Was there a time when you (almost) gave up

[Dark muffy]

I hated every minute of last season but still carried on going, other things than the shit we were watching were more important, like seeing my Dad and having a pint and something to eat.

 

[Melbourne Blade]

Selling Deane to Leeds was one of my worst memories as a blade and took me a while to stop hating the club after that. Also have had spells of not even following scores and losing interest completely. Eg Bryan Robson tenure and Adrian Heath...

 

[Nick Jansky]

I didn't renew my season ticket following the Battle of Bramall Lane & didn't have one for a few seasons after that. That day made me feel sick to my stomach and I was ashamed of the club.

 

[The Fox]

Sometimes life , work , kids , finances , health force people to take a break , it's not that you give up just have other priorities.
I had a couple of seasons of choosing games, a break from the ST I'd had since about 1980 .. consequently never saw us play under David Weir ....which was nice

 

[georgebernardshaw]

Looking at what the pigs are discussing- not going to games etc. Was there ever a time when you came close to saying 'enough is enough'? For me the obvious one was the Walsall game in 81. I remember riding the 75 bus back to Woodseats with grown men crying and supporters throwing their scarves out the windows. A real down day. But, the other side of the coin, the following season was wonderful as we wazzed the 4th Division and felt so good. I guess my point is that sometimes we forget that we just want to see our team doing well and feeling good about it. Getting too wrapped up in chasing the Liverpools of this world is not good. Lesson over. The 2025 'me' is saying yes let's get on up and f*ck those Prem bastards! Oh isn't football the best thing ever created (apart from music and sex)!

No, not once in 60+ years

 

[Bladeloyal]

From cradle to grave

 

[Maidenhead]

Nearest I came was a few weeks ago when season ticket renewals were announced.

only 10/23 home games on a Saturday is ridiculous.

Getting home by train after night games is a tortuous process and at nearly 70yrs of age I thought for the first time, "is it really worth it?"

Anyhow, I'v renewed my season ticket and we'll see what this time next year brings at almost 71

 

[brownblade]

I did stop watching in the later stages of 2020/21.
No fans to create atmosphere surrounding our often pathetic efforts to chase shadows. Apportioning no blame and not looking to discuss it - but that damaged my previously insatiable love for football.
I've watched a lot less since (rarely non-Blades games), though admittedly also had kids around the time, which makes life a hell of a lot harder/busier!

Don't miss Blades games and over the last year have been trying to get back into regularly watching all the highlight programmes, at the bare minimum.

Anyway I can't just have TV on all weekend without turning the kids into zombies (like their Dad).

 

[Down the Channels]

Never been close to 'giving up' as you choose to support your club and have to take the rough with the smooth.
The good times feel better for it.
I had a season ticket from 1978-1995, then financial pressures meant I had to put it on hold for a few years. I would still go to maybe 6 or 7 games a season even then.
Then we had our child in 2001 and priorities changed for me for a few years, again I would still go to a few games a season.
So there have certainly been times where I have not gone to games. But I have always listened to the radio and could never not know the score 'as it happens'
But when you don't have a season ticket it is easy to think 'nah, not bothered with this match' especially when it is a pain to try and get a ticket or there are other financial pressures.
During the Atkin's years it was hard to muster the enthusiasm though to be honest and I think I only went to about 5 games that season.
I have had a season ticket again now since 2016 and love it as much as I did as a kid in 1978. Unless I move miles away from Sheffield I can not see me not having one again.
I am 61 now.
But even if I do end up not being able to get to every home game I would never give up on them. I don't understand that.

 

[Sparks]

Never have blades for life

 

[JackSUFC]

Stopped going during the Adkins season. It was just a miserable period for the club. That’s most detached I’ve ever felt to it all.

I didn’t necessarily ‘give up’ during the Covid season but wrote that season off early on and tuned myself out. I found it quite easy given the circumstances, but it was such a bad comedown from the glory years of 2016-2020.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Good question.

Been supporting us since 1975.

Wasn’t too bad when we were relegated to the 4th division. More shock than anger or upset.
However once the dust has settled, was part excited playing some of these new teams.

The lowest I’ve ever felt after a match was probably the 0-2 home defeat against Scunthorpe home in May 2016.
It meant we were facing our 6th consecutive season in league 1 and the realisation set in that we could become another Notts County or Bradford hanging around the lower divisions for 20 years. In theory we’d been really ambitious appointing a top rated manager in Nigel Adkins but he also failed.
Adkins was a great talker and so upbeat and positive, but this really grated on me after a while. Even at the very end when we failed, he was still spouting positivity.
After that Scunny game for the 1st time ever I was thinking about winding down my support and just going to the odd match.
I wasn’t enthused when we appointed Wilder….my spirit was broken and I gave up…..so I will always be massively grateful to Wilder.

