older blades fans and players from the past

[spadge]

i was out working in a place just past bakewell today on a little row of houses in the middle of no where and got talking to one of the old chaps that lived round there. after talking for a while bout different things it came on to where abouts i was from and after mentioning the ecclesfield side of sheffield he said "o so im guessing your a wednesday fan" which i replied never ha,, on this he started to go on about the days when he went to the lane with his dad and how the three sided ground looked with people stood on the cricket pitch in rows watching the match and how our younger generation would have loved to have seen the likes of jimmy hagan, joe shaw etc. We had been stood ages talking about our passion for sheff utd when i realised i could have been on my way home bout half an hour before so i made a quick exit...
it got me thinking though i wunder where the most isolated blade lives and has anyone come across a sheffield united fan living abroad??
obviously i got too much time on my hands lol

 

[Linz]

There's loads of Blades who live abroad who frequent this very site.... and increasingly, there looks to be a whole new raft of exiles joining us. I'd like to think there was no such thing as an isolated Blade any more with the wonders of the interweb.

It's fair to say that as an S8 Blade, I'm definitely not alone in my allegiances in this corner of Sheffield

 

[Escafeld]

On the subject of Blades players from the past there's one old Blade who when he hung up his boots went on to become one of the most successful international football managers ever!

His name? George Raynor, a Wombwell lad, who signed for Utd, his first professional club in 1930 making only one first team appearance, a county cup semi final match against Wednesday during the 31/32 season. He went onto to play for Mansfield, Bury, Rotherham United & Aldershot.

It's as a manager he really made his mark and in Sweden he is feted as a national hero. As their national coach he guided them to the 1948 Olympic gold medal at Wembley, 3rd place in the 1950 World Cup, bronze medal in the 1952 Helsinki Olympic games and then as hosts the Swedish national team reached the World Cup Final in 1958 which they lost to Brazil.

He was knighted by the King of Sweden & in 1959 orchestrated a 3-2 win over England at Wembley which was only the 3rd ever English home defeat.

He went on to manage Juventus & Lazio but never really had a high profile in his home country nor got an credit for his magnificent achievements. His managerial career petered out in England with some low key appointments. Shame really & I think that there should be a place in the Blades Hall of Fame for George because it was the Blades that started him out on his professional football career and we should celebrate our own.

Couple of links here for further reading ..

Sweden to Skegness

George Raynor - Wikipedia

 

[Rich]

I'm in S18. So not very isolated at all.

 

[Bert]

Bert is an Ecclesfeldian.

120 years ago Ecclesfield had a very powerful football team, many of United's early players came from Ecclesfield including the legendary Johnson family.

There you are a short history lesson for you.

 

[silverfox]

Bert is an Ecclesfeldian.

120 years ago Ecclesfield had a very powerful football team, many of United's early players came from Ecclesfield including the legendary Johnson family.

There you are a short history lesson for you.

You sound very old!

May make them all think I'm young!

The wife looked after Harry the junior in an old peoples home many years ago!

 

[Bert]

Bert's grandmother was ill in bed at her Ecclesfield home when United won the FA Cup in 1925. The following week the Ecclesfeldians in the team brought the cup round to her house to show her it.

Yet another interesting anecdote from Bert.

 

[Linz]

Bert's grandmother was ill in bed at her Ecclesfield home when United won the FA Cup in 1925. The following week the Ecclesfeldians in the team brought the cup round to her house to show her it.

Yet another interesting anecdote from Bert.

I have a feeling that you're going to enjoy educating the young 'uns around here

 

[Bert]

Bert's last ever message on BU was when he told Silent about the snooker ball (red) that was chucked at him at Middlesboro' in 1971. Bert had planned to tell of the time when he stood with some Lincoln City supporting friends in the early 80's at The Lane. Unitedites were chucking bricks at us from outside the ground. Bert....bricked by his own fans!!

 

[silverfox]

Bert's last ever message on BU was when he told Silent about the snooker ball (red) that was chucked at him at Middlesboro' in 1971. Bert had planned to tell of the time when he stood with some Lincoln City supporting friends in the early 80's at The Lane. Unitedites were chucking bricks at us from outside the ground. Bert....bricked by his own fans!!

I remember darts at matches on Uniteds kop....and away at Blackpool and full house bricks there too!

Once saw a policeman take a small hatchet off a Newcastle fan outside the Lane!

Happy days eh?

 

[Bert]

There was the incident when acid was chucked on the Kop in the late 60's.

Bert also saw a lad a few mintues after he had been stabbed in Pond St bus station early 70's.

 

[silverfox]

There was the incident when acid was chucked on the Kop in the late 60's.

Bert also saw a lad a few mintues after he had been stabbed in Pond St bus station early 70's.

We sound such a happy pair!

 

[Jon Bon]

Once saw a policeman take a small hatchet off a Newcastle fan outside the Lane!

