The difference between Blades and Owls?

[Caveblade]

Listening to the delusional's on Radio Sheffield last night (apologies, I couldn't find a CD) got me thinking about the difference between The Blades and the owls.

1. Your team has just lost 5 on the bounce and is leaking goals.
Blade - We are struggling to acclimatise to the division and we will do well to stay up.
Fowl - "We play Wolves next and we always beat them, so I expect us to win on Satdi and then win the next 2 and we will be pushing for the premiership".

2. How big is your club?
Blade - We are a medium size club, if we ever manage to sustain any success we will get decent crowds.
Fowl - "Daft question, Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelea can't wait for us to be back in the premiership to complete the big 4".

3. Grounds
Blade - We have developed a traditional football ground and it is a good size for the size of club, but the Kop could do with an over haul to get rid of the pillars.
Fowl - "Biggest ground in the UK, capacity is unlimited due to the massive size of our crowds and it is great because whatever league we are in, it means all the other clubs get to taste that cup final feeling once a season"

4. Anthems / Songs
Blade - several, but the best being the "Greasy Chip Butty" set to John Denver's Annies Song, it encompasses Sheffield humour and Sheffield Life.
Fowl - "We sing about Boxing day which were a massive win in the 1980's but the best is the citeh is ours, coz nobody in sheffield wants to watch anyone but us. When we get back in the prem this season we might need to change it to the country is ours, coz everyone will want to support us".

5. Ambassadors / Famous Fans.
Blade - Our Jess, Joe Elliott, Sean Bean and the geezer out of the housemartins.
Fowl - "Tango, he's reight cool, he's from wolverhampton and never wears a shirt"

6. Atmosphere.
Blade - A bit flat at home at the moment, but when the fans get going it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Away support is always good, lots of banter and passion.
Fowl - "Massive always more dan dem Blades, and away grounds we normally fill all 5 sides"

7. Success
Blade - We've won knack all apart from the 4th division trophy, and we probably won't win knack all in my lifetime, but I don't care, I'm a Blade.
Fowl - "Every time we go to Wembley we win, we won the Wigfalls Cup when it were still important and the whole world was watching, the important bit is we will be back in the champions league soon where we belong"

feel free to add more!!

N.B. All the fowl responses are within speech marks to indicate that they are attributed comments and to confirm that I am definitely not an arrogant, up myself, blue and white, no nowt fowl!!

 

[georgebernardshaw]

Blade: "We're the famous Sheffield United, and we're shit at Wemberley...."

Wendy: "Boxing Day, la,la,la...."

Says it all really.

George.

 

[dublin 10 blade]

Must admit, this is one thing I don't miss bout Sheffield, because out-side South Yorks. No one really give's a fook bout either club. We are 2 teams with decent followings, crowd wise . [they are vile and should be dispised as such]. other than that both clubs flatter to decieve also I believe they have a web shite and any talk bout THEM should be on there shite other than that I've nothing to say bout THEM.

 

[bartman]

Was listening to Talksport on the way home from Yeovil when a Pig came on. Didn't want to talk about the defeat but mentioned they were a massive club in the championship and said in the early 90's when they were in the top league they often got 40k crowds. He then went on to mention that the crowd they got on Saturday was ok but they were used to over 30k every week when they were in the top league. I nearly crashed the car laughing

 

[Ted Danson]

That was Mark the Pitsmore Pig, I think hes retarded

 

[grafikhaus]

Was listening to Talksport on the way home from Yeovil when a Pig came on. Didn't want to talk about the defeat but mentioned they were a massive club in the championship and said in the early 90's when they were in the top league they often got 40k crowds. He then went on to mention that the crowd they got on Saturday was ok but they were used to over 30k every week when they were in the top league. I nearly crashed the car laughing

And there we have the difference. A lot of younger pig fans will have been indoctrinated by their equally simple fathers. Are they massive? Did they really get 40k crowds and would again if in the PL?

Listen to berks like Staton on RS and read The Wednesday Gazette (a.k.a. The Stir) and you soon realise it's all true! We, meanwhile, get crowds the envy of most of the Championship. Got 30k for a Youth Cup Final and got nearly 30k for a Saturday evening, live-on-Sky match v the mighty Stevenage.

