‘Oh, gawd blimey’. My late lamented father used that phrase every time something blew up in his face.
It could be his car failing to start, the garden gate coming off its hinges, the dog running off or my mother kicking off at him for no real reason. It could also be employed when he had to work Police overtime he didn’t want. I knew to keep out of his way when I heard that phrase from a very young age. He swore frequently but usually gently.
But I’m going to resurrect the phrase: Oh, gawd blimey. We had the better of that lot and still contrived to lose.
No disaster though. It just would have been nice for a genuinely horrible team to have been denied three points. I have developed a late-life dislike for them, particularly for one of their supporters. No place for reference to S.A.M. missiles in this non-political article but hopefully several folks will get my general idea.
Never before have I wanted us to see out stoppage time as much as Saturday. We couldn’t do it. Oh, gawd blimey.
But let’s not get on our lot’s collective back. We had a reasonable go. Everybody knew before the game what a tough fixture it was and we came up fractionally short. We don’t look good in the league table – well, one point from nine and we wouldn’t, would we?
As regular readers of MFW will know, I find it extremely difficult to comment on a match I have not personally attended. I’ll put that right after Preston of course.
In any case, Editor Gary’s piece yesterday has well covered that.
Whether we like it or not at the final whistle the scoreboard flashed up Sheffield United 2 Norwich City 1. It got me some cred in the MFW prediction table, but I don’t care about that. Cookie will win anyway.
But one thing that did catch my eye was a piece by a lady who I once met and respect – Karren Brady in the dreaded Sun on Saturday. It was easy to find after I’d picked my way past Dear Deidre and the Striker cartoon strip.
She said: “Wolves and Fulham have had it easy, especially if you believe money is the only thing that talks”.
And: ‘Increasingly, promotion (to the PL) is going to become a rich man’s game.’
Now I’m the original ordinary Joe, but where the hell does that leave us?
Oh, gawd blimey.
Lumbered with Delia.
Oh, gawd blimey!
I guess you’re spot on there John!
take your time take your time Sheffield United I say take your time take your time I say take your time take time Sheffield United play football the Norwich way .
Brilliant… insightful, to the point, beautifully punctuated.
Genuinely horrible team?
We try to play football pal, resisting the urge to spend 70 minutes timewasting!
UTB ⚔️
Let it go mate… you’ve beaten us twice since that fateful afternoon last September, when we did what every away team in the history of the universe does when they’re winning 1-0 away from home (including your lot at Carrow Road in January).
I don’t blame you for backing your team Russ but I think that’s a slight exaggeration.
Horrible team, manager and supporters.
I have written before of the incident, where my late mate and I had coffee or tea – was hard to tell, could have been urine – thrown over us by a 10-year-old egged on by his father, along with the comments referring to my mate in a wheelchair. A man who served his Queen and country got injured doing so… a Lovely bunch. While the other side of the City, they could not have been any more accommodating to us.
A manager I dislike more than one of their previous managers, who seems to have toned it down a lot since being in Wales. I sat waiting to go out to a birthday BBQ, wishing that the ref would blow the ruddy whistle… (1) so City could deny them all the spoils and, (2) to stop being nagged about being late. By a few minutes… Oh gawd blimey.
A point would have been about right in my view but we made them sweat a little and go quiet during the game. And beforehand the bus was not held up.
Mr Wilder had little to moan about, this time… but I wonder had we stayed at 1-1.
Hi Lad
I once had to do a couple of weeks work at Sheffield Uni and used a pub on Broomhill Road. The folks I met there have become lifelong friends and I almost always go to Wednesday away, hook up with them and enjoy the game. Yes I sit in with the Owls, even if only because I often get a free ticket!
The fact that similar, friendly people from that locale can be so hostile at Bramall Lane continues to amaze me.
My Wednesday mates have an explanation for the phenomenon but best I don’t post it:-)
Always amuses me when fans think that bigging up a teams rivals is somehow a way to get even. Would you be apopleptic if I said we never had people spitting at kids when we play Ipswich or would you just laugh the way we do when people go on about Wednesday? Are you really naieve enough to believe Wenesday dont have a similar violent minority?
Truth of the matter is there are good and bad fans at every club and its largely luck who you bump into on a match day. Wasnt that long ago Norwich had 9 fans jailed for rioting at Leicester as well as having 9 more banned for throwing bricks at Leeds coaches.
As for on the pitch yes we do have a pasionate manager who supports the club – would I rather have some limp lettuce who stands their says nowt and reels off the old cliches in every interview (Nigel Adkins)? – or maybe we should go foreign as well?
