Grassssss

Sheffield United 4 v Wigan Athletic 2
The Championship
Saturday 27 October 2018

Sheffield United Futures U21 1 v Harworth Colliery U21 1
North Midlands Development Football League, U21s Division
Wednesday 31 October 2018
Played at Stocksbridge Park Steels

Nottingham Forest 1 v Sheffield United 0
The Championship
Saturday 3 November 2018

SUFC 2018/19 Game 33, 34 & 35

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The Spat

Where do they think we've come from? You've seen 'em. The Bigger Away Blade Than You. Do they think we've come to our first away game aged 60 (or whatever)? We've had four of them in Row C, right near the front, we're the row behind. Well, I've benefitted fully from their explanation of how Blades are supposed to behave at Away Games. Thanks guys, I never knew. I mean, OK, I'm steeped in Football Terrace Culture. I've been to a World Cup Final. I've been to The Maracana in Rio, Brazil. I've been to Scotland v England at Hampden Park - numerous times. I've stood on terraces or sat in the stands & seen United teams play on 212 different grounds. But, despite all that, I apparently need four pissed lads to tell me the correct way to behave at games. Thanks guys, really helpful.

Oh, but, crucially, you've got one key point wrong lads. You Grassing Bastard. Dear reader, see if you can spot what they did which goes against my version of Terrace Culture. The Grassing Bastard.

Come in pissed. Stand in front of Blades all game. Swear at Blades all game. Sing. Tell Blades who object to your language to Fuck Off. Tell Blades who aren't singing that they are an embarrassment. Bully female Blades who have a blanket over their laps to keep them warm. Bully older Blades for behaving as if “they're in Church”. Block & jostle in the aisle Blades who you've had words with. Keep telling everyone We're All Blades Aren't We - while firmly believing you're the only Real Blades there.

Alright. Alright. Alright Phil, I hear you say. Maybe they're a pain in the arse. But, you drink. You swear. You've stumbled & fallen about in grounds before now. You've been around the Block. You've actually been punched in the face in that stand on our right. The one these drunken fans are shouting “SCAB” into. When Utd fans were applauding Brian Clough during his last game at this ground, you fell off your seat during a solo rendition of “Hey Rock n Roll, Clough is on The Dole”. Pain in the arse - yes. But, most of that is Terrace Culture. What's your beef?

Big Blade blocked & jostled one of the Carrier Bag Firm in the aisle. A few home truths & facts have been explained to Big Blade about the realities of the situation. So. Big Blade has gone & fetched a Steward. And pointed my mate out to Said Steward. He's a GRASS. That's a No No. The mugs had actually been singing each other's names. So, I know who they are. Including Father & Son. Obviously, I'm not going to expose them here. That would be akin to grassing. I did look Dad & the other two in the eye one at a time at the time. And, I did say - “you've just watched your mate/son fetch that Steward, he is a fucking GRASS”.

If I see them again, I'll call 'em by name & ask for their version of events. If they deny fetching a Steward or (even worse) are proud of it, I'll call them out. Every single time. GRASS. Or they can say they were pissed & they've had a silly & apologise & I'll have not a single problem with that.

The Beer

I might even offer to buy them a beer at Neon Raptor in Nottingham. Set in a unit in Sneinton Market. All the units are being renovated in the same way. Big glass doors, everything open & exposed. The brewing kit was visible, but roped off in one part of the unit. And the Tap is in another bit. Eight on keg. All theirs. Split 5 v 3 into Pales/IPAs & Porters/Stouts. Although two of those three stouts were North of 11%.

I went;
Neon Raptor, Won't You Reconsider, Imperial IPA at 8%
Neon Raptor, Trails And Ways, New England Pale at 5.4%
Neon Raptor, Endangered (2018), Bourbon & Vanilla Porter at 6.6%
Neon Raptor, Paper Heart, American Pale at 4.2%. That was the Standout.

737/1537

Who is the Genius?

Nottinghamshire 332 for 7
v Yorkshire
close on Day One
County Championship Division One
Tuesday 3 September 2018
Played at Trent Bridge

Sheffield United Futures U19 6 v Hallam U19 0
North Midlands Development Football League U19s
Wednesday 4 September 2018
Played at SUFC Academy, Shirecliffe

Harworth Colliery U21 2 v Sheffield United Futures U21 2
North Midlands Development Football League U21s, North
Thursday 5 September 2018

SUFC 2018/19 Games 20 & 21

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Three days of County Cricket, SUFC Futures & Brewery Hopping. The County Cricket has ended in a fairly tame 450ish plays 500ish draw.

