Filling Up My Senses

It was 20 years ago today……………

Saturday 15 August 1992, at about 3.05pm, in glorious sunshine at Bramall Lane, Brian Deane puts himself and the Blades in the record books, as he scores the first goal of the Premier league era in a 2-1 victory over Manchester United.

Deano bags a second from the penalty spot, before Mark Hughes pulls a goal back for the Red Devils and the Blades hold on for a historic 2-1 win.

Play Off Joy

As United prepare for the League One play off final at Wembley, much is made of United’s record in Play Off Finals. The best bit about the play offs have been the semi final victories that have preceded Final defeat.

This is one of the greatest games of United’s recent history. A 4-3 home win over Nottingham Forest in the 2003 Championship Semi Final Second Leg that followed a 1-1 draw at the City Ground. United came from 2-0 down to win, with some great goals, an OMG moment from Paul Peschisolido and an own goal from ex-Owl Des Walker. An amazing night.

Void

Arsenal v Sheffield United - FA Cup 5th round - 13th February 1999

Arsenal led at half-time courtesy of a Patrick Viera goal. The Blades equalised through Marcelo after an hour and shortly after the Brazilian hit the post.

Then United midfielder Lee Morris went down under a strong tackle from Viera and the ball was put out of play by United keeper Alan Kelly so he could receive treatment. The Arsenal throw-in was taken and chucked down the line towards Alan Kelly in the United goal. However, Kanu intercepted it and passed it through to Marc Overmars who was sprinting into the space left by the United defence assuming that they would receive the ball to restart from their keeper. He promptly slotted the ball home to put Arsenal 2-1 up.

The United players were apoplectic and manager Steve Bruce was infuriated on the touchline. He and his players demanded that the officials disallow the goal, but they couldn’t. No law of the game had been broken, rather an unwritten rule of sportsman like behaviour had been ignored. There was little the officials could do.

To be honest, Arsenal could have done something which other clubs have done since, which is allow United a clear path to score from the kick-off, but they didn’t. Bruce started ordering his players to leave the pitch  and the 6,000 Blades fans chanted “Brucey, get em off, Brucey, Brucey, get em off!” but eventually the situation was calmed enough to let the game continue and it finished with the scoreline unchanged at 2-1.

Immediately after the game Arsene Wenger and Arsenal chairman David Dein offered to play the game again. This offer was accepted by United, sanctioned by the FA and the original game was declared void.

The rematch was held ten days later and in front of just over 37,000 Arsenal again notched up a 2-1 victory, but in more acceptable circumstances.

Subbuteo Deane and Agana

When United had the coolest away kit in the country (at the time Umbro’s biggest seller after England and Rangers) I was frustrated that it wasn’t immortalized by Subbuteo. A trip to Beatties in town for a tin of day-glo yellow enamel paint followed and I had a bash myself at painting it. Of course, for authenticity, the team would not have been complete without our twin destroyers Deane and Agana.

Submitted by Lee Doane

Junior Blades scarf

Part of the initial pack you received was a scarf made of very similar material to the team shirt of the time and even included the “space invaders” styling with the Blades badge running through the stripes.

Tied round the wrist by some, as Bridgette Guest used to, or worn in a conventional way like I did it was a staple element of matchday wear for a young Blade. If you were Dan Chapman, your Dad used it to tie you to the railings at the front of the Kop so you didn’t wander off!

I wonder if many still have their scarf like I do? Fellow Blade Lee Doane remembers placing his on the tributes at Hillsborough, post disaster.

This is Beautiful Downtown Bramall Lane as it looked on a sunny day back in 1984. These three shots each showing a different stand illustrate just how much the World’s oldest major football ground has changed in the last thirty years or so. Each photo was taken from the vantage point of the new South Stand (not shown) which at the time was under ten years old. Opened in 1975 the South Stand was built over the old cricket pitch and in the years following it’s construction the other three sides of the ground saw major redevelopments as Bramall Lane was transformed into the modern stadium it is today.

The first photo is the old Shoreham Street Kop on which can been seen, over on the far left, the iconic ‘white wall’. Many Blades fans of a certain vintage remember with some fondness this particular area. It was an excellent vantage point from which you had a great view of the pitch and probably more importantly the whole of the Kop which when full and swaying as one was a fabulous sight indeed. How many did it hold? I’m not sure but reckon it’s capacity must have been around the 18,000 mark.

The second photo shows the Bramall Lane end which has for as long as I can remember been the away end. The bottom tier is always reserved for visiting supporters whilst the top tier is on occasion given over for use by the home fans. The Bramall Lane end as it was with the bottom tier terraced was an impressive sight when full - it must have held knocking on 10,000. In my time supporting the Blades I have only ever seen Leeds United and Derby County fill the entire end - seats and terracing.

The last photo is a shot of the old John Street Stand which was the first Archibald Leitch stand to built in England. Opened in 1901 it was rebuilt in the late 40s following extensive bomb damage in the Sheffield Blitz. It may have survived the nazis but it didn’t survive the suited spivs who purported to run the club because in 1994 it was demolished and for nearly two years due to a lack of available finance Bramall Lane reverted to a three-sided ground until the new John Street stand was built in 1996.

The view looking over the top of the John Street stand into Sheffield City Centre has of course changed over time. The distinctive ‘egg-box’ town hall extension has disappeared as have a number of other buildings in this shot. Replaced in the main by nondescript office blocks with no architectural value whatsoever. There is however one constant - no matter how much Bramall Lane changes one thing remains and that is St Marys Church - it’s spire visible in all images and photos of Bramall Lane since the day it opened in the mid 1800s. It was there in 1855, it’s there today and no doubt will still be there in years to come when Bramall Lane has changed yet again.

Submitted by @Footysphere

http://footysphere.com/