The Premier League IS the only place to be.

[TJB.]

When I was back in the UK I went to watch Crewe. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Don't know why, perhaps it's the naked, real, gritty essence of what football was, not what it is perhaps now, higher up. I am enjoying our time in the PL. I didn't think I would. It's nice hearing ex German internationals calling our football excellent, interesting and a breath of fresh air. Makes me proud. However, I have said in the past It was our holiday in League One that reignited my love of football. I am perhaps alone in the fact I enjoyed our time there, I did feel for the poor buggers who had to go to Flangeworth Town on a cold Tues night though. Having said all that, I wouldn't want to go back there, mainly because of the financial implications.

PS In my first ever post on here I was very critical of Chris Porter. I was perhaps a bit harsh, he looked ok for Crewe, actually better than ok. Sorry Chris.

Being in League One nearly had me falling out of love with football. Some of the memories from those times still scar me.

Losing to Shrewsbury at home, Port Vale away, the Adkins lap of dishonour, the mere existence of Connor Sammon, fans scrapping amongst themselves at the back of the Kop...I could go on.

There were some great grounds and some fun days out, but it was always more about making the best of a bad situation.

 

[Pedro's Winger]

It's all going so well you wonder where and when it's going to end - and why the Footballing Gods seem to have taken three years off or maybe we just stopped believing in them.
(Footballing Gods, if you're reading this, please, we do still believe in you and remember you did put us through Dean Hammond, Woolfy, Conor Sammon, six years in the third division, Simmo's still-travelling penalty, 30 odd years of losing every play-off and every semi-final so if you could just give us at least another season in the sun...)

 

[Bladesthorpe]

Seen every game this season home and away but although this will upset a lot of people I've been really dissapointed with the opposistion, top sides like Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea and Man Utd ( except for a 10min spell ) have all been well below what I expected.
I know a big reason for this is we've made them look ordinary with the great performances we've produced but apart from Barnes goal for Leicester there's been nothing any better than last season. One other thing we have to suffer f----g VAR.

 

[Chapel Allerton]

Being in League One nearly had me falling out of love with football. Some of the memories from those times still scar me.

Losing to Shrewsbury at home, Port Vale away, the Adkins lap of dishonour, the mere existence of Connor Sammon, fans scrapping amongst themselves at the back of the Kop...I could go on.

There were some great grounds and some fun days out, but it was always more about making the best of a bad situation.

But it's the lows that we experienced that make these highs so incredible. The 2016/17, 100 point season in League One was probably the most fun I've had watching football and I wouldn't swap any of what's happened since to have stayed up in 2007. It's made us who we are, and we are the envy of a lot of the footballing world.

 

[northsomersetblade]

Before you all start sucking each others dicks, I should point out that it can all end in tears, and usually does.

 

[TJB.]

Before you all start sucking each others dicks, I should point out that it can all end in tears, and usually does.

 

[TJB.]

But it's the lows that we experienced that make these highs so incredible. The 2016/17, 100 point season in League One was probably the most fun I've had watching football and I wouldn't swap any of what's happened since to have stayed up in 2007. It's made us who we are, and we are the envy of a lot of the footballing world.

I get that. I was just expressing how I personally feel completely different to what that poster was saying.

 

[Addison]

If you aspire to be the best then you have to dine from the top table. Never understood those who said they didn't want to play in the Prem. The whole football world now know who we are and as every game passes our fan base and interest in the Club grows. Daily discussion about us on the media, plaudits from the top pundits, we are like a breath of fresh air to a division that was beginning to stagnate with the top two being the main focus.

We hated the Prem in the past because of what Scudamore did to us. Piggy Richards is still there but must have stomach ache at our rising profile. In any event he's too busy trying to find ways to help the massiv. avoid yet another penalty for cheating.

We're in the limelight and we need to milk it financially for as much as we can get. We will never have a better chance of growing the Club and cementing our position amongst the elite football teams in the World. There is a duty on the shoulder of the owner not to rest on his laurels and seek out sponsorship to further boost the coffers to ensure we improve on and off the field. The Appeal process should be a side issue that does not hold us back.

