Billy Sharp retires

[Greg.]

Was reading this the other day. Top man.

 

[Bladeloyal]

Some footballers you just like billy was one

 

[Bladesman]

 

[Blades1971]

Saw him playing at under 9 with Middlewood Rovers. Scoring goals for fun even then
Different gravy

 

[S64 Blade]

An actual legend.

Always a pity Robson and Blackwell had him in his early years, but he still managed to achieve so much in his 30s for us.

Came in under Adkin’s in that shite season as very to get some credit - bagging 21 goals.

It’ll be a long time until we get another like him.

 

[shorehamview]

He did what we all dreamed of doing, and he was fantastic at doing it. One of the best players I’ve ever seen playing for us.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

For anyone who didn't click the link or see it earlier.

View attachment Billy_Sharp_overwhelmed_by_tributes_after_retirement_annou...nr_career_at_the_top_level___Foot...mp4

 

[Bradfordblade]

Top player and all round top fella. Would love to see him back at the Lane in some capacity. Good luck Billy

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Was reading this the other day. Top man.

Lived the dream with us and the nightmare in this situation. Everyone was so impressed more by this one moment then the record breaking goals tally and rightly so. A brilliant tribute to his lad.

 

[CrookesBlade]

Pound for pound best in my lifetime

 

[Bladesman101]

Enjoy retirement! One thing I always say about Sharp is during that Covid season he was just hitting his stride in the premier league when it all got shut down and I think he would’ve gone on to get double figures that season.

He’s been let down by this club several times, flogged at an early age, flogged again and made to feel not good enough by the management, brought back and then not getting a contract in what from the outside looked quite sneaky and cruel way to end his career at United. He had to watch McGoldrick and Robinson lead us out to Bournemouth in the first prem game which would’ve been a kick in teeth (he had last laugh that day) and he had to watch Jebbison walk out at Wembley v city which would’ve been an absolute gut punch but he always got on with things.

Best performance that springs to mind was Villa away hattrick, where he was superb and that was classic Billy Sharp.

For some reason I don’t think this is the last chapter of Sharp + United though as if wilder ever got sacked you know he’d get a mention

 

[Belvedere Blade]

 

[BiggerBladeThanThou]

My favourite ever player. Embodied everything about us that makes us Blades. I fucking love our Billy. Enjoy your retirement Bill!

 

[CyloCybin]

Get him on the coaching staff. Get him back to the club any way you can.

I can absolutely see him suited and booted stood in the dugout as Blades manager one day!

 

[Borbokisfreekick]

Thank you Billy, without doubt one of our best ever strikers.

never replaced him since he left

 

[Big.Dane.w]

Billy and Jagielka were on the padel court next to ours on Friday evening, he’s still fit as a fiddle, honestly he looks fitter than a few of our current starters.

 

[finlaytheblade]

Wouldnt be surprised if Billy joined the coaching staff in the next few weeks!

 

[DifferentClass]

Billy and Jagielka were on the padel court next to ours on Friday evening, he’s still fit as a fiddle, honestly he looks fitter than a few of our current starters.

Padel wanker!

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

Bring him back. Pay as you play deal. Get one more goal, retire when you want. Might as well, no worse than Ayew, give him the #10 and retire a Blade.

 

[Gimli]

Bring him back. Pay as you play deal. Get one more goal, retire when you want. Might as well, no worse than Ayew, give him the #10 and retire a Blade.

Honestly think he’d be an upgrade on Ayew, even at 40 and having not played since May

 

[DifferentClass]

Honestly think he’d be an upgrade on Ayew, even at 40 and having not played since May

Ayew would be shit in Sunday league.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

Be a long time before anyone beats this.

 

[More Bladier than thou]

Does he deserve a statue in the car park? I think he certainly does, or a stand named after him.
No doubt he will be back as a striker coach shortly.

 

[Blade56]

It was still what he was looking for!


Anyway here's the full clip including the tributes played to him

Billy Sharp overwhelmed by tributes after retirement announcement after 21-year career at the top level

Billy Sharp announces his retirement at the age of 40 after a 229-goal career, saying he got everything he could from the game and was touched by tributes from former team-mates, coaches and famous fans.

www.skysports.com

Shame the Sky jurnos aren’t as professional as Billy was…..



