Randomly bumping into Blades players

[Patrick Suffaux]

Met loads down the years. My favourites were Monty, met him on a night out, nice bloke.

Also Jon Harley, used to serve him quite often whilst working at a petrol station when I was younger. Lovely bloke, had loads of time to talk football.

Met a lot of others from that era, Jags, Chief, Tongey, Paddy etc. All fairly quiet and reserved in person.

 

[Batemoorblade]

I work at Debenhams in meadowhall (Believe me it's as unglamorous as it sounds) so its a typical boring day until..... before me eyes stands the one and only Billy sharp. I was quite excited, he was buying a pair of levis 501 jeans and some baby clothes, so i served him, gave him a bag and went "good luck with the rest of the season mate" he just let out a wry smile and uttered "cheers mate". I think he was quite embarrassed in all honesty. he then comes back about 2 minutes later because I've accidentally left the security tag on his jeans, he set the alarm off and everything. I bet he was thinking "you've done that on purpose just so I would come back" he didn't look too pleased.

 

[BladeFisher]

Home and away v Sparta Prague 1996. Heavy defeat out there. Wasn't pretty.

Did you play in the 0-8 away leg?

 

[Toledo Blade]

You're just going about your business when you look up and your hero is in front of you. For me, I was walking down Limb Valley when I walked past Blades supersub Steve Charles. I was too stunned to say anything.

I worked with Ken Mallender at Nike for quite a few years, he was always telling funny stories of his days at United. I was always looking at him, it was hard not too, really weird to work with an ex Blade player

 

[loyalblade95]

met chris morgan in car park before we played hull in pre season last year and had a bit of a chat outside ground, he asked me how long id been a supporter and who my favorite player was before he went inside, nice bloke to talk too, made time to give photos autographs ect for everyone who came up to him after i did

 

[Sharrowblade]

Hillsborough Golf club, random golf match with Dane Whitehouse. I let him win. I must have walked twice as far as him that afternoon.

Mcdonalds in Hyde (Coming back from Bolton) - Mark Bunn, nice lad, dropped his big mac tho..

Shirecliffe - All of them, Del boy, Mick Speight, Billy Dearden

Norton Country Club - Keith Edwards

Big Tree - Brian Gayle and Beez were always in

 

[Canterbury Blade]

I once bumped into Charlie Hatfield in Dore Co-op. He looked a proper toe rag.

Was that the day before it got ram raided???

 

[BouncinBlade]

Sean Bean away at Stevenage. We got thumped 3 - 0.

Well he was a player in 'when Saturday Comes'

 

[georgethecat]

Did you play in the 0-8 away leg?

Well I was on the pitch! 1 down after 20 seconds and a man sent off within the first 10 minutes. Turned into the Alamo after that.

 

[bladeinspain2]

Not random...but i was living in Southampton and went to watch us play at Bournemouth. George Lawrence (chicken george) got me a ticket but it was with the bfc fans. Needless to say i got kicked out the stand and put with the Blades fans. George told me to meet him after the match at the players lounge entrance ( was a portacabin) . United won 1-0 and the Bfc players were still in their dressing room getting a bollocking. The old boy on the door let me in to the bar/portacabin and i had a few beers with Deano, Dane and a few others. Deano gave me his club tie even though he would incur a fine on the coach for not wearing it. A true gent.

 

[mattbianco1]

Unsworth - Tesco petrol station in Gossip. He was coach to Wilson at the time. I asked him if we would go up 'this' year. He said hopefully. That was wrong.

Louis Reed - sat on floor outside toilet on train one Sunday morning. I nodded said alright then we stood in silence whilst I waited for the bog to come free. When it did, it smelt like 25 dead skunks. I looked at Reed with a scowl and he he said "fuck that mate". So I left it and nearly pissed myself by time I was in Leeds.

Montgomery, Jags and Tonge - all used to frequently go to Republic nightclub (R.I.P)

bump into Whitehouse at away games. Saw Agana at Charlton (a) in prem but don't class that as "bumping into" as they're there for the same reason we are.

