This is the big one, a battle between the top two teams in the championship. The Blades or the Blunt Blades are yet another team that started existance as a cicket team dating back to 1854. Yorkshire County Cricket Club played at Brammell Lane from its inception in 1863 and for the rest of the nineteenth century. Indeed, they continued to host the odd game until 7 August 1973 when the ground was converted into a specialist football ground.
The football offshoot started in 1889 and were a founding member of the English League Division 2. They were indeed the first team to earn promotion. The Blades greatest era was between 1899 and 1925 when they won the first division title in 1807 and four FA Cups in 1899, 1902, 1915 and 125. Since then, their only silverware has come in the form of promotions. Sheff Utd are one of only five teams that have won all four divisions in English football - the other four being Man City, Notts Co, Wolves and Plymouth.
The Blades were created at the Adelphi Hotel, which is now better known as The Crucible Theatre, home to UK Snooker. The club were the very first in the world to use United in their name. Brammell Lane is the oldest major league ground in the world, having opened in 1862. The world's first floodlit football match took place on September 14, 1878, at Brammell Lane. This historic event saw a match between Sheffield United and Notts County. The floodlights were created using gas lamps and the experiment was considered a success, and paved the way for floodlit matches to become a regular feature in football, especially for evening games. The first ever football replay took place in 1922 at Brammell Lane in a match against Notts County. Brian Deane scored the first ever premiership goal in the opening match of the 1992-93 season against Man Utd.
Little known Jimmy Hagen was known as "The greatest footballer you have never heard of". Never having heard of this player, I asked AI genius, ChatGPT to fill me in. Jimmy Hagen was a widely regarded as one of the club's greatest-ever players. Born in 1910, Hagen was an incredibly talented midfielder who played for the Blades from 1930 to 1948. He was known for his leadership on the pitch and his technical ability. He made over 300 appearances for the club and was an England International and like Patrick Bamford he played just the one game. immy After retiring from playing, Hagen went on to have a significant impact as a coach and manager. He managed clubs such as Notts County and Lincoln City, and is now forgotten by history.
Famous celebrities that support Sheffield United include:
Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader, CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, DL, FRAeS and captain of cricket at the RAF College in Cranwel
Game of Thrones star, Sean Bean
Ned Stark
Jessica Ennis Hall
Paul Heaton
Ding Janhui
Joe Root
Michael Palin
Chat GPT
I asked ChatGPT which football club it supported and it gave me the following reply : "I don’t have a personal preference, but I enjoy learning about different football clubs and their histories! If I had to pick, I'd probably gravitate towards one with a rich tradition and passionate fanbase, like Sheffield United or another club with a unique story. What about you? Do you support a particular club?"
I told it I was a Leeds United supporter. And its reply was: "Ah, Leeds United! A fantastic club with such a rich history. From the glory years under Don Revie in the 1960s and 70s to their more recent return to the Premier League, Leeds has always been full of passion and drama. Their fanbase is one of the most dedicated in football. What do you make of Leeds’ current squad? How are you feeling about their journey back to the top flight?".
So that segways neatly into the match. Our current form is DWWWW and the cutlery items is LWWWW. Lady fortune has smiled upon us. Teenage sensation, Oliver Arblaster is out injured, as is England youth international, Sai Sachdev, and Aussie CB Harry Souttar. "The greatest footballer you have never heard of" is also missing in action. We continue to get by without Patrick Bamford and Max Wober. Key players for the Sheffield outfit are Michael Cooper in goal, on-loan Right Back, Alfie Gilchrist who we were linked with, LB Harrison Burrows who we were linked with, and Gustavo Hamer who we tried to buy but has been overshadowed by Aaronson this year, and is an injury doubt. It's going to be a tough game, and anyone in their right mind would predict a draw, but we did beat them 2-0 back in October with goals from Struijk and Joseph. I'm going for another 2-0 win with goals from Struik and Joseph.
And now for a rendition of The Greasy Chip Butty Song
You fill up my senses,
Like a gallon of Magnet,
Like a packet of Woodbines,
Like a good pinch of snuff,
Like a night out in Sheffield,
Like a greasy chip butty,
Like Sheffield United,
Come fill me again
Na na na na na...Ooooohh!
I really thought it was my last history lesson at half time but what a fight back
And another goal in fark time!