Near Misses and Eff Ups

[GRUMPY BLADE]

So 7 of our last 9 seasons have been "exciting". When was the last time we genuinely had nothing to play for towards the end of the season? At least it's not dull...

Brother in law is a Boro fan, first time in the play offs for 24 years.

Me?

Sick of 'em.

 

[boo radley]

Revolution. You made a point about losing the semi in the league cup this year and it setting a record for semis lost. Can you or anyone clarify these and add more.
2nd only to Preston i the play offs but if they win does that make less successful than them because we've had 2 less goes at it?
Before 78/79 we had never finished lower than 12th in what is now the Championship?
We were involved in that 8 goal Semi last year and 8 goals has only been done twice before in FA cup semis and both times we were in then?
Record set last night for most goals ever in a 2 leg play off match?

 

[Mustela Putorius Furo]

2. Was at a different game - in 1991.

As Revolution says above, it seems the 1994 game was not in question, whereas the 1991 game was.

In 94, the "half hearted" attempt was a crap dive Segers made to stop a Graham Stuart shot. I don't think that's enough, on it's own, to suggest match fixing. More likely to be crap goalkeeping and no one would have suggested otherwise had Segers not been a suspect in other cases.

In the post-1994 close-season, i remember R5 commentators (Jimmy Armfield, Alan green, etc) repeatedly discussing "carefully" their own analysis and the information they'd received "from sources" on the shenanigans at the end of the season. The game that was at the centre of most of that was the Blackburn versus Ipswich 0-0 draw on the last day... which finished later than the rest and during which barely a shot on goal was recorded. Jimmy Armfield was convinced that results had been skewed that day bu fixing for betting purposes, but even if so, the outcome (Blades relegated) wasn't even on the radar of the "fixers". As usual we look to find reasons elsewhere... but if we'd not lost a lead in the last 5 minutes.... well, we've only Sheffield United to blame for our destiny that day.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

1961 lost cup semi final
1968 relegated from Division 1 by losing last game
1976 relegated from Division 1 on Easter Saturday
1979 relegated from Division 2 for 1st time
1981 relegated from Division 3 with positive goal difference after missing last minute penalty and after spending only last 5 minutes of season in bottom 4
1988 relegated from Division 2 in playoffs
1993 lose FA Cup semi final
1994 relegated from Premier League with last minute goal when 3 other results go against us
1997 lose Division 1 playoff final to last minute goal
1998 lose FA Cup semi final; lose Division 1 playoff semi final
2003 lose FA Cup semi final; lose league cup semi final; lose Division 1 playoff final
2007 relegated from Premier League with defeat in last home game with another result going against us and league ignoring Tevez fiasco
2009 miss promotion on last day of season; lose Division 1 playoff final
2011 relegated to league one
2012 miss promotion on last day of season, largely due to jailing of star player, with record points for non promoted club. Lose League 1 playoff final after 0-0 draw and 22 penalty shootout in which our keeper missed decisive kick and opponents failed to score any of first 3 pens. Set record of 4th playoff final defeat and 1st club not to go up despite not conceding a goal in playoffs
2013 lose league 1 playoff semi final
2014 lose FA Cup semi final
2015 lose league cup semi final, our 7th straight semi final defeat which I think is an English record; lose league 1 playoff semi final despite scoring 5 times in away leg; 8th playoff campaign without victory will become worst ever record if Preston win their final

Clough out!

Someone had to say it.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Haven't we also missed out on Europe? 75-6? And something to do with one of the semis?

 

[Geordie Blade]

If you count relegations, missed promotions and play-off semi-final defeats, then a positive list should also include promotions, relegation escapes and play-off semi-final wins. So, a success list would be:

1965 avoided relegation by one place
1971 promoted from Division 2
1982 promoted from Division 4
1984 promoted from Division 3
1985 avoided relegation by two places
1989 promoted from Division 3
1990 promoted from Division 2
1991 escaped from relegation
1993 escaped from relegation
1997 beat Ipswich in play-off semi-final
2003 beat Forest in play-off semi-final
2006 promoted from Championship
2009 beat Preston in play-off semi-final
2012 beat Stevenage in play-off semi-final

Given that you count five runs to the FA cup semi-final and two to the league cup semi-final as 'failures' (I remember each cup run fondly, so would actually count them as good experiences), I think that our successes and failures roughly even each other out. There's no doubt that a club of our size should not be in the third division at the moment but, on the whole, I've enjoyed being a Blade over the last 30 or so years.

 

[Darren]

Haven't we also missed out on Europe? 75-6? And something to do with one of the semis?

