The football clubs embody the city...

[Bellypork]

As an outsider it seems to me that Sheffield Council is quite anti-business, compared to Leeds and Manchester despite being of a similar political spectrum. They also seem to fall out quite regularly with the other South Yorkshire authorities. However, they seem to get voted in every time.

I think you might be right there...

 

[JJBlade]

I wrote a negative post about industry and commerce aspect of Sheffield.
The city leaders think small time and the people are generally pessimistic regards big ideas and success....so this becomes a self fulfilling prophesy.

I think our lack of commercial success is down to geography and capatalism.
Take IKEA, their business plan to to have their stores next to the motorway covering all major cities.
We have Manchester 30 miles to the west, Leeds 30 mile to the north and Nottingham 30 mile to the south.
Therefore for many years they by passed Sheffield because we were already covered by several IKEAS 30 mile away.

So we do have other big cities close by.
Hence regards investment it’s easy to be overlooked and go to Manchester, Leeds and Nottingham instead.

Im now in my 50’s and over the decades I’ve worked with loads of outsiders (most were ex students) who decided to lay roots in and around Sheffield.
I ask “what’s the attraction of living in Sheffield” and always tended to receive similar positive comments like.

1: Location: Regards national travel the location is fantastic....virtually the dead centre of England and next to the motorway.
2: Green city: Sheffield has loads of parks and trees in every street. Outsiders are often shocked at how green Sheffield is.
3: Beautiful countryside: They always say we don’t realise how lucky we are to be able to drive just 20 minutes and be surrounded by countryside.
4: The special village atmosphere: Many have commented that Sheffield has the facilties of a large city but the intimate feel of a small town.
Someone said that it might be the hilly terrain forming natural boundaries but Sheffield does feel like a collection of villages.
5: Low crime rate. Ive worked with people who use to live in Manchester and Liverpool and say that crime wise Sheffield has a much much safer vibe.
6: Friendly people. Outsiders used to comment then when you catch a bus in Sheffield you always have strangers talking to you. They say they’ve never experienced it any where else.

Many students from out of town...fall in love with the city and end up staying. Think it’s important to appreciate that Sheffield does have qualities.

I agree with some of what you've written, but I don't believe Geography is the problem
That's like immediately accepting you are inferior
Manchester has Sheffield 30 miles to the East, Leeds 30 miles North East, and Liverpool 30 miles to the West
Leeds has Manchester 30 miles to the West, Sheffield 30 miles to the South, Hull 40 miles to the East, Bradford 10 miles to the West, York 25 miles to the North East and Newcastle 60 miles to the North,
Liverpool has Manchester 30 miles to the East

Linking these places together through good infrastructure is one of the keys to their success, but the Sheffield leaders preferred an insular society with poor infrastructure, our own little commune where hardly anyone else comes and hardly anyone leaves. It makes their seat almost guaranteed.

I remember a few years ago Leeds building their Arena, Sheffield complained like fuck about it and went off lobbying the Government in an incredibly embarrassing tantrum......Why? Did they really think that the Government was going to stop a city from building something that would benefit them.
It's an immediate submission, an immediate fear that what was good enough before is not good enough now.
Just compete for the business and carry on as before without the poor old us attitude, no wonder all the top acts now play at Leeds instead,

 

[Chris the Blade]

I think you might be right there...

Labour's anti business. Sheffield always votes Labour. Therein lies your problem

 

[metalblade]

Granted, but its got well established transport links to get into Manchester (8 miles away) where as Donny Sheffield is 25 miles and only in the last year or so a link road has been established. Its been open best part of 15 /20 years. Plus Manc Airport has grown and grown with three terminals and flights worldwide daily, not sure Finningley is on the same level!

Finningley has a very long runway which is able to handle anything. What is needed is a fast rail link to Sheffield rather than the tortuously slow line to Doncaster again Sheffield has the only main line in the country yet to be electrified. New trains for Sheffield means someone else's cast off's, I don't know what Dan Jarvis and the rest of the local MP's are doing but they should be screaming to get the midland line electrified even before HS2 .
BTW as we speak Clive Betts MP is more concerned about conserving the soon to be replaced signal box on the level crossing in Beighton village, you couldn't make this shit up.

