Blades start season away at Cardiff...

[lenners]

I know you will go to great lengths and leave no stone unturned to find a stick to beat the club with Len but you are really scraping the bottom of the barrel with this one. It would be laughable if it wasn't so pathetic.

Anyway, won't you be at Hillsboro on the first day of the season, cheering on one of your local teams?

Give over, it was raised at the AGM - not exactly the natural home of barrel-scraping - and the reason last year was the club wanted to be away on St Leger Day.
It isn't good enough that we are away yet again on the first and last day. It's an entirely reasonable point, it costs the club good money and money is something we are in short supply of.
Rocket science it is not.

 

[TAMUS]

It costs the club a lot of money but i dont think Barnslie , Dony and Chezzy , would all want to lose money year in year out ?

 

[Linz]

Give over, it was raised at the AGM - not exactly the natural home of barrel-scraping - and the reason last year was the club wanted to be away on St Leger Day...

It may not be the case this year however, as United's catering staff are no longer directly employed by Sheffield United. So United would see little benefit to their working at Donny races.

It may just be the luck of the draw.

 

[SotonBlade]

The fixtures are another failure by the club I'm afraid, perhaps we were looking at the St Leger again.

I thought this was your attempt at sarcasm len, can't believe you're even blaming the fixtures on the club.

Madness

 

[CopenhagenBlade]

I know you will go to great lengths and leave no stone unturned to find a stick to beat the club with Len but you are really scraping the bottom of the barrel with this one. It would be laughable if it wasn't so pathetic.

Anyway, won't you be at Hillsboro on the first day of the season, cheering on one of your local teams?

Why do you bother answering BB? We all know that he is a pathetic little Troll, who I notice is getting more desparate for attention as it slips away and people ignore his comments. Don't feed the troll

 

[Bladesway]

August 25th Bladesway ;-)

September 25th Raul. 350,000 screaming fans in an unwinnable game. They are the biggest club in the world you know

 

[j j]

I can't find Wednesday on the fixture list.

EDIT: 'Kin 'El, some fast posting going on...

 

[Bayingblade]

Give over, it was raised at the AGM - not exactly the natural home of barrel-scraping - and the reason last year was the club wanted to be away on St Leger Day.
It isn't good enough that we are away yet again on the first and last day. It's an entirely reasonable point, it costs the club good money and money is something we are in short supply of.
Rocket science it is not.

So you think the club can dictate when they play, Len? Think about it, the fixture list has to facilitate 92 clubs. Another example is Chesterfields quite justifiable request to play their first league game and Carling cup match away from home due to the fact that the ground may not be ready, yet what did they get? Barnet and Middlesboro at home.

You're right, it ain't rocket science but whatever it is, you appear to struggle with it. Or is it just another excuse to have a dig at the club? It was noticeable how quiet you were when people were getting positive about the signing of Leon Britton. But good news doesn't sit well with you does it, Len? For some strange reason.

 

[Kev Gee]

And so it begins!!!
Call me insane but i have just ordered my season ticket to join the rest of you hapless souls

 

[wardlowwanderer]

Print version

Anyone know where I can get a print version of the fixtures? I'm sure I've cut and pasted from the official site before but can't seem to do it.

I think it's a conspiracy. This will mean that people won't be able to get to games because they won't know if we're home or away. Crowds will be down to 10,000. We'll be bottom of the league by Christmas and we all know what that means. Administration and ten points deduction loom. Blackwell out, McCabe out, all SUFC staff out, players out. Maggie Maggie Maggie out out out. It's not rocket science is it?

 

[lenners]

So you think the club can dictate when they play, Len? Think about it, the fixture list has to facilitate 92 clubs. Another example is Chesterfields quite justifiable request to play their first league game and Carling cup match away from home due to the fact that the ground may not be ready, yet what did they get? Barnet and Middlesboro at home.

