Chris Wilder details Sheffield United response to tragic George Baldock passing

The Star, Sheffield

Transcript

00:00No doubt it's been a horrendous time for Sheffield United following the sad passing of George

00:04Baldock. How has it been? How have the players been? How has that been managed?

00:29Difficult, yeah, really difficult. So it puts everything into perspective, doesn't it? We're

00:39in the industry of football, we're football people, but there's something else miles more

00:46bigger than a game of football on Friday. So yeah, I'm sat in front of you guys and

00:52having to talk about the game and obviously have to talk about the sad passing of a player

01:01that meant so much to everybody here at Sheffield United. I think everybody admired how he went

01:08about his business, how his career went from where it did to being an international footballer.

01:22And just his general personality around the place that we all got to know and love really.

01:29The words that have been said and the tributes that have been said sort of nailed it really

01:36for me about what George was about. I've got to say, I thought the Greek national team

01:42and how they conducted themselves over the two internationals was outstanding. Panathinaikos,

01:52how they've conducted themselves has been outstanding and how we have as well from

02:03internally, from the players' point of view and our supporters, just really has gone a

02:16long way I think in terms of what we're about as a football club and what the other clubs,

02:22the other organisations, federations and clubs have been. George, to the players, which you're

02:29asking me, I said in the club release, when you're a player, I think people don't realise

02:46how close these boys are. The culture that we try to create, the unity we try to create in the

02:53football club, the environment, the togetherness, which has to be if you want to be a successful

03:01football team. So in that, there's relationships right the way through. I spoke to the players

03:07pretty quickly after the passing of George, what he was about, my memories of him and if you didn't

03:16know him, do your research, speak to the players that have come in contact with him and then going

03:23on to that sort of relationships that they have. They're together five, six days a week for getting

03:29in in the morning at nine o'clock and going home at three, four o'clock, travelling on coaches,

03:34training every day, in hotels for away games, the travel on the coach, playing away. So their

03:41connection is huge. I think sometimes that goes under the radar. You might see an auntie, you might

03:48see an uncle once every three or four weeks or whatever. You might see a friend once every two or

03:56three months or whatever. But these boys are in each other's pockets 24 seven for 10, 11 months of

04:06the season. So that sort of connection that they have, that isn't even touching on from a family

04:14point of view and the loss that Annabelle has had to cope with and the Dignhams and the

04:23balled up family as well. But we have to get on with life. They have to, we have to and we have

04:33to do what's right and what George would have wanted us to do and how we would have wanted us

04:40to act. So we have to go on and crack on now.

04:48Because I would imagine you're also dealing with individuals who were friends with George, some

04:55teammates come and go, but you know, real deep friendship there.

04:59You know, when you have the success that George has had and the success at Sheffield United that

05:05George has had, listen, there's been some downtimes in there. We all understand that. But the majority

05:11of the times that have been here over the last six years have been really positive and successful.

05:19So, you know, yeah, it's just that's how George would have seen it. But the successful times that

05:33we've had, the memories that have been created and when we talk about it, you'll meet up, you know,

05:40these boys, they'll meet up regularly, they'll speak regularly, you know, even the night of what

05:47it happened, you know, I spoke to John Fleck and he was on the phone to George that afternoon, you

05:55know, so they're still in contact. So all these boys were such a tight group. So the boys would

06:03have been in contact with each other regularly and, you know, going forward, reunions, getting

06:11together, you know, and we talked about it when they do go through the success, you know, you will

06:18meet up in five and 10 years time and talk about it and reminisce and reflect. So, yeah, just

06:29answering your question, you know, they're a really tight group and, you know, it's a tragic

06:35situation that we're all having to deal with.

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