 

[S64 Blade]

Leeds city centre is light years ahead of Sheffield and the amount of new housing/urban living along the canal is brilliant, go have a look, Sheffield has the river Don and has never capitalised on it, Sheffield has a wonderful centre, now look at it, it's a mess.

Nice flats does not equate to culture. One may argue that it's the antithesis of culture.

Also there's more people living in Sheffield city centre than Leeds city centre.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

Exactly
The purpose of a train station is to attract trains, to connect cities and develop business links.

But Sheffield people along with the city management think sandblasting it, building a garden and a steel structure that looks like a knife outside, means job done.
And whilst all this was going on it's missed out on HS2 and has less train links than Doncaster.
But hey it's lovely on the outside (arguably)

With a bit of imagination, they could put a modern roof all the way from the station to the tram stop before Granville Road, build a shopping/bars/restaurants area over the roof. At the same time replace that dreadful second pedestrian walkway over the station, with something people might feel safe using. I'd also say this would be an ideal place to fit in a 'Birthplace of football' museum too.

 

[ShropsBlade]

have a walk round Liverpool.. Shithole.. Their teams seem to have done ok tho

Yes I have took a walk around Liverpool and the city is absolutely thriving.No longer (1980s) stereotype and makes Sheffield city centre look like a slum .Shopping ,nightlife not to mention the dock and museums what bring in millions of visitors.Wolverhampton however close to where I currently live ......say no more.

 

[Bellypork]

Labour's anti business. Sheffield always votes Labour. Therein lies your problem

True, we get the worst possible deal. A Labour Party which takes us for granted, and a Conservative Party which ignores us because they know they've no chance. We're the invisible city, a football team where the same players get picked no matter how badly they play.

 

[CentralQuay]

The City's image has a much bigger influence on football than you might think. Why didn't Maupay sign ?
Football being a business is just like any other business. Footballers personal lives are about WAGS, Gucci, Armani, Louis Vuitton, Ferraris and Lamborghinis

There is a blueprint for a successful City, the blueprint worldwide is the same, no matter where in the world you are, no matter what size the city, the blueprints for being a successful city are the same.

The people that managed Sheffield for decades didn't want success for the City, they wanted failure, they wanted a downtrodden, poorly educated, they wanted the public to be either unemployed or stuck in dead end job, they wanted them poorly paid working in shit conditions. That way they could use the left wing militant tactic and blame everybody else to obtain their votes as the party that was fighting on their behalf.

The damage is done now, it's terminal, no matter what it does now Sheffield will always be trying to catch up in a Fiat Punto whilst other cities continue to race away in a Lamborghini.

The world's population has doubled since I left school 40 years ago, and urbanisation on a truly massive scale has become a chronic problem for Cities worldwide, but in amongst all of this Sheffield's population is actually less than it was in the 1960's. And this is the problem, Sheffield has not attracted new residents because there's fuck all here for them

Maupay didn't sign because he had a better offer.

He signed for Brighton because they have established themselves over multiple seasons as a Premier League club, who are currently a bigger and better proposition.

 

[Booker4]

Blame the council for pissing and whining about Thatcher for the last 30 odd years.

Every other major northern city is streets ahead of us.....light years in fact.

Sheffield rules are the game of football played around the world today.....would you know about it if you came here? Would you fuck. If that’s Liverpool or Manchester it’s plastered everywhere. It’s probably the first things you see when you come out of the train station.

Industry.....massive steel industry in this city a rich history that played a massive part of the industrial revolution.....fuck all about it compared to what it would be in any other city.

Culture....Arctic Monkeys, Pulp, Def Lepard.....rich history again of music, there’s fuck all celebrating it in this city.