Perhaps a draw would have been a fair result – maybe its ironic that by actually playing for 90 minutes for a change you left the game open and allowed us in the back door – but we returned that compliment in the last 10 minutes creating a far better match to watch – only difference being Jordan Rhodes returned to form and bottled it big time and Billy sharp didnt.
Thanks CCB – you make some very fair and valid points.
It is indeed the luck of the draw regarding who you meet on your travels. I’ve always been lucky to my great good fortune.
I bear no malice to any individual Blades fan (or fans of any other Club, even Ipswich) but Mr Wilder has put the collective NCFC nose out of joint. As Gary said earlier you have beaten us fairly and squarely twice since then.
It’s not my fault my mates support Wednesday – it’s how that cookie crumbles I guess.
Anyway thanks for a decent and polite post.
My problem isn’t that “Everybody knew before the game what a tough fixture it was and we came up fractionally short.”. It is mainly that, literally no one is thinking that about a visit to CR. We are currently such a soft touch. We have a very clear achilles heel and once again a team exploited it.
I would probably sack Farke for Zonal marking alone at this point. Can he honestly say that it works with the set of players at his disposal? We are making some progress on the pitch, but still lack balance, I still remain unconvinced Farke can fashion a side to challenge for promotion, not just on the strength of 3 games but a season and 3 games.
People are saying; but for this missed tackle, that misplaced pass, a missed penalty or a 3 on 1 that was butchered we could have 9 points. But Football doesn’t reward if’s but’s and maybe’s. On another day, maybe Birmingham score another, maybe WBA are tighter at the back and keep us down to 1, maybescore a couple more and maybe SU score 1 or 2 more when in accendancy at the start on Saturday. Oh gawd blimey, with some if’s but’s and maybe’s, we could be flying with 9pts or rooted to the bottom with no points and a -10 GD.
We are where we are, 1 pt from 9. No if’s, no but’s, that’s simply not good enough.
Now I don’t know what the games against; PNE, LU and the binners will yield, but I have little confidence that we will win more than 1 if that. If we get to 6 games, no wins and <3pts (Ignore last season if you like but it would be 3 wins in 20+) Is his position tenable? Surely this would be the very rational for having a DofF and a HC who is viewed as an emenantly replacable with less disruption to the grander plan. But that's still an if (I'm at it too!). We might win; 1, 2 maybe 3 of those in fine style and the rose garden will be rosey and the apple cart going great guns.
We have a long tradition of clinging to failing managers too long, when will be too long with Farke? Not yet in my book, but he has little chance if we keep losing and continue to make the same mistakes.
I saw little evidence last season that he understands what it takes to succeed in the championship, so far this season there is only the faintest glimmer so C'mon Dannyboy, prove this doubter wrong.
Bah!
You make some good points General.
I doubt DF has ever heard “Danny Boy” and that could be part of a problem as in a slight disconnect with the British way of life and indeed football in the Championship – not his fault, I don’t know any German folk songs myself.
But three games in is far too soon for getting rid imo. Webber appointed him and Webber will pull the trigger as, when and if that time comes. Were we to appoint a traditional manager Webber would effectively put himself out of a job in any case.
The point about our difficult opening fixtures remains valid to me but we must start to get some points on the board, sooner rather than later.
I’ve said several times I’ve basically written this season off and nothing I’ve seen leads me to change my mind.
btw is your middle name Hogmany?
“I don’t know any German folk songs myself.”
I’ll bet you do really……
Muss I denn, muss I denn
Zum stadtele hinaus
Stadtele hinaus
Und du, mein Schatz, bleibst hier?
Ha! Good one Keith.
I’m not disagreeing with 3 games being too soon, but when do we hit a tipping point? No game is easy in the championship but 1 point from the three we have played is poor, if you take out the when in when we played those Three, I think SU would look like any point was a good one, but home vs WBA and away vs Brum to me strike as games we should be taking at least a point but hoping for more. Preston is similar, are they really what you would call tough? For us everyone is.
Would you still say our first 4 were tough to a fan of a side that started with: Stoke, Leeds, Middlesborough and Villa? Its too early to write ourselves off just as it is to really assess the quality we have faced, but we haven’t done well so far and the next 3 don’t look any easier.
Before a ball was kicked this season I too had little optimism, my prediction was 12/13, I had that pre-season frision of optimism as it all kicked off but, results and several annoying tendancies from last season remain that have killed it. Anything 10th or above now constitutes a pleasant surprise. But the nagging doubt will remain, could someone else be getting more out of this squad? I still believe thats true and Farke no longer has the leeway afforded of it being his first season.
