Sheffield struggles

[robbiez666]

I completely agree mate. I think Sheffield has undergone a huge transformation in the last 20 years and yes, there's still plenty more to be done.

I also think the people who criticise Sheffield for lack of 5* dining, Plush Department stores or rooftop champagne bars are suffering from delusion. Sheffield is still a relatively low-income place to live compared to other major cities. The view that Sheffield is a shithole is a tired, ignorant argument when there's huge investment in the local manufacturing and digital industries.

But that won't stop the moaners rolling their eyes because there's no foie-gras at their local butchers in Meersbrook or walking down the Moor and tutting.

But is that despite SCC though?

You'll be shocked (probably not) by the number of relatively affluent residents who lap up artisanal cocktail bars and 5-star dining in this 'look at me' culture we live in.

 

[JJBlade]

One word - Meadowhall.

Large swathes of which are now empty too

Most cities have out of town shopping malls
It doesn't affect their city centre centres at all, in fact it brings business in.

 

[EddieColquhoun]

On behalf of the very large number of people who work for the council and work their f*cking arses off every day to try and make Sheffield better and look after people who really need our help, thank you so much for your comments, pal. Your fine insight and detailed knowledge is really appreciated. You are a wonderful human being.

That made me chuckle and I only try and renew a parking permit annually.

 

[bypassblade]

Hi Stegosaurus here,

Just to add to the merger idea, we would also have twice as many players, meaning we can easily sell the driftwood like McBurnie, Norwood and Stevens because we'll have the likes of Jordan Rhodes, Palmer and Pelupessy coming in to replace them.

You're trying to tell me you kept a straight face typing all that!!!

 

[robbiez666]

It never fails to shock me that the city with the two oldest football clubs in the world does nothing to celebrate the fact. Instead, they'd rather pay millions to attract a dogshit videogames museum here. It's not like football is popular around the world.

 

[Dutch Blade]

I'm not sure about the fanbase. Obviously we have a group of very loyal supporters, but even in the Premier League we struggled to sell out some games. Part of that was due to the membership farce, but it shows that of that fanbase finding 30k people to visit our games consistently is not that easy. Which obviously is a big problem if you really wanna grow as a club. That's without the other problems already summed up here.

 

[LudlamBlade]

I live an hour from Sheffield, come in for all home games and must say we love Sheffield. If we just want a night out or a weekend stay its always Sheffield. Must admit they could market themselves a lot better. Imagine another city with the first football club in the world and world snooker tournament, they would project themselves a hell of a lot more. But the big miss is definitely the airport. Maybe living there people don't see whats under their nose.

It's the metropolitan aspect of the city centre that's missing...

Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds are all Northern cities but all have actually city centres with prominent shops, bars and venues.

Sheffield has Division Street and the Peace Gardens and that's about it...they're scrambling to get the Moor up to date but at the same time...almost every shop has surrendered their lease on Fargate...if The Star is to be believed.

Pretty sure all that's left there is a Boots and a Lush now

 

[LudlamBlade]

As does Leeds with a Labour council

Blame the people not the party

Leeds may have a Labour Council, but it is also founded on and funded by Freemason money

 

[blades78]

No transport infrastructure in Sheffield compared to Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester all of which have an airport, electrified rail links to London and plenty of Motorways to take you into the city. What does Sheffield have a new airport over 20 miles away with poor roads to get to it. A rail network that is not electrified you can actually get to Leeds from London faster than from London to Sheffield which is 38 miles nearer the capital. We have the M1 passing through and the crumbling Sheffield Parkway (2 lanes) linking it to the city centre. But hey lets make the only other main road from the M1 into the city into bus and cycle lanes like they tried at Shalesmoor with the resulting grid lock. Even HS2 when it finally arrives will have smaller trains running on existing track saving 10-15mins off the current time table rather than the main route coming into Sheffield thanks to SCC they really do Sheffield proud.

You forgot spending hundreds of millions on the new market and moor shopping development which isn't near the main public transport links. Also, the shitty block of flats next to the Peace Gardens that the developers couldn't be arsed to finish as designed.

 

[Rodley]

Leeds may have a Labour Council, but it is also founded on and funded by Freemason money

 

[TJB.]

You forgot spending hundreds of millions on the new market and moor shopping development which isn't near the main public transport links.

Eh?!

Apart from the bus station, I'm struggling think of another area in the city that has more bus stops than the bottom of The Moor.

They're not even new. They've been there as long as I can remember.

 

[RedandWhite]

We didn't take any fans anywhere this season. They took 110k to QPR, we are not worthy. They all have borrowed teeth though.

