Blades team photo 1981-82

[Tunstall Fred]

That programme brings back very sad memories. My dad had watched the infamous Walsall match at the end of the preceding season, and a couple of days before the Hereford match he was taken seriously ill. He was very agitated that his young grandson should not miss the match, so I arranged for a friend to take him to the match. I sat in the hospital car park listening to the last few minutes on the radio, and my last conversation with my dad was based on me giving him a made-up account of a match I did not see. He was comforted by the 'fact' that he had not been the cause of the two of us missing a match. The things we do for the love of the Blades...but an unspoken bond can be a great comfort.

Lovely,lovely post

 

[DifferentClass]

Also don’t let Woodwardfan see this only one black player! Porterfield must have been a racist.

One and a half. Derek Richardson.

 

[richblade]

Between Charles and McSeveney is John Burke, a Scottish full back who never played in a competitive 1st team match for us. Haslam signed him in 1980. Went to Exeter and then Chester after leaving us. Didnt play many 1st team games for them

Cheers Silent

 

[Tynemouth Blade]

Tunstall Fred is correct

Silent Blade I bow to your greater knowledge, and in my case better memory, seeing as mine is shite!

 

[oldblade]

Finally a picture where I can identify people!
Derek Richardson (80k) and yes I thought conroy straight away but wasn't Keith Waugh are 'keeper of choice in the fourth?

Waugh was first choice but isn't in that picture.

 

[oldblade]

after being 2 up as well! Think Steve Neville got the first, can't remember who got the other might 've been Edwards

John Matthews got the second.

We were 2 up after about 5 minutes. Nice sunny day, pretty good attendance, bearing in mind it was the 4th division and attendances generally were lower than today. What could possibly go wrong...................................

 

[oldblade]

Pity he didn't score that penalty in the previous home game instead of bottling it

From what I remember it was a pretty good goal as well. Lashed it in from the edge of the area, fairly central to the goal. If he had taken 'that' penalty and hit it anything like that shot we would not have been relegated.

 

[BushBlade]

No Waugh, no Edwards, no Morris. No transfer window either. Your manager decided he needed a player, if the chairman would give him the money, he'd just go out and buy him, no waiting for the JTW.

 

[Silent Blade]

Waugh was first choice but isn't in that picture.

No Waugh, no Edwards, no Morris. No transfer window either. Your manager decided he needed a player, if the chairman would give him the money, he'd just go out and buy him, no waiting for the JTW.

Waugh was signed just before the start of the season (after the photo was taken), Edwards was signed in September, King in January and Morris in February

 

[BushBlade]

Waugh was signed just before the start of the season (after the photo was taken), Edwards was signed in September, King in January and Morris in February

Yes, that's the point I was making; we couldn't have signed either Morris or Edwards in September or February these days. Or, to put it another way, had we lost a key player in November of that season, Porterfield wouldn't have had to wait until after Christmas to bring in a replacement.

 

[Silent Blade]

 

[Cheesebored]

How young do Porterfield and Rosenthal look!

 

[coaxingstar71]

I always felt that Porterfield was harshly treated. I know he spent some money in his first two seasons but he got us from the 4th to the 2nd in 3 seasons and the team was 7th in the 2nd Division (Championship) when he got the sack after continual abuse from the fans. As Keith Edwards has said, the club had a 2nd Division mentality in the 4th Division and a 4th Division mentality when we go to the 2nd.

The only thing I would say is that during his time we played nice football but were a bit of a soft touch and could quite easily get bullied out of games by bigger and more physical teams.

 

[Revolution]

I always felt that Porterfield was harshly treated. I know he spent some money in his first two seasons but he got us from the 4th to the 2nd in 3 seasons and the team was 7th in the 2nd Division (Championship) when he got the sack after continual abuse from the fans. As Keith Edwards has said, the club had a 2nd Division mentality in the 4th Division and a 4th Division mentality when we go to the 2nd.

The only thing I would say is that during his time we played nice football but were a bit of a soft touch and could quite easily get bullied out of games by bigger and more physical teams.

Porterfield said when he was fired that he had worked miracles for the club. We won Division 4 in his first season and then finished higher every season than the season before.

