The Kop

[Silent Blade]

The 3-2 win against Newcastle was in November 1965. Tony Wagstaff got the winner after we had equalised a minute earlier. My dad was often late for matches and got in the ground 10 minutes late when we played at home to Newcastle on New Years Day 1955. We were 4 up at the time but he missed the goals. We won 6-2 at the end

 

[Pedro Verde]

I sometimes dont make kick off but never leave the Lane before the end of the game and cant understand why people leave early
Its not just us I know of a few pigs that do it

 

[NZ Blade in Nelson]

I currently live in NZ so have not been for the last 11 years, but I did used to say the same about people leaving early. My mate then pointed out that of the hundreds of games that I went to, I probably only saw a handful of kick offs. This was due to me wanting an extra pint as the queue to the bar thinned out.

So horses for courses I say, being late never diminished the enjoyment that I got from going to matches, despite missing quite a few goals.........and Vinnie Jones booking at Man Citeh.

 

[Bladesway]

I do that by staying for a pint or so after and getting a clear run home

The fellas at West Bar nick would have liked that info a lot

 

[Bladesway]

Tea, kids bathtime and getting them to bed when they are whacked out at the end of a long day is one reason. Whatever people choose to do does it make them lesser Blades in some way?

You pays your money and you makes your choice.

 

[SwissBlade]

As a passenger obviously

The fellas at West Bar nick would have liked that info a lot

I can still drink pints if I'm driving - coke, sprite etc

And if I'm not, it's a taxi home. Generally it's taxi home

You lot would have me locked up just for mentioning the word pint

 

[Bladesway]

I can still drink pints if I'm driving - coke, sprite etc

And if I'm not, it's a taxi home. Generally it's taxi home

You lot would have me locked up just for mentioning the word pint

I'd be more likely to want you thrown in the slammer for taking comments too seriously

 

[JohnDenver]

Even though I am getting to be an old bastard.

Hey, I'm sure you're not old.

 

[alcoblade]

Tea, kids bathtime and getting them to bed when they are whacked out at the end of a long day is one reason. Whatever people choose to do does it make them lesser Blades in some way?

No, it just looks completely wank.

UTB

 

[Bladesway]

No, it just looks completely wank.

UTB

Really? Because its gone on forever and it goes on everywhere and I don't ever remember the need for such concern.

 

[alcoblade]

Really? Because its gone on forever and it goes on everywhere and I don't ever remember the need for such concern.

It's got worse over recent times - I find it quite cringeworthy that fans can't wait until the end - and I think it looks poor when the stands are emptying out even if the players are still giving it their all. It's hardly a show of support. I think it looks shite and is a poor show, you don't (admit it, you're in the car with the radio on by 4:40 ).

UTB

 

[Sheff de party]

They may as well have stayed to the end yesterday if they go on the parkway it was backed up right into town due to a broken down Corsa.

No doubt that was McCabe's fault

 

[BladeFisher]

Sadly due to financial reasons,i am no longer a regular,but prior to my family status i was a kop season ticket holder for 10 years,and one reason for leaving early on a personal note was to purely avoid traffic.
Simple as that.

Do they employ the same logic when visiting the cinema?

 

[Linz]

We leave our seats early, but go up and find a seat near the back until the final whistle blows. With the exits being so high in the South Stand, it helps to get Nannan somewhere near them before all the crush as she's not as spritely on her pins as she used to be and us walking up the steps so slowly would only serve to irritate people.

We've had comments from people whingeing that we're leaving. But they'd also be the ones whingeing they couldn't get up the steps fast enough while a granddaughter assists her (almost) 78 year old grandmother!

 

[diplomat]

I'm not a fan of the post final whistle bun fight to get out. However, I find that if you stay in your seat until the final scores have been read out there is no queue on the steps and the concourse is pretty fluid. (South Stand)

 

[Grecian2000]

Much prefer those that leave early (because they invariably stand up and exit the row during a break in play) than those daft cunts who arrive late and barge along the row to their seat whilst some action is taking place.

