Too old for heroes?

[FTPE]

You obviously can't put an age limit on being a blade, but this year I hit 30 which probably makes me older than the majority of the squad and personally I've started to look at the players in a different way.
At a preseason game I bumped into Jose Baxter and for a moment I was 16 again, right up until my dad told me to get a photo together. I didn't cause any offence and I really played it down but it began to sink in that he was younger than my little sister.
Growing up Hodges, Deane,
Fjortoft, Borbokis, Devlin and Brown were more than just my favourite players-they were men that I looked up to and wanted to emulate.
I just wondered if any of you feel the same way?
I would happily shake a players hand if I met him in the street, who am I kidding -I would probably chew his ear off but I wouldn't be having photos taken or getting autographs any more.
I see the players as young sportsmen representing the club I love now, I think the days of seeing any of them as stars or even heroes has well and truly passed.

 

[wizadry]

Whilst we are in this league it's hard to have any heroes at all, especially watching some of the good players we've had over the years, although not many in recent years admittedly.

 

[Bath Blade]

You obviously can't put an age limit on being a blade, but this year I hit 30 which probably makes me older than the majority of the squad and personally I've started to look at the players in a different way.
At a preseason game I bumped into Jose Baxter and for a moment I was 16 again, right up until my dad told me to get a photo together. I didn't cause any offence and I really played it down but it began to sink in that he was younger than my little sister.
Growing up Hodges, Deane,
Fjortoft, Borbokis, Devlin and Brown were more than just my favourite players-they were men that I looked up to and wanted to emulate.
I just wondered if any of you feel the same way?
I would happily shake a players hand if I met him in the street, who am I kidding -I would probably chew his ear off but I wouldn't be having photos taken or getting autographs any more.
I see the players as young sportsmen representing the club I love now, I think the days of seeing any of them as stars or even heroes has well and truly passed.

At 36, the age of hero worshipping players is long gone. However, I would still turn into a nervous wreck in the company of Deane or Agana even now.

 

[BushBlade]

Yeah. Probably around mid twenties from what I remember. I don't think it happens overnight, but it takes something like your incident with Baxter for it to hit home.

You've probably been feeling like it for a few years but never really thought about it.

 

[boo radley]

I think the days of seeing any of them as stars or even heroes has well and truly passed.

Don't let it pass. I'm quite a bit older than you and whilst the current squad is nothing too exiting you should let your feelings flow. You have only so much time so do not let apossible embarrassment get in the way of your enjoyment. If you go a little out of character but it is more due to how you feel, go with it. I have warned those round me that if I become what they prceive as embarrassing then they will have to live with it.
Besides which what is wrong with letting a player know how you feel and what the Blades mean to you. You never know in a lapse of concentration and mind drift during the game he may remember what your conversation and decide for all of it he needs to find that extra.
Heros in whatever field are for everyone not just the young.

 

[FTPE]

At 36, the age of hero worshipping players is long gone. However, I would still turn into a nervous wreck in the company of Deane or Agana even now.

That surely means it's the calibre of player I'm watching rather than my age then?
That said, I couldn't care less about meeting a Rooney or Ronaldo but maybe because they aren't blades.

 

[BushBlade]

Don't let it pass. I'm quite a bit older than you and whilst the current squad is nothing too exiting you should let your feelings flow. You have only so much time so do not let apossible embarrassment get in the way of your enjoyment. If you go a little out of character but it is more due to how you feel, go with it. I have warned those round me that if I become what they prceive as embarrassing then they will have to live with it.
Besides which what is wrong with letting a player know how you feel and what the Blades mean to you. You never know in a lapse of concentration and mind drift during the game he may remember what your conversation and decide for all of it he needs to find that extra.
Heros in whatever field are for everyone not just the young.

I agree with the last sentence. However, I think it's a little sad when adults hero worship sportsmen or women. Nothing wrong with respect and admiration but they're not heroes, they don't pull people out of burning buildings or get shot at defending others.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

I'm a similar age to the OP and I agree with the sentiment. I grew up idolising Whitehouse, Deane, Kelly, Agana and as I got older, I was a big fans of Borbokis, Devline, Bent, Brown, Jagielka, Morgs, Walker etc but with the passage of time, my perception of those people has differed from my first memories of my heroes. It probably does happen about the time that the players are a similar age to or younger than you. I still respect and appreciate certain players like Matty Done and John Brayford for their attitude and ability but I don' look on them in the same way as I did with Deane, Whitehouse, Kelly etc.

