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Blade here: You're right. It's a sad state of affairs for both clubs. Fans in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, etc. must be laughing themselves stupid.

I understand your frustration & disappointment, but I don't like use of that term in that way. Show upset; but stay classy please.

You know, the two team's fan sites are remarkably similar. Both have a few knowledgeable fans who enlighten others, both have some genuinely funny people whose humour cracks me up, and (sadly) both have a group of bedwetting who declare they're finished with their club because their team lose or announce the Manager is clueless because he picked so-and-so and they consequently lost. As an example, on S2 4SU this morning, there are still Blades saying the Manager is tactically clueless and out of his depth and should be quickly removed before next season in the PremierLeague! More importantly, both sites have loads of genuine fans who feel low when their team lose and are envious of the other Sheffield team if they're successful. That's normal. The rivalry between The Blades and The Wednesday goes deep. But we really have more in common than posters on here like to believe. Remember that semi-final between SWFC & SUFC (it's still painful to me, remembering Waddle's brilliant goal)? Remember when there was talk of the match being played at Leeds? Well, that united the two clubs! We agreed we hated Leeds! So, we won't stop the banter between the two sets of supporters. Many a winter evening will be spent arguing who is the bigger club and how you'd have bigger crowds than the other lot. But let's not pretend we're that different. We're proud of our Sheffield side, whatever the colour.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but ... Pull yourself together! Supporting a club is about doing it through thick and thin. I'm pretty old. I started going to The Lane in the days of Currie, etc. Great days. I then went away from Sheffield to uni in Liverpool. This as we went from the old 1st Division into the 2nd. Then into the 3rd. And finally, into the 4th! Of course it was awful being the laughing stock of my friends. But you're a Blade for life. And in your case, you support The Wednesday whatever happens. Your day will come. And one small consolidation is it does feel good to be a big fish in a small pond, winning most matches. The first Wilder season was probably the most exciting season I've EVER experienced. Yes, it's good to get into the PL, but it was so good travelling round the country to places I couldn't even find on a map and hammering them. I say again, your day will come. Keep the faith. We can sneer at all these plastic fans who chose their team from the top of the PL, rather than your Sheffield postcode and your Dad's alliance.

Snap

I think most realistic Blades expect us, at best, to become a yo-yo side, alternating between the Premier League & the Championship. It's extremely hard to properly establish a team in the Premier League.

I think you are 100% right.

I think that's the main point about this promotion. It sounds like behind-the-scenes it's been a real mess, and yet the Manager has largely ignored it and focussed on what he can control; preparing the team for the next match. I'm like 99% of Blades. I have no real idea what the actual financial situation is. It's certainly not great. It appears that we would have faced a possible financial meltdown if we'd not been promoted. Where has all the money gone? We've had years of parachute money, money from a good cup run, and been on Sky Sport TV on many occasions. Yes, I know we have an expensive wage bill. But I still don't get it. This farce with the Nigerian businessman just adds to the confusion. I DO realise SWFC are not strangers to financial problems. It does make me worry for the long term health of English football. I guess the real problem is the ridiculous wages footballers receive. I don't want to go back to my Dad's era where he knew SUFC players as he bumped into them in the shops & pubs they worked in - being a professional footballer is a fulltime job. But I don't think it's right the stupid sums of money an ordinary Premier League/Championship player expects. Like most clubs, many Blades fans are feeling the pinch at the moment. Watching some second-rate player who sits on the bench most Saturdays drive past you in a Lamborghini is wrong. Rant over ...

I don't like bad language. But that DID make me laugh!

Blade here. You're right. 90% of SWFC and 90% of SUFC fans are the same. It's THE local rivalry (whatever fans of Barnsley or Rotherham think!). Nearly all of us talk about a Sheffield Double, and we know what we mean by that. We're not obsessed with each other. Our first priority is our own team. But after that, we do hope our main rival loses. However, and this is important, 95% of SWFC and 95% of SUFC fans are decent people who refrain from disgusting language and a delight in violence. Sure, unfortunately both clubs have that element. But I strongly believe they are a minority. It's about healthy rivalry. It's normal. It's not obsession. I say all this knowing that, almost certainly, there will come a time when you're the top Sheffield side again. I'd like that to never happen; but it's probably just a matter of when. When SUFC were languishing in League One for all those years I thought we'd never get out. Have faith. Last comment: Lots of stuff on here and on S2 4SU forum about who has the most supporters. What is a fact is that BOTH Sheffield clubs have incredible support for our relative successes. That's something we can agree on and be proud of.

Joking on one side: 90% of SWFC AND SUFC fans are pleasant people who like banter about our closest rival, but will not be nasty. Strangely online forums seem to attract many of the 10%.

You're right. I started going to the Lane in the early 1970s. I guess I started to support the Blades 'cus my Dad did, although my close friends were all SWFC supporters. Anyways, I remember many Sheffielders had two season tickets; one for the Lane & the other for Hillsborough. It wasn't considered even slightly weird. They were football fans who liked to watch football as often as possible - obviously this was before all the football on TV. They would say they supported one team the most - but cheered on the other lot in the spirit of wanting a local side to do well. Then we entered an era when supporting a side meant you could end up in hospital just for wearing the 'wrong' shirt. Dreadful. Nowadays I'm happy to see the Owls as rivals and want to do better than them. But horrible insults or violence? No. I do NOT miss local derbies at all. I was so nervous about the possibility of the bragging rights being with you, that I never enjoyed the games at all. I can feel sick in my stomach just thinking of them. Oh and Wembley today? I'm not going, mostly 'cus of the expense. We're not broke as a family, but times ARE hard, and the high cost of watching Man City take us apart (probably) is too much. If by a miracle we won, then we would go to the final as that would be special. Now be gentle with me!

Agreed. The length of the contract is especially ridiculous. I'd have gone till the end of the season or at most another year.

As a SUFC season ticket holder for many years I obviously want the Blades to do well. That means I'll be cheering on Heckingbottom. But, the appointment does seem to say 1. we lack ambition 2. we are broke. Hope I'm wrong on both counts. I'll be hoping Sunday's match (v Bristol City) has a good outcome. UTB.

I only photographed about a quarter of the article - just to show the bit about SWFC. You want to see the rest?