Not bothered about Europe

[Kev Gee]

Yes I can see it now.

CW "ok lads, I know we can get into the CL if we win this game but I not bothered tbh. Just play for a draw or something......."

 

[bypassblade]

United went into the PL to compete with the big boys we've done okay, the only way you improve is by playing better quality opposition. Okay we may not know the crack, but Europe would be a great yardstick for us, I'd sooner we played say Borussia Munchen Academical than Walsall.

I can remember us almost doing it in 74/75 only to miss out let's grab every bull by the horns that passes us, we won't improve or bring in better players in League 1 or Championship, please have some optimism in your outlook of our wonderful team.

 

[HammerInPeace]

You're not the only Hammer I've heard that from. We seem to be quite popular with the many I know down here. Proper club, proper fans, proper manager, proper team seems to be a consensus about us.

Doesn't surprise me really. Two old great clubs.

 

[guancheblade]

Why don't we get into Europe and ignore the league cup and FA cup next season. Sorted.

Especially if we are reigning FA Cup holders by then

 

[Maidenhead]

We didn't lose we drew 0 o

I've read all this thread to see if someone had picked up on that

As they play in blue I guess they would claim that they won 0-0

 

[grafikhaus]

If UEFA can stop Man. City breaking into the 'old boys club', you didn't seriously think they'd let lil' ol' Sheffield United in, did you?

Martin Samuel today:



David Gill - an Olympic-standard arsewipe and corrupt fucker.

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

https://1.ftb.al/xODuhMy8m4

you see the football gods were listening after all!

 

[Working Class Hero]

In 1962 we finished in 5th place, the FL nominated us, Everton (4th place) and Burnley (2nd) to take part in the 1962-63 Fairs Cup but the Fairs Cup committee wanted Everton, Wendy (6th) and Birmingham (17th). Several meetings between the FL and the Fairs Cup committee tried to resolve the argument but in the end Everton was the only English entry in the 1962-63 Fairs Cup

I didn't know this, Silent. Why did the FL nominate this three odd positions? Likewise, why did the Fairs Cup want their 3? And why Everton??

 

[Silent Blade]

I didn't know this, Silent. Why did the FL nominate this three odd positions? Likewise, why did the Fairs Cup want their 3? And why Everton??

The final league places for the 1961-62 season was like this

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

Ipswich entered the 1962-63 European Cup
Spurs won the FA Cup so they entered the 1962-63 Cup winners Cup.

The Fairs Cup allocated 3 places for English clubs to play in the 1962-63 Fairs Cup.

The FL nominated Burnley, Everton and Blades (what's wrong with that?)

The Fairs Cup nominated Everton, Wendy and Birmingham (who finished 20th in the 1961-62 league)

Clear?

 

[Working Class Hero]

The final league places for the 1961-62 season was like this

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

Ipswich entered the 1962-63 European Cup
Spurs won the FA Cup so they entered the 1962-63 Cup winners Cup.

The Fairs Cup allocated 3 places for English clubs to play in the 1962-63 Fairs Cup.

The FL nominated Burnley, Everton and Blades (what's wrong with that?)

The Fairs Cup nominated Everton, Wendy and Birmingham (who finished 20th in the 1961-62 league)

Clear?

Not really haha. Why would the Fairs Cup nominate lower placed teams? And if there was only to be one place, why not Burnley?

I'd assume they wanted the perceived bigger clubs in there, but Birmingham had never won anything at that point.

 

[Silent Blade]

Not really haha. Why would the Fairs Cup nominate lower placed teams? And if there was only to be one place, why not Burnley?

I'd assume they wanted the perceived bigger clubs in there, but Birmingham had never won anything at that point.

Dont know why the Fairs Cup committee wanted Wendy and Birmingham. My guess is that they are pals with both clubs boards.

 

[bornablade]

I know we had Dick Wragg quite high up in the echelons of power at the FA but Wednesday had Dr Andrew Stephen and Eric Taylor who were also quite influential.

Had the World Cup venues for 1966 been decided by then?

