If your not a Sheffielder, how did you come to support the Blades??

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

Our Dad.

Supposed first words uttered were "Fuck Off ** Wednesday *" to my dear old Grandad. * = ya ** = c**t
Ma just smiled and said to Dad, "He's just going to be like you, a right cheeky c**t" - oh how we all laughed.

 

[Robbat]

The Marsh pal?

Yes the marsh

 

[BigBed]

Yes the marsh

and to which watering hole do you frequent pal??

 

[Robbat]

Don’t drink a lot used to go in the juniors for a while. Where do you drink?

 

[VictoryBlade]

What a good thread this has turned out to be....well done author!!!!

 

[andy m]

I'm from Donny. My Dad was a scout for the youth team and got a xmas card from Dave Bassett. That was me hooked. And better than supporting Leeds.

 

[BigBed]

Don’t drink a lot used to go in the juniors for a while. Where do you drink?

Crown if I'm out, although I don't mind a walk round to the West end, then Nags on way down

 

[Robbat]

Been in crown a few times times mostly after watching them play footy. They played in a final at the lane.

 

[Jon Bon II]

Born and raised in Sheffield but managed to escape to the badlands of Lincolnshire 5 years ago. Well, you did ask...

 

[MMBUTB]

By pure fluke really.

I always supported Ipswich Town As a boy. (And to be honest it’s still the first result I seek out after Sheff U)

I moved to Sheffield just before the prem season under Warnock. Once they achieved premier status I got a season ticket. The love affair began.

I’m now a fully fledged supporter and I bloody love this club. I still have season ticket and my children who I’ve had while living in Sheffield are all brought up as blades.

In a parallel universe I could have been a south Barnsley fan but I’m bloody glad I never.

I have followed the blades everywhere now from Rochdale to Arsenal and apart from being questioned by fellow blades fans when I speak in my southern accent I feel like I belong. I have found my home.

UTB

 

[DaveBassettsgoneonholiday]

I think I may have done this before......
Dad was brought up in Bennett Street and was an apprentice at The Lane in the 50's.
Mum was born and brought up in Woodhead Road and used to go and watch cricket at The Lane and also went over with my Grandma who sometimes helped with the teas when Yorkshire were playing.
Never actually lived in Sheffield myself but it was always going to be I was a Blade since being taken there at the age of four.
Having said that, Mum and Dad only had a sustained 50% success rate with their offspring sticking with us.
All this lot has been trotted out several times over the last three or four years by way of explanation to those questioning why I support this now somewhat high profile club.

 

[BigBed]

Been in crown a few times times mostly after watching them play footy. They played in a final at the lane.

Thorny, Burton, Gaz, Fozzy, went to school with them all pal, never really watched them play football though, fucking bar always gets in the way!
To be fair, now I've got young kids it's a bit harder to get out as much, but I try.

 

[Alan Duffy]

I’m from Norfolk originally( 6 fingers etc, girls love it though)we moved upto Sheffield when I was 16 by age of 17 found myself working for Sheffield university at Earnshaw hall, bloke there took me to my first game when we were in the old 3rd division, Harry in charge against Bournemouth I believe and we won something like 5-0 , loved it, carried on going wins kept coming and we went up that year with Wolves, the following year I was going home and away and have never looked back, the atmosphere, the all in it together when it’s got really bad and now I’m in dream land
I don’t get to go very often, worse now we are in premier league but got to go to west ham at home, brilliant atmosphere and when VAR stepped in at the final knocking it was like we had scored again, brilliant!

 

[Ace of Blades]

From Donny, Early teens started going to watch Donny Rovers with my mates. My old man said " If you want to start going to football I'll take you to watch a proper team". Apparently , for reasons unknown to me, he used to follow United before he got married. First match was about 1972,Spurs night match if I remember correctly, and as a 14 year old I was blown away with the huge crowd and atmosphere. Soon it became a regular trip to all home games joined by my younger brother and his pal ( who is still a ST holder along with his son). All my 3 kids are keen blades and their kids also.
Cheers Dad.

 

[Robbat]

As some fellow supporters are saying BB this is interesting reading how people became Blades supporters great thread. People who sit near me live in Swindon and Lincolnshire and never miss a home game even when we were down the league’s. Killamarsh lad then BB?

 

[ucandomagic]

Brought up in North Yorkshire in the 50's and 60's. Went to whatever was the best local game with mates at Ayresome Park, Roker Park or Elland Road, but never really felt a connection. Ended up mostly going to Leeds for the football, but never liked the toxic atmosphere.

Came to Sheffield Uni in October 71, but when I had an interview in March 71 the guy who took me round said if I came to Sheffield I had to support United.

In April 71 I was at the Leeds West Brom game when the offside goal cost Leeds the title. I was at the front and 10,000 people behind me decided to invade the pitch, so I had to run like shit at the front to avoid getting trampled. Unfortunately the TV news showed me leading the charge, and I was publicly bollocked in school assembly for leading a riot and then caned. I swore that I would never go to Bellend Road again.

