Chris Wilder
Pampered Premier League stars could be getting changed at a Bramall Lane boozer next season, if Chris Wilder gets his wish.
Ahead of United’s Monday night trip to West Ham, Chris Wilder said: “At Chelsea we had to change about 20 minutes walk from the ground in a health club! It took us another 40 minutes there and back at half-time. No wonder we tired in the last 15 minutes, the lads were knackered for doing that walk! At Burnley, we were in a tent. It felt like December in the middle of July. Opposition players get looked after here. They’re in the Platinum suite! I’ve had a word, don’t worry about that, and if we stay up I’m going to open the Cricketers for visiting teams to get changed in there. I don’t care what the Premier League say! The Cricketers is a boozer on the corner of Bramall Lane, it’s not one of these classy up-market wine bars, just to let you know. It’s not the best. The Christmas decorations are still up. They’ve been up for 25 years. If you want some white socks, or some meat or whatever you need, it’s the place to go!”
The Cricketers, directly opposite the ground, is a popular matchday watering hole for Unitedites and was once run by ex-Blade Billy Whitehurst. Pubs, of course, remain shut during the current lockdown and it remains to be seen when they will re-open. The Sheffield United boss made the tongue-in-cheek admission when asked to describe some of the strange settings that have acted as dressing rooms for his side this season. The pandemic and social distancing rules have altered the usual matchday build-up for sides. Of course, United have a huge mission on their hands if they are to preserve their top-flight status. And the general hope is that supporters will be back in grounds by next season, all being well. Opposition sides use the ground’s Platinum suite to get ready in – something Wilder jokingly said he wants to change.
