Lack of success of team sports in Sheffield

[steveroberts 10]

How is it that Sheffield is the 4th largets city in England, yet is mediocre at professional team sports:

 

Sheffield Wednesday look like being relegated

Sheffield United have failed, again, to make the grade to the premiership

Sheffield Eagles has steadily declined since winning the challenge cup

Sheffield Tigers and Sheffield Abbeydale RUFC are enthusiatic amateurs at best

Yorkshire Cricket is no longer played at all in the city

 

Appreciate we have some talented individual sports people but, how is it we are not making the grade in any of the top professional sports.

 

Look at a town like Wigan; a premiership football team and top flight Rugby League. Although Leeds has a rubbish football team (I should know, I'm a supporter!); it does have rugby teams, of both codes, in the top flight.

 

Is it to do with geography? For Rugby League, is Sheffield too far south from the M62 corridor to encourge youngsters to play?

 

Is it to do with with being 'jacks of all trades'; for Rugby Union, are two clubs too many for a city the size of Sheffield. Is this the same with Football; should there be one football team?

 

I've lived in Sheffield for 18 years and would not want to live anywhere else; although a fan of the Whites, I'd love to see a Sheffield team competing in the premiership (against Leeds of course ); and the same in Union and League too.

Edited April 26, 2010 by steveroberts

[kenny gray 10]

sheffield hatters are the most successful team in the country,but they get no publicity because of the biase towards football.they have won more trophies than man.utd.over the years if it was utd. weds,the steelers or the sharks the star would be shouting it from the rooftops.

[Carcass 10]

Female basketball gets virtually no attention even in the USA and yet you expect us to care??

[go4it 10]

As a city we are off the ball with sport.

 

Look at Leeds - rugby and cricket focussed around Headingley. Numerous pubs / restaurants around there to add to atmosphere.

 

Take Manchester - football and cricket at Old Trafford.

 

I was in Manchester last Saturday, from a business point of view it becomes clear how much football is worth to the city. I saw so many Irish people - who had clearly flown over in the morning to watch the football in the afternoon, and would have no doubt booked a hotel to fly back Sunday morning.

 

With Sheffield everything is scattered about. Only the football teams create any atmosphere. Basketball is played in a sports hall and is just not interesting. Steelers seem to be on their way back to their former glory.

 

Sport has to be exciting to draw spectators in. They have to come and spend money, having a good time. That money goes to the club to grow even further, and challenge for success.

[Andyman 10]

 

Basketball is played in a sports hall and is just not interesting. Steelers seem to be on their way back to their former glory.

 

Sport has to be exciting to draw spectators in. They have to come and spend money, having a good time. That money goes to the club to grow even further, and challenge for success.

 

 

Wise words from someone who clearly has never been to a professional basketball game.

 

Friday night Sharks play in the Semi Final Championship play off match. This will be at the EISS (far from being a sports hall) and be watched by about 3000 screaming fans. Plenty of atmosphere.

 

Saturday, Junior Sharks U16's also play in the semi final of the Final Fours, also at the EISS. Again huge crowd.

 

Sunday, Junior Sharks U18's (current national cup holders) also play in the semi final of the Final Fours, this is also at the EISS. Even bigger crowd.

 

Hopefully both teams will win and appear in the Final later in the day.

 

Someone has already mentioned Hatters being the most succesful British womens team ever, Senior Sharks are the most succesful BBL franchise ever and Junior Sharks regularly get teams to the final fours.

 

Like it or not Basketball (the biggest participant sport in the world) is huge in Sheffield, give it a try or at least improve your knowledge of the game before making such ridiculously damning statements as "basketball is just not interesting".

[Carcass 10]

"Basketball (the biggest participant sport in the world)"

 

...really? Not football then?

[Andyman 10]

"Basketball (the biggest participant sport in the world)"

 

...really? Not football then?

 

Yes really, again check before making rash statements.

[tallanddopey 10]

the problem with becoming a succesful club is that you need to atract the right kind of people to run and support the club. Sheffield up untill a few years ago had very little to offer in terms of inner city hotels, nice areas to to stay for the day and new housing and jobs. Leeds started all this years ago and is why they continue to attract people from around the country who in turn support there teams both by being there on the matchday and financially.

 

sheffield as a city fails to atract money for investment, and even if it gets that, players dont really want to come here as it isnt as attractive a city to young players as leeds, london or manchester.

[tallanddopey 10]

oops double post

[buck 11]

Female basketball gets virtually no attention even in the USA and yet you expect us to care??

I am a fan of the Uconn Huskies women's basketball team. They have been rivals to the University of Tennessee for over fifteen years. Every time these teams play each other they draw up to 20000 people, and full coverage on ESPN to a massive audience. Uconn just won its 7th National title after 76 wins without defeat. There is a flourishing women's professional league , partners in the National Basketball Association, who play to good crowds. I have seen the game advance from audiences of 200 to what it is today. Women play a different game than the men. Dunking is virtually unknown except for a very few, but the game inside the paint or out of the perimeter is excellent and the girls are more willing to dive for the ball than the guys are. If you don't understand the jargon of basketball, you probably don't have a right to an opinion. Edited April 27, 2010 by buck

[kenny gray 10]

the reason football is well supported in sheffield is because we are prepared to put up with sub standad performance each season from both clubs.last time any of them won anything of note was i believe 1935,if you merged the two clubs you would not get a decent side or manager.when you talk about excitment you obviously dont go much to the matches,i think after going to most home matches at the lane this season and hillsborough a few times i could count on my fingers the really exciting matches.dont belittle other sports just because of the mass hysteria drummed up by sky to promote its main product.outside the top 6 in the premiership the rest just make up the numbers.

[Snook 10]

Yes really, again check before making rash statements.

 

Unless there has been a dramatic change it is actually either Vollyball or Fishing... Depending on whether you class that as a sport. But I think the point the other person was making is that it isn't a great sport to watch, even though I love playing sports like Vollyball and Basketball I wouldn't want to sit and watch a game. In this respect football is by far the most watched sport in the world.