Coincidentally the next day the guy who had shown me round in Sheffield rang me and said he had 2 tickets for United v Cardiff and his mate couldn’t go, so did I fancy it.

I went down on the train and we were standing near the pavilion. I had never experienced the like. To be honest I remember very little of the actual game, other than Flynn’s diving header, as I had also been introduced to Ward’s bitter before and after the match. What I do remember to this day was the atmosphere. For the first time I felt like a bee in a hive - where I had ceased to be an individual and had just become a part of something bigger.

I lived mostly in Sheffield for 6 years, and had a ST from 71-77, what brilliant timing, and never missed a game. 74/75 was the best year, but South Stand debt meant no funding and 75/76 was the pits. I think we got 5 points in the first half of the season and narrowly avoided a low points record.

Have lived in South Warwickshire for more than 40 years now, but always came when work allowed. Now I'm retired and never miss a game (200 mile round trip). I'm an old fart on the halfway line in the SS, shouting at opposing managers and linos at the appropriate moment. I have a ST for my grandson as well, and when asked by anybody down here what it’s like he says Grandad is very loud!

Anyway, this season has been very like 74/75, a surprise push for Europe but not quite making it. As TC’s song goes, we can do Magic again, but this time the SS is paid for, so this time:-

The Magic is Here to Stay

 

[BigBed]

As some fellow supporters are saying BB this is interesting reading how people became Blades supporters great thread. People who sit near me live in Swindon and Lincolnshire and never miss a home game even when we were down the league’s. Killamarsh lad then BB?

Born and bred, lived in Chesterfield for a bit when I was working on the doors, but came back when my daughter was born, didn't want her turning out like the folk I currently work with!!

 

[Stevo]

1990, I was at school, the everyone supported the usual spurs, Liverpool Man it'd etc, the common view when they played is was it was an easy win. For some reason this gave me the right hump, and I wanted to follow a the that revelled in bloodying the noses of the snobbish teams, ever since then I've been hooked, I live in Sussex and have no links to the great city of Sheffield, and like most have endured some torrid times, the last 4 years have made up for that and I am as proud as ever of our club, long may it continue. UTBs FTPs

 

[pommpey]

My Dad, grandad and almost all my uncles are blades but I'm from Fareham (Hampshire) Me and my brother started supporting United in themid eighties, first game was Oldham at Bramall Lane (2-0 win in 88), then witnessed a 2-1 defeat a bit Blackburn (Scott sellars master class a year later) I live down south and put up with a lot of crap from Southampton and pompey fans. For once I'm having the better of it though, so thanks to Chris and the lads for that!

Hello from down the A32. If you see two white cars transiting Fareham with a Blades sticker in the back window, they are ours. I work at Collingwood, too.

I was born in Gleadless Valley, joined the navy in 1979 and have been away from the city of origin for 41 years but never, ever have I been anything else but a Sheffield United supporter. My dad took me from being a boy with my uncle Freddie and we'd standing in the BLLT.

pommpey

 

[Ralph Blade]

Went to Sheffield Uni I the 80’s. Went to a few matches at the sty in the first term and was suprised and disappointed with how flat the atmosphere was even though they were in the division above. Then went my first match at the Lane in 1986 toward the end of the season. A 5 - 2 home defeat by Norwich. The atmosphere on the kop was brilliant and I fell in love with The Blades instantly. Gutted that I cannot get to the ground as much these days as I have to rely on flights from the Channel Islands and with work, chances are few and far between, but I’ve got my subscription to the radio broadcasts and prefer to listen to Radio Sheffield commentary when we are on the tv with the tv sound turned off. Hoping to come back soon and when the grounds are open again to make visits to BDTBL a regular thing.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

It seems from quite a few of these posts that the availability of cheap tickets for students during recent seasons in the lower leagues may bear fruit for many years to come - I imagine some of them will be getting hooked. I am also struck by how many witnessed a totally forgettable game as their first experience at the Lane, yet were smitten. There were many plenty of those in the ‘wilderness years’ pre-Wilder!

 

[Mad Mick]

I was born ont Pitsmoor and then we moved eventually to Shirecliffe. In 1958 I went to an Open Air School in Essex. I was 7 years old and had always been poorly so had no idea about football. Anyways I was in the television room at the boarding school when some cockney asked who I supported in Sheffield. I said I didn't know. He told me there were two teams and I should pick one. My answer was "Who the f*ck supports a team named after a day of the week?". When I got home in 1961 my dad took me to watch the piggies. I told him I was a Blade. so he never took me again. . Moved to South Lincolnshire 35 years ago. I don't get back to Sheffield very often. Wife was born on Shoreham Street.

