Old United Pubs

[Bert]

The Knight family lived at top of Thornborough Road, just below Brian (the Blade) Thackeray. I lived just round corner on Myrtle.
Lol was very much part of my growing up and many a time he'd come past our house with his mam's poodle calling for his morning paper. Hungover, black eye, cuts and bruises, growling, with a poodle....
morning lol! "Urgggh" came the reply usually....
One of his favourite ploys was going in Midhill Club on East Bank Rd, scutching the cockleseller, nicking his basket and distributing shellfish to all us kids hanging about on Myrtle Rd.
Coppers then arrived asking us if we'd seen lol.....No officer, not seen him. Would you like a cockle constable?
Lots of Lol Knight stories, a character.

Bert's best friend who was in the CID told Bert that on one occasion they'd arrested Lol and had to apply the truncheon to his head but it had little effect, he still kept on battling.

 

[Lane Ender]

Was Richard Stacey the big set guy with blonde curly hair and a red face. If its the guy Im thinking of he was a great bloke ,actually got on with all the bouncers there Kilby ,Dixey ex Belfast bad boy ,big Joe who followed Beechy everywhere ,had some real experiences and glad they were on our side. Also knew and worked with quite a few from the Limit , Gary green ,Channer ,the Macleans ,Alex was a good friend ,lived on Park Hill flats and drove a yellow Rolls Royce that never got touched even parked at the flats. Trinny was a piece of work when he got heated. the only one I never liked was Cliff Andrews ,pig though. As for West St and Limit being pig territory ,not sure about that ,maybe down to the Beehive but as soon as they got to the Mailcoach that was it.

Some names coming out there pal.

 

[Silent Blade]

Was Richard Stacey the big set guy with blonde curly hair and a red face. If its the guy Im thinking of he was a great bloke .

Yes, he is bald now! My ex-girlfriend called him a tomato face and he didnt like it!

 

[John Street West Terrace]

West Street was most definitely pig territory in the mid 80's mate . For the remainder of the 80's though Blades used to go up there virtually every weekend pig hunting . By the turn of the decade being a pig up there was hazardous to their health. Throughout the 90's the Blades basically took the piss up there even though our oinking friends still claimed West Street was ' theirs ' .

I certify this CHL had more than a few run ins with some oinks in the West St , changed from around 87 onwards

 

[Sean Thornton]

I certify this CHL had more than a few run ins with some oinks in the West St , changed from around 87 onwards

When some of them made the Nursery as their headquarters.

Not the best move they ever made.

 

[John Street West Terrace]

I remember Pursey stopping halfway through Borstal Breakout I think and asking everyone to look on the floor for a ring or something ,soon as it was found they launched straight back into it and beer and gob went everywhere. Mad mad night .

Fuck me I miss all the best gigs

 

[John Street West Terrace]

When some of them made the Nursery as their headquarters.

Not the best move they ever made.

Think they needed there beer compass re-calibrating there ST and there would have been a few who would have offered the hard reset

 

[coolhandluke]

When some of them made the Nursery as their headquarters.

Not the best move they ever made.

They've never been the sharpest fuckin tools in the box

 

[Sean Thornton]

They've never been the sharpest fuckin tools in the box

They kept going back though.......

 

[coolhandluke]

I certify this CHL had more than a few run ins with some oinks in the West St , changed from around 87 onwards

Absolute bedlam up there at times . Land in the wrong pub at the right time and chaos was sure to follow .

 

[coolhandluke]

They kept going back though.......

Especially with their London bum chums

 

[metalblade]

When I was 17 I was doing a course at Sheffield Tech and met a guy who lived on the Manor . We got on like a house on fire right from the off , mainly because we both had the same passions - the Blades and Rock 'n Roll .

A few weeks after getting to know him , he invited me to his cousins 21st birthday party at the Manor . I got there at 7:30 and everyone was nice and friendly but around 8:15 two family members started having an argument. Within minutes the place was like a fucking Wild West saloon , with bottles and chairs flying everywhere as other family members joined in and took sides . It went on for about 20 mins. until the landlord managed to get everyone out and shut the place down.

