Stuart Hutchinson RIP

[Original United]

On the old photos thread (page 664) there is a photo dating back to 1968 and the line up was identified.

I learned yesterday that one of the players named Stuart Hutchinson has just passed away.

Only new him to talk to in the La Plata but a really nice bloke and though it was worth a mention.


RIP Stuart

 

[Silent Blade]

Far left at Ball Inn ground in 1968

 

[XH536]

RIP Stuart Hutchinson.
Respect for getting to pull on the shirt, in competition.

 

[BladesNo9]

Though I've not seen him for some while!, I enjoyed talking with Stuart about The Blades and his time with them, when we met in the Plata. He was a lovely bloke and always good company.
Really sad to hear of his passing
Old Blades never die, they move to the Bramall Lane in the sky
RIP 'Hutch'

 

[mattbianco1]

Never heard of him, but jealous that he managed to do something all of us in here can only dream of... pulling on those red and white stripes.

RIP

 

[Silent Blade]

Never heard of him, but jealous that he managed to do something all of us in here can only dream of... pulling on those red and white stripes.

RIP

He didn't play for the first team but scored a lot of goals for us in the NIL

 

[toledo]

I played with Stuart for a game or two in the NIL. I don't recall if he played on the Hatchard League team. I kinda flitted between the Hatchard League and the Northern Intermediate League when I was in high school in Castleton. Many trips from the Hope Valley to games on bus 272.

toledo

 

[Johnyblade1]

Hi Toledo ...
I’d be quite interested to know more about the Hatchard League, as I have a boxed solid gold Hatchard league winners medal given to me by my late grandmother. It was my great grandfathers who was called Charlie Bell and apparently played in some part for the Blades. I’ve been meaning to do some research on it, but never seem to get time to do so.

Thanks in advance

 

[Silent Blade]

Hi Toledo ...
I’d be quite interested to know more about the Hatchard League, as I have a boxed solid gold Hatchard league winners medal given to me by my late grandmother. It was my great grandfathers who was called Charlie Bell and apparently played in some part for the Blades. I’ve been meaning to do some research on it, but never seem to get time to do so.

Thanks in advance

Charlie made a few 1st team appearances for us before he moved to Chesterfield, I remember seeing him when I attended a few games during Chesterfield's 4th division champions season in 1970

 

[LSF]

I played with Stuart for a game or two in the NIL. I don't recall if he played on the Hatchard League team. I kinda flitted between the Hatchard League and the Northern Intermediate League when I was in high school in Castleton. Many trips from the Hope Valley to games on bus 272.

toledo

Were you a keeper?

 

[LSF]

Hi Toledo ...
I’d be quite interested to know more about the Hatchard League, as I have a boxed solid gold Hatchard league winners medal given to me by my late grandmother. It was my great grandfathers who was called Charlie Bell and apparently played in some part for the Blades. I’ve been meaning to do some research on it, but never seem to get time to do so.

Thanks in advance

United fielded a team in the Hatchard league for many years.
It was the lowest league in what was known as senior football. Most of the works teams had sides in this league and the standard of your ground was one of the deciding factors of being elected to the league. No parks pitches.
Junior football back in those days wasn't ages related, it was designated as the lower standard as opposed to senior football.
So the Hatchard league was a good standard.
I have around four Hatchard league medals, winners and runners up in late 70's, early 80's period.
If it is the Charlie Bell who appeared for the Blades in the mid/late 60's, he was a local lad off the Wybourn estate.

 

[toledo]

Basically the Hatchard League was the 4th level behind the NIL and Reserves.

As LSF mentioned, it was mainly works team and we played on Saturday and Sunday if I remember correctly.

Micky Speight played on the NIL when I was goalkeeper for NIL. I do remember Stuart Hutchinson and one game in particular we played in was v Leeds NIL at the Leeds training ground. I think we won 2-0.

This would have been late 1960's as I graduated from Hope Valley College in 1970.

Two things I remember about the NIL:

1) I was in goal for us one game in the Hatchard League and I got pulled in favor of a new goalkeeper who had signed for us the night before. He was flown down from Aberdeen, I think, and he was put straight into the Hatchard League team and I got pulled for the game. That goalkeeper went onto to play for the first team and for Scotland: his name? Tom McAllister!!!

2) Yes, I was a goalkeeper and was offered an apprentice contract at 15 but stayed on at school to graduate at 17. By that time, I wasn't needed. But my greatest night was playing at Old Trafford for SUFC against Man U in the Youth Cup. I made an assist from a corner and Mickey Speight made it 1-0 at HT. Alas, we went onto lose 4-1 and Tom was in goal for that game as well. So to answer your confusion: I was also a center forward and ended up alternating between GK and CF. The Old Trafford game I was CF!

It was so vastly different back then. Tony Currie shot on me in practice sessions in the gym when we couldn't train at the Ball Inn because of weather.

But, I spent most of my time at SUFC playing for the Hatchard League team with several appearances for the NIL team (which is basically the U18 Academy).

Then in 1981, I met an American girl, got married in Derbyshire, and moved to the US. Here, I met a player from Newcastle who had a team in the Michigan League, which was made up of lower league players who had moved to the US. At that time, teams in the US were made up ethnically such as the English, the Iraq's, the Iranians, etc.

While I have been in the US for 40+ years, I never forgot where I was from and which team is mine.

To finish, fast forward to March 11, 2024. I am coaching U10 boys in Dayton, Ohio, as I retired and moved here. The U10 boys have all heard of Sheffield United, which is awesome to hear but they know us because of the current predicament!!!! Everyone here are EPL followers....

