James Shield: Sheffield United supporters should take one of these two steps - and here's another for the board
It’s a symptom of news’ migration from print onto the internet. A company’s revenue now depends on whether people read individual stories rather than buying a paper and digesting them en masse. Folk complain about clickbait and yes, it’s bloody annoying. But we - and I say that taking off my journalist’s hat for a moment - are all complicit in ensuring it continues. Because, for some inexplicable reason in this supposedly time-pressed age, folk seem happy to sift through mountains of nonsense in order to get to the articles which have been well researched and constructed. Then, for reasons I’m still yet to understand, these often fail to make any impression on the cyberspace chart.
Still, although they were largely nonsense, articles claiming that Sheffield United’s visit to Coventry City two days ago was in danger of being moved to a neutral venue because Wasps, the CBS Arena’s owners, have entered administration revealed the importance of a football club owning its own ground. City agreed a 10 year lease to compete there at the beginning of last season which, as the introductions to some of the fluff pieces published during the build-up to the fixture failed to mention, provides them with a degree of legal protection. The company which operates the site, Arena Coventry Limited, is now searching for new investors.
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Hide AdConfused? You should be. And, speaking in general terms rather than specifically about City, many of the money men and women who now control English football will be mighty glad you are. Holding firms, offshore companies and never-ending accountancy paper trails through previously unheard of offshore tax havens are designed to do exactly that.
Fortunately, whether you agree with all of their decisions or not, the same people who own United also hold the rights to Bramall Lane. But because you can never predict the future, because of its historical importance not only in South Yorkshire but also across the sport as a whole, someone really should really begin petitioning to make it an Asset of Community Value (ACV). A bit like, as the council’s register of these interests reveals, Birley Spa Bath House, the University Arms, Shiregreen Working Men’s Club and yes, Sheffield Wednesday’s stadium Hillsborough.
The oldest professional ground still in use, which has hosted England internationals, cricket Test matches and also the world’s first floodlit match, United’s home surely qualifies under the ACV criteria. If the local authority really is serious about promoting our city’s claim to be the true home of modern football, it wouldn’t stand in the way of anyone attempting to afford it this status.
“A recipe for disaster,” is how United manager Paul Heckingbottom described situations where clubs aren’t their own landlords, when questioned on the subject by The Star ahead of tomorrow’s game against Norwich City.
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Hide AdUnited supporters really should attempt to secure an ACV of their own, even though there’s no suggestion of a move. Or failing that, maybe better still, hold talks with the board about creating a Pitch Owners scheme similar to the one in operation at Chelsea; something their often lambasted former chairman Kevin Bates never got enough credit for.
• Let’s get this right, they got ‘done’ for falling over. I’m talking about United goalkeeper Wes Foderingham, who will again be suspended for the meeting with Dean Smith’s side, and Blackpool forward Shayne Lavery. Both teams appealed the red cards they received following last weekend’s ridiculously chaotic draw at Bramall Lane, which also saw the visitors’ Marvin Ekpiteta and Dominic Thompson dismissed before the final whistle. But they never had a hope in hell’s chance of getting them overturned, even though David Webb’s interpretation of what constitutes violent conduct is a damn sight stricter than mine. It’s my age, having grown up in an era when players could still tackle, I suppose.
Although I’ve not had it confirmed, I suspect United only decided to ask an FA disciplinary panel to analyse footage of the incident when they realised their counterparts at Bloomfield Road were definitely going to try and get Lavery’s ban overturned. If the Northern Ireland international had have been let off the hook, for grappling with Foderingham after the contest, they’d have looked pretty stupid if they’d not also asked for a review.
Had the tangle taken place during the contest, and both Foderingham and Lavery hadn’t hit the turf, no one would have batted an eyelid if the pair got away with cautions.
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Hide Ad• Sander Berge is injured. The same goes for about 100 other members of Heckingbottom’s squad. Okay, so I’m exaggerating. But only a bit.
Still, before the Norway international succumbed to what was first described as a knee injury and then turned out to be an ankle issue instead, he was linked - and I stress linked - with a January move to Milan. Expect, if his recovery goes according to schedule, half of Europe to be credited with an interest in the midfielder ahead of the January transfer window.
United can’t stop people saying so and so is keen on one of their players. And they should be worried if no one was. But even though Berge is tied down for the medium term, United’s hierarchy do have it within their power to stop speculation becoming a real distraction over the New Year period, which will be critical to Heckingbottom’s hopes of delivering promotion, by concluding discussions with some of Berge’s colleagues whose deals expire shortly. I’ve said it before - and the same goes for Heckingbottom, albeit in slightly more diplomatic language than some of his recent predecessors - delaying this process is a risk.