Sorry for your plight from a Saints fan.

[Gabriel's Halo]

Hi Blades, a belated message of sympathy from a Southampton fan who has been through the same thing as your great club but with the added grief of administration and a 10 point deduction so I know big time what you guys are going through right now. When we went into admin and then down to the third tier I thought the world had ended but thankfully there was a knight in shining armour in Marcus Liebherr (RIP) riding to our rescue and I have to say it's been pretty good since even bearing in mind how shyte that division is. Having said that I have enjoyed our brief stay there and seen some pretty good football played but that is due, as some of your posters have correctly pointed out, to money having been spent in the right way and on the right players. I understand your financial situation is not great and you have been let down big time by your Board. I've read that statement they put out and it surpasses all the BS we ever got from Rupert Lowe and that's saying something. There's nothing "exciting" about being in L2 although you might be surprised by the standard of football played there now as your feathery friends across the city have found to their cost. You'll have to lose the high earners which will not be easy bearing in mind the wages some are supposed to be on - who else will pay that sort of money, there's a recession on. You have some good youngsters I understand but as Alan Hansen said "You don't win anything by playing kids" and he's right as we found to our cost in our relegation season. We had some good kids too - Walcott, Bale, Surman, McGoldrick, Best, Matt Mills, Craney etc and where are they now ? Not with us, unfortunately. So I am afraid you may have more pain to come.
I have always looked out for you guys - I went to Sheffield Poly in the late 1970's, lived in the city and went to many home games standing on the Kop - maybe with some of you or, more likely, your fathers ! I used to drink in the Sportsman and the Roebuck Tavern, a pint of Wards was 20p in those days. I went to your League Cup quarter final v Leeds in 1978 (I think). Great atmosphere and I too hated Leeds. I just feel sorry for them now. Good memories of a great city and friendly people (especially the girls..!!). So I wish you all the best and hope to be playing you again soon maybe back in the Prem.
One more thing - Paul Stock, where are you ? You know who I am - get in touch as I understand you have now broken your duck...!

 

[SteelCity Blade]

Welcome GH and thanks for the kind words of sympathy. Most of us were resigned to this a while ago so it hasnt come as much of a shock but that doesnt make it any easier to stomach. As you say, being a Saints fan you will know all about this. I just hope like yourselves, we dont take too long to bounce back. I think you would have done in your first season had it not been for that points deduction.

I could see your mob doing ok in the Championship next season (perhaps playoffs). You seem to have a good blend of experience and youth with the likes of Lambert and Lallana. The latter player has really impressed me when ive watched him this season. He looks a very good prospect.

Best of luck next season. If we do play you in the league anytime soon it will mean that our fortunes have turned around thats for sure.

 

[judge]

isnt it strange that we have had so many messages of condolence ,when according to our piggy neighbours we are the most hated team in football ,funny that

maybe they have got it wrong again

 

[Mendi]

Nice to see other fans backing us thank you.

 

[Big Mart]

Must admit that when it comes to mixing with supporters of other clubs I'm a bit of a football dinosaur, in fact a complete cave dweller but nice one feller, that's a cracking post and one that it's hard to disagree with.

Seen a couple of Saints games live on stream and they impressed me with their pace and style of football. Think the problem for us will be that there are one or two teams at that level now who also choose to get it down and play, as opposed to simply relying on brute force and to that end, next season scares me to death because I can see us being outplayed on more than one occasion if we don't have a major re-think on playing personnel and tactics.

 

[Kenilworth]

When we played Saints a couple of seasons ago, last game of season when Blackwell first came to Utd, where Saints needed a win to stay up in the Champ and beat us 3-2 it was a good game and a cracking atmosphere. Myself and Kenilworth Junior parked a fair way from the ground and ate at a pub with both Blades and Saints fans in it. No trouble, no nastiness, good chat about football in general, couple of games of pool etc.. We even tagged along with some Saints fans to walk to the ground and they were sound. Couldn't have been more helpful.

Not sure we would have had the same reception near Fratton Park.

Good luck for next season GH - thanks for the message. It's not quite as bad as some other relegations (or failed play off final attempts) we have suffered, since the level of hope at the bitter end was lower than a snakes gnads. Then again we have had far more experience than you guys.

