Watchers/Supporters of both Sheffield teams

[Silent Blade]

My maternal grandfather (1899-1960) used to attend matches at BDTBL and at S6 regularly as did many other Sheffielders up to until the 1960s when away matches were more affordable. I remember after matches in the early 1970s, outside the players entrance in John Street, a young lady autograph hunter would always wear a long woolly scarf (half were red and white, the other half blue and white). When BBC Sportsnight were previewing the 1993 FA Cup semi final they interviewed a middle aged lady who had season tickets for both Sheffield clubs for many years and she didnt know who she wanted to win the semi final match.

Are there still a few season ticket holders for both Sheffield teams nowadays?

 

[WORKSOPBLADE]

Nope

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

My maternal grandfather (1899-1960) used to attend matches at BDTBL and at S6 regularly as did many other Sheffielders up to until the 1960s when away matches were more affordable.

Why weren't they at the away matches then?

 

[JohnStreet]

No but I decided I liked both teams colours. So I took one colour from United -red, and one colour from wednesday- white. I will always be a Red n White me.

 

[JonnyRed(WCFC)]

Probably not season ticket holders but I bet theres one or two that go to games at both when the others away and vice versa..

So theyd be classed as just a football fan in general without a real allegiance hmm

 

[Hackblade]

I support United but I’d have no problem watching a game at Hillsborough and mingling with their fans. I’m a football fan and find a lot of the tribalism and puerile ‘Pig’ stuff on either side tiresome.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

My maternal grandfather (1899-1960) used to attend matches at BDTBL and at S6 regularly as did many other Sheffielders up to until the 1960s when away matches were more affordable. I remember after matches in the early 1970s, outside the players entrance in John Street, a young lady autograph hunter would always wear a long woolly scarf (half were red and white, the other half blue and white). When BBC Sportsnight were previewing the 1993 FA Cup semi final they interviewed a middle aged lady who had season tickets for both Sheffield clubs for many years and she didnt know who she wanted to win the semi final match.

Are there still a few season ticket holders for both Sheffield teams nowadays?

Did she have splinters in her arse. Seriously you are not a passionate fan if you like both teams.

 

[Weasel]

Highly unlikely. Football is more tribal these days than it was back in the day. You tend to find that your average Sheffielder will call themselves either Blade or Pig (even if they only have a passing interest in football).

All my family are Blades. Most of my mates who I grew up with are Blades. The odd couple of mates are Pigs (they do go to games I'll give em that). We just pity the porky fukas.

 

[Silent Blade]

Why weren't they at the away matches then?

Too expensive until the 1960s

 

[Newbury Blade]

Perhaps worth a separate thread but what about people who switched from one to the other ... my late cousin Patrick, who took me to my very first game at the Lane in 1966, and was a Unitedite, switched to Wednesday a couple of years later in protest, he said, at the sale of Jones and Birchenall. We are a mixed family (some Blades, some Wednesday) but none of us really trusted him after that. Anyone else experienced owt like this?

 

[bromtom]

My Mum's Dad took her to both when she was little in the 60's and into the 70's but he was Welsh so had no loyalty and she prefers Rugby so again, not bothered.

My Dad however is a massive Blade, but went along with my Mum's brother (by then a staunch Wendy) to Hillsborough as a bargaining thing, he went there so he could get my Uncle to the Lane to watch some proper football, and possibly convert him except my Uncle almost always found an excuse not to.

Nowadays though, I doubt it. More people are on the edge of poverty and football is more expensive.

 

[CornwallBlade]

I went to the 93 cup semi and remember that it was reported as pretty unusual to say the least that so many coaches had both sets of fans in them

 

[coaxingstar71]

Most of my family are owls, as a youngster, my grandad took me to Hillsboro a few times but it just wasn't the same for me. I wasn't really bothered whether they won or lost as I'd already attached to the Blades. My grandad was predominantly a Wednesday fan but went to United games too and would support them when he went. He said a lot did and obviously there was no segregation either. My Dad, another owl, and my grandad have been to blades games with me too and supported the blades.

 

[Tyler Durden]

Thank fuck that this nonsense doesn't happen anymore.

 

[ShorehamRevolution]

I’ve always wondered what happened around the 70’s to stop this, any single event that happened?

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

Too expensive until the 1960s

Too expensive to travel to away games, rather than the cost to get in? Was part of the reason also difficulty getting to the away games too? Take it only real option for the working man up to the 60s were trains.

 

[coaxingstar71]

I’ve always wondered what happened around the 70’s to stop this, any single event that happened?

Hooliganism?

 

[Ivanhoe]

Boxing Day 1979...

 

[georgebernardshaw]

My grandfather, who died in 1962, had a season ticket at the Lane and at Hillsborough, in the summer he played cricket, golf, bowls, and anything else that occurred to him - his greatest love was fishing, he taught me to fish.

He followed Yorkshire around the county, watched Millhouses on a Sunday, shutting his bakery early if Yorkshire were at the Lane, dragging me with him whenever and wherever he could. My old man had no interest in football, so the old boy made sure that my sporting education was completed watching United - he never took me to Hillsborough, making sure I was brought up right.

I’ve got several photos of him fishing, and I suppose these showed him at his happiest, but I wish there was some way to tell him that he has a brick in the Lane wall, he’d be well chuffed, to use one of his favourite sayings.

