I think I've seen most of those games, if not all of them. The one that stands out though was the 1971 game at Old Trafford when we arrived as top of the league following that amazing start. Man United were just behind us in 2nd place.
I remember arriving at Old Trafford a good hour and a half before the game and heading straight for the turnstiles. The queues were already building up and behind us, in the large, rough gravel car park, there were loads of Sheffield United Tours coaches starting to arrive and park up. Coaches like these:
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I'd never seen so many Blades away coaches at a game, but then again, I hadn't been to that many games at that age, I was only 13. I didn't know until afterwards that thousands were locked out - I'm glad I wasn't one of them.
The game wasn't too old when the Stretford End singled out Blades Trevor Hockey for some stick. "Hockey is a werewolf" they sang. And this is how he reacted:
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He stood in front of their kop and conducted them!
I was stood behind the goal where George Best scored that wonder goal, as you look at it from the pitch, I was just to the left of the left hand post and maybe half way up from the front. We'd played well up until that point and looked like holding our own, but that goal from Best changed the game. He was probably the best footballer I've ever seen play. You get some players who are really good at one or two aspects of the game, but he was good at all of them. I think above all, his dribbling skills were amazing and if you watch that clip of his goal again you'll see what I mean! But look closely and you'll see that it's not just about close control that made him a good dribbler, but it's his ability to rapidly change pace and catch defenders unaware. It was like he switched a turbo on and just left them for dead.
When that goal went in the Blades stood behind the goal with me were not so complimentary. The consensus was that it was a "spozzy" goal. I thought at the time that it was quite brilliant - but I think I was the only one! And as a young schoolboy, having been brought up to appreciate values of honesty, fairness and sportsmanship, I remember being amazed at how angry, unreasonable and downright horrible my fellow Blades fans were towards George Best when that one went in. I've since learned of course, that all goals scored against us are lucky and undeserved.
When Alan Gowling, netted the second we knew that was that.
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I vaguely remember the coach journey back over the Snake. The driver put the radio on as we all listened to "Sports Report" on the way back - it was painful given the coverage and love for Manchester United. We stopped off at this pub in Stocksbridge on the way back into Sheffield.
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It's called "The Friendship", but we didn't get much of a warm welcome from the locals. Methinks it was a bit too "Wednesdayish" a part of town for that. The coach driver allowed us an hour to drown our sorrows. As a 13 year old kid, a couple of weeks away from my 14th birthday, I wasn't able to get served any beer, but one of the blokes off the coach sorted me out with a pint. In fact, I may have had a couple. All I remember is, leaving there feeling happier than when I walked in.
(I have been back in that pub once since then - and the welcome hasn't got any warmer).
I arrived home, eventually, having enjoyed the day out, even though we hadn't won. It had been a great experience for me as a young lad, and one I've never forgotten. I'm still like that now. I can go to a football match and enjoy the day out, without letting the result spoil it.
Finally, I think there are some parallels with today's Sheffield United team. That 1971 team had just been promoted from the second tier of English football. Folks had been very complimentary about our bright, attacking football style, but, we'd spent very little on strengthening the team during the summer (compared to other clubs) and the received wisdom was that we would struggle in the top tier of football. This game, v Man United, was 10 games into the season and we were sitting proudly on top of the league. The pundits were wrong about us again! Just like they are today!
If you've ever wondered why pundits, or anyone really, gets it so wrong, so often, it's because they don't learn from history. It's said that "history repeats itself" - if this is true then it's probably for the benefit of people who weren't listening first time. There's nothing surprising about a good set of football players, moulded into a good football team, with good team spirit and a good manager, doing well at the top levels of football. It happened then. It's happening again now. Yet it still catches people out!
Let's hope it will catch Manchester United out this weekend and that they don't score any "spozzy" goals against us this time!