I love United

[riselikeasalmon]

I do

and I would rather be a BLADE in the play offs than a pig in 2nd every day of my life

UTB

 

[davidpinder]

i'd rather be a blade in 2nd

 

[anglian blade]

Well the neutrals enjoyed it and its probably helped restore our reputation
from twitter "Sheffield Utd v Stevenage probably among the 5 most enjoyable games I've seen this season, alongside both legs of Athletic Bilbao v Man Utd."

 

[LA Blade]

your kidding AB

 

[anglian blade]

nope - loads of comments in a similar vein - they didnt have our emotional attachment to the result

 

[breeny]

Great second half, well done Blades. Danny must have a reason for not playing Cressy from the start, Credit to Stevenage, they contributed to a top game.

 

[SwissBlade]

Great second half, well done Blades. Danny must have a reason for not playing Cressy from the start, Credit to Stevenage, they contributed to a top game.

Yes a shoulder injury.

 

[essexblade87]

It's draining as a fan, but as a football game it was end to end, and when Blades scored the whole place was shaking, as a Blade who doesn't see United that much (and haven't seen them win in person for 3/4 years now). Think the team can be proud of a top season. It may be the playoffs but lets see. Also Maguire is quality hope hes a blade for many years to come, destined for great things in my opinion

 

[Bookers Mullet]

I don't, not anymore. Can't stand being kicked in the teeth time after time, who did we upset upstairs? I think whats sad about it is in our heart of hearts we all knew how yesterday was going to turn out, Pigs spozzing it (again), United bottling it, and sadly I think we all know how the play offs will end (my prediction a loss to Stevenage on Penalties)

I'm done with the Blades, i've got more important things in life to give my emotions too, the look on my girlfriends face with my mood last night showed me that and after 35 years i can't do it anymore, I'm sure most of you will say good riddance or pig, and you are entitled to that. I really hope for the fans that stay and cheer them on, you get some reward for it, fuck knows you deserve it.

 

[essexblade87]

I don't, not anymore. Can't stand being kicked in the teeth time after time, who did we upset upstairs? I think whats sad about it is in our heart of hearts we all knew how yesterday was going to turn out, Pigs spozzing it (again), United bottling it, and sadly I think we all know how the play offs will end (my prediction a loss to Stevenage on Penalties)

I'm done with the Blades, i've got more important things in life to give my emotions too, the look on my girlfriends face with my mood last night showed me that and after 35 years i can't do it anymore, I'm sure most of you will say good riddance or pig, and you are entitled to that. I really hope for the fans that stay and cheer them on, you get some reward for it, fuck knows you deserve it.

It's alright to be down when Blades balls it up thats what been a fans about. Just don't let it rule all your life. Blades are too unreliable for that. But thats why we keep going back....what if? The fans over ridding thought

 

[fishpie]

I don't, not anymore. Can't stand being kicked in the teeth time after time, who did we upset upstairs? I think whats sad about it is in our heart of hearts we all knew how yesterday was going to turn out, Pigs spozzing it (again), United bottling it, and sadly I think we all know how the play offs will end (my prediction a loss to Stevenage on Penalties)

I'm done with the Blades, i've got more important things in life to give my emotions too, the look on my girlfriends face with my mood last night showed me that and after 35 years i can't do it anymore, I'm sure most of you will say good riddance or pig, and you are entitled to that. I really hope for the fans that stay and cheer them on, you get some reward for it, fuck knows you deserve it.

Nobody will say good riddance or pig..You're not that important ..Joke (in case the smiley didn't work)..Sadly you've just made me question what important things I've got in my life..I hope I've got a few, some more important than the Blades. Wouldn't be without them though..The world seems to have turned upside down in the last week and a half ..Get yourself to the play off final (if we get there) and you might even see us score .. Understand all sorts of reasons for not going, but you've got endless emotions, just save a few for the Blades

 

[metalblade]

I don't, not anymore. Can't stand being kicked in the teeth time after time, who did we upset upstairs? I think whats sad about it is in our heart of hearts we all knew how yesterday was going to turn out, Pigs spozzing it (again), United bottling it, and sadly I think we all know how the play offs will end (my prediction a loss to Stevenage on Penalties)

I felt exactly the same towards the end of Kevin Hoofballs reign, didn't bother going for the last few games on my season ticket, I could count on one hand how many home games I'd missed since 1997/98 and never renewed my season ticket thank fook. This load of chokers grind you down, seen it all, needing a result on the last game to get into Europe failed, semi finals loads of em failed, play off finals failed any game that means anything and you guessed it we fail. When we look like we are at last getting a decent side together guess what we sell our stars and when against all the odds we still look like achieving something we get a Tevez or Evans...... This club is cursed !!!

How the hell can we be stuck in the third division of English football and seemingly bankrupt both financially and with quality on the field ??? teams with less than a quarter of our support and backing do so much better.
We really need a complete change in culture down at the lane starting at the top with a board of directors rather than one man pulling the strings. Until the culture of the club is changed they will see very little of my cash.