All in very recent memory, and not a figment of the local pig-biased 'media' and their delusional fans.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Was listening to Talksport on the way home from Yeovil when a Pig came on. Didn't want to talk about the defeat but mentioned they were a massive club in the championship and said in the early 90's when they were in the top league they often got 40k crowds. He then went on to mention that the crowd they got on Saturday was ok but they were used to over 30k every week when they were in the top league. I nearly crashed the car laughing

Never ever have they had 40K in The Prem, last time they had a 40K was pre Prem days and then they only turned up to watch the Whitehouse and Davidson show.

 

[Kenilworth]

BTW Caveblade the BDM was in the 70's

Good OP though, feller.

 

[Tuns]

And there we have the difference. A lot of younger pig fans will have been indoctrinated by their equally simple fathers. Are they massive? Did they really get 40k crowds and would again if in the PL?

Listen to berks like Staton on RS and read The Wednesday Gazette (a.k.a. The Stir) and you soon realise it's all true! We, meanwhile, get crowds the envy of most of the Championship. Got 30k for a Youth Cup Final and got nearly 30k for a Saturday evening, live-on-Sky match v the mighty Stevenage.

All in very recent memory, and not a figment of the local pig-biased 'media' and their delusional fans.

As far as I can remember the last time the pigs went top of the top flight it was against Leicester and they got 17,000.

Yes they get big headline crowds every now and then, partly simply because their ground can house them (how many 40,000 crowds could even little old us have got in the our relegation season if Man U etc had been given up to 10,000 tickets?) but the real story is obviously in average crowds over a period of time.

For them not to have not averaged 30,000 for over 40 years is astonishing and when you look at the list of clubs that have during that time then it's a little embarassing for them.

But they have won the PR battle and they have the massive tag whatever the facts may suggest.

 

[Caveblade]

BTW Caveblade the BDM was in the 70's

Good OP though, feller.

Must be getting old Kenilworth, its all blurring into one!

 

[Sothall_Blade]

As far as I can remember the last time the pigs went top of the top flight it was against Leicester and they got 17,000.

Yes they get big headline crowds every now and then, partly simply because their ground can house them (how many 40,000 crowds could even little old us have got in the our relegation season if Man U etc had been given up to 10,000 tickets?) but the real story is obviously in average crowds over a period of time.

For them not to have not averaged 30,000 for over 40 years is astonishing and when you look at the list of clubs that have during that time then it's a little embarassing for them.

But they have won the PR battle and they have the massive tag whatever the facts may suggest.

Up until 1989 of course, their ground couldn't house those large crowds safely.
They just didn't bother reviewing the maximum capacity and squeezed people in regardless.

 

[Kenilworth]

Correct, the rust bucket used to be a sell out for FA Cup semis - just not full of piggies - maybe that's what they are claiming for.

 

[oldblade]

And there we have the difference. A lot of younger pig fans will have been indoctrinated by their equally simple fathers. Are they massive? Did they really get 40k crowds and would again if in the PL?

Listen to berks like Staton on RS and read The Wednesday Gazette (a.k.a. The Stir) and you soon realise it's all true! We, meanwhile, get crowds the envy of most of the Championship. Got 30k for a Youth Cup Final and got nearly 30k for a Saturday evening, live-on-Sky match v the mighty Stevenage.

All in very recent memory, and not a figment of the local pig-biased 'media' and their delusional fans.

Also, since the 1960s we are the only Sheffield club to have a season's average of more than 30,000 per game. And we have done it twice! 1971-2 and 2006-7.

Quite remarkable when you consider they have actually been in the top flight for more seasons than us during that time.

 

[Darren]

Also, since the 1960s we are the only Sheffield club to have a season's average of more than 30,000 per game. And we have done it twice! 1971-2 and 2006-7.

Quite remarkable when you consider they have actually been in the top flight for more seasons than us during that time.

I think that's interesting in that (all delusions aside) Wednesday have generally have a slightly bigger support base than us. I think the incontrovertible proof of that was last season. The 2 clubs were neck and neck going for promoition in the same division all season and they had the bigger crowds.

I think the 2 30K's that we got was due to (a) the excitement of the exceptional early 70;s team in 71-72 and (b) us being the only Sheffield club to have been in the PL since PL crowds have been at their highest.

I have little doubt that if Wednesday got into the PL now they would get an average of 30K +

Burn the heretic!

