Sport

Three Reasons Sheffield United Would Succeed In The Championship

Sheffield United are on the verge of breaking a six-season curse, promotion is in their hands with 16 games remaining of the League One season. Bramall Lane is worthy of Championship football, and maybe even higher. But how would the Blades fair on their reintroduction to the second tier? Here are three reasons why the Blades would succeed in England’s second division.

Championship Quality

The Chris Wilder revolution has changed the fortunes of the Blades remarkably. Under previous managers the Blades have flirted with relegation to League Two, languished in mid-table, and failed to prosper in play-off campaigns. This is largely down to the lack of quality that has been in the Blades ranks. Anybody who thinks that the magical trio of Dean Hammond, Martyn Woolford and Conor Sammon could help the club achieve promotion needs to reconsider their career path. The Blades undoubtedly have more quality now than in recent seasons. Mark Duffy is the best player in League One on his day, and could easily cut it at the level above. Simon Moore has proved to be an accomplished shot stopper and looks destined for greater things. Captain Billy Sharp has proved himself in the Championship before and there’s no reason he couldn’t do the same again. Honourable mentions to John Fleck, Jake Wright and Paul Coutts, who could all slide into a number of Championship sides.

The Jester from Leicester

The Academy

Sheffield United’s academy has a proud history of producing top players, many who have gone on to play in the Premier League. Phil Jagielka, Harry Maguire, Kyle Walker and Kyle Naughton are just a bunch of United’s academy products that are playing in divisions higher than League One. However, as we are all aware, playing at this level means that the club struggles to hold on to its better young players. In recent times, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Aaron Ramsdale have been sold to Premier League clubs. However, if the club was able to consolidate itself in the Championship, then it’s chances of keeping young players increases. Players such as Ramsdale and Calvert-Lewin could go on to have big careers, if Sheffield United had been in the second tier at this current time, these players could have grown with the club.

Kyle Walker, who has 23 England Caps.

Spending Power

Where is Prince Abdullah? The Saudi Prince who owns a 50% share in the club is rarely seen around S2. His role in the Saudi government took him away from the club. The plan from the beginning was to push United into the Premier League “as quickly as possible.” The 51-year-old Saudi is thought to be worth £18 billion, a scary figure, however Financial Fair Play has restricted what the Blades can spend. Promotion to the Championship would help in increasing the ability to spend big money. For example, upon Bristol City’s promotion to the Championship, they bid up to £8 million for Dwight Gayle, who was playing for Crystal Palace at the time. Promotion would surely rekindle the Prince’s interest in the club, if United are promoted this season we might just see the true spending power of the mysterious part-owner.

HRH Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Crucially, the Blades have to seal promotion before plans for the Championship can commence. Wilder is aware of what is needed to achieve promotion, he has built a squad full of quality and hard workers. Everything is set up for the Blades to flourish in the Championship: a state of the art ground, a renowned academy, a huge fan base, and more importantly, a Blade in charge.

13-year-old caught between international tug of war.

Karamoko Dembele has yet to turn 14, but already Scotland and England are competing to secure the international future of the young star.

Dembele was born in 2003, with t.A.T.u sitting top of the charts with ‘All The Things She Said.’ The winger joined Celtic aged 10, and created headlines last year after making his Celtic under-20 debut. The youngster was surrounded by players several years older than him. Celtic’s staff put faith in the player despite being physically smaller than those around him.

The meteoric rise immediately caught the attention of both the English and Scottish football associations. Dembele made his Scotland under-16 debut last year coming on as a substitute in a 2-2 draw with Wales. Soon after, Dembele headed to St George’s Park to train with the England under-15’s. Another international debut followed for Dembele, coming off the bench during a 5-2 victory over Turkey, providing an assist for good measure.

The player is already being put under pressure to confirm his allegiance. He is eligible to play for England, Scotland and Ivory Coast. If history is any indicator the 13-year-old will commit his future to England. Last year Aston Villa winger Jack Grealish switched to England, despite previously making youth appearance for the Republic of Ireland. FIFA rules state a player’s international allegiance is only finalised after a players appears in a senior competitive match. This rule allowed Wilfried Zaha to jump ship to the Ivory Coast, despite making two appearances for England, they were both in friendly fixtures.

