fowls - v - blunts who's the bigest who cares ?? from t'star

Who's the biggest? Your verdict


YOU voted, you wrote, you e-malied, you texted...


The Bladesmen and the Owls agreed on one thing - size does matter.
And judging from what you're telling us United ARE the biggest club in town.
Star columnist Les Payne re-opened the debate in Friday's Star.
The poll that followed saw Premiership United out vote their Championship neighbours.
It was close though, with 55 per cent of the final count going to United.
The argument didn't finish there.
You wrote in with your views and today we publish a selection of your letters, e-mails and texts.

IF you debate on size/quality of ground, recent tradition, trophies, quality of players, etc then there are arguments both ways.
If, as Lez's article suggest, the modern game means we need to look towards the off-field business activities of a modern club, then clearly the Blades are streets ahead.
Academy, Chengdu Blades, health centres in the affluent South East, property deals being agreed all over the place, possible links with other European and/or South American clubs then, as a business entity, those from Sheffield 6 can't hope to match the Blades for the foreseeable future.
Shane Garrity

THE answer to Les Payne's provocative question, are United a bigger club than Wednesday? is not yet, but they will be if Wednesday keep treating their fans with total disrespect.
How can they possibly justify the fact that a family can see Premiership football at the Lane for less than it costs to watch the Owls at Hillsborough. United are used to making the effort: Wednesday have become very complacent.
When Wednesday run promotions like the kids for a quid scheme they manage to make a complete mess of it by only extending it to fans that buy tickets in advance.
Many fans turn up on the Saturday complete with kids only to be turned away.
This is a good way to lose support at a time when you need to make moreeffort.
My kids aren't looking to United, though they are impressed when they go to friends birthday parties at the Lane because United make the effort. But like many other kids they are attracted to the stars, the London clubs or Manchester.
I can do my bit but Wednesday have to help.
There are other problems, like the concerted effort the club are making to kill off singing at Hillsborough by excluding supporters for the Leppings Lane end of the North Stand.
Add these factors to the insulting comments about fans from Dave Allen and it is easy to see why United will soon be a bigger club than Wednesday - just look at the number of Owls to Blades football shirts on display at kids soccer events. The writing is on the wall and Dave Allen thinks he is still king of the hill.
Wake up Wednesday you are losing support!
Andy Wilson

BEFORE I go on, yes I am a Blade but an honest one.
Biggest club is an odd one, I don't believe you can base answers solely on past achievements but more on a current standing.
I agree that the Owls in my 33 years a Blades have had the majority of that time as the bigger club but that all changed for me five years ago, with the tide gradually turning the other way.
The Blades are financially better than they ever have been, solely down to the efforts of simply the best chairman United have ever known (in my opinion) Mr McCabe.
And their present dominance over Wednesday is unquestionable to surely the most ardent of Owl.
United have many off-field interests and corporate business, ahead of the Owls.
But overall, at this moment, United are in the big time, and Wednesday are not, and I think some way off.
Asking many of my non Sheffield football fans, they all state United are at present the biggest.
This is an argument that will rumble forever, hell, even some Man City fans argue they are the bigger club in Manchester. I need say no more.
Neil Colclough

At the end of the day, who cares?
Wednesday and United are both big clubs who post war have mainly under achieved.
United are going great guns at the minute and most importantly getting it right off the pitch.
Good luck to them but frankly all I'm bothered about is how Wednesday are doing.
People who judge their support of their club by how much they hate another are simply saddoes egged on by shows like Soccer AM.
I'm not expecting Owls and Blades to be bosom buddies but we're all Sheffielders.
Just get on with supporting your team and stop worrying about others. If you can't view it as a game and appreciate good football whoever plays it at least focus your negativity on teams from elsewhere like Leeds.
My last comment is that when Barnsley went up to the premiership their supporters were crowing that they were a bigger club than United just because they were in a higher division and had a good academy etc. Would anyone agree with that statement today? No. Being a big club means having the ability to attract support and resources even after a spell away from the limelight as United are proving currently, and as Wednesday would prove should they ever return.
Whoever your club, good luck to you and may the best team win on the day.
James Vickers