Since we've been in this division, I find myself looking at a lot of them with contempt rather than admiration half the time as well. The character of (most of) this bunch doesn't come close Bassettt's boys which I grew up with.

 

[boo radley]

I agree with the last sentence. However, I think it's a little sad when adults hero worship sportsmen or women. Nothing wrong with respect and admiration but they're not heroes, they don't pull people out of burning buildings or get shot at defending others.

I think you took the term too literally.

 

[BushBlade]

I think you took the term too literally.

With the absence of non verbal communication and vocal nuance, words tend to be taken literally on a message board. Particularly in the context of the OP, which does refer to the actual hero worship that was part of our football experience as a child/youth.

 

[boo radley]

With the absence of non verbal communication and vocal nuance, words tend to be taken literally on a message board. Particularly in the context of the OP, which does refer to the actual hero worship that was part of our football experience as a child/youth.

Flippin eck!!
Surely it was quite obvious he was referring to as you say, his time moving on from childhood worship but in the context of what he meant he should not have to clarify that heroes should not include sportsmen/women. Actually this is in danger of detracting from a very good and simple discussion.
PS. If I had to choose a hero at the moment it would be Ben Parkinson.

 

[SwissBlade]

You obviously can't put an age limit on being a blade, but this year I hit 30 which probably makes me older than the majority of the squad and personally I've started to look at the players in a different way.
At a preseason game I bumped into Jose Baxter and for a moment I was 16 again, right up until my dad told me to get a photo together. I didn't cause any offence and I really played it down but it began to sink in that he was younger than my little sister.
Growing up Hodges, Deane,
Fjortoft, Borbokis, Devlin and Brown were more than just my favourite players-they were men that I looked up to and wanted to emulate.
I just wondered if any of you feel the same way?
I would happily shake a players hand if I met him in the street, who am I kidding -I would probably chew his ear off but I wouldn't be having photos taken or getting autographs any more.
I see the players as young sportsmen representing the club I love now, I think the days of seeing any of them as stars or even heroes has well and truly passed.

I'm a bit older at 38 and like others have said, you probably stopped having heroes a few years ago but didn't realise it. I'd say Brown and then Morgs were my last heroes, but even Morgs was more I admired rather than hero worshipped.

Childhood I remember Bob Booker, hodges and Bradders being my heroes

Nowadays I don't look up to or admire footballers, probably because of the age thing. I don't see them as players in in awe of. Now I don't have heroes, I apparently have the mini 'man crush'. Within this category, so named by the missus:
- Jenson Button
- Tom Hardy
- Dave Scott (former ironman champ)
- Chris Morgan (yeah he's still there)
- Bear Grylls
- James Martin

It's no coincidence that they're all around my age or a little older and into active lifestyles/sports. James Martin is the exception because of the food, full on Yorkshire bloke and his love of cars

 

[FTPE]

I'm a bit older at 38 and like others have said, you probably stopped having heroes a few years ago but didn't realise it. I'd say Brown and then Morgs were my last heroes, but even Morgs was more I admired rather than hero worshipped.

Childhood I remember Bob Booker, hodges and Bradders being my heroes

Nowadays I don't look up to or admire footballers, probably because of the age thing. I don't see them as players in in awe of. Now I don't have heroes, I apparently have the mini 'man crush'. Within this category, so named by the missus:
- Jenson Button
- Tom Hardy
- Dave Scott (former ironman champ)
- Chris Morgan (yeah he's still there)
- Bear Grylls
- James Martin

It's no coincidence that they're all around my age or a little older and into active lifestyles/sports. James Martin is the exception because of the food, full on Yorkshire bloke and his love of cars

I think it's more strange NOT to have a "mini man crush" on Tom Hardy.

 

[Grappler]

I know a lot of my mates have met John Brayford over the last year or so, and nearly all wanted a selfie with him, because they said he is such a nice bloke and a real character.

 

[Tyler Durden]

I've only had three heroes in my time, Brian Deane, Dane Whitehouse and Chris Morgan.

Brian Deane is an obvious choice for many who grew up or spent their formative years during this era.

