Could it happen?

[BladeFisher]

With United falling quicker than a whore's drawers Milandric suggesting a merger to buy McCabe out and merge the clubs?

 

[Crazyblade]

If it does, I'm looking for another Club or sport to support. I will NOT support a merged Sheffield club.

 

[lenners]

The time's probably right for it.
Having both Sheffield teams in the 3rd division twice in just over 30 years is absolute fucking embarrassment to the city.
Let's call it a draw, team up and make a proper go of it, allied to a commitment to field a significant number of players from the area.

 

[puppet]

The time's probably right for it.
Having both Sheffield teams in the 3rd division twice in just over 30 years is absolute fucking embarrassment to the city.
Let's call it a draw, team up and make a proper go of it, allied to a commitment to field a significant number of players from the area.

nonsense. utter bollocks in fact.

 

[Jon Bon]

With United falling quicker than a whore's drawers Milandric suggesting a merger to buy McCabe out and merge the clubs?

I have a spare tin foil hat for you sir.

Welcome to the truth movement...

 

[lenners]

nonsense. utter bollocks in fact.

Why? It would be good timing now, both clubs are in the same league (unless they go up) and developing a Catalan mentality to ensuring local players were at the heart of the team would help create the identity.
What is really bollocks is what's going on at Bramall Lane and I doubt you, me or anyone else can see anything but more and more chaos to come.
Long term, I see less and less point to SUFC continuing to exist.
The club's been absolutely shredded by McCabe, it has no soul, no belief and frankly very little point.
No-one is going to believe a word the club says for a very long time and in the meantime we'll be left so far behind the rest of the football world we'll have pretty much corpsed anyway.

 

[Casper]

I've said it before, next season has 1979/80 written all over it. Fuck sake, lets merge, then we can leave all the billy big bollox corporate football shite behind and all go support Sheffield FC

Erm i mean the oldest football club in the world by the way !

 

[Eggman1889]

OK, play at the best ground, BDTBL play in red as the ground is already red. Take the White stipe from our piggy friends, and call in Sheffield Together, no wait Sheffield United! It's the only way I would watch a merged side!

 

[JohnDenver]

Things change very quickly. I'm in this thing for good. Hope you'll join me Lenners. I think...

 

[Nick Jansky]

I think you're clutching at straws, Len. I'm not entirely sure what the rationale would be for Wednesday to even consider a merger at the moment. They are in need of a complete clear out of playing staff every bit as much as we are. The differences are that they now seem to have the wherewithal to do it, and they have got rid of the old guard at the top, so now have the fresh start scenario that we so desperately need.

My only hope for the future is that the conversion of McCabe's loans into equity is a part of preparing the club for sale. But I have a nagging feeling that he is going to do a Dave Allen on us, and hang out for a bid way, way in excess of what the club is currently worth, to get back as much of his cash as he can.

Desperate times, but I don't see a merger happening.

 

[raul]

He'd go tomorrow if the payoff was the freehold. One blue chip property with a tenant for life. Ching Ching!

 

[super_pig]

i'm not supporting a merged side.. that will be it for me.. in fact i'll go and support fc united of sheffield in graves park if i have to

 

[lenners]

For me, I'm not sure I believe in tradition for tradition's sake.
With proper ownership, Sheffield United would comfortably be a Premier League side.
But I no longer believe that will ever happen and I can't see the point in wishing it's going to happen while watching us die a slow death.
We haven't been able to compete with the Boltons, Wigans, Stokes, Blackburns of this world for too long - so long I'm struggling to see we ever will.
Commercially, merging makes sense as well. Would be good to see a club owned by the city for the city as well instead of two clubs owned by the kind of people that invariably want to and do end up owning football clubs.

 

[Nick Jansky]

Would be good to see a club owned by the city for the city as well instead of two clubs owned by the kind of people that invariably want to and do end up owning football clubs.

How is that going to work? Who provides the moolah to buy out Mandaric & McCabe?

 

[lenners]

How is that going to work? Who provides the moolah to buy out Mandaric & McCabe?

I like the idea of a municipally owned club or a trust-owned club that was specifically run for the good of the city and not for the benefit of chairmen who often don't do things for anything other than their own ends.
I can't imagine ever trusting any football chairman ever again after what McCabe has done.
What really annoys me is that you could see this coming two years ago. And he just simply doesn't seem to have cared, just watched the destruction of our club far beyond anything that's been done since the late 70s.
That's his legacy and if Wednesday do get their act together, and they surely will next season if not this, merging might well have seemed a small mercy compared to what might happen to us.

 

[BladeFisher]

Ah well. A team playing in green and white stripes, black shorts. A new 50,000 stadium with BDTBL and Hillsbrough sold, financed by a joint venture and called Sheffield City or City of Sheffield FC.

Given the relative passion I think it would be well supported over time. Perhaps we have to admit in modern day football there simply isn't room for two clubs of any size in this city unless you want a Bristol or Nottingham scenario.

I am not saying I want it, but with the way things are going I was just posing the question might it be possible.

 

[Nick Jansky]

I like the idea of a municipally owned club or a trust-owned club that was specifically run for the good of the city and not for the benefit of chairmen who often don't do things for anything other than their own ends.
I can't imagine ever trusting any football chairman ever again after what McCabe has done.
What really annoys me is that you could see this coming two years ago. And he just simply doesn't seem to have cared, just watched the destruction of our club far beyond anything that's been done since the late 70s.
That's his legacy and if Wednesday do get their act together, and they surely will next season if not this, merging might well have seemed a small mercy compared to what might happen to us.

I hear what you are saying loud & clear. I personally wouldn't support a merge club, but that's because I enjoy the grass roots game and really enjoy going to Stocksbridge Park Steels, ironically because there is possibly less of an emotional attachment, and you can just enjoy what is usually a decent game at a reasonable price without your weekend being ruined if they lose.

But I know that there are thousands who would support Sheffield Stabbing Birds, and it might well be a success. The bit I am struggling with is where the money comes from to take it into either municipal or trust ownership in the current climate, given that KM & MM would want to be handsomely recompensed for giving up what they currently own? The proceeds from selling one or both of the grounds wouldn't get near it, not least because I think they would both lose a lot of value if they were no longer going to be used as professional football stadia.

 

[Aardvark]

I agree with you BladeFisher, merger isn't the answer, disband both clubs, sell any assets (obviously players not included) then use the money to start a new football club, new stadium, with no references to either Wednesday or United. Only way you could get supporters in.