Jump to content

Why Sheffield (the city)?


Recommended Posts

On 11/03/2021 at 09:06, Zarostulus said:

Northern towns/cities are at an automatic disadvantage because economic and industrial reforms in the 70s/80s crippled us all. Manchester and Liverpool got through that period football-wise because they had already built an impressive footballing reputation that brought in money from other parts of the country and abroad. That allowed them to ride out the widening of the north/south divide - it was just about timing and recent footballing success as to which cities rowed through it. 

 

Leeds, Newcastle, Sunderland etc in the north did well because they were one-club cities. 

 

Sheffield had to contend with being a two-club city (not including semi-professional) *and* being hit with major economic damage. 

 

Manchester City were mainly attractive to investors because of Manchester United and the money and interest that could generate, plus the new stadium. All the London clubs had 'being in the capital' as a major advantage. 

 

Then, many years later, when these effects had lead to teams like SW punching below their historical weight, these teams got attention as 'sleeping giants' with large attendances etc, and that brought a fresh wave of attention from foreign owners who could see potential for a profitable resurgance story and a bunch of loyal fans to exploit on the way. 

 

Basically, the city of Sheffield is not at fault. It's a victim IMO of the widening of the North/South divide and just happens to feel it harder in footballing terms because it's one of not many Northern two+ club cities when you exclude Manchester and Liverpool, who were lucky at the time. 

It hit us in Barnsley too. We've spent more seasons than any other club in the second tier of English football, but in the last couple of decades we've struggled between the second and third tiers, because the local economy just hasn't been there. We're obviously enjoying this season, but we've become pretty used to the basement battle over the years. We seem to have good owners with a long term plan now, but that's pure pot luck. 

 

Not sure it relates to the club so much but over the last few years ( and the next few) Barnsley will have had Billions spent on it pretty much half the Town Centre will have been knocked down and rebuilt, if they somehow got in the Premiership with crowds back Barnsley will have made incredible strides forward both as a club and a Town

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, NorthernOwl said:

 

I live in York and it's a bit of an interesting case. A city of 200k plus and a club stuck at national league north level. In relative terms their level of underachievement far dwarves Wednesday's.

York has always been an odd one for me. A decent sized City with the rest of Yorkshire to pull on. Other than Leeds and Bradford  on the doorstep there's no real local opposition - certainly to the North or East. Whereas Wednesday are surrounded by big clubs at Manchester, Nottingham, Derby, Leeds plus the locals of Barnsley, Rotherham, oh, and the managerless crowd at S2.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some really great, grown-up answers, suggestions and reasoning behind Sheffield's inability to achieve in terms of football.  I'll distil these and try to come up with a composite document.  

 

THANK YOU one and all - and whilst it doesn't solve anything in the short term, maybe there are pointers there for the future.  I just hate this 'why us?' during and at the end of most seasons

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sheffield is a neglected city and it rubs off on its football teams. Poor infrastructure and constantly overlooked in favour of Leeds. 
 

We are the largest city in Europe without it’s own airport. We are the birth place of football yet where is the museum or hall of fame? Manchester they’d have you believe. 
 

Eric Taylor was the last visionary chairman we had. I don’t count Dave Richards as he was just feathering his own nest till the FA job came along. 
 

We’ve lost so much ground as a club both on and off the pitch I fear we’ll never be a big name in English football again. The funny thing is the potential is still there but try finding many overseas billionaires that have heard of us or fancy the challenge. 
 

DC thought it was just a case of throwing money at it for a season or two but the problem is with FFP that’s your window. Miss it and you’re up the creek as we see now. With ooot succession planning and bad advice we look more likely to sink down the leagues than mount another tilt at promotion to the PL any time soon. 
 

 

Edited by steelcityowlsfan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/03/2021 at 18:43, hangonrose said:

I was born in Sheffield, so it's a place very dear to my heart.  But why is it that football in this city - apart from the odd sparkly season, like we've had and the other lot have had - is unsuccessful?  Why aren't we like Manc or Liverpool, or N London?  We can get the crowds to match any city, but why do we manage to make a mess of it?

 

How many players come here and are sold for a profit?  Very few.  Next season, we'll have a Championship and a League 1 side more than likely.

 

There must be something in the air or it's the people which puts the mockers on consistency.  Brentford?  Barnsley?  How come they get it and we don't?

 

Have I missed something?  Are our supporters like dementors, sucking the life out of the soul of the club?  It's a recurring theme though.

 

Either club should attract the money men, judging by the crowds either club can generate, and invest accordingly.  Why are people queuing up to buy Ipswich?  Derby?   and the list goes on.

 

Please put me straight....thanks 


Sheffield United are usually quite good at producing players and selling them for profit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/03/2021 at 18:43, hangonrose said:

I was born in Sheffield, so it's a place very dear to my heart.  But why is it that football in this city - apart from the odd sparkly season, like we've had and the other lot have had - is unsuccessful?  Why aren't we like Manc or Liverpool, or N London?  We can get the crowds to match any city, but why do we manage to make a mess of it?

