Inferiority complex

[Frank the tank]

We don't seem to have hoovered up many of the fans - they still get big gates and we fail to fill the Lane - can't understand it really
Do you think we'd get gates as high as theirs if we'd had their last two decades ?
I don't

Jesus fucking christ

 

[cahill]

Fair enough - I'd just like to see them obliterated and I guess that's not happening fast enough !

Honestly think you’re over playing their level of support and under playing ours. As the guy said it’s 2024 not 1993. Things have changed.
Otherwise agree with your sentiments

 

[wizadry]

We spent 6 fucking seasons in league one which I actually enjoyed believe it or not but we didn’t half watch some shite. We have one of the best fanbases in the country, not many clubs could sustain crowds like we did down there for that long, not many at all, especially considering our trophy cabinet, that’s why being a Blade is a thing of beauty, why wouldn’t more people want to get on board?.

 

[JJBlade]

you should be allowed to buy a +1 on home or away tickets

Too right,
Would the majority of people go to the cinema alone? or the theatre alone? or anywhere else alone? Very, very few people might, but not many.

What does anyone think would happen to that cinema if it allowed one person only to buy a seat, and they could only be booked online and if you had enough previous visits to the cinema to enable you to get a ticket........Alone. They'd be bust within 6 months.
It would be stupid beyond belief.

So why would someone new or relatively new go to a football stadium alone? it just doesn't make sense.

 

[Frank the tank]

Interesting

 

[SouthStandGBlock]

Thanks for these but are the stats for 2017/18 correct? I think we were in the Championship not L1 so finished higher that the snorters that season.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

I'm sure we have a higher percentage of fans in the city, with them having more in the suburbs towards Barnsley.

As Blade growing up in Chezzy in the 70’s I never knew any Wendy’s at all, and if you ignore usual plethora of plastic Mancs and Scousers, the Blades were/are easily the second best supported team in the town behind the Spireites.

 

[alcoblade]

As Blade growing up in Chezzy in the 70’s I never knew any Wendy’s at all, and if you ignore usual plethora of plastic Mancs and Scousers, the Blades were/are easily the second best supported team in the town behind the Spireites.

Yep, I think it's still the case in the south and east sides of the outlying areas, with the pigs higher in the North (where I think there's a larger population).

It's all just interesting chat though - the stats tell us that overall we've been the better supported club for over a quarter a century now, wherever the numbers come from.

 

[Silent Blade]

As Blade growing up in Chezzy in the 70’s I never knew any Wendy’s at all, and if you ignore usual plethora of plastic Mancs and Scousers, the Blades were/are easily the second best supported team in the town behind the Spireites.

That is true

 

[ancientblade]

wednesday have just got more part time only turn up for a last game decider or wembley finals supporters than us its as simple as that

 

[Keen Blade]

As Blade growing up in Chezzy in the 70’s I never knew any Wendy’s at all, and if you ignore usual plethora of plastic Mancs and Scousers, the Blades were/are easily the second best supported team in the town behind the Spireites.

I haven't lived in Sheffield since the '70s but I recall Dronfield being quite Bladey.
Fortunately I'm not too far away in Cheshire so always had a ST since they put seats on t'kop.

 

[Keen Blade]

Jesus fucking christ

Damn.
I've done pretty well not upsetting you recently and now I've gone and blotted my copybook.
I'd just like to see the pigs' support dwindling away faster after two decades of us mainly being more successful.
I promise not to think about the pigs again for a while (though their continued existence is irksome)

 

[Keen Blade]

This ^^^
Sheffield Uniteds fan base has grown substantial. Dispite what any one thinks about Warnock, during the seasons he managed us we attracted new fans, youngsters.
In terms of support, there is now next to nothing between the Sheffield clubs. We need more capacity.

I wonder if the new owners have studied the growth in our support ?
If so , there might just be a chance of them investing in extensions.
It won't happen under the Prince.

 

[JJBlade]

I wonder if the new owners have studied the growth in our support ?
If so , there might just be a chance of them investing in extensions.
It won't happen under the Prince.

