Statues

[Ballinpigpubs13]

You can now have your name or message? I think on the statues in the car-park
Anybody else giving it a whirl? It's a bit different to the bricks!
It's £65 to have your name on the statue of your choice and you get 2 free match tickets as well.

 

[DP8789]

Leave them as they are. They don't need "gaz - true blade" or "Sally - sufc 4eva" putting on them. An unnecessary way to make a few quid. The statues speak for themselves, they represent our respect for those two individuals. I didn't buy a brick and I certainly won't be touching those statues.

 

[GlosBlade]

So assuming the punter was going to buy the match tickets anyhow then the club are making about 15 quid a time profit...times must be really tough at the Lane these days. Leave the statues as they are please.

 

[Ballinpigpubs13]

The statues already have loads of names on them including the McCabes. Not sure if you can have messages like "fred bloggs true Blade" etc? The promotions department at the Lane are running the thing.

 

[Ted Danson]

So assuming the punter was going to buy the match tickets anyhow then the club are making about 15 quid a time profit...times must be really tough at the Lane these days. Leave the statues as they are please.

Judging by the tacky phone vote idea for man of the match I think times really are tough at the lane these days.

Surely theres not that much space on the statues though if they have a good uptake. I quite liked the bricks (especially as mine is so well placed) but theres some god awfull ones too that look like theyv been laid by some YTS lad with one hand tied behind his back.

 

[Willie Carlin]

You can now have your name or message? I think on the statues in the car-park
Anybody else giving it a whirl? It's a bit different to the bricks!
It's £65 to have your name on the statue of your choice and you get 2 free match tickets as well.

Already done it.

 

[Ballinpigpubs13]

Surely theres not that much space on the statues though if they have a good uptake.

From what I've seen they are roughly 2-3 long in a bronze / brass effect. Room for a good few thousand on each statue.

 

[Rooks]

The names on the plaques are mainly names only, no True Blade or Blade 4Eva etc.

The additional extras you receive when purchasing a plaque are

2 Match Tickets for a Category B game, 30 Weeks in the Super Draw & a £10 Blades Superstore Gift Voucher.

For further details or to purchase one please comtact the Promotions Department.

 

[silverfox]

Thanks for the info Mick.

Not a bad deal by the looks of it. (if you like that sort of thing!)

 

[cahill]

I was looking at both statues t'other day but can't for the life of me understand why a cradle Wednesday supporter is honoured at Bramall Lane in such a way. I appreciate and understand that the man did great things for the city of Sheffield and was cruelly robbed of his very real potential in a tragic way. The reality is that he was rejected by Wednesday and his volte face was driven by bitterness at rejection.

By all means celebrate his achievements but one thing you can't change was his lifelong adherence to Wednesday, however tarnished.

A sad day for Blades, were supporters consulted about the Dooley statue ?

 

[shorehamview]

I was looking at both statues t'other day but can't for the life of me understand why a cradle Wednesday supporter is honoured at Bramall Lane in such a way. I appreciate and understand that the man did great things for the city of Sheffield and was cruelly robbed of his very real potential in a tragic way. The reality is that he was rejected by Wednesday and his volte face was driven by bitterness at rejection.

By all means celebrate his achievements but one thing you can't change was his lifelong adherence to Wednesday, however tarnished.

A sad day for Blades, were supporters consulted about the Dooley statue ?

Sorry, but I'm not having that. Derek Dooley did a great deal for both clubs, but it could be argued that he did more for United in an administrative capacity than he ever did for Wednesday either as a player or as a manager. Remember that they sacked him and we didn't. Anybody who remembers him trollied and singing "New York, New York" after our promotion should have no doubts that he may well have been an Owl but he was just as big a Blade.

A sad day? Never.

 

[cahill]

So you agree he was a Wednesdayite ? How, then could he be a Blade ? Irrespective of what he did for the club

 

[Worksop II]

A sad day for Blades

Its a McCabe thing, like McCabe and other Directors having their names on the Black Shirt, its like no other Director or Administrator ever did any good at the Club in the previous 120 years.

But think of it like this, Dooley is probably the best thing McCabe ever did for this Club.

For me it should be on Derek Dooley Way, which must near halfway betweeen the Grounds.

 

[Nick Jansky]

Derek Dooley was a the only individual who has ever managed to bridge that chasm between us & them. I think he should be loved by both clubs.

 

[shorehamview]

So you agree he was a Wednesdayite ? How, then could he be a Blade ? Irrespective of what he did for the club

Dooley was a fan of both.

People of my grandfather's era often used to watch both Sheffield teams. This was in the days before away travel over distances further than the next town or city was commonplace. There would have been a sizeable number of (usually) men in Sheffield who watched United one week and wednesday the other, simply because they liked to watch football. Sure, they may well have favoured one or the other, but I bet there were quite a few who wanted both Sheffield clubs to do well. Just because you don't like Wednesday doesn't mean Derek Dooley couldn't.

