Airs and graces.

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knowsnowt

Get to fuck!
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Gotta love us Blades. No meeeeester, no bowing, no HRH, just Abdul or Abdullah. Prince IF we're being nice. People even insulting him and daring to question his decisions.
I don't agree with the outright insults, but I'd rather that than snapping our backs to lick his unquestionable ring like that lot over the way.

Blades. Keeping it grounded since 1889. ⚔️
 



Holding their feet to the fire is always the best way. Treat them like politicians: believe nowt until you see it. Give them no credit until they provide it or build it. The Prince said "judge me on my actions not words". Ok, you've been shit so far...
Yer we were lovin it in div 1 before you came...... :rolleyes:
 
Yer, but I wonder how far he would have got with Mr McCabe in charge ?

He did it in spite of the owners not because of them imo. Warnock did the same under McCabe until the January before promotion when he was backed well (Horsefield, Akinbiyi). The Prince's initial investment (as part of the share agreement: Prince's investment for McCabe's shares) was already gone by the time we appointed Wilder. The club was run on fumes and player sales by the joint owners until we got to the PL after Wilder's appointment (Brooks, Adams, Ramsdale, Calvert Lewin, healthy profits on Evans and Leonard). They were putting in less money as a partnership than almost all the single owners in the Championship.

The PL is a different story. We spent a health proportion of our income which McCabe may not have supported; although nowhere near enough to expect a top ten finish. This season we've probably underperformed by a few league positions at most (Burnley, West Brom, Fulham?). The likes of Brighton should be finishing above us.

During the Prince's sole ownership we've made no significant infrastructure improvements with the exception of the mandatory upgrading of the ground demanded of us by the PL (Nobody in their right mind is going to turn down circa 200 million for a five million pound investment). A new training ground building and the removal of the Kop posts have been announced as projects but haven't happened yet. There has also been rumours of a huge new complex at the Norton Aerodrome site.

McCabe established the centre of excellence, Shirecliffe academy and training ground, and two new stands at the stadium. The club also owned the BL hotel for a short while. The majority of these project were completed without Premier League monies.
 
I understand their excitement at the prospect of playing teams like York but why are they all hugging Kim Jong-Un?
His sister and possibly heir apparent comes across as quite a formidable woman though. If she imposed some sort of strict regime even and including 6pm curfews I spose I would just have to comply....🙄
 
He did it in spite of the owners not because of them imo. Warnock did the same under McCabe until the January before promotion when he was backed well (Horsefield, Akinbiyi). The Prince's initial investment (as part of the share agreement: Prince's investment for McCabe's shares) was already gone by the time we appointed Wilder. The club was run on fumes and player sales by the joint owners until we got to the PL after Wilder's appointment (Brooks, Adams, Ramsdale, Calvert Lewin, healthy profits on Evans and Leonard). They were putting in less money as a partnership than almost all the single owners in the Championship.

The PL is a different story. We spent a health proportion of our income which McCabe may not have supported; although nowhere near enough to expect a top ten finish. This season we've probably underperformed by a few league positions at most (Burnley, West Brom, Fulham?). The likes of Brighton should be finishing above us.

During the Prince's sole ownership we've made no significant infrastructure improvements with the exception of the mandatory upgrading of the ground demanded of us by the PL (Nobody in their right mind is going to turn down circa 200 million for a five million pound investment). A new training ground building and the removal of the Kop posts have been announced as projects but haven't happened yet. There has also been rumours of a huge new complex at the Norton Aerodrome site.

McCabe established the centre of excellence, Shirecliffe academy and training ground, and two new stands at the stadium. The club also owned the BL hotel for a short while. The majority of these project were completed without Premier League monies.

All good points, although lets look at McCabe's developments.

The academy and training ground isn't and never was world class, it was the Forgemaster's sports complex with some Cladding slapped on it.

West Ham United paid for the hotel.

He took Bramall Lane off of the football club and transferred to one of his companies. The club is now having to use Parachute money to buy that back.

The couple of stands you mention, include one of the most badly designed corner stands in the country.

Also he could have redeveloped the Kop at any point in the 20 years he was in charge but no, he's waited until after before building some apartments on Shoreham Street, purely out of spite.
 
All good points, although lets look at McCabe's developments.

The academy and training ground isn't and never was world class, it was the Forgemaster's sports complex with some Cladding slapped on it.

West Ham United paid for the hotel.

He took Bramall Lane off of the football club and transferred to one of his companies. The club is now having to use Parachute money to buy that back.

The couple of stands you mention, include one of the most badly designed corner stands in the country.

Also he could have redeveloped the Kop at any point in the 20 years he was in charge but no, he's waited until after before building some apartments on Shoreham Street, purely out of spite.

