Leicester City (A) - 25th Anniversary

[Jimmy23]

Seen as it's coming up to the 25th anniversary of THAT day (feels like yesterday), I wanna start a thread about it!

So come on then, lets have your stories about that game and everything you remember that is worth putting on here.

 

[boo radley]

I took some turf home and it is still in my lawn but I don't know where.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

totally sold out for Blades

in those days you could just go and buy tickets anywhere in any ground - if you had the bottle.

Dread to think how many Blades were in the old Leicester main stand.

UTB

 

[BLADEOR]

One of the greatest ever days to be a blade. When the news came through that the pigs had gone down aswell it was about as good as it gets. On the way back we stopped at my brothers house (a snort beast) and 5 of us danced on his garden waving red & white scarfs and singing uniteds up Wednesdays down hallelujah. He was going out and tried rushing their lass to get ready before we returned but it was too late and he had to witness the jubilation on his own front lawn. I did feel slightly guilty for rubbing it in afterwards until remembering that he was stood with us in the leppings lane corner very quietly giggling his tits off and laughing all the way home on a certain boxing day game that wasn't a good day to be a blade.

UTB!

 

[Bookers Mullet]

Probably my favourite day as a Blade, Went in the Leicester end with my old man, and to start with we were quite reserved until we realised the majority of fans around us were also Blades, then that was it party time!

Coming home and seeing the banners draped from the motorway bridges about us going up and the Snorters going down were icing on the cake. Went to the pub after and had several beers, which was quite the achievement for me as I was only 14! All in all a top day!

 

[DronnieBlade]

25 years eh.

What a day.

But do I now feel old

UTB

 

[HeCanDoMagic]

I've still got Mark Morris' shin-pad from that day.

 

[Blade82]

Was only 7 at the time never went but remember the celebrations at home. Was it Luton who stayed up instead of pigs? Heard a story of their special passing through Leicester station and were celebrating with the blades after the events of the day.

Great thread something to lift the doom and gloom. If anyone has any pics of the day/night it'd be great to seem em.

UTB

 

[S6Blade]

I firmly believe that we used up all our help from the Footballing Gods that day.

 

[bartman]

totally sold out for Blades

in those days you could just go and buy tickets anywhere in any ground - if you had the bottle.

Dread to think how many Blades were in the old Leicester main stand.

UTB

loads of us were in there scattered around the stand...many in the lime green shirt. It was kicking off everywhere.

A few of us decided to go and stand in the corner at 3-1 with the wheel chair users as we thought it would be safer. Wilf scores and we joined the pitch invasion and went into the side stand opposite

 

[South London Blade]

loads of us were in there scattered around the stand...many in the lime green shirt. It was kicking off everywhere.

A few of us decided to go and stand in the corner at 3-1 with the wheel chair users as we thought it would be safer. Wilf scores and we joined the pitch invasion and went into the side stand opposite

"PLEASE KEEP OFF THE PITCH"

 

[wizadry]

Just for those that haven't seen it, it's not the best of quality but it will certainly do.

 

[cahill]

I was behind the goal and this young lad and his grandson kept saying to me "Wednesday 1-0 down..." I thought yeh yeh of course "Wednesday 2-0 down.....Wednesday 3-0 down" Given it was the last match of the season and prone to Chinese whispers that games are going in our favour, I thought if he says that to me again I'm going to smack him (not really).

I honestly didn't know Wednesday had gone down, no car radio, until I got back to Sheffield. Remember a banner saying "Shoreham OAP's" on it

 

[Kenilworth]

I took some turf home and it is still in my lawn but I don't know where.

I'd tell you but that would be grassing

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

I was 6 months old.

I don't remember it very well.

 

[Pollingtonblade]

I firmly believe that we used up all our help from the Footballing Gods that day.

Well I think you have a point, there keeper (ex Pig) got injured and we took advantage, 1st game season after our luck turned and Tracey was strechered off which was the start of mostly hard luck till December.

