Pitch invasion stories

[JJBlade]

Bury away 1981-82
Keith Edwards equaliser in the last minute

Massive pitch invasion

A couple of police officers directly in front of me and my mate, looked at us and said "don't even try it'.

We jumped over the barriers, landed on the ground, coppers moved in to nick us, and we spun round and run onto the pitch avoiding their desperate clutches.

We walked past them to get back onto the terracing and they just laughed as if to say "I'm too old for this job"

 

[Goodpinchofclough]

Worksop away pre-season about 20 years ago, as it was quicker than walking round the stands to the other side of the ground where the exit was.

Also went to see a 'Fash FC' match if anyone remembers that?
Kids were on playing football on the pitch at HT, so would've been rude not to!

 

[CarlMcBlade]

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

Yeah, I went on after that game and kissed the penalty spot...What a twat.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

I remember as a young lad running on the lane pitch against Peterborough in Division 4. The game was still being played as we all stood on the touch line. Think this was the game that actually clinched the title...My dad wouldn’t let me go to Darlo.

 

[Paisley 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

Think you're conflating two different games there. I went to Plough Lane in March( I think)1991 when Fashanu handled the ball twice in almost identical circumstances, but was only punished for it once, very possibly to his disappointment.

The Selhurst Park game was a shit last game of the next season where we lost 4-0 and Merve the Swerve Day was in goal for us. I had shocking manflu and had to get on a coach at Victoria the next day, which travelled to Glasgow via about ten other towns without us being allowed off the coach. Never again.

 

[Canterbury Blade]

Let’s face it. The real minority at Northampton were those who didn’t go on the pitch. Wherever you sat it was on the pitch at full time. Tho Wilders Dad in tears and the McCabes seemed to stay on the directors area above the tunnel as Wilder conducted a few anthems (missing out the rude words!)…. Ooooo when invading the pitch was innocent Mavis.

 

[ISZA ⚔️]

I ran on at Sixfields and one of my shoes came off when someone stood on the back of my foot and it got lost amongst hundreds of blades. In the moment I had a choice; halt my pitch invasion to find my shoe or continue without it. I continued and was running about for 10 mins with just 1 shoe on before I bumped in to my mate who had grabbed it and had been running around carrying a shoe for ten minutes.

 

[Silent Blade]

The Selhurst Park game was a shit last game of the next season where we lost 4-0 and Merve the Swerve Day was in goal for us. I had shocking manflu and had to get on a coach at Victoria the next day, which travelled to Glasgow via about ten other towns without us being allowed off the coach. Never again.

It was 3-0, Mervyn Day saved a Fashanu penalty near the end

 

[Greenwich Blade]

It was 3-0, Mervyn Day saved a Fashanu penalty near the end

It was a fantastic penalty save; unfortunately Day had previously been to blame for all three Wimbledon goals!

The crossbar breaking shouldn't have made me laugh but it did and still does, especially as the bloke on the PA was getting very wound up and shouting a lot. Then when the bar finally went "snap" he said something like, "Oh thank-you Sheffield United, thank-you very much!"

 

[Maurice Maurice]

Ran on the pitch as a kid in 1971 when we beat Watford 3 nowt and sealed promotion, still remember it vividly. On again a few years later when we had a set to with Derby early doors just before the coppers got in the stadium. That got a bit lairy but we chased them back to the away end. On and off a few times since then for various reasons, can't begin to imagine what a buzz it would be for lads like Dane though, playing in front of a packed house and scoring against the filth for his boyhood team.

 

[KenT]

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

Still got it. At Darlington I jumped on a dinosaurs back in the centre circle.
Weird year that.

 

[TimofeeVee]

Standard end of season fare late 90s, quid a kid, beat Bristol C at home, strolled onto the pitch after, all good humoured.....similar against Burnley around that time...

 

[KenT]

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. Old wooden benches and as you say a great view. My dad God rest his red and white soul ran along the benches banging on the stand side as the goals went in.

