Floodlight pylons

[Kentblade]

One of the original floodlight pylons was blown down in the great sheffield gale of 1962 (see link) I have searched for photos of this but no dice, (I am sure I have seen one in the Star years ago)

http://secretsheffield.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/the-great-sheffield-gale-1962/

The great Sheffield gale did indeed bend over the flood light on Bramall Lane, if I remember correctly the one nearest to Cherry Street. I recall travelling to work on the bus passing down Bramall Lane, it was quite a night. The additional flood lights, the smaller ones were left in situ while work was finished on the higher ones .What a difference in the ground today.
UTB

 

[Gibbo89]

Remember wreckage from the pylon being on the Bramall Lane terrace for a good while after.

 

[Sirius]

Now I look at this one again, what is that open space on Denby Street?
Just above where the Sportsman Pub is (was?)

In the mid to late 1940s, it was quite easy to see that there were a great many Blades living in Hillsborough, and indeed between there and the Lane. There were few cars around and on match days the Middlewood to Ecclesall trams were quite full. So much so that sometimes my dad walked me to a stop nearer to the Middlewood terminus to be sure of a seat upstairs

I wasn't considered to be old enough. to go by myself and had no choice but to endure the stinky smoke filled upper deck, with its steamed up windows. At least I could write on the window, and had to be content with that whilst the tram picked up Blades men along the route.

Excitement mounted as the tram swayed its way down the Moor. Now was the time to put into practice a trick passed on from father to son. There wasn't a convenient tram stop until the corner into Ecclesall Road had been negotiated and the stop was a little way further along still.

Before reaching the corner, Bladesmen in the know dropped off the moving tram, there was quite a rush to do this to save the walk back

After that long winded opening, I come to the question you asked BOSS.

There was a church at the foot of the moor that had sustained bomb damage. I believe that Grahams Furniture were using it as a warehouse. At the side of the church was a lane that had been allowed to fall into disrepair and on the lane, behind the church were the remains of what had been a school. It may have been called St Peter's? My father had attended that school around 1920, I always pestered to walk past the ruins to ask about life in those times

Another ritual was to make our way home so that I could see the vehicles owned by Joseph Smith on Denby Street.
Such were the simple pleasures of a small boy.

 

[Gibbo89]

Pylons used to be the only way you could find away grounds before satnavs. They also gave some entertainment. Think it was Huddersfield when the chap went up the pylon and stayed until late on and then took the mick out of the constabulary trying to apprehend him and we all smuggled him out.

 

[puppet]

I've never seen that photo either, but I think the smaller pylons were the original ones which were replaced by the taller pylons. The photo must have been taken just after the new floodlights had been installed and before the old ones were removed.

The one on the left was possibly replaced by a row of lights along the front of the new BLUT??

 

[dublin 10 blade]

Pylons used to be the only way you could find away grounds before satnavs. They also gave some entertainment. Think it was Huddersfield when the chap went up the pylon and stayed until late on and then took the mick out of the constabulary trying to apprehend him and we all smuggled him out.

Was Uddersfield , at the time that ground was a kip , first time I'd seen lasses getting stuck into the action as well .

 

[Jonboy60]

Here's a pic of the Lane in 1933 - no pylons at all then
View attachment 7519

Is that you i can see B/o/S, digging the back garden.

 

[Kenilworth]

Pylons used to be the only way you could find away grounds before satnavs. They also gave some entertainment. Think it was Huddersfield when the chap went up the pylon and stayed until late on and then took the mick out of the constabulary trying to apprehend him and we all smuggled him out.

Yep. When Udders played at Leeds Road. Was at that game as well.
1-1 I think Darren will tell us

I have a vague recollection of him pissing off it as well - but could be way off the mark there.

 

[Darren]

Yep. When Udders played at Leeds Road. Was at that game as well.
1-1 I think Darren will tell us

I have a vague recollection of him pissing off it as well - but could be way off the mark there.

We drew 1-1 at Udders on 14/3/87 (Morris), but I got the impression the floodlight incident was before that. Possibly in the 0-1 defeat on 20/9/80.

