I'm from Gods country, Hull. I moved to Sheffield about six years ago. One thing that I never could quite grasp was the reason why both football teams call each other "pigs"?

Why pigs? where did this originate?

Thanks

United's shirts look like rashers of bacon hence the term.

The stink, they eat swill and roll about in their own muck - sums up the typical blade to me...

Oh yes, they tend to have a lower than average intelligence..

Originally posted by Internetowl
United's shirts look like rashers of bacon hence the term.

The stink, they eat swill and roll about in their own muck - sums up the typical blade to me...

Oh yes, they tend to have a lower than average intelligence..

hmmmmm well i consider myself a blade....partly because im from that side of the city..im not really into football,but if theres ever a derby its united ill cheer on.....but one thing is for certain,having "a lower than average intelligence" must describe the hooligans from both united AND wednesdays side...when fighting starts united and wednesday are no better than each other! pigs have quite a high intelligence for an animal..so to call people like that pigs is quite a compliment for them lol

To be honest it didn't help that untied had a stand painted pink for quite a long time.

Remember if pigs could fly bramall lane would be an airport

Originally posted by CaptainSleep
To be honest it didn't help that untied had a stand painted pink for quite a long time.

Remember if pigs could fly bramall lane would be an airport


remember if wednsday could win owt..theyd be in the premiership! lol

It's one of my pet hates..

I'm an Owl but I still don't know why either set of fans are referred to as pigs. Some people even use it in casual conversation "Alright Wavey.. I see your pigs slipped up again?" - don't like it , sorry.

You will find that, with most cities/ towns with more than one team, there will be this sort of rivalry.

there was uproar a season or two back when there was an incident at a football ground when the scores were flashed up on the screen...(I cant remember exactly which way round it happened, but it was between Norwich and Ipswich:- it either happened *at* norwich about ipswich, or *at* ipswich, about norwich.)

the score for the rival team's away match was flashed up, and it said "Middlesboro' 0, scum 1. "

Apparently there was some disciplinary action taken. the steward reponsible for updating the board was (coff!) relieved of his duties!

BTW, I am a blade, who works with quite a few Owls supporters, and we have lots of friendly Joshing at each other over results the morning after a match, but it is all good natured...

PT

Yeah me too.. loads of mates both Owls and Blades, rivalry is fine and dandy though, obviously, but I don't get on with the whole pig bit thats all.

butchers wear blue and white he he

nah, wendy fans just oink about how good they are etc etc......


funny to see em still being the "big" team they are :-D

fao TWIST

I dont think you are qualified to reply to this thread.

If you only think you are a blade - you must be a closet owl, but then again if you are not "really into football"you must be a blade in which case, congratulations for typing so well with those little trotters.

The original question was quite interesting and I would've loved to known..but as usual it just degenerates into 'my teams better than your team'...yawn yawn

I understood it is some connection with Pig iron, and the production of steel. I can see how that would account for United being called that as their proper nickname is related to steel. Not quite sure how Wednesday fits in with that though.

I think its more to do with a general insult than anything as deep as that.
Could be wrong though..

a couple of years ago we lived on abbeydale road and the rivalry was more noticebale then, but since moving to broomhill we seem to be too far away from either teams for it to effect us. I used to live near tottenham in london and the spurs/arsenal rivaalry there was massive, you couldn't miss it!

Originally posted by Wavey
I think its more to do with a general insult than anything as deep as that.
Could be wrong though..

There was a thread in the Sports section last year which said that Wednesday's ground was built on a pig farm.


Added:

Found it here (http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=67&perpage=15&pagenumber=7):


Here's the truth of why Wednesday were and always will be PIGS.

This is an extract from a document from the Sheffield Local History Society, which can be viewed at Sheffield's Central Library.