I just hope any new owners abolish the loyalty points system altogether, especially for home games where there not required.
And secondly abolish the one ticket per person policy which is even stupider than the loyalty points system

 

[Keen Blade]

United's ticketing policy is bonkers ! I live in Thailand and recently visited Sheffield and called United about buying a ticket to watch them play Stoke.
The woman in the ticket office said I need 500 points to buy a ticket, I don't have any as I live abroad.
There must be quite a few fans like myself you would like to go but cannot as they don't want to pay to become members for a one off game or their first game etc.

We're doing well and challenging for promotion.
Where does growth in support come from when you are successful ?

1. You get the armchair Blades (who normally can't be arsed attending). 3,000 of these turned up at the derby and they must have had a purchase history to get a ticket.
How do you persuade them to keep coming ? Probably very difficult as perhaps many can't afford the prices or are just not in the habit of attending.

2. Brand new fans who have the money and the potential inclination to attend regularly - this is the fertile ground.
For example , let's say the parents are not football fans but their children are developing an interest and want to go to a match instead of gawping at the top six PL on the telly.
Or perhaps a family moves to Sheffield and fancy trying out the Lane for a match to see what it's like.

It's a try-out , so they're not going to pay for memberships just to get to one match and obviously they have no points or purchase history.
How welcome are we making these potential future regulars at matches where a purchase history/500 points is required ?

"Sorry , you can't buy 4 tickets for the family because you have no purchase history"
Well , how do I get a purchase history ?
"Buy a ticket"
But you refuse to sell me a ticket

Catch 22 and no sale - the family think the club are idiots and the club lose potentially 4 lifetime fans.

Maybe the TO could ignore the requirement and suggest that the first-time buyer comes in person to the TO with some form of ID & proof of Sheffield address ?

Then what about the registered 500 point fan who wants to bring his mate who is not ?
Surely the club could adopt a "plus one" policy so that the fan can buy two adjacent seats ?

And the club wins here , because in selling the second ticket , they pick up the name & address of a "new customer" who , when he's accompanied his mate a few times , has soon accumulated 500 points in his own name.

And the supreme irony is that at other clubs , the casual or first-time attender is usually going to be sold as seat which is in the poorest position coz all the good ones are owned by STs.

Whereas we at the Lane always have plenty of seats for sale in the BLUT which offers one of the best views available anywhere - high up , close to pitch , steep rake.

I honestly get the impression that the club can't be bothered trying to sell the couple of thousand home seats which are empty at most home games . most of which have a terrific view from the BLUT or a decent view from the kop.

 

[Keen Blade]

I just hope any new owners abolish the loyalty points system altogether, especially for home games where there not required.
And secondly abolish the one ticket per person policy which is even stupider than the loyalty points system

HOME games

Looking at the ticket website for the Sunderland Cat A game (likely sellout despite TV) , it seems the complicated graded loyalty points system has already been ditched for home games.
Obviously there is the sensible requirement for just 500 points (presumably to stop the Mackem hordes invading our stands).

And the Oxford & Plymouth games are immediately available on general sale with no restrictions whatsoever so that's a great chance for first-time attenders to register for free as customers and build up towards 500 points.
And really easy to bring a mate.
Obviously need to provide a name & address to get registered as a customer and be allocated points.

AWAY games

Some form of loyalty points system will have to stay but lots of discussions ongoing about refreshing the allocations to make it fairer.

 

[Blade56]

Tony_Kaufman

Funniest thing about your post is the length of the list ‘since’ they were in the PL

 

[Isar]

I wonder if the new owners have studied the growth in our support ?
If so , there might just be a chance of them investing in extensions.
It won't happen under the Prince.

I hope, like most Blades fans the new owners first secure funding for the squad. As a business model, we should in my opinion improve the quaility within the stadium for the exisiting supporters (catering, space on the concourse etc) and create more seating.
At the moment it is ridiculously difficult for the general puplic to turn up and get a ticket for match days, this needs to be considered. Increasing the capacity would be a way to enable to "new" supporters to obtain tickets. At the same time i do appreciate how expensive it would be to expand the stadium. Adults bringing children to a game should have the ability to have affordable tickets (home fans).
Letting children attend games is hugely important, I started going to BDTBL regularly when I was about 12/13, and became a life long fan, but back then anyone could just turn up on the day and pay, so it was very easy.

