How did you come to support the blades, memories that stick

[HuddersfieldBlade]

I had no chance but to follow United. My dad and his 2 brothers all blades, one his brothers owned the terrace house on the corner of Shoreham Street and Cherry Street in the mid 70s so he could get to games easier.

I started going around 78 when I was 5, and we didn’t go to many games, probably 4 games a year. I can remember crying when we got relegated to the 4th in 81.

Me and my dad got season tickets in 1987-88, not the best season to get them, but I had a season ticket till around 2010. My dad stopped going in the mid 90s, think he fell out of love going to games, but we would always talk about United, especially after my parents moved to Spain.

My dad died last year, and had been ill for a while. Last time I saw him, we had beaten Leeds at Elland Road last season, and even though he wasn’t with it, I told him the result, how we played and we were top of the league. He had a massive smile as I was talking. I really wish I could talk to him now, especially as I know he would have a massive grin on his face.

It’s hard to explain to none football fans what following any team does to you. My wife doesn’t get it, but I hope as my boys get older (4 year old and 18 month old) we can get to watch games together and pass on following United.

 

[Tidzablade]

Used to go to football with my dad, uncle and cousin to watch Derby, Chesterfield and Matlock Town.
First went to The Lane about 1980/81 for a cup match to support Chesterfield, stood on John Street, near the Kop, and Chesterfield equalised late on, as I remember.
I fell in love with the place. Never looked back.
I remember how gutted my dad was when I told him I wanted to be a Blade (he was a season ticket holder at The Baseball Ground) but one trip to The Lane changed my life, and I’m so glad it did.
As they say, once a Blade.........

 

[wavy-blade]

Went to see George Best, fell in love with Alex Pursey. Each to their own like.

No , she would never score from a corner , and she definitely couldn't strike a ball like woody !

 

[Salopian Blade]

Moved to Sheffield in 1956 from Shropshire when my dad retired.My mum was originally from Sheffield.I was 13 at the time and from a small village.I loved Sheffield it was a new exciting world to me.
I didnt know which team to support and so tossed a coin and it came down heads for United.My parents were not interested in football,but allowed me to go to my first match a reserve game against Stoke City in the Central league.From there I started attending first team games and recall Ted Burgin in goal.We returned sadly to Shropshire three and a half years later,because of my dads failing health,the air pollution and hilly area affected his heart condition,
I continued to support the blades from afar initially travelling over to some home games.My support wavered for some years,but was reawakened in 2003,when I met a season ticket holder and have since then taken an avid interest.
When I first came to Sheffield I went to school with a David Mercer,son of Joe Mercer.

 

[Blackestnite]

The streaker running on the pitch and kissing Tony Agana, did I dream that? !

 

[knowsnowt]

Could hear the roar from our garden. Asked mi dad to take me. He did.

 

[Mark Hammond]

It was my big brother who took me to my very first match when I was 7 years old. I come from a long line of Blades supporters. My Dad God rest his soul who died a few years back used to share with me his fond memories of Jimmy Hagan. My heros' back then was Paul Stancliffe, Colin Morris and Keith Edward's. Remember climbing over the red fencing to reach the pitch to celebrate promotion. Remember the Notts County game walking alongside the river trent with a gypsy camp site on the other side of the river with kids throwing stones at us. A few United fans broke away from the police escort ran over the bridge into the campsite with the police hot on their tails. Once a Blade always a Blade. Will be in the pub Sat cheering them over the line in anticipation hoping for one year when we get promotion to the Premier league it's not a flying visit. After all of the years supporting them it be good to have a few seasons in the top league. Our club deserves the success.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I'd been to the odd game with pops from 1977, can't remember the first TBH. My first real memory was the Walsall game. They scored and my dad dragged me out towards the exit effing and blinding which for a young kid surprised me. Then the roar went up, penalty to save our season, my dad picked me up and ran back towards the stand. Up steps Don Givens and Q more swearing, and this time it was from me!!!

The season after will always live with me, we went to virtually every game, I was well and truely hooked thanks to my dad as we romped to the 4th division title, Keith Edwards was a god to me and Darlington will never be forgotten.

38 years later I am a proud Blade on the verge of witnessing something sensational, it will surpass the Bassett era should we succeed. I wish my dad could be here now to see this remarkable season. He passed away last September when we were bobbing along as bang average, since his passing we have gone on a remarkable run, I like to think he's up there pulling a few strings with the big man.

For me, my fellow Blades plus the great Blades in the sky lets finish this on Saturday, we deserve it.