 

[Kenilworth]

We drew 1-1 at Udders on 14/3/87 (Morris), but I got the impression the floodlight incident was before that. Possibly in the 0-1 defeat on 20/9/80.

It would have been the 1980 defeat.
Thanks Dazzler knew you would come up with the good

 

[alcoblade]

I once spent 5 minute half way up a floodlight at Udders.

It was the 1-1 1987 game. I was arrested, and quickly released, for other matters

UTB

 

[Lawrence]

I remember the 5 floodlight pylons fondly. Sadly there are fewer and fewer clubs these days with them, but I always like to visit the lower league grounds where they still have them. Floodlight pylons = ace!

Yer you could always find the away grounds wherever you went 'just look for the floodlights' you could see them for miles, now you need satellite navigation these days to find the grounds - the old Millmoor ground floodlights are still standing.

 

[highpeakblade]

I remember the old days when we played Hull away at Boothferry park, the heads would be out of the windows of the train looking for the first sights of the floodlights in the distance and then as we got closer somebody would get the train to brake and we would all leg it off and up the banking before the coppers rounded us up. Those floodlights were a godsend back then as Hull was never a nice place to go.

 

[Dkc]

I once spent 5 minute half way up a floodlight at Udders.

It was the 1-1 1987 game. I was arrested, and quickly released, for other matters

UTB

I was at the Hudders game and one of the ones up the floodlights. I think it was the legendary Cooperman who refused to come down after the rest of us finally did. He did indeed take a slash, some of it splashed on to the coppers below so they were eagar to arrest him. He stayed up all the way through the game and was really pissed up, and swinging on the metal supports. It was pretty scary and many of us were worried he might fall. Finally he dropped down into a mass of Blades as everyone made their way towards the exit. Jackets were swapped and he managed to get as far as the station before being nicked.

 

[Kenilworth]

I was at the Hudders game and one of the ones up the floodlights. I think it was the legendary Cooperman who refused to come down after the rest of us finally did. He did indeed take a slash, some of it splashed on to the coppers below so they were eagar to arrest him. He stayed up all the way through the game and was really pissed up, and swinging on the metal supports. It was pretty scary and many of us were worried he might fall. Finally he dropped down into a mass of Blades as everyone made their way towards the exit. Jackets were swapped and he managed to get as far as the station before being nicked.

So was that the 1980 game or the '87 match? I am pretty certain it was the 1980 one.

So pleased my memory of him pissing on the coppers below was not a figment of my imagination. Not particularly savoury thing to do but very funny at the time. We all pissed ourselves laughing, I'm sure

What did he get charged with?
They would have had to come up with summat creative.
Indecent exposure?

 

[Silent Blade]

I was at the Hudders game and one of the ones up the floodlights. I think it was the legendary Cooperman who refused to come down after the rest of us finally did. He did indeed take a slash, some of it splashed on to the coppers below so they were eagar to arrest him. He stayed up all the way through the game and was really pissed up, and swinging on the metal supports. It was pretty scary and many of us were worried he might fall. Finally he dropped down into a mass of Blades as everyone made their way towards the exit. Jackets were swapped and he managed to get as far as the station before being nicked.

Thought it was Dinky as Sitwell mentioned a few weeks ago?

 

[grafikhaus]

I love these pictures - I must have spent hours looking at this when I first spotted it. There's so much I've only heard about from Dads, Uncles and blokes in the pub. The terracing painted white for the cricket is something I'd never even thought of. I've hardly seen any pictures of the old Bramall Lane stand - particularly not from that angle. And what's the building that looks like a brewery behind St Mary's church?

I fear work may have to take a back seat this afternoon as I stare at it some more

Just for you...

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

Is that you i can see B/o/S, digging the back garden.

Dammit!

I thought I'd got away with that!

 

[Darren]

So was that the 1980 game or the '87 match? I am pretty certain it was the 1980 one.

So pleased my memory of him pissing on the coppers below was not a figment of my imagination. Not particularly savoury thing to do but very funny at the time. We all pissed ourselves laughing, I'm sure

What did he get charged with?
They would have had to come up with summat creative.
Indecent exposure?

