Favourite 3 Blades games and why?

[shreds1975]

I recently asked a question of Blades fans on twitter - Name your favourite 3 Blades matches and why? The answers were great and whilst the 3/4 games you might expect were at the top of the list, over 52 different games were suggested for a variety of reasons. I also had responses from former players and journalists as well.

It was such an enthusiastic reaction that I am thinking about how I might use the responses and have a few ideas. Whilst pondering on this I thought I might open it up to more fans and different demographics. So (if you haven't already replied on twitter) what are your favourite 3 games and why?

Cheers

UTB!

 

[United Aren't Back.]

Aug 74.. 3 1 at home v Ipswich, my 1st ever game..hooked.
United 5 Brighton 4, Sept 89..fantastic winner by jf.
United 6 wba 0, early 2000.
Fabulous

 

[BladeInThatcham]

Forest play off semi 2nd leg '03 - the game that had everything coupled with the prize that came at the final whistle.
Coventry FA Cup Quarter final (98 or 99??) - the sheer drama of a late equaliser from Reg and the penalty shootout
Blackburn FA Cup Quarter final (93?) - I say this because it was probably the first (of many) dramatic games I have been there to see.

Top 3 worst:
1. Wolves play off final '03 0-3
2. Palace play off final '97 0-1
3. Watford away Feb '10 0-3. An odd one I know but it was the worst performance by any team ever. On a freezing Tuesday night I left earli and was soooooo angry and having to pay and sit through such a shower of shite.

 

[beightonblade]

The day at Leicester can't be beat, when TC sat on the ball and 3rd the day at owd trafford when we were top of the table.

 

[bricktop]

Top Three

1. Sheffield United 4-3 Nottingham Forest. A game that really had it all, a packed house at the Lane on a warm summers night, Bramall Lane was absolutely rocking, we went 2-0 down to take it to extra time, ended up taking a 4-2 lead with ex porker Des Walker putting through his own net in front of the delirious kop, Forest went up the field and got a third and it was real nail-biting stuff right down to the end. I was on a early shift the next day, and was knackered at that match as i had been up at 5am that day and done a 12 hour shift, and the adreneline was coursing through my veins i literally couldn't sleep. Don't think i'll ever enjoy another match quite like that one

2. Sheffield United 1-0 Arsenal. A real backs to the wall performance on a night match at the Lane where it was absolutely siling it down. Christian Nade scored an superb goal dummying Eboue and dinking the ball past Lehmann. Kenny got injured and we spent most of the second half with Jagielka in the net, half expecting Arsenal to take charge, but we didn't. We stood up and was counted, and man for a man it was a superb team performance, and at the time Arsenal was a major, major scalp.

3. Sheffield United 3-2 Nottingham Forest. At the time we was on a real low. Back in the old First Division for the first time in my living memory. 16 long, winless games and looking as good as relegated before Christmas, it wasn't a good time to be a Blade, but there was something there, and that day we went out , stood tall, and forced a win against a very good Forest side at the time, and that win was the catalyst for one of the most remarkable relegation fightbacks ever, to the extent at being a dozen points behind a relegation slot before the game, we ended up reaching safety 4 or 5 games before the end of the season. Probably the greatest escape of all time, but sadly forgotten about by a lot of people.

 

[Barney Rubble]

1. The 4-1 win over Cardiff in 1971 that more or less guaranteed us promotion. I watched this match from seat in the cricket pavilion. Even so far from the pitch the atmosphere was fantastic.

2. The 1993 FA Cup quarter final replay win over Blackburn. I remember during the penalty shootout everyone around us all holding hands. Then as we walked away from the ground even the oldest supporters joining in with the singing. Must have been very few there that had been watching us back in 1936.

3. The 2-1 win over Liverpool in the league cup semi-final, 2003. Although the cup runs probably cost us promotion that season they provided so many memorable momentsrit was almost worth it.

 

[travellingblade]

1. The 5-1 win over Cardiff in 1971 that more or less guaranteed us promotion. I watched this match with my then girl friend on the Kop, directly behind the goal, but just above it so we could see all the game, the atmosphere was electric. That night I decided that I was going to marry the girl (We celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary later this year, God willing).

2. The 1-0 League Cup win over Don Revie's mighty Leeds in 1970. My 21st birthday. All my mates (from Leeds, and a few from elsewhere), came to watch us being trashed. What a night and celebration afterwards!

