Future fans

[alcoblade]

It’s an interesting point.

After that first win against Wolves, we are left with a situation where the results will always be more important than the football performance.
Most blades supporters are grown up enough to accept that, but youngsters, not so much.

Is hard work and graft enough, even if it’s sprinkled with the likes of Archers sublime finish, and a last kick of the game penalty?

Youngsters raised under early Wilder, and even Hecky in the championship, will expect more football.
Face the reality, that Norwoods best days are over, and Hamer and McAtee have to be played out of position to get a tune out of them, and how long can we go on where points matter more than the football?

If you win every week, you’ll fill the stadium, no matter how you play.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

You can’t beat taking kids to matches to show the difference and get them bothered about United. They can’t replicate that for the PL glory teams.
Daughter was a done deal as a Blade but she got fed up of going after Blackwell, came back though now has a season ticket and we got to a fair few away days in the last few seasons.
Nephew started coming to the odd game in the Championship when he was about 8, supported Liverpool apparently. Stared coming more often, wanted a ST when I asked, next thing he’s referring to United as “us”. Same lad was crying when Tottenham scored their winner.

There’s also plenty of kids around us on the Kop. Can think of at least 10 different kids under 14 just on our immediate row who go every week only missing the odd midweek night game, as you’d expect.

 

[Charlieblade]

I have 3 sons who I took to their first game in the old 3rd division. Two of them are now season ticket holders on the Kop.
They are now confirmed blades fans for life. The other one has almost no interest in football. More into his motorbike and cadet life.
My point is, the football world is changing with the top PL teams a major attraction. Kids growing up now are more into top six clubs who they see as bigger football teams.
The gritty stuff of determination and aggression, (like v Wolves) only matters if they were raised on it.

I grew up in the old first division, mid sixties, with Currie, Woodward, Badger and Reece, so I know we can do better.

 

[JJ Sefton]

It’s an interesting point.

After that first win against Wolves, we are left with a situation where the results will always be more important than the football performance.
Most blades supporters are grown up enough to accept that, but youngsters, not so much.

Is hard work and graft enough, even if it’s sprinkled with the likes of Archers sublime finish, and a last kick of the game penalty?

Youngsters raised under early Wilder, and even Hecky in the championship, will expect more football.
Face the reality, that Norwoods best days are over, and Hamer and McAtee have to be played out of position to get a tune out of them, and how long can we go on where points matter more than the football?

My formative years were when Bassett was in charge. The football wasn’t pretty but there was no end of drama. That’s what got me hooked, there was always summat going on. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be a Man City fan. Can’t imagine wanting to be.

 

[Dalelane01]

Is there an intake of younger fans?

I look around S2 and it's a sea of fair weather or old heads. Football has never been this big but I feel kids are lost to the man cities of the world and aren't being pushed into watching their local dross. Are we going to see attendances collapse when the old boys move on?

Look at the lower leagues kids love to support local teams although.i live at bridlington the young support is good .but bradford for instance lack of sucess doesnt stop young fans going as long as thers passion from the players saturday the blades where a great example of that even my partner whos not that interested in football watched the penalty and was as pleased as i was when we scored .us older ones set the example

 

[Peaks Blade]

Started taking my lads in the early 2000's. Wife was a Man City fan going back to the 70's standing on their Kippax but no way was she winning that one. Although in the David Weir days my youngest did turn to me and say I could have been a City fan couldn't I. Nope you have to suffer the same as me and your Grandad did says I, its a right of passage.

 

[Torrix1889]

I'm 51, born in Jessops but been exiled down south since the age of 2...first game was home v Portsmouth in 1980 and was hooked then, despite my old man taking me to Hillsborough the year before as I was nagging him to take me to a game....God knows why as he is a Blade through and through.

Got 2 boys now, 17 and 20. They have lived in Leicestershire all their lives, surrounded by Leicester City fans. My eldests earliest memories are relegation to League One, the youngest started coming with us the following season....they have, in their relatively young years, seen the lows and some highs as well...

When we were in the Clough/Adkins years and Leicester were flying I said if they wanted to go to the King Power with their mates they could......they didn't, they didn't even think about it.


It's in their blood.

 

[originaltrueblade]

Is there an intake of younger fans?

I look around S2 and it's a sea of fair weather or old heads. Football has never been this big but I feel kids are lost to the man cities of the world and aren't being pushed into watching their local dross. Are we going to see attendances collapse when the old boys move on?

Kids are everywhere…you should have gone to specsavers

 

[Pintor75]

Look at the lower leagues kids love to support local teams although.i live at bridlington the young support is good .but bradford for instance lack of sucess doesnt stop young fans going as long as thers passion from the players saturday the blades where a great example of that even my partner whos not that interested in football watched the penalty and was as pleased as i was when we scored .us older ones set the example

Loved watching Brid town & Trinity back in the day, watched blades since 68/9 with a few years absence in between. Kids enjoy football whoever plays, we had our heroes back then & kids today will have theirs

 

[CambridgeshireBlade]

I know where you're coming from but I think this is more of an issue for our S6 neighbours the longer they are out of the Premier league.

It's success like promotion that gets kids into becoming regulars. It's what started me back in 70/71. My Dad was a Blade so it was an easy for him to take me.