 

[super_pig]

they lack panache

 

[metalblade]

I always remember that stupid woman who rang football heaven on Radio Pig after the last game last season, she went on to say how massive they were and that all her family were massive fowls fans and that it was wonderful for that game to be the very first she had ever been to.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

They wouldn't average 30k+ in the PL. They have too fickle a following as recent seasons attendances prove. A couple of wins and they'd get 38k, but 3 or 4 defeats (likely for a newly promoted side) and they'll be down to 23k.

 

[Darren]

They wouldn't average 30k+ in the PL. They have too fickle a following as recent seasons attendances prove. A couple of wins and they'd get 38k, but 3 or 4 defeats (likely for a newly promoted side) and they'll be down to 23k.

But what you have to bear in mind is that attednances are now counted by tickets sold whether the ticket holder turns up or not. They would sell loads of season tickets (as we did), and that would see them safely over the 30K average.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

But what you have to bear in mind is that attednances are now counted by tickets sold whether the ticket holder turns up or not. They would sell loads of season tickets (as we did), and that would see them safely over the 30K average.

I think 10 seasons is a fair amount of time over which to judge attendances and we’ve averaged 1003 per season than them.
My view is that our base support is very similar but they have more “fair weather” fans who will turn up for the very big games.
E.g. 38,000 when they were virtually guaranteed promotion against Wycombe.
Where were they for their first match back in the Championship?
Lets's see how many of those casual supporters turn up if they continue their current form for the rest of the season.

Year Owls Blades
2012 21.336 18.702
2011 17.821 20.632
2010 23.179 25.120
2009 21.542 26.023
2008 21.418 25.631
2007 23.638 30.512
2006 24.853 23.650
2005 23.100 19.594
2004 22.336 21.646
2003 20.327 18.073
Total 219.550 229.583
Average 21.955 22.958

 

[metalblade]

Looking at last season the pigs had some pitiful turnouts early on in the season (after a few losses) but then got 38k on the last day, a crowd which did wonders for their average. Considering we had just suffered relegation and a very poor championship season we were still only a few thousand down on the pigs who for the first time in years were free of debt and able to bring in a lot of new faces half way through the season giving their fans a big (I'll not say the M word) feel good factor. So no real surprise that they should for the first time in years have a better average.

 

[Darren]

I think 10 seasons is a fair amount of time over which to judge attendances and we’ve averaged 1003 per season than them.
My view is that our base support is very similar but they have more “fair weather” fans who will turn up for the very big games.
E.g. 38,000 when they were virtually guaranteed promotion against Wycombe.
Where were they for their first match back in the Championship?
Lets's see how many of those casual supporters turn up if they continue their current form for the rest of the season.

Year Owls Blades
2012 21.336 18.702
2011 17.821 20.632
2010 23.179 25.120
2009 21.542 26.023
2008 21.418 25.631
2007 23.638 30.512
2006 24.853 23.650
2005 23.100 19.594
2004 22.336 21.646
2003 20.327 18.073
Total 219.550 229.583
Average 21.955 22.958

Hmmm, some cherry picking there I think.

As I say last season was the prefect laboratory specimin. Both teams in the same division and both teams with a chance of automatic promotion right until the very end and they averaged some two and a half thousand more than us.

Also take note of the figures from 2003 to s006, we did better than them every season and they still got bigger crods than us, even in 2004 and 2005 when they were a division lower and 2006 when we got promoted!.

Our bigger crwods from 2007 to 2011 are what one might call the premiership effect - a season in the PL then reasonable expectations of promotion for a few seasons. That has all gone now, sadly.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

"Cherry picking"!? It's just the last ten seasons.
If I'd just chosen 2007 to 2011 that would have been "cherry picking".

Last season was no better as a one-off specimin than any other.
We'd just been relegated, appointed an unpopular manager and were generally in a slump.
They'd just avoided going bust, had their first good team in years and were generally on the up.

The other point to mention is that we've had loads of genuinely big matches since 2002.
Three play-off finals, Three Cup Semi Finals, 19 Premier League matches.
They've had just the one play-off final in that period.
So when they get a comparitively MASSIVE game like Wycombe, their day-trippers turn out in droves as do ours for the Wembley trips.

 

[Darren]

"Cherry picking"!? It's just the last ten seasons.
If I'd just chosen 2007 to 2011 that would have been "cherry picking".