 

[Nick Jansky]

The last part of my dream when I score the winning goal in the CLF final might be a problem though.

Not necessarily. We’ll need a big squad.

 

[Nick Jansky]

Yes, they had 3 or 4 really top, top players. DK was one of them.
Yep, we've had some good years. Many of us can't quite believe it's been 40 years since that FA Cup win over Arsenal in 1980 (although we should have won it in 2006 - bloody Liverpool again...).
It's not that we feel entitled (if you support WHU (or yourselves, by the sound of it) you really can't be a glory hunter ), just that with 64, 75 & 80, we got a bit too used to it! It's the hope that kills you..
Could easily be another 40 years before any more success..

We aren’t supposed to like West Ham. But stick around, its a pleasure to have you here

 

[Nick Jansky]

In 1980 I lived in Essex. I used to work an area from the East End of London all throughout the county of Essex. I don't think I've ever seen such fervent support for a football team as that which I witnessed for West Ham. Just about every car I saw had claret and blue ribbons on it. Everywhere I went I saw car stickers and scarves and posters - you just couldn't get away from it - and people spoke about West Ham, with such affection. I hadn't realised until then, what a big club West Ham were. If I'm correct, you sold over 50,000 season tickets this season - considerably more than Arsenal and only just slightly less than that other London club, "Manchester United".

My early memories of West Ham were good ones. 1970's team with Billy Bonds, Frank Lampard Senior, Clyde Best, Geoff Hurst, Bobby Moore, Pop Robson and the like. West Ham used to be known as "The Academy of Football", because they played football the beautiful way and brought so many good players through. I never liked Trevor Brooking as a player though. I know he was technically very good - but he was boring compared with our maverick, Tony Currie - and he kept Currie out of the England side for that reason. I was to go on to dislike Brooking even more, a few years later, when he was in a position of influence which, in business, would be called "a conflict of interest". But let's not open up that old wound again!

West Ham seem to be a team, a bit like us, who found it difficult to stay at the top level of football consistently. I know why that is for us - it's basically down to mismanagement of the club and a dire lack of ambition. So, you can imagine how "most" of us Blades (not all of us obviously) are feeling right now, to see our club being managed properly and see the investment being made on the playing side of things. It's just a dream come true. At one time (before my time) our club was referred to as "a powerhouse of Northern football". Some of us dream that we may become one again. And at very least, I want to see my team compete with some of the best teams in the world, in European competitions, before I eventually depart this mortal coil.

Should you ever venture to these parts and get to know the psyche of many of the people around here, it is one of low expectations and a feeling that something bad is bound to happen. Whether that's based on having the shit bombed out of us in the World War, or whatever, I don't know, but it's "glass half empty" syndrome for many folks and, to be honest, it gets a bit fuckin' depressing after a while. But you can't change these people - it's impossible. If you're not careful they'll drag you down to their level of despondency.

When you hear them telling you that things are not possible, or that if we did do one thing, we'd end up being disadvantaged by it in a different way, you just have to bloody well ignore them. But it's hard. It's like the old "Chinese Water torture" - where the constant slow drip of water on the forehead eventually sent folks mad. That's what it's like with some of these folks, "Not ready for the Prem", "Prefer to stay in the Championship", "We'll get thrashed every week", "Don't want to play in Europe, it'll cause us problems in the Prem", "drip, drip, drip, drip".

I hope your words of wisdom, about enjoying the good times while you can, and always wanting more, will help. But I wouldn't count on it! And some will tell you that winning the FA Cup in 1980 took it out of you and that's why you've not won much since!

Great post

 

[Nick Jansky]

Dont know why the Fairs Cup committee wanted Wendy and Birmingham. My guess is that they are pals with both clubs boards.

Yep, it was that.

 

[VictoryBlade]

This is one of the most interesting posts for a long time ...keep going Hammer in peace because its fasinating

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Dont know why the Fairs Cup committee wanted Wendy and Birmingham. My guess is that they are pals with both clubs boards.