Media.....fuck me our attempt to get channel 4 up here was laughable. Not a chance do we have the credentials for anything like that up here. In fact any forward thinking company will not base itself in Sheffield because it’s the least vibrant city in the north

Nightlife.....absolutely wank. There’s nothing apart from West Street in town. Nothing different. It’s just there. Kelham Island could be absolutely heaving every single night but it isn’t.....a few old man boozers and some flats and that’s it. They’ve tried with the trendy shit but there’s nothing really worth encouraging people down there for.

Which brings me on to students.....fuck me our council is obsessed with building student accommodation. Not that it’s necessarily a bad thing in some respects but their so tunnel vision with it. Every time they have an opportunity to redevelop something.....’I know let’s turn it into student flats’ fuck me have a bit of imagination just for once, it’s all we ask.

Sheffield is a complete shithole, particularly certain areas of the city centre. Yes, other cities have had more investment but it’s not like they got it handed to them. Local councils and government bodies fought for it to move their city into the 21st century instead of crying that everything was unfair.

Every other major northern city that had industry at the heart of it that was destroyed in the 70’s and 80’s. Sheffield is the only one that a) still cries about it and b) has done absolutely fuck all about it.

Sheffield is stuck in the 90’s and it’s a fucking joke that our council has failed every single one of us for so long.

Can't agree there. To put all the blame on our Council rather than the government at the time is a very odd view to me, although you'll no doubt think my view is typical of the whiners as you put it. It was the Tories who shut the mines and didn't have an adequate plan B for it. Steel likewise declined from a lack of investment albeit in both cases I accept that market forces were a major factors - we just can't compete with countries who can produce things cheaper. But I don't recall that Leeds or Manchester relied on steel, or coal as the Sheffield region did and therefore we suffered far more as a city than others.

Also for people saying that Sheffield suffers from electing Labour every election; Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester vote Labour locally and nationally so if there is a Council problem, its not a Labour problem across the board. I'm not saying that Sheffield Council is perfect, but I believe we've had a crappy ride from the Tories as a general rule and in the past I believe that this was policital as Sheffield and South Yorkshire was without a doubt the socialist heartland of the north, lead by the likes of Scargill. Thatcher set out to destroy the unions and in the process dstroyed much of Sheffield's economy. Even to the present day they're the same. Their latest "levelling up the north" Dominic Cummings slogan is a joke. It was the Tories in the first place that created the problem!

Sheffield is not a joke or a shit hole either in my view. It's developed much in the 2000's and has an appeal of its own, different to Leeds and Manchester but that's the appeal of Sheffield.

As for football, Leeds is a one team city, Greater Manchester is far bigger and can accomodate two massive teams, it's not surprising Sheffield lags behind both.

I love Sheffield, it's underdog status and that we go under the radar somewhat. I do not look with envious eyes to either Leeds or Mancheser honestly.

 

[Drunk blade]

Yes I have took a walk around Liverpool and the city is absolutely thriving.No longer (1980s) stereotype and makes Sheffield city centre look like a slum .Shopping ,nightlife not to mention the dock and museums what bring in millions of visitors.Wolverhampton however close to where I currently live ......say no more.

It's still full of scousers no matter how much they polish the turd

 

[Revolution]

Maupay didn't sign because he had a better offer.

He signed for Brighton because they have established themselves over multiple seasons as a Premier League club, who are currently a bigger and better proposition.

Multiple seasons actually being 2 seasons at the time.

it was fairly well documented at the time that Maupay wanted to stay in the South. I’m sure wages were also a factor.

 

[ghandi]

Finningley has a very long runway which is able to handle anything. What is needed is a fast rail link to Sheffield rather than the tortuously slow line to Doncaster again Sheffield has the only main line in the country yet to be electrified. New trains for Sheffield means someone else's cast off's, I don't know what Dan Jarvis and the rest of the local MP's are doing but they should be screaming to get the midland line electrified even before HS2 .
BTW as we speak Clive Betts MP is more concerned about conserving the soon to be replaced signal box on the level crossing in Beighton village, you couldn't make this shit up.