This story has been told many times...

Up until 1975 the rule for entry to the UEFA Cup and (Fairs Cup pre 1971) was that only one club from one city could enter. In 74-5, England had 4 qualifers - the League Cup winners - (VIlla) and the top 3 places in Division 1 other than the champions but subject to the 1 club 1 city rule. Liverpool finished 2nd and Ipswich 3rd, so they were in. However, Everton were 4th and, because Liverpool were in, they couldn't qualify and the place went down to the 5th place team. Stoke had finished their fixtures and were 5th. United were 6th, but could finish 5th if they won their last game at Birmingham. We drew 0-0 and thus failed.

But it didn't matter anyway, as UEFA changed the rules in the summer of 75 and Everton qualified after all at Stoke's expense.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

This story has been told many times...

Up until 1975 the rule for entry to the UEFA Cup and (Fairs Cup pre 1971) was that only one club from one city could enter. In 74-5, England had 4 qualifers - the League Cup winners - (VIlla) and the top 3 places in Division 1 other than the champions but subject to the 1 club 1 city rule. Liverpool finished 2nd and Ipswich 3rd, so they were in. However, Everton were 4th and, because Liverpool were in, they couldn't qualify and the place went down to the 5th place team. Stoke had finished their fixtures and were 5th. United were 6th, but could finish 5th if they won their last game at Birmingham. We drew 0-0 and thus failed.

But it didn't matter anyway, as UEFA changed the rules in the summer of 75 and Everton qualified after all at Stoke's expense.

Thanks. They obviously saw a team in red and white stripes and thought we'd better screw them over.

 

[Silent Blade]

1976 relegated from Division 1 on Easter Saturday

We got mathematically relegated after our 5-0 defeat at Spurs on 27th March. Easter Saturday in 1976 was April 17th

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Stability? Adam Pearson has walked out. After one month.

Two pence half penny millionaires now in the hot seat . And that chairman before got thanks from the fans for saving them . He's taken the money and run . It must be bad , and writing on the wall , for Adam Pearson to go to that stable well run club ----- Leeds.

UTB

 

[alcoblade]

So 7 of our last 9 seasons have been "exciting". When was the last time we genuinely had nothing to play for towards the end of the season? At least it's not dull...

Oh, this season it really is!



UTB

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

2007 relegated from Premier League with defeat in last home game with another result going against us and league ignoring Tevez fiasco

You forgot to mention that we were relegated by the smallest margin in Premier League history.

 

[bornablade]

One statistic I was unaware of was the 1981 season - only 'being in the bottom four for the last 5 minutes of the season'

Sometime in the early 1960's I think we finished above the Wendies in the top flight and yet they were invited to play in the InterCity Fairs Cup.

Going further back September 1939 we were back in the top flight. Unbeaten. Top of the league. Jimmy Hagan's first full season. Then a bloke in Germany invades Poland. We were denied that team for over 5 years. Today could have been so different

Rumour has it Hitler was born on Parsons Cross

 

[Silent Blade]

Sometime in the early 1960's I think we finished above the Wendies in the top flight and yet they were invited to play in the InterCity Fairs Cup.

1961-62 season finished like this

1. Ipswich
2. Burnley
3. Spurs
4. Everton
5. Blades
6. Wendy

Ipswich in the 1962-63 European Cup, Spurs (FA Cup winners) in the 1962-63 Cup Winners Cup

FL proposed Burnley, Everton and Blades to play in the 1962-63 Fairs Cup but the InterCity Fairs Cup committee wanted Everton, Wendy and Birmingham City (despite that they finished in 17th place!). There were a series of meetings between the FL and the InterCity Fairs Cup Committee but they failed to reach an agreement so only Everton were the only English club in the 1962-63 InterCity Fairs Cup

 

[blade too long]

1961-62 season finished like this

1. Ipswich
2. Burnley
3. Spurs
4. Everton
5. Blades
6. Wendy

Ipswich in the 1962-63 European Cup, Spurs (FA Cup winners) in the 1962-63 Cup Winners Cup

FL proposed Burnley, Everton and Blades to play in the 1962-63 Fairs Cup but the InterCity Fairs Cup committee wanted Everton, Wendy and Birmingham City (despite that they finished in 17th place!). There were a series of meetings between the FL and the InterCity Fairs Cup Committee but they failed to reach an agreement so only Everton were the only English club in the 1962-63 InterCity Fairs Cup

dodged a bullet there the fairs cup was doomed from the start a competition for also rans that petered out due to it being beyond dreadful