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Vinny 3:50 Mon Aug 25
View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
After years of avoiding each other the League Cup has given us the game we wanted to see with Sheffield United standing in the way of our progression to the next round.
Anything to do with form, divisions, or cup runs have gone out the window and this is a real grudge match with no West Ham fan forgetting the campaign Sheffield United waged against our club.
Two Sheffield United supporters have kindly agreed to answer the questions and as usual all questions have come from members of WHO.
The two fans we have are Chris Edge and Ryan Mosforth.
What were your first thoughts when you saw the draw for this game?
Chris: Sh*t this is could be a bit tasty! It had to happen some time and part of me is a little bit glad it's come in a lower key match that way hopefully if both sets of fans embarrass themselves, it may go a little unnoticed than in a higher key game.
Ryan: About time! I think both sets of fans have been waiting for this game for a while ever since the 'Tevez' affair.
Do you deliberately misunderstand what happened with Tevez?
Chris: No, I don't think so. Very much like the Gaza question, depending on which side of the line you are standing, you will always have differing opinions. My understanding is that the Premier League is a big circus worth billions of pounds. However, to take part in it you have to sign up to certain rules that you agree to abide by and enter into legal contracts with the league and other members.
If you break these rules you are subject to sanctions from the league which could be financial or points deductions and also open yourself to litigation in the open court for breach of contract against other members. That, in black and white is what happened with the Tevez signing.
Ryan: Nothing has been misunderstood. You got found guilty by the FA and given a punishment that we feel wasn't harsh enough!
Ten points clear, sitting pretty with a few games to go in the 'Tevez' season - what on earth happened at your club?
Chris: Looking back I don't think there was that much of an issue with relegation although we were always flirting around it and it's more 'what on earth happened at your club!' It looked like we were home and hosed at one point especially when we beat you guys at Bramall Lane.
But nobody and I expect not even yourselves saw that end of season run in happening. Wigan on the final day was awful. It was like the Alamo in the 2nd half as we poured forward but we just seemed destined not to score. The initial reaction at the end of the match was one of typical Sheffield United - we've managed to balls it up again.
Ryan: Don't get me wrong we shot ourselves in the foot. We should have never let it go down to the last game of the season after being 10 points clear. The biggest factor for me was when we played Villa away with a weekend team the week before thinking we had already survived and lost 3-0. We only got relegated by one goal (goal difference).
Were you pleased at the compensation handed to McCabe, or would you have preferred it to have gone to Sheffield United?
Chris: Mcabe has changed the structure of the club so many times it's difficult to know where the money actually went however there was some sizeable money wasted on 'big name manager' signings that turned out to be useless with Bryan Robson at the top of the list.
As the Premier League team began to get disbanded it was replaced by high earning loanees that parachuted in and out ultimately de-stabalising the club at a time when McCabes property empire was taking a hit so my guess is that a fraction of what could have been spent on the team was actually was with the rest used to finance the debt that the club owed McCabe.
Ryan: Of course to Sheffield United. Still don't feel like this money was invested into the team.
Sheffield United, Wigan and Fulham are now all officially shit. Do you believe in karma? Do you think all three clubs now regret try to bankrupt us?
Chris: In Kevin McCabe, Dave Whelan and Mohammed Al-Fayed, all those clubs have very successful businessmen outside of football at the helm. All 3 saw what happened with the original FA investigation and the holes that were in it and I'm pretty certain the other two would have followed exactly the same legal process to recover compensation.
If an opportunity comes your way to spend £1,000,000 on legal fees with your lawyers telling you if you get to trial your almost certain to win as the breach of contract was very clear (and even admitted) taking a 25 fold return on that investment is good business. One thing I do find strange is West Ham's stance at trying to take the moral high ground. Legally you simply didn't have a leg to stand on and your owners new it, hence the out of court settlement. Had the roles been reversed don't be in any doubt that Eggert Magnusson would have been onto his lawyers faster than you can say 'failed Icelandic bank'.
Ryan: No I don't. You are the one club who has gained from all this even with paying all that money out. That one season has changed the whole future for our club. I now have to live with the fact that Fleetwood Town are a better side then us ;)
Do you think the public face of your club has been scarred by the events of recent years?
Chris: If your talking Tevez here, I really don't think the club has been scarred by the action it took at all. I think the investigations and all the subsequent attention actually highlighted how badly the Premier League is run and organised and the accountability they should take in the role of this has never really been investigated. The only time I ever see anything bad regarding this is via West Ham or Sheffield Wednesday fans which is understandable, but I think the rest of the football community broadly supported United's actions on the Tevez saga.
If you're referring to the Ched Evans publicity then yes, that's a different matter and is real elephant in the room. Although he has continually protested his innocence and continuing to appeal his sentence, he his however a convicted rapist and that's not something I think the club at this stage of rebuilding should be getting involved with. If he does manage to clear his name then I would welcome him back but regardless I think someone is going to sign him - thats just the way football seems to be.
Ryan: I think the public had a bad reputation anyway ever since Warnock got the job. I think if this had been the other way round your fans would have done the same as would any other club. I think the majority of the fans like the fact we are not liked.
Seeing as your club appears quite staunch regarding morality in football, do you feel any shame at all for Chris Morgan's disgusting assault on Iain Hume?