 

[FriethBlade]

Think you're conflating two different games there. I went to Plough Lane in March( I think)1991 when Fashanu handled the ball twice in almost identical circumstances, but was only punished for it once, very possibly to his disappointment.

The Selhurst Park game was a shit last game of the next season where we lost 4-0 and Merve the Swerve Day was in goal for us. I had shocking manflu and had to get on a coach at Victoria the next day, which travelled to Glasgow via about ten other towns without us being allowed off the coach. Never again.

Paisley...correct....I was at both games and it was the Selhurst Park one where we all went on the pitch. How do u remember ? Not sure whether it's the amount of ale I had at.both or age !

 

[Pollingtonblade]

It was a fantastic penalty save; unfortunately Day had previously been to blame for all three Wimbledon goals!

The crossbar breaking shouldn't have made me laugh but it did and still does, especially as the bloke on the PA was getting very wound up and shouting a lot. Then when the bar finally went "snap" he said something like, "Oh thank-you Sheffield United, thank-you very much!"

I was there it was like the partridge scene at the fete

 

[Dongivensmademecry]

Happy Memories, a serial offender after a couple of mackesons on the national ….. my mate and me had to jump over Jeff Kings lob at Crewe before it crossed line , got tangled up in the net at Bury when Sir Keith scored late on , ran full length of pitch at Oxford became isolated ended up running down tunnel ,steward opened door and ended up in car park behind stand , and finally got put in a cage at Southend after running on and hugging Tom Heffernan , of all people, only to be let out and on the coach earlier than my mate , demolished his sandwiches, this final one put pay to pitch encroachment for a year or two , had to hide star as “night of shame” emblazoned on front with a picture of invasion against Cardiff at bdtbl , worst outcome other than shitting it at Roots Hall was green stains on my trainers

 

[Jon Bon II]

Ran on the pitch as a kid in 1971 when we beat Watford 3 nowt and sealed promotion, still remember it vividly. On again a few years later when we had a set to with Derby early doors just before the coppers got in the stadium. That got a bit lairy but we chased them back to the away end.

I remember that, now you mention it. We used to go in the Junior Blades pen thing, bottom corner of kop, and when we walked in, we were faced with all these fans brawling and running about on the pitch but the rest of the ground was nearly empty. It was surreal. First match of the season if I remember rightly and first game the 'New South Stand' was used. 1-1 - Keith Eddy pen and Charlie George for them. Jim Brown saved a Bruce Rioch penalty, although I could be wrong.

 

[Maurice Maurice]

I remember that, now you mention it. We used to go in the Junior Blades pen thing, bottom corner of kop, and when we walked in, we were faced with all these fans brawling and running about on the pitch but the rest of the ground was nearly empty. It was surreal. First match of the season if I remember rightly and first game the 'New South Stand' was used. 1-1 - Keith Eddy pen and Charlie George for them. Jim Brown saved a Bruce Rioch penalty, although I could be wrong.

It was completely surreal. We were at the back of the kop, the ground was nearly empty apart from the away end and all of a sudden they swarmed onto the pitch heading in our direction. We all legged it to the front and steamed straight in. I remember one lad grabbing a corner flag and swinging it at them like a mad man then 5 minutes later, having seen them off we were all back in our places like nowt had happened. Great times.

 

[sitwell]

My 18th birthday ,party in the Fleur ,bit of HP in the cemetery next door , legal drink at the Limit ,then jumped over the wall at the Lane at 3 in the morning. 20 of us without a ball ,got ourselves into teams ,ran down the disused old tunnel on John St and acknowledged the empty kop before pretending to play.
Probably the best day of my life.

 

[DaveBassettsgoneonholiday]

From the comfort of the John Street stand I used to enjoy watching the more often than not three quarters empty South Stand gradually fill up towards the end of the last home match of the season.
This was a time when the fences were up at the front of the Kop and I'd watch a steady stream of Blades climb over the wall in to the South Stand and claim one of many empty seats ready for the pitch invasion.