 

[bladesmanluke]

It's not though, is it?

Half The Moor has been replaced with more to come. HSBC have just built brand new offices. Heart of the City II is well underway which is a multi-million pound redevelopment project. Fitzalan Square is unrecognisable from the dump it was two years ago. The market stalls by Castlegate are getting shifted because of redevelopment about to happen there. There's a 39 storey apartment block going where the old Primark is. There's a new food hall being built on Cambridge Street with a rooftop bar.

That's all without mentioning owt which has happened/is happening down Kelham, or anything down Eccy Road or in Nether Edge/Abbeydale.

It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, and a walk up Fargate will tell you there's a hell of a lot more work to be done. But the 'Sheffield is a shithole' narrative is so fucking boring sometimes, and it's so sad when it constantly comes from many of its own citizens.

I get the impression that these people pop into town about three times a year and instead of noticing the new cinema or state of the art offices, they stand outside a bookies or a Greggs with their hands on their hips, shaking their heads in disapproval.

It is though.

I'm proud to be from Sheffield and there's a lot of good stuff happening, but you're kidding yourself if you think the level of investment in our city has been anywhere near the level of Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds in the last 20 years.

We've seen improvement, but more often than not it's been on the cheap. Look at the new retail Quarter, now dubbed "Heart of the City 2". It's been watered down over and over again. It'll still bring an improvement to the city, but nothing like what was originally planned as Sevenstone 15 years ago. John Lewis (the anchor of the whole scheme) has even fucked off. Meanwhile in Manchester there's 200m skyscrapers popping up all over.

I know you'll say it's apples and oranges, and it'll probably never get close, but the point is if we want our clubs to compete at the very top, the city must also compete for investment better than it is doing.

 

[TJB.]

It is though.

I'm proud to be from Sheffield and there's a lot of good stuff happening, but you're kidding yourself if you think the level of investment in our city has been anywhere near the level of Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds in the last 20 years.

We've seen improvement, but more often than not it's been on the cheap. Look at the new retail Quarter, now dubbed "Heart of the City 2". It's been watered down over and over again. It'll still bring an improvement to the city, but nothing like what was originally planned as Sevenstone 15 years ago. John Lewis (the anchor of the whole scheme) has even fucked off. Meanwhile in Manchester there's 200m skyscrapers popping up all over.

I know you'll say it's apples and oranges, and it'll probably never get close, but the point is if we want our clubs to compete at the very top, the city must also compete for investment better than it is doing.

This is what you said was 'nail on the head'.

"Go and have trip into Sheffield. Looks at all the cheap shops. Look at the state of it. There's no investment in the city"

I've not said that we're near the likes of Manny, Leeds and Liverpool in terms of investment. I'm saying there's a bogus narrative that persists which suggests there's no money being spent here. It's there for you to see. But some people just love talking the city down.

We're playing catch up in many areas. I'm under no illusion of that. I'd just rather point out the positive aspects of what's going on in the city than portray it as Chernobyl as some seem to. If you only see the bad in everywhere you go, you'd likely have a few choice words about these northern Meccas we speak of.

 

[LudlamBlade]

This is what you said was 'nail on the head'.

"Go and have trip into Sheffield. Looks at all the cheap shops. Look at the state of it. There's no investment in the city"

I've not said that we're near the likes of Manny, Leeds and Liverpool in terms of investment. I'm saying there's a bogus narrative that persists which suggests there's no money being spent here. It's there for you to see. But some people just love talking the city down.

We're playing catch up in many areas. I'm under no illusion of that. I'd just rather point out the positive aspects of what's going on in the city than portray it as Chernobyl as some seem to. If you only see the bad in everywhere you go, you'd likely have a few choice words about these northern Meccas we speak of.

All the shops that have not reopened in Sheffield city centre and on The Moor today – full list

Shoppers have flocked to Sheffield this morning as non-essential stores finally reopened under the roadmap out of lockdown.

www.google.com

 

[Working Class Hero]

This is what you said was 'nail on the head'.

"Go and have trip into Sheffield. Looks at all the cheap shops. Look at the state of it. There's no investment in the city"

I've not said that we're near the likes of Manny, Leeds and Liverpool in terms of investment. I'm saying there's a bogus narrative that persists which suggests there's no money being spent here. It's there for you to see. But some people just love talking the city down.

We're playing catch up in many areas. I'm under no illusion of that. I'd just rather point out the positive aspects of what's going on in the city than portray it as Chernobyl as some seem to. If you only see the bad in everywhere you go, you'd likely have a few choice words about these northern Meccas we speak of.

