'Memries' Sheffield United 1983-1984

[JJ Sefton]

 

[Revolution]

6-3. One of my favourite ever games.

2-0 up from 2 identical goals from King Keith - running on to a long ball, outpacing a defender and finishing well. They get one back just before the break and then go 3-2 up. We batter them but fail to score until John Sitton catches Big Stan's back header from a corner on the line. Morris slots home the penalty. We then run away with it - another Morris pen, a great strike from Heffernan, and Edwards bends the ball round the keeper to complete his fourth hat trick of the season.

That was 3 March 1984. The Miners' strike began 2 days later.

 

[BushBlade]

To repeat what I said about what happened after 1982-3 when I wrote about that season:

"Porterfield did 3 things in the close season that improved the first team:

1. Signed 3 defenders - Paul Stancliffe, Tom Heffernan and Joe Bolton - who all played 40+ games the following season. We conceded 11 less goals.

2. Restored Arnott and McHale to the midfield. Both had their detractors but Arnott was ever present and McHale hardly missed a game.

3. Got reasonable money for Young and Curran and let Edwards and Morris get on with it. They scored 54 goals between them, and we scored 24 more goals - and were promoted on goals scored.

There was another flirtation with Trevor Ross, but the best in-season signing, Glenn Cockerill, really did improve the team. 2 young players - Tony Philliskirk and Paul Tomlinson - were introduced and arguably had their best ever seasons for us.

Porterfield kept it simple. He saw a weakness at the back and fixed it. He let a lot of dead wood go. He signed a leader in Stancliffe and used McHale’s skills in that area. He had a great goalscorer and a great winger and used them in tandem to great effect."

Signed three defenders? check (more than three)
Restored midfielders? Revived as much as restored but close enough.

Got good money for surplus players? Check.

Let dead wood go? Check

Signed leaders? Check

Great scorer and great winger? Not being played wide but Duffy is turning into the new Morris, in terms of creative importance.

Kept it simple? No fannying around.

 

[South Bucks]

Did a few games that season, mostly aways, but not many. I remember we were very up and down, good one match awful the next. Edwards was a god and quite liked Arnott too. Always remember the Burnley vs Hull match by "watching" it on teletext on the TV in some god dammed place praying for the 0-2 latest score to change to 0-2 ft in an age before the web and mobile phones and crap radio.
Got arrested by the cops when driving to a match on the M40 not long after and the car was searched top to bottom. They let slip I'd been stopped because I had a "PWE" sheffield registration (the miners strike was on and they were looking for agitators).

 

[Grappler]

Just for the memories......

"we'll take more care of you, Porterfield, Porterfield
we'll take more care of you, Porterfield, Porterfield"