Heresy!

[Mad Mick]

I've often wondered what would happen if some Russian Oligarch or Rich Middle Eastern Sheik were to buy both Sheffield clubs and merge them. they'de have to pay a pretty penny for the Blades, but could pick up T'pigs on a BOGOF offer.
Where would the ground be?
How big?
What colours?
What would the new team be called etc?
One positive thing would be the gates. We would probably average around 50,000 in the championship, and 60,000 plus in the prem.
We'd have to build a stadium with a capacity of around 80,000 methinks.
We would be one of the biggest clubs in the country if not Europe.
I would miss slagging of the pigs though, and no more derbies.

 

[SwissBlade]

I'd never go to a game if this happened. I wouldn't support it.

I don't think the attendances would be as much as 50,000 in the Championship as many fans of both clubs would walk away.

The attendances of Sheffield FC would be up!

 

[Bladesway]

Cracking post. Makes absolute sense so far as business and football future is concerned but personally I wouldn't touch it with the proverbial barge pole.

Think it would initially be a slow burner with many abstaining but when the club started doing well it would attract all the glory hunters.

I think most hardcore Blades would boycott it, as would most hardcore pigs at a guess.

Daft thing is it would probably be our only chance of ever challenging the big 4, but it turns my stomach to think of it. I'd rather keep our identity and struggle than do that. In fact I'd rather stick a spikey crowbar up my arse than do that.

 

[boo radley]

I would miss slagging of the pigs though, and no more derbies.


We could slag weeds off even more.

 

[Mad Mick]

Cracking post. Makes absolute sense so far as business and football future is concerned but personally I wouldn't touch it with the proverbial barge pole.

Think it would initially be a slow burner with many abstaining but when the club started doing well it would attract all the glory hunters.

I think most hardcore Blades would boycott it, as would most hardcore pigs at a guess.

Daft thing is it would probably be our only chance of ever challenging the big 4, but it turns my stomach to think of it. I'd rather keep our identity and struggle than do that. In fact I'd rather stick a spikey crowbar up my arse than do that.

I think you are correct in the short to medium term. It would probably take a generation before we got really big crowds.
I arrived at 50,000 by adding both average gates together, and of course that doesn't account for away fans and crossover fans. By that I mean peeps that go to both T'pigs and Blades.

 

[Sensiblade]

We've had this as a comedy post before

The way it works is

We keep one bit from each team through the run

Keep Their Sheffield part of the name & Our United part
Keep Their white stripes and our Red stripes
and so on till it's pretty much still United

 

[Kev Gee]

Didnt Mike Macdonald suggest this once?

 

[broomhillblade]

Isn't it against FA rules for one oligarch to own two clubs?

I'm against it. After an initial period of excitement/interest, we'd end up with the lowest common denominator - a mid-table division 1 side with 25,000 - 30,000 crowds.

 

[Bladesway]

Isn't it against FA rules for one oligarch to own two clubs?

I'm against it. After an initial period of excitement/interest, we'd end up with the lowest common denominator - a mid-table division 1 side with 25,000 - 30,000 crowds.

Don't agree, I think it would be the other way round. Following a short term of disinterest and gates of 20k as the money got spent and we were seen to be successful then many from both sides would get on board. Also assuming it hit the Premier League then you could guarantee plenty of hangers on. Look how many we got when we went up, look at how many the pigs were getting in when they were in the top flight. These are people who just turn up to see Premier League football.

The Oligarch bit would be very important though because if you put either of the two clubs existing chairmen in we wouldn't have the clout. You start seeing decent players turn up and you see the fans come through the gate.

 

[judge]

i have to admit ,if sheffield had one club with a new stadium and no ties to the two current sheffield clubs i would go and watch them on a saturday /sunday

 

[bricktop]

I think if a merger was to take place then the biggest battle would be for hearts and mind's more than anything.

To be quite honest the rivalry between United and Wednesday runs pretty deep and i think it would be a non-starter as most Unitedites and Wednesdayite's are that closely tied to their clubs and their identities that the highest possible possible from either side would be 5,000 from each side, and even a figure like that would be unlikely.

I would personally be dead set against a merger and in all likelihood i would take my support elsewhere (possibly start watching Stocksbridge Park Steels), i could also see a lot of supporters doing the same or completely drifting away from the scene altogether

 

[FlyingFjortoft]

I think rather than a merger leaving just one team in Sheffield, it would have the opposite effect, with AFC Sheffield United and AFC Sheffield Wednesday started up in non-league because fans couldnt identify with the new team. All 3 would have similar size support, further diluting the city's chance of success.

 

[alcoblade]

Good point. I was thinking though I'd be dead against such a merger, once it had happened I'd support that club rather than some non league affair. But you mention AFC Sheffield United and the head turns again. How could you not support them?

Wank idea, either way.

UTB

 

[beightonblade]

easy this one............

Pick a colour from each club Red from United and white from the pigs.
Part of the name from the pigs Sheffield and United from the Blades.....
an on it goes job sorted........ the ground is easy the rustbucket is bulldozed and made into a 24 hour lidl and the new club 'Sheffield United' play in the city at BDTBL.

 

[Sensiblade]

easy this one............

Pick a colour from each club Red from United and white from the pigs.
Part of the name from the pigs Sheffield and United from the Blades.....
an on it goes job sorted........ the ground is easy the rustbucket is bulldozed and made into a 24 hour lidl and the new club 'Sheffield United' play in the city at BDTBL.

See my post earlier on

 

[grafikhaus]

Isn't it against FA rules for one oligarch to own two clubs?

Oh I'm sure if Dave Richards and Scudamore had their palms crossed with enough silver, they'd pass the 'fit for purpose' test.

 

[kelham blade]

One thing is for sure, they'd have to segregate the fans into thirds.

Old habits die hard.

 

[Slugger]

I remember a (fairly lame) show shown in the Crucible a few years ago about this actual scenario. It was called something like "United on a Wednesday". Not usually my scene but a few of us went along because of the subject matter.
At the end of the show the cast who were all local split into Blades and Wendies and played a match outside on the green area. They genuinely kicked the shit out of each other and most who had gone to the show gathered around roaring on their side. In fact looking around we had actually stood on opposite sides of the "pitch" Blades all together on 1 side and that lot on the other. The night we were there a scrap nearly started when the Piggys thought they'd scored and it was disallowed!! Unintentionally the writer had produced a piece of "art". The fiction of his fantasy world where all supporters merged to support 1 Sheffield team and the fact of the real world outside where the audience had split into 2 distinct camps.

 

[beightonblade]

See my post earlier on

Grat minds think alike !

 

[Kenilworth]

i have to admit ,if sheffield had one club with a new stadium and no ties to the two current sheffield clubs i would go and watch them on a saturday /sunday

That'll be Rotherham then, surely.

 

[JJ Sefton]

A total non starter for me. Since 1889 a member of my family has been watching Sheffield United, not Steel City Razmatazz or whatever this new concoction would be called. Sure, it might make sense in terms of business but if I was basing my football support on rationality Id have cleared off to Manchester United years ago.