I don't disagree with many of those criticisms of McCabe which perhaps show how unlucky we are with owners, as McCabe's achievements - meagre as they are - dwarf the Prince's thus far. I would question the criticism of Shirecliffe: at the time it was the envy of many football clubs in the top two tiers. It's aged badly though, and we've started to be left behind - even by the time KM exited stage left. It's a disgrace nothing has been done with circa 300 million coming into the club, which has to make you question whether anything will ever be done?! The Prince got the club and the buildings for a relative song so I'm not sure we can hold that against KM. If he doesn't have the dough for the properties...well, what's he doing here? The land on Cherry street is a different thing altogether - it was my understanding that it's for sale and the Prince doesn't want to buy. As for the Kop - couldn't agree more. The KM plan was that if we stayed in the top flight for one season it would be sorted; we never did. I wasn't particularly enamoured with the plans anyway. The excuses this year was logistics due to Covid; not money. So I'll expect, Covid permitting, to walk into a Kop with no poles in my eyeline this August ;) .
 
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Gotta love us Blades. No meeeeester, no bowing, no HRH, just Abdul or Abdullah. Prince IF we're being nice. People even insulting him and daring to question his decisions.
I don't agree with the outright insults, but I'd rather that than snapping our backs to lick his unquestionable ring like that lot over the way.

Blades. Keeping it grounded since 1889. ⚔️
The bloke takes a dump the same as I do. Why should I (or anyone else) “bow and scrape” to any other bugger?
 



I don't disagree with many of those criticisms of McCabe which perhaps show how unlucky we are with owners, as McCabe's achievements - meagre as they are - dwarf the Prince's thus far. I would question the criticism of Shirecliffe: at the time it was the envy of many football clubs in the top two tiers. It's aged badly though, and we've started to be left behind - even by the time KM exited stage left. It's a disgrace nothing has been done with circa 300 million coming into the club, which has to make you question whether anything will ever be done?! The Prince got the club and the buildings for a relative song so I'm not sure we can hold that against KM. If he doesn't have the dough for the properties...well, what's he doing here? The land on Cherry street is a different thing altogether - it was my understanding that it's for sale and the Prince doesn't want to buy. As for the Kop - couldn't agree more. The KM plan was that if we stayed in the top flight for one season it would be sorted; we never did. I wasn't particularly enamoured with the plans anyway. The excuses this year was logistics due to Covid; not money. So I'll expect, Covid permitting, to walk into a Kop with no poles in my eyeline this August ;) .

Your right about that. 6 years in League 1 certainly dwarf the princes achievements.
 
Your right about that. 6 years in League 1 certainly dwarf the princes achievements.

The Prince had has hand on the tiller for three to four of those ( part of Weir; Clough, Adkins, Wilder). It was McCabe's masterstroke appointing Wilder that got us from L1 to the Prem (Prince: Clough, Adkins).
 
Wilder got promoted with Hogans, Washingtons and Cranies. Noone else will achieve that squad management and recruitment.
Bassett did it with Brysons, Wilders, Rostrums and Stancliffes

Warnock did it with Akinbiyis, Shipperleys, Kozluks, Gearys and Brombys

That's three miracles that have been handed to us on a plate, almost as though God himself was giving it to us.

And three times we've thrown the chance away to even improve by 1%

That actually takes some doing

I mean you couldn't do it deliberately, the law of averages suggests that armed with a Premier League budget you'd have to stumble into a good player sooner or later even if it was a complete fluke.

But no, scary how 100% failure follows this club around, whilst it convinces itself and most of its fans sadly that their way is the right way
 
The Prince had has hand on the tiller for three to four of those ( part of Weir; Clough, Adkins, Wilder). It was McCabe's masterstroke appointing Wilder that got us from L1 to the Prem (Prince: Clough, Adkins).

Yes he did. But McCabe was the front man. With PA just the guy who was expected to front up the cash and keep his mouth shut.

So Wilder was all KMC but nothing at all to do with PA? Riiiiiiiiight.
 
Yes he did. But McCabe was the front man. With PA just the guy who was expected to front up the cash and keep his mouth shut.

So Wilder was all KMC but nothing at all to do with PA? Riiiiiiiiight.

Au contraire: when the money was purely the Prince's he was front and centre. McCabe was key in the Wilder signing. They are both on the record about that. Maybe more luck than judgement as it was a chance meeting when he was on the verge of signing for Charlton. The Prince had long since faded into the background to assume his government role.
 
I've been dragging my self down to the Lane off and on since 1957, and yes things have changed superficially over the years down there since then, but in relationship with rest of the league we are still in the same position we were back then.
I know there has been changes cosmetically and in this area (S/Yorks. we are one of the big clubs, but in the football league we are a middle of the road club.
Yes we have our highs followed very quickly by our lows, but we have always been basically a mid second division team IMO

But for a while there Mr Wilder had us living the dream again, and from deep down I really thank him for that, ..... 👍
 
Holding their feet to the fire is always the best way. Treat them like politicians: believe nowt until you see it. Give them no credit until they provide it or build it. The Prince said "judge me on my actions not words". Ok, you've been shit so far...
The Golden rule for Blades fans: ignore what they say, watch what they do.
 
Gotta love us Blades. No meeeeester, no bowing, no HRH, just Abdul or Abdullah. Prince IF we're being nice. People even insulting him and daring to question his decisions.
I don't agree with the outright insults, but I'd rather that than snapping our backs to lick his unquestionable ring like that lot over the way.

Blades. Keeping it grounded since 1889. ⚔️
Has no one done a Prince Abdullah song?
 

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