JOURNAL  JUNE 2010

First of all may I wish my mate and top Blade Steve Grant a speedy and full
recovery from his recent operation. Steve is a brilliant bloke, he’s always
smiling and all the lads think the world of him, get well soon mate, we are
all thinking about you pal, luv ya fella.

My under 18’s side won the league in style, we didn’t lose all season and
Our record of Played 26 won 24 drew 2 lost 0 scoring 180 goals
in the process is a record that all the lads should be proud of.

 

Our two forwards, Joe and Jacob scored 85 goals between them and
Chris (who is the only Wednesday fan in the team) also scored 29 goals
from his central midfield position, to show how unbiased I am I gave
Chris the player of the year award.

A brilliant season ended in our presentation night at Mosborough club.

Due to Ash cloud I missed the Sheffield Derby at Hillsborough, it was no
consolation that I was involved in a bit of History making as I sat listening
to the game in my mate Brian’s bar. I know a few Blades who have been
held abroad due to Ash, sorry Hash!!

The result was good enough for us but not good enough for Wednesday
so to all the grunters who laughed and joked about the points they took
off us last season keeping us down, how do you feel now cockbirds.

                  

Now I’m not one of them who send’s texts and takes the piss but I’ve got
to say there’s a hell of a lot of pigs who like to give it out but can’t take
it back. One such person was texting me taking the piss as we crawled
away from Wembley after our play-off defeat against Burnley, I saw
him last week and he said “I thought I’d get loads off you”, but I told him
its called having a bit of class but to all you classless Wednesday who gave
it out in spades, here’s a photo

To be honest, I’ve got loads of mates who are Wednesday fans and I do feel for
them (a bit). My two pigs, Pinky and Perky have not let relegation stop them
wearing their colours on my back garden as you can see!

 

On the Blades front it’s a bit depressing to be honest. The club seems to
be going nowhere fast, our 19,000 season ticket holders last term are now
14,000 and the club and fans have a bit of despair about us.

Kevin Blackwell has to virtually build a new side for next season due to us
being a club that now just loans players instead of signing them, it cost
over 2 million in wages for our loan players last season so its false economy
and you can’t win a league with players who are on loan, especially the amount
 we have had. Blackwell has had a bad time of it that is for sure but he’s not
the man to take us forward but he will be in charge of the side next term so
we better just get our heads down and support the team. Bramall Lane used
to be a ground where the opposition knew they were up against 12 men but
not any more, a bad pass, missed chance and the howls of derision start to
billow from the stands and it doesn’t help the players at all, I can understand
the frustration of fans but you are there to support the team not hinder it,
so get behind the team or don’t go, simple.

The world cup is about to start and I’m looking forward to it immensely.
Other than Spain my tip is going to be Holland and at 11-1 they are worth
a bet as outsiders. As for England, well I think if we get to the semi’s we’ll
have done well because the team is not good enough. We are technically
inept and slow in everything we do. Rooney is our only hope but he’s off
form at the moment and looks a bit frustrated, I hope I’m wrong and
England bring the cup home but I can’t see us beating Brazil, Spain or the Argies.

Until England gets its house in order our national team will suffer, we need
a wage cap, a cap on foreign players to help young English lads come through
the ranks and most of all we need to improve our facilities. On our epic 37 hour drive
back from Spain I couldn’t help but notice football pitches all over the place in
France and Spain. Floodlit top class pitches, what have we got here?
Nothing, the few pitches that we have are money making machines and
want £40 an hour to play on them, hardly conducive to bringing players to the game

‘Steel city derby’ is out in August, by Pennant books, it’s the softback
updated version of ‘Steel City divide’. I’ve updated the United bit and no
doubt the Wednesday bit has been updated and will include grasses.,
women beaters, bullies and rapists!!

        

 

Some great photos have recently emerged. They are from our epic battle
on Brighton’s pitch in May 1984. 40 of us took on over 200 Brighton and
as I looked at the photo’s it reminded me of how tight we were as a group,
we were one big family who looked after each other not only in battle. In short
United were United, no slagging each other, no making out you were better
than anyone else, no back stabbing, just a group of lads who laughed, cried
and sometimes nearly died for each other, we were a brotherhood who trusted
each other to the full.

 

 

 

 

In the first two photos you’ll see me wafting a wooden corner flag about;
I was directing the police helicopter onto the pitch, honestly!

On the home front my wife is back in my life and we are both happy
again so it’s onwards and upwards, have a good summer.

 

COME ON ENGLAND  

 

 

 

 Regards n respect, Steve    NEXT JOURNAL AUGUST 2010