I started following the Blades towards the end of the 1959/60 season but didn't attend a match until my dad took me to watch us play Liverpool on 1 April 1961.
I had watched highlights of the opening match of the season, a 1-1 draw at Norwich on BBC and read all the Green 'Un match reports leading up to the Liverpool game but this was my first opportunity to witness the real thing.
Obviously being 65 years ago when I was only aged 9 and not being able to fully appreciate the finer points of the game a lot of my memories are a bit hazy.
I remember struggling to keep up with my dad as we made our way to the ground. We went through the John Street turnstiles on to the kop. My dad paid 3 shillings (15p) through the adult turnstile and I struggled to push the turnstile round paying 5p to go through the juvenile entrance.
We climbed the steps to the top of the kop and then back down to the front where I stood on the first step behind the goal, my dad a few rows behind.
The attendance was nearly 29000 and I was a bit in awe of the size of the crowd and the noise.
As the teams came out, Ilkley Moor Bar t'Hat blasted through the loudspeakers. The two teams were pushing hard for promotion in a 3 horse race with Liverpool being just behind us and Ipswich.
The Blades kicked towards the Bramall Lane end in a goaless first half and then just before the hour mark opened the scoring. A move down the right saw someone, at the time I thought it was Joe Shaw but it was more probably Len Allchurch play the across the goal into the path of Billy Russell who hit a fierce low shot from about 12 yards into the corner of the net.
I was shocked by the massive roar of the crowd who went absolutely wild celebrating the goal.
The lead lasted for about 15 minutes when Johnny Morrissey (who later played for Everton) equalised.
The match finished 1-1 but we had denied Liverpool the chance of closing the points gap between us.
The things that stand out in my mind are the noise of the crowd with horns and rattles adding to it though the only chant I remember was the '2-4-6-8 who do we appreciate' and the bright green of the pitch even at that stage of the season.
As I've already said at 9 years old I didn't fully appreciate the skill of the players but Joe Shaw stood out like a beacon for his quality on the ball and Len Allchurch seemed to effortlessly glide past defenders down the wing.
My real hero that day though was Alan Hodgkinson who was so agile and quick in goal. He was ahead of his time reading the game well and racing off his line to break up attacks almost sweeper fashion as modern day keepers do and totally in control of his area.
So 65 years of watching the Blades. I still sometimes wonder if my dad just played the longest running April fool joke on me, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
I had watched highlights of the opening match of the season, a 1-1 draw at Norwich on BBC and read all the Green 'Un match reports leading up to the Liverpool game but this was my first opportunity to witness the real thing.
Obviously being 65 years ago when I was only aged 9 and not being able to fully appreciate the finer points of the game a lot of my memories are a bit hazy.
I remember struggling to keep up with my dad as we made our way to the ground. We went through the John Street turnstiles on to the kop. My dad paid 3 shillings (15p) through the adult turnstile and I struggled to push the turnstile round paying 5p to go through the juvenile entrance.
We climbed the steps to the top of the kop and then back down to the front where I stood on the first step behind the goal, my dad a few rows behind.
The attendance was nearly 29000 and I was a bit in awe of the size of the crowd and the noise.
As the teams came out, Ilkley Moor Bar t'Hat blasted through the loudspeakers. The two teams were pushing hard for promotion in a 3 horse race with Liverpool being just behind us and Ipswich.
The Blades kicked towards the Bramall Lane end in a goaless first half and then just before the hour mark opened the scoring. A move down the right saw someone, at the time I thought it was Joe Shaw but it was more probably Len Allchurch play the across the goal into the path of Billy Russell who hit a fierce low shot from about 12 yards into the corner of the net.
I was shocked by the massive roar of the crowd who went absolutely wild celebrating the goal.
The lead lasted for about 15 minutes when Johnny Morrissey (who later played for Everton) equalised.
The match finished 1-1 but we had denied Liverpool the chance of closing the points gap between us.
The things that stand out in my mind are the noise of the crowd with horns and rattles adding to it though the only chant I remember was the '2-4-6-8 who do we appreciate' and the bright green of the pitch even at that stage of the season.
As I've already said at 9 years old I didn't fully appreciate the skill of the players but Joe Shaw stood out like a beacon for his quality on the ball and Len Allchurch seemed to effortlessly glide past defenders down the wing.
My real hero that day though was Alan Hodgkinson who was so agile and quick in goal. He was ahead of his time reading the game well and racing off his line to break up attacks almost sweeper fashion as modern day keepers do and totally in control of his area.
So 65 years of watching the Blades. I still sometimes wonder if my dad just played the longest running April fool joke on me, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
I look forward to more of your memories
