[FM16] Getting a Tan

[Greasy Chip Butty]

“Mornin’ lad,” called out a familiar voice as I stepped off the coach, “Good to see ya!” Grinning, I walked forward towards ‘Rooks’ – or Mick Rooker to give him his full name – and embraced him. It had been just over two years since I had last seen him but he had always been one of the most important people in my career.

“They’re still letting you hang about here then?” I joked, motioning towards the South Stand as I retrieved my bag from the coach.

“They’ll bloody bury me here!” he retorted with a laugh but it was probably true. For as long as I could remember, Rooks had been here greeting supporters, players, coaches and any other member of staff you can possible imagine. As the saying goes, he was truly a Blade for Life. Throughout my career here at Bramall Lane, Rooks had been there sorting tickets, liaising with the players and the manager, organising charity events and the like. The jobs that nobody really considers but are probably some of the most important tasks to help with the smooth, every day running of a football club. If ever I had a problem getting hold of a ticket for my family or friends, Rooks was the guy I’d speak to. If I needed something sorting out for a supporter, Rooks was the guy I’d speak to. There’s been a lot of managers at Bramall Lane since I made my debut in 2000 but I doubt any of them have had the lasting impact that Rooks has on the club. It’s just that nobody recognises that in the money-orientated world of professional football these days.

 

It was just turned 1 o’clock and the late October sunshine was lighting up the red and white exterior of the main stand. Beautiful Downtown Bramall Lane, the home of Sheffield United, my club. Since the age of five, I had been regularly coming here to watch my heroes in red and white stripes and witnessing some great moments – and quite a few low moments too. Although I cannot remember my first game, I do have a vivid recollection of one of my early visits to watch United play Bristol City in a Play Off Semi Final. Back in those days, the third bottom team in Division 2 (the Championship) would play off against the third, fourth and fifth placed teams from Division 3 (League 1) to try and avoid relegation or win promotion. United, finishing third bottom of Division 2, faced Bristol City in one of Dave Bassett’s first games in charge and, as would become increasingly familiar to me over the years, United lost the Play Off – though this was the only time it actually relegated us. I remember crying all the way home as I couldn’t understand why my heroes had let me down the way that they had. In hindsight, it wasn’t a bad thing – Bassett tore the squad apart and happened to drop on two strikers named Brian Deane and Tony Agana who would fire us to two successive promotions and into Division 1 just in time for the inaugural Premier League season. I have always claimed responsibility for it – I was the so-called lucky mascot for United in a home game against Oldham Athletic the previous January where we lost 5-0 and the manager was sacked immediately after the game. My lack of fortune actually led to United’s biggest boom period since the mid-seventies.

 

By the time Neil Warnock took over at Bramall Lane in 1999, United were back in the second tier and struggling to find their way out of it. Play Off campaigns came and went without promotion and the Blades never actually got sucked into a relegation scrap – they became a staple of the upper mid-table in the Championship as it is now known. For me, my support was unwavering but I now had a new experience – I had been signed into United’s youth set up hoping for my big break. It came at the end of the 1999/2000 season when we visited Crewe in a meaningless end of season game and Warnock selected me to play in midfield. I must have done a decent job as Warnock continued to play me – alternating between the centre of the defence and the centre of the midfield – as we moved through the early part of the new millennium until the 2002/2003 season. That year, I shot to fame scoring some key goals as we reached the Semi Finals of both the Worthington Cup and the FA Cup where we were defeated by Liverpool and Arsenal respectively. We also reached the Play Off Final where we faced Wolves but we never showed up. By the time we reached the 2005/2006 season, I was beginning to attract interest from Premier League teams but I wanted to get there with my boyhood club and gave it one more shot. In an amazing season, I finally managed to achieve my goal and we were automatically promoted to the Premier League at last.

 

Whilst we were only in the Premier League for one season, it was an eventful one. Our home record was excellent – we were top half on home form – but we struggled away from home and that ultimately cost us. Personally, I had settled into the team in the middle of the back four and began attracting the attention of the England manager despite our lowly position. Distraught as I was over relegation, my time at United came to an end when I signed for Tottenham and continued my development. 43 England caps followed – including being part of the squad for three major international tournaments – and I made over 250 appearances for Spurs before moving on a free transfer back to Bramall Lane in 2013. Injuries cut short my final season with United though and I was forced into retirement in 2014. Over 500 appearances, 42 goals and England recognition – my career had been a decent one. Over the 2014/2015 season, I studied for my coaching badges before I began to look around for a suitable place to start my career. Whilst I was not averse to working my way up, I did believe that I could get involved in the upper divisions of English football – realistically, there was only one team I would considering dropping into League 1 for and that was my beloved Blades. However, Nigel Adkins was the manager at United and did a great job as, at the fifth time of asking, they secured promotion from League 1 back to the Championship. My break came in March 2016 when Sam Allardyce’s time in charge at Sunderland came to an end.

 

Although there were two months and nine games remaining, the job was impossible. Sunderland were cut adrift at the foot of the Premier League and relegation was a certainty with the Black Cats sat on just eight points. In the nine games that followed, I managed to secure another eleven points but we were mathematically relegated with five games remaining and as United were heading back up into the Championship, I was on my way back down into it with Sunderland. Or so I thought. Despite the situation when I took over, the Sunderland fans and board inexplicably let me know that they were disappointed we had been relegated – it was almost as if I was getting the blame for it! With many big names – Fabio Borini, Jeremain Lens, Jan Kirchoff, Seb Larsson and Billy Jones to name a few – demanding a move, the squad was decimated. I remained confident though as we brought in over £40 million in transfer fees only to be shocked when Ellis Short, the chairman, informed me that my transfer budget would be a measly £2 million. Forced into loan moves (Christian Atsu, Jordan Mutch and Ryan Mason the standout three) and bargain basement deals for Glenn Whelan (£300,000) and Richie De Laet (£1.2 million), I was still confident that we would be able to challenge for promotion yet the board thought we should be winning the division with ease apparently. After a rocky start, we took five points from the opening four games but were starting to get into the swing of things when we lost at Peterborough United in the League Cup. After just five months and sixteen competitive games in charge, I was sacked.

 

“What went off at Sunderland then?” Rooks asked me, “Did you shag the chairman’s daughter or something?” Now a couple of months on, the indignity of it all still rankled with me and I screwed my nose up at him.

“It looks like there’s only one red and white striped club for me,” I laughed as I headed towards the players’ entrance. Looking up at the place I called home, I was finally walking in to Bramall Lane to lead a club into battle.

“Well, I’m glad you got sorted out again,” Rooks said, slapping me on the back, “Welcome back.” Shaking his hand once more, I headed down towards the dressing rooms and the tunnel area that I knew so well. With Rooks’ words in my ears, I looked around where United legends adorned the walls – one of the images included me celebrating promotion in 2006. Smiling, I followed my team down the corridor … and turned into the away dressing room.

[EvilDave]

Excellent, a GCB Blades story. I can hear Bramall Lane from where I live now, so I'll be following this keenly!