A confession

[Keef Chedwyn]

Can't believe some of the stuff I'm reading on this thread. We are having the best season for the last 50 years or so and some people are still not happy. Oh yes, VAR is shit, I hate it. But there's a bigger picture. The Blades under Wilder are playing the best football I've ever seen in my life. They have given me some real pride and to see the clowns over at S6 throw money after money at it in the forlorn hope of possibly one day doing what we are doing now just puts the cream on the cake for me.

I guess some of you guys weren't there on 'that' Boxing Day? I guess you didn't have to suffer a decade plus of laughter and arrogance from the maaaaasiives.

Well Wilder and the Blades have completely changed all that. The gap is getting bigger. We are getting unprecedented media exposure and we are the pride of Sheffield. The city is Red and White!

Back to VAR. As I said, it is fucking horrible. I too don't know what to do after we have scored. It has taken the raw emotion out of the game. However, I have faith that it will improve. There is a constant theme now - particularly with very very marginal off-side goals - and it is happening to all teams. OK, yes those pesky football gods are having a good laugh at our expense, but we are much stronger these days and they know it. We are still striving forward and being successful in-spite of our disproportionate number of negative VAR calls.

I'm sure that a full review of VAR will take place and we will come to a better implementation. We want the correct decisions, but we also want to keep the raw emotion that football has. I think the very very marginal offside decisions will be the first thing they look at.

So, come on Blades, buckle up and enjoy the (sometimes very bumpy) ride. We have bigger pigs to fry

Your main motivation is Wednesday which is even sadder than Steve losing love for the game.

 

[west_yorks_blade]

I've loved watching the Blades for the best part of 25 years.

The very best of it has been in the three seasons prior to this one, an incredible manager who's assembled a squad who play the best football I've ever seen us play.

I had season tickets throughout League One and before, and I've made every game possible since.

This season I've been to three matches, watching probably half in total.

I've had the opportunity to go to or watch more, but I just don't want to. I went to the cinema a few weeks back intentionally just before 3pm, when I could have got to the match, or found a stream.

A mate managed to sort tickets out for tonight, of course I went. When Mousset put the ball in the net, as everyone was celebrating I just stood there and said to my mate 'it looked close that, might get done for offside.'

I've celebrated only a handful of goals this season, when I was absolutely sure there was no chance that they'd get ruled out (I was wrong for one or two of them.)

I love how we play, but I don't really like watching us live this season. I'm enjoying it at the moment mainly by checking our results after the match. Tonight just confirmed what I've felt for a while.

Steve you don't explicitly say 'VAR' in your post, but I guess it has been the major factor in your disillusionment.

But there must surely be other factors that you aren't divulging?

I have watched every match this season (often via streams) and wouldn't dream of missing a single minute unless an emergency of some kind cropped up.

This is what we have been dreaming of throughout those long wilderness years. Not only have we got back into the top flight, but we are playing brilliantly and holding our own, or better against the very best - arguably in europe.

Thuis is utter dreamland - how can you turn your back on that?

Yes VAR is a sick joke, and along with most, I felt utterly gutted by the events of last night. But go to the cinema instead of watching the blades run out in the PL? Not a fucking chance.

 

[Tony]

Sorry but anyone not happy with this season should fuck off and go to Meadowhell every Saturday for the rest of their lives. Been going 50 years and love it, VAR apart. Why do we still have the usual suspect moaners on here, why don't they shut the fuck up and let the rest of us get on with our enjoyment.

 

[yorkshirecoast]

Ideally VAR will be scrapped or at the very least modified along with the offside rule so that we can get back to celebrating goals rather than worrying about what happens next.

Having said that, it’s great to be back in the Premier League where we belong, playing (and often beating) top teams in front of big crowds. Far worse than contending with VAR would be sliding back down into the EFL for more years of disappointment and obscurity.

 

[Snake]

Your main motivation is Wednesday which is even sadder than Steve losing love for the game.

Absolute bollocks mate. My main motivation is supporting the team I love. The fact that we are a two team city, and I, like lots of others, grew up in a two team family (dad and sister pigs, mum me and my brother Blades) just makes it all so much sweeter at the moment ⚔ ⚔ ⚔

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

For me, VAR is ruining the experience of celebrating a goal.

That alone, will kill football for the masses.

 

[Tezza1889]

I think that VAR is being used to manipulate results, the marginal decision still goes the way of the bigger clubs with what I’ve seen and the referee thing yesterday seems to endorse that, had that been the other way it wouldn’t have stood..

The mcgoldrick goal, let’s say it’s harry Kane and spurs that score, does anybody think they wouldn’t say “the play was reset after the defender headed it out - it’s a new phase” - we all know that would have stood and that would have been the reason..

VAR is a tool where if it’s not blatant then the advantage goes to the big club.. see Wolves and Liverpool yesterday... fine lines going the big clubs way.. every time as I see it.

 

[SteveBlade]

For me, VAR is ruining the experience of celebrating a goal.

That alone, will kill football for the masses.

I could have condensed my post to this in hindsight.

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

Heard from a few people saying the same - you're not alone Steve, in fact it's a growing army of angry people who want their game back.

Think we should organise a rally and head to Stockley Park - bring pitchforks and fire.

Where is it exactly? Is it a made up place? Is it a room in a building with a name? Seems ridiculous that they've actually created a place solely for this.

 

[Large Mendonca]

Where is it exactly? Is it a made up place? Is it a room in a building with a name? Seems ridiculous that they've actually created a place solely for this.

Tracy Island i reckon !

 

[JohnDenver]

I completely agree with you. Sick to death of arguing with my liverpool supporting armchair mate who ‘just wants the right decisions’.