If I remember correctly, the Birmingham instead of Burnley choice would be to do with competition supposedly being between clubs from cities which held trade fairs (think they had basically turned Friendlies into a competition). Did Sheffield have trade fairs? No idea why they would have chosen Wednesday ahead of United. Perhaps they didn't like the idea of a cricket pitch.

 

[HammerInPeace]

Should you ever venture to these parts and get to know the psyche of many of the people around here, it is one of low expectations and a feeling that something bad is bound to happen. Whether that's based on having the shit bombed out of us in the World War, or whatever, I don't know, but it's "glass half empty" syndrome for many folks and, to be honest, it gets a bit fuckin' depressing after a while. But you can't change these people - it's impossible. If you're not careful they'll drag you down to their level of despondency.

Actually, a bit like us. Surviving on 'gallows humour' to get us through. It might even be an 'English thing'.
Btw, did you mean Sheffield people, or Sheffield United people?
I can understand it, if it's the latter. To say you've been starved of success, would be an understatement. I only just recently learned that the success you have had, was so bloody long ago. I had no idea.
It's why I'd love to see you achieve something. It really does the locality good. Much better than the same old faces always winning.
You need to beat Reading for a start!

 

[Champagneblade]

If UEFA can stop Man. City breaking into the 'old boys club', you didn't seriously think they'd let lil' ol' Sheffield United in, did you?

Martin Samuel today:

View attachment 72399

David Gill - an Olympic-standard arsewipe and corrupt fucker.

I actually think we can give them a dicking at Old Trafford. We absolutely schooled them for the first hour at Bramall Lane. They had a 10 minute spell out of nowhere that they will seldom repeat.

I like the look of Fernandes but Fred is still playing and he's shit. 70 minutes playing against a 10 man Belgium team blowing out of their arse isn't going to change my view on that.

I'm not overly impressed with their attacking options either and keeping a few clean sheets against teams in the Europa League might boost their clean-sheets-for-the-season stat but they aren't fooling most. Just hope Phil Jones makes his way back in!

Won't be overly upset if Man City put a spanner on their works. Norwich winning might be a decent result too. If Leicester's form doesn't improve, we can take 3 points from them and if we won the game in hand we'd only be 4 points off them. Their winner at the Lane was a foul on Egan anyway. Also, it's better if Norwich come to attack. An open game is far better for us because we are defensively resolute. It's when teams come to keep it right we don't quite have the flair to unpick the lock.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Actually, a bit like us. Surviving on 'gallows humour' to get us through. It might even be an 'English thing'.
Btw, did you mean Sheffield people, or Sheffield United people?
I can understand it, if it's the latter. To say you've been starved of success, would be an understatement. I only just recently learned that the success you have had, was so bloody long ago. I had no idea.
It's why I'd love to see you achieve something. It really does the locality good. Much better than the same old faces always winning.
You need to beat Reading for a start!

I meant Sheffield folk in general, not just Blades. Although there seems to be some perceivable differences between the attitude of Owls fans and Blades. This is a gross generalism of course but...

Blades fans seem to spend all their time cursing their luck, expecting the worst to happen. They've no vision for the club, by that I mean, they just think the future can only be like the past, there's no "ambition" there, to them, Sheffield United will only ever be what they've always been. A team a bit too good for the second tier but not really good enough to be in the first tier for long, and always likely to drop even further down the league when times are hard. "A selling club" that gets rid of any promising players as soon as it can.

You can see it in lots of threads on here. We've got fans who would have willingly taken 4th bottom at the start of the season. We've got fans who have spent all season up to now, looking down at the relegation places. We've even got fans who don't want us to be in Europe FFS! (Something no Blades fan, alive or dead, has ever witnessed, but we've really got fans like that who don't want it, because "we aren't ready" or "the additional games will wear us out and we'll get relegated"). We've got fans who don't want us to increase our stadium capacity and update it. And if a new signing doesn't settle in immediately and start performing like Eusebio, we've got fans who want to write them off and stick with what we knew. Fortunately, that's not all Blades fans - but if I was to generalise then those are the traits I see and hear most from Blades fans. No expectations, apart from disappointment and inevitable failure. Poor downtrodden Blades. The underdog, that gets kicked back under, time and time again.

