Simon Tracey

[Aston max]

Tom mcalister would have been the best keeper we would ever have had (grammar police? )
Until that big nosed bastard took him out

 

[Tunstall Fred]

Tom mcalister would have been the best keeper we would ever have had (grammar police? )
Until that big nosed bastard took him out

That I can agree with,you bastard Marsh

 

[wizadry]

Can't agree with that. I'd always go for Kelly over Tracey but there wasn't much between them IMO.

That’s the beauty of opinions, BB.

I respect your wrong one.

 

[Rodley]

Won player of the season twice

He was close to the England squad at one point. Quality keeper on his day, but not as good as Alan Kelly. With Trace, Kelly and Kenny we’ve been spoilt over the years for GKs.

 

[Fanny magnet]

Tracey was a great keeper in his early days but went off the boil a bit as he got older
Kelly was the most consistent but Mel reed in his dozen or so games was incredible

Remember being in a pub at Hillsborough on a Friday night after he died and a bunch of pig fans were singing a pretty nasty sing about him dying of cancer

That's why I hate those cunts

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Remember being in a pub at Hillsborough on a Friday night after he died and a bunch of pig fans were singing a pretty nasty sing about him dying of cancer

They must be in the minority, as where Rees is concerned my memory of them is of a rather touching show of applause as he went round Wembley Stadium. I remember that as clear as Corky’s goal.

 

[Roygbiv]

I'm still not sure what his plan was here

 

[Harry's Game]

Second best keeper In my time as a Blade, however he was never quite the same as before the injury that let in Rees and then the best keeper Alan Kelly Tracey also struggled when the back pass rule was brought in.

 

[Rusty view]

I'm still not sure what his plan was here

I remember the one at Man City away after about 5 bleeding minutes. Lost about 5 or 6 nil. To make matters worse coach had broke down as it pulled into Maine rd. We had to get on a "lively" coach home which was pulled by the coppers on the Manchester ring road. After some fun and games we set off. As we came down Halifax rd it stopped and everyone got off and stormed into the White Horse....! Great day!

Edit. Seemingly not 5 mins at all. https://www.theguardian.com/football/1999/aug/21/match.sport20

 

[LoughboroBlade]

I'm still not sure what his plan was here

With the rugby tackle he looks as though he’s desperately trying to avoid becoming the first Paul Musselwhite. Had that been tried on Saunders we’d have been denied one of the great goals.

 

[Blade56]

Looks like Nick Knowels

 

[Mouth of the South]

Ditto. Usually had Paul Beesley with him.

And Charlie Hartfield.....

 

[Darlington82]

I am surprised he has got a role, hope this means he put his off the field problems behind him, which I think may have affected his game as much his injury.
Fortunately the castle inn is so much better now, though some of those days with the dodgy streams from god knows where, were entertaining. Thought I was going to get twatted one time I was in there and a keeper made a great save and some creep said, 'not a patch on Trace' to which I replied 'selective memory he was not that f-ing good'. Turn round to see Tracy sat there looking spaced out. Luckily I was more of a regular than them as they were there for the footy and dodgy lock-in poker.

I'm older now and prefer quality food over dodgy tv streams in pubs.

 

[stringer]

I'm still not sure what his plan was here

Hahaha wow, not seen that before

 

[pommpey]

Good bloke, Trace. He was out on the piss with us in Trinidad. Behaved himself impeccably. Kozzy and Curtis, less so.

pommpey

 

[Dkc]

I'm still not sure what his plan was here

Tracey made the initial mistake by losing the ball and running it out of play. But the subsequent foul was probably the only thing he could have done in the circumstances, to prevent their player lobbing it towards an unguarded goal. OK he may have got sent off but he prevented a probable goal and didn't give away a penalty

 

[I should coco]

I am surprised he has got a role, hope this means he put his off the field problems behind him

He knocks about with a mate of mine. He still likes a flutter and it's not the odd fiver or tenner either.

