Promotion feels different

[tomtheblade]

Having grown up following the Blades from the mid 90s onwards, promotion & the Premier League always seemed like some hallowed & distant unobtainable goal, this feeling fueled by many years of failed playoff attempts and mediocre mid-table finishes.

Warnock's eventual success in 2006, far from being a release of this longing, in a weird way only served to increase it further (for me at least) as the following season we came tantalizingly close to survival only to have it snatched from our grasp by a number of factors not least of which being our simple lack of quality and weak financial backing.
It was a reminder of how far away the Premier League is even when you're in it and raised the uncomfortable suspicion that any return would again be hard-fought and long-awaited, a notion that turned out to be sadly true.

13 years later Wilder's promotion was incredible and undoubtedly one of the best feelings in my supporting lifetime. Still though it had again come after a long, slow trudge through mediocrity and yet more failed playoff campaigns.
The pattern was familiar - prolonged stretches of failure punctuated by small sparks of success which from experience were destined to be quickly extinguished.

Only this time really was different- far from merely surviving we actually thrived and the 9th placed finish secured something i'd yearned for since I first became a fan - a comfortable season and finish at the top level. Ok so the next season was an unmitigated disaster but at least we'd hit that target longed for for so long.

The question was - would it be another slow dive into nothingness before we'd be back? History tells us yes but thankfully Hecky and his team had other ideas.

And that's why promotion feels different to me, in a strange but good way. Unlike before it's not come after years in the wilderness but instead refreshingly and relievingly quickly.
It feels almost... normal...

I have no idea what will happen but at this moment i'm just really glad to have a rapid return to success for once. Maybe we can break the patterns of the past, and even if that means being a yo-yo team well then that's still better than what we've achieved at any point during my life as a Blade, so bring it on.

 

[CrookesBlade]

Having grown up following the Blades from the mid 90s onwards, promotion & the Premier League always seemed like some hallowed & distant unobtainable goal, this feeling fueled by many years of failed playoff attempts and mediocre mid-table finishes.

Warnock's eventual success in 2006, far from being a release of this longing, in a weird way only served to increase it further (for me at least) as the following season we came tantalizingly close to survival only to have it snatched from our grasp by a number of factors not least of which being our simple lack of quality and weak financial backing.
It was a reminder of how far away the Premier League is even when you're in it and raised the uncomfortable suspicion that any return would again be hard-fought and long-awaited, a notion that turned out to be sadly true.

13 years later Wilder's promotion was incredible and undoubtedly one of the best feelings in my supporting lifetime. Still though it had again come after a long, slow trudge through mediocrity and yet more failed playoff campaigns.
The pattern was familiar - prolonged stretches of failure punctuated by small sparks of success which from experience were destined to be quickly extinguished.

Only this time really was different- far from merely surviving we actually thrived and the 9th placed finish secured something i'd yearned for since I first became a fan - a comfortable season and finish at the top level. Ok so the next season was an unmitigated disaster but at least we'd hit that target longed for for so long.

The question was - would it be another slow dive into nothingness before we'd be back? History tells us yes but thankfully Hecky and his team had other ideas.

And that's why promotion feels different to me, in a strange but good way. Unlike before it's not come after years in the wilderness but instead refreshingly and relievingly quickly.
It feels almost... normal...

I have no idea what will happen but at this moment i'm just really glad to have a rapid return to success for once. Maybe we can break the patterns of the past, and even if that means being a yo-yo team well then that's still better than what we've achieved at any point during my life as a Blade, so bring it on.

Yep, feels good to have skipped the mandatory decade of false hope and managed decline and opted for the quick return. Feels like this is now an era of relative success rather than an anomaly.

 

[Ndiayewillalwaysloveyou]

Yeah it does feel different, but still bloody brilliant! The Wilder promotion wasn't really expected and the pigs were in same league so it was a special one.

 

[Kevincarterversion2.0]

And much more of a relief this time given financial implications of staying down!!

 

[Smoked_Sammon]

Shoot me for this, but I feel a lack of excitement compared to last time. Yes, we absolutely needed this for finances (grateful that we did it) but I just can’t see us being competitive like last time. That combined with going up a couple of years ago has numbed the feeling. Maybe if it comes to light that we are going to put money in the team and get ndaiye on a new deal it’ll pick up (for me). Either way UTB (maybe I am secretly excited).