"The Wednesday football club was formed on 4th September 1867. The football club first played its games at the Olive Grove Sports Ground in Heeley before moving to a new stadium in the Owlerton district of Sheffield.
The first Ordnance Survey maps (1850's) mark a building close to where the stadium now stands as 'Swine Cottage'. They also show another farm on Penistone Road, south of where the North Stand is situated, which was also believed to be a large piggery. Pork farming is thought to have been practised in the area since the early 1800's, and did not cease until around 1900 when the city's rapid expansion put an end to livestock production in the area. At its height the "Owlerton Piggery," as it was known, provided work for some 50 employees.
Initial discussions about a nickname began soon after the Wednesday arrived at Owlerton. In reference to their new home, most club officials were in favour of "The Owls." However, another suggestion was also popular. In view of the area's strong tradition of pork farming, a popular grass-roots alternative was "The Pigs."
Although the name "Owls" prevailed, many working class supporters continued to refer to their team as "t'pigs." A popular song of the time "They may be t'Owls to some, (but they'll always be pigs to me)" was performed in music halls across South Yorkshire. As late as the 1920's, fans used to welcome their team onto the field with the characteristic grunting sound we still associate with the club. This peculiarity was once referred to by BBC commentator Edward Milburn, who famously described Hillsborough as a "sea of grunts" moments after The Wednesday won the First Division title in 1932.

So there you have it. Put those paint tins away

thats really interesting :) i often wondered why it was the owls, until i got my a-z out one day, haha

I was just about to post the same thing.

While were on the subject try this.....


1.Go to the yahoo.co.uk website
2.Click on search uk only
3.Type in pigs fc


See who comes up first.............................

End of dispute me thinks!:thumbsup:

see my point!!!
Its like kids in a school yard..'your team smells..no your team smells...well your team wears combat boots'
We all know about the rivalry but this thread asked a genuine question. Its tiresome to see replies just having a dig at the other team.

Have I had a dig? I don't think so.:confused:

Just pointing out something that is amusing.

Try moaning to Yahoo.........not me!

Originally posted by wibbles
see my point!!!
Its like kids in a school yard..'your team smells..no your team smells...well your team wears combat boots'
We all know about the rivalry but this thread asked a genuine question. Its tiresome to see replies just having a dig at the other team.

james has a valid point, it comes up as number one on the search........

football would be boring with out the sort of banter that goes on between us...................

its like why are barnsley people called dingles???

joke for you all anyways........

A primary teacher starts a new job at a school
in Hoyland and trying to make a good impression on her
first day, explains to her class that she is a Barnsley
fan. She asks her students to raise their hands if they,
too, are Barnsley fans.

Everyone in the class raises their hand except one little
girl. The teacher looks at the girl with surprise and says:
"Mary, why didn't you raise your hand?" "Because I'm not a
Barnsley fan," she replied.

The teacher, still shocked, asked: "Well, if you're not a
Barnsley fan, then who are you a fan of?"

"I'm a Sheffield United fan, and proud of it," Mary
replied.

The teacher could not believe her ears. "Mary, why, pray
tell, are you a United fan?"

"Because my mum and dad are from Sheffield, and my mum is a
United
fan and my dad is a United fan, so I'm a United fan too!"

"Well," said the teacher, in a obviously annoyed tone,
"that's no
reason for you to be a United fan. You don't have to be
just like your parents all of the time. What if your mum
was a prostitute and your dad was a drug addict and a car
thief, what would you be then?"
"Then," Mary smiled, "I'd be a Barnsley fan."

ive heard that a pigary ued to stand on the site where wednedays ground is..don't know if this is true..i agree with the reply above..just an insult...but yeah wednesday are the pigs of sheffield ;)

Originally posted by Robbie_Lovin
its like why are barnsley people called dingles???

joke for you all anyways........

A primary teacher starts a new job at a school
in Hoyland and trying to make a good impression on her
first day, explains to her class that she is a Barnsley
fan. She asks her students to raise their hands if they,
too, are Barnsley fans.

Everyone in the class raises their hand except one little
girl. The teacher looks at the girl with surprise and says:
"Mary, why didn't you raise your hand?" "Because I'm not a
Barnsley fan," she replied.

