Where do both Sheffield clubs draw their support?

[ArbourthorneOwl 0]

On 16/03/2012 at 09:42, daniel3982 said:

As a neutral (well Sunderland fan) I'm intrigued as to where both Sheffield teams draw their support from and how it is split. Ie was one working class and the other more middle class, along religious grounds like Glasgow or purely geographical?

 

If it's the latter how is it split? Would north Sheffield be more Wednesday and South Sheffield more United? Which areas of the city would you say were more Blades & which more Owls? Would Woodseats be mostly Blades & Walkley most Owls? Or is the whole of Sheffield pretty jumbled up and support just comes down to family ties/friends etc?

 

Please keep it civil too!

Traditionally geographical, anywhere north/ north west of the city centre will be Wednesday, anywhere south/south east of the city centre will be United. 

 

Parson Cross, Hillsborough, High Green, Firth Park, Wadsley Bridge, Upperthorpe, Stannington all strong Wednesday areas.

 

Manor, Arbouthorne, Woodseats, Gleadless, Dore + Totley, Sharrow, Ranmoor mostly United. 

 

However, you'll find loyal contingents to both clubs in almost every district. I'm aware of a Manor Park + Arbouthorne Wednesday supporters group, including myself!

[ArbourthorneOwl 0]

On 27/03/2012 at 13:50, DerbyTup said:

My parents had no interest in football so I had to make my own mind up.

 

I lived south of Sheffield but I'd say it was 50/50 where I grew up and also at the school I went to.

 

First game I went to was Blades v Owls. Blades won. But I used to go and watch both teams in that first season. Although hillsboro always seemed like a bit of a trek, they'd got no roof on the kop, so the atmosphere wasn't as good and you got soaked if it rained. But the main thing is the football wasn't as good. So I favoured the Blades and what a journey it's been! Both my kids support United now, because I do. So the family thing has something to do with it. I suppose they could go off the rails when they get a bit older and start taking drugs, indulging in criminal activity and supporting Sheffield Wednesday. But I don't think so somehow.

 

The class thing is interesting. I recall seeing a reprint of an early edition of the Green 'Un sportspaper, from around the turn of last century. It depicted the Wednesday fan in top hat and tails and the United fan in flat cap and muffler. That kind of suggests that there was some kind of superiority complex way back then amongst Owls fans. Or maybe it was just journalistic mischief?

 

Wednesday were formed before United. They had over 20 years start on them. When United came into existence they were competing, from scratch, for local support. In order to try and attract support United undercut Wednesday's admission prices. This didn't go down too well with Wednesday - and it may have something to do with the perception of United as being the working man's club and Wednesday being something a bit more elite.

 

I think the reality is that both are great clubs and have wonderful support. In my watching lifetime they've both had the upper hand for long spells - United in the '70's, Wednesday in the 90's. Wednesday, at least, have won something during that time - and boy do those Owls fans not hesitate to let us know about it.

 

After 40 years of watching the Blades I expect us to win nothing of any significance - but enjoy the entertainment all the same.

Interesting, not sure the Green Un really reflected the demographics of supporters at the time though, plenty of pictures from the early days at Hillsborough gives you all you need to know about the type of people who attended football in the late 19th/early 20th century. 

 

Flat caps, upon flat caps, upon flat caps on the Hillsborough Kop. 

 

I would suggest it was nothing more than journalistic mischief, artistic license maybe

[ArbourthorneOwl 0]

On 16/03/2012 at 22:17, s2 blade said:

I agree with the areas you've highlighted for each club although id say arbourthorne is more united . As for the working class/non working class team I think were both the same. As we all work/live/drink/holiday together

I agree, I think people read too much into it and start trying to say one represents a different class group. Both been teams followed by working class people from the city of steel

On 16/03/2012 at 23:20, staninoodle said:

I followed my dad in supporting Wednesday,i was taken at a very early age during the early 60s into the north stand,by the mid 60s i was a regular.

My dads family were all blades,but my grandad watched both clubs,but he favoured the owls,although he was originally a nottingham man from a huge family,so iv also many notts supporters as family.

I always saw the blades as a working class club,mostly as the high majority of my blades mates were just that,my more proffesional pals,are all owls fans apart from those allied to other clubs in thier own region.

My old fellas family did take me on occasion to the lane,but it was never the same excitement,apart from that warm feeling i got when thier opponents scored and the three sided ground,i could never get emotional about thier games.....eventually i started going to reserve games at hillsbro,untill i was deemed mature enough to travel to away games in the early 70s.

Have to disagree, there's nothing about United that makes them more "working class", I've never understood it, unless someone can provide some evidence to these claims rather than just assuming lol.

 

Look at some Wednesday strongholds in Parson Cross, Hillsborough etc, and the fact they were formed by self employed steel workers

[Mr Allen 0]

I grew up in lower Walkley between the late 70s/late 1997, and officially I'm neutral as I stopped following football years ago but if anyone asks I say I'm a Wednesday fan, safer that living this end of Town  

 

To be honest though, I've attended various functions at both Leppings and Bramall Lane, and IMO Bramall Lane's a much nicer venue, for instance I attended Sheffield Comic Con up there in late 2019.