Two Decades On

[Geordie Blade]

So, twenty years ago today, we lost to the Oinkers at Wembley. Without wanting to bring the tone down, what are your abiding memries of it? Mine are:

- Strangely having fairly fond recollections of the day (Mel Rees, all the flags and flares, the atmosphere, Dane Whitehouse's mysterious black eye)
- I still get excited when I see Alan Cork's goal on TV, even though I know the ultimate outcome
- Alan Kelly's heroics (again, even though I know they were ultimately doomed)
- Annoyance that Waddle's freekick was taken ten yards ahead of where the foul was committed

Although there are obvious arguments to say that this was biggest Sheffield derby ever, I have much stronger feelings associated with the 2-0 and 3-1 wins the previous season, and wouldn't have swapped them for a win at Wembley. It also helps knowing that the Snortbeasts suffered a last-minute extra-time, replay defeat against Arsenal )

 

[Grecian2000]

My abiding memory of the day is Esha Ness "winning" the Grand National that never was. Everything else has been selectively wiped from my memory

 

[georgebernardshaw]

So, twenty years ago today, we lost to the Oinkers at Wembley. Without wanting to bring the tone down, what are your abiding memries of it? Mine are:

- Strangely having fairly fond recollections of the day (Mel Rees, all the flags and flares, the atmosphere, Dane Whitehouse's mysterious black eye)
- I still get excited when I see Alan Cork's goal on TV, even though I know the ultimate outcome
- Alan Kelly's heroics (again, even though I know they were ultimately doomed)
- Annoyance that Waddle's freekick was taken ten yards ahead of where the foul was committed

Although there are obvious arguments to say that this was biggest Sheffield derby ever, I have much stronger feelings associated with the 2-0 and 3-1 wins the previous season, and wouldn't have swapped them for a win at Wembley. It also helps knowing that the Snortbeasts suffered a last-minute extra-time, replay defeat against Arsenal )

The game of football in the car park - we won 18-15, and I scored five.

Sonik the inflatable bloody hedgehog.

The atmosphere.

Edit Edit Knowing that my mate (a Blade) was in the other end, and hoping that he would go mad when Corky scored.

The arrival of the United coach, and the fantastic reception.

The miserable drive home (how many times have we done that now?)

The back injury sustained when jumping over the settee when Arsenal scored their winner.

 

[Darren]

My abiding memory is when Cork scored screaming "yessssssssssss" and the noise being so loud around me that I literally couldn't hear my own voice. Thats the only time that has ever happened to me at a match.

Also, coming up the steps before the game and seeing the ground almost completely blue one side and completely red on the other and thinking "finally, after being part of crowds of 7000 watching us fail to beat Southend and Mansfield, this is it - at last".

 

[JohnDenver]

Mamories:

If Wembley itself was a toilet, then the Wembley toilets were the pits of hell.
My dad taking me on the Donny train, thus avoiding most of the human traffic.
The sheer amount of red and white.
Mel Rees, RIP.
Cork's shot rolling in so slowly that Waddle ran past it instead of clearing it.
Waddle's goal provoking a feeling that has been reproduced in every major game since.
United's overall performance provoking a feeling that has... (etc etc)
The journey back provoking a feeling that has...

The more I look back, the more I wonder when United will turn up at one of these games. We keep racking them up.

 

[Ted Danson]

The look on my dads face when he realised the big white stripes and Blades on tour slogan we'd painted all over his red Volvo wouldn't come off

 

[georgebernardshaw]

Seeing an absolutely clapped out white van - full of reds and blues - at the end of the Parkway the day before.

Written in alternate blue and red on the side was "Soho here we come"

 

[georgebernardshaw]

....and to be fair, the reception Mel got at the other end.

Respect

 

[ZoneManWilf]

- Walking into a Wednesday pub pre-match.
- Not being that impressed when I walked into the ground after all the years of wanting to go to Wembley.
- The balloons, flags and flares in our end must have been 4-5 of those really big over your head type flags being passed about.
- Mel Rees pre-match - getting applauded by both sets of fans.
- Cork's goal and the insane celebrations, "he's got no hair and we don't care..." and subsequent half time atmosphere.
- Alan Kelly's ridiculously good game.
- Being totally outplayed and Bassett picking a strange side.
- That Glyn Hodges actually had a half chance within the last 5 minutes of normal time for us to nick it.
- Being devastated on the way home, but at least the blissful ignorance that I didn't know the feeling would be repeated numerous times over the next 20 years...