Some would have us believe this is the worst Prem. for years. Then again so was the Championship and League 1 when we were in it apparently. Yet the Prem hosts the current European Champions and runners up together with the likes of the Manchester Clubs with all their wealth and tradition.

Yes there is an increase in tourists at games but they are our fans of the future. Put it this way a 32,000 sell out improved the atmosphere on Sunday and it was the loudest I've heard for many a year which was commented on by many during the game.

Its early days yet but we've made a good start and are seen as a welcome addition with our innovative football, long may it continue.

 

[blade53]

The thing I am enjoying at the moment is the fantastic acclaim we are getting from everyone. All of the pundits that forecast our impending doom have back peddled and started showering us with gushing praise. We seem to have become everyone's favourite second club overnight. Two weeks ago prior to the Spurs game , we had two full page articles and a double preview page all about Wilder and our rise from league 1 in the Daily Mirror sports pages, while the pigs had a tiny column of about 5 lines! Their total jealousy is obvious. It is just a wonderful time to be a Blade!!

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

The whole world appears to be falling in love with us. That is something I truly never expected.

Well most fans of other clubs I have spoken to have only wanted Wendy in the Premier league....or so my mates Grandad keeps telling me.

 

[FlamingLip]

like everything - enjoy it whilst it's good, and right now it's very very good. Never felt pride like it concerning United.

But when even post match emotions from some are tinged with dismay following an epic like Sunday against 'Manchester', let's remember 3 bad results on the bounce and the feel good factor and adulation can and will take a swift detour to DoomsVille, population: S2.

 

[BushBlade]

I’ve always watched the PL. I like watching football and it’s top level. Not all games are good, some are shit. That’s football though, at any level. Sunday was one of those games that lives up to the hype.
We’ve earned the right to be in the PL and hopefully we’ll earn the right to stay in it.
At some time, if we’re not winning anything and finishing mid table every season we might start to take it for granted and, when we do, we’ll deserve a trip back to the championship. Which is still a decent league, just not as good as the PL.

 

[GrayBlade]

I’ve always watched the PL. I like watching football and it’s top level. Not all games are good, some are shit. That’s football though, at any level. Sunday was one of those games that lives up to the hype.
We’ve earned the right to be in the PL and hopefully we’ll earn the right to stay in it.
At some time, if we’re not winning anything and finishing mid table every season we might start to take it for granted and, when we do, we’ll deserve a trip back to the championship. Which is still a decent league, just not as good as the PL.

The real test for the club IF we stay up this season is how we build on it. I live in hope that I’ll finally see the day where simply surviving in the top tier isn’t the pinnacle of our ambitions. Similar sized clubs have shown that it‘s still possible to complete at the top end of the PL and even win it in Leicester’s case. It’d be good to see us holding a one of the cups aloft as well, and hopefully continued success would see the final redevelopment of the Lane and the capacity increased. It’s not a lot to ask after supporting them for over half a century is it?

My guess is if Wilder and Knill are still with us in 5 years time and have been reasonably supported by the owners, we will have reached new heights in one form or another. The big question for me though is will we be able to keep them long term as their stock seems to rise almost by the week.

 

[Danny_Boy]

Call me weird but I do miss playing Mittwoch, Leeds and Forest. There's a visceral hatred that runs much deeper than simply football with those rivalries.

As much as I'm enjoying the ride in the PL, there's no such rivalries and no sense of waking up the day of a game with an aching pain in your belly thinking we REALLY can't lose to this lot today. As perverse as it sounds, invoking that kind of emotion is what it's all about...

That's why I'm hoping if we are to stay up, at least one of those teams joins us...

I’d rather Wednesday pissed off as far down the leagues as possible, not massively keen on Leeds joining us but it wouldn’t ruin my day and don’t mind either way re forest.