The only other time when I’ve kind of given up was last season.
I’m a season ticket holder so went to almost every game but it was like watching friendlies because none of the games meant anything because we were so poor.
Even the 1st game against Palace I was shocked that our team looked so poor. Little Beni Traore up front looked about 12 year old.
Our main hope regards strikers was Academy player Will Osula. It didn’t take long before I realised we had no chance of staying up. Season over.

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

I’ve been through some tough times with the Blades which have included numerous relegations .

The one when we went into Div. 4 was humiliating and felt like the end of the world , but in fact led to a season which most of us who were around at the time remember with great affection .

Throughout these many years I have seen many shit owners , boards of directors and managers come and go but there has never been any possibility that they would deter me from being a die hard supporter .

If I had to choose a period which might have encouraged that possibility , I would have to say it was the one under Nigel Adkins’ management when we played some of the most turgid and almost unwatchable football I ever saw from a Blades team , much of which against utterly mediocre opposition .

To rub salt in the wounds , I would later have to listen to his ridiculous post match interviews which were basically a combination of gobbledegook , excuses and outright lies .

 

[Maurice Maurice]

I'm in my 60's now, live in the States and apart from family I miss all things Sheffield United more than you can ever know. My first live game was 0 - 0 vs Leicester in 1967. It was grey,wet and fucking miserable but I fell in love that day, and throughout the many years of ups and downs that have followed, I still love the Blades as much if not more than I did on that magical day. I get up at all hours to watch the games here regardless of who we're playing, what the likely result's going to be and as much as I detest Premier League football I didn't miss a single shitty minute of it last season because it's my team.

If I was back home I'd never miss so think carefully before writing it all off, it's more than football, it's a quality goal by a quality player, it's Basham arriving, it's even Don fucking Givens but it's who we are. Different game now, different world and although I preferred my version, being a Blade still makes us all just that bit special. No bandwagons, no massiveness, no Pitsmoor Pigs, just fucking Blades.

UTBFTP

 

[S64 Blade]

No. At worst it’s an opportunity to see my friends who, thanks to ‘growing up’, we see less of each other. The connections alone make it worthwhile. I can blank out the on field stuff enough at the time, if it’s bad (then come on here to moan about it after).

 

[MKY]

Good question.

Been supporting us since 1975.

Wasn’t too bad when we were relegated to the 4th division. More shock than anger or upset.
However once the dust has settled, was part excited playing some of these new teams.

The lowest I’ve ever felt after a match was probably the 0-2 home defeat against Scunthorpe home in May 2016.
It meant we were facing our 6th consecutive season in league 1 and the realisation set in that we could become another Notts County or Bradford hanging around the lower divisions for 20 years. In theory we’d been really ambitious appointing a top rated manager in Nigel Adkins but he also failed.
Adkins was a great talker and so upbeat and positive, but this really grated on me after a while. Even at the very end when we failed, he was still spouting positivity.
After that Scunny game for the 1st time ever I was thinking about winding down my support and just going to the odd match.
I wasn’t enthused when we appointed Wilder….my spirit was broken and I gave up…..so I will always be massively grateful to Wilder.

The only other time when I’ve kind of given up was last season.
I’m a season ticket holder so went to almost every game but it was like watching friendlies because none of the games meant anything because we were so poor.
Even the 1st game against Palace I was shocked that our team looked so poor. Little Beni Traore up front looked about 12 year old.
Our main hope regards strikers was Academy player Will Osula. It didn’t take long before I realised we had no chance of staying up. Season over.

Great post. After the last home game of that terrible Adkins season there was a vid doing the rounds of the players doing the obligatory lap of ‘honour’ & all you can hear is a bloke screaming profanities- you’re a f**ing disgrace!!!! Not fit to wear the shirt, etc. definitely the lowest I’ve felt as a blade. Last season was just numbing, but in a different way. We were so woefully vulnerable in every game. & that came after a strangely underwhelming promotion season under Hecky. As soon as we stepped out against Palace you knew that we were doomed. If we go up this season, surely it won’t be as bad as the last one?

 

[metalblade]

Nearest I came was a few weeks ago when season ticket renewals were announced.

only 10/23 home games on a Saturday is ridiculous.

Getting home by train after night games is a tortuous process and at nearly 70yrs of age I thought for the first time, "is it really worth it?"

Anyhow, I'v renewed my season ticket and we'll see what this time next year brings at almost 71

I totally get that viewpoint since moving out of Sheffield. 8pm kick off's are nightmare what with all the added time it is near on 10pm when the game is done so unless you move sharpish you could find yourself waiting on the last bus or train home, both unreliable do you really want to be doing that on a cold winter night if you are about 70yr old. Sunday games are little better as public transport is even scarcer to find. This was one of the reasons I didn't renew my season ticket last summer not a problem if you live in Sheffield and can jump on a bus every 15mins but when your bus home is every hour you have a long wait if you just miss one.