 

[Highbury_Blade]

turning on the news later to find a blade fan had been attacked and killed

 

[Oreyt]

Nothing to see here, move along.....

 

[Deadbat]

20 years ago. That is scary stuff. I was still at school and recall the build up at school prior to it between both sets of fans.

Recall the journey down and the services being full of red and white and blue and white. Remember going with my Dad and two Uncles and as my Dad was in early days of having MS; he said we had to really park near ground and thus my Uncle paid a tenner (which was a lot in those days) to give him the comfort of being near entrance and a car park spot in Wembley official car park. We got there and my Dad then proceeded to say 'right lets have a walk round the ground.' The look on my Uncle's face was priceless.

Recall the giant Sonic too!

As for the game we totally froze but unlike other games the other side were sadly better than us and had better players. We had raised our game the previous derby double year but this day the wide open spaces of Wembley suited Waddle and co. Remember Deano having a stinker (his fault for winner). The celebrations after Cork's goal at half time were excellent but we never got going all game.

I think I did have a tear at the end acually (sad I know!) a little at the end. It was the biggest game I had ever seen us play and we lost and to our rivals. The only other game were I felt genuinely upset was Chelsea following year. After that I had matured somewhat and have been either angry/resigned or just plan bitter over 'big' defeats.

We have had 2 more FA Cup semi finals (3 if you count league cup) defeats since then and 4 play off final defeats (3 at Wembley and 1 at Millenium - all without a goal).

Still cannot believe it is 20 years ago. I can remember parts of day really clearly. Guess I am getting old!

 

[Racy]

Boozing in the West End the night before no filth in sight!

 

[Darren]

20 years ago. That is scary stuff. I was still at school and recall the build up at school prior to it between both sets of fans.

Recall the journey down and the services being full of red and white and blue and white. Remember going with my Dad and two Uncles and as my Dad was in early days of having MS; he said we had to really park near ground and thus my Uncle paid a tenner (which was a lot in those days) to give him the comfort of being near entrance and a car park spot in Wembley official car park. We got there and my Dad then proceeded to say 'right lets have a walk round the ground.' The look on my Uncle's face was priceless.

Recall the giant Sonic too!

As for the game we totally froze but unlike other games the other side were sadly better than us and had better players. We had raised our game the previous derby double year but this day the wide open spaces of Wembley suited Waddle and co. Remember Deano having a stinker (his fault for winner). The celebrations after Cork's goal at half time were excellent but we never got going all game.

I think I did have a tear at the end acually (sad I know!) a little at the end. It was the biggest game I had ever seen us play and we lost and to our rivals. The only other game were I felt genuinely upset was Chelsea following year. After that I had matured somewhat and have been either angry/resigned or just plan bitter over 'big' defeats.

We have had 2 more FA Cup semi finals (3 if you count league cup) defeats since then and 4 play off final defeats (3 at Wembley and 1 at Millenium - all without a goal).

Still cannot believe it is 20 years ago. I can remember parts of day really clearly. Guess I am getting old!

I think there would have ben a replay had the game been drawn after extra time. I remember hoping it didn't go to that as I couldn't take the stress again!

 

[kingston RAWW]

I lived in Wembley and had a job in the stadium as a steward.
When i arrived, for the first time, we were put to work in the turnstiles. Then realising we were in the Wendy end.
I was happy to turn down all cash bribes to get in. "Come on mate. £20, just let me in". "I'm a Blade, so why don't you just F'off".
Hearing them take the lead from inside the turnstile.
Getting out, and asking the supervisor if I could watch the game.
'yes if you stay in this section'.
Watching it in the Wednesday end. Cork equalises. I celebrate. Copper tells me to calm down, as I am attracting a lot of attention. "I am not doing anything illegal". "Just pack it in or I'll throw you out". So of course when they scored the winner, I was dead meat. At the final whistle I threw away my bid and just left.
Got a phone call later, not realising that the lost bib was a security risk. I didn't care. I never worked there again.
Glad they knocked it down. Over rated ground, absolute concrete shed.

 

[Northyorksblade]

Journey down by car - brilliant
Mel Rees ovation - sad
Too sick with nerves to remember much about the game
Journey back by car - utterly miserable
Death of Blades fan - very sad

 

[cooperblade]

The look on my dads face when he realised the big white stripes and Blades on tour slogan we'd painted all over his red Volvo wouldn't come off

Remember seeing that car - brilliant effort.