The issue of Dembele’s future has caused a significant amount of controversy. The young winger is yet to develop into a senior professional, and already old men in suits are attempting to shape the players future. Such vast interest in a player so young has led to disappointment before; Freddy Adu was labelled ‘the next Pele’ at the age of 14. The American never reached the levels expected of him and currently plays in America outside of the MLS. Already Manchester United and Arsenal are rumoured to be interested in the player, a move which one would predict would reduce his playing time.

Celtic boss, Brendan Rodgers spoke to the Daily Record about Dembele, he said: “He’s 14 in February, he’s a big talent and just need time to be nurtured and developed.” Despite Rodgers’ good intentions, whether the strains of modern football will allow Dembele to develop into a top international star is a concern.

How would Sheffield do at the Euros?

Iceland are appearing at their first major international competition in their history, and with two draws in their first two games they’re certainly not in France to make up the numbers. Despite a population of around 330,000 people, they managed to hold off the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo. This got me thinking, how would Sheffield with a population of around 560,000 do at Euro 2016? Here’s the 11 that I think would start in France, if Sheffield were a country in it’s own right.

GK- Richard O’Donnell

O’Donnell came through the ranks at Sheffield Wednesday, appearing 19 times for the Owls. He currently plays in the Championship at Bristol City, where he helped maintain their status in the division last season.

RB- Kyle Walker

Walker is England’s starting right back currently in France, and so is first on the team sheet of players born in Sheffield. He came through the ranks at Sheffield United, and currently plays at Tottenham Hotspur. His ability to attack down the right hand side would be vital for Sheffield.

CB- Gary Cahill (Captain)

Another England starter! The 30-year-old centre back was born in Dronfield, but was a youngster at Aston Villa. The Sheffield lad has a Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League and Europa League medal haul to his name. He’d be the vital experience needed at the back.

CB- Harry Maguire

Maguire came through the ranks at Sheffield United, and was their Player of the Year three years running. Harry currently plays at Hull City, and will hope to break through in the Premier League next season. He’s known to score a goal or two, so he’d be a vital player for the side.

LB- Kyle Naughton

Naughton prefers to play right-back, but is adaptable to playing on the left of the defence. Another who graduated from Sheffield United’s Academy, before a joint move with Kyle Walker to Spurs for the combined fee of £9 million. He currently plays at Swansea City, and would provide some attacking threat down the wings for the Sheffield team.

CM-Liam Palmer

The midfield was very hard to pick, there was not an abundance of talent in the middle of the pitch. Regardless, Liam Palmer starts at centre-midfield for the team. Palmer is a product of Sheffield Wednesday and was their Player of the Year in 2013/2014. He’d provide some solidity in midfield, helping to protect the back four.

RM- Jonathon Forte

Forte came through the ranks at Rotherham and Sheffield United, the 29-year-old is considered a journeymen given the many clubs he has represented over his career. Forte would provide some pace down the right hand side as Sheffield looked to damage international teams.

LM- Callum McFadzean

Sheffield has not produced many midfielders in the last 10 years, so McFadzean finds himself lucky enough to have a spot on the plane from Robin Hood Airport. Callum is a defensively minded winger, often playing at left back. Sheffielders would only hope the midfield would not let the side down.

Left ST- Lee Gregory

Lee Gregory is the first of three strikers, as Sheffield go looking for points in the group stages. Gregory came through the Sheffield Wednesday Academy, but after being released he took a journey through non-league and currently finds himself at the League One team, Millwall F.C.

Right ST- Billy Sharp

Sharp is another player in the starting 11 who came through the ranks at the Blades, and is currently in his second spell with the League One side. Sharp scored over 20 goals for the Blades last season, and would hope to make an impression in France.

ST- Jamie Vardy

Jamie Vardy is having a party! The Sheffield lad has already scored at this years Euro’s, equalising against Wales in the group. He would undoubtedly be Sheffield’s poster boy for the tournament. The Premier League winner, who was runner-up behind Harry Kane in the race for the golden boot, would hope to bag plenty of goals for his home city at the European Championships.

So, thats the starting 11 I would pick for the Euros, if Sheffield was a country in it’s own right. The defence is strong, featuring internationals such as Cahill and Walker, with a decent stopper in O’Donnell. The midfield lets the side down dramatically, but does have a combination of pace and defensive solidity. In attack Sheffield don’t do too badly; Gregory, Sharp and Vardy complete a striking trio which would undoubtedly worry a few international defences.

