Memries of Stoke

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grafikhaus

grafikhaus

Kraft durch Freude
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OK. A weekend that started well on Friday ended badly at Derby but that's what happens when you're up against better teams. Let's hope we put an end to this 'blip', starting tomorrow.


The last time the Blades met the Potters was in a pre-season friendly at Bramall Lane on 25th July 2017. That Tuesday evening game in front of over 7,000 saw the Blades win 2-1 with an opening goal by Billy Sharp, an equaliser from Shaqiri and a last-kick-of-the match winner by David Brooks.

Incredibly, it’s nearly eleven years since we last met The Potters in a competitive match – a 0-3 home defeat in The Championship on Tuesday evening, 4th December 2007 in front of 23,378. This was our first season since relegation from The Premiership and Stoke would finish this season in second place and so go up into the top flight, where they would remain until relegation last season. (We had won the corresponding fixture with a 1-0 win at Stoke less than a month previously on 10th November 2007 with our winner coming from…Gary Cahill.)

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There were some very interesting names in both line-ups that night.

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On 31st March 1990 and with United closing in on promotion back to the top flight, Dave Bassett’s Blades won 1-0 at Stoke in a match featured in the ‘United’ documentary series. Tony Agana crossed for Brian Deane to head the only goal of the game:

​


This (1989/90) season was the one where we ended the season with a promotion-securing 5-2 win at Leicester and Stoke finished the season rock-bottom of Division Two, a poor season for the Potters reflected in the 14,908 crowd for the Blades game (including at least 2k Blades fans).

On 18th October 1975 in the top flight, Stoke won 0-2 at Bramall Lane. Ken Furphy had recently been replaced by Cec. Coldwell in an acting-manager rôle and United would finish this season rock-bottom with just 22 points from 42 games (two points for a win back then). By the time we were relegated, Jimmy Sirrel – who failed to get a win in his first 18 games in charge - was our ‘manager’. In the Stoke line-up for this game were Jimmy Greenhoff, Alan Hudson and Geoff Salmons.

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Recent-ish meetings between the clubs

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Full Sheffield United v Stoke City record

To date, our League results against Stoke City read:

Home: P: 49 W: 24 D: 14 L: 11 F: 75 A: 53

Away: P: 49 W: 15 D: 13 L: 21 F: 62 A: 89

Championship Table:

Despite losing at Derby, the Blades are in second position.

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A 0-1 home defeat to Birmingham City leaves Stoke in 17th place.

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Full Championship Table

Form Guide:

Despite our loss at Derby, United’s form over the last six league games puts us in top position, showing that no one team has taken this division ‘by the throat’ so far, making the Derby defeat more disappointing.

upload_2018-10-22_6-9-45.png​

Full Championship Form Guide (last 6 league games)

Top scorers:

Current Stoke top scorer is Benik Afobe, a journeyman who – among many others – had a brief spell at Wednesday. His career took off in 2014-15 when his parent club Arsenal loaned him to MK Dons. Ten goals in 22 appearances (alongside Dele Alli) alerted Wolves who paid £2m for him. A subsequent move to Bournemouth for a reported £10m saw him score 10 goals in 63 appearances.

On 12 June 2018, Afobe joined Stoke City on a six-month loan but with an obligation to purchase him for a reported fee of £12 million in January 2019.

upload_2018-10-22_6-10-21.png​
Men to watch:

Again, recently-relegated Stoke have quality in all areas (against Birmingham on Saturday, they had Peter Crouch, Saido Berahino and Charlie Adam – all on the bench). Bojan, Ashley Williams, Erik Pieters, Joe Allen, Tom Ince and James McClean will ensure another testing night for the Blades.

Manager:

Gary Rowett joined Stoke as manager this summer, shortly after being replaced at last Saturday’s opponents, Frank Lampard’s Derby County.

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Rowett – an excellent manager in my opinion – started his managerial career in 2009 at Burton Albion as assistant manager to former Blades legend Paul Peschisolido.

Between 2014 and 2016, Rowett was manager at Birmingham City. When he was appointed, Birmingham sat in 21st place in The Championship but Rowett steered them to a respectable 10th position. Rowett was sacked by Birmingham on 14 December 2016 upon their change of ownership and boardroom team, despite leading the team to 7th in the Championship table and challenging for a play-off place. The decision was met with surprise and criticism by Birmingham supporters, with the club appointing Gianfranco Zola as his replacement.