 

[1973Blade]

Well I was on the pitch! 1 down after 20 seconds and a man sent off within the first 10 minutes. Turned into the Alamo after that.

I've played in a team that lost 16-0 at Norfolk Park in the Redgates Sunday League! Eight nil would have been a success!

 

[Whiston Blade]

Saw Chris Kamara near the leadmill once, it was after a game, I left early as I needed to get a train, he was already in his car sat in traffic, just give him a quick thumbs up. Bumped into Dane Whitehouse on Wembley Way when we played Burnley, Lee Hendrie in the Lanes, Meadowhall
& Jimmy Muir on Wembley Way against the pigs.

 

[ZoneManWilf]

I bumped into Keith Edwards a couple of weeks ago near York station. I'd had a day at headingley for the test match and it was race day in York where Keith had obviously been as he was suited and booted.

Conversation went thus.

Me: "It's Keith Edwards!"
Keith looked slightly scared as I grabbed his hand and shook it.
Me: "I'm a Sheffield United fan and you were one of my heroes"
KE: "Oh, Thank you very much!"

And that was it but it made my day!

I could have told him I'd met him before at a preseason open day in about 1984 but I have a hunch he wouldn't have remembered me.

 

[Jehovah]

Met a few. The best and most welcoming was James Beattie. On the twat list were Keith Curle and Paddy Kenny who was always bladdered. Also recently met Carl Bradshaw who is a nice bloke.

 

[1973Blade]

I was also almost run over by Joe Bolton in the Bramall Lane car park.

 

[Canterbury Blade]

Keith Edwards - In the away end at Chesterfield two years ago at half time. He was commentating, I was pretending to be a Chessy fan as couldn't get a ticket. Approached him and again he looked scared but I said ''Blade mate, need you on the pitch today' (Hogdon was playing). He smiled, nodded and went to the commentating box.

Alex Sabella - Doing his shopping in Sainsburies on the Moor. Missus looked very exotic to a 10 year old. Wish I could remember what was in in his trolley. Had he adopted Yorkshire taste or was it full of South American delicacies?

 

[richblade]

Me and a mate once played the last few holes at Tinsley municipal course in a matchplay against Steve Conroy (Goalkeeper)
and we lost as Conroy who was built like a brick shithouse at the time hit the ball straight and a very long way off the tee !!

Also had an argument with Dave Bassett in Josephines about the players getting pissed up before the next game when he had just arrived at United around 1988 ... and yep we got relegated that season losing 2-1 to Bristol City in the playoffs.

 

[Tynemouth Blade]

A couple of years ago met Kammy in the BA Lounge at NCL waiting for the LHR flight (He'd been doing his Soccer Saturday bit for Sky at St James' Park).
Asked him what he thought about the Blades latest situation and he was very polite in his answer.
He was sat in front of me on the flight, chatting to guy (Blazer!) he knew from the FA.
On disembarking at LHR he's waiting for me at the aircraft door and we walked up the ramp and into T5 chatting about all things Blades - really genuine nice guy!

As opposed to Alan Shearer who I sat next to on a NCL to LHR flight and he spent the whole flight looking out of the window, even ignoring the cabin crew when they came with drinks, and as soon as we landed he 'pretended' to be on his mobile 'so no-one would bother him'!

 

[Deaneandagana]

Last season away at Walsall, we were sat across from Keith Edwards who was doing the co-commentary on Radio Sheff, at half time me and my mate went over.......

Me - well that was a poor first half Keith

KE - it was worse than that it was fucking crap.

 

[BusheyBlade]

- Neil Warnock parked over my driveway once in my student days when I lived near Hunters Bar roundabout.

- Not a player as such but during my gap year I was working in a childrens' village in Israel. I got talking to one of the English teachers there who was from Manchester and when I mentioned I was a Sheffield United fan he told me a story of his school days when he was quite a decent footballer and was palying at a decent level until his leg was broken in a nasty tackle with an opposing right back - one Len Badger. He was quite proud of this fact actually!