 

[VictoryBlade]

When I was back in the UK I went to watch Crewe. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Don't know why, perhaps it's the naked, real, gritty essence of what football was, not what it is perhaps now, higher up. I am enjoying our time in the PL. I didn't think I would. It's nice hearing ex German internationals calling our football excellent, interesting and a breath of fresh air. Makes me proud. However, I have said in the past It was our holiday in League One that reignited my love of football. I am perhaps alone in the fact I enjoyed our time there, I did feel for the poor buggers who had to go to Flangeworth Town on a cold Tues night though. Having said all that, I wouldn't want to go back there, mainly because of the financial implications.

PS In my first ever post on here I was very critical of Chris Porter. I was perhaps a bit harsh, he looked ok for Crewe, actually better than ok. Sorry Chris.

If Porter scores we're on the pitch!

 

[blade13]

As a Blades fan of 37 years. Yeah I supported my local team Darlington until I was 7 and saw the Blades win 2-0 on the last day of the season in 81-2 I think (and as a 7 year old the atmosphere was hairy back in the drink fuelled hooligan days) I kind of remember seeing men with red and white scarves crying with pleasure and looking so happy.
I guess 7 year old me was a typical gloryhunter and decided then and there that was my team. (Thank god there was no internet in those days just bricks with Zombie flesh keyboards which loaded games from tapes - or I’d be supporting a shallow soulless team like Man Utd!)
My Dad was appalled when I told him I was supporting the Blades from that time. Darlo were shite I must add and he refused to take me down the M1 to see them, even though he took my younger brother to see Liverpool. (Well I guess he had reason too they were a mad team in the early 80s and he did appreciate good football)
Fast forward 30 odd years and I’m still what some of you may call a tourist. I get to 3-8 games a season when I can. I live in Peterborough at the moment and absolutely love listening to Praise or Grumble on the way back from matches.
My four year old daughter attends with me now - even though she hates our mascot who has ‘evil eyes’ supposedly. In a year or two I’ll be taking my 8 month old son. I guess it looks like I am going to the theatre now as I have a bag full of snacks and the obligatory soft toys. But it filled me with pride when I heard her shouting at the Burnley fans a few metres away from us that she’s a Blade and proud.
I have to resist the urge to call the referee a wanker and adopt CBeebies appropriate language to explain why I’m annoyed or ecstatic.
So why the post. Yes the Premier League is amazing. But then so was the Championship and with Wilder so was League 1. It’s great seeing the club extending its profile and reaching out to new people. I for one hope we stay here as long as we can. All I ask is that we welcome tourists like myself. I would love a season ticket but it’d probably cost me my marriage.
Football has changed so much and Wilder might just win a few future tourists, like Porterfield did with me. The Blades are still a proper working class club, and I hope we never lose that special connection with the fans. (Robson, Adkins, Adams and Clough never got it and lost the crowd very quickly)
So we might become an established EPL team, which would be immense. But let’s not be snotty about the 10,000+ fans that we attract. If they want to watch Rashford or Kane, then let them because in no time at all they’ll realise that we’re a reyt team when Bash, Egan et al make them look like Phil Jones.

 

[SB_90]

football is always better as a underdog. in league 1, unless they were late winners/equalisers. there was no passion because wheres the joy in beating carlisle rochdale crawley. it was bit meh because we are huge favourites.

but as soon as we got challenging at the top of championship & now premier league. that passion has returned. & every goal means so much

 

[essexblade73]

I watch football from top level down to isthmian league, on tv and in person. Even watch welsh prem league on s4c! Still watch efl on quest. Dont care about levels just love watching and playing it. As for us blades, again not too fussed about the prem. I just want to see us play well and win games regardless of the league we are in. I enjoyed going to away games when we were lower down, day out with the lad. Wasnt a bun fight for an away ticket. I miss that.

 

[Charlieblade]

Let's face facts. The only reason that the Championship is crap, is because we are no longer there.
The only reason the PL is better this year is because we are in it, and giving other teams and pundits, a footballing lesson. I enjoyed the EFL last year, this year I am really enjoying the PL.