Stand & blamed it year after year for our long demise!!
 
haich1889 said:
When you watch clips of John Harris' side, they played in a style very similar to some modern teams. One forward (Dearden), 2 no 10's Salmons & Currie, wingers (Woodward & Gil Reece) that had free roles, Fullbacks (Badger & Hemsley) that got forward at will. Some of the football was superb. Problem was, we had a brilliant 1st 11 but nothing else in the squad. A couple of seasons we led the top division early but dropped off as the season progressed. The Biggest problem as always, we didn't have a board/Chairman willing to push the boat out & build on the success.

We built a Stand & blamed it year after year for our long demise!!
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Yes we were always one injury away from ruining the team of course in those days one sub place was a relatively new thing but we were always short of a few reserves who could step into the team without lowering the standards much.
 
haich1889 said:
When you watch clips of John Harris' side, they played in a style very similar to some modern teams. One forward (Dearden), 2 no 10's Salmons & Currie, wingers (Woodward & Gil Reece) that had free roles, Fullbacks (Badger & Hemsley) that got forward at will. Some of the football was superb. Problem was, we had a brilliant 1st 11 but nothing else in the squad. A couple of seasons we led the top division early but dropped off as the season progressed. The Biggest problem as always, we didn't have a board/Chairman willing to push the boat out & build on the success.

We built a Stand & blamed it year after year for our long demise!!
Click to expand...
 
Exactly as I remember it, a talented bunch of players who played attractive football. I can still picture some of Billy Dearden’s goals. Failure to invest and build on this success was a massive missed opportunity
 
BudockBlade said:
Exactly as I remember it, a talented bunch of players who played attractive football. I can still picture some of Billy Dearden’s goals. Failure to invest and build on this success was a massive missed opportunity
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Did the opposite & sold Salmons wtf.
 
haich1889 said:
Did the opposite & sold Salmons wtf.
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Yes that pissed a lot of blades off!
A lack of ambition since the 2nd world war + maximum wage being lifted! Its clear where the problems lay.The board ! they finally got the message building a stand across the cricket pitch! Bingo relegated the season it opened left the club with a black hole (debt) which was a millstone round the neck for a number of years.
We lost a lot of ground to the bigger clubs but still have our moments of joy which are short lived as finance or lack of it means we end up back in the championship and a few times even lower.
I reckon the Prince has done his best to change our fortunes! lack of spondoolis has let him down.
Has he found our sugar daddies ? or is it more likely he has found a group who can push us on a bit as the Prince has said ! the next level!.
Find out soon! fingers crossed.!
 
haich1889 said:
When you watch clips of John Harris' side, they played in a style very similar to some modern teams. One forward (Dearden), 2 no 10's Salmons & Currie, wingers (Woodward & Gil Reece) that had free roles, Fullbacks (Badger & Hemsley) that got forward at will. Some of the football was superb. Problem was, we had a brilliant 1st 11 but nothing else in the squad. A couple of seasons we led the top division early but dropped off as the season progressed. The Biggest problem as always, we didn't have a board/Chairman willing to push the boat out & build on the success.

We built a Stand & blamed it year after year for our long demise!!
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.....and an excellent goalkeeper with Hodgy in goal
 
SLB said:
In particular the ones who say Wilder is God and Sir Chris etc.

Was it right at the time to sack Ken Furphy?
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Always thought that was a strange one. Furphy seems to have been almost airbrushed out of Blades history. In the shadow of Sir John Harris
 
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ancientblade said:
david ford had his best days with wednesday and put the far post cross in at the lane end that john ritchie headed home for the winner in the lane derby in september 67
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About the only derby match I ever missed that one. Remember listening to reports on the radio that there was “trouble before, during and after the match”.
 
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