Down memory Lane.....this day

[ZoneManWilf]

That sealed it if my memory is any good as reading drew at Leeds? Or maybe we was the early kick off and relied on the reading Leeds game.

Let's hope the good times aren't that far away

Leeds V Reading was the day after, and Reading's last minute equaliser meant we were up.

 

[Silent Blade]

Leeds V Reading was the day after, and Reading's last minute equaliser meant we were up.

Steve Hunt scored I think

 

[Sharrowblade]

14th April 2006. As mentioned above.

 

[Silent Blade]

14th April 2006. As mentioned above.

View attachment 16912

I had gastric flu that day and it was a struggle for me to walk up the roads to the Hilltop Social club to watch the match live on TV. While I was happy that we had won, I was feeling worse walking downhill and got sick when I got home and then was shivering and shaking in bed. Got much better in the next day and went to watch Wendy v Norwich with my Norwich mate along with our respective sons. After the match at the Sty we joined in the celebrations at the Lane car park

 

[BushBlade]

That sealed it if my memory is any good as reading drew at Leeds? Or maybe we was the early kick off and relied on the reading Leeds game.

Let's hope the good times aren't that far away

I feel for our younger supporters. Apart from cup runs they've had very little to cheer. At least we've seen us in the top flight for more than a season and had players like Deano (or TC if you're older) to get behind.

 

[Damski]

I feel for our younger supporters. Apart from cup runs they've had very little to cheer. At least we've seen us in the top flight for more than a season and had players like Deano (or TC if you're older) to get behind.

As a fan since my boyhood days in the mid-90's, I was too young to remember the initial Premier League run we had. The one season 10 years ago doesn't exactly fill me with great memories. My favourite era would be '98-'03 as an established Championship club, doing proper cup runs and almost getting promoted. That's our place in English football IMO. Even that feels a long way off now. I idolised Fjortoft. Had his name on my shirt. I follow him on Twitter, he's a respected pundit for Norwegian TV. If you talk nicely enough to him, he even talks back.

 

[Sharrowblade]

44 years ago today.....April 18th 1972.

This was the re-played game from early March, (which was abandoned after 62 minutes due to the weather, with United leading 2-0)

Currie scored twice but to no avail, as Coventry won 3-2. Bloody typical.

Interesting that the large A5 programme had an opposition player on rather than their own, the original game had Trevor Hockey.

 

[Silent Blade]

44 years ago today.....April 18th 1972.

This was the re-played game from early March, (which was abandoned after 62 minutes due to the weather, with United leading 2-0)

Currie scored twice but to no avail, as Coventry won 3-2. Bloody typical.

Interesting that the large A5 programme had an opposition player on rather than their own, the original game had Trevor Hockey.

View attachment 16994

Missed the abandoned match cos I was on my first visit to Wembley watching Stoke beat Chelsea 2-1 in the League Cup final. I did go to the above re-arranged game. TC had a perfectly good goal disallowed near the end to make it 3-3 and it would have been a hat-trick for him too

 

[finlaytheblade]

Missed the abandoned match cos I was on my first visit to Wembley watching Stoke beat Chelsea 2-1 in the League Cup final. I did go to the above re-arranged game. TC had a perfectly good goal disallowed near the end to make it 3-3 and it would have been a hat-trick for him too

Didn't make the replayed match but couldn't understand the ref abandoning the game as it was sleeting but not settling and although the pitch was heavy it was not waterlogged we had the game won typical of our luck.

 

[Sharrowblade]

41 years ago today April 19th 1975



Everton 2 United 3

Title chasing Everton took the lead halfway through the first half, Badger then hit the post before conceding a penalty and Everton lead 2-0 at half time. Eddy reduced the deficit early in the second half and with 17 minutes to go Dai Davies, under pressure from David Bradford, dropped the ball enabling Dearden to force it home.
Five minutes from the end, the turnaround is complete as Currie thumps home Tony Field's cross.

United's fightback meant that Everton could not win the title as Derby gained a draw at Leicester.