 

[TAMUS]

Give over soppy lot we are going up next week or by the playoffs , if not we go up next year , if no then when Ched gets out

 

[JohnDenver]

I don't, not anymore. Can't stand being kicked in the teeth time after time, who did we upset upstairs? I think whats sad about it is in our heart of hearts we all knew how yesterday was going to turn out, Pigs spozzing it (again), United bottling it, and sadly I think we all know how the play offs will end (my prediction a loss to Stevenage on Penalties)

I'm done with the Blades, i've got more important things in life to give my emotions too, the look on my girlfriends face with my mood last night showed me that and after 35 years i can't do it anymore, I'm sure most of you will say good riddance or pig, and you are entitled to that. I really hope for the fans that stay and cheer them on, you get some reward for it, fuck knows you deserve it.

See you in August.

 

[Bradford Blade]

Nobody will say good riddance or pig..You're not that important ..Joke (in case the smiley didn't work)..Sadly you've just made me question what important things I've got in my life..I hope I've got a few, some more important than the Blades. Wouldn't be without them though..The world seems to have turned upside down in the last week and a half ..Get yourself to the play off final (if we get there) and you might even see us score .. Understand all sorts of reasons for not going, but you've got endless emotions, just save a few for the Blades

Very good points Booker & Fishpie, and if nothing else, this is why your posts are so valuable, IMHO of course.

I do personally agree with salmon (OP), but that's because - for me - I don't put all my 'love', or hopes, or expectations, or whatever into the Blades. I merely see my 'beloved' club as a means to an end, not an end itself. Football really isn't much different from all things in life; nothing is perfect and we're always gonna be let down, sometime dramatically, by those close to us - Lord knows I've done it enough to my loved ones to know by painful experience.

But I go to the Lane, sup ale, watch the game and go home - anything else is outside of my control, so I try not to worry about what I can't change or have a direct effect upon. As the adage goes c'est la vie! Life goes on, and it's a roller coaster - we we're on the emotional brow, now we're in the emotional dip...

Win lose or draw UTB!

 

[shiregreenblade]

Being a Blade and Sheffield United are like a marriage.
Good times and bad times (sometimes it seems like there are only bad times!) but you dont throw the towel in when the going gets tough.You see things through the disapointments just for the rare good times.
Thats what makes us Blades and not Man Utd fans.It's easy to support successful sides who win everything but the real fans are Blades fans,Pompy fans and fans of Rotherham and Hereford and the like!
I admit that being Blades fans we're going to always struggle to see top flight football or champions league football but thats the life we chose being a Blade!

 

[bladesman3]

I don't, not anymore. Can't stand being kicked in the teeth time after time, who did we upset upstairs? I think whats sad about it is in our heart of hearts we all knew how yesterday was going to turn out, Pigs spozzing it (again), United bottling it, and sadly I think we all know how the play offs will end (my prediction a loss to Stevenage on Penalties)

I'm done with the Blades, i've got more important things in life to give my emotions too, the look on my girlfriends face with my mood last night showed me that and after 35 years i can't do it anymore, I'm sure most of you will say good riddance or pig, and you are entitled to that. I really hope for the fans that stay and cheer them on, you get some reward for it, fuck knows you deserve it.

Feel exactl like you...40 years or more of hurt....I was horrible o be with yesterday..over what?? Xactly....

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Some of you really need to get a grip.

 

[oldblade]

I felt exactly the same towards the end of Kevin Hoofballs reign, didn't bother going for the last few games on my season ticket, I could count on one hand how many home games I'd missed since 1997/98 and never renewed my season ticket thank fook. This load of chokers grind you down, seen it all, needing a result on the last game to get into Europe failed, semi finals loads of em failed, play off finals failed any game that means anything and you guessed it we fail. When we look like we are at last getting a decent side together guess what we sell our stars and when against all the odds we still look like achieving something we get a Tevez or Evans...... This club is cursed !!!

Even if we'd won against Birmingham on the last day of the 1974-5 season we would still not have got into europe. Can't remember the reason - Darren or Silent may be able to help.

 

[gavtheblade]

Even if we'd won against Birmingham on the last day of the 1974-5 season we would still not have got into europe. Can't remember the reason - Darren or Silent may be able to help.

because were cursed of course!

 

[Sandmart]

Because Liverpool and Everton were above us and at one time it was one city one club. But that year the rule changed so they would both qualify at our expense.

 

[TAMUS]

Was that rule made because we got to close for comfort .

 

[metalblade]

Was that rule made because we got to close for comfort .

Could be, that change did happen after the season had kicked off if I remember right

 

[essexblade87]

Some of you really need to get a grip.