Owls fans, on the other hand, seem like a totally different species. They are the "big brother" in this Sheffield football family and they behave like it. "Older, bigger, better" is their mantra. The truth of course is they are "older, smaller, worse". But don't tell them that, big brother's always look down on their siblings and think they know best and can lord it over them. And they still try doing that. What I hear from Owls fans is how the world is missing out by them not being in the Premiership and how, if they were in the Premiership, they'd be getting 50,000 fans every home match (even though their ground doesn't hold that many any more). And how they've won trophies more recently than us. They don't appear at all negative about their club's prospects - every year they believe they are going to absolutely piss the league and get promotion. They think their club is one of the world's greatest and belongs at the very top table of football and that's what they are expecting. To put it mildly, they are at the complete opposite end of the spectrum to Blades fans. If Blades fans are negative as I describe, then Owls fans are positive to the point of being completely delusional.

The contrast is quite remarkable.

I think for fans at both ends of those extremes, be they delusional Owls, or downtrodden Blades, there's something happening in Sheffield football that hasn't happened before in my lifetime - and that's over 50 years of watching the Blades. There's a movement down at S2 which started with the serendipitous appointment of a really top class manager in Chris Wilder, who rid the squad he inherited of all it's prima donnas, the sick, the lame and the lazy, and built a squad in his own image. That movement took root on the football field where Wilder's innovative tactics and mantra of hard work started to reap dividends in terms of results. When we got promoted from League 1 we didn't just sneak out - we absolutely steamrollered our way out - achieving 100 points. We were playing Championship level football in League 1 already. So, what do you think the expectations were for the following season? ("I'll be happy with 4th bottom") was probably the most common one.

Those fans would have been very disappointed to see us challenging at the top of the Championship, only to later fade away due a lack of quality in the depth of the squad. But the following season, Wilder had fixed that and what a surprise - we got promoted again - playing a superb brand of attacking passing football.

And of course, everyone, even the real experts, the pundits, said we were doomed this season back in the Prem. But somehow we keep playing teams when they are having an off day and our survival is just about guaranteed!

Of course, some of our fans are now talking about "second season syndrome" and how we will get found out eventually. You see what I mean? "Summat bad's bound to 'appen".

Actually, what's likely to happen, is that the new owners will invest heavily in the club, that's the playing side, the ground, the training facilities, because we're at a point where all good things seem to have merged upon the club. And we will be taking the club forward to a new era, the likes of which no Blade, alive or dead, will have ever witnessed before. An era where the club is being properly run and competing at the top levels of football for years to come - and winning trophies. That's what is happening down at S2. But many Blades fans won't believe that (until it's happened - and then they'll be telling you that we won't be able to repeat it again - or that they liked it better when we were in the Championship). And Owls fans will be looking on in envy, but convincing themselves that they are still superior to us in some way - if only in terms of matchday catering facilities.

 

[Digs blade]

I meant Sheffield folk in general, not just Blades. Although there seems to be some perceivable differences between the attitude of Owls fans and Blades. This is a gross generalism of course but...

Blades fans seem to spend all their time cursing their luck, expecting the worst to happen. They've no vision for the club, by that I mean, they just think the future can only be like the past, there's no "ambition" there, to them, Sheffield United will only ever be what they've always been. A team a bit too good for the second tier but not really good enough to be in the first tier for long, and always likely to drop even further down the league when times are hard. "A selling club" that gets rid of any promising players as soon as it can.

