What would make you stop

[niktheblade]

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?

 

[him behind you]

Plastic flapper things, a band, or possibly a return to pointless hoof.

 

[I should coco]

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?

Never say never, but I can't see what would make me stop having suffered Haslam, Peters, McEwan, Bruce, Heath, Mogadon Man, Semi Pro, Weir and the wisdom of geese.

Walk away?

 

[IdLiketoRogerMoore]

Leprosy...

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

I guess physical infirmity might be a reason, other than that I can’t think what.

Already watched them in all four divisions and through thin and thinner so probably stick with it now!


Those plastic clapper things mind ...........

 

[Ricky]

A banning order. Maybe.

 

[TJB.]

Honestly? Pricing.

Not necessarily because I'm tight, but there's a limit to what I'm willing to pay for my season ticket/what I can reasonably afford.

I'm also quite aware that life gets in the way sometimes. If I end up having children then I'd imagine my Bramall Lane time will be significantly reduced for a good few years.

 

[I should coco]

A banning order. Maybe.

You could always sit near Paul Woolhouse.

I suppose the scarf, big coat and cap might be a bit of a give away though in the sunshine.

 

[Bert]

Death

 

[FTPE]

Leaving the Lane.
Changing our home colours.

 

[BigBed]

A red light.

 

[Deleted member 875]

I’ve been a Lane regular since I was a young boy in the early 80s, and apart from a couple of years working away at the turn of the millennium I’ve been a regular ever since.

I’ve seen enough dross on the pitch to last a lifetime, I’ve also seen my personal circumstances change during that time, but the one thing that has remained constant is my regular attendance at the Lane.

There was a couple of times during our long stint in the pub league that I threatened to pack it in, and walk away, but that was just me blowing off a bit of hot air.

Think the man you need to ask is Barney who sold his season ticket and swore blind he wouldn’t go again after giving the manager 6 weeks to turn things around the other season.

 

[JohnDenver]

Meadowhall.

 

[Steve Mackan]

Pricing - irrespective of whether I could afford it or not. If the club began to treat fans with total contempt. Chansiri.

 

[Bents Green]

Adkins did it for me - now just follow on radio / tv etc

 

[B14Nco]

If the idiot 10% (conservative estimate ) of our fanbase hound Wilder out... I’d genuinely consider it. For a bit. we’ll never have anyone with a better connection to who we are.

 

[TJB.]

Adkins did it for me - now just follow on radio / tv etc

Jesus. If everyone gave up after one shit gaffer we'd have been out of business years ago!

 

[snootyfenooty]

Honestly? Pricing.

Not necessarily because I'm tight, but there's a limit to what I'm willing to pay for my season ticket/what I can reasonably afford.

I'm also quite aware that life gets in the way sometimes. If I end up having children then I'd imagine my Bramall Lane time will be significantly reduced for a good few years.

Yep, me too. Having seen what the other lot have had rammed down their throat and tried every means possible to justify it only to end up sounding like a bunch of twats, I really wouldn't bother.

 

[TonyAgana]

If I end up having children then I'd imagine my Bramall Lane time will be significantly reduced for a good few years.

Bit of experience-based advice coming up from me... keep your season ticket; it's a very welcome escape from being Daddy for a few hours every couple of weeks. I have the advantage (if you can call it that) of being married to a Wednesday season ticket holder so we both appreciate the break.

 

[ljk]

Permanently losing the identity of a club is a genuine possibility, whether the results are successful or not.

I would imagine that the majority of Manchester City fans are happy enough supporting the emerging powerhouse of a global footballing brand that their club has become. I doubt West Ham supporters feel the same way. Either way, I think both of those clubs have broken from narrative of their histories, and have become something entirely different. Maybe there's a 'good way' and a 'bad way' to do it, but that probably grossly over-simplifies things.

If I felt that my loyalty lied with a Sheffield United that actually no longer existed, and I found no reason to start afresh with its new incarnation, I certainly wouldn't feel any sort of obligation to continue supporting the club as I have done.

Football supporters' loyalty towards their team is part of what makes the sport great, but as soon as it becomes blind and unconditional, it leaves fan bases vulnerable to being used and abused.

 

[coolhandluke]

I've been a regular at the Lane since 78/79 and the closest I've been is exclaiming " fuck it, that's me done " before turning to the lads almost immediately and asking " do yer fancy Newport away on Tuesday "

Rinse and repeat nearly every year and just substitute the name of the team we're playing next .

Whilst I don't go to the majority of games anymore now I'd still class myself as a regular. But in answer to the question posed by the OP, I've got no idea just how bad things will get before I stop going for good .

 

[Small Mendonca]

• Moving from Bramall Lane.
• Permanently changing from our classic red and white stripes.
• Plastic clappers.
• Spending millions and millions to become a 4-10th place moneybags premiership club with an entirely foreign team and foreign manager.
• Ridiculous pricing i.e. S6.

The main overriding point is a large deviation away from what I consider relatively normal for United. I base it upon when I first started supporting United in 2002. I signed up for that United and if circumstances change to the point that the new United would be so far-fetched from that, I would call time and just support non-league full time.

 

[bibbity bobbity boo]

Not being able to take my cat.

 

[alcoblade]

Moving grounds to the middle of nowhere, being run by a dispassionate far off board,
fans with clappers / a band. That would finish me off.

In short, if we avoid simulating Sheffield Wednesday, I’m in it for life.

 

[fireblade]

Like lots of other posters on here I watched United drop to Division 4, play a poor style of football, have players who didn't seem to give a shit and sell players I adored, and carried on going to the Lane regardless.
Like the OP losing my Dad took a lot of the match day experience away for a while, but I carried on going.
I would be saddened to ever move from the Lane or change our colours or pay inflated prices, but I would most likely keep going.
However!!
The One thing that would stop me dead in my tracks is a merger with the Pigs.

 

[Whiston Blade]

Would you ever walk away?

I would never stop supporting united but for me, money is already making me pick and choose my games. I'm currently saving close to £800 p/m for my first mortgage and when I get my house I doubt things will change.

 

[TJB.]

Yep, me too. Having seen what the other lot have had rammed down their throat and tried every means possible to justify it only to end up sounding like a bunch of twats, I really wouldn't bother.

This is how we know they're a completely different breed.

If McCabe, the Prince, anyone at all attempted to implement what has gone on at Wednesday, I'm 100% confident that the vast majority of us would tell them to fuck right off.

 

[Northyorksblade]

• Moving from Bramall Lane.
• Permanently changing from our classic red and white stripes.
• Plastic clappers.
• Spending millions and millions to become a 4-10th place moneybags premiership club with an entirely foreign team and foreign manager.
• Ridiculous pricing i.e. S6.

The main overriding point is a large deviation away from what I consider relatively normal for United. I base it upon when I first started supporting United in 2002. I signed up for that United and if circumstances change to the point that the new United would be so far-fetched from that, I would call time and just support non-league full time.

SUFC board please take note!!!

 

[Gimli]

Leaving the Lane. I could cope with just about anything else.

 

[CarlingBlade]

I'm too far in, nothing can replace a trip to Bramall Lane, a few beers with my mates so it'd take a lot to stop me going, however i suppose if we moved ground to out near meadowhall, changed the shirt colour and the club lost its identity i'd consider stopping going.

Supporting your club is an emotional tie, i don't think many fans could just walk away from years of emotional investment.