 

[BelgianBlade]

I grew up in Belgium, came to uni in the UK and never went back. I moved to Sheffield in 2006, and despite initially trying to adopt some kind of neutral stance, I was soon forced to pick a side by friends/colleagues! I ended up picking the Blades because:

1) I moved here right in the middle of our last spell in the Premier League, so I guess it was the obvious choice (though given the outcome of that season, I surely cannot be accused of glory hunting ). My first game during that season was the pretty insipid 1-0 win over the mighty Watford -- not exactly an awe-inspiring start, but good enough to get me hooked!

2) I've got a slight contrarian streak and I'll often side with the "underdog". I was surrounded by Wednesdayites during the nine years I spent in my previous job, and they obviously all believed the only logical choice for me was to support the massivest and most illustrious club in town/Yorkshire/Europe, so I couldn't help but do the exact opposite

3) I ended up living in Sharrow/Nether Edge, just close enough to Bramall Lane to hear the GCB song (and the roar when we score) from my back garden if I'm not at a game and the wind is in the right direction/there's not too much traffic. Coming from Belgium, where many football stadia are soulless out-of-town affairs surrounded by parking lots, there's also something special about emerging from your ginnel with your scarf on at twenty to three and joining the throngs heading down Sharrow Lane and Woodhead Road...

4) I can't explain why, but I've always preferred teams that play in red and have a general dislike of ones that play in blue!

 

[3-GBlade]

Ill have to channel my long deceased granddad for this one...
In 1911 he had moved up from South Wales to Ecclesfield, to work at a Big House.
In late April 1912 he was somewhat surprised to be asked by the Owner if he wanted the next day off to go and watch the big match.

Next day, April 24th 1912 he literally "followed the crowd" and ended up at The Lane, where he watched Barnsley beat West Brom to win the FA Cup.
Shortly after that he got a better job at Ecclesall/Millhouses and now knew where to go on a Saturday afternoon for some entertainment.

Not the greatest conversion to the Truth but better than nowt......
Though I think he was always a Villa fan really at heart (As most of Gloucestershire seem to be to this day!!)

 

[Bla blade]

Saw Woody & TC on the telly 74/5 as 7 yr old and thought this looks great, I'm havin some of that....
What a great decision that proved to be....but its turned out alright now.

 

[ShropshireBlade]

My brother chose to support Wednesday when he was young as he had a premier league sticker album and he just thought the team name was funny, so me being the awkward one decided to follow United and it's stuck ever since. I must have been about 5/6 at the time and i'm 33 now!

 

[Teofilo Cubillas]

I was born in Cumbria.
I must have been six at the time, but I just remember my dad (who was always a Sunderland fan because his father was a Sunderland fan) one day looking down at me and saying,

"I've got a new job and we are moving to Sheffield. But don't worry Sheffield Utd are top of Division 1 and Eddie Colquhoun is their captain".

 

[1970firstmatch]

My Dad was from Sheffield and so was my elder brother. However the family moved to Huddersfield where child 2 (me) was born.

They took me to my first match in 1970 when I was about 9. A night match against Portsmouth. I remember going in the old John Street terrace. We go there about 20 mins before kick off. I remember going up the stairs and seeing the floodlights, green grass and players knocking the ball about. The crowd coming in, the smell of cigar smoke and then the noise, wow I was hooked before the Blades had even kicked a ball. The fact the Blades won 5-0 was just the icing on the cake. My 2nd match was a few months later against Birmingham and it was a 6-0 win. I can't remember my 3rd match but I can remember asking my dad if we would win 7-0 this time. He said I don't know but you are a lucky mascot so who knows. I don't remember the result but it wasn't long before the Blades did win 7-0 against Ipswich at home.

I wasn't to know it at the time but I would soon be watching my beloved Currie and Woodward playing some amazing football at the top of Division 1 as it was know then.

Lets just say it's been quite mixed since then but the Blades of this season have matched them in so many ways, its been a long time coming.

 

[BladesOnToast]

I grew up in Tunbridge Wells, Kent - raised a committed Blade during the Bassett era by my dad (whose mum was born and raised in Attercliffe) who would drag me and my brothers to all our away games in the South (Palace, QPR, Gillingham, Pompey, Reading, Swindon) and fairly frequently all the way to Sheffield with chips at Flat Street pre-match. We always looked forward to gravy on our chips which was the height of exoticism for southerners. Got to know the Inter-City train pretty well, and got used to travelling home with contrary emotions to the rest of the train which was usually packed with away fans. Started in 1988 which was the best introduction to supporting United you could imagine (except maybe starting in 2016???)

The only Blade in Tunbridge Wells? Nope - remarkably, at secondary school there was a kid in my class with Sheffield-born parents who was also a committed Blades fan, though weirdly his family supported Wednesday and the Blades in equal measure. Watched the Coventry penalty shootout with him and his dad which was one of those experiences that stays you with forever. (Saco, are you reading this???)

 

[Gavlar]

I was born in Sheffield and moved away when I was 8 to Bristol. My dad, grandad and whole family are blades. My son is a blade as well. It’s not pretty but it’s what we do. Utb