Being a tight bastard I arrive well before kick off and leave after it's all happened just to wring every last penny out of it!

 

[bornablade]

I sometimes dont make kick off but never leave the Lane before the end of the game and cant understand why people leave early
Its not just us I know of a few pigs that do it

Talking of being late, the worse one for me was when we beat Arsenal 5-0 back in the seventies.

I had mistakenly booked a driving lesson that evening and ended up getting dropped off at the corner of Cherry Street / Shoreham Street. By the time I got in we were 3-0 up. The noise from the kop was incredible. To walk on to the Kop when it was absolutely rocking is different to actually being on there. Fortunately I saw TC do the sitting on the ball bit.

On the previous Saturday me and a mate went to Chelsea. Before the game we had walk round Soho thinking 'Lowedges has got nowt like this'. 'Imagine seeing those in Grennel Mower'.

For some unknown reason we eneded up on the 'Shed' end. TC was having the proverbial taken out of him by the locals - which happened with most away fans. Anyway TC scores an absolute stunner and starts blowing kisses to the crowd which incites them even more. We see all the Blades at the other end celebrating and I can't control myself and starts chanting 'Tony Tony Currie'. Not my brightest moment. My mate has to almost gag me to keep me quiet. We won 2-0(?) Think Woody got the other.

I know I sound like some old fart but reason I mention this is for those younger readers. I hope one day you'll have a week visiting Stamford Bridge seeing Scougall take the piss out of Chelsea, come away with a victory and then a few days later see the Blades thrash Arsenal and Scougall sits on the ball making out it's all too easy.

 

[Cool Clint]

This argument about avoiding traffic is crap. It must take all of an extra 2 mins maximum to get to the parkway having parked somewhere round Clough road/Shoreham street and leaving from the South Stand after the final whistle.
5 to ten mins in traffic is bollocks.

 

[Ted Danson]

I currently live in NZ so have not been for the last 11 years, but I did used to say the same about people leaving early. My mate then pointed out that of the hundreds of games that I went to, I probably only saw a handful of kick offs. This was due to me wanting an extra pint as the queue to the bar thinned out.

So horses for courses I say, being late never diminished the enjoyment that I got from going to matches, despite missing quite a few goals.........and Vinnie Jones booking at Man Citeh.

I dont think missing KO is as bad really, to use someone elses analogy its like missing the first few pages of a book but you still get to see how it ends.

For all you early leavers:

YOUL NEVER BEAT THE TRAFFIC!

 

[SwissBlade]

How about charging people for 80 min tickets?

 

[Wapping Blade]

I dont think missing KO is as bad really, to use someone elses analogy its like missing the first few pages of a book but you still get to see how it ends.

For all you early leavers:

YOUL NEVER BEAT THE TRAFFIC!

Not quite true - I've only ever left one match before the end - Burnley at Wembley - but used to scoot sharpish from the NSS as, if you're heading to Parkway, you can get held up while the Police set all the traffic lights to red to let the away coaches out. Mind you I walk pretty quickly so if you're less mobile you might want to get away sooner.

 

[Fiery Blade]

For some reason we have many 'fans' who:

1. Arrive to take their seats up to 15 mins after kick off
2. Get up to get a pie / beer / take a leak 10 mins before half time
3. Arrive back from said leak / beer /pie 10 mins after the start of the second half
4. Leave their seats 10 mins before the end of the match (To miss the traffic)

The above does seem to happen with increased regularity - in fact three girls got up to go to the toilet and missed both the second and third goals on Saturday ( it's probably a girlie thing that they can't go on their own !)

Words fail me

 

[Sothall_Blade]

We leave our seats early, but go up and find a seat near the back until the final whistle blows. With the exits being so high in the South Stand, it helps to get Nannan somewhere near them before all the crush as she's not as spritely on her pins as she used to be and us walking up the steps so slowly would only serve to irritate people.

We've had comments from people whingeing that we're leaving. But they'd also be the ones whingeing they couldn't get up the steps fast enough while a granddaughter assists her (almost) 78 year old grandmother!