Chris: I'm not sure Sheffield United see themselves as being the moral backbone of the football community although I can obviously understand why West Ham fans think they do.
Chris Morgans 'tackle' on Iain Hume probably was, on reflection, a little bit on the naughty side but these things do happen and unless your whiter than white, it's a strange accusation that the entire club should feel 'shame'. Do some of Julian Dicks 'tackles' still shamefully keep you awake at night?
Ryan: Chris Morgan is a great guy and a legend. That's my only comment.
What's the Brammal Lane atmosphere like when you play, say, Crawley Town?
Chris: Not too bad really. We still have a very loyal support despite the division we are in and still average around the 18,000. It's even better when you go away and rack up the new grounds visited, the real silver lining of relegation!
Ryan: That is the worse thing about being in this league. At least when you are in the Championship the club's bring a few thousand away fans. To go from 30k in Prem to 18/19k now, it's like supporting a different club! This league is so s*it but then so hard to get out of!
Your favourite crisp
Chris: I've been flirting with kettle chips recently but that's not a very northern thing to say. You can't go too far wrong with a decent packet of ready salted.
Ryan: Best question of them all....got to be Flame Grilled Steak McCoys.
Prediction for the game
Chris: 3-0 West Ham. This season I think we're concentrating on the big cups and they don't come much bigger than the Johnstons Paint!!
Ryan: West Ham 3 - 0 Sheffield United (We haven't played well yet this year)
Many thanks to Chris and Ryan for their answers.
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Replies - In Chronological Order ( Show Newest Messages First)
mallard
3:58 Mon Aug 25
Re: View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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As always, Cheers Vinny
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Mad Dog
3:59 Mon Aug 25
Re: View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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Pair of twats.
Especially the first fella
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Darby_
4:01 Mon Aug 25
Re: View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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Nice one, Vinster.
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Sxboy_66
4:02 Mon Aug 25
Re: View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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Cheers Vinny. Well done for finding a couple of lads willing to take the abuse.
*Even if they are a stubborn pair of cunts.
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arsegrapes
4:03 Mon Aug 25
Re: View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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My son just bought 3 for this online, too late to post tickets obviously, but it said to turn up 2 HOURS before to collect?
Is that normal?
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JustAFatKevinDavies
4:03 Mon Aug 25
Re: View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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first bloke is like a northern griff
1000 words when one will do
bet he's a cunt as well
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arsegrapes
4:05 Mon Aug 25
Re: View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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Ah wrong thread
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dicksie3
4:05 Mon Aug 25
Re: View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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Sheffield United would've dropped-back down to the Championship the following year if they'd haver survived 06/07...
They're predominantly a second-tier club that have even spent years in the third-tier (including the past few years)...
The Football League is where they belong... Simple as that...
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leave my arcelona
4:07 Mon Aug 25
Re: View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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Come across as all right to be fair, but still completely failing to understand that we were given the biggest fine in the history of english football rather than a points deduction because the authorities deduced that it would be a redundant penalty considering we were already virtually down and wanted to punish us further
The most controversial of last minutes winners via a deliberate handball would be most pleasing tomorrow. Otherwise could not give a fuck as BFS does not take cup football seriously enough for us to mount a sustainable challenge anyway
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WHOicidal Maniac
4:09 Mon Aug 25
Re: View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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For acknowledging that the 'Crisps' question was the best question I think that Ryan lad deserves a pat on the back....
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DoubleDouble
4:11 Mon Aug 25
Re: View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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The Chris bloke sponek very well I think and had some decent points. Too easy to see events with the clubs tainted glasses.
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jimbo2.
4:11 Mon Aug 25
Re: View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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Thanks Vinny, I see the press are still incorrectly stating that Tevez's goal against MU kept us up - it didn't!
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Brussels Sprout
4:14 Mon Aug 25
Re: View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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"interesting" comparison to what's happening in gaza...
Thanks anyway, Vinny.
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terry-h
4:16 Mon Aug 25
Re: View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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The two respondents failed to comment on West Ham's relegation in 2011 which I suppose was some sort of karma for Tevez but managed to come straight back.
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inconsistant fc
4:17 Mon Aug 25
Re: View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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Cheers Vin. I thought that Ryan bloke came across as a bit of an idiot, regardless of his answer to the crisp question.
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Ridikzappa
4:17 Mon Aug 25
Re: View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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Great stuff, Vinny
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Honest Hammer
4:26 Mon Aug 25
Re: View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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I'd like there to have been a few more football related questions rather than just abusing them however as always excellent work Vin - I know the work you've put in to get this done!
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Sven Roeder
4:33 Mon Aug 25
Re: View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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Not sure we have much in common with them football wise these days.
The only time Ive heard of someone scoring at Bramall Lane recently was during the recent Cliff Richards coverage.
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Feed Me Chicken
4:45 Mon Aug 25
Re: View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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Both teams were victims of circumstance imo, if we had been 8th in the league Sheff Utd would not have given a fuck!
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Vexed
4:49 Mon Aug 25
Re: View From The Opposition - Sheffield United
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Seem alright for a couple of northerners, still a slightly deluded 'its all your fault' element but that is to be expected.
Cheers Vincent.
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