 

[bornablade]

Classic Gerald Sinstadt commentary as TC scores 'and the final word from (Tony) Currie'

Talking of 'final word' - who would have thought this 3-2 score would be repeated 19 years later (May 1994) in two matches involving Everton and the Blades.

Think it's fair to say 22 years on Everton had the final word.

 

[Silent Blade]

41 years ago today April 19th 1975

View attachment 17006

Everton 2 United 3

Title chasing Everton took the lead halfway through the first half, Badger then hit the post before conceding a penalty and Everton lead 2-0 at half time. Eddy reduced the deficit early in the second half and with 17 minutes to go Dai Davies, under pressure from David Bradford, dropped the ball enabling Dearden to force it home.
Five minutes from the end, the turnaround is complete as Currie thumps home Tony Field's cross.

United's fightback meant that Everton could not win the title as Derby gained a draw at Leicester.

Classic Gerald Sinstadt commentary as TC scores 'and the final word from (Tony) Currie'

Talking of 'final word' - who would have thought this 3-2 score would be repeated 19 years later (May 1994) in two matches involving Everton and the Blades.

Think it's fair to say 22 years on Everton had the final word.

 

[Sharrowblade]

20 years ago today: April 20th 1996

Grimsby Town 0 Sheffield United 2

Programme cover has the Mighty Mariner telling Clive Mendonca he should have stayed at United. Ticket cost £12. Nearly the value of a house at Cleethorpes

 

[billyblademan]

20 years ago today: April 20th 1996

Grimsby Town 0 Sheffield United 2

Programme cover has the Mighty Mariner telling Clive Mendonca he should have stayed at United. Ticket cost £12. Nearly the value of a house at Cleethorpes

View attachment 17031 View attachment 17032

Future Wednesday manager there as well. One of the few I quite liked actually (although never rated).

 

[Shalalalafenoughty]

Programme cover has the Mighty Mariner telling Clive Mendonca he should have stayed at United.

Give over. That's not the "Mighty Mariner".

It's Osama Bin Laden.

 

[Sharrowblade]

4 years ago. 21st April 2012.

MK Dons 1 United 0. Location The Moo Kamp.

Everything that could go wrong....went wrong.

Ched banged up the day before, the pick 'n' mix outside the away end had run out of sherbert flying saucers, that smirking b******d Smith, BTs miss from 12 inches, Pigs scoring in the 22nd minute of injury time, and the guy walking next to me got run over in the ca park by some lass doing 30mph in a Skoda. Can they do 30 mph?

T**T.

 

[Damski]

4 years later and the only players left from that squad who bagged 90 points and somehow didn't go up are Howard and our very own Flynniesta. How quickly things change.

 

[grafikhaus]

Today 54 years ago was my first-ever match watching The Blades. On April 23rd, 1962 (Bank Holiday Monday), my mum and dad took me across the Pennines to see the original United play Newton Heath. We won 1-0 (Doc Pace) in front of an underwhelming crowd of 30,073. We were in the top flight, hovering around 5th – 6th place and this win – with just two games of the season left – set us up to finish possibly fourth.

To prove nothing fucking changes with United, we lost our last 2 games. The ‘return leg’ with Man. United took place the next day (Tuesday 24th) at Bramall Lane as was the custom back then. We lost the last game at Arsenal.

Anticipating a big crowd at Old Trafford, we went in the standing South Stand (the side where the cameras are) and, to ensure their beloved little 7-year-old could be easily found if I got lost in the crowd, they dressed me in a bright red jumper. Away. At Man. United. I think they were trying to tell me something. (I did lose my parents during the match but, to their obvious horror, I was returned to them).

So 54 years of thin and thinner. Why do we do it? If your marriage caused you so much misery, you’d get a divorce. If your dog gave you so much grief, you’d fucking shoot it. But we keep going, not just because football creates loyalties and bonds unlike any other, but this is The Blades.

Now every team would claim their team and fans are unique but I really believe that none are as unique as us lot. When Villa and Man. City were in the Third tier, they got massive crowds. But would they have stuck around for four years (and counting)? Like most fans, it was my dad who first took me to BDTBL. However I’ve always maintained that, if he’d first taken me to Hillsborough, I would have gravitated towards United. It’s in my nature (being an awkward bastard). Back then – and plenty of times since – it has seemed that everybody supported Wendy. Nearly all kids at school, in the park, at work, in the pub. Bring it on!

