Great Goals. Not great player.

[Gavlar]

Now you mention it, I did hear some explict racism after 1996. It was at the game v Preston on 30/12/00. We went 2-0 down early on and this old bloke (at least 80) sat behind me saw fit to blame it all on Gus Uhlenbeek and kept talking to the bloke he was with about "fucking niggers".

I have no doubt that i goes on today at grounds, and a lot of other stuff does too, like homophobia, sexism etc. football has been the place where you can pretty much say anything until recently when finally people have been clamping down more on things but change takes time esp change of culture.

 

[Darren]

Hope the old boy had packed in going before Nyron rocked up.

I think Richard Cadette was the last player I heard getting abused by "our own".

I think it was Deane and Agana that finally did for racism at the Lane (apart from the odd meathead). Even the most racist could appreciate that racially abusing black players was not the best idea when our two best players were black.

 

[Silent Blade]

11th December 1971

Doh!

 

[Silent Blade]

- scored an own goal playing for us and playing against us (he got one in our 4-0 win over Wimbledon in 1985-6)

Remember that even though I wasnt a Lane regular at the time. Before the game I saw Jimmy Hagan walking on the Cherry Street car park and requested an autograph from him. He signed my programme and I gave it to my dad as Jimmy was his hero. Gayle's own goal was at the Lane End early in the game and it was a poor understanding between him and keeper Dave Beasant. Beasant went out to claim a low cross at the edge of the box but Gayle thought the keeper was still on his line and tried to pass the ball to him (these days the keeper could handle backpasses)

 

[Silent Blade]

I went to that one, Silent. I have absolutely no recollection of the own goal. Woody's goal is exactly as you describe but Scullion's was no piledriver. He got put through one-on-one with the keeper in the last minute, took it round him and slotted it in right-footed from a narrowish angle.

Scullion's piledriver would have been in the 2-2 draw at Stoke in March 1972 (the previous week I was at Wembley for the first time to watch Stoke v Chelsea League Cup final). Stoke paraded the league cup just before the start of the game. In recent years I had been trying to remember if Scullion's piledriver at Victoria Ground was in March 1972 or in Oct 1973 and thanks to you for clearing this up. I enjoy reading your recollections of matches.

 

[Silent Blade]

I think Richard Cadette was the last player I heard getting abused by "our own".

I remember when Cadette scored his two goals in the 4-1 win against Ipswich in March 1988 there was a group of Blades fans in front of me at the Kop going berserk and hugging their black friend and slapping on his back. The black Blade took it very well and was laughing at his mates reactions. Racism in good humour?

 

[Revolution]

John McAlle scored an own goal for us when playing for Wolves on 9/2/77 but never scored a goal when playing for us. Has anyone else done that?

Paul McGrath - own goal in our 2-0 win over Villa in 1991-2 (sometimes credited to Whitehouse) but never scored for us.

Simon Webster scored an own goal for us in the 1-1 draw v Huddersfield in 1985-6, but of course he scored for us when he played for us as well.

 

[dublin 10 blade]

31st March 1981.

Thank you Sir .

 

[Shalalalafenoughty]

Scullion's piledriver would have been in the 2-2 draw at Stoke in March 1972 (the previous week I was at Wembley for the first time to watch Stoke v Chelsea League Cup final). Stoke paraded the league cup just before the start of the game. In recent years I had been trying to remember if Scullion's piledriver at Victoria Ground was in March 1972 or in Oct 1973 and thanks to you for clearing this up. I enjoy reading your recollections of matches.

Mutual, I'm sure.

We're obviously from the same era. I can remember stuff from games from the mid-sixties through to the early eighties pretty well but loads of games since then seem to have been largely wiped from the memory bank.

On the subject of Stoke matches, they often had a bit of needle about them at that time. I remember a shocking foul by Dennis Smith on a United keeper at the Kop end. Challenged him when he went up to catch a cross and caught him in the back with both knees. The crowd were up in arms but I can't remember whether it was Hope or McAllister.

There was also an incident in front of the Kop when their right-back, John Marsh, followed through with his boot and kicked McAllister in the head as he dived at his feet. It was memorable for an irate Ted Hemsley running across and picking Marsh up by his hair.

The worst foul I ever saw was by Paul Hart for Leeds when they came to the Lane in a League Cup tie in the late-seventies. TC was playing for them and, predictably, scored. Hart took Steve Finnieston out about chest high, as I recall. Again, it was at the Shoreham Street end.

I should probably start a separate thread.

 

[Grecian2000]

There was also an incident in front of the Kop when their right-back, John Marsh, followed through

Feel for him. Happened to me at Bolton once . . .

Now that IS a candidate for a separate thread (Toilet terrors on the terraces).

 

[pommpey]

I remember the crowd booing Cyrille Regis at the Lane and Clive Best. I had no idea why because I was on the BL end down at the front. It became sadly apparent when I was stood on the kop with a mate of mine and Viv Anderson was being similarly booed. I asked my mate why and some wanker turned round and said to me (in a manner as if to say, "What's up wi thi? Dunt tha know?") "It's cos he's a fuckin' coon, int it?"

Just made me think a little bit if he'd like to say those words in front of the Goodens, the Olivers or the Chambers family up on Gleadless Valley where I lived. Brave little tinker.

pommpey

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Feel for him. Happened to me at Bolton once . . .

Now that IS a candidate for a separate thread (Toilet terrors on the terraces).

Like this you mean?

 

[Silent Blade]

Mutual, I'm sure.

We're obviously from the same era. I can remember stuff from games from the mid-sixties through to the early eighties pretty well but loads of games since then seem to have been largely wiped from the memory bank.