My local pubs weren't exactly salubrious but I'd never seen anything like that - and still haven't till this day .

Never saw the landlord of the Manor Hotel sort any trouble out he left that to the landlady, it was a brave soul who would argue the toss with her. The night Troggy and his mate fat Dave walked in with a nanny goat on a lead was hilarious she run em out. Saturday disco nights were lively, a black mariah full of coppers would sit waiting in the car park for the 10 o'clock kick off. They were never disappointed.

 

[John Street West Terrace]

Absolute bedlam up there at times . Land in the wrong pub at the right time and chaos was sure to follow .

Ooooohhh yes !

 

[Canterbury Blade]

Reading all this is showing to me the end of a culture. A culture I grew up with and am so proud to have witnessed.
No one has mentioned The Cross Guns which surprises me given it’s Blade credentials. Didn’t a well known Sheffield boxer live in an upper flat next door when he wasn’t in Strangeways?
Played footer for them for a few games in the mid 80’s, but spent more time watching the Hermitage Sunday lunch entertainment (anyone else remember ‘the beast’ who sat in front of the stage?
Remember when The Hermitage windows got put in by the pigs in the late 80s on a Saturday night. Can’t remember where we had been away but the only face at the time around was Boniek (he did look like him too) and typical pig bullying ‘show of strength’.
As for The Tramway didn’t a police horse go in one day?
Limit was a pig haunt in the late 80’s and Leadmill more Blades but that was my taste of club. I think most hoolies went to the townie clubs. Recall Roxys was a bit piggie due to Barry or ‘X’ to his mates being on the door.
Just reading this thread reminds me of so many times, places and people. Hope the young uns sample what’s left.

 

[metalblade]

I have never met Mick. He got on well with Richard Stacey who was the bouncer at Locarno, Josephines and other nightclubs. On the day after Mick's death, Richard came round my house to tell me what had happened. Mick came home with a friend of his after having been to an all night party. He got into an argument with his girlfriend who then picked up a Bowie knife that belonged to Mick and stabbed him in the chest which was enough to kill him. Some months later I was in Richard's car in the city centre, he parked his car in Commercial Street as he wanted to have a word with someone in the cafe. To his surprise, Mick's girlfriend was working in the cafe and she did her best to ignore him. I could see them from Richard's car and it was an awkward moment.

I have known Alan Kilby for a long time and I get on well with his two daughters (all three are in my FB friends list). I have met Joe quite a few times.

Alan use to bring his car to us for repairs about 1980. On one occasion he came in after just losing a championship bout, one of the panel beaters was asking how he went on when told Alan had lost he said what a wanker forgetting Alan could lip read haha his next ten minutes were taken up with wrestling lessons before it ended with a body slam on the workshop floor. Good job he was only playing

 

[Keen Blade]

The Albion , London Road , a cut above

 

[Jonboy60]

The scaredest I've ever been in my life is when I had a night out and my boss from work. He was with his pal Lol who at first seemed good fun. We went to some nightclub in Chesterfield. About midnight my boss gave me his car keys and got a taxis home, telling me to make sure Lol got back home. When Lol discovered Bruce missing he went apeshit saying Bruce had pulled and fucked off with some woman. The journey back to Lols house off Myrtle Rd was scarey, with him threatening me for lying, but not half as scary as him not let me leave the house to supposedly pick up Bruce. He finallyfell asleep about 4am. As Lol had taken the car keys off me, I ran almost all the way home to Lowedges. When I saw Bruce on Monday morning I was expecting to get a bollocking for leaving his car,he just laughed saying Lol Kinght can be a bit difficult at times. Fucking difficult????? I'm seventy and I still have nightmares about it

That’s lol.

 

[Jonboy60]

The Indus. Next to the Classic cinema.

