Pitch invasion stories

[GVBlade]

At Northampton (promotion day) I had asked a kind Northampton fan to buy me a ticket in with the home fans, as I had made a late decision to drive there suspecting it may be the day we got promoted. I sat there fairly quietly, until Fleck scored, and near to me 3 fellow Blades got up and rushed onto the pitch. I tried to follow, but was too slow, a steward blocked my path, and I had to remain amongst the home fans for the remainder of the game, putting up with a lot of awkward stares. At the final whistle there was no way that steward was stopping me though.
Happy days.

 

[Northyorksblade]

At Northampton (promotion day) I had asked a kind Northampton fan to buy me a ticket in with the home fans, as I had made a late decision to drive there suspecting it may be the day we got promoted. I sat there fairly quietly, until Fleck scored, and near to me 3 fellow Blades got up and rushed onto the pitch. I tried to follow, but was too slow, a steward blocked my path, and I had to remain amongst the home fans for the remainder of the game, putting up with a lot of awkward stares. At the final whistle there was no way that steward was stopping me though.
Happy days.

Nobody attacked or taunted opposing players, just joy at being promoted. Northampton fans remained behind to applaud the fans. No one contacted newspapers to complain about their treatment or our invasion of the pitch. Just a joyous, joyous day.
How times have changed.
Ps Forest haven't actually achieved anything yet!

 

[BiggerBladeThanThou]

I was on the hill that day. As soon as the home end gates opened I ran a gauntlet of Northampton fans streaming out spitting and clipping me as I ran through.

My name is BiggerBladeThanThou and I’m a pitch invader.

 

[KenT]

At Northampton (promotion day) I had asked a kind Northampton fan to buy me a ticket in with the home fans, as I had made a late decision to drive there suspecting it may be the day we got promoted. I sat there fairly quietly, until Fleck scored, and near to me 3 fellow Blades got up and rushed onto the pitch. I tried to follow, but was too slow, a steward blocked my path, and I had to remain amongst the home fans for the remainder of the game, putting up with a lot of awkward stares. At the final whistle there was no way that steward was stopping me though.
Happy days.

I watched as my oldest ran on at the final whistle next to the fan with the matchball up his shirt. I then took a leisurely stroll down the stand and stood amongst tearful blades of my generation. Bit different from 82 v peterborough where I ran as fast as my eldest did at Northampton and entered the john Street changing rooms and somehow finished up with a bath plug
As you do.

 

[diode_blade]

I watched as my oldest ran on at the final whistle next to the fan with the matchball up his shirt. I then took a leisurely stroll down the stand and stood amongst tearful blades of my generation. Bit different from 82 v peterborough where I ran as fast as my eldest did at Northampton and entered the john Street changing rooms and somehow finished up with a bath plug
As you do.

Did it fit your bath plughole though.
We need to know....

 

[Deleted member 1486]

I ran on the pitch once. I fell over, then one of the opposition players stepped over me. I felt my life flash before my eyes. I could have died! I briefly saw the light at the end of the tunnel. It was just all so traumatic for me.

You know the opening scene in Saving Private Ryan? With the bullets whizzing past? And people getting their heads blown off? It was EXACTLY like that, except with feet instead of bullets.

I've had PTSD ever since.

 

[BLADE OF GRASS]

Went on the pitch with my dad as a 9 year old at Leicester and can remember a sea of fluorescent shirts and Dave Bassett being held aloft and being stripped of his clothes (side note* dad asked in the previous weeks wether we wanted to go to Leicester or Blackburn as we couldn't afford both ).
Also used to encroach on to the running track through the open gates at the bottom of the kop every time we scored in div one in the early 90s , vividly remember doing it against those scabby twats when we managed to get our first win of the season in December.

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

I ran on the pitch once. I fell over, then one of the opposition players stepped over me. I felt my life flash before my eyes. I could have died! I briefly saw the light at the end of the tunnel. It was just all so traumatic for me.

You know the opening scene in Saving Private Ryan? With the bullets whizzing past? And people getting their heads blown off? It was EXACTLY like that, except with feet instead of bullets.

I've had PTSD ever since.

U OK hun?

