After five years, the region’s most fiercely contested football derby is back.
Forget the Manchester, Merseyside, North London or Second City derbies. It’s the Steel City derby that has South Yorkshire in a chokehold.
It’s akin to tribal warfare. Over 130 years of bad blood. Cut you and you bleed red or blue. Who’s bigger? Who’s better? The city is whose? Which fans are the pigs?
Those of us who don’t follow football might find it fickle. But, for some, being a Blade or an Owl can divide families, shatter friendships and influence relationships.
With both Sheffield teams playing in the EFL Championship for the 2024/25 season, anticipation is already building for the two Steel City derbies. It was the first fixture on the minds of most Owl or Blades fans when the lists were released in the summer.
Will either team make it a Sheffield double and win both league ties?
Ahead of the first derby fixture on Sunday 10th November at Bramall Lane, we look at the history of the long-running rivalry and five of the most famous games from the last 100 years.
History of the Steel City Derby
Sheffield is known as the home of football, with Sheffield FC becoming the world’s first official team in 1857. The Sheffield derby, the first in the city, was between them and Hallam FC.
But it wasn’t until 1890 that the city’s two professional clubs would meet, initiating the Steel City derby.
It was a friendly at The Wednesday’s Olive Grove ground in December 1890. Sheffield United were the new kids on the block, formed the previous year in retaliation for The Wednesday leaving Bramall Lane Cricket Ground – as it was then – for new horizons.
There had been a dispute over rent, so they moved a stone’s throw away to Olive Grove. The loss of revenue saw the cricket committee set up a rival club.
Sheffield United came from nowhere to challenge The Wednesday’s 22-year domination in the city. But the friendly saw The Wednesday win 2-1 over the newcomers.
Three years later was the first competitive match in the First Division which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Since then, the teams have played 131 competitive derby games, most of which have taken place in the top two tiers of the football league. United currently lead with 46 wins to Wednesday’s 42, with 43 draws.
Titles and trophies have also become bragging rights. Wednesday has 16 to United’s eight. The Owls have won more divisions but the Blades have won more FA cups.
But no matter how strong the teams are on paper, it doesn’t always equate on the pitch in a Steel City derby. There have been many instances where one team has been pushing for promotion but the other has shown them up on the day.
In the last 30 years, neither team have shone on an individual basis. Wednesday have yo-yoed between the Championship and League One, while United have dallied in the Premier League only to be relegated again at the end of last season.
They’ve not been in the same league since 2019. From 2000 to 2010, they were only in the same league for seven seasons. Before that, they only spent six seasons together in a thirty-year period.
What’s yours is mine
The two clubs share a name, a city and along the years they’ve shared players, managers and even shirt sponsors in 2011 – the first of its kind in English football.
Tony Curran launched Wednesday’s revival in the 1970s and recorded Singing the Blues in the ‘80s before donning a red and white shirt. Neil Warnock famously signed three ex-Wednesday players in the early ‘00s. Leigh Bromby was one of them, becoming the only player to have played over 100 games for each. Alan Quinn is the only one to have scored for both clubs in a derby game; his two brothers also played for United.
Steve Bruce and Danny Wilson have coached both clubs. Derek Geary is now United’s academy manager but played for both clubs. And Derek Dooley was the Owls’ star player in the 1950 before a bad fracture that became infected ended his playing days prematurely. He managed Wednesday in the 1970s then became commercial manager, chief executive and chairman of Sheffield United in his later years.
Iconic games:
FA Cup, second round
January 1925, Bramall Lane
At the time, it was acknowledged as one of the most significant derbies in Sheffield football history.
It had been 25 years since the last FA Cup tie between the two, when United won 2-0 at Hillsborough in a third replay. That had been a scrappy battle, with Wednesday going down to eight men: two sent off and one carried off with a broken leg.
The build-up was covered in all national newspapers, with Wednesday pitched as the underdogs.
A crowd of 40,000 descended on Bramall Lane, with mounted police on duty inside and out of the stadium.
It had been non-stop rain leading up to the game and the pitch was a muddy quagmire, almost under water. But the home advantage was still at play despite the conditions, with United going on to win 3-2.
The Blades carried on their winning streak to become FA Cup champions for a fourth time, beating Cardiff in the final – the last time they won any silverware.
