Sheffield United F.C.

(Goalkeeper)fs player| no=22 | nat=Malta | pos=GK | name=Justin Haber (Goalkeeper)fs player| no=25 | nat=England | pos=MF | name=Matthew Spring"(on loan from Luton Town")

On loan

Notable former players

* 1890s: Ernest Needham, William Foulke, Billy Hendry
* 1900s: Alf Common
* 1910s: Albert Sturgess, George Utley
* 1920s: Billy Gillespie, Fred Tunstall, Harry Johnson
* 1930s: Jimmy Dunne, Jock Dodds, Bobby Barclay, Jack Pickering
* 1940s: Jimmy Hagan
* 1950s: Joe Shaw, Ted Burgin, Graham Shaw, Cec Coldwell
* 1960s: Alan Hodgkinson, Derek Pace, Mick Jones
* 1970s: Tony Currie, Alan Woodward, Len Badger, Eddie Colquhoun, Trevor Hockey, Alex Sabella
* 1980s: Keith Edwards, Colin Morris, Paul Stancliffe
* 1990s: Brian Deane, Tony Agana, Simon Tracey, Alan Kelly
* 2000s: Michael Brown, Phil Jagielka,

=Reserve and Academy teams=
* Sheffield United Reserves currently play in the Pontin's Holidays League East at the Coach and Horses ground. Sheffield F.C.'s home ground.
* Sheffield United Academy U18s currently play in the FA Premier Academy League U18s Group D at the Shirecliffe ground at Firshill Crescent.

International links

In January 2006, Sheffield United became the first foreign club to take over a Chinese team [cite web|url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200601/13/eng20060113_235136.html|title=Sheffield United take over Chengdu football club|publisher=People's Daily Online|date=2006-01-13|accessdate=2007-10-31] when they purchased the football club Chengdu Wuniu, based in the city of Chengdu, China. [cite web|url=http://www.shef.ac.uk/chengdublades/blades.html|title=Chengdu Blades - Sheffield students welcome Chinese Blades|publisher=University of Sheffield|accessdate=2007-10-31] The club was re-named the Chengdu Blades, after their new owners. Sheffield United shirts are now sold in China, and Chengdu shirts are now sold in Sheffield, increasing revenue streams for both clubs.

Along with this, Sheffield United also have friendship links with Brazilian club São Paulo, boosted by the visit of Pelé to Sheffield. Pelé was guest of honour at Sheffield F.C.'s 150th anniversary celebration match v Inter Milan, held at Bramall Lane. [cite web|url=http://www.sufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10418~1163226,00.html|title=São Paulo link is a benefit|work=SUFC| accessdate = 2007-11-09] In February 2008 Kevin McCabe, the club's chairman, finalised an agreement with Budapest-based Ferencváros to buy its football team, and also negotiated with the Hungarian government to purchase and develop the ground around Stadion Albert Flórián. [cite web
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sheff_utd/7243262.stm
title = Blades chief wins Ferencvaros bid
work = BBC Sport Online
publisher = BBC
date = 13 February 2008
accessdate = 2008-10-07] The development of a new all-seater football stadium with a capacity of 25,000 has been started. A match was played in Budapest to celebrate the link-up. [cite web|title = Chairman Celebrates Win|url= http://www.sufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/FerencvarosDetail/0,,10418~1275433,00.html|date=2008-03-27|accessdate=2008-10-07|publisher=Sheffield United official website]

The Blades also have operating/business and exchange of ideas links with Central Coast Mariners [cite web|title=Blades expand worldwide links with Mariners agreement|url=http://www.sufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10418~1250361,00.html|date=2008-02-26|accessdate=2008-03-27|publisher=Sheffield United F.C.] of Australia and White Star Woluwé [cite web|title=Royal White Star Woluwe|url=http://www.sufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/WhiteStarWoluwe/0,,10418~1185107,00.html|date=2007-12-07|accessdate=2008-03-27|publisher=Sheffield United F.C.] of Belgium. The Australian Valad Property Group are also sponsors of the South Stand at Bramall Lane.

Rivalries

Sheffield United have numerous rivalries. The most outstanding rivalry is with their city neighbours Sheffield Wednesday. Both teams have chants which aim to berate the other, as with many rivals. United and Wednesday's meeting has come to be known as the Steel City derby; to date 119 matches have been played in the Steel City derby, with United winning 44, Wednesday 38, and 37 draws. [ [http://www.soccerbase.com/head2.sd?team1id=2328&team2id=2330 Steel City derby] , head-to-head: "Scoocerbase.com" website.] Sheffield United's other rivals are mainly other teams from Yorkshire, such as Leeds United, Barnsley and Rotherham United. Sheffield Wednesday remain United's main rivals as meetings between United and Wednesday have occurred the most, and most of Sheffield supports one of the two teams. Sheffield Wednesday have not done the league double over Sheffield United for 94 years, meanwhile United last did the league double over them in the 2005–06 season.