As I have said before, in 40 or 50 years when no one who remembers the Porterfield era is still alive, people looking at his record will wonder why he was fired. The same might also apply to Blackwell and Clough. The answer is that you had to be there to understand it.

I have never heard a team and a manager get so much abuse as Porterfield and the team got that season. The Millwall home defeat was so toxic that the crowd were cheering Millwall in the last 10 minutes, and when Jeff Eckhardt scored our consolation there was even some ironic booing. The team were booed off after beating Fulham just after Christmas and beating Carlisle on New Years Day. After their purple patch in October and November where we went second and had some impressive wins, particularly away, the team reverted to its early season patchy form and the Norwich performance, albeit against a good team, saw the car park demonstration afterwards. The team was certainly underperforming at that point, and selling Glenn Cockerill was a huge loss.

For all that, I do agree that the sacking was harsh, but I think Brealey was driven to it by the supporters. Incidentally, the day Porterfield was sacked, we were seventh, 2 points behind Hull (who had played a game more) and Brighton (who had played a game less). The playoffs came in the following season. I always wonder whether had the playoffs been in operation Brearly would have left Porterfield where he was on the basis we were on the cusp of them.

 

[N20 Blade]

Really interesting, my first game was under Porterfield at boro and there were hardly any fans there. I didn’t understand why he was so unpopular as I was too young, that said not sure I do now!

Great interview, so did we have a bigger gate than Liverpool got for a league game one night?

 

[mancunianblade]

Steve Charles was a tutor of mine at Norton College around 2003/5. Fella was a machine

 

[Revolution]

Really interesting, my first game was under Porterfield at boro and there were hardly any fans there. I didn’t understand why he was so unpopular as I was too young, that said not sure I do now!

Great interview, so did we have a bigger gate than Liverpool got for a league game one night?

Yes, when we played Bradford. Our biggest gate of the season - over 24,000. Liverpool’s gate re Birmingham that night was a couple of hundred smaller.

 

[Bearlie]

I always felt that Porterfield was harshly treated. I know he spent some money in his first two seasons but he got us from the 4th to the 2nd in 3 seasons and the team was 7th in the 2nd Division (Championship) when he got the sack after continual abuse from the fans. As Keith Edwards has said, the club had a 2nd Division mentality in the 4th Division and a 4th Division mentality when we go to the 2nd.

The only thing I would say is that during his time we played nice football but were a bit of a soft touch and could quite easily get bullied out of games by bigger and more physical teams.

I remember the kop was split on porterfield I was quite young but I can remember fighting between the in and out factions

 

[Bearlie]

Porterfield said when he was fired that he had worked miracles for the club. We won Division 4 in his first season and then finished higher every season than the season before.

As I have said before, in 40 or 50 years when no one who remembers the Porterfield era is still alive, people looking at his record will wonder why he was fired. The same might also apply to Blackwell and Clough. The answer is that you had to be there to understand it.

I have never heard a team and a manager get so much abuse as Porterfield and the team got that season. The Millwall home defeat was so toxic that the crowd were cheering Millwall in the last 10 minutes, and when Jeff Eckhardt scored our consolation there was even some ironic booing. The team were booed off after beating Fulham just after Christmas and beating Carlisle on New Years Day. After their purple patch in October and November where we went second and had some impressive wins, particularly away, the team reverted to its early season patchy form and the Norwich performance, albeit against a good team, saw the car park demonstration afterwards. The team was certainly underperforming at that point, and selling Glenn Cockerill was a huge loss.

For all that, I do agree that the sacking was harsh, but I think Brealey was driven to it by the supporters. Incidentally, the day Porterfield was sacked, we were seventh, 2 points behind Hull (who had played a game more) and Brighton (who had played a game less). The playoffs came in the following season. I always wonder whether had the playoffs been in operation Brearly would have left Porterfield where he was on the basis we were on the cusp of them.

