Will this Sunday be the last I see the Blades in the Premier League?

[Silent Blade]

1976 was the first time I saw us get relegation from the top tier but I naively did expect us to return to the 1st division in a year or two. I was wrong as it took us 14 years for us to return to the top flight!

In 14 years time, if I am lucky, I will be 76 years old but I am wise enough not to expect us to bounce back in a year as in our history it has never happened that we bounced back to the top fight in one year.

 

[VictoryBlade]

Roller coaster ride being a Blade eh, I've watched them since 1970 and i never expect anything but the worst tbh. Buts its in your blood! I'll not miss this season one bit. Just want some pride back and get excited when we score without VAR ruling it out. UTB

 

[GrayBlade]

I'm not far off your projected age now Silent and to be honest it wouldn't bother me one bit me after this season.

 

[Carlton Blade]

1976 was the first time I saw us get relegation from the top tier but I naively did expect us to return to the 1st division in a year or two. I was wrong as it took us 14 years for us to return to the top flight!

In 14 years time, if I am lucky, I will be 76 years old but I am wise enough not to expect us to bounce back in a year as in our history it has never happened that we bounced back to the top fight in one year.

Go back to the end of 15/16. If somebody had told you we'd be lining up to start the Premier League in 18/19 I'm sure you'd have laughed at them. Same with Ipswich fans 3 seasons ago.

Weird things happen in football

 

[Silent Blade]

Go back to the end of 15/16. If somebody had told you we'd be lining up to start the Premier League in 18/19 I'm sure you'd have laughed at them. Same with Ipswich fans 3 seasons ago.

Weird things happen in football

Very true!

 

[Revolution]

When fans were allowed in re Burnley in 2021 I was a bit annoyed with Revo Jr for not attending as he had never seen a PL game and I said that it would likely be a dozen years before we ended up in the PL again given how we usually do these things. How wrong I was. He's seen a whole season of PL games, almost all of them awful.

Who knows when we will be up here again. The only thing that would genuinely surprise me is if we came straight back up. If you told me we'd bounce back in 2 years or be in league one in two years, I would not be surprised by either outcome.

 

[hidesbehindapseudonym]

1976 was the first time I saw us get relegation from the top tier but I naively did expect us to return to the 1st division in a year or two. I was wrong as it took us 14 years for us to return to the top flight!

In 14 years time, if I am lucky, I will be 76 years old but I am wise enough not to expect us to bounce back in a year as in our history it has never happened that we bounced back to the top fight in one year.

I'm 2 years off that now so United had better be bloody quick

 

[prescotblade]

Well I’m 70 and hope to see another season in the premie league. But only with a team that has a chance.

 

[ancientblade]

1968 first time i saw us relegated from the top division heartbreaker that was when chelsea scored their 2nd at the lane end but yo-yoing is very much part of our history as a club and cant see it changing all part of being a blade though utb fto

 

[bibbity bobbity boo]

I'm only 52 so I'd like to thank all you old bastards for making me feel young.

 

[finlaytheblade]

1976 was the first time I saw us get relegation from the top tier but I naively did expect us to return to the 1st division in a year or two. I was wrong as it took us 14 years for us to return to the top flight!

In 14 years time, if I am lucky, I will be 76 years old but I am wise enough not to expect us to bounce back in a year as in our history it has never happened that we bounced back to the top fight in one year.

Come on Silent not like you to be negative!
1st time for anything really including bouncing back 1st time.

 

[Harry's Game]

If it’s 12 or 14 years again then it’s a good chance it will be never as I don’t see the current football pyramid lasting much beyond a decade

 

[MojoMuffin]

Time spent out the Premier League is the biggest threat to getting back into it. The gulf has been growing at pace and part of me can see why teams like Derby threw the cheque book at it whilst they had a chance. My fear is that a few seasons in the Championship growing our young players and formulating a team again will, upon promotion, be met with a much richer, harder and formidable Premier League than it is today. The caveat to that though is some brilliant news (only news at this point) regarding club infrastructure and the new training facilities. If we keep our youth, develop them properly and invest in future talent/recruitment, I'm hopeful we can be back up within 2 or 3 seasons and be in a position to actually compete. We're up for sale too and desperately in need of investment, which all points to a positive future, providing we're sold to the right owner with sensible approaches to the ambitions of the club.

 

[originaltrueblade]

1976 was the first time I saw us get relegation from the top tier but I naively did expect us to return to the 1st division in a year or two. I was wrong as it took us 14 years for us to return to the top flight!

In 14 years time, if I am lucky, I will be 76 years old but I am wise enough not to expect us to bounce back in a year as in our history it has never happened that we bounced back to the top fight in one year.

