Booker4
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2015
- Messages
- 7,476
- Reaction score
- 10,286
I saw an article earlier today about that joyous day from the Star - decent article in fairness and it made me think I'll put my personal memories of the day on here and see what other memories come up! Two friends and I decided we were going to Hillsborough, the only problem was that the tickets had just sold out! So we only had one choice! To try and get tickets in their end! I didn't think there was much chance of this, but I thought it's got to be worth a try! So I set off down to the wrong side of town and stepped into their ticket office. As I approached the lady on their desk I just asked for three tickets in the south stand for the Sheffield United game. I couldn't believe the response! "Which team do you support sir"? Incredible that that was the security check! I replied coolly with "Sheffield Wednesday", I think I may have even followed that up with "Of course". Cringing inside, it had to be worth it just to see us hopefully beat Wednesday! The lady replied with "that's fine, where would you like to sit"? I thought as far away from the away end as possible, but then again I didn't want to be near their kop either! I didn't want to be amongst the Wednesday fans that goad the away fans, especially not our fans! So we went for about two thirds along - nearer the kop. On the very back row of the stand.
On the day of the game we drove off to Hillsborough via Penistone Road, there was a tape in the car, my mate Bob put the tape in. Hopefully something really fist pumping, perhaps "United" by Judas Priest. No, it was Lionel Richie! "Three times a lady's" on, we're three blokes stuck in traffic surrounded by Wednesday fans with "Three times a lady" blaring out! I was too nervous to laugh, we weren't wearing United gear at least - obviously! Into the stands right from the off it just felt wrong, I think only sat if I was I sat in a Tory conference listening to Boris Johnson would it have felt as wrong!
Then the game started, I had my hands stuck under my arse for the most part, just worried I'd cheer at the wrong moment, the first half was fairly dull, typical derby, scrappy and not much quality. Not long into the second half a long ball beyond Des Walker, Carl Asaba outmuscles him and holds the ball up beautifully before laying off for Laurent D'Jaffo to slam home past fatty Pressman! The one thing that I remember is seeing the away end erupt, it was a thing of beauty! Gutting to just sit there silent, I didn't even dare break out into a smile, but at the same time you never normally get the chance to see it because you're normally in there celebrating! Wednesday fans now giving more abuse, I was really worried that someone would note we weren't regulars and would oust us and we'd get our heads kicked in! One bloke in the kop celebrated when we scored and there was this huge melee, I didn't want that to be us! Then the stadium announcer announced something like "will any Sheffield United fans in the home end refrain from cheering" or something similar referencing to our fans, it was well known there was hundreds of United fans in the home end from the earlier league cup game. This Wednesdayite screams out "I know who you are you dirty piggy b@@@@@@s!
70 minutes gone and Carl Asaba adds a second, a superb header that was behind him at the moment of impact, it may not have been fast, but the direction beat Pressman all ends up. The away end in pandemonium, the home fans squealing with displeasure, then suddenly out of nowhere Sibon scores. I did jump out of my seat, out of fear for being outed, my two friends were more restrained it has to be said; it took me months to stop feeling guilty if honest, obviously I was gutted they'd scored but I was so fearful by this point! Near the end Wednesday almost equalised, Di Piedi almost on the end of a cross from Sibon, thankfully we survived to win 1 - 2!
A day I'll never forget, I couldn't wait to get out of there back into the car and listen to Lionel Richie! I have to say I'll never do it again - go to Hillsborough in their end that is! It was awful, I'd not recommend it, but on the other hand, to see the away end celebrate and then sing "high ho Sheff United" to their awful song blaring out from the tannoy after the final whistle which none of their fans sung, that was something that will live with me forever! For those that are interested, see the video of the day beneath. It's not a derby match that will be remembered as much as the bounce killer one, but still that was the first time we'd won at Hillsborough since Bobby Davison's double back in 1992. We'd had years of Wednesday in the Premier League and then to beat them away was a massive win at the time. We had a decent team looking back with Devlin, Asaba, Brown, and Ndlovu the pick, Jags, Tonge and Monty all about to come through. A good time to support United looking back and that team of course went onto the amazing double cup season and play off.
On the day of the game we drove off to Hillsborough via Penistone Road, there was a tape in the car, my mate Bob put the tape in. Hopefully something really fist pumping, perhaps "United" by Judas Priest. No, it was Lionel Richie! "Three times a lady's" on, we're three blokes stuck in traffic surrounded by Wednesday fans with "Three times a lady" blaring out! I was too nervous to laugh, we weren't wearing United gear at least - obviously! Into the stands right from the off it just felt wrong, I think only sat if I was I sat in a Tory conference listening to Boris Johnson would it have felt as wrong!
Then the game started, I had my hands stuck under my arse for the most part, just worried I'd cheer at the wrong moment, the first half was fairly dull, typical derby, scrappy and not much quality. Not long into the second half a long ball beyond Des Walker, Carl Asaba outmuscles him and holds the ball up beautifully before laying off for Laurent D'Jaffo to slam home past fatty Pressman! The one thing that I remember is seeing the away end erupt, it was a thing of beauty! Gutting to just sit there silent, I didn't even dare break out into a smile, but at the same time you never normally get the chance to see it because you're normally in there celebrating! Wednesday fans now giving more abuse, I was really worried that someone would note we weren't regulars and would oust us and we'd get our heads kicked in! One bloke in the kop celebrated when we scored and there was this huge melee, I didn't want that to be us! Then the stadium announcer announced something like "will any Sheffield United fans in the home end refrain from cheering" or something similar referencing to our fans, it was well known there was hundreds of United fans in the home end from the earlier league cup game. This Wednesdayite screams out "I know who you are you dirty piggy b@@@@@@s!
70 minutes gone and Carl Asaba adds a second, a superb header that was behind him at the moment of impact, it may not have been fast, but the direction beat Pressman all ends up. The away end in pandemonium, the home fans squealing with displeasure, then suddenly out of nowhere Sibon scores. I did jump out of my seat, out of fear for being outed, my two friends were more restrained it has to be said; it took me months to stop feeling guilty if honest, obviously I was gutted they'd scored but I was so fearful by this point! Near the end Wednesday almost equalised, Di Piedi almost on the end of a cross from Sibon, thankfully we survived to win 1 - 2!
A day I'll never forget, I couldn't wait to get out of there back into the car and listen to Lionel Richie! I have to say I'll never do it again - go to Hillsborough in their end that is! It was awful, I'd not recommend it, but on the other hand, to see the away end celebrate and then sing "high ho Sheff United" to their awful song blaring out from the tannoy after the final whistle which none of their fans sung, that was something that will live with me forever! For those that are interested, see the video of the day beneath. It's not a derby match that will be remembered as much as the bounce killer one, but still that was the first time we'd won at Hillsborough since Bobby Davison's double back in 1992. We'd had years of Wednesday in the Premier League and then to beat them away was a massive win at the time. We had a decent team looking back with Devlin, Asaba, Brown, and Ndlovu the pick, Jags, Tonge and Monty all about to come through. A good time to support United looking back and that team of course went onto the amazing double cup season and play off.