Thanks for asking,

toledo

 

[LSF]

Basically the Hatchard League was the 4th level behind the NIL and Reserves.

As LSF mentioned, it was mainly works team and we played on Saturday and Sunday if I remember correctly.

Micky Speight played on the NIL when I was goalkeeper for NIL. I do remember Stuart Hutchinson and one game in particular we played in was v Leeds NIL at the Leeds training ground. I think we won 2-0.

This would have been late 1960's as I graduated from Hope Valley College in 1970.

Two things I remember about the NIL:

1) I was in goal for us one game in the Hatchard League and I got pulled in favor of a new goalkeeper who had signed for us the night before. He was flown down from Aberdeen, I think, and he was put straight into the Hatchard League team and I got pulled for the game. That goalkeeper went onto to play for the first team and for Scotland: his name? Tom McAllister!!!

2) Yes, I was a goalkeeper and was offered an apprentice contract at 15 but stayed on at school to graduate at 17. By that time, I wasn't needed. But my greatest night was playing at Old Trafford for SUFC against Man U in the Youth Cup. I made an assist from a corner and Mickey Speight made it 1-0 at HT. Alas, we went onto lose 4-1 and Tom was in goal for that game as well. So to answer your confusion: I was also a center forward and ended up alternating between GK and CF. The Old Trafford game I was CF!

It was so vastly different back then. Tony Currie shot on me in practice sessions in the gym when we couldn't train at the Ball Inn because of weather.

But, I spent most of my time at SUFC playing for the Hatchard League team with several appearances for the NIL team (which is basically the U18 Academy).

Then in 1981, I met an American girl, got married in Derbyshire, and moved to the US. Here, I met a player from Newcastle who had a team in the Michigan League, which was made up of lower league players who had moved to the US. At that time, teams in the US were made up ethnically such as the English, the Iraq's, the Iranians, etc.

While I have been in the US for 40+ years, I never forgot where I was from and which team is mine.

To finish, fast forward to March 11, 2024. I am coaching U10 boys in Dayton, Ohio, as I retired and moved here. The U10 boys have all heard of Sheffield United, which is awesome to hear but they know us because of the current predicament!!!! Everyone here are EPL followers....

Thanks for asking,

toledo

Pretty sure I remember who you are.
CP?
The bit about GK or centre forward convinced me.
You'll not remember me but I trained on the Ball Inn Tuesdays and Thursdays for a few months whilst they assessed the potential (I hadn't any!) and was also a GK and CF so kinda looked up to you.
I ended up opting for the outfield role eventually as I wasn't mad enough to be a keeper
Great to read your life's tale

 

[Johnyblade1]

Thanks for the info guys on the Hatchard League. Although I do know the family did live in Manor / Wybourn area, I was born in 1963 so Charlie was playing before the 60’s. I’ll have to check the date on the medal when I get home, currently on holiday, to confirm his playing days.
Great to read about other people’s football involvement with this great club of ours.

 

[georgebernardshaw]

Great bloke Chas, played for Coal Aston C.C. with him, and he was my bowls partner when we played our annual match with the local bowls club

 

[toledo]

It is indeed a small world. Yep, Tuesday and Thursday for practice nights at the Ball Inn. I would leave school in Hope, catch the 272 bus to Pond Street and then walk up Granville Rd to the Ball Inn training ground. I remember playing Middlesborough at the Ball Inn (won 6-0 I think). Then I would walk back to Pond Street and return to Bradwell on the last 272 bus back to the Hope Valley.

I do remember (maybe you LSF?) me and another GK working together in practice before McAllister came. I'm 71 so memory is not as good as it used to be but I think we worked with John Short at the Ball Inn.

After leaving at 17 because they didn't want me, I played for Bradwell Sports in the Hope Valley League and played against Totley many times. I got a job in Castleton and then attended Stannington College, Granville College, and finally Sheffield Poly. At the Poly, my high school Pys Ed teacher, John Warnock (brother of Neil Warnock) was the Head Soccer coach and he was also on the national collegiate coaching program so he put me down for the national collegiate team although I didn't play as I graduated from the Poly before I could play.

All the best LSF, it's great to be able to reflect back before we depart this world. I have some great memories in my life (great wife, awesome travel to places I never thought I would go to growing up in Bradwell) but it is always an incredible to feeling to be able to reflect back through my life and realize the significant impact that my beloved SUFC has had on my life, not just fleetingly, but literally, hourly, as I never stop reflecting back and remembering my life's journey alongside SUFC.

toledo

 

[Silent Blade]

Great bloke Chas, played for Coal Aston C.C. with him, and he was my bowls partner when we played our annual match with the local bowls club

You and Chas will have played with Peter and Keith Havenhand? Peter lives across the road from me and we often have a chat about the Blades. Keith taught me to drive. I played for Coal Aston u14s once, Gerry Bradwell used to arrange u14s matches.

 

[LSF]

Incredible memories Toledo!
Born and bred just across the road from the Ball Inn, I'd spent all my young years watching every game played on there.
Northern Intermediates, Hatchard league, Sheffield Boys, school finals, they were all played on the Ball. I had encyclopedic knowledge of players and when the time came to play on there myself (legally at least ), it was a fantastic thrill.
First legal appearance was Under 11's school semi and final, we won it and being local,the crowd was incredible.
Then four years later, Sheffield Boys, that was when United started taking an interest in me, hence the Tuesdays and Thursdays training on the Ball.
Looking back, I was a far better outfield player than goalie but at that time still fancied my chances as a keeper, hindsight eh!
Great swapping memories Toledo and your fascinating journey from the Hope Valley to the States is great to hear.