First Blade player you saw being sent off

[Silent Blade]

When I posted in another thread about TC being sent off in the Watney Cup match at Peterborough in August 1972 I said he was the first Blade that I saw being given the marching orders by a ref. Going to work I was thinking about the other Blades players that I saw being sent off in the 1970s I then realised that the second player I saw having an early bath was also TC at Everton (lost 2-1) in March 1973 after he had fouled John Connolly (not sure if it was a straight sending off or a second offence).

Got home and had a look at the Complete Records book, the previous Blade to be sent off before the Peterborough match was Ken Mallender in the 1-1 draw at Man City in May 1967. The third Blade that I saw being sent off was Mick Speight in the scoreless draw at home to Stoke (I dont remember the incident) in February 1974.

Due to being at boarding school I missed Badger's dismissal in the 3-2 defeat at Stoke in October 1974 and the punch up between Colquhoun and Boyer in the League Cup 2-2 draw at home to Norwich the following month. I was surprised to find that the 4th Blade that I saw being sent off was Peter Beagrie in that Portsmouth match in November 1986! I had missed all the sending offs for more than 12 years especially because I was a part-timer for most of these years!

 

[TBW57]

Paul Stancliffe against Chesterfield in January 1989. He scored with a header from a corner, it was disallowed, he had a right go at the linesman and was sent off by notoriously tough ref EJ Parker of Preston. I remember him tearing off his captain's armband and flinging it to the ground.

Don't tell anyone but I was supporting Chesterfield at the time, standing in the Shoreham End and keeping my trap shut. The result was a 3-1 defeat for the Blades, who lost the return fixture at Saltergate as well but still went up at the end of the season while Chesterfield were relegated.

 

[Isar]

Pretty sure it was Woodward getting sent off at Burnley. Was a long time ago.

 

[Silent Blade]

Pretty sure it was Woodward getting sent off at Burnley. Was a long time ago.

March 1978. Andy Keeley was also sent off. We lost 4-1

 

[VLYDONIMIR]

If I may just add a sub-section to Mr Silent Blade OP...

Who was the first United player to be sent off?
Who was the first United player to be shown a Red Card?

Thank You Mr Silent Blade for allowing me this coitus interruptus.

 

[Bridge Blade]

I'm sure I watched an Anglo Italian punch up! I think it was hartfield and Blake who got sent off? Was a long time back though

 

[Harry's Game]

Steve Foley I belive.

 

[TBW57]

My friend Tony was living in Stoke once and went to see a game between Stoke and the Blades. He told me that at half time Terry Curran was talking himself into trouble with the ref when two Stoke players approached him, took one arm each and carried him away to stop him from being sent off.

Can anyone vouch for the accuracy of this story? If it's true it means there was once a time when players didn't want their opponents to get a red card.

nb When I say Tony was my friend I didn't realise at the time that he was shagging my girlfriend behind my back. Since he never told me about that it leads me to doubt his honesty re the Curran incident also.

 

[UnitedBlade]

Keith Kettleborough home versus Aston Villa, cup game in January 1965 I think, pretty sure we lost as a result of him departing.

It was a shock to see someone sent off in those days

 

[Silent Blade]

If I may just add a sub-section to Mr Silent Blade OP...

Who was the first United player to be sent off?
Who was the first United player to be shown a Red Card?

Thank You Mr Silent Blade for allowing me this coitus interruptus.

In a League match, Harry Hammond in the 4-0 win at Crewe in April 1893

Red cards was first introduced in the 1976-77 season according to google so it was probably either John Flynn or Bobby Campbell in the 3-0 defeat at Oldham in December 1977

 

[VLYDONIMIR]

In a League match, Harry Hammond in the 4-0 win at Crewe in April 1893

Red cards was first introduced in the 1976-77 season according to google so it was probably either John Flynn or Bobby Campbell in the 3-0 defeat at Oldham in December 1977

He NEVER fails...
As night follows day....
Thank You Mr Silent Blade

 

[TBW57]

In a League match, Harry Hammond in the 4-0 win at Crewe in April 1893

Red cards was first introduced in the 1976-77 season according to google so it was probably either John Flynn or Bobby Campbell in the 3-0 defeat at Oldham in December 1977

Utterly brilliant.

