"A truly remarkable man..." Sheffield United fans pay tribute to well-known Blades supporter after sad passing

Sheffield United supporters and former players have joined tributes to a well-known Blades fan who sadly passed away this week. Brian Wise, a popular figure who ran a Blades-themed bar in Nerja, died this week in a hospital in Spain after battling cancer.

Brian, originally from Attercliffe, moved to Nerja, near Malaga, just over two decades ago and welcomed Blades supporters and former players in droves in the years since. The walls of Bar El Bosque were covered in United shirts, photos and other memorabilia and Brian made the pages of The Star back in 2018 when he made the 3,000-mile trip back to his hometown to watch a derby clash against rivals Wednesday.

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His passing comes just days after the Blades beat their cross-city rivals in Sunday’s latest derby clash. Carl Bradshaw, the former Blades player, paid tribute online, posting: “RIP Brian. Had some great times, my friend. One of the best.”

Long-time friends of Brian’s will arrange a memorial in the UK, with pal Steve Cowens adding: “Brian was a superb human being. Kind, caring, loving, fun to be with and he didn’t have a bad word to say about anyone, which is the mark of a truly great man. Bri was huge part of the Blades family and he loved our club to bits, United were a massive part of his life.

“He fought to the very end and cared more for what he left behind than he did for himself which tells you everything you need to know about him. Joking to the last, he told me a few days ago from his hospital bed that he was off for a jog in the morning. Bri, I’m going to miss you so much mate. A truly remarkable man.”

Brian previously worked as a bouncer at Josephine’s nightclub - where he first met the current Blades boss, Chris Wilder - and was also the landlord of the Big Tree in Woodseats before moving to Spain. “A truly lovely fella was Brian,” said Blades fan Lee Hinshelwood. “I spoke to him just over a week ago and his first words were: ‘How are you coping?’ after losing my wife. That says everything about him. The world is a poorer place today.”