You can see it in lots of threads on here. We've got fans who would have willingly taken 4th bottom at the start of the season. We've got fans who have spent all season up to now, looking down at the relegation places. We've even got fans who don't want us to be in Europe FFS! (Something no Blades fan, alive or dead, has ever witnessed, but we've really got fans like that who don't want it, because "we aren't ready" or "the additional games will wear us out and we'll get relegated"). We've got fans who don't want us to increase our stadium capacity and update it. And if a new signing doesn't settle in immediately and start performing like Eusebio, we've got fans who want to write them off and stick with what we knew. Fortunately, that's not all Blades fans - but if I was to generalise then those are the traits I see and hear most from Blades fans. No expectations, apart from disappointment and inevitable failure. Poor downtrodden Blades. The underdog, that gets kicked back under, time and time again.

Owls fans, on the other hand, seem like a totally different species. They are the "big brother" in this Sheffield football family and they behave like it. "Older, bigger, better" is their mantra. The truth of course is they are "older, smaller, worse". But don't tell them that, big brother's always look down on their siblings and think they know best and can lord it over them. And they still try doing that. What I hear from Owls fans is how the world is missing out by them not being in the Premiership and how, if they were in the Premiership, they'd be getting 50,000 fans every home match (even though their ground doesn't hold that many any more). And how they've won trophies more recently than us. They don't appear at all negative about their club's prospects - every year they believe they are going to absolutely piss the league and get promotion. They think their club is one of the world's greatest and belongs at the very top table of football and that's what they are expecting. To put it mildly, they are at the complete opposite end of the spectrum to Blades fans. If Blades fans are negative as I describe, then Owls fans are positive to the point of being completely delusional.

The contrast is quite remarkable.

I think for fans at both ends of those extremes, be they delusional Owls, or downtrodden Blades, there's something happening in Sheffield football that hasn't happened before in my lifetime - and that's over 50 years of watching the Blades. There's a movement down at S2 which started with the serendipitous appointment of a really top class manager in Chris Wilder, who rid the squad he inherited of all it's prima donnas, the sick, the lame and the lazy, and built a squad in his own image. That movement took root on the football field where Wilder's innovative tactics and mantra of hard work started to reap dividends in terms of results. When we got promoted from League 1 we didn't just sneak out - we absolutely steamrollered our way out - achieving 100 points. We were playing Championship level football in League 1 already. So, what do you think the expectations were for the following season? ("I'll be happy with 4th bottom") was probably the most common one.

Those fans would have been very disappointed to see us challenging at the top of the Championship, only to later fade away due a lack of quality in the depth of the squad. But the following season, Wilder had fixed that and what a surprise - we got promoted again - playing a superb brand of attacking passing football.

And of course, everyone, even the real experts, the pundits, said we were doomed this season back in the Prem. But somehow we keep playing teams when they are having an off day and our survival is just about guaranteed!

Of course, some of our fans are now talking about "second season syndrome" and how we will get found out eventually. You see what I mean? "Summat bad's bound to 'appen".

Actually, what's likely to happen, is that the new owners will invest heavily in the club, that's the playing side, the ground, the training facilities, because we're at a point where all good things seem to have merged upon the club. And we will be taking the club forward to a new era, the likes of which no Blade, alive or dead, will have ever witnessed before. An era where the club is being properly run and competing at the top levels of football for years to come - and winning trophies. That's what is happening down at S2. But many Blades fans won't believe that (until it's happened - and then they'll be telling you that we won't be able to repeat it again - or that they liked it better when we were in the Championship). And Owls fans will be looking on in envy, but convincing themselves that they are still superior to us in some way - if only in terms of matchday catering facilities.

What a splendidly written post mate

 

[Niceguyeddie]

I meant Sheffield folk in general, not just Blades. Although there seems to be some perceivable differences between the attitude of Owls fans and Blades. This is a gross generalism of course but...

Blades fans seem to spend all their time cursing their luck, expecting the worst to happen. They've no vision for the club, by that I mean, they just think the future can only be like the past, there's no "ambition" there, to them, Sheffield United will only ever be what they've always been. A team a bit too good for the second tier but not really good enough to be in the first tier for long, and always likely to drop even further down the league when times are hard. "A selling club" that gets rid of any promising players as soon as it can.