Dane Whitehouse epitomised Sheffield United like no other for me, probably like nobody before, certainly not since and in all likelihood never again.
Born in the city, grew up a member of our tribe, played at the highest level, was very talented and crucially always saved his best performances for those bastards up the road. He remained a one club man throughout his tragically short career, and resolutely so. He once marched into the directors office and told them in no uncertain terms that he was going nowhere when we're planning to sell him to Birmingham City for £1 million, and don't dare try to offload him without prior notice again.
He showed the club more loyalty than he had to, and arguably more than he ought to have. He'll always be the greatest for me.

Chris Morgan defined the spirit of the club for a decade. A born leader who refused to give up the fight. He did it the ugly way but it gave us a reputation as a tough team to play, at least physically if not always technically. How I would love to have some of that at SUFC today.

But as the OP says, the time of having heroes or looking up to anyone is just about over for me. Partly due to getting older but mainly due to the fact that players are a different breed now. They care only about how the club can serve their ambitions so I care only about how they can serve my club. They're expendable to me.
If we lose a top scorer or a tricky centre-forward or whatever, I'll be a bit pissed off and hope we can replace them, but I won't ever miss their presence or get nostalgic about them again, because quite simply, players aren't characters anymore. They're mercenaries for hire.
Maybe a young kid growing up now has a hero in this current team and I really hope they do, I just guess that eventually you become more cynical with experience.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Got to agree about Dane. Older than him when he was playing and my last Blades "hero", for exactly the reasons Tyler says.

 

[FTPE]

I know a lot of my mates have met John Brayford over the last year or so, and nearly all wanted a selfie with him, because they said he is such a nice bloke and a real character.

Brayford is probably the closest I'd could come to wanting a picture taken.
Maybe because he's the best we've got, maybe because it's quite likely I'd be drunk where I met him, but I think the main reason is there's a superstar feel to him.
If I was a kid again he'd definitely be a hero of mine!

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

You obviously can't put an age limit on being a blade, but this year I hit 30 which probably makes me older than the majority of the squad and personally I've started to look at the players in a different way.
At a preseason game I bumped into Jose Baxter and for a moment I was 16 again, right up until my dad told me to get a photo together. I didn't cause any offence and I really played it down but it began to sink in that he was younger than my little sister.
Growing up Hodges, Deane,
Fjortoft, Borbokis, Devlin and Brown were more than just my favourite players-they were men that I looked up to and wanted to emulate.
I just wondered if any of you feel the same way?
I would happily shake a players hand if I met him in the street, who am I kidding -I would probably chew his ear off but I wouldn't be having photos taken or getting autographs any more.
I see the players as young sportsmen representing the club I love now, I think the days of seeing any of them as stars or even heroes has well and truly passed.

Saw Murphy in Tesco on Ecclesall Road a couple of weeks after the sale - international break weekend. He was buying nappies. Didn't get chance but if I had I'd've probably spent five minutes talking about being a parent for the first time. I'm pretty sure football wouldn't've come into the conversation.

 

[FTPE]

Just reading Tyler Durden post, WOW, there will never be another Whitehouse. Football has changed, finances have changed and footballers have changed. Maybe that's another reason there aren't many heroes at the Lane.

Has anyone got any kids who idolise the current players?

 

[Grappler]

Brayford is probably the closest I'd could come to wanting a picture taken.
Maybe because he's the best we've got, maybe because it's quite likely I'd be drunk where I met him, but I think the main reason is there's a superstar feel to him.
If I was a kid again he'd definitely be a hero of mine!

John Brayford was out with his girlfriend a few months ago and met some mates of mine, they chatted and had pictures taken. A few weeks later they saw him again and HE said hello to them first. At the end of the night they had spent up and set off to walk home, Brayford and girlfriend were leaving at the same time, taxi waiting outside. John B shouts goodbye to my friends and then sees how steep the hill is that they were starting to walk up (typical Sheffield!) and said "do you want a lift home?", they no, it was fine, but he was having none of it, told the taxi driver to drop them off on the way. Now that was a nice touch, and it seems he is a genuine bloke.

Another nice story, John B was in a local pub and a bloke I know goes over for a selfie, John B obliges. The man says, I am going to send this photo to my young nephew, it's his birthday today and he is a big fan of yours. So John B says "really?, phone him up and I will chat to him", so the bloke does and John B spends 10 minutes making the young lads birthday a special one.