Agreed

 

[super_pig]

forty years of hurt.. tum te tum te tu-um
not over yet.. football has weird twists and turns

 

[Darren]

Even if we'd won against Birmingham on the last day of the 1974-5 season we would still not have got into europe. Can't remember the reason - Darren or Silent may be able to help.

The story is this...

The UEFA cup was the successor to the Inter Cities Fairs Cup which was founded in 1955 as a tournament for cities (not clubs) that held trade fairs. As it was cities that entered, if there was more than one professional club in the city, sometimes a collective XI from all the said clubs would be selected (A London XI was runner up in the first tournament) and sometimes one club was selected to "represent" the city.

Originally, entries did not go on league placings and were chosen by the Fairs Cup Committe. Famously, in 1962 when we finished 5th in the First Division and Wednesday had finished 6th, the Fairs Cup Committee chose Wednesday to represent Sheffield (even though the FA had nominated United).

As the 60's wore on, teams did end up getting selected on the basis of league placings and collective city XI's no longer took part. However, despite it being something of an anomoly, the one club one city rule remained.

The UEFA cup replaced the Fairs Cup in 1971 and the qualification for English teams was as follows: the League Cup winners got a place (unless they were not a First Division team) as did the three highest place finishers in the First Division from 2nd downward (unless the League Cup winners were a non First Division team, when it would be 4). However, the one city one club rule still remained, so if two clubs from the same city would otherwise have qualified, the League Cup winners or the higher placed one only got an entry. Thus in 1973, Arsenal finished runners up in the League and Spurs won the League Cup, thus Spurs got London's place and Arsenal got nowt.

That rule was still in place in 1975. As we went into that last game at Birmingham, Villa had a place as they had won the League Cup (they were a 2nd Division team but had got promoted), Liverpool had one as runners up and Ipswich as the 3rd place finishers. Everton were 4th but, as the rules were then, could not qualify as Liverpool FC had the city of Liverpool's place.

Stoke were in 5th and would thus get the last place, unless United won at Birmingham when they would overhaul them. As we know, we only got a draw, so it looked like Stoke had qualified. However, Everton protested at this and, during the summer, UEFA recognised that the rule was a bit daft and cancelled it, letting Everton in and kicking Stoke out.

And that's how it happened guys and gals....

 

[Trigger Blade]

Stoke were in 5th and would thus get the last place, unless United won at Birmingham when they would overhaul them. As we know, we only got a draw, so it looked like Stoke had qualified. However, Everton protested at this and, during the summer, UEFA recognised that the rule was a bit daft and cancelled it, letting Everton in and kicking Stoke out.

And that's how it happened guys and gals....

Thank you Darren, a bit more detail next time please

I remember at the time, Tony Waddington, the Stoke manager, giving a quote to the local press and saying something like "it's a fait accompli" and the entire readership of The Sentinel not knowing if that was a good thing, or whether they were in or out.

It's reassuring to know that stitching up smaller clubs to favour bigger ones is not a new phenomenon. I can imagine UEFA saying it wouldn't be fair on the Everton fans, to exclude them by sticking to the rules.

 

[Darren]

Thank you Darren, a bit more detail next time please

I remember at the time, Tony Waddington, the Stoke manager, giving a quote to the local press and saying something like "it's a fait accompli" and the entire readership of The Sentinel not knowing if that was a good thing, or whether they were in or out.

It's reassuring to know that stitching up smaller clubs to favour bigger ones is not a new phenomenon. I can imagine UEFA saying it wouldn't be fair on the Everton fans, to exclude them by sticking to the rules.

Re your stitching up allegation, it's only fair to say that in 1973 Wolves were the beneficiary of the one city one club rule that excluded Arsenal (who had, after all, finished 2nd!)

1968-69 was probably the worse example of the operation of the rule. The League Cup winners were 3rd Division (though promoted to the 2nd) Swindon, so they couldn't qualify for the Fairs Cup. Second placed Liverpool got a berth, but that meant 3rd place Everton were out. Fourth placed Arsenal got the second berth, but as they were London's rep, that meant 5th and 6th place Chelsea and Spurs were out. 7th Place Southampton got a berth, but as a London club 8th place West Ham were out. The last place therefore went to 9th place Newcastle!

Incidentally, Arsenal also lost out in 1972. They finished 5th and would have ordinarily got the last place, with Spurs finishing 6th and no London club above them. However, Spurs won the UEFA Cup that season and didn't otherwise qualify for Europe, so they got London's place as holders and Arsenal were out!

 

[judge]

It was only the fairs cup , I bet they were relieved not to be in it

 

[grafikhaus]

Originally, entries did not go on league placings and were chosen by the Fairs Cup Committe. Famously, in 1962 when we finished 5th in the First Division and Wednesday had finished 6th, the Fairs Cup Committee chose Wednesday to represent Sheffield (even though the FA had nominated United).

So the pro-Wednesday bias goes back further than I thought.

Good job RS didn't exist then or they'd have has a 'Nominate Our Owls' campaign.