You can see it in lots of threads on here. We've got fans who would have willingly taken 4th bottom at the start of the season. We've got fans who have spent all season up to now, looking down at the relegation places. We've even got fans who don't want us to be in Europe FFS! (Something no Blades fan, alive or dead, has ever witnessed, but we've really got fans like that who don't want it, because "we aren't ready" or "the additional games will wear us out and we'll get relegated"). We've got fans who don't want us to increase our stadium capacity and update it. And if a new signing doesn't settle in immediately and start performing like Eusebio, we've got fans who want to write them off and stick with what we knew. Fortunately, that's not all Blades fans - but if I was to generalise then those are the traits I see and hear most from Blades fans. No expectations, apart from disappointment and inevitable failure. Poor downtrodden Blades. The underdog, that gets kicked back under, time and time again.

Owls fans, on the other hand, seem like a totally different species. They are the "big brother" in this Sheffield football family and they behave like it. "Older, bigger, better" is their mantra. The truth of course is they are "older, smaller, worse". But don't tell them that, big brother's always look down on their siblings and think they know best and can lord it over them. And they still try doing that. What I hear from Owls fans is how the world is missing out by them not being in the Premiership and how, if they were in the Premiership, they'd be getting 50,000 fans every home match (even though their ground doesn't hold that many any more). And how they've won trophies more recently than us. They don't appear at all negative about their club's prospects - every year they believe they are going to absolutely piss the league and get promotion. They think their club is one of the world's greatest and belongs at the very top table of football and that's what they are expecting. To put it mildly, they are at the complete opposite end of the spectrum to Blades fans. If Blades fans are negative as I describe, then Owls fans are positive to the point of being completely delusional.

The contrast is quite remarkable.

I think for fans at both ends of those extremes, be they delusional Owls, or downtrodden Blades, there's something happening in Sheffield football that hasn't happened before in my lifetime - and that's over 50 years of watching the Blades. There's a movement down at S2 which started with the serendipitous appointment of a really top class manager in Chris Wilder, who rid the squad he inherited of all it's prima donnas, the sick, the lame and the lazy, and built a squad in his own image. That movement took root on the football field where Wilder's innovative tactics and mantra of hard work started to reap dividends in terms of results. When we got promoted from League 1 we didn't just sneak out - we absolutely steamrollered our way out - achieving 100 points. We were playing Championship level football in League 1 already. So, what do you think the expectations were for the following season? ("I'll be happy with 4th bottom") was probably the most common one.

Those fans would have been very disappointed to see us challenging at the top of the Championship, only to later fade away due a lack of quality in the depth of the squad. But the following season, Wilder had fixed that and what a surprise - we got promoted again - playing a superb brand of attacking passing football.

And of course, everyone, even the real experts, the pundits, said we were doomed this season back in the Prem. But somehow we keep playing teams when they are having an off day and our survival is just about guaranteed!

Of course, some of our fans are now talking about "second season syndrome" and how we will get found out eventually. You see what I mean? "Summat bad's bound to 'appen".

Actually, what's likely to happen, is that the new owners will invest heavily in the club, that's the playing side, the ground, the training facilities, because we're at a point where all good things seem to have merged upon the club. And we will be taking the club forward to a new era, the likes of which no Blade, alive or dead, will have ever witnessed before. An era where the club is being properly run and competing at the top levels of football for years to come - and winning trophies. That's what is happening down at S2. But many Blades fans won't believe that (until it's happened - and then they'll be telling you that we won't be able to repeat it again - or that they liked it better when we were in the Championship). And Owls fans will be looking on in envy, but convincing themselves that they are still superior to us in some way - if only in terms of matchday catering facilities.

Whats so great about playing in Europe ?
If you win it you get a champions league spot if you don't its just a pile up of meaningless games that detract from.your league campaign
Our success has been built around intensity and fitness and we won't be able to cope with two games a week

But I suppose when we are back in the championship.we can brag about those wonderful nights in Kazakhstan like Bolton ,Wigan and even the pigs do

 

[Fulwood Blade]

I meant Sheffield folk in general, not just Blades. Although there seems to be some perceivable differences between the attitude of Owls fans and Blades. This is a gross generalism of course but...