The teacher, still shocked, asked: "Well, if you're not a
Barnsley fan, then who are you a fan of?"

"I'm a Sheffield United fan, and proud of it," Mary
replied.

The teacher could not believe her ears. "Mary, why, pray
tell, are you a United fan?"

"Because my mum and dad are from Sheffield, and my mum is a
United
fan and my dad is a United fan, so I'm a United fan too!"

"Well," said the teacher, in a obviously annoyed tone,
"that's no
reason for you to be a United fan. You don't have to be
just like your parents all of the time. What if your mum
was a prostitute and your dad was a drug addict and a car
thief, what would you be then?"
"Then," Mary smiled, "I'd be a Barnsley fan."


Hee, hee, hee.......:P :P :thumbsup:

Aren't Owls fans a bit racist?

Chants such as "I'd rather be a Pak! than a Blade..."


And before you sound off on me.... no im not a Unitedite!

I have always understood that the reason they are called pigs is that Owls-fan-meat is supposed to taste like pig-meat. I hasten to add I have never tried it as I am a veggie!

Originally posted by 1Man&hisBMW
Aren't Owls fans a bit racist?

Chants such as "I'd rather be a Pak! than a Blade..."


And before you sound off on me.... no im not a Unitedite!
:
:o :o :o
thats a bit harsh a lot of fotball fans are racist but to single out owls fans is not very nice:( :( :( :(

loved the joke! :d

All Unitedites smell of cat wee.

This is an extract from a document from the Sheffield Local History Society, which can be viewed at Sheffield's Central Library.

"The Wednesday football club was formed on 4th September 1867. The football club first played its games at the Olive Grove Sports Ground in Heeley before moving to a new stadium in the Owlerton district of Sheffield.
The first Ordnance Survey maps (1850's) mark a building close to where the stadium now stands as 'Swine Cottage'. They also show another farm on Penistone Road, south of where the North Stand is situated, which was also believed to be a large piggery. Pork farming is thought to have been practised in the area since the early 1800's, and did not cease until around 1900 when the city's rapid expansion put an end to livestock production in the area. At its height the "Owlerton Piggery," as it was known, provided work for some 50 employees.
Initial discussions about a nickname began soon after the Wednesday arrived at Owlerton. In reference to their new home, most club officials were in favour of "The Owls." However, another suggestion was also popular. In view of the area's strong tradition of pork farming, a popular grass-roots alternative was "The Pigs."
Although the name "Owls" prevailed, many working class supporters continued to refer to their team as "t'pigs." A popular song of the time "They may be t'Owls to some, (but they'll always be pigs to me)" was performed in music halls across South Yorkshire. As late as the 1920's, fans used to welcome their team onto the field with the characteristic grunting sound we still associate with the club. This peculiarity was once referred to by BBC commentator Edward Milburn, who famously described Hillsborough as a "sea of grunts" moments after The Wednesday won the First Division title in 1932.

So there you have it. Put those paint tins away

If you've made all that up Kirky, I am well impressed

Originally posted by Ned Ludd
If you've made all that up Kirky, I am well impressed

honest i didn't..don't know if its true but i didn't make it up

Originally posted by Herbaliser
All Unitedites smell of cat wee.


well... better than a pig i suppose, why dont u go roll over in your mud

If you ever want to know why Wendy fans are called pigs I think this pictures says it all:

www.owlstalk.co.uk/images/laura2.jpg

Why do I fear that this thread is going to deteriorate into a 'ugly bird in a footy shirt' thread?

Threads merged.

ITS SIMPLE!!!!

All the blunts look like pigs, - sheffield united!!!
red-white shirt, looks like bacon, the ground smells like a farm yard, the ground looks like a barn, they all oink like little piggys.

Would i be without them?? never.

Up the owls!!!
:heyhey:

Originally posted by kirky
honest i didn't..don't know if its true but i didn't make it up

I knew if we waited long enough you would eventually tell the truth.

