Of a certain age…..

[Ghostsofmylife]

I love the fact that Chris Wilder name checks Trenton Wiggan, in the Dean Henderson unveiling clip.

I’m assuming it is just a niche, Blade of a certain age reference, rather than Trenton still holding some SUFC speed record…. Anyone know?

I do remember Trenton, as he went to the same Junior School as me & my abiding memory of him is the schools sports day where he was on the last lap of the “round the playing field” relay.

Starting the last lap some 100 metres behind the rest of the field the excitement amongst us kid as he overhauled the other runners. He powered round that field as if he if had rockets.

Remembering Trenton ( a bit part striker ~30 apps, less than 5 goals) put me in mind of another bit part striker.

A certain Richard Cadette ( 1 season, ~ 30 apps, less than 10 goals.)

My abiding memory of him is that; was he not the Blades first foray into Fan-engagement?

That is, wasn’t he the very first fan funded signing via the Blades Revival Fund? Surely only someone of a certain age & very into the Blades would remember this?

Did not Dave Bassett when he joined get rid of Richard Cadette in order to fund a certain Brian Deane… Maybe my memory is playing tricks with me.

But this also go me thinking into the Blades Revival Fund – Can anyone recall any other players specifically paid for out of the Blades Revival Fund.

I’m guess Mendonca, Duffield and /or Glyn Hodges may have been. Anyone know for sure?

 

[coaxingstar71]

Firstly, congratulations Ghostsofmylife for finally putting your head above the parapet after being a member for nearly 2 years!

I saw Trenton play a few times and I recall him being very fast but not a very good footballer.

Think you're right that the Cadette signing was supposedly funded from the Blades Revival Fund. Can't recall if any other players were, but I seem to recall perhaps something similar when Hodges signed, at least I remember the club scraping the money together to buy him.

Nowadays we can afford to throw about £45m on a few players.... somebody pinch me.

 

[Droppingwell]

I thought Hodges was the first, think Blades Revival contributed around half his fee. I think Richard Cadette was a Billy McEwan signing which means he will have been signed prior to Blades Revival?

A long time ago so I may be totally wrong!

 

[Melbourne Blade]

I once decorated my Easter egg at school as Trenton Wigan. I'd have been around 7 years old. Teachers had no idea who he was (in Sheffield btw) but to be fair it was a crudely painted red & white egg with a bit of a black face

 

[Sheffsteel]

I went to The Roxy night club with 2000 others when Reg Brearley announced the Red Ribbon transfer fund scheme, think that’s when it started.
I’m sure in the later years some of the Blades fund money was sometimes used to pay a portion of the transfer salary, not the the whole lot.

Regards Trenton Wigan’s remember him being built like Christian Nade, thick set, muscly and very fast. His decision making seemed poor though.
Saw him score in the County Cup final at Hillsboro in 1980 when we won, Sabella scored the other in his last match for us.

 

[Topplayersleave]

I went to secondary school with Trenton for a while.
A man amongst boys, bigger and stronger than most of the teachers.

The School football team was magnificent and the tactics were tremendous.
Roll the ball to Trenton from the kick off, Trenton would run 50 yards with it
1-0
Win the ball back from their kick off, give it to Trenton, who'd run 50 yards with it, 2- 0
And so on, and so on until it reached about 17-0

 

[BushBlade]

We had a raffle to raise funds to buy Hodges.

 

[Aganarama]

We had a raffle to raise funds to buy Hodges.

Wasn't it a Grand National themed raffle?

 

[BushBlade]

Wasn't it a Grand National themed raffle?

That rings a bell but tbh I can’t really remember. I did buy some tickets.

 

[Aganarama]

That rings a bell but tbh I can’t really remember. I did buy some tickets.

Just googled it and found an AFC Wimbledon interview with Hodges on YouTube. The raffle was mentioned. As was Hodges himself buying loads of tickets from fans on nights out in town!!!

About 50 mins in if interested:

 

[Joe Boltons Left Foot]

My increasingly hazy memory may be playing tricks but didnt Cadette join us with a reputation as an out and out goal scorer and frankly other than the odd occassion didnt really look much like that when i saw him. Did he score the winner in that 5-4 game against Southend when we were 3 or 4 up and then they equalised late on. Please ignore if i have dreamed all of the above

 

[bypassblade]

Droppingwell I was of the opinion that Hodges was then 1st funded by Revival fans money, certain Cadette came from Sarfend and if honest wasn't that good.

 

[georgebernardshaw]

All this stuff is a bit too recent for me....

 

[Blade1959]

My increasingly hazy memory may be playing tricks but didnt Cadette join us with a reputation as an out and out goal scorer and frankly other than the odd occassion didnt really look much like that when i saw him. Did he score the winner in that 5-4 game against Southend when we were 3 or 4 up and then they equalised late on. Please ignore if i have dreamed all of the above

That was John Francis against Brighton 1989.

My increasingly hazy memory may be playing tricks but didnt Cadette join us with a reputation as an out and out goal scorer and frankly other than the odd occassion didnt really look much like that when i saw him. Did he score the winner in that 5-4 game against Southend when we were 3 or 4 up and then they equalised late on. Please ignore if i have dreamed all of the above

My increasingly hazy memory may be playing tricks but didnt Cadette join us with a reputation as an out and out goal scorer and frankly other than the odd occassion didnt really look much like that when i saw him. Did he score the winner in that 5-4 game against Southend when we were 3 or 4 up and then they equalised late on. Please ignore if i have dreamed all of the above

That was John Francis against Brighton 1989

 

[bypassblade]

It's amazing I can remember all sorts from 60's 70's and such, ask me what happened yesterday & I'm stumped. I went up stairs the other day forgot why went up, came down and shit misen.