Let’s suggest that Sheffield replace Iceland in Group F, and so face Portugal, Hungary and Austria. Although the team may be outdone by the brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo and a few of his Portuguese pals, the team has more than a fighting chance against the other two teams. The strength of Sheffield’s side would suggest they’d escape the group, but fail in the first knockout round.

Verdict: Knocked out at the Round of 16.

Sheffield prepares for the Snooker World Championship

It’s that time of year again. The world’s finest snooker players will converge on Sheffield this Saturday* as the World Snooker Championship begins.

Stuart Bingham, the current World Champion, will hope that he can defend his title at The Crucible Theatre.

17 days of intense and exciting snooker awaits the city as Sheffield; 400 million TV viewers will have their eyes on the Steel City as 32 competitors aim for snooker’s top prize.

Ronnie O’Sullivan is favourite for the tournament, according to most bookmakers. O’Sullivan is targeting his 6th world crown, which would take him level with Steve Davis and Ray Reardon. Many think that O’Sullivan needs to match or beat Stephen Hendry’s haul of seven titles if he is to be considered snooker’s greatest player. O’Sullivan previously stated this year that he was “not really bothered” about success in Sheffield.

Outside shots for the prize include Mark Allen and Ricky Walden. Mark Allen is in good form after winning the Ladbrokes Player’s Championship in Manchester, which is a UK ranking title. Walden, 33, has reached the last 2 ranking finals on the tour. Tournament sponsors Betfred have him priced at 50/1 to win the coveted trophy in Sheffield.

With £330,000 available to winner, you can be sure every frame will be hotly contested.

*The World Snooker Championship runs from the 16th of March to the 2nd of May.

England World Cup bid backed

Following the election of Gianni Infantino, who became the new FIFA President following the demise of Sepp Blatter, many believe it is time that England bid to host a World Cup.

Colne Valley MP, Jason McCartney, said: “It’s more than our turn, we did a great job with the Olympic Games.” He also added that it is a possibility that England could share the tournament with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. On the future of FIFA, McCartney added: “Anyone is better than (Sepp) Blatter, it’s the new start that FIFA needs.”

Daniel McGeachie, Press and Communications Officer at the West Riding County FA, said: “Now is the time to engage.” On the topic of what reform Infantino needed to prioritise, Daniel added: “The biggest thing coming out of the FA is that the reforms needed are bigger than the President.” He also stressed that “tracing money out of FIFA” is something that Infantino will need to work on.

With the 2018 and 2022 World Cup’s being held in Russia and Qatar respectively, England would have the opportunity to bid to host the 2026 and 2030 World Cups. FA President, Greg Dyke, has previously stated an interest in bidding for these World Cups.

On the matter of a possible bid, Sky Sports and Sheffield Star journalist, Alan Biggs, said: “Yes, I think we should bid.” He also added that “the ‘new’ FIFA, if it is, should be morally aware that we’ve been wronged in the past.”

England’s first and only hosting of the World Cup came in 1966, since then there have been three bids for the competition which have failed, most recently for the 2018 World Cup. It is unknown whether the FA will bid again soon, but support from around England is clearly apparent.

Images courtesy of Getty Images

Rocket ‘not bothered’ about World Championship

It’s been an interesting few weeks for Ronnie O’Sullivan.

First, turning down a 147 in protest at the prize money being a mere 10 grand. Hardly anything is it Ronnie? Secondly, coming from 5-2 behind to beat Neil Robertson in the Welsh Open final. And to top it all off, when asked about the upcoming World Championships in Sheffield, Ronnie said he will “treat it like a vacation.”

Speaking after picking up his 4th Welsh Open, O’Sullivan said: “My body is just gone and I feel like I am overtired.” Ronnie has until the 16th of April to rest up in preparation for the Betfred World Snooker Championship.

Ronnie, who has not qualified for any tournaments due to his reluctance to travel, will be putting himself and his cue to bed for a while. The Rocket added: “If I get my sleep right then I have got half a chance. If I don’t get it right then playing two sessions in one day will be too much for me.”

I asked sports broadcaster Matt Smith, who presented Eurosports coverage of the Welsh Open, whether Ronnie could win in Sheffield. He said: “He can win it Andy, of course he can. Only he knows how he feels about it and I would not presume to guess.”

So Ronnie, put your feet up, and be ready to go for your 24th World Championships at the Crucible Theatre.

Superbowl Mania reaches UK.