What on this earth, apart from the obvious one of splitting a rival fans head open, would one use a small hatchet for..? Chopping up lollipop sticks into..er...smaller lollipop sticks perchance..?

Having said that, I remember my mum having a small (tiny) meat cleaver which never ever made it out of the kitchen drawer. Maybe I should have taken that to a match and right now, someone, somewhere on a fans forum could be typing ' I once saw a policeman take a tiny meat cleaver off a Blades fan at Bramall Lane"...

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

A full-on Machete at Millwall in the mid 70s, confiscated by a very brave or stupid member of HMs Met! I was moving quickly in the opposite direction along with a few other young Blades!

 

[dingledog]

I went to Ecclesfield and it was pretty lonely being a Blade. I left in 1977 and Simon Stainrod was in the same class as me.

 

[spadge]

yes heard about johnson family grandparents told me about them, thanks to the grandparents that i am a season ticket holder at gods country ha alot of my friends support the sunday league team across the city but what can you do, anyone no where you can get a good video clip of jimmy hagan or joe shaw?

 

[travellingblade]

I remember the bricks at Blackpool.

March 1967, United played Blackpool away in the old 1st Division and we beat them 1-0, I think, which virtually relegated them from the old 1st Division (they've never since returned).

It was the same day as the Grand National, and the day before at home there was the usual sweepstake and I pulled out this rank outsider called "Foinavon". Anyway on the coach to Blackpool, yet another sweepstake and I pulled out "Foinavon" again. My mates convinced me that it must have been fate so I went to Stan Mortensen's betting shop and put 2s/6d each way on this nag, at 200/1.

Off we went to the game, which was followed by "the bricks", which we escaped, just, and when we were on the coach we asked "who won the National?" and of course it was Foinavon. So me and my mates got off the coach and shot round to the bookies and picked up my winnings, "Loads of money!"

I wasn't very popular with the other travellers, until we stopped at a pub somewhere on the top of the Pennines, pre M62. You could say "the drinks were on me!".

Never watched a game at Blackpool since.

 

[Kendal]

It's fair to say that as an S8 Blade, I'm definitely not alone in my allegiances in this corner of Sheffield

How things have changed! That's where I grew up in the 80s - nearly everyone smelt of pork at that time. At scouts with a young (and extremely arrogant) master Wilkinson, I was the only Blade apart from the leader! Made 'United' v 'Wednesday' kick arounds rather one-sided. We'd only win by 4 or 5 School (Abbey Lane & Abbeydale) wasn't much better either.

I keep being reminded of how old I am these days. My Parents got married on Bramall Lane, but were exiled until I was 8, when we moved back, just in time to get to most home games in the 4th division. The only game I actually remember was against Port Vale - I think we won promotion that day. All a bit vague, seeing as its nearly 30 years ago. I never saw TC play for united, but I met him a few times when he came to school.
Do I count as an old(er) blade or not?

 

[Linz]

How things have changed! That's where I grew up in the 80s - nearly everyone smelt of pork at that time.

I think it's pretty much a Blades strong-hold now. I went to Mundella/Norton County and Newfield... there used to be a mass exodus from Newfield at around 3pm when the Blades were playing away on a Tuesday night. The amount of dentist appointments school thought we had were unbelievable.

Do I count as an old(er) blade or not?

Looking at the ones we have, I'm not sure you want to be

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Do I count as an old(er) blade or not?

Mmmmm, what are your views, opinions, verdict on piss bags??

 

[SheepdipBlade]

it got me thinking though i wunder where the most isolated blade lives and has anyone come across a sheffield united fan living abroad??

For what it's worth, we live on a narrowboat - and have lived in the arse end of the Somerset Levels (414 miles round trip to BDTBL) the arse end of Worcestershire (220 miles round trip to BDTBL) and now live in the arse end of Notts (on the doorstep ) - Just got trees, fields and a psychotic collie around here.

And was once on a bike trip to Poland and set up our (small) tent next to a bloody great marquee on a site in Krakow. Hung my "Wednedsday - You are Sheffield's Weakest Link" shirt over the fuel tank, and the bloke from the marquee came wandering by - looked at the shirt - looked at me and said - "You fill up my senses". 1000 miles away, and we pitch next to a Blade!

 

[S64 Blade]

I've come across a few Blades shirts on holiday before. I remember one year in Crete spotting about 15 united shirts throughout the holiday! Although i'm guessing there was some kind of trip from Sheffield staying there.

 

[Mad Mick]

There was the incident when acid was chucked on the Kop in the late 60's.

Bert also saw a lad a few mintues after he had been stabbed in Pond St bus station early 70's.

Yeh I was there when the acid was chucked. I'm sure it was a County Cup game.
I also remember when rival supporters came on the cop and there was no trouble. Blades v Liverpool in the early to mid 60's. Many of their supporters were comedians, we did nowt but laugh. Not a hint of trouble.