Pm me xoxo

 

[Oreyt]

Mate was at Wolverhampton Uni mid 90s. His house was near Molineux and we had to walk back past it after clubbing. For some reason there was a door open. It might have just been one of the corners - would that have had an unfinished corner at that point (apologies, I was slightly enhanced at the time)? But all the lights were on as well as the sprinklers. Had a little wander on the pitch, got wet, then buggered off. Very strange. Didn't seem to be a soul around.

(Pretty sure I didn't imagine this, but it IS a possibility)

 

[Greenwich Blade]

My dad was anti-invasion of any pitch; if we were watching cricket on the telly and a fan dared to run on the sacred 22-yard strip he would shout, "Get off the wicket!" No amount of pointing out they couldn't hear him was wasted as he muttered darkly about holy ground. At the end of that fateful game against Walsall in 1981 his cupped-hands hearty booing was aimed as much at swarming Blades on the pitch as it was the under-achieving players. As a result of this and an inbuilt fear that my dad would disown me if I ever got arrested for encroachment, I have never invaded the pitch. Apart from once...

The day after Ched was sent down, that feeling of "Sheffield United are going to fuck it up again" sank into the depths of my stomach, even though that day against MK Dons we could have gained promotion if results went our way. In the pub prior to kick-off I felt so pessimistic I reckoned we would never escape League One, to the point where I said to everyone that if we went up that afternoon "I'll be on the pitch". Without raking over shitty old fucking miserable coals we all know how that day, and indeed that season, finished up.

I therefore maintained for every one of the following five seasons that whenever we did get out of that fucking division, I would be on the pitch regardless of when and where we did it. Back in 1994 I worked for a telemarketing agency in Banbury where my outstanding work in booking appointments for Grant Thornton was rewarded with a pair of shades with the word "PROMOTION" emblazoned across each temple. That day at Northampton in 2017 I had those shades in my bag but was firmly told by everyone around me not to tempt fate by putting them on prematurely. After Fleck's goal and injury time ticked away, the bloke sitting next to me announced that at last I could put those shades on, and so with crappy plastic sunglasses balanced precariously on my ski-slope nose, I picked my way to the front and at the final whistle hopped over the hoardings and onto the pitch with a multitude of other delirious Unitedites, saying over and over to myself as I ran towards the middle, "Sorry dad!"

Despite feeling I had good reason to break the law, I never told him and remained happy in the knowledge that despite having a Facebook account, my dad never quite got to grips enough with modern technology to spot the following photo, taken by the legend that is Steve Cryan, emblazoned across my FB profile as I made my way back to the stand when all the excitement had died down.

I've never gone on the pitch since - probably never will either.

 

[SuperBobbyHatton]

I ran on years ago when i was about 11 or 12 and Porterfield was In charge. Jumped over the hoardings but got scared when I saw some coppers and jumped back over. Dont think i even made it over the touchline. Wild times!

 

[Karaoke Blade]

I ran on from the Bramall Lane End when we beat Watford to gain promotion in 1971. Me and my Dad used to stand at the front of the BLLT in those days and at the end of the match a few ran past us over the fence on to the pitch and I looked up at my Dad, he nodded and off I went. Ended up in a crowd in front of the old JSS. The players managed to get off the pitch but then reappeared in the JSS.
Probably the best day of my childhood.
I've never been on the pitch since.

 

[Billyblade]

Went on the pitch at Leicester.
Ruffled Dave Bassetts hair and told him I loved him.
Don't know whether the most astonishing part about telling a man I loved him was the fact he was only wearing pants or that he was a cockney

 

[WORKSOPBLADE]

Never seen as many on our pitch as the Bruce Springteen gigs

 

[FriethBlade]

I went on from the John Street when we beat Forest just before Xmas in the famous Basset season. That was a top pitch invasion and wed only won a league game.

The other time I went on was away at Selhurst Park, it was the game where something funny went on as Fashanu deliberately handled the ball for some reason. Memory is going but I think it was last day of season and our fans broke the cross bar

 

[Karaoke Blade]

I went on from the John Street when we beat Forest just before Xmas in the famous Basset season. That was a top pitch invasion and wed only won a league game.

The other time I went on was away at Selhurst Park, it was the game where something funny went on as Fashanu deliberately handled the ball for some reason. Memory is going but I think it was last day of season and our fans broke the cross bar

EFL proposing a retrospective points deduction already.