 

[Selly]

Gave up? Never. But as others have said there have been period where my interest has definitely waned.

Adkins
Latter half of the Mickey Adams season
Back end of 20-21 and 23-24.

Looking back a lot of this is when it was blatantly obvious that the season was done and dusted. I suspect 2000-01, and 01-02 may have seen my interest wane in s similar manner had I had a family at the time.

 

[NAnstonblade]

I'm in my 60's now, live in the States and apart from family I miss all things Sheffield United more than you can ever know. My first live game was 0 - 0 vs Leicester in 1967. It was grey,wet and fucking miserable but I fell in love that day, and throughout the many years of ups and downs that have followed, I still love the Blades as much if not more than I did on that magical day. I get up at all hours to watch the games here regardless of who we're playing, what the likely result's going to be and as much as I detest Premier League football I didn't miss a single shitty minute of it last season because it's my team.

If I was back home I'd never miss so think carefully before writing it all off, it's more than football, it's a quality goal by a quality player, it's Basham arriving, it's even Don fucking Givens but it's who we are. Different game now, different world and although I preferred my version, being a Blade still makes us all just that bit special. No bandwagons, no massiveness, no Pitsmoor Pigs, just fucking Blades.

UTBFTP

View attachment 207969

That's a great post. Blimey, I could feel myself welling up there for a minute!

 

[jt64]

Down 0-3 against Southend in 20 mins at the start of 16-17.

Little did we know...

Three down before I got into the ground was a low point, yes

 

[Wincobank S9 Blade]

Them league one days were grim, so glad I wasn’t born for that one season in division 4 that must’ve been the all time low. Last season was toughest mentally due to getting beat every week, 2020/21 season also when we didn’t win till January I nearly packed in but it’s a drug football you can’t leave once you’re involved not fully.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

No, because Covid brought home to me how important actually getting and going to the game really is.

 

[Nick Jansky]

Them league one days were grim, so glad I wasn’t born for that one season in division 4 that must’ve been the all time low.

The Div 4 season was actually hugely enjoyable, some great memories. Similarly the Div 3 promotion season under Bassett.

 

[cahill]

Think I might be getting there soon. Not renewing season ticket, whichever league. A bit bored with it all, well, the performance on the pitch and hanging onto a one goal league with most of the game still to play, which should be exciting, as it’s all part of the game, but I find increasingly stressful, and my tickers dodgy anyway. Went to a North East Counties game last Saturday and enjoyed it.

 

[Nick Jansky]

Think I might be getting there soon. Not renewing season ticket, whichever league. A bit bored with it all, well, the performance on the pitch and hanging onto a one goal league with most of the game still to play, which should be exciting, as it’s all part of the game, but I find increasingly stressful, and my tickers dodgy anyway. Went to a North East Counties game last Saturday and enjoyed it.

Who did you go to see?

 

[Zipwire]

I had 2 or 3 seasons around the turn of the millenium where I was only an occasional spectator due to working away. The later end of the Blackwell season and the 10/11 I slipped off a bit due to having a newborn baby and then starting a new job where my focus had to be on the training I was doing but apart from that I've been fairly consistent home and away for the last 35-40 years.

There was a point during the League One seasons where I wondered what the fuck I was doing and dragging along a small child, mainly for selfish reasons I didn't want him growing up supporting the other lot. That small child has now racked up 300 games. At a point fairly late on during the Adkins season, the penny dropped. You go for the football when the football is good but when it isn't you go to spend time with your friends and family.

As I'm in my late 40s now I've realised that in 30 years time I'll be one of the elder statesmen in the South Stand, and as that lad of mine grows up, we'll have those Saturdays together at the Lane too, and I'm in too far deep to ever want to pack it in.

 

[sportinguista]

I'm sorry to admit it but v Arsenal my Grandson wanted to walk but I said no. What the feckin Londoners were doing was such good football I'm ashamed to say I couldn't stop watching!

Don’t be ashamed. You pay to watch two teams play a match and rightly respected the skill and entertainment provided by one of them.

 

[cahill]

Who did you go to see?

Ayup, Worsbrough Bridge v Armthorpe

 

[cahill]

Who did you go to see?

Was a tossup between the Worsbrough game or Wombwell Town v Athersley Rec.

Think seasons ended already in the NECL.

 

[raul]

Now.

Combination of 4/5 hours on trains, the Friday/Monday night fixture changes and the paucity of entertainment most games I actually do get to. Seen/will see the least amount of fixtures I ever have and missing just under half of home games that are "under the lights" mean I've not yet renewed and am completely undecided about doing so. Were it not for meeting up with my mates, I'd probably not be bothering today either.