The day itself, I was on a coach from Wadsley Bridge and were assued by Pigs as we were boarding we would f**k it up and they would stay up. We sat on the side stand which was full of Blades and it was roasting hot - I was clad in the illuminous yellow strip. When we went one down I was gutted but we soon bounced back and buried them - I found a £20.00 note at half time I couldn;t find a policeman so retained it ;-)

In the 2nd half it was all a bit of a blur but remember a bloke telling us Pigs were 3 down and Newcastle were getting pasted and my Uncle turned to me and said even we cant bugger this up

We retunred home in full voice and were pelted with stones when travelling thruogh the disgruntled snorters unfortunatley I was only 13 so missed what I can only imagine was the biggest piss up ever in Sheffield! I knocked on every Puig Fans door on way home and funnily enough none of them were home - glorious times I long for such a day again!

 

[Kenilworth]

Just for those that haven't seen it, it's not the best of quality but it will certainly do.

But I'm still confused as to whether it was Wilf or Jock

 

[Kenilworth]

The day itself, I was on a coach from Wadsley Bridge and were assued by Pigs as we were boarding we would f**k it up and they would stay up. We sat on the side stand which was full of Blades and it was roasting hot - I was clad in the illuminous yellow strip. When we went one down I was gutted but we soon bounced back and buried them - I found a £20.00 note at half time I couldn;t find a policeman so retained it ;-)

Blimey - quite a send off

 

[Kenilworth]

Probably one of my best moments at a Blades fan - that and Darlo away last game of the 4th Division season.

I had to drive to Sheffield from Kenilworth (I used to live there don't yer know?) to meet up with the lads. We got a coach down to Leicester and in the pub that's now a McDonalds on the way to Filbert Street off J21 of the M1. The match is still a bit of a blur, even though I wasn't drinking as I was driving later. I remember all the goals and the heat and being on the pitch at the end then back on the coach singing all the way back to Sheffield. Once we got back I can't remember which pub we went into - could have been the Big Tree at Woodseats - I couldn't stay all night (shame I as I have heard stories about what went on afterwards). Had to drive back to Kenilworth - should have stayed - got hammered and kipped at the folks house but duty called - in the form of the future Mrs Ken - I'd just met her 5 months earlier

 

[HoodedClaw]

My old man took me and a mate. Pitched up with no tickets.

Managed to get one from a tout, one from the ticket office and one for free of a mounted plod. All in cost us less than if we bought 3 tickets beforehand. We each ended up in a different part of the ground.

I remeber it being sunny, hot and loud.

The best day out I've had at football

 

[MobileBlade]

We went down in a mini bus but we were three short so three Wendy fans, thinking they were save, agreed to join us. They were confident that they were stopping up and wanted to watch our demise.

We were outside some boozer before a game when a gang of knife yielding yobs came charging us. Everyone dived in the pub and the door shut with me still outside. Fortunately, one of the Wendies managed to get the door open for me but not without a ripped t-shirt!

We were in the side stand which was boiling! After the game we were all on the pitch - except the three wendies. News had come through that they had lost and gone down. Three people sat on the wooden benches that was the stand with head in hands.

 

[More Bladier than thou]

was too young to go on me own and mum couldnt get 2 tickets. remember seeing on the news, thousands of luminous yellow shirts.last year i spent 80 quid on that shirt. probably the best football shirt ever ! tried to get the harrys game dvd but the shops not selling it any more.

 

[SRBlade]

was too young to go on me own and mum couldnt get 2 tickets. remember seeing on the news, thousands of luminous yellow shirts.last year i spent 80 quid on that shirt. probably the best football shirt ever ! tried to get the harrys game dvd but the shops not selling it any more.

You can get the DVD for £3 on here

http://www.freewebs.com/footballontap/seasonreviews.htm

 

[Guesty]

was too young to go on me own and mum couldnt get 2 tickets. remember seeing on the news, thousands of luminous yellow shirts.last year i spent 80 quid on that shirt. probably the best football shirt ever ! tried to get the harrys game dvd but the shops not selling it any more.

Watched the hell out of the VHS version as a kid. Don't remember it from the time (I was two years old at the time) but I clearly remember some of the protagonists in later years - Bassett, Tracey, the tail end of Deane's first spell and of course Agana's return when playing for Notts County (I think).