3. The 2-0 away defeat to Manchester United, again in 1971. Even though we lost we were still Top of the League, if only for one more week. What a team.

Really it's all been "downhill" from there. Yes, we've had some ups, but rather more downs since then. It's called "being a Blade".

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

The 7-0 thrashing of Ipswich. Including a memorable goal from 'gracie' Field. God knows where that came from because no Blades in the ground knew!

That 5-0 thumping of Arsenal when TC sat on the ball.

Leicester. Promoted for the 2nd successive season, then finding out the snortbeasts were the ones we were replacing. Priceless!

 

[Darren]

The 7-0 thrashing of Ipswich. Including a memorable goal from 'gracie' Field. God knows where that came from because no Blades in the ground knew!

That 5-0 thumping of Arsenal when TC sat on the ball.

Leicester. Promoted for the 2nd successive season, then finding out the snortbeasts were the ones we were replacing. Priceless!

You're getting your Ipswich games mixed up. The 7-0 was on 27/11/71. Woodward 4, Badger, Dearden and Reece scored. The Field memorable goal came in the 3-1 win on 31/8/74. Mills (og) and Field 2 scored.

 

[stannyblade]

The 7-0 thrashing of Ipswich. Including a memorable goal from 'gracie' Field. God knows where that came from because no Blades in the ground knew!

That 5-0 thumping of Arsenal when TC sat on the ball.

Leicester. Promoted for the 2nd successive season, then finding out the snortbeasts were the ones we were replacing. Priceless!

That has to just about be the perfect day.

 

[Grecian2000]

In chronological order:

Blades 5 Cardiff 1 - almost guaranteeing promotion.
Blades 5 Arse 0 - TC sat on the ball avenging a similar action by Alan Ball when they thrashed us a season or two before
Leicester 2 Blades 5 - we went up, pigs went down.

 

[TopBoy]

Beating Leicester 5-2 to secure promotion on a boiling hot day and then to top it all seeing Russ Abbot on the way home filling up his Rolls Royce at a service station.

The 4-3 win in the playoffs versus Forest where I suffered every single emotion.

The 4-0 win at Peterborough in 1982, the match I became a Blade.

 

[Ollessendro]

Started watching United in the early 90's and have had quite a few great days and nights. We lost to Norwich with Robert Fleck (remember him?) scoring twice. One of my favourite games (and a contender for my top 3) in that period was when we beat West Ham 3-2. 2-0 after half and hour and then Whitehouse scored a wonder goal. I really enjoyed an away game in mid 90's away at Wolves when we won 2-1. David White put us ahead late on, but Vonk handled in the last minute and they seemed to have robbed us. Up stepped the Kat, turning England fancied centre half Dean Richards, to smack in a shot from 20 yards (via the woodwork). Went mentle. Similarly, really enjoyed the game vs Brstol a few years ago when we won 3-2. 2-0 up and we fucked it up. Then Henderson buried one in the final seconds of the game. Great celebration. When we beat Arsenal at the Lane in the mid 90's it was excellent too. That is just outside my top 3. Veart scored and a 3 sided Lane went mad. My favourite 3 are below:

1) Ipswich away 97 play off semi final. Completely written off after drawing at the Lane. Never given a chance. Then Katchouro scored after a few mins. Ipswich party over and game on! It was a backs to the wall performance and they battered us. We somehow hung on and went through on away goals. Andy Walker scored for us late on. Support was immense that night.

2) Coventry in the mid to late 90's. Cheating a bit here as I am going to include the tie. I think I prefered the away leg when we should have won. Only a mounumental fuck up by Katchouro and Ogrisovich's excellent keeping stopped us. The replay was excellent with Reggie scoring the scissor kick late on and then Kelly getting the best of Dion Dublin in the penalty shoot out.

3) Beating the Scousers at home in the cup in the early naughties. Was living in Liverpool at the time and enjoyed that night. A proper Warnock style performance and a great result. Again, as with the other 2 above, we'd been given no chance and got no credit when we stuffed em.

I missed the Forrest play off semi as I was in Liverpool (studying) and had an exam at 9am the next morning.

Worst games:
- QPR away last season. Finally accpeted relegation, shite support and a tonking. Thoroughly depressing.
- Watford away under Blackwell. Worst ever United performance I've seen.
- Wolves play off at Millenium stadium. Simply horrible.

The Palace play off final could be in there too.