THE club that charge their neighbours a reported £10k to beam back the game to Bramall Lane and keep the money (ie Wednesday) ...or the team that pay the £10k, and give away all their profits from the beam- back to help out another local club in trouble (United!)
Depends what you mean by the word bigger! United certainly seem the most noble in this example!
Lisa Simpson

I THINK both the Blades and the Owls has been the bigger club during different periods.
The Owls were in the 80s & 90s but I think the Blades are now.
Whatever measure you use - average attendance, number of season ticket holders, ground, quality of team, recent success, resources and turnover - the Blades are now well ahead. In fact, the only thing the Owls beat us on now is number of empty seats!
DB, Crookes

As a Blade I have an obvious bias, however you can't argue with facts and a very good (Wednesday) friend of mine use to say the league never lies!
He of course was referring to the times when Wednesday were indeed the bigger club of the two clubs.
At this point I must say bigger but never the better, I personally don't know anyone alive today who has seen a United defeat to our (bigger) neighbours at Bramall Lane.
I think the title of BIGGER club has shifted from one side of the city to the other over the years.
But in the age of football clubs being global businesses then United have more than just an edge. We are a world apart.
A point a don't think even the most loyal Wednesday fan could argue with, although a few on the north stand at Hillsborough will I'm sure!
However, we don't support the business side of things, we all go to watch our team do well on the field, we go to watch football and hope team can win games.
Which over the years I think both sets of fans have enjoyed being apart of their clubs up an downs, I know I have.
Tradition and the size of the ground all matter when you talk about big clubs. How many people turn up week in week out all matters too.
All these things i personally think we are pretty 50/50 on.
Since Wednesday's relegation from the top flight of English football, the club has gone in free fall with no real signs of improving.
Not just on the field but off it too, whatever you think of the money side of football it's here and it's here to stay.
So if you have debts of around £20m how are you ever going to compete with the big clubs again? The answer is you can't so if you don't play the big clubs week in week out, your not a big club!
United have gone in that same period of time to become a global brand. Who are constantly looking for business ventures off the field to help the team on it.
Bramall Lane compared with Hillsborough looks new and fresh,Hillsborough looks old and shabby, the fact it's bigger only means it's a bigger eye sore.
And finally if - sorry - when we stay up this season the difference in the two clubs bank accounts will be around £70m.
Now that's the big difference and that with playing in world's best football league is what makes you a big club.
Which is way United are not only the biggest club in Sheffield but the whole of Yorkshire.
Wayne Morton

IT IS unlikely that even the biggest Blade will say we've long been the bigger club.
The Owls have had more recent success, have spent a longer period above us and in my lifetime had always had bigger crowds (1984-present).
However, the last five years have obviously seen a swing.
We're in a better position on the pitch, have better players, better staff and have to my mind, the best chairman in English football. Kevin McCabe has ensured that our growth is long term and with that in mind, I fully expect that we will continue to grow in accordance.
Wednesday however are victim still of the ITV digital fiasco. Big wages for players that didn't have the heart for the club has left them in a much publicised poor financial situation. The backlash has been felt now for five years and unfortunately I don't think anything is going to change in the foreseeable future.
I believe that money is now the (ugly) face of modern football and with it, United will continue their steady growth whereas Wednesday will find it much more difficult.
Come ten years time, the children of the next generation will only know United as the bigger club.
Keith Jackson

To be frank it's an impossible question to answer, for you can judge who is the biggest on numerous facets in football. Attendance, history, current position/league, financial situation and so on.
Blades will defend their club to the hilt as will the porkers, it is as much about pride in our club as banter. No side will back down.
We need to accept this, put it all aside and enjoy supporting our team.
Yes, let's enjoy banter but for heaven's sake, can we let this drop. We will never agree, so let's move on. Speaking of which, which club has bigger crowds? Joke, that was a joke, God knows we don't need that old debate to start again.
Up The Blades.
James Bright