 

[Muttley]

Yeah, it seems more relief this time around, more normal.
The last disaster of a season is still on my mind, but looking at how much of a muchness it is down at the bottom of the Prem gives me hope.
If we don't invest then we are certainly doomed and the vibes I get are telling me we won't be unless a new owner comes in swiftly.
It wont be pretty next season with VAR etc, but if we had stayed down we may have ended up without a club to support.

 

[Gretsch Blade]

Great post - spot on!

We have the points on the board this year after playing different, less attractive football compared to CWAK and on occasions we've ground out results rather than smashing teams. Some would say that's the sign of a better team, winning when not playing so well.

That said, Hecky continues to break records! I hope he gets the financial backing to display our better attributes in the PL (and that this year we get our highest points total in the Championship.)

Enjoy it blades.... We could have missed out on autos in lge 1 and be heading for PO lottery!

 

[N20 Blade]

I guess this is how Norwich fans must feel. I agree entirely with the OP and we said as much to each other yesterday but I’m very grateful to Hecky and the players. You could argue that promotion under the off field cloud is the biggest achievement for years.

 

[Keen Blade]

The fact that our owner doesn't want to be our owner despite promotion is hard to ignore

 

[blade too long]

we asked Gary Barlow about it

 

[blade too long]

The fact that our owner doesn't want to be our owner despite promotion is hard to ignore

he probably realises hes not got the funds to move forward and has opened the door for perople who possibly can invest

top lad for stepping aside,, mccabe would have clung on

 

[Millhousesblade1889]

Yep, feels good to have skipped the mandatory decade of false hope and managed decline and opted for the quick return. Feels like this is now an era of relative success rather than an anomaly.

If we’d have failed this year I think that same pattern would have happened. This promotion could be a pivotal moment for the future of our football club.

 

[Aston max]

he probably realises hes not got the funds to move forward and has opened the door for perople who possibly can invest

top lad for stepping aside,, mccabe would have clung on

And money would have disappeared

 

[NAP]

We’ve got more talented individuals going up with us than last time under Wilder. It will be interesting also to see if Hecky can be ruthless when he needs to be. We can’t keep a bloated squad of players out of loyalty.

 

[CrookesBlade]

One thing to remember is we are going up with a better side that came down and that side still managed 20 points in the zombie season.

Relegation is probably the most likely scenario but talk of “breaking Derby’s record” is just daft in my opinion.

 

[corner_flag]

The last promotion was euphoric for lots of reasons, time out of the Prem, the fact that we did largely with the squad who'd come up from League One, and last of all, the fact that we had that sweet sweet run to come from behind and mug Leeds.

Never going to quite replicate that feeling.

This time, it was mostly our Premier League Squad and we led the Division for most of the season, so this time was more just relief than we hadn't messed it up and dropped into playoffs. Still sweet though!

 

[Working Class Hero]

We’ve got more talented individuals going up with us than last time under Wilder. It will be interesting also to see if Hecky can be ruthless when he needs to be. We can’t keep a bloated squad of players out of loyalty.

He did it with McGoldrick (wrongly probably, but all's well that ends well), so I can see him getting rid of a few.

 

[Dkc]

The Championship won't be easy next season, when you look at the teams liable to come down from the PL. All are big clubs with very good players that will be hoping for an instant return. Ipswich should do well too.

 

[ReeceofBDTBL]

An exciting takeover by an investor with a purposeful vision for the club would transform the whole feeling around this promotion.

Primary feeling right now is one of relief and warm gratitude.

Doesn’t change the fact that if we somehow end up stuck with the Prince as owner, we could be the next Hull city or Norwich, wasting the opportunity offered by promotion, through negligent investment.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Other than the loss to Luton and a few games before then this season hasn't had the drama of 2019 plus we are "the big boys" compared to back then. The cup run, beating spurs with a much changed side, the Blackburn cup game and stuffing Burnley at home are probably the moments that will live longer in the memory! Everything else felt kinda inevitable

 

[Houso]

Shoot me for this, but I feel a lack of excitement compared to last time. Yes, we absolutely needed this for finances (grateful that we did it) but I just can’t see us being competitive like last time. That combined with going up a couple of years ago has numbed the feeling. Maybe if it comes to light that we are going to put money in the team and get ndaiye on a new deal it’ll pick up (for me). Either way UTB (maybe I am secretly excited).

