What would make you stop

[derfblade.3]

 

[Cerberus Blade]

I'm 33 years old and was a season ticket holder from about age 9 to age 28.

Since a child I was totally hooked, but then my dad passed away when I was 23 and some of the match day obsession sort of died away, but I carried on going with a group of my dads friends.

So at age 28, I think it was when Weir was in charge, I decided that I'd had enough, the football was terrible, we were languishing (ish) in league 1 and I was fed up of spending so much on going to BDTBL as I was only on a trainee's salary at the time. I think it was the poor football that really finished me off though.

The Wilder Era seems to have got me going again, the football is great to watch most of the time, the team shows passion and I think as Blades, it's what we expect as a minimum. The Club feels like it did when I was hooked in my teens.

I live in the Middle East now and watch everything I can on ifollow (at least when its not a middle of the night kick off) but to be honest, I now feel a bit of a "Glory Hunter" if you can call it that, for abandoning when it got a bit mucky! (albeit I did see some utter tripe through the Heath, Robson, Blackwell and Adams era's

So my question is, would you follow the Blades through thick or thin, or would you have a limit that made you quit like I did? Would you ever walk away?

Been supporting them for nearly 50 years. In that time only 3 things have made me stop going.

1. Work
2. Living overseas
3. Prior family commitments I couldn’t wriggle out of! (Like my honeymoon for example! Clashed with the play-off final v Palace and the missus had her heart set in Andalusia not Alperton)!

I’ve never stopped going because they were crap, although I have really felt like it many a time, especially under Weir and Adkins.

Sometimes I’ve felt like “I might not bother today” but come the day I usually think...”I’m going!”.

I must admit I don’t go to many friendly games as I think they are irrelevant training matches with no atmosphere. And I’ve missed some early round cup games (and the JPT).

But I go to all the home games and maybe a dozen or so away games each season. This season I’ve been to more away games than ever because Chris has given me a very good reason to follow the team and be proud of them. Like I was at Reading and Fulham in the past week and like I hope to be at Ipswich this Saturday.

When I die I don’t want cremating straightaway. I want them to stand me up in my coffin on the goal line at half time and have a shoot out competition. Seeing who can knock the coffin over and make my corpse go nose first into that hallowed turf!

Way to go!

And great half time entertainment for the fans don’t you think?

 

[Northyorksblade]

Due to army life, wasn't able, after the age of 17 to go regularly. It was only at the age of 38 when we moved to N Yorkshire that we were able to go regularly. By that time one of our daughters's had left home and the other was as mad a fan as we were. Since then the other daughter has got the bug. Weird hold on us this club has.

 

[shorehamview]

Work used to keep me busy, but since I left the pub trade and worked Monday to Friday in 2002 I've been a regular, and had a season ticket since 2003. I fit my other hobby/work in around Saturdays when we have away games, I've not been to an away league game for ages now. The only things that would keep me from having a season ticket are moving abroad, which is higly unlikely, and death. Admittedly I do miss the odd midweek home fixture, but only because I have to be up ridiculously early in the morning, otherwise I'm there.

The main thing that has made many seasons of crap acceptable has been the social aspect - meeting mates before the game for a few pints is part and parcel of going to the match, I doubt if I'd have made it through the relegation seasons or the Adkins season if I only went purely for the football.

 

[Duffy21Blade]

Admittedly I wasn't born a Blade, and until I was about 11, I had absolutely no interest in Football. I think it was because I didn't come from a big Football supporting family, so I had nobody to take me to a game - I had to find United. Dad was an armchair Newcastle fan because his dad was from there, and he was probably influenced by the Keegan era in the 90s. My Grandad on my mum's side was a Blade as they were from Gleadless, but he hadn't been to matches since his younger days. I had a cousin on my dad's side who was a big Wendy fan who went to the matches, but that was about it really.

What got me into Football was listening to radio commentary of a couple of games (02/03 triple assault season). I don't know why the radio was even on, but the first I remember listening to the League Cup game vs Leeds, when Ndlovu and Jagielka won it in the last minute (with Paul Walker's infamous quote, "I've lost my voice I don't care"), and from there the connection with United began. My mate at school started going to matches not long after so we both got season tickets on the Kop, and Football and Sheffield United became my main interest and hobby. I've met a couple of really good friends whilst supporting United, so following the club has been a social thing for me as well.

The Weir and Adkins eras were enough to test anyone's patience, and through frustration, disillusionment and disappointment at the League One years, I did threaten to pack Football in for a while and try and find something else to do with my life on a Saturday afternoon. Try as hard as I might, I couldn't find the answer, and when the frustration subsides and August comes around again, I realised I could not imagine being anywhere other than the Lane at 3pm on a Saturday. Up the Blades.

 

[CopenhagenBlade]

A Desso pitch

 

[Budgie]

Would agree with all the above and I guess to the 'loss of identity list' you could add an over reliance on loan players and football mercenaries. I've been a regular for nearly 40 years but the times I've really questioned my faith have all been when we've had a number of wage thieves in the team.
Sadly this list is extensive and would certainly, for me, include Dean Hammond, Phil Thompson, Peter Withe and Jose Baxter.
Despite these tests I've stuck with it! Honestly not sure if I could actually walk away. Still that's not in question at the moment as we have a committed team and management. The kind of set up that makes you proud....unlike our friends across the city!

