Basham departing

[Balham]

In case the copy-and-paste above is too hot, an archived version of the article can be found here: https://archive.ph/ksaBl

 

[FTPE]

Chris Basham: Retirement and new routines with George Baldock forever in his thoughts​

Chris Basham is in a good place.

Seventeen months on from suffering one of the worst injuries the Premier League has seen, the former Sheffield United defender admits there have been dark days to go with the five operations to repair his shattered ankle.

None more so than the death of close friend — and ex-Bramall Lane team-mate — George Baldock last autumn.

But, after a Christmas that had its challenging moments, the 36-year-old is fully embracing retirement and a new life doing the school run with his three young children, cycling most days and, just recently, managing to complete a round of golf on foot for the first time since that fateful day at Fulham in October 2023.

“I’m getting into a routine of looking at my missus’ diary before I leave the house,” he says with a smile. “Working my schedule around that, which includes going to the gym and riding my bike.

“Getting out there in the fresh air is really good for my mental health. I’ll do 30-40kms, stopping for a coffee along the way. I’m basically managing the ankle, seeing what it can cope with and what it finds difficult. Just getting used to it. At night-time, I’ll do a bit of icing and see where I am the next day.

“A big thing was coming off the pain medication. I was still on them at Christmas when I was a bit down. So I decided to have my own ‘Dry January’. Not with the drink, but with the painkillers.

“I feel loads better. Spending time with the wife and family has been great. I take the kids to school and pick them up, something I’ve never been able to do before as I was always working. They can hold my hand going in, which I love.”

The dash down the right flank and cross that led to the end of Basham’s career was one he had performed countless times across 10 seasons in a Sheffield United shirt.

Christened ‘Bashambauer’ by fans as a nod to how comfortable he was at driving forward with the ball at his feet, he was a key cog in the overlapping centre-backs system that took the Yorkshire club from the bottom of League One to a ninth-place finish in the Premier League inside just four years.

So when Oliver Norwood curled a 30-yard pass down the wing at Craven Cottage, Basham, sporting the captain’s armband for Paul Heckingbottom’s side, immediately set off in pursuit. He caught the ball on the half-volley but, in doing so, all the weight shifted onto his calf and ankle.

As Basham collapsed in a heap, the damage to his lower left leg was evident immediately. So much so that Tim Ream, Fulham’s USMNT centre-back and the closest player to the incident, held his hand throughout the next 12 minutes before the United defender was carried off on a stretcher.

“I heard the initial crack and then looked at my leg on the floor,” he says. “That took my breath away. It felt like someone had thrown a boiling cup of coffee on my leg. All the lads were saying, ‘Lie down, lie down’. I knew it wasn’t right.”

Having been rushed to the nearest hospital, he was subsequently transferred to London’s Cleveland Clinic. Messages of support soon started to arrive, including calls from ex-pros such as Alan Shearer, who had endured bad injuries in their careers.

He'll be on our coaching staff soon if Wilder has anything to do with it.

 

[Sleafordblade]

The best value player ever for me, the epitome of a blades legend

 

[coaxingstar71]

Funnily enough I was thinking about Bash the other day and watched this again, which I love...

 

[Nick Jansky]

He'll be on our coaching staff soon if Wilder has anything to do with it.

Has he done his badges?

 

[FTPE]

Has he done his badges?

I think you can get most of them within a year.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Has he done his badges?

Bash don need no steenking badges……

 

[Captain2]

Absolute Blades Legend!

 

[HighfieldBlade]

Bash don need no steenking badges……

 

[Greenwich Blade]

Has he done his badges?

Fallowfield can lend him some of his, as they won't be getting used any day soon.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Fallowfield can lend him some of his, as they won't be getting used any day soon.

No need. One of Bash’s children could crayon out his own for him.

 

[ForgeBlade]

What a brilliant interview. I (along with most I suspect) had no idea he was still on painkillers as recently as december...that can be a slippery slope so all credit to him for getting past it, and getting on with his life.

Really glad to hear he's in a good place, and enjoying his life and family. A true Blades legend, and without doubt (as I've said before on this very thread) my favourite United player ever, by a distance.

Footballers these days, even ones who's careers are cruelly curtailed by injury, are wealthy people by normal standards. But even if I was broke, if I bumped into Bash in a pub, I would buy him a pint. As a fanbase, we will never, ever forget "Basham's arriving." What a moment, what a player, what a man.

 

[Nick Jansky]

I think you can get most of them within a year.

You can’t.

 

[United1889]

There’s an evening with Chris Basham at the lane 20th March if anyone’s interested…see events section on the club website

 

[Blademan18891889]

There’s an evening with Chris Basham at the lane 20th March if anyone’s interested…see events section on the club website

Might have some of that.

 

[Grey Blade]

There’s an evening with Chris Basham at the lane 20th March if anyone’s interested…see events section on the club website

I received an email about that event a few days ago. I wanted to buy a ticket but the link wouldn't open. I still can't find it on the website

 

[Grey Blade]

I received an email about that event a few days ago. I wanted to buy a ticket but the link wouldn't open. I still can't find it on the website

Eventually found it! Didn't think to look in the tickets section

 

[Blackheath Blade]

And that's a Fallowfield fact?

You can’t.