Happening with my S6 relatives. They haven't been for two or three seasons despite having gone consistently for twenty years. Can't justify the better part of 150 quid to watch Bannan throw himself about for the Nth season. Especially when you can have a week in Spain for the same price and NOT have to watch an old scot jog about.

 

[TopBoy]

Kids are only interested in teams that win and players that stand out. As a kid, I "supported" Liverpool, as they won everything, and everybody in my junior school was either Man Utd or Liverpool. Was away in Turkey last week and english kids had (knock off) PSG, Man City, Chelsea, the Saudi clubs, Real Madrid, and Barcelona shirts on. I'm hoping the super rich piss off and form a super league of sorts with no promotion or relegation so that the rest of us can get on with forming a competitive league.

 

[georgethecat]

Living in Northern Ireland I was always afraid that my lad would take the near typical approach and support one of the big six premier League clubs who are never off the TV. I introduced him to the blades early on and he has never looked back. He has become a huge blades fan and was with me on the kop on Saturday. I can't even explain how much those sort of moments mean to me.

 

[derbysufc]

As a sheffield bloke lived there 48 years now 7 years in derby , derby is weird .
In Sheffield its either red or blue, blade or pig.
Everyone here I work with and over 70 staff are man utd or Liverpool.
There's literally one derby fan yet the city centre pubs are full.of derby County memorabilia.
They only ever turn out when forest are in town .
I live a five min walk from pride Park and 15 min walk from Old baseball ground and the place is dead unless forest are in town .
There's 30 odd blades down here we know eachother well and meet up .
There's nowhere to compare to sheffield for rivalry.

 

[DSB-91]

As a sheffield bloke lived there 48 years now 7 years in derby , derby is weird .
In Sheffield its either red or blue, blade or pig.
Everyone here I work with and over 70 staff are man utd or Liverpool.
There's literally one derby fan yet the city centre pubs are full.of derby County memorabilia.
They only ever turn out when forest are in town .
I live a five min walk from pride Park and 15 min walk from Old baseball ground and the place is dead unless forest are in town .
There's 30 odd blades down here we know eachother well and meet up .
There's nowhere to compare to sheffield for rivalry.

Leicester’s a bit like that, maybe even more so.

I lived there three years and it seemed like only a handful of locals I met supported City. Didn’t even see people around wearing the shirt.

I remember thinking when those big crowds turned out when they won the league, where did all these lot come from?

 

[derbysufc]

I go all blades home games, went years away everywhere with blades including many European friendlies. I now watch non league when blades are away due to the coke heads that were never around dutmring the 70s , the 80s and shit years under heath etc etc .
I try tick off 4 new non league grounds a month. The players are not money mad and the fans are not sniffed up.

 

[CambridgeshireBlade]

Living in Northern Ireland I was always afraid that my lad would take the near typical approach and support one of the big six premier League clubs who are never off the TV. I introduced him to the blades early on and he has never looked back. He has become a huge blades fan and was with me on the kop on Saturday. I can't even explain how much those sort of moments mean to me.

Can you get to Derry games, Billy Gillespie got them wearing red and white!

 

[georgethecat]

I could do but we are glentoran season ticket holders so we follow the glens home and away - when we are not at bdtbl

 

[Dalelane01]

Loved watching Brid town & Trinity back in the day, watched blades since 68/9 with a few years absence in between. Kids enjoy football whoever plays, we had our heroes back then & kids today will have theirs

Yes very true .where you living now

 

[Pintor75]

Yes very true .where you living now

Parents had a van on limekiln for years, I thought of moving over there 3 years ago, but settled on South/West Yorkshire border, the thought of the drive to bdtbl was a factor tbh

 

[Farnboroughblade]

Once it’s in the family blood line it’s with you no matter where you live. My grandad was born in Sheffield in 1889 and obvious supported them. So was my dad , myself, who was born in Barnsley, my sons support them and now has been passed onto my grandsons who were born and are being raised in Shropshire. One of them has made his bedroom into a shrine with the full ‘Greazy Chip Butty’ song words emblazoned across one wall. The only time he has visited the lane was when we held his grandad’s wake in a reception room overlooking the pitch after his funeral. I’m sure in time if he has kids they also will be supporters no matter where they will be born. I’m confident that the fan base will continue to grow around the country and the world. At least I can rest in my grave when I eventually kick the bucket that the Blade support in our family will continue to spread.

 

[FriethBlade]

No way would my kids have had a choice. Fuck that!

My eldest lad had a spell of supporting Man U for about 12 months when he was 11. I let him do it but he soon realised he'd never be able to go and see them live and dropped it.

He's now away at Uni but goes to as many matches as he can and takes his uni mates with him, some of whom r adopting us as their second team because they love tje atmosphere

 

[Torrix1889]

Leicester’s a bit like that, maybe even more so.

I lived there three years and it seemed like only a handful of locals I met supported City. Didn’t even see people around wearing the shirt.

I remember thinking when those big crowds turned out when they won the league, where did all these lot come from?

Having lived in Leicestershire for over 40 years I can assure you it's not. Leicester City fans are very similar to the Blades, hard core, loyal fan base and love their club.

I hate Leicester City with a passion by the way but you can't knock their fan base whatsoever.