James Shield: A charity sleep out at Sheffield United and a warning not to sleep in

It was the most important email of the week.
Sheffield United fans have the opportunity to have a sleep-out at Bramall Lane in aid of St Wilfrid's Centre. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)Sheffield United fans have the opportunity to have a sleep-out at Bramall Lane in aid of St Wilfrid's Centre. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Sheffield United fans have the opportunity to have a sleep-out at Bramall Lane in aid of St Wilfrid's Centre. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Amid the mountain of nonsense chucked out into the ether by desperate PR agencies – is anyone really bothered how many bots follow footballers on Twitter? – was one confirming details of the St Wilfrid’s Centre’s annual sleepout; an annual event which aims to raise funds for this brilliant project.

Unfortunately, yours truly will be in Newcastle when this year’s takes place. But I’ll be making a donation anyway and urge others, whether they can spend Friday 13 March kipping under the stars at Bramall Lane or not, to do likewise.

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“It helps generate much needed money to pay the salary of one of our welfare workers,” interim director Louise Finnigan said. “Who provide one to one support for people who live on the streets or in temporary accommodation...the need for our service today is greater than it has ever been.”

This country, where professional sportspeople and television presenters are often paid millions for essentially providing entertainment, needs to give its head a proper shake. The next time you hear someone say ‘leave it to the market’, point them in the direction of this charity and ask them to think, think deeply, about what they’ve just said.

The timing of the message, coupled with Sheffield United’s long-standing support of St Wilfrid’s work, also set me thinking about the importance of something else. Identity. Or, to be more specific, the need for football clubs to stand for something more than just results on the pitch.

Why? Because AFC Bournemouth are in town this weekend. And although I’m sure Eddie Howe’s side perform some excellent community work, their problems this season illustrate the challenges the overwhelming majority of those in the Premier League – United included – face. Particularly when the novelty of competing at the highest level begins to dissipate and managers, players, directors and supporters alike start contemplating, barring a dramatic change in their financial circumstances, a future where the likelihood is they will simply exist. Barring the odd cup run or giant-killing act of course.

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It is a scenario too few of those tasked with running teams contemplate. Because their only focus, thanks to football’s intractable short-termism, is on wins, losses draws, pounds, shillings and pence.

The correlation between money and silverware is indisputable. Leicester City might be threatening to break it, even though they’re hardly paupers, but 16 of the last 17 English entrants in the Champions League feature in the top 10 of the Deloitte world’s rich list. Ten of the last 11 FA Cup winners too, and all six of those to lift the EFL Cup since 2014.

Sheffield United will, hopefully, find themselves wrestling with this dilemma soon. Having basically guaranteed their place in next season’s PL, the fact they are in the conversation for Europa League qualification is testament to the wisdom and hard work of Chris Wilder, his staff and their squad.

But even though United have developed a lovely knack of beating the odds, their record signing Sander Berge still cost half of the £54m Spurs paid to acquire Tanguy Ndombele, the most expensive purchase in the Londoners’ history, seven months ago.

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It will take a huge injection of funding from owner Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, or a remarkable effort from Wilder, to maintain United’s top six status over, for example, a five year period.

An acquaintance of mine who follows Bournemouth believes Howe’s employers, now locked in a battle to avoid relegation, lost a little bit of edge when many folk surrounding The Vitality Stadium felt they had become established among the game’s elite.

If your only reason for being is what happens on the pitch then, in a world where there is plenty of competition for people’s attention, is it easy to lose a degree of relevance.

United, with lifelong supporters and local lads in positions of power, are perfectly placed to stand for something more. To become standard bearers and a force for good in their region and community. Which will help, come what may, to maintain a sense of purpose and keep the bit between their teeth.

- To donate to St Wilfrid’s, or for more information on the sleepout at Bramall Lane, email: [email protected]