You're right, it ain't rocket science but whatever it is, you appear to struggle with it. Or is it just another excuse to have a dig at the club? It was noticeable how quiet you were when people were getting positive about the signing of Leon Britton. But good news doesn't sit well with you does it, Len? For some strange reason.

I know the club has an influence on the fixtures, as do the police etc. Did you not know that?

 

[lenners]

I thought this was your attempt at sarcasm len, can't believe you're even blaming the fixtures on the club.

Madness

Are you suggesting a club director was being economical with the truth with shareholders?

 

[Bayingblade]

I know the club has an influence on the fixtures, as do the police etc. Did you not know that?

I did know that Len, but there has to be very specific reasons for the fixture list to be influenced by an individual club and they have to be quite compelling reasons. Once again, I would point to Chesterfield failing to get their wish despite what some might say is a justifiable request.

Requesting a home match on the first and last day of the season because it's your preference or because it hasn't happened for a while are not a compelling reasons. Do you agree?

 

[lenners]

I did know that Len, but there has to be very specific reasons for the fixture list to be influenced by an individual club and they have to be quite compelling reasons. Once again, I would point to Chesterfield failing to get their wish despite what some might say is a justifiable request.

Requesting a home match on the first and last day of the season because it's your preference or because it hasn't happened for a while are not a compelling reasons. Do you agree?

I definitely do not agree. In a two club city, it's entirely reasonable that the clubs more or less alternate.
These are significant fixtures in terms of money and the club should be doing a lot more to stop this happening instead of waffling about wanting to be away from home on St Leger Day.

 

[Bayingblade]

I definitely do not agree. In a two club city, it's entirely reasonable that the clubs more or less alternate.
These are significant fixtures in terms of money and the club should be doing a lot more to stop this happening instead of waffling about wanting to be away from home on St Leger Day.

You say "the club should be doing a lot more". Can you tell me what efforts they have made?

I would also suggest that being away from home on the first day of the season is to the clubs advantage as many people will be away on holiday but be back for the second weekend. I have benefitted from this for the last 2 seasons and know others that have too. Maybe the fixture list takes this into account and compensates the benefit of being away from home on the first day with the perceived disadvantage of being away on the last day. I would also suggest that the last home match is the last home match and whether it's the last match of the season or not, the crowd would not be affected greatly.

 

[H. Metal Blade]

Have to agree with that last post regarding last match of season - not really going to affect it!

 

[Dessie]

Could be chaos on January 3rd:

United v Donny

Huddersfield v Wednesday

Barnsley v Coventry

 

[GainsboroBlade]

Great first home game!! Hull on Boxing day is a good one also!

 

[Baildon Blade]

Is there a reason why we always play Forest home & away on a Tuesday night?
Every year I try to organise a saturday night out around Nottingham and every year it doesn't happen.

 

[Bramley]

Give over, it was raised at the AGM - not exactly the natural home of barrel-scraping - and the reason last year was the club wanted to be away on St Leger Day.
It isn't good enough that we are away yet again on the first and last day. It's an entirely reasonable point, it costs the club good money and money is something we are in short supply of.
Rocket science it is not.

Len you're nailed on, thought only I knew that fact on here. Nowt to do with catering though.

 

[Bramley]

"Give over, it was raised at the AGM - not exactly the natural home of barrel-scraping - and the reason last year was the club wanted to be away on St Leger Day."

Fucking hell I can't believe they said that, its the most ludicrous fact about - did they pin it on catering? Laughable.

 

[Toronto Blade]

The fixtures are another failure by the club I'm afraid, perhaps we were looking at the St Leger again.

Exactly, money lost by losing out on opening and final home games of the season to the unclean again. A pattern has developed the club should be after the league ,especially were loss of money is involved, the club should be screaming.

 

[puppet]

who, neil warnock?

 

[BuryStEdmundsBlade]

Localish games for me to start and end the season. Like it.

 

[lenners]

"Give over, it was raised at the AGM - not exactly the natural home of barrel-scraping - and the reason last year was the club wanted to be away on St Leger Day."