 

[Silent Blade]

I'm sure I watched an Anglo Italian punch up! I think it was hartfield and Blake who got sent off? Was a long time back though

Hodges as well

 

[VLYDONIMIR]

In a League match, Harry Hammond in the 4-0 win at Crewe in April 1893

Aye. I recall now.

Didn't Deadbat do a match report?

It took the supporters carriage six days to get there too.

 

[Silent Blade]

He NEVER fails...
As night follows day....
Thank You Mr Silent Blade

It is thank you to Denis Clareborough and google actually!

 

[wardonia_blade]

Keith Kettleborough for crunching Ron Wylie in the first few minutes of my first FA Cup match against Villa in 1965. Lost 2-0.

 

[Silent Blade]

Steve Foley I belive.

At L**ds in Sept 1985. Ray Lewington was also sent off. 1-1 draw

 

[TBW57]

It's amazing how difficult it used to be to get sent off. It was so rare that it was something to be treasured, whereas now you get players despatched for being too happy when they've scored, like Wimbledon suffered last weekend.

I recall going to a match between Notts County and Brighton where Michael Robinson had a fight with one of the County players. The Notts' manager Howard Wilkinson ran on to the field to sort it out so Robinson smacked him as well, and he still only got a telling off from the ref!

 

[VLYDONIMIR]

It is thank you to Denis Clareborough and google actually!

OI!

Shut It!!

Tha' not gunna burst my bubble.

 

[UnitedBlade]

Keith Kettleborough for crunching Ron Wylie in the first few minutes of my first FA Cup match against Villa in 1965. Lost 2-0.

Interesting memory from the Villa point of view, he reckons Kets kicked him in the head ! I vaguely remember there was a bit of a fuss about it in the Sunday papers.

"My very first away match excluding local derbies was at Sheffield United in January 1965 and still remains memorable. It was the 3rd round of the FA cup and me and four mates (three of whom were baggies fans, one of which had a driving licence and a father who was daft enough to lend him his car) squeezed into an old banger of a Morris Minor and drove up to Sheffield. It took a few hours since there were no motorways, but we just about managed to get there for kick off.

We stood behind one of the goals with the rest of the Villa fans, not that there were too many, but enough to make ourselves heard - and hoarse, and to my surprise, that included my baggies mates. Don't remember too much of the game except that we won 2-0 and Tony Hateley scored. Can't remember who scored the other one. I do remember Ron Wylie clashing with one of their players. Ron was fouled and as he lay on the ground he was then kicked in the head by a Sheffied player called Keith Kettleborough, who was promptly sent off. Quite something as in those days as you practically had to kill someone just to get booked.

Bramall Lane was a very odd ground then, as there were stands only on three sides. On the fourth side was the cricket pitch. However, it was possible for us to walk all around the perimeter of the cricket pitch so that we could stand behind the other goal in the second half. Something else that's stuck with me is that when the police came out before half time to stand behind the goal, they brought with them little stools to sit on so they wouldn't get too tired. It was of course accompanied by chants of "lazy, lazy."

Don't remember anything of the drive home, which wasn't so surprising since we didn't leave until closing time."

 

[bigbirdblade]

Did Brian Gayle get sent off in his time with utd? If so I think he was my first, so to speak.

 

[TBW57]

One day in 1975 me and my mate in Chesterfield fancied seeing some top division football so we had to choose between Blades v Man City and Derby v Leeds. We opted for the Lane and saw a pretty good game in which City went 2-0 up but the Blades fought back for a brave draw with TC and Woody, as ever, the star performers.

