cooperblade
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2009
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I've got a bit of sympathy with Micalijo on this one. Perhaps it's because we're a very similar age but the Wigan relegation also hit me harder than anything that's gone before or since Blades-wise. I do think how old you are when stuff happens plays almost as much of a part as your general outlook on things (mine and mic's are often poles apart for example).
The Bassett era was magical, unbelievable stuff. For someone who first visited the Lane to watch a 4th Division trophy presentation match, to see the Blades facing Ian Rush et al in August 1990 was just beyond wildest dreams stuff. I was 14 and I just couldn't believe Sheffield United were on the same pitch as that Liverpool team. Obviously for older Blades it was a return to where we belonged and it felt very different but I'd guess that most Blades of my age saw us a 2nd/3rd tier side at that point.
I was at Stamford Bridge in 1994 and it was an awful, crushing experience. When you're 18 though and you've got heroes like Dave Bassett, Glyn Hodges and Nathan Blake to rely on, you're pretty confident you'll be straight back.
The semi-final and play-off defeats both before and after Chelsea were also incredibly hard to take. None of them compared to Wigan for me personally though. It had taken so long for us to get back into the top flight and when we'd finally done it, we had what was, again for me personally, a truly wonderful season. 30,000 crowds, beating Arsenal and Spurs at home, getting results in so many crucial games (Charlton h and a, Watford a and h, and the one when I thought we'd finally won our one-off decider - West Ham) and doing it all with a team of players and a manager that I felt I could identify with. The Holy Trinity of Monty, Tonge and Jags, Captain Morgan, the never smiling Hulse, Kazim-Richards, Nade, young Quinny - I loved them all. It helped being in my 30s as well, whereas my last experience of the top flight had been going on the club coach and sneaking the odd pint here and there. This time round there were proper sessions and great celebrations - waking up with a nightmare hangover on the backseat of my car at 5am after the Boro game and jumping up to dance and sing across the car park and walk home - happy days!
It felt like we'd arrived and, for much of early 2007, it felt like we were staying. The Wigan game was just like a bad dream and I couldn't believe it was all over. We'll never know but perhaps it was made a lot worse by having all hopes of a return extinguished so quickly with the appointment of Robson. The team who I loved so much was dismantled to be replaced by over-paid, ageing players who just didn't feel like Blades somehow. I know you should be more grown up and adult about this sort of thing when you're in your thirties but I didn't feel that way.
Walthamstow's right for me, it hasn't quite been as much 'fun' since. Is that because of Wigan or because the seasons since have been fairly dour? Suppose you don't have one without the other. There have been some memorable moments since - Sharp's winner at Oakwell in front of 7,000(ish) Blades, winning down at Reading to give ourselves a chance of automatic and the stunning performance v PNE in the 2nd leg spring to mind.
Home matches are still a great laugh, always some cracking banter - always more to laugh about than cheer about where we sit. I haven't given up hope that the good times will return, hopefully Speed will build a team who we can believe in, connect with and enjoy watching. Hopefully we'll start challenging again.
The key thing for me is that the fans, and the club, get their spirit back. I agree with Micalijo that Wigan, plus what followed, has knocked it out of us. Perhaps it's just my memory playing tricks but I don't remember such a feeling of crushing apathy and negativity around the club before. United fans always had something different I thought, a mixture of pride, humour, Sheffield Steel - we were loud, we didn't give a fuck what anyone thought of us and we'd back our team whatever. Maybe we've changed along with football but as a collective, United fans now don't seem to stand apart, we're a bit flat and moany and demanding and unrealistic and samey.
Right, that's me done. Promise I won't back up micalijo again.
COME ON YOU RED AND WHITE WIZAAAAAAAAAARDS!!!!!
The Bassett era was magical, unbelievable stuff. For someone who first visited the Lane to watch a 4th Division trophy presentation match, to see the Blades facing Ian Rush et al in August 1990 was just beyond wildest dreams stuff. I was 14 and I just couldn't believe Sheffield United were on the same pitch as that Liverpool team. Obviously for older Blades it was a return to where we belonged and it felt very different but I'd guess that most Blades of my age saw us a 2nd/3rd tier side at that point.
I was at Stamford Bridge in 1994 and it was an awful, crushing experience. When you're 18 though and you've got heroes like Dave Bassett, Glyn Hodges and Nathan Blake to rely on, you're pretty confident you'll be straight back.
The semi-final and play-off defeats both before and after Chelsea were also incredibly hard to take. None of them compared to Wigan for me personally though. It had taken so long for us to get back into the top flight and when we'd finally done it, we had what was, again for me personally, a truly wonderful season. 30,000 crowds, beating Arsenal and Spurs at home, getting results in so many crucial games (Charlton h and a, Watford a and h, and the one when I thought we'd finally won our one-off decider - West Ham) and doing it all with a team of players and a manager that I felt I could identify with. The Holy Trinity of Monty, Tonge and Jags, Captain Morgan, the never smiling Hulse, Kazim-Richards, Nade, young Quinny - I loved them all. It helped being in my 30s as well, whereas my last experience of the top flight had been going on the club coach and sneaking the odd pint here and there. This time round there were proper sessions and great celebrations - waking up with a nightmare hangover on the backseat of my car at 5am after the Boro game and jumping up to dance and sing across the car park and walk home - happy days!
It felt like we'd arrived and, for much of early 2007, it felt like we were staying. The Wigan game was just like a bad dream and I couldn't believe it was all over. We'll never know but perhaps it was made a lot worse by having all hopes of a return extinguished so quickly with the appointment of Robson. The team who I loved so much was dismantled to be replaced by over-paid, ageing players who just didn't feel like Blades somehow. I know you should be more grown up and adult about this sort of thing when you're in your thirties but I didn't feel that way.
Walthamstow's right for me, it hasn't quite been as much 'fun' since. Is that because of Wigan or because the seasons since have been fairly dour? Suppose you don't have one without the other. There have been some memorable moments since - Sharp's winner at Oakwell in front of 7,000(ish) Blades, winning down at Reading to give ourselves a chance of automatic and the stunning performance v PNE in the 2nd leg spring to mind.
Home matches are still a great laugh, always some cracking banter - always more to laugh about than cheer about where we sit. I haven't given up hope that the good times will return, hopefully Speed will build a team who we can believe in, connect with and enjoy watching. Hopefully we'll start challenging again.
The key thing for me is that the fans, and the club, get their spirit back. I agree with Micalijo that Wigan, plus what followed, has knocked it out of us. Perhaps it's just my memory playing tricks but I don't remember such a feeling of crushing apathy and negativity around the club before. United fans always had something different I thought, a mixture of pride, humour, Sheffield Steel - we were loud, we didn't give a fuck what anyone thought of us and we'd back our team whatever. Maybe we've changed along with football but as a collective, United fans now don't seem to stand apart, we're a bit flat and moany and demanding and unrealistic and samey.
Right, that's me done. Promise I won't back up micalijo again.
COME ON YOU RED AND WHITE WIZAAAAAAAAAARDS!!!!!