The vast majority in Beighton (I'm one of them) want the signal box preserving and Clive Betts was asked to get involved and you are wrong the box is not being replaced it was to be demolished and signalling was being located elsewhere.

 

[ghandi]

With a bit of imagination, they could put a modern roof all the way from the station to the tram stop before Granville Road, build a shopping/bars/restaurants area over the roof. At the same time replace that dreadful second pedestrian walkway over the station, with something people might feel safe using. I'd also say this would be an ideal place to fit in a 'Birthplace of football' museum too.

Sheffield station is a grade 2 listed building.

 

[bornablade]

When we refer to Greater Manchester we need to be comparing it to South Yorkshire.

When we refer to Manchester (as a City) then we can compare it to Sheffield.

 

[CentralQuay]

Multiple seasons actually being 2 seasons at the time.

it was fairly well documented at the time that Maupay wanted to stay in the South. I’m sure wages were also a factor.

Multiple is more than 1.
Wages are again a result of Brighton being a bigger and better proposition as a club.

Maupay didn't choose Brighton over Sheffield United because he doesn't like Sheffield station.

 

[metalblade]

The vast majority in Beighton (I'm one of them) want the signal box preserving and Clive Betts was asked to get involved and you are wrong the box is not being replaced it was to be demolished and signalling was being located elsewhere.

Like I said it is being replaced by one elsewhere, like it or not modern railway signalling does not use old signal boxes every miles or so along the line also the box at Woodhouse will be replaced too.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

Sheffield station is a grade 2 listed building.

Oh no, so we're stuck with it, bugger!!! Is it possible to get them unlisted. While they're at it get Hyde Park/Park Hill flats unlisted and get them flattened too.

 

[ghandi]

Like I said it is being replaced by one elsewhere, like it or not modern railway signalling does not use old signal boxes every miles or so along the line also the box at Woodhouse will be replaced too.

Many people bemoan the loss of old buildings and have done so on this forum. Saving this signal box in situ or somewhere else seems to fit the view of preservation.

 

[Rochdaleblade]

It's still full of scousers no matter how much they polish the turd

Ar ey!

 

[essexblade73]

Labour's anti business. Sheffield always votes Labour. Therein lies your problem

Tories are no better (except for filling the pockets of their big business pals) so dont carp on with your anti Labour crap. Plenty of long time tory areas have councils just as shite as Sheffield. IMO most MPs, regardless of party, are in it just to line their pockets and are corrupt as fck.

 

[Surrey Blade]

Cloth cap, downbeat, pessimistic, unambitious. That's Sheffield

Look at the unambiguous, business unfriendly Council. Compare it to those of Leeds & Manchester.

 

[Rochdaleblade]

Can't agree there. To put all the blame on our Council rather than the government at the time is a very odd view to me, although you'll no doubt think my view is typical of the whiners as you put it. It was the Tories who shut the mines and didn't have an adequate plan B for it. Steel likewise declined from a lack of investment albeit in both cases I accept that market forces were a major factors - we just can't compete with countries who can produce things cheaper. But I don't recall that Leeds or Manchester relied on steel, or coal as the Sheffield region did and therefore we suffered far more as a city than others.

Also for people saying that Sheffield suffers from electing Labour every election; Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester vote Labour locally and nationally so if there is a Council problem, its not a Labour problem across the board. I'm not saying that Sheffield Council is perfect, but I believe we've had a crappy ride from the Tories as a general rule and in the past I believe that this was policital as Sheffield and South Yorkshire was without a doubt the socialist heartland of the north, lead by the likes of Scargill. Thatcher set out to destroy the unions and in the process dstroyed much of Sheffield's economy. Even to the present day they're the same. Their latest "levelling up the north" Dominic Cummings slogan is a joke. It was the Tories in the first place that created the problem!

Sheffield is not a joke or a shit hole either in my view. It's developed much in the 2000's and has an appeal of its own, different to Leeds and Manchester but that's the appeal of Sheffield.