Wasn’t there an Indian called the gambit, just on commercial st.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Wasn’t there an Indian called the gambit, just on commercial st.

Gambit was in the (New) Avengers but I don’t remember an Indian restaurant by that name tbh? Not saying there wasn’t, but it doesn’t ring a bell with me.

I went to the Indus once. It was enough! (Nothing wrong really, but it was basic fare compared to some). My favourites back then were probably Shujon on West street and the rather excellent Mogal Rooms, in Dore. (Which was called “The Dore Grill” up until recently. Now it’s “Joe and Delores” apparently. It’s far from Eastern exotic spicy food. It’s for old folk who like their meat well done and veg with the life boiled out of them).

 

[grafikhaus]

No one has mentioned The Cross Guns which surprises me given it’s Blade credentials. Didn’t a well known Sheffield boxer live in an upper flat next door when he wasn’t in Strangeways?

The Cross Guns (Sharrow Lane - near London Road) was usually full of ne'er do wells so me and a couple of mates fitted in perfectly for pre-match drinks! It later became 'Tuxedo Blue' (even rougher) and, towards the end, one of those waste-of-council-taxpayers-money 'SureStart' places.



Not strictly footie-related, but in the early eighties, you were turfed out of boozers at around 3 in the afternoon and had to wait until 5.30 till they opened again. No problem. Straight down to La Plata 'Social' Club on Walkley Lane (still going). Membership requirements were sketchy to say the least - I once signed in as 'Mickey Mouse'. By half-five, the pubs were open again so we often carried on at The John O'Gaunt on Blackstock Road, but that's a whole new set of stories..

 

[cahill]

West Street, including the Limit,was a pig stronghold throughout the mid to late 80's . I remember a crawl me and a couple of mates used to do on Saturdays after the match which consisted of Berlin's, The Dove and Rainbow, Wig and Pen, Golden Ball and then onto West Street . It could get very lively on there late on !

Anyone remember Barrow Boys ?

Barrow Boys was a bit too convenient for the bus station. Went in one hour before I was due to catch a bus/coach to Manchester early one afternoon and drank 4 pints, thinking nothing of it. By Stocksbridge I was feeling uncomfortable in the bladder area, realising I’d made a mistake, the bus was direct to Manchester with no stops. Top of the Pennines at halfway point I realised I’d have to go, so walked the full length of the bus to ask the driver if we could stop, he refused, I sat back down but soon realised I couldn’t wait. Walked back up and told the driver he’d have to stop. Fortunately he complied. I went round back’of bus and had a long piss with cars passing by continually and all the passengers on the bus glaring at me. I couldn’t have cared less. When you gotta go you gotta go.
Lesson learnt though

 

[Jonboy60]

Gambit was in the (New) Avengers but I don’t remember an Indian restaurant by that name tbh? Not saying there wasn’t, but it doesn’t ring a bell with me.

I went to the Indus once. It was enough! (Nothing wrong really, but it was basic fare compared to some). My favourites back then were probably Shujon on West street and the rather excellent Mogal Rooms, in Dore. (Which was called “The Dore Grill” up until recently. Now it’s “Joe and Delores” apparently. It’s far from Eastern exotic spicy food. It’s for old folk who like their meat well done and veg with the life boiled out of them).

So CB, where is this “Joe Delores”.

 

[Jonboy60]

Gambit was in the (New) Avengers but I don’t remember an Indian restaurant by that name tbh? Not saying there wasn’t, but it doesn’t ring a bell with me.

I went to the Indus once. It was enough! (Nothing wrong really, but it was basic fare compared to some). My favourites back then were probably Shujon on West street and the rather excellent Mogal Rooms, in Dore. (Which was called “The Dore Grill” up until recently. Now it’s “Joe and Delores” apparently. It’s far from Eastern exotic spicy food. It’s for old folk who like their meat well done and veg with the life boiled out of them).

That’s because it was a Chinese restaurant not an indian, my mistake. Underneath what was the old gas board place.