 

How many players come here and are sold for a profit?  Very few.  Next season, we'll have a Championship and a League 1 side more than likely.

 

There must be something in the air or it's the people which puts the mockers on consistency.  Brentford?  Barnsley?  How come they get it and we don't?

 

Have I missed something?  Are our supporters like dementors, sucking the life out of the soul of the club?  It's a recurring theme though.

 

Either club should attract the money men, judging by the crowds either club can generate, and invest accordingly.  Why are people queuing up to buy Ipswich?  Derby?   and the list goes on.

 

Please put me straight....thanks 

This.

Every time either US or dem Blunts get close to moving up in the football world, both take 2 steps back rather than 1 forward, Wilder,, us when Atkinson left.

If Barnsley don't qualify for the playoff's this season I don't see them speculating in the summer, rather selling Players.

Rotherham have at least 2 chances to go up to the old 1st division, and blew them both.

I am from Rotherham, and I used to go to Millmoor with my mates one week and Hillsboro the next, my mates said I was "Glory Hunting", believe me, no one follows any South Yorkshire club for the glory.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/03/2021 at 19:51, sternlad said:

I think Sheffield has always been seen as unfashionable apart from a brief spell in every decade when a new band comes to the fore and it is viewed more favourably. Is it down to the level of investment in the area? If Chansiri wanted to sell would there be anyone locally to buy the club? Unlikely I would think...a consortium maybe?

The same place as they were when DC bought the club, NO WHERE.

I asked the question a few weeks ago.

"WHERE IS OUR McABE", a local self made millionaire, prepared to invest in the club?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I live and grew up in the south, but Sheffield is known as a sporting city and one of the birth places of football.  So I’ve no idea why it doesn’t have football clubs worthy of the name. 

 

I’ve always felt that Wednesday would justify being made a large football club by a rich consortium.  Sadly that’s further away than it was 5 years ago  
 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are some excellent posts in this thread which doesn't have some of the usual rantings.

Sheffield is a great city. which is why many students and ex players choose to settle here after they've finished graduated/finished.

However, the progressed as many other cities due to a narrow minded and lack of positive mindset of those in authority. I moved around the country settled in Greater Manchester in 1988. Since then, I have seen the powers that be make every effort to promote the city and encourage people to come as often as possible. Three things stick in my mind.

 

10 October 2015 - England played Uruguay in the Rugby World Cup at the Etihad with over 50,000 people attending. That evening the Rugby League Grand final was played at Old Trafford with over 73,000 attending and then later still on the same day was a world title fight at the Arena with, I'm guessing, another 20,000 there. That's well over 140,000 people in the city bringing many millions of pounds into the local economy. In Sheffield, you can't have 2 events at the same time, even if one is the snooker at the Crucible.

 

4 June 2017 - a hastily arranged tribute concert for the Manchester Arena bomb at Old Trafford cricket ground took place less than a fortnight after the bomb with 50,000 attending. The arrangements themselves are commendable in isolation, can imagine an event of that size being allowed at such short notice in Sheffield? No, me neither. Add in to the mix that less than a mile away, it was Michael Carricks testimonial at the other Old Trafford and there is no way on Gods earth that the council or SYP would have allowed it yet the Manchester authorities want to make things happen which brings enormous benefits to the city.

 

June 1996 IRA bomb - the council grasped what was a once in a lifetime opportunity to encourage a complete redevelopment of the city centre with much foresight from the Planning Authorities transforming the city and made it a vibrant place that outsiders want to come to. We can't even been able to getting planning permission for residential due to small mindedness. This would have helped the club immensely, I have no doubt that if the same situation arose in Manchester, the council/planners would moved heaven and earth to push it through.

 

It's all a great shame but it really does start at the top.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/03/2021 at 12:40, Ante's Bubbly said:

There are loads of reasons for living in Sheffield and for at least the last 40 years it has been top or close to the top of the list of cities where students move to study and end up staying there to live, so I checked out this site https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/study/city and it has plenty of reasons for coming to live here as many players, ex players, managers and ex managers have stated, including many that still live here after retirement the most famous ones probably being Nigel Pearson, Chris Waddle & Emlyn Hughes. I would also add the friendliness of the locals and the very dry quirky sense of humor and the small lesser know fact that the roots of our game, the first two football teams in the world and most of the original rules all came from here.

 

There are 564,000 people living in Sheffield

Nearly 60,000 of which are students

An affordable city

Sheffield is one of the UK’s top ten most affordable student cities.

The Royal Bank of Scotland’s Student Living Index 2019

A safe city

England’s safest major city, according to the UK Peace Index

Awarded the Purple Flag for city safety, making it one of the safest places in the country for a night out seven years running

A creative city

Home to the largest community of artists and designers outside London

Known for its music, art and digital scenes

A green city

60 per cent of the city is green space

Over two million trees, 250 gardens, parks and woodland areas and a third of the city lies within the borders of the Peak District national park

 

yes...thats the problem..we are too f*k^n nice...😀

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...