BTW: Amoungst others yes
Bah!
Perhaps we could do with a more passionate manager and fans?Just saying.
Hi Tony
DF does indeed seem laid back; too much so for some I guess..
There is no problem with the supporters in the Barclay and the Pit, but the rest of the ground can often resemble a morgue.
I’m 60 like most of the people I know in the UB but we can – and often do – raise a holler.
It’s been said before that the average age of the fanbase in three sides of the ground doesn’t help the atmosphere and basically I think that’s probably true.
No problem with most in the Barclay and the pit but have you ever sat in the river end?I had the missfortune once and if you get a bit passionate you see all these eyes staring at you thinking youre from a different planet.I did read somwhere that the carrow road crowd are getting older because fans renew their season tickets year after year so then no youngsters get a chance to attend matches.
Yes I have very occasionally been in the River End (Bayern Munich for example) and I know what you mean!
As well as saying Oh Gawd blimey, my dad would have described the atmosphere in that stand as flat as a witch’s t*t.
I reckon there will be room for some youngsters soon – down to 25,000 last Saturday.
It must be nice for the Blades fans to be able to celebrate winning their cup final, I almost feel happy for them.
I still have pessimism and optimism in almost equal measure although my optimism is only that we won’t be drawn into a relegation scrap-the squad is nowhere near strong or coherent enough to trouble the top 6 places.
Hopefully we’re not too far from getting the rub of the green in one or two games and a convincing win here and there.
I reckon that is pretty much spot on Don.
Couldn’t agree more really.
I have a respect for football fans who travel for over 3 hours to watch and support there team, we at s.u.f.c are a passionate bunch we love our club and have been well below par for a number of years, we seem to be seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and love the football which is being produced, I personally don’t hate your club or fans which seem a honest bunch, I’m really sorry for your dear friend getting abuse at Bramall Lane but the is from a mindless few and doesn’t reflect on all our supporters , I apologise for them because mindless people don’t apologise for themselves, I love rivalry which gives an extra edge to a football game but I don’t hate, I hope for your honest fans you can turn it around and I will be at CR on the away end supporting my club,
Ps, as for us winning our cup final do you honestly believe we enjoyed beating your team more than our many local rivals, your club is not actually that big but I’m glad for you that coming to Bramall Lane is like going to a cup final,but believe me we all at s.u.f.c don’t share your view
Ps, as for the comment of us winning our cup final, you are joking, seriously do you honestly believe we enjoy beating Norwich more than Leeds, pigs, Bradford,Barnsley,chesterfield,Rotherham Huddersfield, we have many rivals in our area so please don’t flatter yourself
Thanks Billy.
I know where you’re coming from.
There’s always a few to$$ers at every Club who spoil things for everybody, particularly dads who take their kids to games sometimes for the first time.
If it helps in any way most of us at NCFC call them Dirty Leeds. With reason.
Cheers for joining in.
A bit tongue in cheek from me, but having read pre match and post match comments from lots of Blades fans I think you could forgive me for thinking that your fans and manager considered this to be a huge game.
Another good comment Don!
Listen Muppets ” Nowrich City fan’s ” you can’t play fairly in a match for the full 90mins. You always find that in some way you, were late giving the ref your team sheet then you start playing when it suits you lot. And going through the first half always time wasting with, throwings and the keeper looking over to your bench waiting for “the nod” to kick the ball back in-play. When we scored it all stopped. It was you like you got kicked in the arse and it speeded you lot up. But suprise suprise you levelled up with a lucky tap in from the ex-pig Rhodes. It all started again, if you can’t play a fair game then you shouldn’t have formed a football club. It carried on all the way through the match, but in the end you did and will again get beat at the Lane. 2-1 to the BLADES. How do you like Apple’s. Abit ” sour ” i should think..hahahahahahaha.. up the BLADES.
All the other Blades supporters’ comments were constructive, full of dialogue and excellent. Good to read. Shame about yours, really. Maybe you have a need to write stuff like this?
Oh gawd blimey.
Eejit.
Martin,
I can only assume that you have developed your late-life dislike of Sheffield United because of your admitted association with your Wednesday pals – it’s natural that they would have indoctrinated you with lies, lies and more lies about Sheffield United over the years. No doubt they will have told you stories about the atrocious behaviour of the Blades fans while conveniently forgetting to mention the equally if not more so bad behaviour of the Wendy boys. Telling lies about others is sometimes the only way that some people can cover up their own shortcomings.