 

[Sean Thornton]

That’s because it was a Chinese restaurant not an indian, my mistake. Underneath what was the old gas board place.

Commercial Street.

 

[Blade.com]

Too many to trawl through but use to go in a pub called The Claymore seem to think it was up near the Fiesta night club. If memory serves there was a bar up some stairs and the bar overlooking the road .Must have walk up and have a look. Most match days now only make the Rutland Arms or Lord Nelson.

 

[Camden Blade]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned the Compleat Angler near West Bar yet. We would drink there before going to Romeo and Juliets. Friday nights would start for a couple of us at the Royal Standard then move onto the Surrey which was the meet up pub for everyone else. Brown Bear, Crucible bar, Dove and Rainbow, Hen and Chicken, Three Tuns, Wig and Pen, Golden Ball, Stonehouse, Compleat Angler, Romeos. Was never a massive fan of West Street. The Stonehouse was a favourite with the big courtyard at the back. Yorkshire grey too and Arundel. Remember going in the Cannon one time and my mate bricking himself beforehand and saying just buy halves in case it kicks off. I spilled some beer and he was going apeshit but I couldn't stop laughing. It wasn't that bad but we left to calm him down. Romeos could be nasty. Limit was great around 87. Was only in a few times. Usually went to the Leadmill. But I took a uni mate o the Limit one Monday wrong night obviously in 1989 and it was empty with a couple of scallywags approaching me a couple of times asking if I had any e as they wanted to buy it. The rave culture and ecstasy changed the music scene. Wasn't my cup of tea. Remember liking Henry's. Isabella's not so much. Sinatra's not so much and for some reason never got into Josephine's. We tried a few times but were refused entry. Maybe we were a bit young and not appropriately dressed. Had to the settle for Barry Noble's Roxy.

 

[Piffle and Tosh]

The Rock Tavern and the Bridge in Dronfield Blades pubs now long gone

 

[Bill Johnson]

The Cross Guns (Sharrow Lane - near London Road) was usually full of ne'er do wells so me and a couple of mates fitted in perfectly for pre-match drinks! It later became 'Tuxedo Blue' (even rougher) and, towards the end, one of those waste-of-council-taxpayers-money 'SureStart' places.

View attachment 44249

Not strictly footie-related, but in the early eighties, you were turfed out of boozers at around 3 in the afternoon and had to wait until 5.30 till they opened again. No problem. Straight down to La Plata 'Social' Club on Walkley Lane (still going). Membership requirements were sketchy to say the least - I once signed in as 'Mickey Mouse'. By half-five, the pubs were open again so we often carried on at The John O'Gaunt on Blackstock Road, but that's a whole new set of stories..

View attachment 44250

Lived on Fentonville Street in the early 80s and the Cross Guns was my local. Decided it probably wasn't for me after one particularly unpleasant Saturday night ruck when the victor was congratulated with a tribute I've never forgotten. "Tha danced on 'is 'eard kid. Tha danced on 'is 'eard"

 

[Jonboy60]

Too many to trawl through but use to go in a pub called The Claymore seem to think it was up near the Fiesta night club. If memory serves there was a bar up some stairs and the bar overlooking the road .Must have walk up and have a look. Most match days now only make the Rutland Arms or Lord Nelson.

Think it sold Mcewans lager, load of shit that was.

 

[Maidenhead]

Too many to trawl through but use to go in a pub called The Claymore seem to think it was up near the Fiesta night club. If memory serves there was a bar up some stairs and the bar overlooking the road .Must have walk up and have a look. Most match days now only make the Rutland Arms or Lord Nelson.

I haven't trawled through either, but as a young un it was always the Whetsone, later to become the Moorfooot and now some sort of restaurant I think.

https://binged.it/2NIiVAd

When I used to drive with my young lad in later years it was the Royal Oak (now the Beer Engine) as I used to park out that side of the ground to get to Eccy Road and away.

https://binged.it/2NINZQx