At Derby, Rowett led his team to last season’s play-off semi-finals where they were beaten over two legs by Fulham. Once again – and despite being successful – Rowett was replaced within 2 weeks by another media ‘golden boy’.

‘Sent to the stands’ on Saturday against Birmingham, Rowett might have to watch this game from outside his technical area.
 

I lived and worked there for 25 years, wonderful people in a largely unattractive city.

In the fairly early days, we played on Boxing Day at the Victoria Ground and got stuffed 5-2, Carl Saunders scored a hat trick. My employer was the match day sponsor and I got an invite to hospitality. We all had a vote for MOTM and it was almost entirely unanimous apart from one vote for Keith Edwards, no guesses. I got to present Carl Saunders with the match ball.

In about 1996, we went there and were 4-0 up after fifteen minutes and won by that score. On the following Monday, I had to do a presentation to the senior management team at work, with a strict fifteen minute time limit. The opening sentence was “15 minutes isn’t very long, unless you’re Stoke City’s back four.....” oh how they laughed :-)

All in all, in my time there, we seemed to have more good results than bad. 1-0 when we went up in 1990, Deano’s header, then Deano again in 1997 with a last minute equaliser at the Britannia Stadium.
 
I went in 2003 and we drew 2-2 with Jack Lester netting the equaliser with a 93rd penalty. Bedlam. Coaches were kept behind, bricks were chucked - all sorts going off. I’ll have been 17 at the time. I don’t remember owt else about the game other than the penalty. Very intimidating place I found
 
12th April 1975. Blades 2 (Eddy (pen), Field) Stoke 0

Before the game the newspapers billed the match as the "TC v Alan Hudson show". It was TC who ran the show with a 10/10 performance (only one of the four 10/10 performance I have seen from a Blades player). In the 1st half Bill Dearden broke through, Peter Shilton ran out of goal, Dearden pushed the ball past Shilton and tried to run on the other side to get a 2nd touch but Shilton body checked Dearden (Harald Schumacher-style) for a definite penalty(see below). The crowd loudly booed at Shilton while Dearden had a lengthy treatment from Cec Coldwell (our bucket and sponge man). Geoff Salmons (who had moved to Stoke from us in the previous summer), thinking that Woodward was going to take the penalty, ran to Shilton advising him to dive to his left for the penalty. To Salmons's surprise, Keith Eddy stepped up to take the penalty and sent Shilton the wrong way to put the ball to Shilton's right. Shilton was furious by booting the ball to hit goal a few times while the gleeful Blades fans in the BLUT mocked at him chanting "Shit-on, Shit-on"

Tony Field put us 2-0 up in the 2nd half. In the latter stages TC did his showman stuff on the left wing waving both his arms at the crowd every time he dribbled past a Stoke player!
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They've got a pretty good squad now haven't they?

My memories of Stoke are that the away end has been cold every time I've been no matter the season. I also once drove and the car park near the ground is a pain in the arse to get out of.
 
No good memories of Stoke home or away, I haven't had the pleasure of visiting the Britannia stadium or whatever it is called this season my visits were to the old Victoria ground. One a night game where we only took a couple of coaches, got a bit of a shoeing that night the other occasion after a boozy Friday night in Sheffield three of us decided to get the last bus to Castleton then carry on walking to Stoke for the game on the Saturday, never have I been so cold in my life. After all that we fuckin well lost 3-2, for the return fixture we went on the lane end to look for a guy from Stoke who always wore a white crash helmet but never rode a scooter .............. we found him and his mates plod threw us out in the end.
 
metalblade said:
No good memories of Stoke home or away, I haven't had the pleasure of visiting the Britannia stadium or whatever it is called this season my visits were to the old Victoria ground. One a night game where we only took a couple of coaches, got a bit of a shoeing that night the other occasion after a boozy Friday night in Sheffield three of us decided to get the last bus to Castleton then carry on walking to Stoke for the game on the Saturday, never have I been so cold in my life. After all that we fuckin well lost 3-2, for the return fixture we went on the lane end to look for a guy from Stoke who always wore a white crash helmet but never rode a scooter .............. we found him and his mates plod threw us out in the end.
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Eh?? 34.8 miles??? I did seven miles on the Round Walk last week and I'm still fucked!
 
grafikhaus said:
Eh?? 34.8 miles??? I did seven miles on the Round Walk last week and I'm still fucked!
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Hehe was a lot younger back then and it seemed a good idea at the time we did get a lift in a van over the cat & fiddle into Leek, probably the scariest part of the trip in an Anglia van with a Cortina GT engine fitted oh and a spare diff rolling about with us in the back.
 