.

When I first got the First 100 Years book by Denis Clareborough in 1989, I was so hooked by it and couldnt put the book down and recalling the matches I went to but there were two matches in particular that I probably went to but have no recollection of them. One was our 3-1 win at home to Coventry in April 1973 and when I got my compliment copy of the YTV 100 Blades goals (YTV were thanking me for getting SUFC and YTV to agree in producing that video) I was surprised to find that the highlights Coventry game were shown on YTV in the next day as I dont even remember watching it on Soccer Special too. The other match was one I should really have remembered in going and I do not know why it has been erased from my memory bank. it was our 2-1 win against Chelsea in February 1975. There were several reasons why I should have remembered going there and they were
1. It was the same weekend as my boarding school's Open Day and I was home for a long weekend from Friday to Tuesday
2. Chelsea might have got relegation that season but they were still a big club and had many star players
3. Gary Jones (on loan from Bolton) played for us in that game and I should have remembered that because it would have been the only time I saw him play for us.
4. Len Badger scored our second goal and I should have remembered a rare goal from a hero of mine
5. Jim Brown saved a penalty from John Hollins but I cannot remember it (Greenwich Blade described it as a "save that defied science") and Jim Brown is another hero of mine
6. My dad took me to watch SUFC train at the Ball Inn ground on the following Monday or Tuesday which I remember well and thinking "this week Furphy is preparing the team for our next match at Burnley this Saturday" but dont remember thinking "our 2-1 win last Saturday was an important win".
Even in one of my visits to the Central Library about 12 years ago when doing an article for Flashing Blade on Woody's goals and assists, I was reading the Morning Telegraph match report and looking at the photos of that 2-1 win against Chelsea, I still do not recollect any moment of that match!

There are a lot of games in this century that I attended but do not remember the scores or scorers, but that is understandable as I do not replay the matches in my mind like I did in the 1970s

 

[Wapping Blade]

What about Paul Mariner's last minute slice into the top corner for us v Portsmouth when they were down to 9 (8?) and us 10?

 

[Silent Blade]

Viv Anderson was being similarly booed.

pommpey

I remember reading Viv Anderson recollecting a match when he was the sub for Forest at Carlisle. Viv came out of the dugout to have a warm up but the Carlisle fans were giving him racist abuse so Viv turned his back on them and focused on the play on the pitch. Brian Clough told him to come back to the dugout before whispering in Viv's ear "do the warm up again and FACE the crowd". Viv did what Brian told him to do and then the racist abuse stopped!

 

[Silent Blade]

What about Paul Mariner's last minute slice into the top corner for us v Portsmouth when they were down to 9 (8?) and us 10?

it was midway in the 2nd half, not in the last minute. It was 10 men v 8 men

 

[LoughboroBlade]

To be an utter pedant..

Scott could be on 2, the goal v Blackburn H on 15/1/94 was originally credited to him but then re-credited as a OG a la Deane v Leeds on 6/4/93.

Should Falconer be on one less too for the same reason? He was credited with the only goal in our 1-0 win at home to Chelsea that November, but this was later changed to an OG. Falconer got one on the opening day against Swindon. Not sure if he got two more...

 

[Darren]

Should Falconer be on one less too for the same reason? He was credited with the only goal in our 1-0 win at home to Chelsea that November, but this was later changed to an OG. Falconer got one on the opening day against Swindon. Not sure if he got two more...

Indeed.

His other 2 were on 24/8/93 Wimbledon H and 2/10/93 Southampton A

 

[Silent Blade]

Should Falconer be on one less too for the same reason? He was credited with the only goal in our 1-0 win at home to Chelsea that November, but this was later changed to an OG.

Took Mrs Silent to that game (John Street Terrace). After 10 minutes of play, she asked me what time does the match finish. Just before the goal she was resting her head on my shoulder not watching the match. When the ball went in the net I jumped for joy and startled her! She went to only two more matches since then. Against Plymouth in Nov 2008 when my lad was one of the mascots and against Burnley in the play off final because she wanted to see what Wembley is like!

 

[davidpinder]

David White v ? Live on sky at the lane.

John Francis v Brighton 5-4

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Took Mrs Silent to that game (John Street Terrace). After 10 minutes of play, she asked me what time does the match finish. Just before the goal she was resting her head on my shoulder not watching the match. When the ball went in the net I jumped for joy and startled her! She went to only two more matches since then. Against Plymouth in Nov 2008 when my lad was one of the mascots and against Burnley in the play off final because she wanted to see what Wembley is like!

I remember the day fairly well - I was 11 at the time, and at the start of that season had sent Mick Rooker my autograph book with a request for the squad to sign (think I asked the club and they just sent me his way). Poor Mick then had to endure a phone call from me for a series of weeks asking whether he'd been able to ask the team to sign it. It's sort of like the traffic heading Jim Phipps's way at the moment on twitter about the kit, but I was only a child then.

The calls to Mick were no doubt a right pain - he was extremely patient.

Week 1: "Yes, I've got it."
Week 4: "Yes, hoping to get it to the players soon."
Week 7: "Yes, we're getting it to them this week."
Week 10: "Yes, they've got it, signing it now."
Week 12: .......
Week 14: .......
Week 16: "How about we get you up for a matchday and you can get them all signed when you're here?"

That was the Chelsea match. Bitterly freezing, but a brilliant day. I met Bassett, had a picture with then skipper Bradders, Alan Kelly, Andy Scott, and Roger Nilsen. Jostein Flo was sadly injured and said to be doing his Christmas shopping at Meadowhall...