So little has changed

[BusheyBlade]

Copied below is an email I wrote to SUFC in October 2009 after defeats at Scunthorpe and Blackpool (who'd have thought at the time that the latter would end up winning promotion last season!). I was reading through my emails and found it, nice to know that nothing has really changed. I'll try and root out the rather useless response I recieved from Andy Pack if I get the chance

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I am writing this following yet another defeat for Sheffield United, this time a 3-0 reversal at the hands of Blackpool. Coming so shortly after a wholly inept performance during the 3-1 defeat at Scunthorpe United, I wonder quite how much more of this I can take. Losing the play off final in May was a very bitter pill to swallow, but I got over it during the summer months with a sense of optimism for the coming season, yet all I am left with now is a sense of despondency lower than any of the play off finals or FA Cup Semi Final defeats; even the relegations I have witnessed live. I’m not a season ticket holder, in fact I have only been to one game this season, that being the trip to Reading, but I feel it is time for some answers.

During the summer months the fans were told that there was money to spend for squad rebuilding. We even saw the club spend some decent money on Ched Evans (I wonder if he feels the move was the right one for him now?). Yet only 2 months in to the new season the club seems to have gone full circle. How embarrassing to not even be able to field the full complement of 7 substitutes at Glanford Park at the weekend. Oh how the Irons fans, supporters of a club with little experience in the top two divisions, must have chuckled to themselves at this bizarre reversal of fortunes as their team took to the field against one of the big boys of the Championship with a far stronger squad.

Now this brings me on to one of the main complaints I have against the club right now; that of communication of news to the fans. In this age of 24 hour news we mostly crave constant updates, something which I know is very much out of the question for a professional football club. Yes, most of the time there is very little “real” news to broadcast, but I do think that the signing of a new player on a permanent basis ahead of a first team match warrants some sort of broadcast. I am, of course, referring to the mysterious Jonathan Fortune (I am assuming it is the former Charlton Athletic defender) who was on the bench against Scunthorpe and yet again tonight, without so much of a mention of his signing either on the official club website or through any of the major news outlets. But then perhaps most fans would rather hear about the latest match for the Chengdu Blades or Ferencvaros and I am just the odd one out? According to one website he signed for the club on September 20th, but this is news to me.

But what has upset and saddened me the most was the sudden closing down of the official fans’ forum, bladesunited.org, earlier on this season. Without so much of a prior warning from the club we were suddenly presented with a message informing us that the club no longer saw the forum as a viable option in the current climate. I see this is a real kick in the teeth for fans. I do not live in Sheffield, and regularly posted on the forum as a way keeping in touch with local goings on at the club and also as a means of meeting other London based Blades. In my honest opinion, I see the eradication of the forum as the main reason for me following the lowest Io have in my 19 years of following Sheffield United football club. I do not see myself as a “bigger” fan than the next Unitedite, yet I feel I represent many of my fellow fans when I say that as fans, even paying customers, we deserve a bit better. If I were treated as badly by my local supermarket I would vote with my feet and simply take my custom elsewhere, yet as a football club we clearly know that this is not going to happen and that I will support the club through thick and thin. In the past few years I have defended the club amidst allegations of cheating and lack of sportsmanship around the West Ham/Carlos Tevez saga, and yes, although Kevin McCabe won his battle in the end, I can assure you it was not an easy argument to put across at times.

My question to you is this – what direction exactly is the club moving in? At the moment, it seems very much to me like the club is merely drifting along aimlessly, and though it saddens me extremely to say it, this may be my last season as a loyal supporter of the club.

I look forward to hearing some feedback from the club about this, and please feel free to show this mail to all involved. It has simply been written from the heart by a long standing fan who feels that there is very little positive coming out of the club right now. I haven’t even touched upon the Matt Kilgallon contract or the sale of the two Kyles.

 

[Torrix1889]

Things HAVE changed from then, we have gone further back....

 

[DP8789]

Yawn yawn yawn.

 

[Worksop_Blade]

The old woman who sits next to my dad in the exec over on the JSS used to regulary berate Warnock on his team selections etc by post everyweek and it got to a stage where Warnock would send her a Monthly letter acknowledging her grievances and giving her answers and assurances.

All you get now if you send anything to the club is a very nicely written fuck off on headed letter paper.

 

[BusheyBlade]

The response from SUFC

Here's the response I received from Andy Pack. I was very impressed with the speed of his reponse, I sent the email at about midnight and his reply came by 10 o'clock the following morning. Having said that, I was upset at him getting my name wrong (he referred to me by my surname instead of first name, but then that is quite common in all honesty!).

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Thank you for taking so much time to put your thoughts down in writing in such detail and expressing your frustrations which I assure you are felt by all at the Lane, from Kevin McCabe downwards.
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After a decade of solid investment and progress, on and off the field - probably unprecedented in our history - you must acknowledge that the disappointment of coming so close to making the final step in May, followed by the need to adapt wisely to the credit crunch and the loss of parachute payments, have been huge factors in recent weeks.
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As much as we don't want to accept certain results or hear that injuries etc are crippling - because we are Sheffield United and therefore immune from losing or having a bad run - you cannot argue with the fact that over half of last season's team is not on the park at the moment. It would be unbelievable if a bunch of newcomers were to continue the excellent understanding and form of a few months ago.
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It is not a question of making excuses, the fact is that the squad is being rebuilt with several players needing time and encouragement in what can be a hostile environment.
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Kevin Blackwell's record since arriving as manager and his ability to build a team have been impressive, and his enthusiasm and passion for the job should ensure that he is given time to complete the job, difficult though the adjustment may be. Neither he nor Sheffield United have the divine right to win games all the time and we, as Blades, should know more than most how to cope with disappointment but remain committed to the cause!
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Surely this is the time for us to stand together? No-one here want to fail and no-one is trying any less than when we were making fans proud last season.
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Incidentally, with regard to your complaint that there is no positive news coming out of Bramall Lane, I assume that you are not counting positive news that doesn't directly relate to wins or player signings because I assure you that there is no shortage of that.
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Finally, the news of Jonathan Fortune's signing was posted on our website on 19 September, and he has featured in several Reserve reports on the site and in our programme on numerous occasions since.
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Your support is valuable to us and I thank you for making your concerns known in an eloquent and considered fashion. I implore you to help us ride out these difficult times.

 

[Worksop_Blade]

"After a decade of solid investment"? What?

The majority of the promotion team was put together on a shoe string as was the Premier League squad in comparison to the rest of the league. He should have worded that "After 18 months of ridiculous spending".

Meh...c'est la vie!

 

[parisblade]

The majority of the promotion team was put together on a shoe string as was the Premier League squad in comparison to the rest of the league.

I'd always understood that McCabe made some serious cash available to Warnock in the Premier season. Wasn't there a "warchest" of around 22 million?

 

[Robbie]

There was around £10 million spent on players in the PL. Sadly, £2.7 million was on 2 future prospects....

 

[Worksop_Blade]

Imagine if he actually had £22million to spend, that elusive extra goal may have been scored or 1 extra point may have been notched up.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

I never heard Warnock complaining about lack of money in the premiership. My personal opinion is that he couldn't break out of his bargain hunting habit.

He even said recently of Taraabt that he now realises that you need that extra bit of quality in order to be a success.

 

[WeltonBlade]

I am so, so sorry. I've just had one of those days.

 

[Ollessendro]

Nothing has changed?

http://www.sufc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10418~2263732,00.html

This is posted the day that Trevor Birch appoints a communications manager with the sole job of liasing between the club and the supporters.

Slightly ill timed?