Trigger Blade said:
I lived and worked there for 25 years, wonderful people in a largely unattractive city.

In the fairly early days, we played on Boxing Day at the Victoria Ground and got stuffed 5-2, Carl Saunders scored a hat trick. My employer was the match day sponsor and I got an invite to hospitality. We all had a vote for MOTM and it was almost entirely unanimous apart from one vote for Keith Edwards, no guesses. I got to present Carl Saunders with the match ball .
Click to expand...

27 December 1986. The last time we played 2 games in 2 days. We beat Hull 4-2 the day before on Boxing Day.

You must have voted for Colin Morris (who scored both our goals) for MOTM. Edwards was at Leeds that season.
 
My first memrie of Stoke is a bad one , the first time I'd seen the Blades lose.

First match Boxing Day 1970 and then went to every home match, winning or drawing every game ( winning mostly) until October 1971 when ugly ginger crinkly haired Terry Conroy popped up with a late gut wrenching winner.

I remember not eating my tea when I got home. Chops and sausages as well.
 
My first away match was at Stoke 1973 won 2 - 1. Caught train and at Uttoxeter so did some Stoke fans. The Blades invited them to get back off at the next station, and that set the tone for the day. Me and my mate tagged on to our lot who marauded their way to the ground, knocking an old lady over in the process. We picked her back up and apologized.
No kidney punching in them days!
Inside Victoria ground, you could see their kop (?) emptying and working it's way into the Blades contingent.
The police shifted us elsewhere until just one very resilient Blade remained encircled by coppers who in turn were encircled by Stoke rock-apes.
Any road up. a good win and back to the station. Got a copy of the Pink un', which was like a Green un' but pink.

1974 went there again lost 3-2. Was chased all round the town to the ground. Don't think those were serious hooligans as I was/am neither an athlete or scrapper and they didn't catch up with us. Same happened with the Stoke fans leaving their end and coming into the away bit.

Last time there was 1990 won 1-0. Pigs played spuds and were soundly beaten. Good!
Kept back end of the match and the scores were read out over the P.A. or tannoy or whatever.
Pigs score got a huge cheer from us. Silence from the speaker. He read pigs score again and got another cheer from us.

Silent may like to fill in gaps.

I predict a win and UTB.
 

never seems a great game against these although i remember a 2-2 being at their ground when we came back from 2 down and i think Kozzy got the equalizer right in front of us fans !?!
 
Random Stoke memories:

They were the first top division side I ever saw. We drew 0-0 with them in the 3rd round of the Cup in 1983 (losing the replay 3-2 on the night when Terry Curran was outstanding)

3-1 win at home in 1986-7: Lee Dixon scored our first with an own goal after 2 minutes, volleying a clearance in off the bar. Beagrie scored a header for the 3rd: that might be the first time we saw his back flip after scoring.

2-1 win at home in 1989-90: good goal from Bradshaw, twisting inside the box Mark Duffy style.

1-1 draw in 1994-5 at their place. Our goal was a deflected long shot from Kevin Gage. After that, Alan Kelly played them on his own, and almost won us the game, making a string of superb saves. I was there for the Mel Rees game, but I still say that Kelly's performance that night was the finest I have seen from a Blades keeper. I also remember being amazed how down at heel Stoke looked.
 
Revolution said:
Random Stoke memories:
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1979 0-0 at the Lane.
John McPhail had a right ding dong all game with Garth Crookes, who was immense. A great draw to prove that no scoring games are not necessarily dull.