 

[Harry's Game]

The Clough era was the closest I got..

I absolutely hated the bloke and at times thought I was the only one who could see the disastrous hole he was dragging us down.

I know we had to endure the woeful season afterwards under Adkins. But if Clough had stayed another season we would not have signed Sharp and been facing a season with Sammon and O’Grady as our strike force with an injured Brayford as club captain.

We could easily have gone down to League 2.

 

[Carlton Blade]

My group of friends fell apart over extra marital activity (not me!) at a time when I had to move away and money was right so I gave up my season ticket about 5 years ago. For the last 3 seasons I've still been to enough games to justify a season ticket (showing the financial aptitude that made me skint in the first place) so I finally relented and got a 1/2 season ticket this year. I'm 99% sure I'm back on board for a full season from now on.

To completely stop me going? I could see something despicable driving me away for a short time again but I can't imagine anything making me stop going forever. It's too big a part of who I am

 

[spongebobblade]

For me I’ve been a season ticket holder since I was at school and a regular since I was 9 in 1977. At the age of 40 I split from the wife and football just wasn’t a priority anymore. I picked the odd game for 2 years but met my new ‘other half’ who loved football and the rest is history. We both have season tickets as does my daughter and her fella biggeyblade. I didn’t miss the Blades at the time but go to more games now (35-40 a season) since I was in my teens/early 20s. The quality of the football has never been an issue for me. I’ve watched some right shite in the past but the blades are under my skin more than ever now. Can’t see it ever changing again

 

[Lane Ender]

If we went down to L1 I’m done and done with football

 

[beatific blade]

I'm 33 years old and was a season ticket holder from about age 9 to age 28.

Since a child I was totally hooked, but then my dad passed away when I was 23 and some of the match day obsession sort of died away, but I carried on going with a group of my dads friends.

So at age 28, I think it was when Weir was in charge, I decided that I'd had enough, the football was terrible, we were languishing (ish) in league 1 and I was fed up of spending so much on going to BDTBL as I was only on a trainee's salary at the time. I think it was the poor football that really finished me off though.

The Wilder Era seems to have got me going again, the football is great to watch most of the time, the team shows passion and I think as Blades, it's what we expect as a minimum. The Club feels like it did when I was hooked in my teens.

I live in the Middle East now and watch everything I can on ifollow (at least when its not a middle of the night kick off) but to be honest, I now feel a bit of a "Glory Hunter" if you can call it that, for abandoning when it got a bit mucky! (albeit I did see some utter tripe through the Heath, Robson, Blackwell and Adams era's

So my question is, would you follow the Blades through thick or thin, or would you have a limit that made you quit like I did? Would you ever walk away?

I got my first season ticket when we got relegated from the Premiership. I haven't looked back since. Apart from the last 18 months, I've only ever seen us get worse and worse.

I don't think anything would stop me going. Honestly!

 

[diode_blade]

If we went down to L1 I’m done and done with football

Don't worry, when idiots from t'other side go down we will be back in the Pub league....
As for what stops me going is
When the person next to you has been on anight out, had 15 pints of wards, 10 kebabs, 2 portions of chish and fips, 2 tindaloos and a 3 bags of quavers and this happens.....

 

[I should coco]

If we went down to L1 I’m done and done with football

Don't worry it will never happen mate.

In our long and proud history I don't think we have ever finished below 9th in the second tier.

Trust me and stick with the Blades, you know it makes sense.

 

[SelbyBlade]

If we went to liquidation. I would have to follow Sheffield FC or Hallam.

 

[SelbyBlade]

If some git made us amalgamate with the Pigs.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

Promotion to the Premiership would put me off going, hate everything about the top tier, the dividing, the cheating, the refs favouring the big guns, the money a lot of average players that couldn't give a toss are on, the ex-player pundits trying to justify penalties, free kicks, etc that basically aren't. I'll not pack in completely but I'll be more selective and probably end up doing a few more non-league games instead.

 

[snootyfenooty]

Promotion to the Premiership would put me off going, hate everything about the top tier, the dividing, the cheating, the refs favouring the big guns, the money a lot of average players that couldn't give a toss are on, the ex-player pundits trying to justify penalties, free kicks, etc that basically aren't. I'll not pack in completely but I'll be more selective and probably end up doing a few more non-league games instead.

It's an interesting one that. If we were in the prem then we would lose more often than not and when we did get a result it would likely be a turgid 1-0 affair. There would be the occasional game where we turned the form upside down and thrashed a top 6 team but that would be about it. But on the other hand, who the fuck wouldn't want us to win the champ and get promoted?

 

[ben1987]

Getting moved to Milton Keynes and being called the MK blades

Or

Some foreign owner coming in and renaming us the Steel City Blaes and making us play in blue at £50 a pop

 

[zablade]

Getting moved to Milton Keynes and being called the MK blades

Or

Some foreign owner coming in and renaming us the Steel City Blaes and making us play in blue at £50 a pop

As if a foreign owner would take over any Sheffield club and get rid of their stripes, no chance anything that stupid would ever happen! It would be like taking the name of the club off the main stand and putting the Chairman’s surname on it.






..oh hang on!

 

[mattbianco1]

Leaving the Lane.
Changing our home colours.

I was gonna say nothing. I'd even go in the North East Counties. But, don't think I could handle a colour or name change