 

['Doc' Pace my hero]

I get as much pleasure out of Wednesday losing as i do out of United winning,i can genuinely say that i hate Wednesday with a passion.

 

[Nade]

I support United but I’d have no problem watching a game at Hillsborough and mingling with their fans. I’m a football fan and find a lot of the tribalism and puerile ‘Pig’ stuff on either side tiresome.

Totally agree with this. Always want us to beat them and to do better than them but at the end of the day both teams represent the city and i dont mind them doing alright.

I find it a bit daft that fans talk about the others as though they're sub human scum. It's a game and they're ultimately no different from us.

 

[GrayBlade]

My maternal grandfather (1899-1960) used to attend matches at BDTBL and at S6 regularly as did many other Sheffielders up to until the 1960s when away matches were more affordable. I remember after matches in the early 1970s, outside the players entrance in John Street, a young lady autograph hunter would always wear a long woolly scarf (half were red and white, the other half blue and white). When BBC Sportsnight were previewing the 1993 FA Cup semi final they interviewed a middle aged lady who had season tickets for both Sheffield clubs for many years and she didnt know who she wanted to win the semi final match.

Are there still a few season ticket holders for both Sheffield teams nowadays?

Over the years Silent, I’ve come to accept that they are a completely different breed to us. That doesn’t stop me thinking the world of my Wendy bro in law who cared for my lovesly Sis as she succeeded to cancer or my best man who got me out of so much shit over my early years you wouldn’t believe.

But overall, I’ve been to the Sty 3 times in my life when we’ve not played and starting with Santos on a school outing, and each time it was to support the opposition. I just don’t get the Pork mate, I think they’re (as a group) an embarrassment to the city to be honest and I couldn’t envisage at any stage of my life where I’d want to watch both teams. UTB

 

[Silent Blade]

Too expensive to travel to away games, rather than the cost to get in? Was part of the reason also difficulty getting to the away games too? Take it only real option for the working man up to the 60s were trains.

More coaches available in the 1960s and they were cheaper than going on trains. Getting refreshments were easier too. More young adults going to matches after National Service ended

 

[Bladepicker]

a young lady autograph hunter would always wear a long woolly scarf (half were red and white, the other half blue and white).

I believe that may have been SwissBlade's Mum or Auntie.

 

[Silent Blade]

I believe that may have been SwissBlade's Mum or Auntie.

She had long dark hair and was quite pretty

 

[Weasel]

Totally agree with this. Always want us to beat them and to do better than them but at the end of the day both teams represent the city and i dont mind them doing alright.

I find it a bit daft that fans talk about the others as though they're sub human scum. It's a game and they're ultimately no different from us.

They most certainly are.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

My maternal grandfather (1899-1960) used to attend matches at BDTBL and at S6 regularly as did many other Sheffielders up to until the 1960s when away matches were more affordable. I remember after matches in the early 1970s, outside the players entrance in John Street, a young lady autograph hunter would always wear a long woolly scarf (half were red and white, the other half blue and white). When BBC Sportsnight were previewing the 1993 FA Cup semi final they interviewed a middle aged lady who had season tickets for both Sheffield clubs for many years and she didnt know who she wanted to win the semi final match.

Are there still a few season ticket holders for both Sheffield teams nowadays?

Doubt whether there are (m)any. I used to play school football on Saturday mornings, and quite often went to S6 in the afternoon (supporting the opposition). Lots of men worked Saturday mornings, so away matches were not an option. My impression is that most of those who went to watch both Sheffield clubs had strong preferences for one or other team. And of course very few people had season tickets before the 80s; the good deals on season tickets have concentrated minds.

 

[Silent Blade]

Lots of men worked Saturday mornings, so away matches were not an option.

SUFC Handsworth , another good reason why many didnt go to away matches. Good answer HodgysBrokenThumb

 

[Caveblade]

In the late 80's I worked with a guy who was a Blade. His sister married Paul Thomson who was the Swine reporter on the Star.

Next thing Bob suddenly has a Blue and White scarf and Wednesday till he dies. Only person I have ever met who has swapped sides.

Not and never was a true Blade or football fan. It's in yer blood. If I ever stopped supporting the Blades I would stop watching football.

 

[Lawrence]

My maternal grandfather (1899-1960) used to attend matches at BDTBL and at S6 regularly as did many other Sheffielders up to until the 1960s when away matches were more affordable. I remember after matches in the early 1970s, outside the players entrance in John Street, a young lady autograph hunter would always wear a long woolly scarf (half were red and white, the other half blue and white). When BBC Sportsnight were previewing the 1993 FA Cup semi final they interviewed a middle aged lady who had season tickets for both Sheffield clubs for many years and she didnt know who she wanted to win the semi final match.

Are there still a few season ticket holders for both Sheffield teams nowadays?

Wouldn’t think so these days, I know one unitedite who goes down to the sty to watch Wendy’s now and again. many Sheffielders used to watched both teams in the day, I used to watch United at home and being from Swinton I used to watch Rotherham and Doncaster with some school mates. (I remember going down to millmoor to see Rotherham’s FA cup replay with Man Utd, Best, Law, Charlton etc.) it was a full house, a night I will always remember! It was when ‘Billies coaches’ from Mexborough started running trips to away games (one week Wendy’s the next week United) that was when we started going to see United home and away... Sheffield United tours and then the Football rail specials came along. If you went to away game in those days it really was a very very long day!