 

[BigBed]

Rees
Kelly
Tracey
In that order, still believe Rees was the best keeper I've seen in a blades shirt whilst iv been alive, I'm pretty sure he would'e gone on to be our most succssful too hadn' he got stricen with that cancer shit.
RIP Mel!

 

[GrayBlade]

I’d put Tracey just behind Kelly and Hodgy who are too close to call for me, but the single best string of goalkeeping performances I’ve ever seen has to be Mel Rees’s.

He was unbelievable in those games and practically unbeatable, if he’d not been taken away in his prime by that stinking disease we could be talking about Mel as our best ever keeper.

 

[Sheff de party]

The ex-Blade is Chesterfield's new GK coach, replacing Blades-bound former Blade Matt Duke, who replaces former Blade Jamie Annerson who's now with England Women's dev squad. GLTTL.

(I also had this shirt).

I too had that shirt. My glory-grabbing Man U fan friends at school used to say we were so poor we couldn’t afford a sponsor...

no matter how many times I explained a sponsor pays you.

One of them’s a Blade now oddly.

 

[stringer]

I too had that shirt. My glory-grabbing Man U fan friends at school used to say we were so poor we couldn’t afford a sponsor...

no matter how many times I explained a sponsor pays you.

One of them’s a Blade now oddly.

What was the story behind that sponsor? I vaguely remember United couldn’t secure one, so wasn’t that Blades thing something to do with the old BU forum or something?

 

[Sheff de party]

What was the story behind that sponsor? I vaguely remember United couldn’t secure one, so wasn’t that Blades thing something to do with the old BU forum or something?

Without resorting to google, my understanding was that some sort of fans group or supporters club was willing to cough up more than any company, though that now sounds unlikely. Foxy might know

 

[Booker4]

What was the story behind that sponsor? I vaguely remember United couldn’t secure one, so wasn’t that Blades thing something to do with the old BU forum or something?

Yeah it was connected with our website. Its back to the Carlo Colombotti days or whatever his name was.

 

[Revolution]

What was the story behind that sponsor? I vaguely remember United couldn’t secure one, so wasn’t that Blades thing something to do with the old BU forum or something?

United tried to get a normal sponsor, but got only one derisory offer that they rejected.

The idea, therefore, was that the fans would sponsor the club. Hence the word "Blades" on the shirt. All fans were encouraged to contribute something. There was no link to a specific fan's group or message board as far as I recall.

From memory, we didn't raise much cash and the whole thing was a bit of a disaster, like much else in the death throes of the Mike McDonald era.

 

[stringer]

I see. I had the home and away shirts too that season (must have been cheaper for kids kits in those days!)
Sponsors were like mousemats and the collar on the home nearly choked me. My memory is the likes of Martin Smith and Jonathan Hunt (spit) wearing ‘em. Glory days

 

[stringer]

Double post

 

[Tunstall Fred]

I see. I had the home and away shirts too that season (must have been cheaper for kids kits in those days!)
Sponsors were like mousemats and the collar on the home nearly choked me. My memory is the likes of Martin Smith and Jonathan Hunt (spit) wearing ‘em. Glory days

Jonathan had a very appropriate nickname for his footballing ability

 

[HighfieldBlade]

Is he being held up by string in the photo?.....

Yes, he's related to Thunderbirds' John Tracy.

 

[Silent Blade]

United tried to get a normal sponsor, but got only one derisory offer that they rejected.

The idea, therefore, was that the fans would sponsor the club. Hence the word "Blades" on the shirt. All fans were encouraged to contribute something. There was no link to a specific fan's group or message board as far as I recall.

From memory, we didn't raise much cash and the whole thing was a bit of a disaster, like much else in the death throes of the Mike McDonald era.

It was a daft idea by the commercial manager Sean O'Toole

 

[mosbolad]

Yes, he's related to Thunderbirds' John Tracy.

Excellent. Just annoyed I missed that one!