2006 1-1 helping us on our way to promotion.
We were very jittery but I think DirtyLeeds had lost an early kick off and the point inched us a little bit closer.
By some odd circumstance of allowing a Stokie to do a 3 point turn on a sliproad (the A500 was blocked), the guy was very grateful and told us to follow him. We went through every backstreet in Stoke, Hanley, Newcastle and Burslem, even passing the derelict Victoria Ground. Getting near to the Brittania he pulled up and told us we'd struggle to park any nearer, but then offered us an old parking pass. We waved it a steward and parked in their main car park about 30 yards from their main stand. The only problem was the local plod who didn't want to let us into the car park at the end, but we managed to give them the slip in the end.

2007 0-3 Robson! That game (and the Arsenal FLC home defeat) really turned the mood against the useless wanker. We had a very decent team but he just couldn't manage to set them up and motivate them. One of the lads had told us he'd be a bit late from work, so I texted him as each goal went in and at 3-0 down after 19 minutes he simply turned round and never bothered making it.
Another classic shit Lane night, up there with Port Vale (Heath), Shrewsbury and Fleetwood (Adkins).
 
I feel like I've been to Stoke almost more than any other ground. The 0-4 was Gray. The 2-2 with Deane and Fjortoft scoring the year they opened the Britannia was good.

Loud ground when they get going
 
Mate of mine applied to be a ball boy, he couldn’t make it, it was a night match against Stoke. So he asked if I would like to go in his place.
I was behind the goal, kop end, wearing an oversized track-suit, with the legs and sleeves rolled back.
Behind the legendary Gordon Banks. Mid to late 60s, I was 13/14yrs old.
Some of you must have been there, you must remember me surely.
 
In before someone mentions the streaker that Fjortoft ushered off in 1997 (?).

Only other memory of Stoke was the 0-0 away in 2003, where Brown did his best to get a booking so that he'd get a suspension and miss a presumably-less-meaningful game the following week. It was late in the game and I think he crunched into a tackle, the ref refused to book him so he walloped the ball away in "protest" instead and finally got the yellow.
 
Beans said:
In before someone mentions the streaker that Fjortoft ushered off in 1997 (?).

Only other memory of Stoke was the 0-0 away in 2003, where Brown did his best to get a booking so that he'd get a suspension and miss a presumably-less-meaningful game the following week. It was late in the game and I think he crunched into a tackle, the ref refused to book him so he walloped the ball away in "protest" instead and finally got the yellow.
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United rearranged their game at Wimbledon for 7 April (thus playing at Selhurst Park twice in 3 days) to ensure Brown could serve his suspension and play in the Cup semi final.
 
Jonboy60 said:
Mate of mine applied to be a ball boy, he couldn’t make it, it was a night match against Stoke. So he asked if I would like to go in his place.
I was behind the goal, kop end, wearing an oversized track-suit, with the legs and sleeves rolled back.
Behind the legendary Gordon Banks. Mid to late 60s, I was 13/14yrs old.
Some of you must have been there, you must remember me surely.
Click to expand...

Can't remember you specifically :D but I remember a home game with Stoke in bright sunshine (could have been 9/10/71 as Banks only played for Stoke four times at the Lane and 29/8/67 was a Tuesday night game - possibly the one you ball-boyed? at?)

Anyway, as a little urchin, I was right at the front of the kop just to the side of Banks' left-hand post and pressed up to the white railings. The ball was bobbling harmlessly out for a Stoke goal-kick and Banks - who was no more than ten feet away - bent over as if he was going to pick it up. This seemed a stupid thing to do and a few in the crowd made a 1970s-stylee 'WTF?' noise. Banks was just joshin', pulled his hands away, let the ball roll out and pointed at us with a 'Gotcha!' expression. Such fun. I think we only had BBC1 and 2 back then...

Also found this on Wikipedia:

Despite being a World Cup winner in the previous summer, Banks was dropped towards the end of the 1966–67 season (by Leicester City) in favour of highly promising teenage reserve Peter Shilton. Manager Matt Gillies was blunt, telling Banks "we [Gillies and the club's directors] think your best days are behind you, and you should move on". Teammate Richie Norman told Banks that Gillies was pressured into the decision, Shilton having told the board he would leave the club unless he was given first team football. Banks was transfer listed at £50,000, the same price the club received for Derek Dougan in March 1967.[48] However, many of the big clubs were unwilling to spend such a sum on a goalkeeper. Liverpool manager Bill Shankly showed strong interest, but could not convince the club's board of directors to agree to such a large fee for a goalkeeper. West Ham United manager Ron Greenwood was prepared to match the fee, but instead signed Kilmarnock's Bobby Ferguson for £65,000 because he had already agreed terms with Kilmarnock and did not want to go back on his word. Terms were instead agreed with Stoke City, a mid-table First Division side.