 

[SB_90]

i remember being really into football at a young age. which now i look back compared to my neices & nephews at a similar age. was probally a bit weird & abnormal i remember being upset because the 1997 fa cup final was about to kick off & we werent home when i was 6, then few weeks later watching the palace play off final & then as a 7yr old sitting down to watch the 98 cup final with arsenal v Newcastle & anelka the bright young thing getting my mum to tape the Tunisia game while i was at junior school.

i love how some of you "had a choice" from what i remember there was no one else . i was always going to be Sheffield United. it started in 1997, i remember watching the 1997 playoff final also remember the 97/98 games v sunderland at opening day with borbokis my new fav player & play off semi defeat. the 98 fa cup semi final defeat v Newcastle. then my granddad who may have been going when we last won fa cup in 1936 aged 13. took me 1st game january 12th?? 1998 v wolves 1-0 Marcelo. apparently my mum tells me he chuffed that they finally after 3 daughters & 2 grand daughters. he finally had a male to take to the football. i loved my time with him if he did have a lax attitude to crossing the road which terrified me. my only regret would be that my 4 seasons with him were nothing years no cup run, anonymous league. nothing to be exited about

unfortunately by 02/03 the year that cemented me as a blade with all the amazing games & memories after leeds & forest incredible late drama i was never leaving that me hooked on the adrenalin drug. my grandad was getting too ill to come to football mightge died dec 2002. i moved to the family stand my auntie (granddads daughter/mums sister) that i still go with 16yrs later in same seat now with a 3rd generation neice

 

[S40BLADE]

Dad always supported United and when I was born I was registered in supporters club before I was two days old and went to my first match at 3 months old and been here ever since and will be here for a-lot longer.

 

[Northern Rivers Blade]

Tony Currie. Saw him on the telly when I was about 5 and decided I was a Blade. It could have gone the other way! Elder brother is an Owl. Dad has always followed both.

 

[Jehovah]

I was always a Leeds fan at heart, but then we fucked it up against Wigan and Brentford and decided to be a blade

 

[peteribb]

First match was April 1961when they played Derby County and confirmed promotion to the old First Division. I was 12 at the time and my cousin took me to the game. I was immediately hooked on the Blades and went to as many matches as I could until migrating to Australia in 1964. I have never stopped supporting them from afar and never will - UTB and give 'em hell on Saturday.

 

[S64 Blade]

I’m in the ‘no choice’ band of supporters. My dad indoctrinated me from a young age and that’s that.

I’m glad he did! It’s rarely dull being a Blade.

 

[Deepcar Blade]

My dad has been a blades since his youth so it was a smooth path in. 7-3 v Northampton as my first game in the old Division 4 wasn't a bad start either!

 

[georgethecat]

Living in Northern Ireland I have no Sheffield connections but started to follow the blades in the late 80's. Prior to my first game I had never met another blade nor seen anyone wearing a blades shirt in the flesh. I was attracted by the never say die attitude at the time and loved the general passion that the club seemed to exude. Have been travelling over about 6/7 times each season ever since and must say that despite any natural affiliation to the club I am absolutely hooked. Have 2 sons who run about in blades shirts - much to the amusement of most people over here. We are trying to spread the word here that sufc are the 'real' united!! My youngest lad is blades daft and I am delighted about that .I also have a 3 year old daughter who thinks every footballer she sees on TV is Billy Sharp.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Could hear the roar from our garden. Asked mi dad to take me. He did.

Lucky you didn't live near the M1!

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Truthful answer is...

Sheffield United v Sheffield Wednesday 1969/70. 3-2 to the Blades. John Tudor winner. At least, that's where it began.

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

I got that almost spiritual feeling of being a small part of a single common desire - a bit like a bee in a seething hive.

'A bee in a seething hive'
Can't say I've ever really thought of myself in that way as a Blade before. But I think I like it.

 

[ekke287]

All my mum's family are Blades & all my dad's family are Blades.

I had no chance.

First game saw us lose to Palace at home 0-1, memorable in that a start ball hit the old John Street Stand and dislodged a tile which fell into the crowd.

 

[bladesadviser]

My older brother supports Wednesday, I therefore decided to be awkward and support United. Best decision I have ever made

 

[dynamoblade]

Born and bred in Sheff but parents not from here and not football fans so wasn't destined to support any particular team, despite my uncle's best efforts with Man U season review videos and shirts every birthday. But there were are a few reasons that brought about my love for the Blades.
1. As a very young kid we were driving down Bramall Lane towards town before a match. I saw a bloke with a bald head, larger than normal hoop earrings and a shirt with crossed swords on, naturally I thought he was a pirate! Always loved the club badge ever since.
2. Dad got tickets for a wendle game through work and took me aged about 4 and me older brother. I hated it. Was reyt mardy apparently and then fell asleep. Created a really negative association in my young mind for all things blue and shite.
2. Went to a predominantly pig supporting school and loved pissing people off, happened to be around 12 when the triple assault season happened and therefore old enough to go to matches without parents so started going to games with a couple mates, got me self a scarf and took every opportunity to wind up pig fans in the playground.

