Looking Back: When it wasn't just about football at Sheffield United Football Club
Every year brings up amazing sporting events but with one omission. Where have all the streakers gone? Everyone loves a streaker. They certainly brighten up events and are really just a bit of fun.
It is actually illegal in this country, but it never stopped naked exhibitionists from stripping off in public. Possibly the fact that television cameras, quickly turned away from the bare faced action, has reduced the number of people doing it.
There is a website for lovers of streaking, and social forums for likeminded streakers wanting to socialise with others! A sort of Bare Facebook??
Streaking is a relatively new phenomena. It started in the 1970s when students in the USA decided it added a little something to protests and demonstrations.
It soon caught on in Britain with ‘ fun streaks’ at sporting events and student parties.
The first major public streak in England was at Lords Cricket Ground in 1975 when a young man called Michael Angelo, leapt over a set of stumps. Since then there have been many recorded and unrecorded streaks at public events.
Some streamers achieved not only notoriety but a fair bit of money, like Erica Roe who ran topless on to the pitch at Twickenham in 1982. The iconic images of the time included one of a policeman escorting her off the rugby pitch holding his helmet over her ample bosom.
One of the most prolific streakers of all time, Mark Roberts, made two appearances in Sheffield at the Crucible World Snooker finals. Once in 2004 with Graham Dott and Ronnie O’Sullivan, and again in 2008 with Ali Carter and Ronnie O’ Sullivan.
His streaking career totalling 519 in all, included Miss World pageants, Crufts, running of the bulls in Pamplona (not a good idea!) Super bowl at Houston, in Barcelona during the Barcelona and Real Madrid game, Mr Universe, and Royal Ascot. He was eventually banned from every football ground in the UK.
In Sheffield, Tony Agana who played for Sheffield United between 1988 and 1991 was pleasantly surprised when sitting on the bench to find that a young lady streaker lunged to kiss him before she was escorted off the field. It seems that she even rang the club afterwards to send her apologies!