On leaving Filbert Street, Banks requested a loyalty bonus from Leicester, and was told by Matt Gillies "We've decided not to pay you a penny. There's to be no compensation payment and that's final." Banks then refused the move until Stoke boss Tony Waddington seemingly negotiated a £2,000 payment out of Leicester. It was only some years later that Banks was informed that Stoke had actually made the payment, not Leicester.
 
benn5712 said:
My first away match was at Stoke 1973 won 2 - 1. Caught train and at Uttoxeter so did some Stoke fans. The Blades invited them to get back off at the next station, and that set the tone for the day. Me and my mate tagged on to our lot who marauded their way to the ground, knocking an old lady over in the process. We picked her back up and apologized.
No kidney punching in them days!
Inside Victoria ground, you could see their kop (?) emptying and working it's way into the Blades contingent.
The police shifted us elsewhere until just one very resilient Blade remained encircled by coppers who in turn were encircled by Stoke rock-apes.
Any road up. a good win and back to the station. Got a copy of the Pink un', which was like a Green un' but pink.

1974 went there again lost 3-2. Was chased all round the town to the ground. Don't think those were serious hooligans as I was/am neither an athlete or scrapper and they didn't catch up with us. Same happened with the Stoke fans leaving their end and coming into the away bit.


Silent may like to fill in gaps.

.
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Colquhoun scored a great own goal in the 1973 match. Woody equalized with a great free kick that went through the Stoke wall. Scullion scored the winner.

Didn't go to the 1974 game but remember receiving a letter at school from my dad saying that we were wearing all blue, said it was a brutal match and Badger got sent off.
 
Jonboy60 said:
Mate of mine applied to be a ball boy, he couldn’t make it, it was a night match against Stoke. So he asked if I would like to go in his place.
I was behind the goal, kop end, wearing an oversized track-suit, with the legs and sleeves rolled back.
Behind the legendary Gordon Banks. Mid to late 60s, I was 13/14yrs old.
Some of you must have been there, you must remember me surely.
Click to expand...
Gordon Banks joined Stoke at the end of the 1966/67 season so the match you are talking about would be Tuesday 29th August 1967. We won 1-0
 
Did you know....

On the final day of the 1946-47 season Stoke needed to win their final game to claim the Division One title. They brought around 10,000 fans to Bramall Lane but lost 2-1 and ended up in 4th position.

Played 14th June, due to postponements caused by a long winter. Many blame the sale of an unhappy Stanley Matthews to Blackpool in May as the reason Stoke missed out.

upload_2018-10-22_13-0-5.png
 
Revolution said:
27 December 1986. The last time we played 2 games in 2 days. We beat Hull 4-2 the day before on Boxing Day.

You must have voted for Colin Morris (who scored both our goals) for MOTM. Edwards was at Leeds that season.
Click to expand...

I'm not having much luck in remembering the details of these games, it obviously was Colin Morris, I just recall it was a Blades legend of the eighties, not too many of those.
 

Revolution said:
Random Stoke memories:

They were the first top division side I ever saw. We drew 0-0 with them in the 3rd round of the Cup in 1983 (losing the replay 3-2 on the night when Terry Curran was outstanding)

3-1 win at home in 1986-7: Lee Dixon scored our first with an own goal after 2 minutes, volleying a clearance in off the bar. Beagrie scored a header for the 3rd: that might be the first time we saw his back flip after scoring.

2-1 win at home in 1989-90: good goal from Bradshaw, twisting inside the box Mark Duffy style.

1-1 draw in 1994-5 at their place. Our goal was a deflected long shot from Kevin Gage. After that, Alan Kelly played them on his own, and almost won us the game, making a string of superb saves. I was there for the Mel Rees game, but I still say that Kelly's performance that night was the finest I have seen from a Blades keeper. I also remember being amazed how down at heel Stoke looked.
Click to expand...
Went to that cup replay in 1983 - it was the only time I remember Curran making a positive contribution for us. Scored a cracking goal IIRC.
 
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