I suppose that's it for another 3000+ postings then :D

i wasent born in sheffield, and another bloke i know (also not from sheffield) referred to wednesday as `the pigs' when our team (west ham...snigger all u like haha) played them when i was a wee nipper.

the point is that we have no biase to either team. and we have always known that to be the term to slag off wednesday.

i did think it was something to do with a farm being where ground was as stated before...maybe not.

I was told many years ago that a coach firm called 'Hogs' were responsible for taking fans to away matches. I am not sure if this coach firm operated from Hillsborough or Bramall Lane though.

maybe someone can add more info?

ps. Up the Owls !!

I was at my parents the other week with my sister. She said to my dad:

sis - "what colour are sheffield united football shirts"?
dad - red and white
sis - what colour do you get if you mix red and white??
dad - pink
sis - what colour are pigs?
dad - BLUE

ha ha I laughed my a55 off!! :)

Years ago in the Star or Green un i remember a picture of Mel Sterland , with the caption"Flying pig iron" . One look at his features tells the whole story .Come on you red and white wizards.:clap:

Originally posted by kirky
This is an extract from a document from the Sheffield Local History Society, which can be viewed at Sheffield's Central Library.

"The Wednesday football club was formed on 4th September 1867. The football club first played its games at the Olive Grove Sports Ground in Heeley before moving to a new stadium in the Owlerton district of Sheffield.
The first Ordnance Survey maps (1850's) mark a building close to where the stadium now stands as 'Swine Cottage'. They also show another farm on Penistone Road, south of where the North Stand is situated, which was also believed to be a large piggery. Pork farming is thought to have been practised in the area since the early 1800's, and did not cease until around 1900 when the city's rapid expansion put an end to livestock production in the area. At its height the "Owlerton Piggery," as it was known, provided work for some 50 employees.
Initial discussions about a nickname began soon after the Wednesday arrived at Owlerton. In reference to their new home, most club officials were in favour of "The Owls." However, another suggestion was also popular. In view of the area's strong tradition of pork farming, a popular grass-roots alternative was "The Pigs."
Although the name "Owls" prevailed, many working class supporters continued to refer to their team as "t'pigs." A popular song of the time "They may be t'Owls to some, (but they'll always be pigs to me)" was performed in music halls across South Yorkshire. As late as the 1920's, fans used to welcome their team onto the field with the characteristic grunting sound we still associate with the club. This peculiarity was once referred to by BBC commentator Edward Milburn, who famously described Hillsborough as a "sea of grunts" moments after The Wednesday won the First Division title in 1932.


Not a bad work of fiction - about the third time it has been posted. But wouldn't farming have been more likely at Highfield and Lowfield?

Oddly enough it was Wednesday who were originally nicknamed the Blades, but they dropped it when they moved to Owlerton and United adopted it.

Originally posted by Internetowl
United's shirts look like rashers of bacon hence the term.

The stink, they eat swill and roll about in their own muck - sums up the typical blade to me...

Oh yes, they tend to have a lower than average intelligence..


Pigs actually have an intelligence level slightly higher than that of a dog.

They will only roll about in their own muck if they are confined too much to do otherwise. Give a pig a field to run about in, they'll mainly use one corner to foul. The reason they roll about in mud is that as the moisture evaporates it lowers the pigs temperature and prevents them getting sunburnt, or heatstroke.

Anyway, if the reference to lower than average intelligence refers to the players, wouldn't that apply to most players in most professional clubs? (Best example I saw was years ago Darlington V Chester when Darlington's manager shouted 'pass the ball' to a winger that was being tackled by a Chester player, he did. Nice short tap to the Chester player. Doh!)

My advice. Sod football. Support Rugby instead.

Richard

The Owls used to play at Owlerton (hence the Owls) which used to be a Pig Farm...end of....

The Blades play in Red and White....Bacon....end of...

Im a Blade....thank you.....