View From Swindon

[WhiteHawk]

Exfuckinactly! It's the continued support for someone like Goater that separates the virtual supporter from those who've endured long stretches of mediocrity. Sometimes it's felt like a life sentence, no hope or sign of daylight.........I've sometimes asked myself, is this what being a football supporter is meant to be? I suppose it's why I have a degree of empathy with those clubs who seem to exist on gates of just a few thousand.....but, back to us, we've suffered, boy have we suffered, but times such as these under Wilder make all the waiting worth every minute, of every day, of every year, worthwhile. It's why football is the greatest game on the planet, it's why we're red and white and will be forever more.

Double like.

 

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

God forbid.
If Roygbiv can't do the 'View From....'
It should be retired.

If someone else takes it on, they can forget about me giving them a 'Ta.'

ForzaRoy
ForzaRoy
ForzaRoy!

 

[sitwell]

Exfuckinactly! It's the continued support for someone like Goater that separates the virtual supporter from those who've endured long stretches of mediocrity. Sometimes it's felt like a life sentence, no hope or sign of daylight.........I've sometimes asked myself, is this what being a football supporter is meant to be? I suppose it's why I have a degree of empathy with those clubs who seem to exist on gates of just a few thousand.....but, back to us, we've suffered, boy have we suffered, but times such as these under Wilder make all the waiting worth every minute, of every day, of every year, worth the journey. It's why football is the greatest game on the planet, it's why we're red and white and will be forever more.

Do we want to get like Man City ? Imagine it on here , I hope foxy would start vetting newbies who have never heard of glen cockerill or Gil Reece

 

[itsinyerblood]

Do we want to get like Man City ? Imagine it on here , I hope foxy would start vetting newbies who have never heard of glen cockerill or Gil Reece

I'd hope not.....I think I was referencing those fans who have an instinctive connection with the supposedly 'ordinary' aspects of what makes a club the meaningful part of their lives. I used to live in Lincoln when Graham Taylor was their manager. They had a decent Division 4 team, and one player in particular, Percy Freeman, was a personal favourite. He was a brute of an old style centre-forward, he made the likes of Costa or Drogba seem like putty, but he was a perfect example of a little known English player who etched his relevance into my memory. Isn't that what this is about? Not to embrace the corporate bollocks of Sky/BT driven soulless football, but of what made me and millions of supporters like me love the game we'll always support.

 

[oldblade]

Spot on, mate.

Very much agree with your point about "it's not about the division you're in, it's the experience that counts". Just think of the genuine affection that Man Citeh fans still have for the likes of Shaun Goater, despite them now being a super-club.

Like you say, that Division 4 season's remembered with great pride & without any shame at all. It was just a fantastic end-to-end experience, culminating in one of THE great days. Even so (& with reference to more recent wobbles) it's worth recalling the Colchester game and the Altrincham defeat - it wasn't all plain sailing and there were blips along the way even during such a dominant season. All part of the overall experience.

As you said, we're a proper football team again now. Thanks to Chris Wilder. Great to be winessing it and going through the emotions of this "revival" season.

We also didn't have a particularly great start to that 4th division season.

In the first game at home to Hereford we went one up in virtually no time at all, then a few minutes later made it 2-0. We were cruising, but eventually contrived to draw 2-2. We then won our next two (Wigan away and Colchester at home), but then lost the two after that (Hull and Stockport - both away matches). That left us firmly in mid table with 7 points from 5 games. Only one win better off than we were this season after 5 games.

I don't think many of us were particularly optimistic at this point. Edwards hadn't yet returned to us, so we were largely dependant on Hatton and Kenworthy's penalties for our goals. We did look like a 'footballing' side, but lacked that extra something up front. Thankfully Edwards was soon to provide that.

 

[Klanger]

Thanks rainbow, great 'view from' as usual

 

[curly]

Leave our Roy alone......

 

[2ndtenorblade]

“we always looked to be under the cosh and second best. Everyone except Vigs to be fair had a mare. Town were simply outfought and outfoxed. Brammall Lane is definitely a proper football ground and you’d just love 19k gates every home game.”

You would have 4,000 locked out.

 

[2ndtenorblade]

Why does everyone call Roy 'weirdo'? I'd like to know the origin.

Was it a big bang?

 

[Tezza1889]

Epic Roy as usual....

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Been to Blackpool for the weekend . Missed the game yesterday and me and my mate were like "typical we would miss that one " but then remembered we've seen us clock up some massive scores this year so its not like yesterday was a one off.

I genuinely nearly died too. Choked on a Pork Scratching in a casino. Couldn't breath for a few minutes and nobody around really knew what was happening cos I couldn't speak, I was just banging the table , so I really thought I was a goner but luckily I managed to clear my throat just before I passed out. Quite lucky to have this view from at all!

Not much of a casino selling pork scratching?

 

[coaxingstar71]

But ain't it a lovely feeling to be the team that others regard as the best in this division Alf? I know me or thee aren't getting carried away, but as you so rightly infer, for far too long we've been the team that was never quoted as the best or amongst the teams to beat. Now it's a very different story, and we have Chris Wilder to thank for this turnaround. Given the last few seasons, especially last season under "couldn't recognise a win if he tripped over one" Adkins, we now look a proper football team. Wilder has bought really well, and we at last have a squad that has strength in most positions. We're now in the land of high expectation, and the number of posts on the forum that reveal excitement about the next game continues to appear with heartening regularity.