- I used to bump into a number of footballers years ago when I worked in Homebase. David Ginola, Patrick Viera, Christopher Wreh, Luis Boa Morte and Nicholas Anelka. None who ever played for United mind. Oh and I served Dale Winton in there once.

 

[dronny_blade]

Saw Brian Gayle in Wickes the other week, they didn't have what I wanted so nipped into Screwfix on Queens road and Carl Asaba was in there?! The Beard waiting for a train to Manchester with his rather nice girlfriend. Nearly ran over that horrible individual Gary Megson in Dore, he was jogging and didn't stop and kind of did a starsky and hutch roll over my bonnet looked at me in a bit of shock and ran off - it was only at that point I wish my right foot had stuck down

 

[rompodebailey]

Once bumped into Simon Traceys car, ouch.
Also went to a have kick about with some lads on Monday, up front for the other team, the one and only Bruce Dyer.

 

[sitwell]

We're friends with Carl Bradshaw as a family and a couple of years ago he put a patio down for us ,a mate of mine called to pick me up and spotted him wheelbarrow in hand. As we left he said ' that bloke working on your garden is a spitting image of my all time icon ,cant believe how much he looks like him' When I eventually persuaded him that it was Carl he was never away from our house and sure enough had his driveway extended .
Bumped into Vinny Jones minutes after my lad was born in the Old Jessop hospital ,think his mrs was going through it a bit ,he was shitting himself but had a chat.
Bradders is the nicest of course and Ian Bennet , my middle lad knocks about with his son Daniel ,bit Benno is tight as fuck.
Spackman was the biggest dickhead Ive ever met when he was with Utd and thought Blackwell was a twat too when I bumped into him at a function.

 

[designblade]

David Carney in Plug at some launch event. No further details.

 

[Revolution]

On the last day of the 1996-7 season I saw our bore draw at Charlton and then went to Piccadilly Circus to meet some mates. I was wearing a United shirt, so was easy to identify as a Blades fan.

Whilst waiting I was tapped on the shoulder. I assumed it was one of my mates, but on turning round I was surprised to discover it was none other than Tony Currie, who said "how'd we get on?".

I told him the score, and he said "how'd Ipswich get on?". I think we could've gone above them if they'd lost.

I said "I don't know". He said "that's no good, is it?", and walked away.

That was it: my encounter with our greatest living ex player.

My most recent encounters were with Alan Wright and Alan Fettis at a veterans football tournament. Really nice guys.

 

[The Crab]

I bumped into half the 1997 team on holiday in Norway, they were walking towards the ground for a friendly from the coach, and I stopped the car to let them over the street. David White, Vas, G Stuart and beside him , Paul McGrath ,I pulled down the window and asked, have you signed for us, he smiled and nodded. We also had a big goallie on trial in the game (0-0 vs Odd Grenland), previously with Chelsea(forgot his name) Last to cross was Katchuro. All in smart black tracksuits that probably would look very dated today. 1997 squad listed with qualityplayers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997–98_Sheffield_United_F.C._season

The goalie wasn't Dmitri Kharine was it? He was quite tall as I remember.

 

[raul]

Once bumped into Simon Traceys car, ouch.
Also went to a have kick about with some lads on Monday, up front for the other team, the one and only Bruce Dyer.

Did he pick up any tips from you?

 

[Kenilworth]

-I used to bump into a number of footballers years ago when I worked in Homebase. David Ginola, Patrick Viera, Christopher Wreh, Luis Boa Morte and Nicholas Anelka. None who ever played for United mind. Oh and I served Dale Winton in there once.

"served"

 

[Kelso]

I was chatting to TC recently told him about the TC silk scarf that I tied to my wrist in the early 70's.

What a twat I must have sounded!

I had the same...... Twats together eh!