Fucking hell I can't believe they said that, its the most ludicrous fact about - did they pin it on catering? Laughable.

Don't recall them mentioning catering but they definitely said we had asked for an away match on St Leger Day and this had influenced the fixtures. I seem to recall some vague notion about them taking it up with the league but they either didn't or didn't do it well enough.
It's bad enough being away first and last but Cardiff and Swansea is simply sticking two fingers up.
Last year we were away at Ipswich last day, another of our longest potential trips. Summat ain't right.

 

[Trigger Blade]

Don't recall them mentioning catering but they definitely said we had asked for an away match on St Leger Day and this had influenced the fixtures. I seem to recall some vague notion about them taking it up with the league but they either didn't or didn't do it well enough.
It's bad enough being away first and last but Cardiff and Swansea is simply sticking two fingers up.
Last year we were away at Ipswich last day, another of our longest potential trips. Summat ain't right.

len, your memory may be better than mine, but I thought the board waffled about the way fixtures fell, but it was a shareholder who mentioned the St Leger thing, not the board? It was along the lines of him contacting the FL about the apparent unfairness of the fixtures and it was the FL who replied to say they tried to accommodate clubs' wishes and that was one they helped out with. The board then shuffled their feet and looked sheepish.

I may be wrong, as it wouldn't be like you to miss a significant stick to beat our numpty board with. At the next AGM, we really need you to take charge, they mustn't be allowed to get away with this kind of incompetence any longer.

 

[DuncDisorderly]

At the next AGM, we really need you to take charge, they mustn't be allowed to get away with this kind of incompetence any longer.

I'm afraid that you need to look elsewhere for someone who will go to the AGM and actually ask a question. Not Lens style I'm afraid. He'd much rather go to the meeting, and keep his trap shut. Then he bores us shitless all year with 1000 baited posts designed to hook the unwary so he can argue the toss over nothing much while still trying to prove the clubs incompetance in all matters...

Man of straw. Nein danke...

 

[lenners]

len, your memory may be better than mine, but I thought the board waffled about the way fixtures fell, but it was a shareholder who mentioned the St Leger thing, not the board? It was along the lines of him contacting the FL about the apparent unfairness of the fixtures and it was the FL who replied to say they tried to accommodate clubs' wishes and that was one they helped out with. The board then shuffled their feet and looked sheepish.

I may be wrong, as it wouldn't be like you to miss a significant stick to beat our numpty board with. At the next AGM, we really need you to take charge, they mustn't be allowed to get away with this kind of incompetence any longer.

No, it was definitely one of the directors.
And Dunc, the question was asked, the club gave an explanation and said they'd take it up.
The result is Cardiff and Swansea away first and last.

 

[happyhippy]

I know the club has an influence on the fixtures, as do the police etc. Did you not know that?

"A total of 88 special (fixture) requests were made before the start of last season, and 80 per cent of them were accommodated." Source: June/July 2010 edition of the Sky Sports magazine, from an article/interview with Glenn Thompson, the fixtures compiler for the Premiership, Football League, SPL, and Scottish League. That's a total of 122 clubs.

Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to be online, so I can't give a link. I'm sure other may have had this bit of tat through their letterboxes as well, though I suspect I'm probably the only one to have read it.

The emboldened bit is quite important as later on in the article the following appears:

"Once Thompson has devised his draft fixtures he presents them to the leagues, who thrash out the dates with the British Transport Police, ACPO, the FSF, the FA and club representatives from each division. They also try to accommodate the wishes of the Met's Public Order Unit and Transport For London."

Going by all that, it's pretty clear to me that United have little influence in how general fixtures pan out, certainly percentagewise, if you wish to quantify it as such.

 

[keenzy]

Could be Squirl cottage again for last day.....
Fancy dress theme anyone???

From the BBC
"League One new boys Dagenham & Redbridge will start the new season at ex-Premier League giants Sheffield Wednesday on 7 August. "

HAHAHAHA