Editor: Better late than never for city to hold its own hands up ...

If you have never met a Sheffielder who is frustrated with their own city’s lack of progress, I would politely suggest you have never actually met a Sheffielder.
Sheffield Town Hall with multi jet fountain and the Peace Gardens, South Yorkshire, England.Sheffield Town Hall with multi jet fountain and the Peace Gardens, South Yorkshire, England.
Sheffield Town Hall with multi jet fountain and the Peace Gardens, South Yorkshire, England.

We are passionate folk and, present company occasionally excluded, we are usually a fairly patient group too. But there are many things we all agree on and they drive us crazy. Well, it would be unfair to describe a whole city with one characteristic, so in reality these things make some of us sad, some of us angry, others frustrated and many annoyed.

The fact that this glorious city which is so packed with individuality, creativity and talent receives such a inadequate level of national funding gets under our skin like nothing else.

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It just isn’t fair but it is also far beyond time that we accepted something else. The fault lies here, with those in this city who have failed time and time again to break the mould and grab our share of funding. If that message isn’t accepted at home we will not be able to break the cycle.

I’m not saying the national organisations are perfect but it is painfully clear that not only are we as a city, generally speaking, not particularly good at bidding for this funding but we talk a lot of talk about getting our act together but don’t actually do it. I don’t want to hear it any more! Do you?

So today’s front page talks – again – of a strategy to challenge the status quo, to level the playing field… to do whatever we want to call it in 2021.

But, quite frankly, I’ve had enough of hearing that. It simply isn't good enough and Sheffielders must demand more.

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We need some quick wins and we need more than promises. Otherwise, some poor editor will be repeating the same front page in 2031 – as we have since well before 2011.

Those who hold positions which should be dragging the money into our venues and attractions simply haven’t – and they should quit today.

After all, shouldn’t they be the angriest, saddest and most frustrated of all? Because they aren’t, they continue to do every single passionate Sheffielder a disservice.

The talent is in the city but it just doesn’t seem to be in the right places or the positions of power. Until that changes I can’t see us moving forward. Do let me know if you disagree ...

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