I'm a Football Fan - Get me out of here!

Huddersfield Town story posted by Andy Dixon on 16/05/2003
It's that time of year again. The time when the Saturday afternoon ritual of watching the football is put on hold for three long months.I'm a Football Fan - Get me out of here!

Visiting the McAlpine Stadium or Elland Road or anywhere else is swapped for shopping trips, lawn mowing and washing the car.

This year football fans won't even have the World Cup to ease their pain.

But is this pain a result of footballs absence from the routine or a realisation of the sorry state of Yorkshire football?

In the wake of Huddersfield Town's relegation to division three, other Yorkshire clubs are also on the slide down football's pyramid.

With Arsenal and Manchester United dominant at the summit of English football Yorkshire clubs are failing to compete.

In fact Yorkshire's only team in the Premier League is Leeds United and they were threatened by relegation this season while going through high-profile off-field turmoil.

A team who were recently Champions' League semi-finalists are now a shadow of their former selves in much the same way as Huddersfield Town.

Merely three seasons ago Huddersfield were flying high at the top of division one where they were on the brink of a place in football's elite. But two relegations later they find themselves in division three.

Recently Sheffield Wednesday and Bradford City were rubbing shoulders with England's best, but this season both fought against relegation to division two with Bradford just surviving.

Previous to Bradford's top-flight run was Barnsley's experience in the upper echelons of England's beautiful game, but now they're division two strugglers.

Even Halifax Town were riding high in division three for a short while before exiting the football league.

It seems that Sheffield United are the only Yorkshire side managing to avoid whatever jinx has befallen their neighbours.

Their impressive displays in the FA Cup and Worthington Cup saw them miss out on both finals after defeat to Premiership opposition, but with a place in the first division play-offs, their season isn't over yet.

However you look at it Yorkshire football is in a downward spiral and the prospects for next season are far from attractive.

We all know that finances are a huge part of the modern game and Yorkshire may not be as bigger business centre as London or Manchester.

Perhaps this is why Yorkshire's football teams and their supporters are suffering.

Maybe some football fans will savour their summer Saturdays and prefer the break after the recent disappointing afternoons, but some will be gluttons for even more punishment next season.

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