There is a lot of this from Sheffielders, and I'd suggest it's more a reflection of the people than the city itself. For some reason people seem to want to drag everything down and have a negative outlook.

Sheffield obviously isn't going to compete with Manchester, it's a pointless statement. Leeds is a good comparison and in terms of commercial development there has been a lot more of it there than in Sheffield, for whatever reason (much of that is based around the shopping offerings, which has no future anyway). There are many many towns and cities that are in a far worse state than Sheffield though, but they don't get mentioned. It's always "we're miles behind Leeds and Manchester".

 

[Nosworthys Throw]

It's not though, is it?

Half The Moor has been replaced with more to come. HSBC have just built brand new offices. Heart of the City II is well underway which is a multi-million pound redevelopment project. Fitzalan Square is unrecognisable from the dump it was two years ago. The market stalls by Castlegate are getting shifted because of redevelopment about to happen there. There's a 39 storey apartment block going where the old Primark is. There's a new food hall being built on Cambridge Street with a rooftop bar.

That's all without mentioning owt which has happened/is happening down Kelham, or anything down Eccy Road or in Nether Edge/Abbeydale.

It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, and a walk up Fargate will tell you there's a hell of a lot more work to be done. But the 'Sheffield is a shithole' narrative is so fucking boring sometimes, and it's so sad when it constantly comes from many of its own citizens.

I get the impression that these people pop into town about three times a year and instead of noticing the new cinema or state of the art offices, they stand outside a bookies or a Greggs with their hands on their hips, shaking their heads in disapproval.

Fuck the buildings, its the legions of smackhead "homeless" trampy cunts stumbling about, its like a scene out of Thriller. Need rounding up and recycling in to dog food

 

[Working Class Hero]

Fuck the buildings, its the legions of smackhead "homeless" trampy cunts stumbling about, its like a scene out of Thriller. Need rounding up and recycling in to dog food

To be fair that is the case around Castlegate, I've recently started walking through there and there is a constant mob of dodgy looking characters milling about near the fenced off castle dig area. However, that's not the case anywhere else, so you'd only believe that if you're basing your opinion of the city centre on that tiny area (which needs flattening quickly). People who only go to Wilkinson's and Bankers Draft would understandably have that opinion.

 

[LudlamBlade]

To be fair that is the case around Castlegate, I've recently started walking through there and there is a constant mob of dodgy looking characters milling about near the fenced off castle dig area. However, that's not the case anywhere else, so you'd only believe that if you're basing your opinion of the city centre on that tiny area (which needs flattening quickly). People who only go to Wilkinson's and Bankers Draft would understandably have that opinion.

I'm guessing you haven't seen the swathe of them that have recently commandeered the bottom of the Moor as well!

Or round Dev Green on most days.

Or the 6 or 7 who regularly work West Street.

A close family member used to work for Action housing and as such, knows half of them by name, a lot of them aren't even homeless and have flats paid for by housing benefits...its the lifestyle they want though.

Not a problem exclusive to Sheffield by any means, but it's also far from a problem that's exclusive to Castlegate

 

[TJB.]

There is a lot of this from Sheffielders, and I'd suggest it's more a reflection of the people than the city itself. For some reason people seem to want to drag everything down and have a negative outlook.

Like this, you mean?...

Fuck the buildings, its the legions of smackhead "homeless" trampy cunts stumbling about, its like a scene out of Thriller. Need rounding up and recycling in to dog food

 

[BushBlade]

Sheffield is still a relatively low-income place to live compared to other major cities.

Going back to the OP though. Isn’t that one of the (many) reasons why Sheffield football has suffered? I remember reading in one of this big histories of United (Clareborough, I think but it’s a long time since I read it) that we needed attendances to be averaging more than 30k in the 70s to break even. The only way we can get big attendances is to have low ticket prices (which means that we need even bigger attendances to get the same money), we struggled to get sponsors because they could use the excuse they had to sponsor both clubs or the supporters of the other would turn against them and we weren’t attractive to national sponsors.
Professional football isn’t a level playing field, particularly since the abolition of the maximum wage and, from when that happened, we’ve not been able to compete with the likes of Liverpool, Man U etc.

 

[JJBlade]

It is though.

I'm proud to be from Sheffield and there's a lot of good stuff happening, but you're kidding yourself if you think the level of investment in our city has been anywhere near the level of Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds in the last 20 years.