 

[FriethBlade]

Was saying to a mate they need to ban any fan who goes in the pitch...but not retrospectively.

Difference back then is nobody was going for the players

 

[bornablade]

Blades fans at Leicester 1990 spent more time on the pitch than Lys Mousset has managed in the past 2 years.

 

[Terry Starlight]

Used to work as a steward at BDTBL about 14 years ago when I was a student. Lunchtime kick off v Birmingham, blades 2-1 up and win a set piece of the penalty variety. I'm sat pitch side in the corner between the family stand and away end. PK converted and some bloke in the corner of my eye jumps the hoarding and gets on the pitch. All other stewards shouting at me to go get him, but I'm wearing slick black shoes, the pitch has just been watered at HT and the bloke is about twice my size. I do fuck all cos haven't been trained to deal with this shit nor were I getting paid enough. Coppers went and got him and I never worked pitch side again.

 

[djbaldken]

I've only ever been on the pitch twice. Once on that fateful day at Darlington The second time was back in the late 70s. I was the resident dj at the Windmill nightclub on the Miller's ground.
One night I pulled a rather buxom wench and at the end of the evening we took our leave down the back stairway into Millmoor. We climbed over the concrete fencing and onto the pitch at the Tivoli end. It was a warm night and we both divested ourselves of all clothing. There on the penalty spot we consummated our new found relationship.
So my claim to fame is I 've scored from the penalty spot at a league football ground.
Fond memories, sadly not to be repeated.

I wouldn't be able to get over the fence these days.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Nobody attacked or taunted opposing players, just joy at being promoted. Northampton fans remained behind to applaud the fans. No one contacted newspapers to complain about their treatment or our invasion of the pitch. Just a joyous, joyous day.
How times have changed.
Ps Forest haven't actually achieved anything yet!

Yeah, that pitch invasion at the city ground will look pretty daft, if Florist don’t beat Hudds.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Blades fans at Leicester 1990 spent more time on the pitch than Lys Mousset has managed in the past 2 years.

Was in the upper tier at Leicester that day and was so jealous of the fans swarming onto the pitch...But what a view, got to see that fabulous pitch invasion in all it’s glory. Such a shame we didn’t have camera phones then.

 

[Northyorksblade]

Was in the upper tier at Leicester that day and was so jealous of the fans swarming onto the pitch...But what a view, got to see that fabulous pitch invasion in all it’s glory. Such a shame we didn’t have camera phones then.

Me too. One of the great days. Even with being escorted to and from the ground by police. A bit of over kill in those days

 

[Eels]

Went on the pitch after Coventry penalty shoot out. Took about ten of us to pick Allan Kelly up.

 

[Greenwich Blade]

Was in the upper tier at Leicester that day and was so jealous of the fans swarming onto the pitch...But what a view, got to see that fabulous pitch invasion in all it’s glory. Such a shame we didn’t have camera phones then.

Me too.

 

[HighfieldBlade]

Even the SS (StadionStaffel) couldn't hold me back in occupied France

 

[Bladesman]

I ran on the pitch once. I fell over, then one of the opposition players stepped over me. I felt my life flash before my eyes. I could have died! I briefly saw the light at the end of the tunnel. It was just all so traumatic for me.

You know the opening scene in Saving Private Ryan? With the bullets whizzing past? And people getting their heads blown off? It was EXACTLY like that, except with feet instead of bullets.

I've had PTSD ever since.

You should sell your story to The Sun.

 

[raul]

6 years ago, right about now.

 

[GodricBlade]

Darlington. Like everyone else.
Bramall Lane - can’t remember who the game was against but it will have been end of season about 1981/82. I’d have been 13/14 years old.
I dug up a bit of the turf in the centre circle & planted in the garden. I kept that little bit of grass looking lovely for the following 5/6 years until I left home. It could still be there for all I know as my Mum moved out a few years later.

 

[Nearly Jimmy Hagan]

Leicester promotion 1990, could only get tickets in the Leicester end. When we scored the first it was clear many Blades were behind that goal as well & there was a big move to stand together. On to the pitch at full time, only time I’ve done it, but think it was only made an offence from 1991?