One day we'll look back on these times and dismiss it as only being Div 1, but to be completely honest, some of the best times I've experienced as a Blade were when we played in the old Div 4, with the great Colin Morris on the wing. All about context I suppose, but you take what you're given, and what we're currently experiencing is great football backed by the possibility/probability of promotion this season. Yesterday couldn't have improved for me. We won with a great display, Scunthorpe lost, what was a big gap in points is now down to 3, and suddenly we are nudging our way to a promotion place that will be difficult to catch........oops, there I go dreaming again! Oh, and Wendy lost, feel so sorry for their overpriced supporters who expect far too much considering.............UTMB!

Couldn't have put it better myself.

Saturday was like the perfect day for me, went to see us stuff Swindon 4-0, couple of belgian blue's in the Sheaf Island, followed by a bottle of wine and a curry - simple pleasures.

Looking forward to games too, I think I'm going to miss Northampton on New Years Eve and I'm gutted, trying everything to shift round other plans so I can go. Last season I would have just gone, "Meh..."

 

[itsinyerblood]

Couldn't have put it better myself.

Saturday was like the perfect day for me, went to see us stuff Swindon 4-0, couple of belgian blue's in the Sheaf Island, followed by a bottle of wine and a curry - simple pleasures.

Looking forward to games too, I think I'm going to miss Northampton on New Years Eve and I'm gutted, trying everything to shift round other plans so I can go. Last season I would have just gone, "Meh..."

That's it in a nutshell, simple pleasures that contribute to our quality of life. On a rather serious note, there's so much truly evil stuff going on in the world I'd go so far as to suggest that an affinity with a football team who are doing well is an essential diversion, if only to lift the spirits and appreciate the art form known as football. That's not fanciful or academic, it's just the fact that draws us towards such a creative game. All the surrounding bits and pieces - did Wendy lose, whether player A or B had a fabulous game etc - these are the incidental 'essentials' that make those simple pleasures so enjoyable and necessary. We might just be entering one of the golden moments of the last 6 years, let's enjoy it for what it is.....oh, and long may it last UTMB

 

[Greenwich Blade]

That's it in a nutshell, simple pleasures that contribute to our quality of life. On a rather serious note, there's so much truly evil stuff going on in the world I'd go so far as to suggest that an affinity with a football team who are doing well is an essential diversion, if only to lift the spirits and appreciate the art form known as football. That's not fanciful or academic, it's just the fact that draws us towards such a creative game. All the surrounding bits and pieces - did Wendy lose, whether player A or B had a fabulous game etc - these are the incidental 'essentials' that make those simple pleasures so enjoyable and necessary. We might just be entering one of the golden moments of the last 6 years, let's enjoy it for what it is.....oh, and long may it last UTMB

Everything you just said is encapsulated I think in this image of myself, my dad and my brother-in-law.

Straight after the match on Saturday I jumped on a bus to the Northern General to visit my dad in there, with the first thing he said to me being, "Let's have a look at your programme," followed not long after with, "Talk us through the goals then." Okay, he fell asleep before I'd got to Lavery's scuffed effort but undeterred I went back the following day, armed with my laptop.

This time I was able to play him the highlights whilst my sister captured the tender moment on film. My brother-in-law, the one with his hand on his chin, is the only Wendy in the family hence why he doesn't looked quite so absorbed in the entertainment onscreen.

Simple pleasures, even after 80 years of following United.

 

[blade too long]

I'd gay up as you make me all warm inside.

Ill stick to chicken soup to warm me up inside
if thats ok with Roy

 

[itsinyerblood]

Everything you just said is encapsulated I think in this image of myself, my dad and my brother-in-law.

Straight after the match on Saturday I jumped on a bus to the Northern General to visit my dad in there, with the first thing he said to me being, "Let's have a look at your programme," followed not long after with, "Talk us through the goals then." Okay, he fell asleep before I'd got to Lavery's scuffed effort but undeterred I went back the following day, armed with my laptop.

This time I was able to play him the highlights whilst my sister captured the tender moment on film. My brother-in-law, the one with his hand on his chin, is the only Wendy in the family hence why he doesn't looked quite so absorbed in the entertainment onscreen.

Simple pleasures, even after 80 years of following United.

View attachment 21155

Nicely described Greenwich. Hope your dad's ok and is receiving the treatment he deserves. Spent many an hour in both the Northern General and the Hallamshire, and my only quibble with the NHS is the food, so I hope he's ok with what they serve up.

Your description of what your dad asked surely explains how football brings out the infant in all of us. Suddenly all adult decorum goes out of the window and we're into allegiance and tribal affiliation. I'm no different, but as much as I love football, be it from a foreign land, a lesser league etc, I've still managed to retain a sense of what truly matters, so I hope your dad is soon on the mend and is able to leave the hospital........as for United, well we could be on the cusp of a special season. What happens during January will go some way to determining our fate this season. I know you'll join me in wanting the mighty Blades to wave goodbye to Division 1 as we once again become a Championship team. What joy that will bring - another derby with the lady-boys of S6 (don't worry, they're not equipped for promotion so let them feed their sense of delusion until we join them), better teams, and one step closer to the Premiership.

Regardless of your brother-in-law's misguided loyalty, at least he had the obvious good taste to spend time with you and your dad. Couldn't have been a better time for two blades to sit alongside a Wednesday supporter, us having played exceptionally and you and your dad adopting the moral high ground....at least I hope you adopted it!

 

[Greenwich Blade]

Regardless of your brother-in-law's misguided loyalty, at least he had the obvious good taste to spend time with you and your dad. Couldn't have been a better time for two blades to sit alongside a Wednesday supporter, us having played exceptionally and you and your dad adopting the moral high ground....at least I hope you adopted it!

My dad asked him, "How did Wednesday get on yesterday?" He already knew of course, but sometimes it does no harm to have these things repeated, just to make sure.