The fortress Bramall Lane

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

diplomat

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2010
Messages
3,714
Reaction score
4,199
Over the last few years BDTBL has been a place teams feared to come. It wasn't always pretty but we put all comers under pressure. The noticeable difference for me came with Robbo where teams expected a battering and when it didn't come (because we were pedestrian in the extreme) they came out of their shell in a kind of 'hang on, we can win this' confused stupor.

This year I've seen some downright shite take points off us and here is my take in as few words as poss:

QPR - well, us or them thought I. For promotion that is. How wrong I was. A functional and effective QPR escaped some key moments (I think we had a pen shout turned down and then they scored) to seal Blackie's fate. They deserved to win but not 3-0.

Preston - Calve (remember him?) wonder goal. I think we shaded the game but they were a team who looked like they'd struggle and were probably good for a point but for a once in a career rocket.

Scunny - freaking Scunny. FOUR nil we lost. To Scunny. We played some good stuff. I saw the first through ball to a united forward for about, ooh twenty years, Cressy hot the keeper, we should have won ten four but we didn't. We lost. To fucking scunbastardthorpe. FOUR nil.

Portsmouth - I hold my hands up. I missed this. I was away somewhere but my dad couldn't think of much good to say apart from we won.

Watford - Ollie's favourites were no more than average. They went one up from a cheap goal and couldn't believe how easy it was to defend and how soft BDTBL was. It was like they had heard stories, then after about half an hour realised they werent true and they coasted to victory.

Burnley - it seems a long time ago now. I think this was 3-3 a thriller of sorts. Our intrepid now no. 2 was scouting us and missed the last 15 mins - you know the important bit - because he's basically lazy. His son was playing too for fucks sake. A good game. Burnley are better than us (ouch) and it was a decent point.

Coventry - they're crap. Always have been. Even when they were an established top flight team you still felt they were crap just cos they were Cov. Anyway, they beat us at a canter.

Ipswich - a team on the edge. A manager under pressure. A team of over paid under performing players .... That's Ipswich. So utd give them a really soft goal. I can't remember the second but that was probably soft too. We let a team on a torrid run, low on confidence, bag an easy away win.

Palace - I really enjoyed this game (was it a late ko) a couple of extra pints might have helped. Chances, goals, we won. Get in!

Swansea - I remember being really cold. Them not really threatening unless Sinclair ran 20 yards and tried to shoot. We won. They were doing well. We can compete still I thought. Nb: without Speed.

Hull - crap first half. Really good second. Skanked at the death. Good game really. I felt hull would be up there at the end so though it was a decent display from a team I would have described as beleagured at that point.

Donny - lacking football fom the Arsenal of the north. However they went two up courtesy of Billyo. Cracking comeback and ending. A good entertaining draw.

Norwich - missed this but I think a Simmo spill did the damage.

Leicester - we absolutely smashed them. It wasn't pretty but we could have won ten one and their one would've looked lucky. Lost one nil. Grrrr

Millwall - the little lairy barstewards. Should've scraped a one nil. Drew courtesy of a Simmo great save. Ensuing corner = Simmo spill. One apiece and some serious mayhem outside the ground. Luckily Barrys bar, despite being in a precarious place, escaped the mayhem due to being a bit too weird for any football factory wannabe to think it was worth throwing bricks at.

Derby - how we conspired to lose to this bunch of arse I don't know. A nailed on win thought I. A team in terminal decline thought I. Have a soft one nil away win at your relegation rivals.

Forest - that's more like it. I really enjoyed this game. Beat the scabs. Lots of incident. Exciting. Made me believe.

Leeds - I approached this game with a raging hangover/was still drunk. Went with my miller mate who was in similar state. Had a few pints. Moved to the kop for this one. Enjoyed this a lot. also learnt Bjorn means bear and enjoyed shouting Goooonnddeerrnn the bear ! At Riise a few times. Got thoroughly razzled round town after and double checked why no one with half s brain should ever go in the Moorfoot tavern. Ever.

Boro - brought the aforementioned miller but minus the intense hangover. We should have wo but to be fair their fewer chances were more clear cut. Another loss that you felt was not part of our make up a couple of years ago.

Cardiff - I felt they casually out muscled, casually outplayed us. We never really threatened. Lost to a good team.

Bristol City -,James spills a corner, Slew rifles home. Stead scores a last minute own goal. The dream's alive for the 15,000 in attendance.

My gripe is that so many crap teams have taken points off us this year. I've never seen anything like it. Some lame teams who couldn't believe their luck. That has to end.
 

I think we have become poor at home because teams know that if they hold us for the first 20 minutes, the crowd get on the sides back, and from thereon in, it becomes a lot easier for them to play against us
 
Thanks for that Diplomat. A truly awful trip down memory lane. A reminder of what a complete shambles this season has been. Fortunately I'm currently in Jamaica ad will try and forget the past with a few Red Stripes, some rice & peas, akee & saltfish and some Caribbean sunshine :)
 
I also think the majority of sides have got the referee on side with their arguing and tougher challenges. Teams come with an agenda of play as well as a game plan, whether it's tackling hard or being gobby or pushing for every spare yard and second that they can get. We have become way too honest and too much of a soft touch.
 
I think we have become poor at home because teams know that if they hold us for the first 20 minutes, the crowd get on the sides back, and from thereon in, it becomes a lot easier for them to play against us


Any thoughts on Dippos Moorfoot experience?
 
A good summary, thanks.

When I saw the thread title I thought it was because NATO had declared a no strike zone at the lane, it could explain a lot. Carried out under FA resolution 1889, they will suffer the consequences of challenging our despotic powers.
 
Just need a contribution from Breadbrain and it's a full house of smoothflow and carling ass-kissers.
 
Bearing in mind it was only two pints after the end of the Leeds game I thought the Moorfoot Taverna would be busy with jubilant blades enjoying tapas in the sun. Instead there was a resident alcoholic mine sweeping empties. A bloke and his wife who seemingly chose it for a quiet pint (?) and half a dozen youth who kept chanting 'Always look out for Turks carrying knives' to the tune of Bright Side of Life which I found a bit sick.

So we topped up and bogged off to the big tent on fargate for a guiness.
 
It's alright. We've been "due" a hammering of someone after we "outplayed" Lucky Four-Nil Scunthorpe a mere 17 home matches ago. It's coming you know, that's how these things work.
 

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

Back
Top Bottom