Sheffield skinheads in the 80s

[Ridgewalk]

I remember the original skinheads, around 1968, morphed into suedeheads 3 or 4 years later. I think it's a bit disingenuous of people to suggest that they were anything other than thugs associated with football and racist violence. The whole point of shaven heads was to look mean and aggressive and better able to fight. If not the case why wear heavy steel toe capped industrial boots ? The whole "non racist " skin bit may have been true 10-12 years later. Personally don't understand why people had to imitate a lifestyle from a previous generation, shows a distinct lack of imagination. Before I'm criticised as having middle class views I originate from a working class council estate in a mining village in Barnsley. There were plenty of skinheads around but they were thuggy types. The bowler hat as mentioned earlier was a manifestation/celebration of the film Clockwork Orange worn by a hooligan gang in the film

[ercar]

I use to be a skinhead in the 1980's spent most of my time down attercliffe we always got fighting when the fair use to come on the spare ground at darnall.Brightside was another haunt of ours, going back to attercliffe we once went in the fisherman pub just off broughton lane this is going up to darnall we had never been in the pub before there was about 20 of us.We had a right shock when we walked through the door it was full of hells angels there was one bloody big battle outside I had my hand broke by a stupid long haired fella he lashed out at me with a motorbike chain thats all they was good for using weapons but revenge was ours 6 weeks later we all went back up only this time there was more of use than them I can remember one of the hairy fairys getting is hair cut there must have been 8 of the skinheads had pinned him down and somebody used a big pair of hair cutting shears on him he finnished up with hardly any hair on him.We also had a visit from some of the darnall skinheads and they got stuck in I think that 4 of the motorbikes got wrecked.The police turned up but we had legged it down to the broughton inn so even to this day I dont know what had happened to the hairy fairy who had got his hair cut free of charge.We never went back there again.

 

think they were my shears ups

 

---------- Post added 30-01-2014 at 15:32 ----------

 

I used to work in Sheffield for many years, Mezzy (PG) was a mate of mine, he had tats of tear drops, i remember him leaving the Drop-in centre at Victoria hall (which i started up) when a gang jumped him, being a scouser i helped him out, us two against 9 or more.... if your about Mez get in touch bud..

 

i remember mez with mick he shot me in the leg had to go hospital and have it pulled out ouch i still sort of speak to mick hes in touch with mez

 

---------- Post added 30-01-2014 at 15:35 ----------

 

Yes I had some interesting times on Level 5 myself

 

do you remember when the police came to remove us and they got the hose pipe on us

[only_me]

I remember the original skinheads, around 1968, morphed into suedeheads 3 or 4 years later. I think it's a bit disingenuous of people to suggest that they were anything other than thugs associated with football and racist violence. The whole point of shaven heads was to look mean and aggressive and better able to fight. If not the case why wear heavy steel toe capped industrial boots ? The whole "non racist " skin bit may have been true 10-12 years later. Personally don't understand why people had to imitate a lifestyle from a previous generation, shows a distinct lack of imagination. Before I'm criticised as having middle class views I originate from a working class council estate in a mining village in Barnsley. There were plenty of skinheads around but they were thuggy types. The bowler hat as mentioned earlier was a manifestation/celebration of the film Clockwork Orange worn by a hooligan gang in the film

 

I think you will find a lot of the late 1960s big city Skins were not racist due to the reggae/ska influence. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CKcLS0MZQ0

 

I see the name Smedley mentioned here. Mick and Dave Smedley i presume? I always found them to be great lads and always good for a laugh.

[wullie kelly]

The skins I knew around 81 were al decent blokes, never started anything but by God they could finish it. Another memory I have is a record store in Sheffield around 82 when a few skins from Wakefield were in asking for racist bands music. The guy tolerated them for a few minures and then told them his brother was killed by Nazis during WW II and that the hammer he was holding would be splitting heads if they did not "**** off".

