SHA Small Heath Alliance

yh straight out ov cherry wood detention centre, get in free 4 last 20mins

Our whole clan are pure dvb material, who moved out to Lichfield in the late 60s. My dad went against the grain cos all his mates were blues and then he brought me into the fold during our glory years, from 87 onwards.

First game he took me to, we barely had the bus fare and we waited till the gates opened, at half time. Blues 3 - Stoke 2

My dad and his brother as kids would spend each weekend 'sneaking' into Blues and Villa, Dad decided Blues was the easier to get into Blues and it went from there. His brother stayed sadly as a DVB.

Through the factory yard and over the wall, into the Tilton?

Dad born and bred in Sandy Lane, a stone’s throw from the ground, so would go with his mates. He also alternated between Blues and Wolves as his mate (Bev Bevan from ELO) was Wolves but the old man wasn’t swayed by the drumming aficionado. Both Grandads and families were Blues too. I suppose I could’ve chosen otherwise as when I was old enough to start taking notice properly in the early 80s, my Dad’s interest had waned and I also grew up in Balsall Common, with a lot of Cov and the usual glory hunting fans, and just a few Blues and Villa. Despite his lack of interest, my Dad maybe sensed I was close to being brainwashed and so took to me to my first game in March 1985 when David Seaman saved a late penalty to ensure we beat Notts Country 2-1. I was 7 and that was it for me, no looking back.

Dad was from Gillingham , right by the stadium , married during the war , settled in Birmingham , as a 6 year old I picked Blues as they were the closest team to home , all our neighbor kids bar 1 were Blues so no other choice . My Dad started taking me in the mid 60's I remember queuing for semi final tickets V WBA & being in the Kop for Barry Bridges scissor kick ,amazing times . My Lucas apprenticeship killed off the games as I played football & Rugby on Saturdays , then a Works Engineer job at Lucas Aerospace so I worked Saturdays . Then in 1988 I emigrated to the States but got to games when we came back for visits . Once a Blue always a Blue.

My parents split up when I was two.Perhaps it was something that I said, or a particularly ferocious nappy. Anyway, I was saddled with a stepfather- he was Blues through and through and my dad’s family were all from Aston, and Villa through and through. Anyway, stepfather took me to my first game - Blues v Villa, February 1968 - when I was seven years old. To be fair to the old bastard, he said I could support who I wanted.

Blues scored very early on, the noise was thunderous and I was hooked. Some ‘issues’ dictated that we had to move to Lancashire from Birmingham when I was ten, and being the only Blues fan in the whole bloody town (probably), never mind the school, brought it’s own challenges. Then we had to move again to Bolton. I used to go to Burnden Park with my mates and always had a soft spot for Wanderers, Then we had to move again, down to Stafford this time, in 1974. That was ace really, because there were actually Blues fans in my school.

Fifty years later, and I still have a season ticket. Hopefully we’ll do something while I’m still a) relatively compos mentis and b) still alive.

Out of interest did the old bill ever catch your stepdad 😉

Greebo joe

Out of interest did the old bill ever catch your stepdad 😉

Unfortunately for him, yes indeed. More than once!

Going back to the initial post I too listened to the Blues Focus podcast with Steven Knight yesterday.

I fully recommend it to anyone who has not yet.

Steven was a great guest who mentioned how he is a regular reader of Small Heath Alliance and loves the humour on here.

The hosts did an excellent job in getting his opinions on the club, the takeover, Rooney, Mowbray and then went on to chat all things Peaky Blinders.

Agreed.

Yes, thoroughly recommended. Good guy, and proper Blues.

The piece that made me smile was living in Little Green Lane and using Tucker Wrights when working at the Bush all the lads used Tuckers for their bets

My Blue Heaven

With how it’s been, it’s been like a hostage situation

I’m blues, my dad is blues, my grandad is blues, my greatgrandad is blues etc etc. It goes all the way back to when we played at muntz street apparently, never had a choice 😔😂

Same for me wife's side of family is Coventry but when both son in laws and therefore grandkids are Blues we managed to turn the father in law a deeper shade of blue to the point son played played KRO at his funeral on his sax.

I must say this is a very good read with very interesting stories . The blog was very well hosted .

El Mayor

QBBC2

Well god bless you for sticking with it through thin and thin. What did make you choose Blues?

No blues in my family either.

I got inducted groomed into Blues by a friend of my family as a young child

FTFY. Thank God they did though.