Not enough people are pointing out the nonsense of wanting Uber-accuracy of decisions.

It’s for tv, for armchair fans with Sky, and it’s garbage.

 

[Keef Chedwyn]

Where is it exactly? Is it a made up place? Is it a room in a building with a name? Seems ridiculous that they've actually created a place solely for this.

Last time I went (took sister in law to see where her new office was) it was a dead business estate with dead buildings near Hayes sort of area in West London.
It really is a depressing place, it's perfect for the VAR wanking pit.

 

[Dark muffy]

Well, It takes all sorts but I'm loving it. VAR is wank but the football and the atmosphere around games is great and you really have to be looking for things to be miserable about to not be enjoying this.

My take on last night is that mouse was off but he'd have got away with last year,and the incident for their first goal was just shit refereeing and not really anything to do with VAR.

Hope you find something rewarding to do with your time

With regards to the mouse goal was it offside? Apologies if on another thread. The shit views I had of it was from a stream online that was inconclusive and the view on match if the day from miles away with two faint coloured lines.

 

[SUFC Guy]

I hope I don’t sound too dramatic but I’ll make a confession too: I kind of half hope we go down.

Think your half hope will turn out to be a no hope mate

 

[oldblade]

I remember some of that, but my defining memory of the night was a bit different. Getting the shit kicked out of us on the tube platform by 15-20 of them, when there were 2,000 Blades above us waiting for the Footy Special train.

Not good.

I must have been lucky.

I arrived in London quite early and decided to walk from the station. I couldn't remember the exact location of the ground, but stupidly I thought that I'd easily be able to identify it once I saw the floodlight pylons. But of course Highbury didn't have floodlight pylons. The floodlights were built into the stand rooves! Anyway, after walking round and round in circles for a bit I started to see people wearing Arsenal club colours who were all obviously heading for the ground, so I tagged along behind them. Got talking to a few of them, who were pretty friendly.

During the game, as it moved into extra time I seem to remember there was trouble with a group of Arsenal supporters who were standing on the terrace in front of the side stand situated to the left of the pitch (if facing the pitch from the clock end).

Anyway, it was a great turnout by our supporters (especially for a mid week evening fixture that was not exactly close to Sheffield) and we barely stopped singing all game.

 

[oldblade]

Yep I was at that match. What year was it ????
The window on the train back got put through coming out of London. Came all the way back fucking freezing but at least the football special ploughed on. That wouldn’t happen now.

I was not living in Sheffield at that time and I arrived by normal inter city train at Paddington so luckily didn't have that problem!

I hadn't bargained on the game going to extra time and so was sweating on making the last train back (well, the last connecting train at Swindon). Thought I might have a cold night on a station bench.

It was 27 October 1981.

The team was Waugh, Ryan, Houston, Richardson, McAlle, Kenworthy, Neville, Trusson, Wiggan, Hatton, Charles. Sub was Garner.
I think we've moved on a bit, but for a fourth division outfit that wasn't a bad side.

 

[Feo]

I was not living in Sheffield at that time and I arrived by normal inter city train at Paddington so luckily didn't have that problem!

I hadn't bargained on the game going to extra time and so was sweating on making the last train back (well, the last connecting train at Swindon). Thought I might have a cold night on a station bench.

It was 27 October 1981.

Got it in my head Trenton Wiggan scores in the first leg ??
Might be wrong

 

[oldblade]

Brought back some great memories. Bobby Hatton scoring in the home leg, the mighty Trenton Wiggan coming in at Highbury and the yellow and brown stripes of course. I can always smell bananas when I think of that kit!

Wiggan had to come in because Edwards was cup tied.

I think Hatton had just about our only shot on target at Highbury. Towards the end of normal time he got the ball fairly centrally on the edge of their area. Looked as though he was just outside, but it was difficult to tell because it was at the other end of the pitch. He had a shot, but didn't seem to get a lot of power on it and the save was comfortable. Had it gone in I think we would have exploded!

 

[oldblade]

Got it in my head Trenton Wiggan scores in the first leg ??
Might be wrong

It was Hatton in the second half.

I think Arsenal hit the post at some point. Don't know if it was before or after we scored.

 

[Sparky]

It was Hatton in the second half.

I think Arsenal hit the post at some point. Don't know if it was before or after we scored.

Yeah. Big punt upfield from Waugh and Hatton slotted it in at the Kop end. Cue limbs!

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

Think it's only a matter of time that we see some protests there (not sure about pitchforks though)

Shoes off??

 

[GrayBlade]

Sorry but anyone not happy with this season should fuck off and go to Meadowhell every Saturday for the rest of their lives. Been going 50 years and love it, VAR apart. Why do we still have the usual suspect moaners on here, why don't they shut the fuck up and let the rest of us get on with our enjoyment.

Truth be told most of them probably are doing.

 

[finlaytheblade]

I completely agree with you. Sick to death of arguing with my liverpool supporting armchair mate who ‘just wants the right decisions’.

There is a bigger thing at stake here. The actual game itself.

I hope I don’t sound too dramatic but I’ll make a confession too: I kind of half hope we go down.

Cant beleave a blade says something like that.we've been to hell and back in the last twelve years you surely (logically) dont want to go through that again.
Do you think we would get sympathy being relegated on the back of some VAR decisions? Not a chance we would be forgotten again just as the Tevez affair was put to bed..
Enjoy this great time with probably the best team in our history with our greatest manager at the helm..
I like you am furious at the way VAR is ruining the excitement we have to get it changed and get back to enjoying the spectacle.
It will be done I'm sure but I think it will be next season before things are changed.