An old aunt of mine knew him quite well, and insisted that he held both clubs in equal regard.

 

[Ballinpigpubs13]

I do think a few more statues would compliment the two we already have. I would add Hagan ( even though there is a bust of him ), I would definately add Fatty Foulkes although the statue may have to be sized down a degree! Gentleman John Harris would be a great addition as one of our finest managers. I would also add Fred Tunstall for being the scorer of maybe our last cup winning goal!

 

[beightonblade]

cheap as chips !

 

[Micalijo]

I was looking at both statues t'other day but can't for the life of me understand why a cradle Wednesday supporter is honoured at Bramall Lane in such a way. I appreciate and understand that the man did great things for the city of Sheffield and was cruelly robbed of his very real potential in a tragic way. The reality is that he was rejected by Wednesday and his volte face was driven by bitterness at rejection.

By all means celebrate his achievements but one thing you can't change was his lifelong adherence to Wednesday, however tarnished.

A sad day for Blades, were supporters consulted about the Dooley statue ?

Totally agree.

 

[raul]

But think of it like this, Dooley is probably the best thing McCabe ever did for this Club.

Poor old Turry, forgotten already....

 

[Ballinpigpubs13]

My cheque has been cashed but I still aint got me name on? anyone else still waiting? Been two months since I did the deed.

 

[Linz]

Might be worth contacting Mick Rooker.

His username on here is "Rooks".

 

[Stafford Blade]

I was looking at both statues t'other day but can't for the life of me understand why a cradle Wednesday supporter is honoured at Bramall Lane in such a way. I appreciate and understand that the man did great things for the city of Sheffield and was cruelly robbed of his very real potential in a tragic way. The reality is that he was rejected by Wednesday and his volte face was driven by bitterness at rejection.

By all means celebrate his achievements but one thing you can't change was his lifelong adherence to Wednesday, however tarnished.

A sad day for Blades, were supporters consulted about the Dooley statue ?

Are you on the fucking wind up or what??

Dooley did a hell of a lot for united and was widely respected throughout football and your comment is quite frankly ridiculous

 

[super_pig]

we need statues of pleat and richards.. the men that did what we couldn't do and destroyed wednesday.. meh

 

[axel smeets]

Dooley was disgracefully treated by swfc, who displayed a complete lack of class and grace by dismissing him on xmas eve. Also, as chief executive at the Lane under Brealey and then in the aftermath of the McDonald debacle, let's not forget that he appointed Bassett and Warnock, men who, whatever people think of their style, turned the club around.
I wouldn't claim to have known the man, but by all accounts, he was a gentleman. Anyway, even if he was a (lapsed) wednesdayite, what harm did he ever do to Sheffield United?

 

[SwissBlade]

Despite his affiliation with the soon to be bankrupt piggies, was a legend for his work at United.

I never buy into this "he was a pig, so he can't come to us" nonsense. Derek Dooley proved that despite affiliations to our rivals, his professionalism and love of football, but ultimately Sheffield football and latterly United he carried his job out with dignity.

For me he was the bridge between the two clubs but most importantly he was a football man and was the last (and only in my lifetime) link between the fans and the board of our club.

Football always seemed to take priority over business with Dooley, but somehow he was also sensible enough to realise that football alone wasn't enough, we needed to make money as well.

So he was also the middle man between team manager and Board.

I believe that those factors helped drive United to the Premier League and we have lost that element since he has departed.

Thats what Dooley represents to me and thats why he deserves a statue

 

[Revolution]

Without commenting on how good Dooley was at his job - I genuinely have no idea - it is perhaps fitting that a club which has often been accused in recent times, with some justification, of focussing too much on non-footablling matters, builds a statue of someone who (a) never played for the club (b) served in an admistrative capacity and (c) whose claims to fame all relate to his service as a player or manager of our local rivals.

There are over a dozen players I would have built a statue to before I'd have built one of Dooley.

Serious question - is there any other ground in the country where there is a statue outside depicting someone who was not a player for the team who plays there?

 

[raul]

Think it reflects more the lack of genuine "legends" we've had to be honest. Can't think of anyone outside TC who's name would ever crop up in conversation with the average football fan outside of Sheffield in the manner of, say, Bremner, Finney or even as at Anfield, Shankly.

However, given the lack of the above and the absolute importance of a club celebrating it's heritage, irrespective of how much resonating it's done on a national scale, I don't think the statues are a bad thing.

 

[Revolution]

Neither do I. I just don't see how a statue of Dooley assists in letting the club celebrate its heritage.

TC is one of many who would have been more appropriate from a footballing perspective. As you say, he's one of the few well known former United players.

 

[Longtimesupporter]

Taylor and Clough at Derby and Nottingham Forest-hence Brian Clough Way joing the cities.

 

[Revolution]

So there are statues of managers as well. Dooley only ever managed Wednesday, though.