Brentford v Blades 1979

[cooperblade]

From www.beesotted.co.uk

Traumatised By Sheffield United Clash


If there was ever a game Brentford need to repeatedly exact their revenge for, Sheffield United at home on 22 October 1979 is one that sticks firmly in my mind.
The atmosphere was highly charged from the start with both sides near the top of the table and a crowd just shy of 14,000 visiting GP (on a Monday evening!!).
From the outset, Brentford and United showed a fair degree of footballing skill but it was the Blades that went ahead first. A punch-up broke out in the Royal Oak stand as soon as the goal went in due to a group of United fans attempting to “take the Brentford end”.
My blood boiled in reaction to the visitors’ goal and my 15 year-old nerves were jangling a tad at being next to a mob of floppy haired, drunken soul boys from Sheffield, but the Royal Oak along with other parts of the home crowd collectively encouraged the Bees to get an equaliser.
It came in the form of a rebound from the late Dean Smith and GP went mad – for about a minute as Sheffield United went straight up the other end and got a penalty. Len Bond dramatically saved the spot kick but referee Alf Grey who had been unpopular with his anti-Brentford decisions all evening, declared that the penalty should be re-taken. United scored what was to be the final goal of the game. By this time, I was asking my dad alongside me whether it was possible for referees to be criminally prosecuted for their performances such was the feeling of injustice.
However, that wasn’t the end of the action on or off the pitch. Dougie Allder – one of the least offensive players you would likely see in a Brentford shirt, got involved in a fracas with Micky Speight – a moustachioed, dirty, ugly northerner. This was the cue for both players and management to collectively get involved in front of the amazed Braemar Road paddock. People were eventually separated and play got back underway but not before both Allder and Speight were given their marching orders.
By the end of the game I was so traumatised, in today’s softy world, I would have been given a course of counselling by my doctor. I guess a few others were feeling the same but probably shrugged it off ready for the next match. Somehow though, I have never forgiven Sheffield United, or Micky Speight or Alf Grey.
We’ve since played United on a number of occasions with mixed fortunes. In that season alone we went back to their place and won but I still get an enormous sense of satisfaction every time the Bees put one over the Blades. This year it will mean much, much more.

 

[Grecian2000]

Not quite how I remember the game but can't argue too much with his description of Speighty (threepenny bit head as we liked to refer to him because of the precise nature of his heading).

 

[2ndtenorblade]

My wife (bless her) loved Micky Speight.

 

[axel smeets]

Yeah, because we've played them so many times since, haven't we? Only during these ill - fated forays into the Third Division. He'll hate us even more tonight then......

 

[Darren]

Yeah, because we've played them so many times since, haven't we? Only during these ill - fated forays into the Third Division. He'll hate us even more tonight then......

Brentford are the only team we have played in every season we have played in the 3rd division and our away record is much better than their home record in D3:

H P6 W1 D3 L2 F5 A6
A P7 W4 D1 L2 F13 A8

 

[axel smeets]

I do enjoy going to Griffin Park. If we go up and they don't, it's one of the only things I would miss about this godforsaken league.

 

[Grecian2000]

Either his memory or mine is faulty because I was sure that Neil Ramsbottom saved a penalty for us that night, which doesn't quite tally with his idea that the ref. was biased in our favour.
It was certainly the night when one of their supporters dropped dead of a heart attack outside the ground and all our coaches were headed off on the M1 and taken back to a police station so we could all be questioned. Eventually arrived back in Sheffield about 4am!