Those were the first Futures games of the 2018/19 league season. Bluntly, the set up looks similar to last season. The complicating factor could well be when the Academic College year starts and who is available. The U19 side seems to me to be very much the Midweek Shirecliffe Academy XI. Derek Geary, lead coach for the Academy U18s takes the Futures U19s. Five of the starting XI on Wednesday had also started last Saturday v Coventry City. Two of the starting XI had been subs at Coventry. And three of the subs v Hallam, started at Coventry. Look, analysis aside, it's the same squad is what I'm saying. Academy Lite. I'll be honest, that makes the Futures U19 very interesting to me. It's a good chance to have a look at the Academy Lads. Except, they're not playing other League Club Academies, they're playing youngsters from local Non-League clubs.

Downside. They're likely to be shoulders, if not head and, above the Non-League kids. They had a goal difference of 50 across 16 games last season.

Anyway. Back to Del Geary. Lazy. Good for nothing. He's basically tossed it off at that game v Hallam. Stealing a wage, the fella. He thinks he can get away with it. Because it's a small game, small crowd, no one will know what he is up to. Mate, the Carrier Bag Firm have Eyes On. We. Know. Stuff.

Alright, he hasn't put the cones out before the game. One of his assistants does that. Fair enough. Alright, he hasn't lead the run there, wave this in the air, put your right leg in, shake it all about routine in the warm up. One of his assistants does that. Fair enough. But, mate, they're “your” players. At least show willing & lead the half time team talk. The geography of the floodlit pitch & the dressing rooms at Shirecliffe mean that teams sometimes just do their half time talk on the pitch. In full view of The Baggers. That is what United chose to do. Maybe the dressing rooms were too far for Geary to walk. The lazy get. He never got out of his chair.

Instead. A non-cape wearing hero, SUFC Tracksuit, clipboard, notes, the lot, gathered the team around and calmly delivered his debrief on the first half & his plans for the second. Ladies & Gentlemen. Say hello to Harrison Neal. Harrison captained the U18s at Coventry on Saturday. I've named him as One To Watch in previous Blogs. Poor fella. Beery breath kiss of death that. I rewound slightly and recalled that Harrison had been belting out some of the Physical Japes instructions in the warm up.

Hang on. I don't want to upset anyone. Maybe. Just maybe (winks). It was a plan. Maybe Del Geary was in on it all along. Maybe this Wonderful Fucking Club deliberately give their youngsters responsibility. Asks them to step out of their comfort zone. Says “go on learn the game”. Think. Yes you, 17 years old, with the boots on. Think. What you got?

It couldn't have been a Cunning Geary Plan all along could it? Ask one of the Academy Players. To stay off FIFA on the X-Box (do they still make those?) for a night. And THINK about the real game & how his mates are playing. Stand up. Be counted. That says everything about the values of our Academy. What a Club. What A Club. Where do I sign?

Del set 'em up in the first half. Two Nil. Harrison set 'em up for the second. Four goals. Six Nil on the whistle. The little Genius. Oh. Go on then. Del Geary & his staff deserve credit as well.

Brewery Hopping

Having been “commended” in Brewdog’s Brewery Hopper 2018 Beer Geek Awards, I'm giving it my all this year. (Harrison mate, thanks for the offer, but I really don't need your help on this, particularly considering you're not even fucking old enough to drink). I rattled up to number 29 in Nottingham. Ticking both Navigation Brewery & Castle Rock Brewery. I'm still a Keg Beer Whore though. Absolutely loved the Castle Rock, IPA V1, Citra Mosaic on keg at an enticing 6%.

Lovely. Very rich. Thick n chewy. The bitterness came quick. Stayed long. Grew a bit. Just the right side of throat gripping.

712/1479

Harworth Colliery

Harworth Colliery U21 0 v Sheffield United Futures U21 3

North Midlands Development Football League U21 Level North

Thursday 19 January 2017

Twitter @ball_sup

Gratuitous hoovering now. My 187th “ground” watching a Sheffield United XI. All levels, all competitions. Including friendlies. If it's green - grass or plastic - it counts.

A Welbeck Abbey outlet. Grey Horses Inn, Carlton In Lindrick, Nottinghamshire. Two roomed affair. I ended up in the taproom. Three Welbecks. Two guests.

Welbeck Abbey, 43° South on cask at 4.3%. NZ hopped. Very refreshing & in perfect condition. Mainly mandarin orange in the mouth. Nice lingering, but gentle bitterness.

Much better than the innocuous Welbeck Abbey, Carlton Knight on cask at 3.8%. Pleasant enough. Lovely head. Just a bit of nutty malt going on to liven it up a bit. Nagging, but not unpleasant salad leaf bitterness going on.

Bus from Worksop. Allowed me to do the Worksop 'spoons - The Liquorice Gardens. A pint of Kings Clipstone, Amazing Gazing on cask at 4%.

432/891
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