FAC2: Sheffield Utd v Torquay Utd 3 Dec 2011

Here’s an article from yesterday’s programme regarding Tony Currie’s time at Plainmoor. The great TC’s memory may be letting him down in places but I’m sure it’s part of the process of anesthetisation. He’s still listed in the SUFC programme as a “club ambassador”:



This is a picture of Bramall Lane taken from Simon Inglis’s original grounds book. It’s late 1940s/early 1950s and shows cricket rather than football. Yesterday we were in the replacement of the stand, square to the wicket, towards the top right of the picture backing on to Bramall Lane itself. Apparently the pavilion was demolished in 1981 – some time after Yorkshire’s last visit in 1973. Memory is now telling me I attended some sort of student Christmas “do” there, probably in 1974 just after the new football stand opened:

Take it out with Lingy, aussie. He called it a "cheap mistake". It was a great shame as it knocked the stuffing out of us. I hope it hasn't done the same for him.

The stewards and many of the fans from Sheffield felt that the team knew they had been in a game not a walk over. Unlucky as we threw it away to be honest.

Another grand day out - thanks to Stuart, James and Chelston.

It was good to meet up with Rags again - I think of him as a dear friend even though he is a cad and a bounder.

Good to see Barty on his birthday - although I didn't get the chance to say goodbye as he rushed off to empty his 56-year-old bladder as soon as the final whistle blew.

As for the game, you could argue that if a few key moments had fallen the other way we could have sneaked a 2-1 win. You could equally argue that if a few key moments had fallen the other way we could have been thrashed 5-1. Neither outcome would really have been a fair reflection of the game. We lost to a better team, but put up a decent fight.

I did say at half-time that I was loathe to say that Ellis was having an excellent game as we were overdue an Ellis howler - which arrived on cue.

Olejnik was absolutely superb. The tip-over from the free-kick looked spectacular but was the kind that a "shot-stopper" might fancy. The one low down to his left when the free-kick was bent hard and low around the wrong side of the wall was really world-
class.

His blunder reminded me of a story Dave Thomas recounted recently about John Turner making an error after an amazing display of goalkeeping up at Wigan. Player-manager Mike Green came over to him and said "So you are human then!". Olejnik was, as James has mentioned, given a lot of tricky backpasses to deal with. The law of averages meant one was likely to go wrong - Oastler should never have thrown the ball back to him with Evans in such close proximity.

Nicho should never have pumped the ball forward after the first goal - it really was a time for slowing the game down after conceding. The unchallenged run towards the box seemed to be something that happened a lot earlier in the season but has happened less since Lathrope has been in the holding role. Would his presence have made a difference?

After that whinge, we mustn't really dwell too much on the individual errors - although you hope that we continue to learn. We were under immense pressure for a long time, and fourth division players will crack under sustained pressure.

Sheffield United's players are, as you would expect, Championship quality. Our players are nearly Championship quality - but not quite. They put in enough of a battle for us to be proud of them - and here's hoping our two stalwarts Mansell and Nicholson sign extended contracts soon.

Now bring on Willand in the Devon Bowl - another chance for cup glory.

Yeah, I think that's true. But as I said on the day, if this is all there is to the difference between mid-table League 2 and top end of League 1, then Crawley are going to fly through that league - the only thing that would stop them getting promoted is their ground, but I should imagine they'd ground-share for a while until they could update Broadfield or build a new stadium

Remarkably astute point Marty.
Also, before anyone gets too euphoric, Sheff U are not a "championship" team, they're in L1 team for a reason and that's because they're not good enough to be at a higher level, just the same as us being in L2.

One off cup games are all well and good, but as our recent seasons have shown, upsets happen regularly and it doesnt mean we can make a fist of playing at a higher level yet.
Bury and Stevenage may be sat comfortably at the minute but Chesterfield and Wycombe are certainly struggling

Why?