Steel City derby
Location | Sheffield |
---|---|
Teams | Sheffield United Sheffield Wednesday |
Latest meeting | 26 February 2012 Wednesday 1–0 United |
Statistics | |
Meetings total | 127 |
All-time series | Sheffield United: 45 Drawn: 40 Sheffield Wednesday: 42 |
Largest victory | United 7–3 Wednesday (1951) Wednesday 4–0 United (1979) |
The Steel City Derby (or Sheffield Derby) is a local derby that takes place between Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday, the two professional football league teams based in the city of Sheffield, England. It is widely considered one of the most passionate and hotly contested derby matches in English football.[1]
The teams have met competitively a total of 127 times, with United having won 3 more of the encounters than Wednesday. The latest Steel City Derby was played on 26 February 2012, when Wednesday won 1–0 at Hillsborough.
History
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The teams first met on 15 December 1890 at Wednesday's Old Olive Grove ground. With The Wednesday playing a friendly match against the newly formed Sheffield United that the home team won 2–1.[2]
The first competitive Steel City Derby fixture took place on 16 October 1893 during the 1893–94 English Division 1 season (following United's promotion the first Division the previous season), it ended 1–1.[3]
Most Steel City derbies have taken place in the top two tiers of English football, with only two seasons (1979–80 and 2011–12) in the third tier.
Recent games
2007–08 Championship league games
The first of the two league games for the 2007–08 Championship league season was at Hillsborough on 19 January 2008 in front of a crowd of 30,486; Wednesday won 2–0 with goals from Akpo Sodje and Marcus Tudgay. The second match of the season was at Bramall Lane on Tuesday 8 April 2008 and saw United battle back from 2–0 down, to snatch a 2–2 draw in front of 31,760 fans.
2008–09 Championship league games
The first meeting of the two matches for the following season, the 2008–09 Championship season was held on 19 October 2008, at Hillsborough with a crowd of 30,441. Wednesday won 1–0 with a 35th minute volley from Steve Watson. This game also had a missed penalty by Deon Burton (saved by Paddy Kenny), and 2 red cards, Matthew Kilgallon got sent off for United before the goal and Jermaine Johnson got sent off for Wednesday midway through the second half after being substituted. The return game at Bramall Lane was on 7 February 2009, with Wednesday winning 2–1 thanks to goals from Tommy Spurr and Marcus Tudgay. This victory was Wednesday's first at Bramall Lane since 1967 and their first double victory over their city rivals for 95 years.
2009–10 Championship league games
On 18 September 2009 Sheffield United took a 3–0 lead against Sheffield Wednesday into half time, but two Owls goals in the second half allowed Wednesday back in. But the score finished 3–2 to United and earned Kevin Blackwell his first win against Sheffield Wednesday since joining the club.[4] The 125th Steel City Derby played on 18 April at Hillsborough was drawn 1–1. Wednesday took the lead late in the first half form a Darren Potter volley, United equalized on the hour mark through a Lee Williamson shot.
2011–12 League One games
On the first derby game of the season on 16 October 2011 United gained a 2-0 lead, but Wednesday came back to make it 2-2 at Bramall Lane. The second game on 26 February 2012 at Hillsborough was important for both teams, since both sides were competing for promotion to the Championship. Wednesday took the full 3 points with a 1-0 win after goal from Chris O'Grady. The goal turned out to be crucial, since Wednesday eventually finished second in the table and gained promotion with 93 points, while United finished third with 90 points. United eventually failed to gain promotion after losing the Play-offs final to Huddersfield.
Summary of all competitive matches
Eligible competitions – Football League, Premier League, F.A. Cup, Football League Cup, Full Members Cup
As of 20:00 26 February 2012
Competition | Games played |
United wins |
Drawn games |
Wednesday wins |
United goals |
Wednesday goals |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
League | 114 | 42 | 36 | 36 | 156 | 147 |
FA Cup | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 13 |
League Cup | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
Full Members Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Totals | 127 | 45 | 40 | 42 | 174 | 168 |
Statistics obtained from soccerbase.com *except for the Full Members Cup result.
This table excludes pre-season games, friendlies and testimonials (see below).