In 1966, the pigs got to the FA Cup Final (v Everton) and our primary school teacher ordered all us kids to support Wendy. Like fuck. I went home, raided my mum’s sewing drawer, found a piece of blue cloth and some white paint and made an Everton flag. And took it to school.

The day after the final, I was dragged over to Middlewood Road by my parents to meet some random rellies (why do parents do that?) Wendy were having a procession (I believe they were the first losing side ever to do that) and thousands lined Middlewood Road to Hillsborough. I went along (I was eleven), shouted some abuse and ran off before I was lynched.

Fast forward to 1993 and The Steel City Semi Final, and this sums up the difference. When I finally got home sometime on the Sunday (or was it Monday?), I went into my local to be met by the resident big-gob Wednesdayite. ‘You should have been in here’ the cunt said, ‘it was packed with Wednesdayites!’ I replied ‘That doesn’t surprise me. We were all at the fucking match!’

So, in a bizarre way, it’s been an education and mostly a weird kind of fun. Football has changed beyond all recognition over that 54 years. Most grounds back then were shitholes and potential death traps. The hooliganism was utterly frightening. The ‘away day special’ trains in the 70s could have done service at Auschwitz but the whole country was a dismal, dirty place back then. When United played in London in the late 70s British Rail used to do cheap weekenders where the train fare and hotel was about £28. We once stayed at St. Pancras Hotel and it was a soot-covered shithole.

Shit, I could be here all day! I’ll sum up:

Best United player? TC (I was at his debut in 1968)

Best match? Forest PO Semi 2003

Best goal? Pesch’s in that game

Worst game? Crikey, this could fill a few pages (and that’s just this season) but away to Swindon on 4th December 1993 stands out. It was 0-0 but what made it utterly unique was that there wasn’t an incident – not a single fucking one - worthy to comment on. Luckily, me and a mate had booked an overnighter in Oxford and I ‘got jiggy’ with a barmaid in ‘The Old Fire Station’. No Jean Hatchet back then.

On my ‘50th Anniversary’ in 2012 I got this tat done. Instead of ‘1899’ I had ‘1962’ done and the ‘50’ between the crossed swords might just be visible.



If I’m still around in 2022, to celebrate my 60th Anniversary, I’m having a full-frontal lobotomy.

So, many friends, more hilarious incidents, thousands of miles and even more pints later, I’m still standing. Just.

Anyway, onwards and sideways. Now let’s go and beat those Baaarnsley fuckers!

 

[Sharrowblade]

Great post Grafikhaus. just for you. 54 years ago. 1962

 

[Silent Blade]

Great post Grafikhaus. just for you. 54 years ago. 1962

View attachment 17075

Back row; Noel Cantwell, Bobby Charlton, Dave Gaskell, Bill Foulkes. Albert Quixall
Middle row; Matt Busby, ??, Shay Brennan, ??, Jack Crompton
Seated; Johnny Giles. David Herd, Maurice Setters, Tony Dunne
On ground; Nobby Stiles and ??

 

[Sharrowblade]

41 years ago today: April 26th 1975.

United 4 Leicester City 0.

Famously remembered for on field snogging

 

[Sharrowblade]

45 years ago April 27th 1971.. for a generation of United supporters, one of the best nights EVER......United 5 Cardiff City 1

 

[bornablade]

Photo on front of the programme is Billy Dearden being congratulated by Gil and Geoff after scoring at Middlesborough. 1-1.

 

[Silent Blade]

Photo on front of the programme is Billy Dearden being congratulated by Gil and Geoff after scoring at Middlesborough. 1-1.

Boro's keeper is Willie Whigham. I was at the match. Ex-Wendy Hickton scored the late equaliser that was controversial

 

[Dnblade]

45 years ago April 27th 1971.. for a generation of United supporters, one of the best nights EVER......United 5 Cardiff City 1

View attachment 17143 View attachment 17144

Agree with that SB,got to be the best night ever for me..I was on the Kop behind the goal on the fence..I'm sure there was more than 43k there that.night it was rammed.