 

[ATL Recs]

Too right,
Would the majority of people go to the cinema alone? or the theatre alone? or anywhere else alone? Very, very few people might, but not many.

What does anyone think would happen to that cinema if it allowed one person only to buy a seat, and they could only be booked online and if you had enough previous visits to the cinema to enable you to get a ticket........Alone. They'd be bust within 6 months.
It would be stupid beyond belief.

So why would someone new or relatively new go to a football stadium alone? it just doesn't make sense.

Not a lot of kidney punching coke snorting bear guzzling turning up pissed and sitting in someone's seat at the cinema

 

[Sheffsteel]

HOME games

Obviously there is the sensible requirement for just 500 points (presumably to stop the Mackem hordes invading our stands).

Agree that total neutrals shouldn't be able to rock up and buy a ticket
but surely United season ticket holders should automatically be allowed and trusted to buy 1 or 2 extra tickets with no restrictions.
If there is any trouble, then those tickets could be traced back to your season ticket meaning you risk being banned.

A family member has lived abroad for 20 years and arrived to settle back in England about 3 weeks ago, he's a Liverpool fan but was really keen to watch a Sheff Utd match. I've been a ST holder for years on the Kop, tried to buy a ticket for the home match against Stoke and the website wouldn't let me buy a ticket. I registered him on my profile as family and friends and it still didn't allow me to buy him a ticket.

So I drove down to the ticket office on the Friday lunchtime.
The lad on the desk explained that he needed 500 points, so couldn't attend because Stoke City has been deemed "high risk".

I thought this was madness because we'd made arrangements for him to spend the afternoon with me.
I asked if I went on a Facebook to ask for someone else's membership number then would that be allowed.
I also explained that there was a spare ticket at the front of the Kop, so this guy would be sat next to me.

The guy on the ticket desk went away to have a word with the manager and eventually they agreed to sell me a single ticket but it was hard work.

He's a Liverpool fan but really enjoyed the Stoke match and says he'll be coming to most of the SU home matches now
and even says if we're promoted to the PL, he'll be buying a season ticket next season.

This is a good example of how you can easily increase a fanbase and attendances.

 

[Sheffsteel]

They spent more than enough time there on Sunday

In all seriousness though I think the stats of wins v draws for both sides it's fairly even isn't it? We edge the wins by about 4 matches or something.

I don't think they have an inferiority complex, I think we have an inferiority complex. Alot of fans, myself included, seemingly go in to a lot of games with nerves, even nervy watching. It's only after you realise the team were often comfortable in the game. We're in such a weird position at the minute where we may be a shade too good for the championship but nowhere near Prem level. Difficult to make that leap and that I think gives us a complex.

Those on the other side have a superiority complex in collosal proportions. I mean I sometimes envy them, I walk away from a 2-0 win wishing we had been more dominant and scored more because I think we should be doing that to certain teams. They walked out of a 1-0 loss and spun it in to a victory.

Agree with this.

Think history plays a part.
When United have a massive historical match....a final match of the season to clinch promotion or to avoid relegation
we virtually always lose, often in incredible/ unlucky circumstances where we're winning at half time then concede last minute goals.
It's like a recurring nightmare..we could be 3-0 up in a play-off final at Wembley with 5 minutes left and if we concede to make it 3-1 most the older Blades will be panicking convinced it's going to end up 3-3 and then we lose on penalties.

Where as Wednesday are the opposite...when they look dead and burried or have a last match of the season they must win.
It's always a sell out and somehow they always seem to win, often scoring very late goals (Peterborough in the playoff was another example).

SUFC have spent loads of seasons in the top flight and generally always finished around mid table. Where as SWFC have had a similar amount of seasons in the top flight but in the early 1930's, early 1960's and early 1990's had one of the best teams in England challenging for the title.
So plenty of Wednesday fans through out the generations have seen SWFC be a big team in the top flight, altho this trend seems to have stopped now.

Uniteds claim to fame is we have a incredibly good record when outside the top flight, probably one of the best win records.
Most of our seasons spent outside the top flight see us involved in a promotion challenge, it's almost become the norm.