Likewise, with an Uncle in his mid-80's.
To accomodate his lack of sprightliness we also pay £5 to park in a car park near the ground.
We leave when they put the injury time board up to avoid the massive logjam getting out of said car park.

When I don't go with my Uncle, I park in Heeley, stay to the end and walk quickly to the car after the match.

 

[JohnDenver]

My old man always leaves matches early but I stay beyond the final whistle to see the players off the pitch and hear the full time results over the PA. The extra five minutes plus a lazy stroll out the ground means the traffic is flowing OK by the time I'm driving.

That said, if we've been a bit David Weir I sometimes can't wait to get home for a cuppa and an evening of kicking the cat.

 

[yorkshirecoast]

Tea, kids bathtime and getting them to bed when they are whacked out at the end of a long day is one reason. Whatever people choose to do does it make them lesser Blades in some way?

You pays your money and you makes your choice.

I've got a great idea. Stay until the end and then do all those things 10 minutes later.

 

[frechyblade]

No I don't get it really either, at a push I could underatand if you had a train to catch and the next would be an hour later, so miss 5 mins to save an hour delay. But to leave 5 mins early to save 10 mins in traffic seems barmy. I go with my dad (75 yr old) he used to make his way to back of kop when the added time board went up just to get a head start on me but he's started to stay to the end recently. I've never left early, even in the darkest times.

UTB

 

[Crouchy]

Not quite true - I've only ever left one match before the end - Burnley at Wembley - but used to scoot sharpish from the NSS as, if you're heading to Parkway, you can get held up while the Police set all the traffic lights to red to let the away coaches out. Mind you I walk pretty quickly so if you're less mobile you might want to get away sooner.

I legged it from the Huddersfield debacle at Wembley as Simmo's penalty jettisoned fuel stage 2 and prepared to enter orbit. I was on a train at Wembley Stadium Station about 4 minutes later and was rolling towards Oxfordshire about 30 seconds after that.

It was, by miles, my best ever match departure, but I usually get caught in the crush, and I don't miss any goals.

You've paid, you can do what you like, but don't expect me to think you're wise.

Linz - if Nannan's that unsteady, why not sit tight for ten minutes?

 

[Ted Danson]

For some reason we have many 'fans' who:

1. Arrive to take their seats up to 15 mins after kick off - One more pint in the boozer (until recently you needed the extra one before going to the lane)
   
2. Get up to get a pie / beer / take a leak 10 mins before half time - avoiding the queses for a pint
   
3. Arrive back from said leak / beer /pie 10 mins after the start of the second half - need a piss after all the beer
   
4. Leave their seats 10 mins before the end of the match (To miss the traffic) - unforgivable

Im guilty of the first 3 but never the last. Im not a twat though, I actually wait for a break in play before returning to my seat

 

[stannyblade]

For some reason we have many 'fans' who:

1. Arrive to take their seats up to 15 mins after kick off
2. Get up to get a pie / beer / take a leak 10 mins before half time
3. Arrive back from said leak / beer /pie 10 mins after the start of the second half
4. Leave their seats 10 mins before the end of the match (To miss the traffic)

The above does seem to happen with increased regularity - in fact three girls got up to go to the toilet and missed both the second and third goals on Saturday ( it's probably a girlie thing that they can't go on their own !)

Words fail me

Blokes in front of me often come in anything between 15 mins - 25 mins into a game and nearly always leave before the end.

 

[Wapping Blade]

I legged it from the Huddersfield debacle at Wembley as Simmo's penalty jettisoned fuel stage 2 and prepared to enter orbit. I was on a train at Wembley Stadium Station about 4 minutes later and was rolling towards Oxfordshire about 30 seconds after that.

It was, by miles, my best ever match departure, but I usually get caught in the crush, and I don't miss any goals.

Same when me and Wimbers legged it - straight on a tube back to Canon's Park (with only a couple of Burnley fans on it) and 5 minutes from there back on the A1 North.