As for football, Leeds is a one team city, Greater Manchester is far bigger and can accomodate two massive teams, it's not surprising Sheffield lags behind both.

I love Sheffield, it's underdog status and that we go under the radar somewhat. I do not look with envious eyes to either Leeds or Mancheser honestly.

I didn't want to get into party politics, because as you say Manchester has no problem attracting investment under a labour council.

 

[Surrey Blade]

Look at the unambiguous, business unfriendly Council. Compare it to those of Leeds & Manchester.

Sorry. Unambitious.

 

[Booker4]

I didn't want to get into party politics, because as you say Manchester has no problem attracting investment under a labour council.

I get that mate, but I don't agree with some of the stuff on here, so I'll defend the Council to a greater extent. Manchester is a bigger city to Sheffield, more presence and appeal and didn't suffer like Sheffield did in the same way in my view due to the closer of pits and steel not been the industry it was. Leeds is a better comparison, but again Leeds has different demographics and a different economy to Sheffield. Whether Sheffield could have remarketted itself like Leeds has done as the financial centre for the north I don't know, but I'd guess some of that infrastructure was there in the first place. Sheffield as far as I can rememeber is reliant on public sector work more than most other cities, that's another factor.

 

[Booker4]

Look at the unambiguous, business unfriendly Council. Compare it to those of Leeds & Manchester.

I'll not discount this view entirely, I'm sure there's some truth to it, but can you name me some examples where Sheffield Council has turned away business that would benefit the city? I just don't see how it's in the Councl's interest to be anti business, and I tink some of this view, and I've encountered this before, comes from Tories who are just anti Labour. Don't get me wrong, I'm anti Tory, I can't stand their ethos so I admit I'm no Tory, never will be.

 

[PrestwichBlade]

I'll not discount this view entirely, I'm sure there's some truth to it, but can you name me some examples where Sheffield Council has turned away business that would benefit the city? I just don't see how it's in the Councl's interest to be anti business, and I tink some of this view, and I've encountered this before, comes from Tories who are just anti Labour. Don't get me wrong, I'm anti Tory, I can't stand their ethos so I admit I'm no Tory, never will be.

It's not necessarily about turning business away, but rather actively courting business, encouraging and incentivising. They've got better, but rather missed the boat I fear.

 

[Numpty's Dusty Ruts.]

By "Wedding Cake" I assume you are referring to the Registry Office. Another one of SCCs wastes of money. Build some shit, get bored, knock it down. Dig a big hole in the ground, get bored, then fill it in. All while rate payers are still paying for it.

The point I was trying to make is that they were trying. Society changed after these projects were completed. When they were built they weren't "shit", they were good and much admired. Like Park Hill. If we're being brutal, changes in government, society and people (often not for the better), made them "shit", they weren't always like that.

 

[ForgeBlade]

Born and bred in Sheffield, and I've lived here all my life. Some of my best mates came here for Uni and are universally in love with the place. There is some appeal here, that is a fact.

But even as a very proud native, it does feel like other cities have left us behind somewhat. My best mate lives in Newcastle, because his wife got a job there. The ins and outs of what she does are beyond me, but I know she works in a lab. She tried very hard to look for a job in Sheffield, based on how much he talked up the city to her, but there just weren't the jobs available in her industry.

Anecdotal and somewhat niche I know, but she could have got a job in Leeds, or one in Manchester. They chose Newcastle in the end cos it's close to his family.

 

[Zipwire]

To be honest I prefer Sheffield as it is, it still has a village feel and its own identity, and we do things our own way.

One of the best things to happen in years in Sheffield was Majid becoming Lord Mayor. He came in, made the news and was a breath of fresh air and we became the first city to have a well known Lord Mayor than just another faceless of dignitary.

The biggest thing to kill off Sheffield was Thatcher closing the heavy industry in the 1980s, and not replacing it with anything and the building of Meadowhall.