Why are Sheffield such a poor Football City?

[RalphCoatesComb]

When you look around the Country, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, London and even Leeds have a strong presence in the Premier League. Why are Sheffield so poor?

I suppose you could ask similar of the North-East.

Surely, it can't be all down to money

[SalisburyClaret]

Could add Bristol to the list as well

[RalphCoatesComb]

Could add Bristol to the list as well

You're right but I've never considered Brizzle as a footballing force

[huw.Y.WattfromWare]

If Sheffield had one team, in PL, they’d fill an 80k stadium.

[BurnleyFC]

Huw has it.

If Sheffield was a one club city, like Leeds or Newcastle are, they’d have more fans and dare I say it be more successful.

[giveusaB]

Looks like both Sheffield clubs will be relegated this season.

[ClaretTony]

Huw has it.

If Sheffield was a one club city, like Leeds or Newcastle are, they’d have more fans and dare I say it be more successful.

Having lived there for three years I'd totally agree that they would have benefited from being a one club city although I wouldn't like to tell United or Wednesday fans that. Wednesday are by far the bigger of the two clubs if all being equal but even in my early years of watching football they were up and down out of the top league and were always known as the yo yo clubs.

[Jakubclaret]

It’s not just Sheffield in isolation really, within South Yorkshire itself you’ll have Wednesday fans in Barnsley & blades fans in Doncaster & Rotherham fans in Sheffield, the core support doesn’t necessarily reflect the city but the county which is diluted.

[basil6345789]

Both very good top flight clubs when I started watching in early 60's. Both very well supported.

[cricketfieldclarets]

Looks like both Sheffield clubs will be relegated this season.

Happen a good job lower leagues I suspended. As THE Sheffield club could also have gone down.

[cricketfieldclarets]

In all seriousness though it’s Yorkshire in general. Despite what the media and their own fans would tell you Leeds are hardly a powerhouse.

Lancashire / the north west is easily the centre of British football and even arguably the world.

[bfcjg]

Both built up lots of debt years ago and suffered, Wednesday were quite established for a while.

[cricketfieldclarets]

Ironically a couple of my first vivid football memories are Sheffield derbies. One I watched in black and white and had no idea what was going on. Then I remember seeing them both play each other at Wembley a couple of times in the early 90s. same season I think. Possibly even replays?

[Buxtonclaret]

As has been mentioned, Wednesday are definitely the bigger of the two.
Mismanagement was quite bad chasing the dream and, they've not done much better since their fall. But hey, Leeds have only just returned to the top tier after years away.
If Wednesday were back in the Prem, financially sound, and pushing for a top six spot, they'd pack 60 plus thousand in a week easily.
They've a huge and, widely spread fan base.

[Nonayforever]

The same scenario could well be said of Nottingham.

Back in the day. 4 really strong teams.

The demise of all 4 teams seems to have gone hand in hand with the demise of their local industries.

[bobinho]

When you look around the Country, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, London and even Leeds have a strong presence in the Premier League. Why are Sheffield so poor?

I suppose you could ask similar of the North-East.

Surely, it can't be all down to money

How have Leeds got a strong presence in the premier league rcc?

One club city, and a big city at that, just managed to secure their second season in the PL for god knows how long (16 years? More?) Extremely poor home support, so bad that when they are also rams in the championship, their one and only two tier stand has the top tier closed because there isn’t enough fans to fill it.... Leeds have one team. Sheffield has two. Despite their only PL club staring directly at relegation, they have two professional football league clubs to find support for. Leeds struggle with one. Nah, sorry, not having Leeds in there.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

Both built up lots of debt years ago and suffered, Wednesday were quite established for a while.

21 yrs since they were in the top flight...

I don't think they ever recovered from that time they threw money at the likes of Benito Carbone.

[elwaclaret]

Living beyond their means, poor investment and chasing dreams... all the things Garlick Was attacked for not doing here. The system shock of dropping from the top flight takes resilience and when you’ve filled the place with people used to fine dining, going back to a pie leads to everyone wanting to jump ship, just as they need to be counted. The spiral is created.

[RalphCoatesComb]

Nah, sorry, not having Leeds in there.

Looks like Room 101 for Leeds

[LoveCurryPies]

I agree with those who think Sheffield should have a single Club, but then so should Liverpool or Manchester.

[Cheshireclaret]

Birmingham is the city that gets me. Yes, Villa are a big club with a big ground and a great history but recently?!?! And then Birmingham City? Their support has always been utter fungus and I don’t recall them ever selling out their allocation at our place. The Baggies have always been a strange club in my lifetime, in some respects not dissimilar to ours in terms of how older folk refer to their history - for Jeff Astle, read Jimmy McIlroy; and Wolves (if you count it as Birmingham) have got where they are now by being Portugal. Hence their away kit.

[RalphCoatesComb]

Wolves (if you count it as Birmingham) have got where they are now by being Portugal.

Pity the likes of Eusébio and Luis Figo have hung up their boots. For the right money, perhaps they could entice Ronaldo to see out his remaining footballing years at Molineux

[RalphCoatesComb]

I agree with those who think Sheffield should have a single Club, but then so should Liverpool or Manchester.

The likes of Manchester and Liverpool can support two BIG Clubs each.

[Top Claret]

Wednesday biggest club in Yorkshire.

When you drive past or visit Hillsborough it has a certain feel to it, a feeling you don't get at the other big Yorkshire clubs

[COBBLE]

I think Sheffield can support two clubs. United are close - just some bad football decisions currently, and Wednesday are a genuine sleeping giant with a fanbase that could sustain premier league football, like Villa. I remember a documentary where Brian Robson was advising potential investors that Wednesday were one of the potentially big clubs.

[Belgianclaret]

Nothing wrong with the clubs, just with the way they are run

[tiger76]

Sheff Utd relegated and Sheff Wed are heading for the same fate, it's not exactly been a great year for either of the Sheffield clubs has it.