Most spectacular scoreline
September 1951, Bramall Lane
Both teams came out of the starting blocks vying for the win in this Second Division league fixture.
Wednesday had been relegated from the First Division and were hoping to bounce back. United were also eyeing up promotion.
Wednesday took an early lead but it was 2-1 to United by half time. Wednesday equalised at the hour mark but it didn’t last long. Within minutes it was 6-2 United. Wednesday had taken a battering and the scoreline finished 7-3.
The return leg at Hillsborough in January 1952 saw one of the highest Steel City attendances on record with 65,000 fans packing out the stadium. But United did the double, winning 3-1.
However, the derbies had no reflection on how the league would play out. Wednesday did win promotion back to the First Division thanks to their star striker Derek Dooley’s 47 goals in all competitions making him the top goal scorer in the league. United languished in mid-table.
Boxing Day Massacre
December 1979, Hillsborough.
The hundredth Steel City derby and the first in the third division. But it was all to play for.
Wednesday had been in in the third tier for four seasons, while United had slipped into it for the first time in their 90-year history. By Christmas, the Blades were top of the table and were favourites to win instant promotion.
But the Owls came out flying, fuelled by the festive cheer and merriment of a bustling home crowd at Hillsborough. Almost 50,000 fans were in the stands.
Wednesday went on to dominate the game, winning 4-0 to equal United’s goal margin from 1951. The massacre, as it became known, also inspired one of Wednesday’s most memorable chants, “Hark now hear The Wednesday sing.”
Under the management of Jack Charlton from the 1966 World Cup winning team, Wednesday climbed the league table in the second half of the season to finish third, claiming the last automatic promotion spot.
The red side of the city, however, lost momentum and finished mid-table. The following year, their run of bad luck continued, dropping into the fourth division.
FA Cup semi-final
April 1993, Wembley Stadium.
Ask any fan born before the 1990s and they’d probably say this is the most famous of all the Steel City derbies.
Both teams were founding members of the Premier League the previous year and had advanced through to the semi-final of the competition all teams dream of winning: the FA Cup.
In a rare turn of events, both semi-finals were derbies, the other being Spurs versus Arsenal.
The Steel City semi-final had initially been scheduled at Elland Road, while the North London derby would be at Wembley. But there was a petition, with the Sheffield clubs arguing that the London teams would have an unfair advantage of practicing for the final on the Wembley pitch.
It went ahead at Wembley in front of a crowd of 75,000. Wednesday’s Chris Waddle secured an early lead after just 62 seconds and United equalised before the break.
In the second half, despite Wednesday having endless opportunities, neither team had a shot on target so it went to extra time where Wednesday did eventually break though to win 2-1.
Wednesday went on to face Arsenal in the final, which went to a replay – that was a time before penalties were introduced. They put up a good fight but Arsenal were crowned FA Cup winners.
Bouncing Day
September 2017, Hillsborough
This is the game that most Sheffield United fans will never forget.
It had been five years since the last derby, when Wednesday had won 1-0 at Hillsborough in February 2012 in the second League One tie between the pair.
Sheffield United had recently been promoted to the Championship for the 2017/18 season and it was back to S6 for the first derby tie.
The Blades had much to prove and battled sharp from the outset. They scored just three minutes in, before former Wednesday player Leon Clarke made it 2-0 after just 15 minutes.
Wednesday scored at the end of the first half, with another at the 65th minute to make it 2-2. The home fans erupted in delight, bouncing until the terraces at Hillsborough shook. But the scoreline didn’t stay level for long. Just two minutes later, United scored and the Blades hit back with chants from the away end of “You’re not bouncing anymore.”
A second goal from Leon Clarke ten minutes later put the nail in the coffin. A 4-2 win for United, their biggest at Hillsborough.
What’s in store for 2024?
The three derby games played since that fateful day at Hillsborough have all be goalless draws. So all eyes will be on Bramall Lane on 10th November with hope of some more interesting action, especially as it’s now been moved to a Sunday lunchtime fixture shown on TV.
Will it be Hi Ho Sheffield Wednesday, or will the Blades and their Greasy Chip Butties set the Lane alight?
With thanks to both clubs for the use of their photographs in this article.