Matches played
League
Sheffield United vs Sheffield Wednesday | Sheffield Wednesday vs Sheffield United | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1893-94 | First Division | 1 | 16.10.1893 | Bramall Lane | 13.11.1893 | Olive Grove | ||||
1894-95 | First Division | 1 | 12.01.1895 | Bramall Lane | 27.10.1894 | Olive Grove | ||||
1895-96 | First Division | 1 | 26.12.1895 | Bramall Lane | 07.09.1896 | Olive Grove | ||||
1896-97 | First Division | 1 | 26.12.1896 | Bramall Lane | 02.03.1897 | Olive Grove | ||||
1897-98 | First Division | 1 | 27.12.1897 | Bramall Lane | 16.10.1897 | Olive Grove | ||||
1898-99 | First Division | 1 | 26.12.1898 | Bramall Lane | 03.10.1899 | Hillsborough | ||||
1900-01 | First Division | 1 | 15.12.1900 | Bramall Lane | 29.04.1901 | Hillsborough | ||||
1901-02 | First Division | 1 | 01.03.1902 | Bramall Lane | 02.11.1901 | Hillsborough | ||||
1902-03 | First Division | 1 | 01.09.1902 | Bramall Lane | 11.10.1903 | Hillsborough | ||||
1903-04 | First Division | 1 | 12.12.1903 | Bramall Lane | 09.04.1904 | Hillsborough | ||||
1904-05 | First Division | 1 | 08.04.1905 | Bramall Lane | 10.12.1904 | Hillsborough | ||||
1905-06 | First Division | 1 | 21.10.1905 | Bramall Lane | 18.04.1906 | Hillsborough | ||||
1906-07 | First Division | 1 | 04.05.1907 | Bramall Lane | 03.11.1906 | Hillsborough | ||||
1907-08 | First Division | 1 | 09.11.1907 | Bramall Lane | 07.03.1908 | Hillsborough | ||||
1908-09 | First Division | 1 | 26.12.1908 | Bramall Lane | Hillsborough | |||||
1909-10 | First Division | 1 | 06.11.1909 | Bramall Lane | 19.03.1910 | Hillsborough | ||||
1910-11 | First Division | 1 | 25.02.1911 | Bramall Lane | 22.10.1910 | Hillsborough | ||||
1911-12 | First Division | 1 | 04.11.1911 | Bramall Lane | 09.03.1912 | Hillsborough | ||||
1912-13 | First Division | 1 | 01.03.1913 | Bramall Lane | 26.10.1912 | Hillsborough | ||||
1913-14 | First Division | 1 | 25.10.1913 | Bramall Lane | 28.02.1914 | Hillsborough | ||||
1914-15 | First Division | 1 | 04.09.1914 | Bramall Lane | 02.01.1915 | Hillsborough | ||||
1919-20 | First Division | 1 | 04.10.1919 | Bramall Lane | 27.09.1919 | Hillsborough | ||||
1926-27 | First Division | 1 | 15.01.1927 | Bramall Lane | 28.08.1926 | Hillsborough | ||||
1927-28 | First Division | 1 | Bramall Lane | Hillsborough | ||||||
1928-29 | First Division | 1 | 02.02.1929 | Bramall Lane | 22.09.1928 | Hillsborough | ||||
1929-30 | First Division | 1 | 28.09.1929 | Bramall Lane | 01.02.1930 | Hillsborough | ||||
1931-32 | First Division | 1 | 02.04.1932 | Bramall Lane | 21.11.1931 | Hillsborough | ||||
1932-33 | First Division | 1 | 04.02.1933 | Bramall Lane | 24.09.1932 | Hillsborough | ||||
1933-34 | First Division | 1 | 03.03.1934 | Bramall Lane | 21.10.1933 | Hillsborough | ||||
1937-38 | Second Division | 2 | 26.02.1938 | Bramall Lane | 16.10.1937 | Hillsborough | ||||
1938-39 | Second Division | 2 | 29.10.1938 | Bramall Lane | 04.03.1939 | Hillsborough | ||||
1949-50 | Second Division | 2 | 21.01.1950 | Bramall Lane | 17.09.1949 | Hillsborough | ||||
1951-52 | Second Division | 2 | 08.09.1951 | Bramall Lane | 05.01.1952 | Hillsborough | ||||
1953-54 | First Division | 1 | 12.09.1953 | Bramall Lane | 23.01.1954 | Hillsborough | ||||
1954-55 | First Division | 1 | 18.09.1954 | Bramall Lane | 05.02.1955 | Hillsborough | ||||
1958-59 | Second Division | 2 | 21.02.1959 | Bramall Lane | 04.10.1958 | Hillsborough | ||||
1961-62 | First Division | 1 | 16.09.1961 | Bramall Lane | 03.02.1962 | Hillsborough | ||||
1962-63 | First Division | 1 | 06.10.1962 | Bramall Lane | 15.05.1963 | Hillsborough | ||||
1963-64 | First Division | 1 | 14.09.1963 | Bramall Lane | 18.01.1964 | Hillsborough | ||||