Blades fans seem to spend all their time cursing their luck, expecting the worst to happen. They've no vision for the club, by that I mean, they just think the future can only be like the past, there's no "ambition" there, to them, Sheffield United will only ever be what they've always been. A team a bit too good for the second tier but not really good enough to be in the first tier for long, and always likely to drop even further down the league when times are hard. "A selling club" that gets rid of any promising players as soon as it can.

You can see it in lots of threads on here. We've got fans who would have willingly taken 4th bottom at the start of the season. We've got fans who have spent all season up to now, looking down at the relegation places. We've even got fans who don't want us to be in Europe FFS! (Something no Blades fan, alive or dead, has ever witnessed, but we've really got fans like that who don't want it, because "we aren't ready" or "the additional games will wear us out and we'll get relegated"). We've got fans who don't want us to increase our stadium capacity and update it. And if a new signing doesn't settle in immediately and start performing like Eusebio, we've got fans who want to write them off and stick with what we knew. Fortunately, that's not all Blades fans - but if I was to generalise then those are the traits I see and hear most from Blades fans. No expectations, apart from disappointment and inevitable failure. Poor downtrodden Blades. The underdog, that gets kicked back under, time and time again.

Owls fans, on the other hand, seem like a totally different species. They are the "big brother" in this Sheffield football family and they behave like it. "Older, bigger, better" is their mantra. The truth of course is they are "older, smaller, worse". But don't tell them that, big brother's always look down on their siblings and think they know best and can lord it over them. And they still try doing that. What I hear from Owls fans is how the world is missing out by them not being in the Premiership and how, if they were in the Premiership, they'd be getting 50,000 fans every home match (even though their ground doesn't hold that many any more). And how they've won trophies more recently than us. They don't appear at all negative about their club's prospects - every year they believe they are going to absolutely piss the league and get promotion. They think their club is one of the world's greatest and belongs at the very top table of football and that's what they are expecting. To put it mildly, they are at the complete opposite end of the spectrum to Blades fans. If Blades fans are negative as I describe, then Owls fans are positive to the point of being completely delusional.

The contrast is quite remarkable.

I think for fans at both ends of those extremes, be they delusional Owls, or downtrodden Blades, there's something happening in Sheffield football that hasn't happened before in my lifetime - and that's over 50 years of watching the Blades. There's a movement down at S2 which started with the serendipitous appointment of a really top class manager in Chris Wilder, who rid the squad he inherited of all it's prima donnas, the sick, the lame and the lazy, and built a squad in his own image. That movement took root on the football field where Wilder's innovative tactics and mantra of hard work started to reap dividends in terms of results. When we got promoted from League 1 we didn't just sneak out - we absolutely steamrollered our way out - achieving 100 points. We were playing Championship level football in League 1 already. So, what do you think the expectations were for the following season? ("I'll be happy with 4th bottom") was probably the most common one.

Those fans would have been very disappointed to see us challenging at the top of the Championship, only to later fade away due a lack of quality in the depth of the squad. But the following season, Wilder had fixed that and what a surprise - we got promoted again - playing a superb brand of attacking passing football.

And of course, everyone, even the real experts, the pundits, said we were doomed this season back in the Prem. But somehow we keep playing teams when they are having an off day and our survival is just about guaranteed!

Of course, some of our fans are now talking about "second season syndrome" and how we will get found out eventually. You see what I mean? "Summat bad's bound to 'appen".

Actually, what's likely to happen, is that the new owners will invest heavily in the club, that's the playing side, the ground, the training facilities, because we're at a point where all good things seem to have merged upon the club. And we will be taking the club forward to a new era, the likes of which no Blade, alive or dead, will have ever witnessed before. An era where the club is being properly run and competing at the top levels of football for years to come - and winning trophies. That's what is happening down at S2. But many Blades fans won't believe that (until it's happened - and then they'll be telling you that we won't be able to repeat it again - or that they liked it better when we were in the Championship). And Owls fans will be looking on in envy, but convincing themselves that they are still superior to us in some way - if only in terms of matchday catering facilities.