 

[Pollingtonblade]

Watched the hell out of the VHS version as a kid. Don't remember it from the time (I was two years old at the time) but I clearly remember some of the protagonists in later years - Bassett, Tracey, the tail end of Deane's first spell and of course Agana's return when playing for Notts County (I think).

The Harrys Game review is ok but misses some of the games out -(Swindon away and Oldham? Away) But shows all our drubbings (West Ham Away, Oxford and Leeds)

 

[More Bladier than thou]

are you sure it was harrys game and not the bbc2 documentary 'united'. ?

 

[Billyblade]

Best away day ever.
Went with my Brother on one of the "pop and crisps" coaches. Couldn't wait to get back to Sheffield after to get out on the lash.
I really thought we were going to cock it up at the last hurdle when we went 1-0 down. My Brother and I were discussing what an absolute twat that would be after following them all over the country all season. I still to this day have not attended as many matches in one season as that year. Family commitments and others put paid to that after that season.
I remember the ecstasy of going 4-1 up and not knowing whether to laugh, cry, scream, shit or piss in celebration.
I remember the countless pitch invasions, the masses of Blades inside the ground who shouldn't have got tickets to where they were.
Then there was the pitch invasion after the final whistle where I managed to ruffle Dave Bassets hair in the middle of the pitch before the Blades fans proceeded to strip him to his underwear.
As I said, when we got back to Sheffield I couldn't wait to get out on the lash but had to go home first because I had made the stupid mistake of wearing a brand new pair of Converse All Stars to the match with no socks and my feet were cut to ribbons. I ran in the house and my Mum warned me to not take the piss out of my Dad (he was a pig). I said " balls to that I've not got time for that I need to get to the pub!" before running through the lounge on the way to my bedroom to get some socks saying "alreyt Dad!" on the way through to no response.
I got to the Shakespeare on Well Road at Heeley and it seemed everyone had got a copy of the Green 'Un and were laughing at the "Blades Up, Owls Down" headline. Then we proceeded to get right royally hammered.
There was a tense stand-off around the bar football table in the White Lion on Chesterfield Road that night as we were on one side and the pigs were on the other. The awkward semi-silence was broken by one Blade singing at the top of his voice to the tune of Da-do-ron-ron:-
"Oooooooooh, the Forest went to Hillsborough and they beat the pigs, you're down Ron, Ron, Ron, you're down Ron, Ron (repeat) Oh, division 2, Oh, that's the place for you. Oh, division 2, you're down Ron, Ron, ron, you're down Ron Ron.
In the aftermath it was great to watch the Blades documentary that was airing around that time and the last programme dealt with the Manager and the promotion game. What a moment to see Dave Bassett attempting to give a little speech on the steps of the coach and then breaking down in tears as he was drowned out by the fans singing "there's only one David Bassett".

This was a remarkable day to be a Blade and one I'll never forget.

 

[Silent Blade]

In the 2nd half it was all a bit of a blur but remember a bloke telling us Pigs were 3 down

and Luton needed to win at Derby to leapfrog Wendy

 

[Blade56]

Remember them saying scores would not be announced and immediately 5,000 blades fans switch on their trani redios. Then the ref had a problem with the coppers wearing their luminous top cause they clashed with united's shirts. Best shirts ever! What a day.

 

[vorpal blade]

Bought a ticket from a 'likely' lad outside the ground for the main stand.

The lad I bought the ticket from turned out to be their 'top boy' or one of them and led various acts of insurrection and petty violence towards Blades throughout the game. But though I was very near him he didn't bother with me after all, we had a business relationship.

I seem to remember feeling worried about Leicester getting back into it nearly until the end which was ridiculous given the score.

Went on the pitch at the end and thanked Tony Agana for his season long contribution.

I think I must have been in Leicester long enough to buy the paper after the match, a pink 'un called the Sports Argus, does that ring any bells? I suspect I still doubted that Wednesday had been relegated, hadn't that been unlikely at start of play?

Spent the train ride back to London talking about football, sandwiches, politics and housing with Clement Freud.