I find this unbelievable especially when you think he gave these supporters Darlington, a day most of them still say is their finest hour

 

[Bearlie]

Did anyone go to the return fixture at Hereford?
My best pal in the military was a Hereford fan .
Unfortunately he passed away 11 yrs ago aged 37.
I've adopted them as my 2nd team ,they have fallen on hard times since.
My support only stretches to buying their shirts .
I will get to a game one day Unfortunately I can't see it being with us

Although they did play pigs not so long ago in fa cup at Hillsborough, couldn't bring myself to go to sty though

 

[Moan? Nope-I saw Longhorn]

Did anyone go to the return fixture at Hereford?
My best pal in the military was a Hereford fan .
Unfortunately he passed away 11 yrs ago aged 37.
I've adopted them as my 2nd team ,they have fallen on hard times since.
My support only stretches to buying their shirts .
I will get to a game one day Unfortunately I can't see it being with us

Although they did play pigs not so long ago in fa cup at Hillsborough, couldn't bring myself to go to sty though

Midweek;
drew 1-1;
Went on bus
Fell asleep at work next day
Sent home
(Any) other detail unretrievable due to (further) 40 year’s imbibing

 

[Bearlie]

I guess you were 1 of very few considering the journey and it being midweek 4th Division.
I doff my cap

 

[mattbianco1]

Trying to find out who 2 of these players are ... can anyone help !

Top right next to Trenton Wiggan ??????

and the player next to Steve Charles ... ????? middle row 2nd left ????? ... next to John Mcseveney (Coach)

Interesting to see some of the badges are the current badge with full colour whereas the others are just white stitching.

Don't think I've ever seen that shirt with full colour badge before.

 

[Bladebiker]

Midweek;
drew 1-1;
Went on bus
Fell asleep at work next day
Sent home
(Any) other detail unretrievable due to (further) 40 year’s imbibing

I drove down with a mate in my Mini (car not skirt). Mike Trusson scored for us. Was still having a drink in a village near by after the game at midnight. Snowed on the way back. Got home about 4.30 am and went to work after 2hrs sleep. Still makes me tired thinking about it.

 

[blade too long]

Waugh was signed just before the start of the season (after the photo was taken), Edwards was signed in September, King in January and Morris in February

I thought King was as good a signing as any we ever made
he was exactly what we needed at that time and allowed us to be more offensive

I really enjoyed that season with some really entertaining games the 4-3 at york and a 3-2 at crewe made for some great days out
and the 4-0 win at Peterborough is up there with the best

 

[Bearlie]

I guess you were 1 of very few considering the journey and it being midweek 4th Division.
I doff my cap

 

[blade too long]

Yes, when we played Bradford. Our biggest gate of the season - over 24,000. Liverpool’s gate re Birmingham that night was a couple of hundred smaller.

liverpool at that time for such a dominating force in football got really poor attendances in the mid 20k s
id almost forgotten how the crowd had turned on Porterfield that season
we had got better every season under porterfield but our modus operandi is for fans expectations racing years ahead of where we actually are-
After 2 quick promotions from lower leagues expectation was another promotion without allowing for being in a much better level

 

[Moan? Nope-I saw Longhorn]

I drove down with a mate in my Mini (car not skirt). Mike Trusson scored for us. Was still having a drink in a village near by after the game at midnight. Snowed on the way back. Got home about 4.30 am and went to work after 2hrs sleep. Still makes me tired thinking about it.

Bastard- you could have given me a lift back (& there)
I blame you (& Thatcher) for my (lifelong) unemployment

I thought King was as good a signing as any we ever made
he was exactly what we needed at that time and allowed us to be more offensive

I really enjoyed that season with some really entertaining games the 4-3 at york and a 3-2 at crewe made for some great days out
and the 4-0 win at Peterborough is up there with the best

Aye
He had a bit of fire n’all
Distinctly remember him @ Crewe running with the ball down the right & simultaneously landing numerous right hooks on their lad who was in hot pursuit
Think he may have netted (a couple ?) that day ?

 

[Broomhall Blade]

I guess you were 1 of very few considering the journey and it being midweek 4th Division.
I doff my cap

It was the only game I missed that season jno football special. I believe I was told the train station was too far from the ground, I also think it was the only time they didn't run a football special that season.

 

[ancientblade]

Bastard- you could have given me a lift back (& there)
I blame you (& Thatcher) for my (lifelong) unemployment

Aye
He had a bit of fire n’all
Distinctly remember him @ Crewe running with the ball down the right & simultaneously landing numerous right hooks on their lad who was in hot pursuit
Think he may have netted (a couple ?) that day ?

he certainly had some fire boxing day 79 booted sabella up in the air after 2 minutes and we never saw our argentine boy again after that lol