Another nice touch.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Jay McEveley is my hero ;-)

 

[Hodgyman]

No clues given to guessing my all-time favourite as a sportsman and true gentleman, admired by all who have met him. My current hero is a bit younger, my grandson.

 

[coaxingstar71]

Slightly off on a tangent but the OP reminded me of when I got to around 32 or 33, I suddenly realised that my dream of becoming a professional footballer probably wasn't going to happen!

King Keef and TK were my heroes and I'd probably say something ridiculous to them even now.

True (if fairly dull) story : I worked at Sainsburys in my 20's and regularly used to see players from both sides coming in with their WAGs. Met Brian Gayle in a chinese takeaway on Hutcliffe Wood. As we went in, some old duffer was giving him earache on how the team should be playing etc, Gayle was taking it well and after the old duffer left, I said I bet you get fed up with that and he just laughed and asked where we worked. I told him and he asked if it was the one at Chesterfield and we said no, the one just over the hill (pointing), he goes "Facking ell, I've been driving to Chesterfield every day" (from his rented house at Greenhill). Anyway, after that he came into our Sainsburys and made a point of talking to me every time - really nice normal bloke.

 

[stringjunior]

At 41 I also recognise much of what has been said already.

One of the things I struggle with now is the amount of money footballers are paid. A player giving everything and more in the 90s for not many times more than the average wage was worthy of hero worship. A player doing the same now for 10 x the average wage doesn't feel quite the same. Damn right he should be putting a shift in.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Slightly off on a tangent but the OP reminded me of when I got to around 32 or 33, I suddenly realised that my dream of becoming a professional footballer probably wasn't going to happen!

Even at 36, I still have the odd Robert Johnson-esque fantasy of selling my soul to the devil in exchange for bestowing Maradona like skills upon me. I turn up to Shirecliffe, and start doing skills in full view of the team. The gaffer calls me over for a game, where i proceed to completely rinse the team. They sign me up, and in the next game we're three down with 10 to go, and he brings me on. The commentators laugh, expecting Ali Dia, but i inspire the team to a 4-3 victory, with four spectacular one touch goals. I play the rest of the season (40 mins max per game - My soul wasn't enough for the devil to get me fit too), and we win the FA cup, and then the Uefa cup the following year.

I then cark it.

 

[Bath Blade]

Even at 36, I still have the odd Robert Johnson-esque fantasy of selling my soul to the devil in exchange for bestowing Maradona like skills upon me. I turn up to Shirecliffe, and start doing skills in full view of the team. The gaffer calls me over for a game, where i proceed to completely rinse the team. They sign me up, and in the next game we're three down with 10 to go, and he brings me on. The commentators laugh, expecting Ali Dia, but i inspire the team to a 4-3 victory, with four spectacular one touch goals. I play the rest of the season (40 mins max per game - My soul wasn't enough for the devil to get me fit too), and we win the FA cup, and then the Uefa cup the following year.

I then cark it.

Sean Bean has a lot to answer for.

 

[Woodwardfan]

I suppose this excellent OP and thread gives us a hint of why the media and celebrities such as Jessica Ennis may just have had a point that footballers are "role models" when they rounded on SUFC and Ched Evans.

At the time the whole notion incensed me but fact is it's quite a while since I was a teenager and life looks a lot different 50 years later. Another lesson learned in life actually - there's the benefit of these forums.

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

I think I'm very much of the same mind as the OP. I'm also turning 30 shortly and don't feel that childhood excitement and awe when I see one of our players.

It's difficult to say whether it's just an age thing as we have been shit for a while now and perhaps I would be more excited if our players were PL superstars. I was excited at meeting someone very famous recently (outside of football) but overall I think it's a bit of both.....the age thing and the fact that few of our players are awe inspiring.

 

[HighfieldBlade]

My idols were Deane, Agana, Whitehouse and players from that era. I don't feel any particularly strong affinity to any current players. Nor do I think any of them reciprocate any particularly strong affinity to SUFC (with the possible exception of Sharp?). If we lose a good player, I'll be a bit pissed off for a short while, mixed with a large dose of cynicism and stoicism. I'd get over it very quickly.

My lad's in his teens. He supports Liverpool and that's where his idols are ...I've taken him to Anfield a few times...although he does sometimes come with me to BDTBL to give his old man some company, bless him.

 

[stringjunior]

Somebody take HighfieldBlade to the gallows for allowing his own blood to turn from the Blades.

Disgusting