There endeth the story.

 

[coaxingstar71]

All my immediate family were Wednesday fans, my mum and dad, sister and grandparents. I had an auntie that was a Blade and she bought me a t-shirt when I was about 4 with "Sheffield United - The Blades" on it. I think it was to wind my Dad up and I didn't really know what it meant at the time. Mum and Dad used to go to Wednesday matches in the 60's but when they got relegated from Division 1 in 1970, he swore he would never go again and he kept his word. It was a friend of the family who asked my Mum if he could take me to a match and that happened to be v Hull on 19th January 1980. A 1-1 draw in the old Third Division, Dutch pornstar, Len De Goey scored our goal! My second game was the 1-1 draw with Wednesday that April with MacPhail scoring our goal and arch-pig, Curran, scoring for them.

I was too young to go on my own so had to rely on Mum's friend to offer to take me so I maybe got to a handful of games over the next 2 seasons. Went to quite a lot in the 4th Division season, though I remember being gutted that I missed the 7-3 win v Northampton! I had a season ticket for a few seasons from the 1984-85 season but then got a Saturday job in 1987 and couldn't go to a lot of games. Just went when I could for many years, had a spell of trying to go to away games in the 90's and got to quite a few away grounds. Got a season ticket again in 2015 after lengthy negotiations with the wife and had one ever since. My next ambition is that when the wife stops caring what I do at the weekends, I'm want to go to every game in a season - hopefully it will be in the Premier League! The holy grail for me is if we somehow managed to qualify for European Competition, even if it's Europa League Qualifying playing some minnows from Moldova.

 

[hidesbehindapseudonym]

My Grandad took me to my first game in 1958 when I was 7. It was a sunny day so we stood in the open area of the Kop next to the cricket ground. You had to pay extra to go under cover I recall. He was a lifetime Blade, born in Victoria's time, and he remembered all the successes of the early 1900's. We lived at Southey Green and I went to Longley Primary school, just up the road from Hillsborough.

I was the lone Blade.

UTB for me, my grandad and all Blades everywhere.

 

[Badger Blade]

I was brought up around the Mansfield area and was surrounded by Forest fans (ugh). I just enjoyed football and in my teens used to go wherever there was a game locally on a Saturday when I had the money whether it was Mansfield, Forest, Notts, Derby, Chesterfield then one day jumped on the train from Alfreton to see the Blades when I was about 14 and that was it, hooked ever since.

 

[Bayingblade]

My Grandfather lived 5 minutes walk from Bramall Lane. His favourite player was Billy Gillespie. My father was born in that house and his favourite player was Jimmy Hagan. I'm 3rd generation first taken to Bramall Lane on April 4th, 1972. Little BB is 4th generation Blade and had seen United lose twice at Wembley before he reached his teen years.

He's a bit excited about tomorrow but even at his tender age, knows it's not a foregone conclusion.

 

[brownie4583]

My 1st game was a 1-0 win at home to Wolves in the 1st division,Eddie Colquhoun scored 1974/75.
My dad,who is 78 and a season ticket holder,used to take me and my mate to the home games back then.
Here we are in my back garden around 1974/75.
I’m Tony Currie and he’s Alan Woodward

 

[Thomas97]

I moved from Oldham to Sheffield in 2015 to live with the ex. She was a blade along with her dad. She worked as a steward at the lane for a bit and I bought a ticket one time and sat and watched the blades play. Literally feel in love with the place, the team. Lived there for about 2 and half years and continued going to games. Eventually sacked her off but couldn't sack off the blades!

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

Here's a quick reminder as to why none of us support Wendy, hope the link works and many thanks to Grayblade for re-posting some of Roys good work on the vital blades site

The last comment is absolutely PRICELESS
It's about time we had a laugh to lighten the stress

https://roysviewfrom.com/2018/05/06/the-pre-season-predictions-of-sheffield-wednesday-fans/

In some ways it's deeply depressing that a group of so called football supporters can have so little understanding and knowledge of the game . On the other , it makes for wonderfully entertaining reading .

If we get promoted and start doing ok , anyone want to bet against them suddenly deciding that it's the weakest Premiership of all time ? Ha ha ha ha ha .............

 

[TommyC]

Dad wasn't really in to football but remember getting taken to GT Sports at Crystal peaks to pick out my first kit ... ended up with the half purple half yellow one circa Blake Fjortoft, Vonk etc bloody loved that kit .... few years back our lass bought it me as a surprise birthday present .... needless to say shes now my wife (helps her whole family are mad blades)