1964-65 | First Division | 1 | 02.01.1965 | Bramall Lane | 05.09.1964 | Hillsborough | ||||
1965-66 | First Division | 1 | 18.09.1965 | Bramall Lane | 12.03.1966 | Hillsborough | ||||
1966-67 | First Division | 1 | 04.02.1966 | Bramall Lane | 24.09.1967 | Hillsborough | ||||
1967-68 | First Division | 1 | 02.09.1967 | Bramall Lane | 06.01.1968 | Hillsborough | ||||
1970-71 | Second Division | 2 | 03.10.1970 | Bramall Lane | 12.04.1971 | Hillsborough | ||||
1979-80 | Third Division | 3 | 05.03.1980 | Bramall Lane | 26.12.1979 | Hillsborough | 49,309 | |||
1991-92 | First Division | 1 | 17.11.1991 | Bramall Lane | 11.03.1992 | Hillsborough | ||||
1992-93 | Premier League | 1 | 08.11.1992 | Bramall Lane | 30,039 | 21.04.1993 | Hillsborough | 38,688 | ||
1993-94 | Premier League | 1 | 23.10.1993 | Bramall Lane | 30,044 | 22.01.1994 | Hillsborough | 34,959 | ||
2000-01 | First Division | 2 | 16.12.2000 | Bramall Lane | 25,156 | 01.04.2001 | Hillsborough | 38,433 | ||
2001-02 | First Division | 2 | 29.01.2002 | Bramall Lane | 29,364 | 07.10.2001 | Hillsborough | 29,281 | ||
2002-03 | First Division | 2 | 17.01.2003 | Bramall Lane | 28,179 | 01.09.2002 | Hillsborough | 27,075 | ||
2005-06 | Championship | 2 | 03.12.2005 | Bramall Lane | 30,558 | 18.02.2006 | Hillsborough | 33,439 | ||
2007-08 | Championship | 2 | 08.04.2008 | Bramall Lane | 31,760 | 19.01.2008 | Hillsborough | 30,486 | ||
2008-09 | Championship | 2 | 07.02.2009 | Bramall Lane | 30,786 | 19.10.2008 | Hillsborough | 30,441 | ||
2009-10 | Championship | 2 | 18.09.2009 | Bramall Lane | 29,210 | 18.04.2010 | Hillsborough | 35,485 | ||
2011-12 | League One | 3 | 16.10.2011 | Bramall Lane | 28,136 | 26.02.2012 | Hillsborough | 36,364 |
Cup
1899-1900 | FA Cup | 2nd Round | 17.02.1900 | Bramall Lane | ||
2nd Round Replay | 19.02.1900 | Hillsborough | ||||
1924-25 | FA Cup | 2nd Round | 31.01.1925 | Bramall Lane | ||
1927-28 | FA Cup | 5th Round | 18.02.1928 | Hillsborough | ||
5th Round Replay | 22.02.1928 | Bramall Lane | ||||
1953-54 | FA Cup | 3rd Round | 09.01.1954 | Hillsborough | ||
3rd Round Replay | 13.01.1954 | Bramall Lane | ||||
1959-60 | FA Cup | 6th Round | 12.03.1960 | Bramall Lane | 61,180 | |
1980-81 | League Cup | 1st Round first leg | 12.08.1980 | Bramall Lane | ||
1st Round second leg | 09.08.1980 | Hillsborough | ||||
1989-90 | Full Members Cup | 2nd Round | 21.11.1989 | Hillsborough | 30,464 | |
1992-93 | FA Cup | Semi-final | 03.04.1993 | Wembley Stadium | 75,364 | |
2000-01 | League Cup | 3rd Round | 01.11.2000 | Hillsborough | 32,283 |
Non-competitive matches
Eligible games – Friendlies
Venue | Date | Attendance | Competition | Winner | Score | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Olive Grove | 15 December 1890 | 10,000 | Friendly | Wednesday | 2–1 | First ever meeting between the two sides [citation needed] |
Bramall Lane | 12 January 1891 | 15,000 | Friendly | United | 3–2 | First United win |
Olive Grove | 17 October 1892 | 1,500 | Friendly | Drawn | 1–1 | First drawn game |
Bramall Lane | 5 August 1996 | 7,271 | Steel City Cup | United | 4–1 | Last non-competitive match |
Famous matches
The most famous match at Bramall Lane was on 8 September 1951, an encounter United won 7–3 in front of a crowd of 51,075. Wednesday scored after just ninety seconds through Thomas, but goals from Derek Hawksworth and Harold Brook gave United a 2–1 interval lead which would have been greater if McIntosh in the Wednesday goal had not saved a Fred Furniss penalty. Dennis Woodhead equalised for Wednesday after sixty minutes, but in rapid succession, Alf Ringstead, Hawksworth and Ringstead again, and Fred Smith scored for United, Woodhead pulled one back for Wednesday before Brook made the score 7–3 in a match never to be forgotten by United fans.