Well Silent the biggest problem you have is basically the same as me and many others here’s why. Hodgkinson/The Shaws/ jones/CURRIE/WOODWARD..I could go onto say McAllister/ Deane Agana LOL
That’s the biggest problem is we’ve been blessed and we will never see their like again

Depressing in it

 

[Shawy24]

At the moment, I couldn’t give a damn. I’ve seen us in all four divisions from John Harris the gentleman master through the shit served up by Furphy Sirrell, Haslam, Heath, Adams, Bruce, etc through to the present Ale Cart that, on balance, I quite like. However a combination of this owner and the simple unfairness of everything associated with the Premier league has just about destroyed my love for the game. Its pointless, a bit like my purchase of a season ticket again.

 

[Lane Ender]

76 we were down early but towards the end of the season we were ok
The worst relegation was 94 was really gutted with that last day defeat Wigan was bad as well

 

[Davalon]

I genuinely understand the view that there's more to be enjoyed about the Championship (no VAR, less fawning over the bigger clubs, less concern over corruption etc) but I also think that view evaporates after a few lean years in there.

A few years of mid table mediocrity with crowds slipping and getting beat at home by your Plymouths and Prestons will soon see plenty of fans bored of the Championship.

Like everyone else I've not enjoyed this season because too often I've gone to games just wondering how many we'd lose by. The most enjoyment I've had has been the last few away games purely because of the atmosphere created by the fans.

I don't see much point in returning to the PL in the same position but the financial side can't be ignored with the situation under the current ownership.

Plus at nearly 51 and only seeing this club have 8 top flight seasons and win sweet fa, I don't have this romanticised view of long term Championship football.

Like others, I feel like all outcomes are on the table currently. I can see us challenging near the top next season, I can see us struggling in the bottom half. Too many if, buts, and maybes at present. Then again, I feel this club is perennially on a knife edge these days.

 

[Newbury Blade]

Well Silent the biggest problem you have is basically the same as me and many others here’s why. Hodgkinson/The Shaws/ jones/CURRIE/WOODWARD..I could go onto say McAllister/ Deane Agana LOL
That’s the biggest problem is we’ve been blessed and we will never see their like again

Depressing in it

I loved Tom McAlister and Tony Agana but to say we’ll never see their like again is going a bit far. TC, well I’ll agree on that one.

 

[ISZA ⚔️]

I think we will bounce straight back. We’ll either win the league or the play-offs.

 

[Edgar Allan Poo]

1976 was the first time I saw us get relegation from the top tier but I naively did expect us to return to the 1st division in a year or two. I was wrong as it took us 14 years for us to return to the top flight!

In 14 years time, if I am lucky, I will be 76 years old but I am wise enough not to expect us to bounce back in a year as in our history it has never happened that we bounced back to the top fight in one year.

I hope that you have many, many more promotions and relegations in you Silent Blade!

 

[toledo]

Silent, you and I go back a long way on this forum. I started following SUFC when I was 4 in 1957 and I am now 71.

I want to see us back in the Prem before I go to a different place but I may have to wait until I am 80 to see it.

toledo

 

[Argentinemanager]

Imagine being your age and a pig the last time they graced the premier league you would need a telegram from the king before you saw them play in it

 

[Rodley]

I genuinely understand the view that there's more to be enjoyed about the Championship (no VAR, less fawning over the bigger clubs, less concern over corruption etc) but I also think that view evaporates after a few lean years in there.

A few years of mid table mediocrity with crowds slipping and getting beat at home by your Plymouths and Prestons will soon see plenty of fans bored of the Championship.

Like everyone else I've not enjoyed this season because too often I've gone to games just wondering how many we'd lose by. The most enjoyment I've had has been the last few away games purely because of the atmosphere created by the fans.

I don't see much point in returning to the PL in the same position but the financial side can't be ignored with the situation under the current ownership.

Plus at nearly 51 and only seeing this club have 8 top flight seasons and win sweet fa, I don't have this romanticised view of long term Championship football.

Like others, I feel like all outcomes are on the table currently. I can see us challenging near the top next season, I can see us struggling in the bottom half. Too many if, buts, and maybes at present. Then again, I feel this club is perennially on a knife edge these days.

If we get new ownership we have to hope we’ll have a proper go at promotion and staying up there. Then we look to build the new training ground and update the off-site infrastructure.

It’s tough but not impossible.

 

[Blade59]

I think the thing about the Championship is that every game you have a chance of winning. We could end up finishing anywhere between 1st and 24th and there is genuine uncertainty about the outcome in every game and I will settle for that. In the Premier league you almost know within a place or two where most teams are going to finish before a ball is kicked. If we end up getting promoted again great I will enjoy the moment but it is no longer the be all and end all for me unless we get the structure in place to be properly competitive at that level.

