Sheffield United Football Club - The Blades

Sheffield United History

2005-06 Season

2nd in the Championship. Promoted.
League Cup: 3rd Round, Reading a. 0-2
FA Cup: 3rd Round, Colchester United h. 1-2

Highlight: 3-2 win at home to Hull City (all but assured promotion) 8/4/06.
Low Spot: 1-4 home defeat to Watford 6/2/06.

Good:
Phil Jagielka; The strongest link in a strong midfield, Jagielka has good basic ability and is committed without going over the top. Can be relied on from August to May.
David Unsworth; This guy has had a great career in a quiet sort of way. Gives fantastic service wherever he goes and improves every side he plays for. Still has a great appetite for the game.

Bad:
Chris Lucketti Warnock made a song and dance about prizing him from Preston and then never played him (which was wise). Would be an embarrassment if called upon in the Premier League.
Geoff Horsfield Taken on loan from West Brom with an agreement to sign later, Warnock started trying to back out of it when he thought promotion might slip away. Can't really see what use he will be in the top flight anyway.

In Brief:
The Blades started with a vengeance, winning 10 of the first 12 and were always favourites to finally clinch promotion from then on.
A serious wobble in February and March (1 win in 8) opened the door for others to challenge but the pretenders then fell away leaving United free to clinch a slightly uncertain, but undoubtedly merited, promotion.
This was a huge team effort and there are no obvious stars at Bramhall Lane. Quality will need to be added to survive next season. Recruits such as Lucketti and Horsfield look completely redundant at the top level and it would be a surprise if Akinbayi troubled many Premiership defences.
Neil Warnock now faces the biggest challenge of his career to show that he can operate at the highest level. Hard work can only take you so far.

Sheffield United Club History

Sheffield United Football Club was formed in 1889 by the Yorkshire Cricket Club. The club was elected into the Football League in 1892 and gained promotion to Division One in its' first season.

One player who wasted no time introducing himself to league football was the centre forward Harry Hammond. Hammond scored a hat trick as the Blades won their first ever league game 4-2 against Lincoln City. He then banged in five against Bootle which still gives him a share of the club record and also scored four in the 10-0 victory over Burslem Port Vale which remains a club record. All this before Christmas!

The Blades ended the season as runners up behind Small Heath but gained promotion after a 1-0 victory over Accrington Stanley in their test match.

The club then managed to remain in the first division until 1934.

In 1897 United finished the season as runners up behind Aston Villa but went one better in 1898 when they were crowned league champions ahead of Sunderland.

Further glory followed in 1899 when the Blades won the FA Cup. United had a tough route to the final needing replays to see off Burnley and Preston North End before winning narrowly at Nottingham Forest.

Then there was a four game semi final against Liverpool. The first game at Nottingham ended 2-2 then the replay at Bolton finished 4-4. The third game, at Manchester, was actually abandoned with the game goalless because of a pitch invasion before United finally prevailed 1-0 at Derby.

After all that, however, United thumped Derby County in the final 4-1. Even then they had trailed at half time before storming to victory in the second half with goals from Bennett, Bees, Almond and Priest.

Notable players in the side were the famous goalkeeper William "Fatty" Foulke and the half back Ernest "Nudger" Needham. Needham's performance in subduing Derby's Steve Bloomer had been crucial to the triumph.

In 1900-01 United reached another final but this time went down to Tottenham Hotspur after a replay.

This disappointment was eased the following year when the Blades claimed the trophy for the second time after beating Southampton, again after a replay, 2-1.

The side now included Alf Common, the first big transfer fee man, and he provided United's goal in the first game.

It would be 1915 before the Blades reached another cup final. In doing so they defeated Blackpool, Liverpool, Bradford City, Oldham Athletic and Bolton Wanderers. They then proved far too strong for Chelsea in the final at Old Trafford, winning 3-0.

Then in 1925 the club took the cup for the fourth time. They have yet to win it again since. After easily defeating the Corinthians they saw off Sheffield Wednesday, Everton, West Bromwich Albion and Southampton before beating Cardiff City 1-0 at Wembley.

After United were relegated in 1934 they did reach another final in 1936 but lost out by the only goal to Arsenal.

Promotion back to the first division came in 1939 when the Blades finished as runners up, edging out rivals Wednesday by a single point.

After the war the Blades found it impossible to establish themselves in the first division.

They lasted three seasons before suffering relegation in 1949.

Then there were promotions in 1953 (as champions), 1961 and 1971. Relegations from the top flight also came in 1968 and 1976 as the Blades bounced between the top two divisions.

In the promotion season of 1960-61 United also reached the FA Cup semi finals before losing to Leicester City after two replays.

Their highest post war finish in Division One came in 1962 when they finished 5th.

After relegation in 1976 the club suffered a dramatic collapse.

Relegation from Division Two followed in 1979 and then the Blades contrived to suffer relegation to the fourth division in 1981. Needing a point at home to Walsall on the final day of the season to survive United lost 1-0 to see the Saddlers overtake them.

Promotion from Division Four came at the first time of asking with the newly arrived Keith Edwards firing 35 goals to give United the championship.

In 1984 United climbed back into the second division but fell back into Division Three in 1988. The goals of Brian Deane and Tony Agana helped them to an immediate promotion, however, and the Blades have not dropped below the second tier since.

Indeed the club managed a second successive promotion in 1990 to climb back into the top flight.

There was a huge disappointment in 1993 when the Blades made it through to the FA Cup semi finals but lost out at Wembley to Wednesday, 2-1.

Then in 1994 they suffered an agonising relegation. As it transpired a draw would have been good enough to stay up but the Blades shipped two goals in the last five minutes to lose 3-2 at Chelsea on the final day.

United reached the Division One play offs in 1997. They sneaked past Ipswich Town on away goals in the semi finals before losing 1-0 to Crystal Palace at Wembley.

The following season they made it to the play offs again and also reached the FA Cup semi finals. Sunderland knocked them out in the semi finals of the play offs and they suffered a 1-0 defeat against Newcastle United in the cup.

This situation was repeated in 2003. This time they overcame Nottingham Forest in the play off semi finals after a remarkable 4-3 extra time win at Bramhall Lane but then lost heavily in the final to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

There was another 1-0 defeat in the last four of the FA Cup, this time to Arsenal.

This season also saw the Blades reach the semi finals of the League Cup. They defeated York City, Wycombe Wanderers, Leeds United, Sunderland and Crystal Palace to set up a meeting with Liverpool in the last four.

The Blades managed a 2-1 win in the first leg at Bramhall Lane but then slipped to a 2-0 defeat at Anfield.

The Blades have been on the fringes of the play offs for the past two seasons and will be looking to challenge again this time around.

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