I understand what you mean, but last time we went up we had no idea what money we'd be investing until we started dropping mad amounts left right and centre. Our team was also made up of many of our League 1 squad who were very much unknown quantities.

In many ways we're in a similar position, but we have three or four players who are certainly Premier league in anything but name. A manager who (like Wilder was) I trust implicitly with the squad. Then a few players who did fine last time, and will do so again (Baldock and Egan for example).

We need to spend, but I'm certainly not going in worried about being embarrassed.

 

[ATL Recs]

Shoot me for this, but I feel a lack of excitement compared to last time. Yes, we absolutely needed this for finances (grateful that we did it) but I just can’t see us being competitive like last time. That combined with going up a couple of years ago has numbed the feeling. Maybe if it comes to light that we are going to put money in the team and get ndaiye on a new deal it’ll pick up (for me). Either way UTB (maybe I am secretly excited).

Word for word my feelings exactly

 

[brownblade]

There was expectation we'd challenge this season. Doesn't stop it being a fantastic achievement, especially considering the curve balls and conditions.

Less of a shock/surprise/amazement we've been promoted, naturally, but well done Blades and Management - and as fans I'd suggest you try and enjoy it just as much.

 

[S64 Blade]

Our previous 3 promotions to the top flight, all followed a hiatus of 12 years, so it’s not a surprise that this time, having just spent only two years out, it is different.

As CrookesBlade says, it feels like we are now maybe entering a new period where this type of pattern of yo-yoing between the top flight and second tier is more of the norm.

 

[Ecco1889]

From 1992,we had one promotion(2006) in 25 years,since then we’ve had 3 in 6 years.
We also know 1st hand what to expect regarding the gulf in levels between the premier league and the championship,and of course VAR to contend with

 

[Lord Eddard Muir]

I mostly agree with the OP in terms of the season as a whole, but would also add that Wednesday night under the lights was the single most euphoric matchday experience I've had following the Blades. As others have said, where we go from here largely depends on who the next owner is and how quickly the sale gets sorted.

 

[blade too long]

Shoot me for this, but I feel a lack of excitement compared to last time. Yes, we absolutely needed this for finances (grateful that we did it) but I just can’t see us being competitive like last time. That combined with going up a couple of years ago has numbed the feeling. Maybe if it comes to light that we are going to put money in the team and get ndaiye on a new deal it’ll pick up (for me). Either way UTB (maybe I am secretly excited).

it came as a nice surprise to all of us how we managed to compete that first season back, like you now a lot then only saw a rapid return.
But a full Bramall Lane is a daunting place for any club. And this time we are not going there with Div 3 players on steroids.
We boast 14 internationals just now and the group that failed in covid emptied grounds has dwindled down, after saying goodbye to several more whose contract expired in May. Hecky will show no sentiment in dispatching players too old and slow he's a champion for youth and pace and players of Anels stature and flexibility

Anel also proves you do not have to lash out 20m to get quality players, another 4 like him and we could challenge for europe

let's just enjoy the ride, its an adventure not for stressing out about money that may or not be forthcoming

RND back Anel Jebbison etc are young hungry players with an all for one spirit , I really can't wait for those fixtures to come out

 

[Carlton Blade]

Last time was a shock, even to most United fans

The only people surprised this time are, strangely, United fans.

 

[metalblade]

A strange season for me this one, a season with very little stress we had our fair share of injuries and a bit of a wobble before the WC break but were still up the top end of the table. We came back after the WC break and smashed it without looking brilliant but this team knows how to grind out wins. Another bit of a wobble when the chasing pack got close but we moved up a gear it was never really in doubt just a case of when not if. Not really the Sheff United way is it to be all done and dusted with three games left to play and third place a huge 10pts behind.
If we can bring in a few bargains like Anel we have as much chance as anybody of staying in the Premier league if not we have some good players just starting their careers and should be a force back in the Championship, a few years as a yo yo club might not be too bad. A lot depends on who owns the club and how much cash they put in I would hope as much is spent on facilities and scouting as it is buying ready made players which can be an expensive way of doing things, ask Forest who still have no guarantee of survival.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

This time we were expected to go up.