I thought Les' article was a smashing piece of journalism --- obviously well thought out as usual, but containing an interesting insight for local supporters on a matter many had never even considered before.
Congratulations!
Ted Ring

"BIG Club," there lies the problem at Hillsborough.
Until the board, manager and fans wake up and smell the coffee, Wednesday will go nowhere.
Wednesday are no longer a big club. "Get your Premiership return ticket here," splashed across several billboards along Penistone Road three or four years ago just underlined the blind arrogance of the club and it`s fans.
Wakey wakey boys in blue you are now small fish in a small pond, keep looking towards S2 and like your keeper's shirt you will turn green.
Alan Fletcher

THE criteria for the biggest business or company is one of turnover. United's is, and has been for years, far bigger.
Have Wednesday ever had 22,000 season ticket holders, even in the top division?
Bramall Lane is a better ground than dilapidated Hillsborough now. The Blades also sold out their semi final tickets at Wembley before Spurs, Arsenal or the Owls to show what potential they have.
Together with their central location in the city their natural position is of being the City's biggest football club now.
Carol Strike

BLADES...the biggest club in Sheffield, now and for a long time to come....
Paul Cosentino

I AM a Unitedite born and bred.
The only way to compare the clubs is to assume that both are in the same league together. If Wednesday got promoted this season (hopefully they will do because it means a guaranteed six points next season for United) then they would surely bite off the majority of that chunk of their debt.
Wednesday's crowd figures would increase. United, who are enjoying the wandering support at present, would see their gates decrease slightly.
The acid test would be then to compare facilities - pitch, style of play, crowds, the ability to entice the top players and finally the perception of non-Sheffield fans.
The biggest club debate surely has to be rooted in the present and will therefore see-saw as fortunes peak and trough.
We can only wait for the time when Wednesday have been in the Premiership with United for a few years. Both teams will be nicely established and then those non-Sheffield perceptions can be tested.
A a United fan, I can say that I perceive United to be the bigger club at present. Five years ago, I would have begrudgingly accepted Wednesday's claims to that title. United have spent time on growing the club organically and spending wisely. We have wise heads in charge of the many sections of the club and I know that Wednesday will have to endure the years of slow, sustainable growth in order to follow in United's footsteps.
Long live Premiership football in Sheffield and Up the Blades.
Jon Harrison

BLADES are now the bigger club.
The Premiership is everything.
David Webster.

Football forum, click here.

 

Who cares............exactly.............who cares ??? (zzz) (zzz) (zzz)

 

read below though....................

My last comment is that when Barnsley went up to the premiership their supporters were crowing that they were a bigger club than United just because they were in a higher division and had a good academy etc. Would anyone agree with that statement today? No. Being a big club means having the ability to attract support and resources even after a spell away from the limelight as United are proving currently, and as Wednesday would prove should they ever return.
Whoever your club, good luck to you and may the best team win on the day.
James Vickers

 

RE: read below though....................

an utterly sterile futile debate who cares ! That said, Reds fans were always phoning Radio Sheffield, writing to the Green Un and saying on this board that Barnsley were bigger than the Blades during your glory day(s), so it obviously matters to a lot of Barnsley fans.

 

It doesn't me mate - just reporting the facts ...... nt

 

RE: read below though....................

Dunt give a flying **** about both these teams who's the biggest, never av done and never will do.These two teams give me the greatest satisfaction when they both lose to clench my fist and shout "YES".Then tune in to de dar fm to here their dumfecks moan.We lurve it lurve it lurvit lurvit lurve it (N)

 

To add my two penneth..........

The Fowls are bigger than the blunts in my opinion!!

 

they both achieved sod all for so long

i dont think it really matters. sheff utd have a chance to establish themselves but that will be hard if they do stay up the is the tricky second season. They both well supported but thats about it really. who cares im sure sheff utd fans dont care who the "bigger" club are so long as they are in the prem.

 

RE: read below though....................

well Red at the least Sheffields number one are losing in the Prem. The Pigs were top dogs for so long they can't cope with playing second fiddle. For what its worth Wednesday are the biggest club historically, but who cares