Well done for getting that off your chest. Perfectly summed up, 100% applicable to a lot of blades fans, particularly who come on S24SU. Like the bits about Wendy too.

Wilder is different, he always was even from the humble beginnings at Bradway.

We have on our hands the next Brian Clough and Peter Taylor and even though it's a different era, we have the opportunity from the owners down, through people like Bettis and Wilder to create as Wilder says, a lasting legacy.

I keep referring back to what Manhattanowl posted on twitter about how we could dominate this City after promotion and go away from them - potentially for decades if we get a real march on them.

As CW likes to say "We're a humble club" - we need to remember that and just embrace and enjoy where we could possible go.

All Blades fans should remember - the past doesn't dictate the future - the future is what you make it.

UTB

 

[BushBlade]

Well done for getting that off your chest. Perfectly summed up, 100% applicable to a lot of blades fans, particularly who come on S24SU. Like the bits about Wendy too.

Wilder is different, he always was even from the humble beginnings at Bradway.

We have on our hands the next Brian Clough and Peter Taylor and even though it's a different era, we have the opportunity from the owners down, through people like Bettis and Wilder to create as Wilder says, a lasting legacy.

I keep referring back to what Manhattanowl posted on twitter about how we could dominate this City after promotion and go away from them - potentially for decades if we get a real march on them.

As CW likes to say "We're a humble club" - we need to remember that and just embrace and enjoy where we could possible go.

All Blades fans should remember - the past doesn't dictate the future - the future is what you make it.

UTB

I’m not sure I entirely agree though. Not one Blade was happy being in L1 and after getting promoted on 100 points I don’t think many expected us to go back down. Plenty were disappointed that we fell off at the end of the first season up and didn’t even make the play offs. That doesn’t suggest a lack of ambition to me.

The ‘4th from bottom’ this season came from the understanding that the most important thing this season was to stay up and from the acknowledgement that we had a very good manager, who didn’t deserve the additional pressure of the expectation of finishing in the top ten in our first season back in the PL.

I don’t believe there are many Blades who don’t have ambitions for the club, who don’t want us to win things. We’re just a bit more realistic and don’t shoot our mouths off as much. We know what we are. It’s just that some of us think a slow steady growth, done without taking stupid financial risks, is a better approach than gambling the future away. We’ve seen countless clubs fall flat on their faces through getting ahead of themselves. I’m happy for Wilder to keep progressing the club at the pace he sets, because I’ve got no worries about his ambitions.

 

[Hamburg Blade]

Whats so great about playing in Europe ?
If you win it you get a champions league spot if you don't its just a pile up of meaningless games that detract from.your league campaign

Which is only true if you believe the only point of being in a competition is to win it.

 

[Niceguyeddie]

Which is only true if you believe the only point of being in a competition is to win it.

So what are the benefits of being in the Europa league then ?

 

[Dkc]

So what are the benefits of being in the Europa league then ?

What are the benefits of being in the Premier League?

Maybe we shouldn't enter any competitions at all, and just play friendlies

 

[Hamburg Blade]

So what are the benefits of being in the Europa league then ?

The point of a football club is to play football games, the point of playing a football game is to try and win it. Leagues and cups extend the meaning of individual games and give structure and organisation to the sport. Most clubs entering most competitions have little to no chance of winning them. When you only enter a competition because you've a good chance of winning it, you've forgotten the point of it all.

 

[Niceguyeddie]

The point of a football club is to play football games, the point of playing a football game is to try and win it. Leagues and cups extend the meaning of individual games and give structure and organisation to the sport. Most clubs entering most competitions have little to no chance of winning them. When you only enter a competition because you've a good chance of winning it, you've forgotten the point of it all.

So you would enter into a seventy game season quite happy that you might be jeopardising your 150 million a season income stream ?