Ever since the Tevez sham we feel that Sheff Utd are despised by most other clubs fans and our Piggy neighbours tend to perpetuate this theory - but that's twats for you. We kind of feel like we were the victim of a rear end rape where everyone else seems to think that we egged on the perpetrator.
What is the consensus from your dealings with other fans?

 

[Gabriel's Halo]

isnt it strange that we have had so many messages of condolence ,when according to our piggy neighbours we are the most hated team in football ,funny that

maybe they have got it wrong again

You're going to find a lot of that in L2 I'm afraid Judge. I could not believe the amount of animosity we seemd to generate in that division amongst some opposing fans. In fairness they weren't all like that - we get some Uddersfield fans on our own forum and they've been really decent. Unlike some Brighton and Bournemouth fans who suddenly think we're their brand new rivals, just because we unfortunatley landed in the same division as them, albeit temporarily (thank goodness). I daresay even your feathery friends have suffered in the same way. It's the same old story, kick someone while they're down. We are all seen as "big" clubs by the likes of Bournemouth etc and they love to revel in our downfalls. You may well find the same thing against some of your former lower league local clubs who will just love to have a pop at you.
By the way, whoever it was having a go at Barnsley - the town, the fans and all - I'm right there with you on that. I went to Barnsley once. Once was enough..!!

---------- Post added at 02:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:27 PM ----------

When we played Saints a couple of seasons ago, last game of season when Blackwell first came to Utd, where Saints needed a win to stay up in the Champ and beat us 3-2 it was a good game and a cracking atmosphere. Myself and Kenilworth Junior parked a fair way from the ground and ate at a pub with both Blades and Saints fans in it. No trouble, no nastiness, good chat about football in general, couple of games of pool etc.. We even tagged along with some Saints fans to walk to the ground and they were sound. Couldn't have been more helpful.

Not sure we would have had the same reception near Fratton Park.

Good luck for next season GH - thanks for the message. It's not quite as bad as some other relegations (or failed play off final attempts) we have suffered, since the level of hope at the bitter end was lower than a snakes gnads. Then again we have had far more experience than you guys.

Ever since the Tevez sham we feel that Sheff Utd are despised by most other clubs fans and our Piggy neighbours tend to perpetuate this theory - but that's twats for you. We kind of feel like we were the victim of a rear end rape where everyone else seems to think that we egged on the perpetrator.
What is the consensus from your dealings with other fans?

Yes that was a game and a half alright Kenilworth (you from Luton, by any chance ?). I was working that day and had the radio on listening intently. Nails bitten to the bone, bum squeeking a-plenty and hair torn out but what relief although, frankly, it only delayed the inevitable by a season.

Tevez. Now I've been meaning to ask. What on earth happened to the £15 to £20m mill I thought you'd got as compo from The Hammers over all that ? And what about the parachute payments from the Prem ? Have you received any satisfactory answers from your Board as to where that money has gone. We had a similar issue with Rupert and his chums as to where substantial sums of money received in transfer fees following our relegation from the Prem in '05 had gone. Remember, we got a lot of dosh for Crouch, Phillips and others sold in the panic. The answer given was "running costs". Which was only partly true - it was thought more likely to be going to him and others (allegedly, you understand) as salary payments.

Yes, it's true you would not have got out alive at Fratton Park (or Nottarf Krap as we call it - read it backwards). And yes those derbies against the Skates will be fun - if they can survive the summer, which many of us doubt very much. Seriously, yes. They have MAJOR financial issues, still.

As for your question about dealings with other fans, see my reply to judge above. It varies is the best I can offer.

 

[Micalijo]

Top stuff Gab.

What was the best boozer you visited in League One?

The Parachute payments went on player salaries - Beattie, Naysmith, Hendrie etc etc.

The Tevez wedge is still coming but has been guaranteed against a bank overdraft of a similar size - so has to be used to pay off that loan as and when the cash comes in.

 

[Balham]

Tevez. Now I've been meaning to ask. What on earth happened to the £15 to £20m mill I thought you'd got as compo from The Hammers over all that ? And what about the parachute payments from the Prem ? Have you received any satisfactory answers from your Board as to where that money has gone. We had a similar issue with Rupert and his chums as to where substantial sums of money received in transfer fees following our relegation from the Prem in '05 had gone. Remember, we got a lot of dosh for Crouch, Phillips and others sold in the panic. The answer given was "running costs". Which was only partly true - it was thought more likely to be going to him and others (allegedly, you understand) as salary payments.

