Throw the book at him

[SheepdipBlade]

I agree about the golden age, but I think something changed after WW2, like the old order was gone, or at least eroded. Churchill's tories got a shock when they were rejected by the electorate, and it seemed that was when the "generation gap" started - the older generation wasn't automatically followed and respected any more.

Also I read somewhere that after every major war the crime rate in this country went up for a while before going back down - but this time it didn't go back down.

I think there's some truth in what you say. Certainly the two world wars shook ordinary people's faith in the established order.

I think another key point (arguably more important) is the rise in wealth in western nations post war. In most working communities pre war there was no adolescence. Young people went straight from being children to becoming working adults (usually on leaving school at 14) Only with the 50s did there come enough disposal income for under 25s to allow them to access their own fashions in clothing and music - and of course, businesses leapt at a new market. Add to this old fashioned ideas like gang territories (Sheffield's worst period for gang crime was the inter war years - think Peaky Blinders) and you get Ted's cutting lumps out of each other with flick knives and the press whipping up a moral panic.

So I guess it's all part of how our communities have evolved. People are people, so it's usually just a new twist on an old theme. The tossing rings at Sky Edge became Ted's, then Mods, then Punks and now it's dickheads giving it limbs at the back of the Kop.

 

[Bartleby]

I think there's some truth in what you say. Certainly the two world wars shook ordinary people's faith in the established order.

I think another key point (arguably more important) is the rise in wealth in western nations post war. In most working communities pre war there was no adolescence. Young people went straight from being children to becoming working adults (usually on leaving school at 14) Only with the 50s did there come enough disposal income for under 25s to allow them to access their own fashions in clothing and music - and of course, businesses leapt at a new market. Add to this old fashioned ideas like gang territories (Sheffield's worst period for gang crime was the inter war years - think Peaky Blinders) and you get Ted's cutting lumps out of each other with flick knives and the press whipping up a moral panic.

So I guess it's all part of how our communities have evolved. People are people, so it's usually just a new twist on an old theme. The tossing rings at Sky Edge became Ted's, then Mods, then Punks and now it's dickheads giving it limbs at the back of the Kop.

Yeah, was going to say about the fact they had money in their pockets for the first time.

Good point about Sheffield gangs I'd forgotten about that. Remember my Dad telling me about an old bloke in the pub who told him he'd witnessed one of the Mooney gang commit a crime (then legged it in a carriage across town where he apparently assaulted a copper for an alibi)

 

[Mike325]

do you not need about 3 pisses during the game?!

No I can hold my beer and water pal what you do is have a piss 10 mins before kick off then I don’t need another piss while 345

 

[SheepdipBlade]

Yeah, was going to say about the fact they had money in their pockets for the first time.

Good point about Sheffield gangs I'd forgotten about that. Remember my Dad telling me about an old bloke in the pub who told him he'd witnessed one of the Mooney gang commit a crime.

Aye, and if I recall rightly, didn't the whole Mooney Gang thing end up with some bloke being hung for murder? It's a big step up from limbs on row ZZ to being hung at Armley Prison.

 

[Cappy]

Your right pal but these days you get a blade in your face for looking wrong way I mean I’m quite Street wise meself but nowadays there morals are all wrong

I’ve got a brilliant anecdote about me and the boys on a lads holiday in Philippines, via Seoul (to pick one of the boys up). Some Korean lads pulled knives on us. It went very south. Very quickly. And very much a Christ-we-might-die-so-better-fucking-fight even though we just wanted to find some food and stagger to bed kind of biblical western fight. No showing off here, luck came to the rescue. I’m saving the story for my autobiography/lost to dementia though.

But I agree about youths and knives. We were all in our 40s. They were all 19-23 as it turns out. It went from some people not happy that we had (NOT!) pushed in at a ZEBRA CROSSING (FFS), to a knife fight between 21 people in the middle of a street, which was covered with 3 CCTV cameras and eventually a total of 72 (I shit you not) phone cameras

The court case was mental. I think they got bored and let everyone go. Nobody was injured enough for the authorities to get a conviction without a statement from a victim. I still stay in touch with one of the lads who tried to kill me.

 

[Cappy]

Would have been the most embarrassing (is that your dad, really?!) episode of banged up abroad, ever! My poor kids.

 

[Jon Bon II]

I still stay in touch with one of the lads who tried to kill me.

 

[Gaini Blade]

I’ve got a brilliant anecdote about me and the boys on a lads holiday in Philippines, via Seoul (to pick one of the boys up). Some Korean lads pulled knives on us. It went very south. Very quickly. And very much a Christ-we-might-die-so-better-fucking-fight even though we just wanted to find some food and stagger to bed kind of biblical western fight. No showing off here, luck came to the rescue. I’m saving the story for my autobiography/lost to dementia though.

But I agree about youths and knives. We were all in our 40s. They were all 19-23 as it turns out. It went from some people not happy that we had (NOT!) pushed in at a ZEBRA CROSSING (FFS), to a knife fight between 21 people in the middle of a street, which was covered with 3 CCTV cameras and eventually a total of 72 (I shit you not) phone cameras

The court case was mental. I think they got bored and let everyone go. Nobody was injured enough for the authorities to get a conviction without a statement from a victim. I still stay in touch with one of the lads who tried to kill me.

Trying to kill me would be a deal breaker for me TBH.

 

[Tom Bott]

Whilst I can't speak for every individual I'm sure some Blades understand the difference between shag and rape.

Though the Ched Evans definition does leave some grey areas.

 

[Gaini Blade]

Though the Ched Evans definition does leave some grey areas.

Ched would fall in the 'not speaking for every individual' category!

 

[ghandi]

Aye, and if I recall rightly, didn't the whole Mooney Gang thing end up with some bloke being hung for murder? It's a big step up from limbs on row ZZ to being hung at Armley Prison.

I think the Mooney Gang in the latter years of the gang wars were virtually finished as the Garvins were the predominant force.