Remember the Leicester game aswell..high up in the middle of the Kop,ending up about 20 rows down when we scored...a decent Leicester team aswell with the likes of Frank Worthingtom,Kieth Weller,Alan Birchenall,Jon Sammels...think that's Tony Field with TC and Birch.

 

[Silent Blade]

Tuesday 27th April 1971
Blades 5 (Dearden 2, Flynn, Currie, Reece) Cardiff 1 (Derrett)
Attendance nearly 43,000

We had two matches left to play and were a point ahead of Cardiff who had three matches left. Early in the game, Bill Dearden moved in quickly into the Kop End box to meet a bouncing ball and placed it past Jim Eadie to give us the lead, on celebrating his goal he ran towards the cricket pitch and then back into the football pitch followed by his jubilant team mates. With about 10 minutes left in the 1st half, a cross from the right flew over everyone in the box and then it was crossed from the left for John Flynn to dive low to head in our 2nd goal. Just before half time a hopeful shot by Steve Derrett hit Trevor Hockey's back and then the ball switched direction to the top corner of the net sending John Hope the wrong way. Early in the 2nd half TC headed in a Woody corner despite the heavy challenges in a group. Cardiff protested that TC had fouled the keeper. Not long after that, the goal of the match came from Gil Reece who powerfully volleyed a flickover from Woody. Dearden made it 5-1 with a goal that was similar to his first. after the final whistle there was a mini pitch invasion by joyful Blades fans at the Kop End. An unforgettable night!

 

[Silent Blade]

First goal scored by Dearden





John Hope celebrating our goal



John Flynn's goal



In the dressing room after the match

 

[Dnblade]

Tuesday 27th April 1971
Blades 5 (Dearden 2, Flynn, Currie, Reece) Cardiff 1 (Derrett)
Attendance nearly 43,000

We had two matches left to play and were a point ahead of Cardiff who had three matches left. Early in the game, Bill Dearden moved in quickly into the Kop End box to meet a bouncing ball and placed it past Jim Eadie to give us the lead, on celebrating his goal he ran towards the cricket pitch and then back into the football pitch followed by his jubilant team mates. With about 10 minutes left in the 1st half, a cross from the right flew over everyone in the box and then it was crossed from the left for John Flynn to dive low to head in our 2nd goal. Just before half time a hopeful shot by Steve Derrett hit Trevor Hockey's back and then the ball switched direction to the top corner of the net sending John Hope the wrong way. Early in the 2nd half TC headed in a Woody corner despite the heavy challenges in a group. Cardiff protested that TC had fouled the keeper. Not long after that, the goal of the match came from Gil Reece who powerfully volleyed a flickover from Woody. Dearden made it 5-1 with a goal that was similar to his first. after the final whistle there was a mini pitch invasion by joyful Blades fans at the Kop End. An unforgettable night!

I saved my pitch invasion for the Watford game ..Yeah remember Billy's goals were very similar...right foot Kop end,right side of the goal and then left foot Lane end,left side of the goal,both side footed from about 6 yards.

 

[Dnblade]

Another one of Billy winning a penalty in the home game previous to Leicester vStoke...looks a bit painful from Shilton's challenge..Keith Eddy scored from the spot 2-0 Blades.

 

[Silent Blade]

View attachment 17160 Another one of Billy winning a penalty in the home game previous to Leicester vStoke...looks a bit painful from Shilton's challenge..Keith Eddy scored from the spot 2-0 Blades.

The crowd were furious with Shilton's challenge. Geoff Salmons (joined Stoke the previous summer), thinking that Woody was to take the penalty, advised Shilton to dive to his left. To Salmons horror, it was Keith Eddy who took the penalty and Shilton went the wrong way unable to stop the penalty. Shilton was furious (probably because of Salmons poor advice) by repeatedly whacking the ball to his net in a stroppy way. The crowd in the BLUT gleefully laughed at Shilton's stroppiness and chanted "Shit-on, Shit-on"