I hear a can of worms being opened...!

In a nutshell, it's gone on ridiculous things.

- Buying a club in China which was then relegated from the Chinese SuperLeague for match fixing (I'd guess that total investment probably hit £10m there).

- Building a hotel at Bramall Lane (no idea how much that ended up costing!).

- Employing Nyron Nosworthy for a season and a half (£2m-ish, believe it or not!).

- Getting shite Premiership players in on loan whenever one of ours was injured (c£4m over the last couple of seasons!)

- Buying James Beattie (£4m plus around £35k per week!)

- Buying Ched Evans (£3m plus (allegedly) £20k per week in wages)

- Buying Darius Henderson

- Employing Gary Naysmith, Lee Hendrie, Nick Montgomery, Richard Cresswell on £10k+ per week; £20k in some cases.

- Hiring Bryan Robson and firing Kevin Blackwell.

The list goes on. As mismanagement of a football club goes, it's up there. Maybe not a Pompey levels though!

 

[Linz]

- Buying Ferencvaros in Hungary.

Can't dispute the others, but I don't think there was any financial agreements between Sheffield United FC and Ferencvaros... that was a deal between Scarborough and Ferencvaros as far as I remember. We (the football club) just had an informal agreement in place over their players.

So none of Sheffield United's money went to Hungary, Tevez money or not.

 

[Balham]

Can't dispute the others, but I don't think there was any financial agreements between Sheffield United FC and Ferencvaros... that was a deal between Scarborough and Ferencvaros as far as I remember. We (the football club) just had an informal agreement in place over their players.

So none of Sheffield United's money went to Hungary, Tevez money or not.

My bad. Original post edited

 

[Linz]

My bad. Original post edited

S'alright

I just know a lot of people think the foreign clubs have a lot to do with why we find ourselves skinted, whereas I think Chengdu was the only one that had some financial commitment from SUFC in a joint-venture type deal with Scarborough.

We're skint for other reasons.

 

[Balham]

S'alright

I just know a lot of people think the foreign clubs have a lot to do with why we find ourselves skinted, whereas I think Chengdu was the only one that had some financial commitment from SUFC in a joint-venture type deal with Scarborough.

We're skint for other reasons.

To be fair, I think I only added that one in after Gabriel's Halo got me thinking about just where the money has gone which in turn got me annoyed about the number of bad decisions that were made. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but surely someone should have said something along the lines of "what if we don't get promoted?".

United have had to make quite a few major decisions since relegation. Have we got any of them right?!

 

[JJ Sefton]

Tevez. Now I've been meaning to ask. What on earth happened to the £15 to £20m mill I thought you'd got as compo from The Hammers over all that ? And what about the parachute payments from the Prem ?

It got snorted off a strippers tits long ago.

 

[Bladesman]

To be fair, I think I only added that one in after Gabriel's Halo got me thinking about just where the money has gone which in turn got me annoyed about the number of bad decisions that were made. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but surely someone should have said something along the lines of "what if we don't get promoted?".

United have had to make quite a few major decisions since relegation. Have we got any of them right?!

Nope the only decision we got right was showing some ambition when we got relegated with spending a few quid but we followed it with deciding Bryan Robson should be the one to spend that money.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

It got snorted off a strippers tits long ago.

Well, stripper is being very generous Walthy. You had to get on all fours to snort cos the tits dangled below knee level, and I'm not saying she was old, but Rooney said 'No thanks!'

 

[Liaminho9]

I hear a can of worms being opened...!

In a nutshell, it's gone on ridiculous things.

- Buying a club in China which was then relegated from the Chinese SuperLeague for match fixing (I'd guess that total investment probably hit £10m there).

- Building a hotel at Bramall Lane (no idea how much that ended up costing!).

- Employing Nyron Nosworthy for a season and a half (£2m-ish, believe it or not!).

- Getting shite Premiership players in on loan whenever one of ours was injured (c£4m over the last couple of seasons!)

- Buying James Beattie (£4m plus around £35k per week!)