I suspect the structure at the top level will change eventually and there will be breakaway competitions for the big club. and that may be a good thing. You can then have something for the plastic worldwide TV audience and return the domestic competitions to the true fans. Feel a bit sorry for the proper supporters of those clubs but if you sell your soul to the devil that is what you end up with.

 

[Snowflake]

1976 was the first time I saw us get relegation from the top tier but I naively did expect us to return to the 1st division in a year or two. I was wrong as it took us 14 years for us to return to the top flight!

In 14 years time, if I am lucky, I will be 76 years old but I am wise enough not to expect us to bounce back in a year as in our history it has never happened that we bounced back to the top fight in one year.

I have already passed the age which you will be in 14 years so I have similar thoughts about Sunday. However I fully expect us to be back before I am 80 !!!!

 

[Sheffsteel]

I suspect the structure at the top level will change eventually and there will be breakaway competitions for the big club. and that may be a good thing. You can then have something for the plastic worldwide TV audience and return the domestic competitions to the true fans. Feel a bit sorry for the proper supporters of those clubs but if you sell your soul to the devil that is what you end up with.

Regards the structure of the top league....obviously it be governed by finance and profit.

The English Premier league is by far away the most popular league in the world with the highest revenue, just over double the nearest challenger (La Liga). So as things stand there's zero chance of any club wanting to leave the Premier League.

What is likely to happen is
1: The Premier League cuts down from 20 teams to 18 teams, like many of the other top European leagues.
2: We'll see the experiment of official league matches taking place abroad, especially in the US and possibly Saudi Arabia.
Apparently FIFA have just given the go hard to allow this to happen.
3: The UEFA Euro leagues will be expanded...so the top half of the Premier League will be playing several European matches each season.
This means those clubs won't be able to play in the EFL cup and those clubs might even forfeit the FA cup too.
4: A large spread of kick-off times, so most people can watch live Premier League matches continuously from 12 noon to 7pm on Saturday and Sunday every weekend. Basically the regular 3pm spot will be a thing of the past.

If the Euro league becomes excessively popular...more popular than even the Premier League....which I doubt.
Then I suppose in 15 to 20 years....it is possible the big European clubs might get together to form their own league.
However remember that UEFA are aware of the breakaway threat so they'll be making efforts to make their format more attractive to most clubs.
A breakaway Euro super league would be a massive risk because the respective domestic leagues would banish them with no chance of a return.
So don't think this would happen. Think it's more likely a deal might be done with the Premier league to reduce the PL fixture list
and have a Euro super league running side by side the domestic leagues.

 

[HighfieldBlade]

Nah, we will bounce straight back up.
Keep the Faith!

 

[John Street West Terrace]

Just the 8 promotions & 8 relegations for me , 3 of them to & from the top flight .
Add to that 8 play off campaigns 4 play off finals .
5 FA Cup Semis & 2 League Cup semis
It’s certainly not being boring been a Blade in my 47 yrs attending.
Things seem pretty low at the moment but football changes quickly

 

[CPB]

It's hard to predict.

There are worrying rumours from the likes of Rifleman about how much of a mess we are in...
But at the same time I find it really hard to think that if we sell the likes of Anel, Archer and another (Souza hopefully as I'd like to keep Hamer and Blaster) that our finances would be so bad. We've barely spent much in net terms, and although the wage bill would have increased this season it's hugely decreasing this one given there will be relegation reduction clauses and a fair few players out of contract this summer.

I struggle to understand how given the parachute payments previous, gaining promotion and not spending greatly and now we are about to receive parachute payments again that we are "that poor off". Even with the infrastructure plans for the training facility and purchase of land recently.

But I'd like to think that we would be top 6-ish next season, maybe better maybe a fair bit worse. But that by 2nd season down if we haven't gone up looking stronger.
But every relegated club from the PL thinks the same and only 3 sides ever go up...

But it's worth noting that 5 out of the top 6 of the championship are recent PL sides. (Within last 3 years or less). Ipswich have come out of no where.

Watford have made a mess upon their relegation but in a way unsurprising given ownership.

 

[United Aren't Back.]

Go back to the end of 15/16. If somebody had told you we'd be lining up to start the Premier League in 18/19 I'm sure you'd have laughed at them. Same with Ipswich fans 3 seasons ago.

Weird things happen in football

As well as in 1976, with wins v Newcastle and Leeds to end a dreadful season, I never thought..5 years on, hello Division 4...