 

[Rochdaleblade]

Cadette left us as apparently he was "missing London". The next time I saw him,he was playing for Falkirk at Dundee United. To be fair I think he did score a hat trick.

 

[Joe Boltons Left Foot]

That was John Francis against Brighton 1989.


That was John Francis against Brighton 1989

told you my memory was hazy. i will not make any comment about the similarities between Cadette and Francis. Just to say i have now decided Cadette was even worse than i thought as he didnt even score that goal that was the only one i could remember him scoring

 

[coaxingstar71]

Cadette was definitely the first 'fan' funded player from the Red Ribbon/Revival Fund in 1987. I think BushBlade and Aganarama are right too in that Hodges was part funded by some kind of Grand National raffle around 1990/91, given that he made his debut for us in the rearranged game v Derby County at the end of January 1991 (it was FA Cup 4th Round day) and he crucially scored a last minute winner after Shilton had saved everything up to that point. It was the first win on our run of winning 7 games on the bounce to get us to safety.

 

[Ecco1889]

Can remember him scoring at Blackpool away,1980
Midweek match..lost 2-1
Martin Peters relegation season

 

[northsomersetblade]

My enduring memory of Trenton was him running down the right wing at high only to realise he had left the ball 50 yards behind.

My enduring memory of Richard Cadette was that every time he got the ball at his feet he would have his back to goal, at which point he would freeze and slowly start to sit down on it.

 

[Eskimo]

I remember seeing Cadette in one of his first games away at Birmingham. And at that same match I recall we sang (for me for the first time ) the greasy chip butty song (magnet).

 

[I should coco]

I remember seeing Cadette in one of his first games away at Birmingham. And at that same match I recall we sang (for me for the first time ) the greasy chip butty song (magnet).

Space Cadette was signed by us in 1987.

The first time I remember the GCB was Notts Co away in 84/85, so either:

• you didn't get to many aways
• you got your years wrong
• your mum was right all along that your ears needed washing ("you could grow potatoes in there").

 

[LE3blade]

my memories of cadette, basically being utter crap, pretty sure this was bettered or worsened by having the unbelievable shite of nicky johns being in goal

seem to remember trenton scoring twice against chessy , being 2-0 up and drawing 2-2, back then we never seemed able to beat them home or away

 

[Sheffsteel]

I can hardly remember Cadette, my mind has gone a virtual blank when I think back to his games for us.
When I come up with a memory I’m finding that I’m visualising Francis Joseph instead.
Joseph arrived a year later, another black skinned ex Brentford player who also hardly played for us and was quickly shipped out.
I think I remember a night game away at Port Vale, think we won 4-3 and they were up near the top too with Joseph scoring for us, brilliant match.

 

[Silent Blade]

Cadette was definitely the first 'fan' funded player from the Red Ribbon/Revival Fund in 1987. I think BushBlade and Aganarama are right too in that Hodges was part funded by some kind of Grand National raffle around 1990/91, given that he made his debut for us in the rearranged game v Derby County at the end of January 1991 (it was FA Cup 4th Round day) and he crucially scored a last minute winner after Shilton had saved everything up to that point. It was the first win on our run of winning 7 games on the bounce to get us to safety.

Correct that Cadette was the first Blades Revival signing.

Hodges' debut was the 2-0 defeat at Man City (Vinny Jones sent off). His home debut was against Derby

 

[Silent Blade]

seem to remember trenton scoring twice against chessy , being 2-0 up and drawing 2-2, back then we never seemed able to beat them home or away

You are thinking of the home game against Huddersfield ( 29 min 18 secs in below video). Trenton assisted the 1st goal scored by Hatton and he headed in our 2nd. Steve Kindon came on sub for Huddersfield to chorus of "Fat Bastard! Fat Bastard" but he then silenced our fans by scoring both goals for Huddersfield

 

[Sithblade]

 

[Eskimo]

Space Cadette was signed by us in 1987.

The first time I remember the GCB was Notts Co away in 84/85, so either:

• you didn't get to many aways
• you got your years wrong
• your mum was right all along that your ears needed washing ("you could grow potatoes in there").

None of those. Well maybe a few Maris pipers in the luggoles.

 

[Camden Blade]

I remember seeing Trenton Wiggan and Gary Brazil in the chippy at the bottom of London Road late one night after a midweek game. It may even have been a Friday night friendly against Leeds. Can't remember. But anyway that's my abiding memory of the pair of em. Gary Brazil looked nearly as young as I was then.

 

[benn5712]

Correct that Cadette was the first Blades Revival signing.

Hodges' debut was the 2-0 defeat at Man City (Vinny Jones sent off). His home debut was against Derby

Bit scary that one. Citeh yobs battering at a big steel gate trying to get at us Blades after the match.
Mark Ward had a big part in the citeh attack, very ungracious after on the radio.
Hodges had a chance to score. In on goal as the cross came in, elected to head it downwards easy for the GK.
He said afterwards he was going to control it and shoot but changed his mind. Bad idea he said.