That was the FA Cup. I was working down south and went to the replay of that game, which we lost 1-0. I only remember
a) We were dreadful
b) It was foggy and miserable
c) You could change ends at half time in front of the main stand. There were sliding gates to stop people crossing the tunnel as the players were on their way in our out. You don’t get that at Wembley.
When people complain about how we’re suffering at the moment, it’s comparative bliss at the moment and after that 1978/79 season, it was about to get a whole lot worse….
I went to the first game, a 0-0 draw at the Lane
a) we were dreadful
b) it was wet miserable and cold
c) I was living in Farnley (Leeds) at the time and I'd persuaded a mate that lived in Beeston (Leeds) to give us a lift.
On the way home, no sooner had his car broken down on Penistone Road, by the traffic lights at Salt Box Lane, than it started snowing. Fortunately my mate was in the AA who turned up about an hour later by which time there was a good covering of snow on the ground. It didn't take the AA man very long to ascertain that the car was going nowhere that evening but as my mate had relay, they would get him home.
The first AA man then rowed us to Junction 36 and abandoned us on the bridge over the motorway promising that a low loader would turn up to complete the journey, and true to his word, an hour or so later, one did. By now the covering of snow had grown to a depth of 2 or 3 inches and it was continuing to fall in giant flakes.
Unfortunately the AA relay membership only entitled my mate to get his car and all his passengers dropped off at his house in Beeston, which he did at about 1.00am, and my brother in law and myself then had to walk the four mile back to Farnley in a blizzard. By the time we arrived home two hours later there was more than 6 inches of snow on the ground.
Please don't talk to me about miserable times watching the Blades because after that season it was about to get a whole lot worse.
Oh, and by the way, we lost the replay