Against all the odds, Sheffield United were relegated from the English Premier League last week on the last day of the football season — which coincidentally was also my birthday.
Despite being safely above the relegation zone at 15th in the table just a few weeks ago, and despite the fact that they only needed to draw against Wigan, a team already in the relegation zone and that had been in considerably worse form recently, I got up early and went to a bar in SoHo to watch the Blades play awful, desperate (and at one point horrific, when Jon Steade and the Wigan keeper smashed their heads together) football, and yet again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
The other highly unlikely factor that conspired in their relegation to the Championship was that West Ham beat Manchester United, the league champions, 1-0 at home, thanks to a goal by the gifted and controversial Argentinean Carlos Tevez, who is already at the centre of a legal challenge and FIFA enquiry over transfer irregularities.
Perhaps the saddest part of the whole affair is that the Blades’ outspoken and hardworking manager Neil Warnock decided to quit. It’s a shame, because I thought he was a good manager who brought the Blades to the Premiership and obviously cared deeply for the team and the fans.
real mixed feelings here, as I’ve always had a soft spot for the Blades – but obviously pleased West Ham managed to stay up – I’d given up the ghost to be honest, especially after seeing them getting soundly beaten 3-0 down Bramall Lane in one of the last matches of campaign.
however despite looking dead and buried, the Hammers managed to win 7 of their 9 matches on the run-in, and in football terms surely deserved to stay up.
even several of my Blades supporting friends basically conceded that if they couldn’t manage to at least draw with Wigan that last day, then they didn’t deserve to stay in the Premiership.
the legal challenge will come to nothing and West Ham will be playing Premiership football next season.