The Superbowl, the biggest event in the American football calendar, celebrated its 50th year on Sunday night.

It is the American equivalent to the FA Cup final. The Superbowl attracted 111.9 million viewers, that’s a third of the American population tuning in.

American football has taken Britain by storm in previous years, with more and more taking an interest in the sport. The National Football League (NFL) began playing games at London’s Wembley Stadium in 2007. One game a year was held at Wembley stadium up until 2012. By 2015, three games were held at Wembley, with further plans for more fixtures on English soil.

PICTURE PERFECT!@LevisStadium looking 👌under lights at #SB50.#CARvsDEN pic.twitter.com/ZEouJnBt9Q

— NFL UK (@NFLUK) February 8, 2016

There is even talk of an English team taking part in the NFL, a clear sign of the progress the sport is making in the UK. According the the NFL’s website, participation in American football has increased 15 percent per year since 2007. It is estimated that 40,000 people aged 16 or over play the sport regularly.

BBC Radio Sheffield Sport Journalist, and American football fan Rob Staton, said: “Generally if people give it a chance it’s an addictive sport. It’s no surprise it continues to grow in popularity in the UK.”

Daniel Green, a student at Northumbria University and NFL fan, said: “I stayed up and watched it. It’s a huge sporting event that English people should take an interest in.”

David Steer (pictured below), a Sheffield United and Atlanta Falcons fan, said: “I’m still a novice… I was impressed by the way fans of opposing teams sit together, you can drink at your seat and the atmosphere is friendly and exciting.”

David Steer supporting the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley

Even though it was broadcast during the middle of the night, #Superbowl was trending on Twitter 1st throughout the UK. A clear sign of it’s growing popularity.

Written by @AndySmithJourno

Image credit: Ronald Martinez/ Getty Images

The Steel City Derby: 1350 days and counting

The City of Sheffield has been deprived of a Steel City Derby for almost 4 years. Sheffield Wednesday escaped League One in 2012; it was expected that city rivals, Sheffield United, would follow them out soon after. However, 3 seasons have passed and the two teams have yet to meet.

The Steel City derby ranked 3rd on the Telegraph’s list of the 20 fiercest derbies in English football. It is arguably the biggest derby outside the Premier League. Their recent fortunes, good and bad, mean it is unlikely that these two footballing powerhouses will meet anytime soon.

Sheffield United are trying to claw out of League One- they are currently at their 5th attempt. 3 managers have lost their jobs which has undoubtedly created instability at the club. A long list of key players have been sold which has also led to the Blades being unable to attain promotion. Current manager, Nigel Adkins, who coincidentally took a red and white striped team from the depths of League One to the glitz and glamour of the Premier League in Southampton, is the man given the job to finally seal promotion. However, the Blades lie 8th in League One and yet again it appears that another season could be destined for Sheffield United in the 3rd tier.

Let’s suggest that Sheffield United attain promotion from League One and begin the 2016/17 season in the Championship. Would that automatically guarantee the much awaited Steel City clash? Sheffield Wednesday’s current form suggests that they might be playing in a higher division altogether come next August. A new manager in Carlos Carvalhal, a new owner in Dejphon Chansiri, and a host of new players after a multi-million summer spending spree has transformed the club into real promotion contenders in the Championship. It is becoming more and more of a possibility that even if Sheffield United are promoted to the Championship, they won’t meet Sheffield Wednesday there, who could go one step further and reach the promised land of the top division.

Regardless of whether you’re a fan of a Steel City club, the separation of these two clubs is a loss for English Football as a whole.

Written by Andrew Smith @AndySmithJourno

170 Words- Fergie’s retirement has weakened the Premier League in Europe.

Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, no club has reached the Champions League Final. Last year, not one English club made it to the Quarter-Final. Ferguson’s retirement has led to the gap in quality between the top 5 and the rest being vastly reduced, this along with new TV money being introduced.

No club seeks domination like his regime once did. The aim of the EPL is to avoid relegation, and for the top 10, the aim is Europe. However, the sole aim is to qualify, not to compete and win. EPL clubs get so caught up in trying to attain or maintain a top 4 spot that the Champions League is becoming more and more like the Capital One Cup.

Ferguson’s aim was to win things to consolidate his legacy. Without his ambition as the driving force of the EPL, clubs will always fall short in Europe. Clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester City have set a standard much below Fergie’s United, and this has led to a weakening of our top division.