Lifelong Blade dies at 98

[Newbury Blade]

Sad news: my uncle Fred died last night at the age of 98. Fred Smith was a lifelong Blade who remembered (or claimed he did) when United won the FA Cup in 1925 when he was three years old. One of our oldest surviving fans, perhaps the oldest, he was in the same team school team as Fred Furniss who went on to play for the Blades. Uncle Fred lived in Hackenthorpe having moved there from Attercliffe Common in the 1960s. Until recently he still got the bus into town to meet up for a pint in the Bankers Draft. He was also a keen angler until just a couple of years ago. Here is my favourite picture of him with my son, also a Fred – two Blades, born more than 90 years apart. RIP.

 

[georgebernardshaw]

R.I.P. Fred Smith

 

[rompodebailey]

That is niceRIP Fred

 

[Gimli]

RIP Blade, it’s also very sad that someone would have to be nearly 100 years old to remember us winning a major trophy

 

[Davalon]

RIP Uncle Fred ⚔

 

[Blade1961]

RIP Fred

 

[diode_blade]

RIP Fred,
What a lovely photo of your lad with his grandad.
Many condolences Newbury.

 

[SwindonBladeJnr]

RIP Fred and condolences to you and the family Newbury Blade

 

[Ivanhoe]

RIP Fred

 

[Blade for Sale]

Fine innings Fred. Rest easy. My condolences Newbury Blade.

 

[Cheesebored]

Sad news. Sad to think some blades may have seen their last game in the flesh if there's no end in sight to the blanket ban on fans!

 

[BadgersBigToe]

RIP Fred

 

[Never be mastered]

Sad news: my uncle Fred died last night at the age of 98. Fred Smith was a lifelong Blade who remembered (or claimed he did) when United won the FA Cup in 1925 when he was three years old. One of our oldest surviving fans, perhaps the oldest, he was in the same team school team as Fred Furniss who went on to play for the Blades. Uncle Fred lived in Hackenthorpe having moved there from Attercliffe Common in the 1960s. Until recently he still got the bus into town to meet up for a pint in the Bankers Draft. He was also a keen angler until just a couple of years ago. Here is my favourite picture of him with my son, also a Fred – two Blades, born more than 90 years apart. RIP.

Sad news rip fellow blade and take your seat on the kop in the sky as said on previous threads far too many blades taken from us recently ⚔

 

[The Hobott]

Sorry for your loss. RIP. Great innings.

 

[SK10Blade]

Sad news indeed Newbury Blade, even more so for some reason during these times, hope you are able to see him off properly as i'm sure he deserves. RIP.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Lovely tribute. He will have loved knowing that the next generations were following him in his love of the Blades.

 

[Long Time Lurker]

R.I.P. Uncle Fred. I'm sorry for your loss Newbury Blade. Condolences to you and your family.

 

[The Vicar]

Was your uncle in the Fellowship of the Services and/or Royal British Legion? I ask because I took my father [97] to a RBL event at Hackenthorpe Church about 2 years ago & afterwards we sat with a friend of his who told me he had been at the 1925 cup final, I think his wife was with him.

 

[INTERUNITED]

RIP Fred. Glad he got to see some final good times as a Blade before his passing.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

RIP Fellow Blade.

Condolences to you and the family Newbury Blade

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

Sorry for your loss but really good innings by the lad

 

[Piffle and Tosh]

Sorry to hear of your sad loss ,R.I P Fred

 

[Ricardo Mantelban]

Rest in Peace sir.

 

[BushBlade]

Sorry for your loss Newbury.

 

[Bearlie]

Rip Fred

 

[kevreedy]

Rest in peace fellow Blade.

 

[Rochdaleblade]

Decent knock. Will be disappointed to miss out on his century. RIP

 

[Newbury Blade]

Was your uncle in the Fellowship of the Services and/or Royal British Legion? I ask because I took my father [97] to a RBL event at Hackenthorpe Church about 2 years ago & afterwards we sat with a friend of his who told me he had been at the 1925 cup final, I think his wife was with him.

He may well have been, having served in the Fleet Air Arm in WW2. But I never heard him claim to have been at the Cup final - although he said he did remember his mum taking him to see the team with the Cup at the town hall.

 

[originaltrueblade]

Sorry to hear this RIP Fred

 

[Russ]

I can tell he was a lovely bloke just by the photo. RIP Uncle Fred the

Hope you are ok NB