Any number of offences

drunk and disorderly
S5 Public Order Act (causing harrassment, alarm or distress)
S4 Public Order Act (threatening words and behaviour)
The urination would probably count as common assault or assault on police.

 

[Silent Blade]

Found this picture from Sharrow's programme collection. These small floodlights would have been the original ones we set up in 1954

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharrowblade/5771042538/in/set-72157625964624017/

 

[Silent Blade]

Those in this forum who watched the Blades in 1950s and early 1960s would have been nippers and must have thought at the time that the small floodlights looked massive!

 

[jockdodds]

Those in this forum who watched the Blades in 1950s and early 1960s would have been nippers and must have thought at the time that the small floodlights looked massive!

I was, and I did!

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

Yer you could always find the away grounds wherever you went 'just look for the floodlights' you could see them for miles, now you need satellite navigation these days to find the grounds - the old Millmoor ground floodlights are still standing.

See them on the train from Leeds to home matches. Sad to see the old Millmoor ground going to rack and ruin

 

[vorpal blade]

I did a survey on Staniforth Road yesterday. As I wandered back to Attercliffe Road to catch the bus I couldn't see them, am I right in thinking that the Don Valley Stadium floodlights have come down?

Without wishing to kick the hornets' nest, these were my favourite floodlights in these parts.

The Rovers' floodlights aren't bad either.

 

[blade too long]

Derbys old ground the baseball , had very weird lights , remember losing 4-0 to a Brian Clough team there in front of 40000 , ohare 2 hector 2 in a ground that was cramped with 25000 in it

The terraces were like trenches around the pitch with the front row being 4 to 5 feet below the touchline, was like watching from a rabbit warren

 

[Kenilworth]

Any number of offences

drunk and disorderly
S5 Public Order Act (causing harrassment, alarm or distress)
S4 Public Order Act (threatening words and behaviour)
The urination would probably count as common assault or assault on police.

Common assault? Is that sort of thing a regular occurrence then Dazzler?

Would you have defended him?

 

[pommpey]

My mate told me of some bloke away at ... Blackpool, possibly where he'd shinned his way up into the roof of the stand. He was about thirty feet above the heads of everyone and monkeying his way along the central beams when he lost his grip and ended up dangling. Every effort he made to swing his feet up to get back on the beam was met with a "Wooooo-ooo--aaaah!" until his strength gave out and he dropped feet first onto the crowd below. Anyone who has stage dived in the past will tell you, the waiting arms soon fall away and so it was. He landed with his feet hitting a crash barrier and they parted and his biffins bridge/spudsack took the full impact. He was stretchered away to hospickertal where I imagine some nurse syringed his scrotum clean of the raspberry jam therein.

I also saw a Blades supporter climb the Milton end pylon at Pompey one year and refuse to come down all game until late on a copper shinned up after him.

pommpey

 

[Kenilworth]

My mate told me of some bloke away at ... Blackpool, possibly where he'd shinned his way up into the roof of the stand. He was about thirty feet above the heads of everyone and monkeying his way along the central beams when he lost his grip and ended up dangling. Every effort he made to swing his feet up to get back on the beam was met with a "Wooooo-ooo--aaaah!" until his strength gave out and he dropped feet first onto the crowd below. Anyone who has stage dived in the past will tell you, the waiting arms soon fall away and so it was. He landed with his feet hitting a crash barrier and they parted and his biffins bridge/spudsack took the full impact. He was stretchered away to hospickertal where I imagine some nurse syringed his scrotum clean of the raspberry jam therein.

BOLLOCKS!

 

[metalblade]

BOLLOCKS!

Yeah he thought he was Fred Dibnah, now he thinks he is Freda Dibnah ooooeeer

 

[Trigger Blade]

I did a survey on Staniforth Road yesterday. As I wandered back to Attercliffe Road to catch the bus I couldn't see them, am I right in thinking that the Don Valley Stadium floodlights have come down?

They were there the week before last, I noticed specifically on the way down the M1 on the way to the Bristol City game.