The Boxing Day Massacre was a match played on 26 December 1979. It was famous for being the biggest win in recent times, when Wednesday won 4–0, with goals from Ian Mellor, Terry Curran, Mark Smith and Jeff King. The United side at the time were top of the league, while Wednesday were 4th in the table. The match was watched by a record third division crowd of 49,309 spectators.
On 3 April 1993, the two teams met in the FA Cup semi-finals. The game was scheduled to be played at Elland Road while the other semi between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur was to be played at Wembley. However The Football Association was forced to move the fixture Wembley due to extreme pressure from the fans of both teams. The match itself proved to be a classic, with Wednesday winning 2–1 after extra-time. Chris Waddle and Mark Bright scoring for Wednesday, and Alan Cork scoring for United. The match was watched by 75,364 spectators.[5]
Resurgence in the Steel City Derby
Since Sheffield Wednesday's relegation from the FA Premier League after the 1999–2000 season both teams have regularly (six out of nine seasons) frequented the same league, this has caused the local rivalry between the two teams to increase with many fans of both clubs keen to see when they play their city rivals when the league fixtures are announced. It has also seen the emergence of crowd trouble (particularly at games staged at Bramall Lane) in 2003[6] and 2008.[7][8]
Before the 2000–01 season both teams were only in the same league for six seasons between 1970–71 and 1999–00 (twenty-nine seasons), although this period did see one FA Cup semi-final meeting in 1993 and a Zenith Data Cup (Full Members Cup) meeting in 1989.
Off-pitch relationship
On 15 July 2011 both Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday held a joint conference called "Supporting Sheffield" in which they announced a joint shirt sponsorship deal with two local Sheffield based companies for the 2011–12 Football League One season. The two local sponsors are Westfield Health (a Not for Profit healthcare organisation), who will be the home kit sponsor for the Blades and the away kit sponsor for the Owls, and the Gilder Group (a Volkswagen car dealer), who will be the away kit sponsor for the Blades and the home kit sponsor for the Owls. United and Wednesday have both made a six figure sum from the sponsorship deal.[9] The deal is the first of its kind in English football with The Telegraph likening the deal to Glasgow rivals and neighbours Celtic and Rangers who have frequently shared shirt sponsors in the past.[10]
Played for both
- Earl Barrett
- Danny Batth
- Carl Bradshaw
- Leigh Bromby
- Franz Carr
- Richard Cresswell
- Terry Curran
- David Ford
- Derek Geary
- Paul Heald
- David Johnson
- Jeff King
- Brian Marwood
- Jon-Paul McGovern
- Tony McMahon
- Owen Morrison
- Joe Mattock
- Chris O'Grady
- Alan Quinn
- Neil Ramsbottom
- Carl Robinson
- Wilf Rostron
- Bernard Shaw
- Simon Stainrod
- Keith Treacy
- Imre Varadi
- Alan Warboys
- Dean Windass
Managed both teams:
Played for one, managed the other: ( Managed both teams. SWFC 1998-2000. SUFC 2011-2013)
Played for one, coached the other:
Coached both teams:
Other connections:
- Derek Dooley, played for and managed Wednesday and was then had a variety of roles at United including Commercial Manager, Managing Director, Chairman and Vice President.
- John Harris, managed United and scouted for Wednesday
Notes and references
- ^ "The Steel City showdown". BBC sport. 16 October 2008. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
- ^ Sheffield United the first 100 years. Clarebrough, D. 1989, ISBN 0-9508588-1-1.
- ^ "United vs Wednesday – Facts & Figures". Blades-Mad. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
- ^ "DERBY VERDICT: "A massive win", says Blades boss Blackwell". The Sheffield Star. 19 September 2009. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
- ^ Rollin, Jack (1993). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1993–94. Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 0-7472-7895-4.
- ^ "FA investigates crowd trouble". BBC Sport. 3 February 2003. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
- ^ "Fans clash at Steel City Derby". The Sheffield Star. 9 April 2008. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
- ^ "Atmosphere report (Sheffield United – Sheffield Wednesday 08 April 2008)". FootballDerbies.com. 10 April 2008. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
- ^ "Both Sheffield United and Wednesday forecast friction over sponsorship link-up". The Sheffield Star. 15 July 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
- ^ "Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday to share shirts sponsors this season". telegraph.co.uk. 15 July 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2011.