 

I'm not sure if they could fight, but they sure could run!!!!

my names scottie i hung around showboat in 1979/80 we bunny /tim /manners ricky cherril n chez(rip) his brother /sham /mincher des /bogeyt/here was a few off us we had a laff n went all ova place memories ill cherish

 

---------- Post added 20-02-2014 at 00:47 ----------

 

did you wwrite youre book my names scottie iwas skinhead in 79/80 an hung around flat street n showboat sheffield id like a copy if you wrote it we got up to some mischieeeef but had many laffs as well

 

---------- Post added 20-02-2014 at 00:49 ----------

 

i hung around with them nickname was scottie

[froger]

I went out with mezzy(PG) for about 2years. While I was going out with him my friend Jayne M was going out with Ricky C.

[Mickturtle]

Hi Miss Skin, - You brought back a few old memory's with the list of names

 

Webbo here (Showboat 1979 -1985), Great memory's great times, still going to see Bad Manners, The Beat and any other Ska band that is playing locally, still got shaved hair and Doc Martins but wear them with a suit now.

I went on to be an IT Analyst so for all those people who think we were all just racist no brain lunatics please accept the two fingered salute, i had lots of Indian, West Indian friends etc as i also went to the Bow Centre to Jam upstairs with Wesley etc.

Too many people try and put people into Box's, the people i knew hung around the various haunts in Sheffield until of pub age because they had no where else to go, we did get into fights but 99 times out of a 100 it was other people who caused the trouble with us.

The Marples was my drinking hole and sometimes the Wicker before all the pubs where closed, i also remember trying to sneak into the Limit in 1978 to see the Specials before they got famous.

Still see a few of the old crew in passing, i work with Adz, i see Adolf, Kenty, Swabs, Ange frequently sometimes i see some of the others at gigs, Bad Manners at the corporation 14th Dec 2007 if any of you old Showboat, Pondstreet, Gallery or Hole in the Road Guys are still up for it it's a great night.

Hope to see some of you there sweating and wheezing with me.

Webbo

Remember me mick turtle

Used to hang around with you Andersons Casper etc.

 

---------- Post added 16-03-2014 at 21:23 ----------

 

Hello ! I know Paul we was in the same year at school and we lived across the road from each other when we was growing up (so less of the old PLEASE:hihi:) they was a lovely family , I still see his mum from time to time too ...really nice lady ! and I was abit of a girly skin too !

 

Clare :wave:x

I grew up with skinner

Great days on the rec.

[Steptoad]

So which of you old skin heads beat the **** out of me on Angel Street in the summer of 1980?

[mediumfast]

One Saturday afternoon there was about ten of us skins in the cafe in the sheaf market when a gang of rockers got up from there table as they walked past us one of them lite a match an put it out on my arm all he'll broke lose that day still have the Mark on arm

 

 

I remember getting in a brawl one Saturday afternoon at the Sheaf Market cafe with a gang of skinheads not sure it was the same one though as I doubt any of us would have thrown a match at a girl,that said there were about ten of them and as there was four of us we put up a good showing as the odds were usually at least five to one against us.

[wullie kelly]

I'm an ex skinhead who moved away from Sheffield in the mid 80's. Just started to listen to punk and Oi! music again after a long break. I remember frequenting the Barrow Boys and The Marples regularly. The Barrow Boys was a real spit and sawdust pub. Good job really! The Marples was great for gigs upstairs. I remember going to see a few punk bands there usually with The Mau Maus as support. Anyone know if the Mau Maus are still around?

 

i hung around flat street and drunk in the marples with another skinhead called stuart my nick name was scottie because id lived in scotland for a bit i cant mind off it being that violent around showboat or pubs at time nowt like it is these days

 

---------- Post added 01-04-2014 at 14:03 ----------

 

i was skin heads in 1979-1983 best days of my life...."showboat skins"

 

names scottie i hung around showboat we sham n ricky bunny yan ect n they were best days of my life too we had some laffs i remember security in showboat brought a dog in now n then but it didnt faze us n busses were that cheap we were allover place

 

---------- Post added 01-04-2014 at 14:57 ----------

 

i hung about we bunny n chez (rip) manners tony yan in old shoboat sdays im scottie

 

---------- Post added 01-04-2014 at 15:01 ----------

 

i hung around with all them my names scottie n there a great bunch of lads

[Beeffy]

Came across this topic by accident, Bunny , slater , digger, etc etc good lads ,

takes me back going all over town to various youth clubs , first meet Bunny at an away game in Carlise , good bloke , anyroads anyone remember my name around town , "Beeffy " .