As for Sheffield United being ‘a genuinely horrible team’…..where does that rather drastic statement come from? If you’re talking about the days of ‘Clog It’ Bassett or our friend Mr Warnock, believe me you need to get to see United more often – or maybe if you had won on Saturday your article would have been completely different? There’s nothing wrong with passion in a manager and as far as I can see nothing wrong with what Chris Wilder said last September – like you he has his opinion and as fans, we appreciate his honesty.
Times have changed my friend and if you popped into the Railway pub across the road from the ground with your NCFC scarf (as many away supporters regularly do) you would be welcomed with open arms, we might even buy you a pint. Just like your Wendy pals, 99% of Sheffielders are good honest very friendly folk who wouldn’t dream of making away fans feel unwelcome, but you can’t account for the few that every club has.
The trouble is that as a journalist, by expressing your opinions in this way, some people who can’t think for themselves will believe that what you have written is 100% true, when I can assure them that this isn’t the case and losing 3 points to a rival isn’t the end of the world, it’s early days yet.
All the best for the season, Norwich is a club I have always sort of liked and it was great to see plenty of yellow and green in Sheffield on Saturday.
I like Chris Wilder, he’s very funny.
Thanks Andrew – yet another good comment from a Blade. We welcome posts from other teams’ supporters on this site.
I remember us singing “Bertie Basset and his liquorice allsorts” at you all those years ago when you were 2-0 up. Luckily for us Robert Fleck got off his ar$e and it ended 2-2. First game of the season in glorious sunshine.
Sheffield is a great place full of good people. I’m grateful to have met folks there, even though you call the ones I know Wendys:-)
What was it you said Mr. Penney? – “one point from nine, we don´t look good”. I´m afraid, very likely to be one point from fifteen, soon, when things will look a damned sight worse.
Sorry, but I have absolutely no faith in Farke whatsoever, to be able to turn things around. We might just as well have appointed Donald Duck, in fact we´d probably have been better off appointing Donald Duck, least we´d have had a few laughs!
It´s going to be a long old season.
Could be worse… anyone for Micky Mouse?
How about Mick Bassett and his allsorts.
Daffy Duck more like it
Hi Martin
A good read and this week I kept my promise and didn’t go on the Pinkun live match report due to the expected negativity that us prevalent and the continous call for the Team Farke to be sacked unnecessary at this present time.
Webber said in an interview that he was on the same wavelength as Farke and talks everyday about what needs improvement to take the club forward and that at present there is no need to dicuss his or the backroom staffs contracts and he did mention it was like a rolling contract so we will see.
The sorry news is that Hamburg are quoted as still talking to city about Klose for a fee in the region of €2/€4m thats seems a bit on the low side, I just wonder if city have offered him a new contract on a lower wage with added bonuses for promotion, the other side of this will city recall either Raggett or Franke, try for a loan signing or risk Godfrey or Thompson fir cover.
With only 11 days to go for the European transfer market and loan markets to close I was hoping that there might have been some movement on Martins, Oliveria and Jarvis out of the club.
Neither of Martins or Oliveria have taken part in any first team games so would presume they are not totally match fit and Jarvis must still be in with the nedical staff most sensible clubs might have cut their losses by now and convinced him to retire but this is city we are talking about.
My wife is the odd ball in the family her second team is Sheff United while all her brothers and sisters are Wednesday supporters so when they play each other there is no love lost, but then she is a Man U while the rest are Liverpool so again she is at odds with them, but back to the Sheffield clubs both have ideas if grandure when really neither has set the world on fire, won a few things between them but are not the big clubs they think they are.
Look forward to you take on the Preston game my prediction is 2 – 0 to city
OTBC
One report I have read re Klose is that the club won’t offer him a new deal.
( Quote)
The English outfit have made it clear Klose will not be handed a new deal. Bild claims the defender’s former club Basel have also shown interest in the former Wolfsburg man and a decision on his future will be taken today.”(/quote)
Thanks Alex.
I don’t think either Ben Godfrey or Louis Thompson would be too much of a risk.
As for Matt Jarvis I completely agree with you.
Editor Gary will be first in after Preston and I’ll be close I behind (if you see what I mean!)
Possibly Martin but still think we will be a little short in that department they way the defence is leaking lste goals at present.
I’d just like to say a big thank you to all the Sheffield United supporters who posted on my article.
No offence meant or taken.
Well done lads.