My big memory is the whistle going at 90 minutes and thinking "how the fuck have we got a replay out of that?". I didn't realise it went to extra time

 

[Ted Danson]

Remember seeing that car - brilliant effort.

My big memory is the whistle going at 90 minutes and thinking "how the fuck have we got a replay out of that?". I didn't realise it went to extra time

Ill have to see if hes still got a photo of it, I do remember it being quite a sight with a couple of those large flags on either side and a couple inside. Even had a few Wendys taking photos of it when we were stuck in traffic on the M1. God knows how he managed to sell it after that with the faded pink strips all over it.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

So, twenty years ago today, we lost to the Oinkers at Wembley.

Last twenty years haven't been too bad overall.

We’ve had more ups than downs [feels like it to me even if some stato can prove me wrong]. That makes the current times so hard to take. It’s been a rocky road sometimes but I've enjoyed more than I've not.
Thanks Blades – the greatest team in the world.

Strange thing is the loss at Wembley didn't hit like I thought it would; probably due to it being the first visit there to see The Blades and the occasion was enough. [Still makes the hairs stand when I think about the game at Ipswich that got us to Wembley against Palace; say what you want about it but I think a trip to Wembley to see The Blades is special].

I was very proud to see Sheffield fill up the old lass; also noticed the touts before the game going home early because no one would give up their tickets - they were too precious to both sides.

 

[ZoneManWilf]

We’ve had more ups than downs [feels like it to me even if some stato can prove me wrong]. That makes the current times so hard to take. It’s been a rocky road sometimes but I've enjoyed more than I've not.

You're obviously a glass half full man.

It doesn't take a statto to see we were in the Prem 20 years ago and we're in the 3rd tier now to work out we've had more downs than ups

Add in numerous failures at final hurdles like playoff finals and semis and last day relegations, coupled with our only promotion in that time being settled in pretty unspectacular fashion, it's not exactly tangible in success terms.

Still, I've enjoyed it more than I've not as well, despite events on the pitch

 

[TopBoy]

Paying a Cockerknee wide boy £70 for a seat behind the goal in the back row and frogmarching him to the turn style to make sure the ticket wasn't a dud. Nothing else.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

You're obviously a glass half full man.

It doesn't take a statto to see we were in the Prem 20 years ago and we're in the 3rd tier now to work out we've had more downs than ups

Add in numerous failures at final hurdles like playoff finals and semis and last day relegations, coupled with our only promotion in that time being settled in pretty unspectacular fashion, it's not exactly tangible in success terms.

Still, I've enjoyed it more than I've not as well, despite events on the pitch

There are a lot of clubs out there who would cut off their right arms to have been as unsucessful as us.

Many haven't even had a sniff of nowt.

 

[Blackheath Blade]

Double heartache for me.
I wasn't able to go to Wembley due to personal circumstances (ex-wife issues) and I was absolutely floored when it dawned on me a few days before the match that I couldn't go.
I'd been to Wembley before for two FA Cup Finals and the FA Vase Final in 1977 when Sheffield FC got there, so I was gutted to miss a game there featuring The Blades.
Instead, I watched the game in The White Swan at Brightside with a load of mates, most of them Wednesdayites. Although United got battered, the saving grace was all the lads buying me my lager for the rest of the afternoon and I ended up absolutely shit faced.

 

[KenMcnaughtsNuts]

arriving at the lane and being informed my "executive coach" hadnt been paid for by the club, and were replaced by falling apart old buses with leaky windows.

first, and last, time i ever used the blades for travel to a match!

 

[Wapping Blade]

the FA Vase Final in 1977 when Sheffield FC got there

Snap! First foray to Wembley aged 12 and first encounter with people from Essex (SFC played Billericay)!

 

[VespaBlade]

Getting stoned and pissed in the van on the way down....( only a small spliff-Say NO to drugs kids)
Scoring a goal in the Wembley car park against some pigs...
Realising that Wembley was a dump...
Reception for Mel Rees(RIP)...
Waddles bleeding goal...
Alan Kelly's unbelivable performance...
Alan Corks goal and the half time singing....
Having 2 of the 3 flares I saw in the Blades end...
Standing up after 90 mins to go home as we had drawn...
Sitting back down for extra time....
Walking back to van...
Cracking the last of the beers open and not remembering the journey back....

20 years ago!! Bloody Hell!
Seen some shite, had some dreams dashed, Not seen us score at a semi or playoff since.
But thats the Blades way..

Lost a lad who went down with us since.
RIP FOZ!

UTB