- Buying Ched Evans (£3m plus (allegedly) £20k per week in wages)

- Buying Darius Henderson

- Employing Gary Naysmith, Lee Hendrie, Nick Montgomery, Richard Cresswell on £10k+ per week; £20k in some cases.

- Hiring Bryan Robson and firing Kevin Blackwell.

The list goes on. As mismanagement of a football club goes, it's up there. Maybe not a Pompey levels though!

Just to clear things up, my Dad knows some rather in the know people in the Hotel Industry... The Hotel no longer has any ties with the football club.

 

[SwissBlade]

Were simply skint because we spent more than we earnt and made half hearted gambles on success

---------- Post added at 03:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:32 PM ----------

Just to clear things up, my Dad knows some rather in the know people in the Hotel Industry... The Hotel no longer has any ties with the football club.

Who owns the freehold?

 

[axel smeets]

Touching back on that game at St Mary's in May 2008, it was my first trip to Southampton. We travelled down early on the Sunday morning and stayed over in the etap. Lovely place down there, a nailbiting game. Saints fans were great with us, we drank with them before and after, although I was kinda glad we lost, because I think we would have had some hassle that night tbh, if we had sent you down. That's to be expected though, in a one club city, not a go at Southampton fans.

What a nail biter that was though, we led 1-0, trailed 2-1 then equalised 2-2 only to lose 3-2. The atmosphere was brilliant, we were in the play offs for 5 minutes at about 13.10, then back out. Saints needed a win and had to hope that Leicester failed to beat Stoke, who in turn knew that a draw would send them up!!

 

[oldblade]

Just to clear things up, my Dad knows some rather in the know people in the Hotel Industry... The Hotel no longer has any ties with the football club.

If that is the case, why does any payment made to the hotel by credit/debit card show up on my bank statement as being to "Sheffield United (Hotel)"?

 

[Linz]

If that is the case, why does any payment made to the hotel by credit/debit card show up on my bank statement as being to "Sheffield United (Hotel)"?

I think it's a company set up by Scarborough to handle the hotel. It's Sheffield United (Hotel) Ltd.

Their payment details have changed since the hotel changed hands so I think our connection is in name only.

Registered office address is the same as Scarborough Property:

EUROPA HOUSE
20 ESPLANADE
SCARBOROUGH
NORTH YORKSHIRE
YO11 2AQ

 

[Gabriel's Halo]

It got snorted off a strippers tits long ago.

Well I'm glad it wasn't completely wasted then......

 

[Kenilworth]

Yes that was a game and a half alright Kenilworth (you from Luton, by any chance ?).

Nope - it's the Warwickhire town I used to live in years ago - still live in rurual Warwickshire just not Kenilworth anymore. Was there for 10 years so kind of kept the name on various forums - mostly use this one exclusively now, though. Reasonable bunch of thugs on here, some deluded some delusional - we are all pretty much basket cases - being a Blade does that to you.

---------- Post added at 05:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:17 PM ----------

S'alright

Linz - just going by your most recent avatar are you actually in the Prawn industry?

 

[Balham]

Just to clear things up, my Dad knows some rather in the know people in the Hotel Industry... The Hotel no longer has any ties with the football club.

True. However, it was sold to Scarborough plc for £1 which never in a million years covered the investment we made in it. For a start, Sheffield United (Hotel) Ltd would have had a large mortgage attached; the repayments until sale would have been covered by Sheffield United plc.

 

[ghandi]

I think it's a company set up by Scarborough to handle the hotel. It's Sheffield United (Hotel) Ltd.

Their payment details have changed since the hotel changed hands so I think our connection is in name only.

Registered office address is the same as Scarborough Property:

EUROPA HOUSE
20 ESPLANADE
SCARBOROUGH
NORTH YORKSHIRE
YO11 2AQ

If the hotel is run by Copthorne why do payments not show as Copthorne????

 

[Studge]

If the hotel is run by Copthorne why do payments not show as Copthorne????

AS I understood it the Hotel was always an asset of Sheffield United(Hotel) Limited which was a subsidiary company of Sheffield United PLC as is Sheffield United Football Club Limited. I would imagine that the shares in Sheffield United (Hotel) limited have beeb transferred to the ultimate holding company of/ from Sheffield United PLC

 

[beightonblade]

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee by gum what a tangled web he weaves................................