Last season was no better as a one-off specimin than any other.
We'd just been relegated, appointed an unpopular manager and were generally in a slump.
They'd just avoided going bust, had their first good team in years and were generally on the up.

The other point to mention is that we've had loads of genuinely big matches since 2002.
Three play-off finals, Three Cup Semi Finals, 19 Premier League matches.
They've had just the one play-off final in that period.
So when they get a comparitively MASSIVE game like Wycombe, their day-trippers turn out in droves as do ours for the Wembley trips.

Look at 2004.

They had just been relegated, did nowt promotion wise and ended up finishing lower mid table in the 3rd division.

We had just had the Triple Assualt season and challenged for promotion to the PL all season.

Yet still they got bigger crowds.

I don't know when we last got bigger crowds then them when they finished higher in the league, but I bet it was a long time ago. It's a fairly common occurence for Wednesday.

 

[KenMcnaughtsNuts]

their lot are anorak wearing trainspotting heartbeat boxset-owning dullards from sleepy terraced houses. its just what happens when you dont have a beautiful stadium downtown.

 

[metalblade]

The one thing no one can deny is the capacity of the lane has held us back crowd wise compared to the sty, then again we had to pay for our ground improvements unlike a large proportion of the sty being paid for to host World Cup 66 Euro championships and FA cup semi's. And we now have an owner who would rather build student flats and hotels than increase stadium size for when the good times return which they will one day.
Never let it be said I miss a chance to have a McCabe dig

 

[bartman]

The one thing no one can deny is the capacity of the lane has held us back crowd wise compared to the sty, then again we had to pay for our ground improvements unlike a large proportion of the sty being paid for to host World Cup 66 Euro championships and FA cup semi's. And we now have an owner who would rather build student flats and hotels than increase stadium size for when the good times return which they will one day.
Never let it be said I miss a chance to have a McCabe dig

Our ground is about the right size for us and i don't think has held us back. We rarely sell out and were still 3k short of capacity in the top league. I would only only like to see the Kop improving at the moment (no pillars,decent concourse and leg room).

 

[Kenilworth]

Don't forget Dazzler that the pigs have had plenty of seasons where they had the first game at home, the last game at home and the boxing day fixture at home compared to us. Those key fixtures tend to add a few more thousand to the average gate so cherry pick that one out of yer pedantically accurate memory.

 

[Darren]

Don't forget Dazzler that the pigs have had plenty of seasons where they had the first game at home, the last game at home and the boxing day fixture at home compared to us. Those key fixtures tend to add a few more thousand to the average gate so cherry pick that one out of yer pedantically accurate memory.

Straws and cluthcing at spring to mind but in the 10 seasons mentioned of the 3 plum fixtures you mentioned we had the following number at home

2003 0
2004 1
2005 0
2006 3
2007 3
2008 2
2009 0
2010 0
2011 1
2012 1

So we have had 11 of those games at home to Wednesday's 19, I hardly think that 8 game discrepancy will make much difference (and anyway, if you are not playing for anything the last game of the season is likely to give you a lower than average attendance anyway)

 

[Kenilworth]

Straws and cluthcing at spring to mind but in the 10 seasons mentioned of the 3 plum fixtures you mentioned we had the following number at home

2003 0
2004 1
2005 0
2006 3
2007 3
2008 2
2009 0
2010 0
2011 1
2012 1

So we have had 11 of those games at home to Wednesday's 19, I hardly think that 8 game discrepancy will make much difference (and anyway, if you are not playing for anything the last game of the season is likely to give you a lower than average attendance anyway)

See how pedantically accurate you are

It's still 72% more times / opportunities than we have had , which is a bit dodgy when spread over 10 seasons to say the least.

I would also state that your assumption those 8 games would not make that much of a discrepancy is pretty futile without you backing it up with any proof or evidence of when they were and the significance of each fixture.
Let me know when you have done it

 

[alcoblade]

Hmmm, some cherry picking there I think.

As I say last season was the prefect laboratory specimin. Both teams in the same division and both teams with a chance of automatic promotion right until the very end and they averaged some two and a half thousand more than us..

Cherry picking - yes - but you've just done the same. To compare us straight after relegation with them after writing off a mountain of debt and coming under new (half) ambitious ownership is "reverse cherry picking"...

UTB