The weight of history

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

That's the first time I've ever watched that! Cheers.

Going back to the OP, I can't think of any times we've achieved something in the last game but didn't we get even closer to relegation in 1992/93? Think we won our last 3 games of the season to ensure safety and ended up finishing 14th.

The closest I can think of is 1983/84 when it was decided in a game we didn't even play in, when Hull could only win 2-0 at Burnley. Arguably though, if we'd only beaten Newport 1-0 a few days earlier, Hull would have been promoted instead of us.

You are right about 1983-4, when the Hull/Burnley result sent us up. My optimism is restored! Typical, though, that we could only do it on a day when we didn't play.

 

[Esablade]

We're still in the mix with 11 to go.
A fantastic achievement given it's our first season back and Wilders budget for the league.

 

[I should coco]

Nice try at cheering me up, but you have rather emphasised my original point - we have not experienced the pleasure of an end-of-season surprise.

Leicester in 1990?

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Leicester in 1990?

A great day, but we were in the promotion position before the game, so it was not a turn-around at the last minute. At least we didn't implode on the last day, but it wasn't a 'Wow, I never thought that would happen' moment.

 

[RammyBlade]

Promotion??? I’m still working out if we are safe!!

Only 7 more points and we are guaranteed safe from relegation !!

 

[Rawmarsh Blade]

In 1983-84 season, Hull were only 1pt behind with 3 games left and we had only 1 game left. So they only needed 5 pts from 3 games to go up. They then lost to bottom of the league (already relegated?) Port Vale on Easter Tuesday, drew at home with Bristol Rovers whilst we were beating Newport 2-0, before the final game decider at Burnley.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Yup. Hudders. took the first penalty, and they went like this (X = miss, / = scored):

Hudders: X X X / /

Blades: X / X X /

So it was 2-2 and the pens. were now 'sudden death'. Once again, Hudders. started - in front of their own fans. Bit unfair, that. Huddersfield scored all six of their 'extra time pens', the first being scored by Jordan Rhodes (before he lost his nerve) and another was scored by Jack 'Nutmeg' Cunt.

Hudders: / / / / / /

United scored their first five penalties, and the score was tied at 7-7. Up stepped Steve Simonsen...

Blades: / / / / / X

I was reassured by coaxingstar71 (post 29), but your post, with full film, reminded me of a 'typical' end-of-season horror show which explains our pessimism. My memory of this is vivid, and I was nowhere near Wembley. It coincided almost exactly with my 65th birthday, and we were away on a family holiday in Cornwall, with kids, grandkids. We spent the day on the beach, in the sunshine, out of range of a mobile signal, with son occasionally going on to the cliffs to learn that the score was still 0-0. As it became clear that it was going to penalties, we assembled round the car radio, and we managed to find the commentary just as Lowton was about to make it 3-1; with my usual accuracy and unusual optimism, I expressed my certainty that he would score, and from his failure it was then downhill all the way. A lovely family party which followed was inevitably not quite as joyful as it should have been. The Blades really do test us at times, and it is no wonder we tend to pessimism.
On a side-issue, seeing those penalties again shows what part luck plays in creating/destroying reputations. I was never convinced by Simonsen as a keeper, but had either Lowton or Taylor scored their penalties, then he would surely have become a well-remembered keeper whose 2 penalty saves, following a clean sheet, won us promotion; instead he ended up having to take a penalty, well above a keeper's pay-grade, and became a figure of ridicule.

 

[Sheffsteel]

We’ve been poor/ unlucky regards actual success

BUT we are regularly involved in promotion battles.
In fact around 80% of the time spent in the 2nd tier (championship) we’ve finished in the top 10.
Over 80% of the time spent outside the top flight we have fought promotion battles.

That probably explains why I was confident we’d have a decent season, predicted we’d finish 8th.
The reason is because we almost ALWAYS have a decent season outside the top flight, it’s normal.

Spare a thought for Coventry City fans.
Yes they won the FA Cup in the late 80’s but in the last 20 years they’ve never been involved in a promotion battle after Christmas of any season. Their fans expect them to finish mid table because that’s what they do, no promotion or relegation battles, it’s normal.