Still, we were disappointed at what we missed. If we'd gone to Derby we'd have seen the famous punch up between Norman Hunter and Francis Lee which is still, and will always be one of the great scraps in football history.

 

[Silent Blade]

It's amazing how difficult it used to be to get sent off. It was so rare that it was something to be treasured, whereas now you get players despatched for being too happy when they've scored, like Wimbledon suffered last weekend.

I recall going to a match between Notts County and Brighton where Michael Robinson had a fight with one of the County players. The Notts' manager Howard Wilkinson ran on to the field to sort it out so Robinson smacked him as well, and he still only got a telling off from the ref!

I remember watching "goals" in the YTV Calendar in the early 1990s and there was a clipping of Steve Thompson (playing for Lincoln) clattering an opponent and then headbutting him when he got up. Dont think the ref booked him!

There were no bookings in the brutal L**ds v Chelsea FA Cup replay in 1970. Many would have been sent off nowadays and how did the ref fail to spot Eddie McCreadie's kung-fu on Bremner's head in the penalty area as seen in the below video?

 

[TBW57]

I remember watching "goals" in the YTV Calendar in the early 1990s and there was a clipping of Steve Thompson (playing for Lincoln) clattering an opponent and then headbutting him when he got up. Dont think the ref booked him!

There were no bookings in the brutal L**ds v Chelsea FA Cup replay in 1970. Many would have been sent off nowadays and how did the ref fail to spot Eddie McCreadie's kung-fu on Bremner's head in the penalty area as seen in the below video?

Bloody hell, SB. And McCreadie and Bremner both played for Scotland so they were probably supposed to be mates!

 

[Silent Blade]

Did Brian Gayle get sent off in his time with utd? If so I think he was my first, so to speak.

At West Ham in December 1991. The majority of West Ham fans had brought a red card leaflet in a protest against the bonds scheme. As it happened we had a player sent off and the Hammers fans were quick to wave their red card leaflet in the air! Soon after Deane headed us into the lead but nead the end dopey ref Mick Pierce awarded a penalty to the Hammers (dont know why) and Julian Dicks equalised by thundering in the spor kick to the roof of the net

 

[N20 Blade]

Paul Stancliffe against Chesterfield in January 1989. He scored with a header from a corner, it was disallowed, he had a right go at the linesman and was sent off by notoriously tough ref EJ Parker of Preston. I remember him tearing off his captain's armband and flinging it to the ground.

Don't tell anyone but I was supporting Chesterfield at the time, standing in the Shoreham End and keeping my trap shut. The result was a 3-1 defeat for the Blades, who lost the return fixture at Saltergate as well but still went up at the end of the season while Chesterfield were relegated.

Same here my first game at the lane and I was hooked! Cheers for the video!

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

In a League match, Harry Hammond in the 4-0 win at Crewe in April 1893

Great grandad Hammond certainly did unseen work in the latter stages of that game.

 

[spongebobblade]

It's amazing how difficult it used to be to get sent off. It was so rare that it was something to be treasured, whereas now you get players despatched for being too happy when they've scored, like Wimbledon suffered last weekend.

I recall going to a match between Notts County and Brighton where Michael Robinson had a fight with one of the County players. The Notts' manager Howard Wilkinson ran on to the field to sort it out so Robinson smacked him as well, and he still only got a telling off from the ref!

The ref was probably reaching for his top pocket until he chinned Wilkinson. That in itself was worthy of letting him stay on the pitch with just a quiet word...... something like "let me buy you a pint later"

 

[Cheets]

Hodges as well

And Bassett too if memory serves. He played the kids in subsequent Anglo-Italian Cup games.

 

[Silent Blade]

Jimmy Hagan got sent off against Swansea in December 1952 (a friend of mine who watched the match thinks the reason was that he had been arguing with the ref or something like that). The Lane crowd went berserk at the decision and threw fruits at the ref!