Thank you Billy, made life at the Lane bearable at times

 

[Edgar Allan Poo]

Be a long time before anyone beats this.

View attachment 245481

To be fair to Chris Martin though, he's 49 and has all that touring with Coldplay on top of all that plus had to undergo a conscious uncoupling with Gwyneth Paltrow.

 

[Revolution]

Be a long time before anyone beats this.

View attachment 245481

Billy is one of my heroes but that's just annoying (not a dig at you PeterNdlovu081).

This changing the name of a division and then counting records from the date of that change is so, so stupid. At least the PL is a different league.

Most second tier goals: Brian Clough, 250. That's the record.

The people who make up this crap should go off and do some proper research, like in other sports.

Back on topic: Happy trails to Billy, the most important Blades player of the last decade, and thanks for all the happy memories.

Finished with 265 EFL and PL goals, joint 29th of all time. Hell of a career.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

Billy is one of my heroes but that's just annoying (not a dig at you @PeterNdlovu081).

This changing the name of a division and then counting records from the date of that change is so, so stupid. At least the PL is a different league.

Most second tier goals: Brian Clough, 250. That's the record.

The people who make up this crap should go off and do some proper research, like in other sports.

I used to agree with you on this but now I'm sympathetic to the idea that there should be some distinction between old football and modern football.

Billy only scored 130 second tier goals across his entire career, Brian Clough did that in three seasons.

I think it's fair to say that the game changed a bit in the 40 to 50 years between their careers.

 

[Revolution]

I used to agree with you on this but now I'm sympathetic to the idea that there should be some distinction between old football and modern football.

Billy only scored 130 second tier goals across his entire career, Brian Clough did that in three seasons.

I think it's fair to say that the game changed a bit in the 40 to 50 years between their careers.

That’s an interesting point, because if you look at the top 100 EFL and PL scorers of all time many of the players come from the 1920s and 1930s where goalscoring was massively inflated by the change in the offside law which took years to bed down.

Clough was outside this era. He was 1950s and 1960s. Still a higher goalscoring era but very, very impressive numbers. Steve Bloomer, Steve Bull Jimmy Greaves and John Aldridge are also outliers in different eras. I think the point re Clough is that he did that and nobody else could do it contemporaneously (although never going to the top flight helps - a bit like with Warnocks’ Blades percentage win ratio).

so I’d agree with what you say but it irks me that it’s tied to that stupid name change. Make it this century or something.

On a similar theme, in the entire history of English league football only 28 men have scored more goals than Billy. That’s an incredible achievement, but not one that’s remarked upon.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

That’s an interesting point, because if you look at the top 100 EFL and PL scorers of all time many of the players come from the 1920s and 1930s where goalscoring was massively inflated by the change in the offside law which took years to bed down.

Clough was outside this era. He was 1950s and 1960s. Still a higher goalscoring era but very, very impressive numbers. Steve Bloomer, Steve Bull Jimmy Greaves and John Aldridge are also outliers in different eras. I think the point re Clough is that he did that and nobody else could do it contemporaneously (although never going to the top flight helps - a bit like with Warnocks’ Blades percentage win ratio).

so I’d agree with what you say but it irks me that it’s tied to that stupid name change. Make it this century or something.

On a similar theme, in the entire history of English league football only 28 men have scored more goals than Billy. That’s an incredible achievement, but not one that’s remarked upon.

There's also the argument that it's not possible to hit those numbers anymore because of the way the structure of football has changed.

If you score 40 league goals in a season now you're either going to get promoted (Mitrovic for Fulham in 2021-22) or signed to a Premier League club.

Middlesbrough were able to hold on to Brian Clough for all those years without getting promoted even though he scored 30+ league goals for five consecutive seasons.

It's just not possible these days.

 

[Silent Blade]

There's also the argument that it's not possible to hit those numbers anymore because of the way the structure of football has changed.

If you score 40 league goals in a season now you're either going to get promoted (Mitrovic for Fulham in 2021-22) or signed to a Premier League club.

Middlesbrough were able to hold on to Brian Clough for all those years without getting promoted even though he scored 30+ league goals for five consecutive seasons.

It's just not possible these days.

Mick Channon was the top scorer in the 1st division during the 1973/74 season but his club, Southampton, got relegated!