We've seen improvement, but more often than not it's been on the cheap. Look at the new retail Quarter, now dubbed "Heart of the City 2". It's been watered down over and over again. It'll still bring an improvement to the city, but nothing like what was originally planned as Sevenstone 15 years ago. John Lewis (the anchor of the whole scheme) has even fucked off. Meanwhile in Manchester there's 200m skyscrapers popping up all over.

I know you'll say it's apples and oranges, and it'll probably never get close, but the point is if we want our clubs to compete at the very top, the city must also compete for investment better than it is doing.

This is true about apples and oranges
But in the 1980's it was definitely apples v apples, or oranges v oranges.
All cities were starting again from a blank canvas.
Places like Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle were the absolute pits, truly horrifying places.

They went one way, and Sheffield did what it always does, finds a cheaper non sustainable alternative that nobody is interested in.

Our football clubs have done the same thing for generations and the interest beyond Stocksbridge at one end and Killamarsh at the other is non existent.

 

[JJBlade]

There is a lot of this from Sheffielders, and I'd suggest it's more a reflection of the people than the city itself. For some reason people seem to want to drag everything down and have a negative outlook.

Sheffield obviously isn't going to compete with Manchester, it's a pointless statement. Leeds is a good comparison and in terms of commercial development there has been a lot more of it there than in Sheffield, for whatever reason (much of that is based around the shopping offerings, which has no future anyway). There are many many towns and cities that are in a far worse state than Sheffield though, but they don't get mentioned. It's always "we're miles behind Leeds and Manchester".

It's because Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool are the cities that were our peers, similar size, similar populations, and the cities that we should have kept up with.

Allowing us to become a second tier city means that we should have then competed with Newcastle, Nottingham and Bristol.

But guess what, Sheffield can't do that either

So it tries to compete with third tier cities, like Norwich, Southampton, Leicester

But guess what ??? It doesn't matter, we all know the answer

 

[Maidenhead]

Leeds may have a Labour Council, but it is also founded on and funded by Freemason money

As an active Freemason myself I can assure you that the only contribution that I make to Leeds City Council is my annual council tax.

I've seen many a wild conspiracy theory regarding Freemasonry in my time but this has to be amongst the most ridiculous of the lot.

 

[LudlamBlade]

As an active Freemason myself I can assure you that the only contribution that I make to Leeds City Council is my annual council tax.

I've seen many a wild conspiracy theory regarding Freemasonry in my time but this has to be amongst the most ridiculous of the lot.

Fair enough! Just going from my time working at Civic Hall, we had a manager there who also said he was an active Freemason and was proud that "our money built our city" as he used to put it!

He said the two golden owls outside were there to "remind the people who gave them what they have"...

Not claiming to know more than you mate! Just passing on what I was told

 

[LudlamBlade]

As an active Freemason myself I can assure you that the only contribution that I make to Leeds City Council is my annual council tax.

I've seen many a wild conspiracy theory regarding Freemasonry in my time but this has to be amongst the most ridiculous of the lot.

You've peaked my interest with talk of these conspiracy theories though!

Whats the best one you've heard?

 

[Maidenhead]

Fair enough! Just going from my time working at Civic Hall, we had a manager there who also said he was an active Freemason and was proud that "our money built our city" as he used to put it!

He said the two golden owls outside were there to "remind the people who gave them what they have"...

Not claiming to know more than you mate! Just passing on what I was told

Where did you work in the council?

(My wife worked for Democratic Services in the Lib Dem office for 11 yrs)

 

[Maidenhead]

You've peaked my interest with talk of these conspiracy theories though!

Whats the best one you've heard?

We're responsible for everything that's ever gone wrong in the world, don't you know.

We control governments, continents, in fact we control the whole of our solar system organisations like the mafia and SPECTRE can only dream about the influence we have.

Just a shame none of it ever seems to trickle down to me

 

[Nosworthys Throw]

Like this, you mean?...

I wasn't been negative, i offered a positive solution!

But its not just outside poundland, the city centre is infested. Its got alot worse in last 2 or 3 years. Twice a day i have to walk through it, you obviously dont

 

[themaninblack]

It’s 40 years since I left Sheffield and since then I have only returned for weddings, funerals and the Blades but I have lived in Manchester and Leeds and both cities feel, for better or worse, a lot less ‘village’ than Sheffield. Our city has struggled over the years and it is obviously not as wealthy as its northern neighbours.

A mate of mine has been investing in property in the UK for a good while (starting in London 20 years ago, then Manchester 10 years ago) and has made a few bob over the years. He tells me that Sheffield is expected to be the next city to take off and that he has received numerous prospectuses (is that even a word?) pushing investment in the city. Maybe this is an indication of brighter times ahead?