Sheffield United, also have, along with many other sports teams across Yorkshire, a strong rivalry with Nottingham Forest. This can be attributed to the miners strikes of the 1980s, where workers in the pits of Nottinghamshire scabbed, where as miners from Yorkshire were on strike. Another smaller rivalry that has recently developed is with Reading due to their match in January 2007 at the Madejski Stadium where Wally Downes attacked United manager Neil Warnock due to a misinterpretation of words from Warnock to a Reading player. This led to a mutual and bitter dislike between the two clubs that is still evident today. Also in October 2005 at the Madejski, there was an altercation with Blades winger Keith Gillespie, as he thought he should have had a last minute penalty, only to be turned down.

Another rivalry which has recently developed is with West Ham United. The Blades have tried to sue West Ham and the Premier League for damages, over their claim that West Ham had an unfair advantage by playing Carlos Tevez when he was supposedly not a Premier league registered player. The FA fined West Ham a record £5.5 million for a third party contract agreement (illegal in the English Premier League) in the deal that brought Tevez to Upton Park. Sheffield United continued to pursue damages, as they believe that West Ham should have been docked points instead of fined. On 23 September 2008 Sheffield United chairman Kevin McCabe announced that an independent tribunal had ruled against West Ham with any compensation being decided at a later date.

upporters

Sheffield United derives support from a broad cross-section of the community. The majority of football fans in the S2 postcode of the city (where the ground is located) are Sheffield United fans, particularly the Sharrow, Heeley, Highfield, Manor and Park Hill areas of the city. There is also a lot of support in the S3 areas, close to the city centre, S8 and around the Gleadless area, a strong contingent from the Dearne Valley, with a large supporters club from Swinton [cite web|url=http://www.swintonblades.com|title=Swinton BladesDead link|date=October 2008] in particular. The club usually run two or three special student deals each season, and so also have a small student following, based in the suburbs of Crookes and Broomhall.

Famous supporters

Supporters of note include former manager Neil Warnock, [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19991203/ai_n14278380 Neil Warnock] , famous supporter: article at The Independent website, via the "FindArticles" service.] actor Sean Bean, [ [http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/sean_bean_biog/2 Sean Bean] , famous supporter: his Tiscali.co.uk biography.] the Sports Minister Richard Caborn, MP, [cite web
url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2005/mar/28/interviews.politics
title = Interview: Richard Caborn, sports minister | Sport |
publisher = "The Guardian"
date = 28 March 2005
accessdate = 2008-10-07] the singer Paul Heaton, [ [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,946748,00.html Paul Heaton] , famous supporter: from a Guardian Unlimited interview.] rock singer Joe Elliott, television presenter Anna Walker, [cite web
url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/content/articles/2008/04/24/the_games_feature.shtml
title = Sheffield's Anna Walker
publisher = BBC
yer = 2005
month = March
accessdate = 2008-10-07] author G. P. Taylor, [ [http://www.shadowmancer.com/shadowmancer_the_film.htm G. P. Taylor] , famous supporter: "Shadowmancer.com" website.] Sky Sports News presenter Alex Quinn and actor Tony Audenshaw (Bob Hope from "Emmerdale"). Olympic Laser Class Sailing gold medalist Paul Goodison has followed Sheffield United since he was a youngster. [ [http://www.sufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10418~1369985,00.html Paul Goodison] , famous supporter: sufc.co.uk.] World Superbike champion James Toseland is also a supporter of the Blades and has followed them since he was a child.

Chants

Like many English clubs, Sheffield United supporters have a wide variety of chants and songs, the most famous of which is "The Greasy Chip Butty Song". Many others are intended to berate their local rivals, Sheffield Wednesday, the most famous of which are (to the tune of "Singing the Blues): "Never felt more like Swinging a pig/from Hyde Park Flats to Wadsley Bridge/United! You've got me swinging a pig/As you do, as you do, as you do!" and "No pigs fans in town/No Hillsborough to sadden my eyes/Jack Charlton is dead/and the pig's fans have fled/and the year is 1889!". They can also be heard to sing "Are you Wednesday in disguise" to poorly-playing teams—an attempt to undermine both the opposition and Sheffield Wednesday. [cite web|url=http://www.swintonblades.com/songs.htm|title=Blades Songs and Chants|publisher=Swinton Blades|first=Sean|last=Aitken|accessdate=2007-10-31Dead link|date=October 2008] A popular chant at the moment is "Oh when the Blades go marching in!" this is usually sung for a long period of time whilst playing away from home.

League history

Pos = Position; P = Played; W = Won; D = Drawn; L = Lost; F = Goals For; A = Goals Against; Pts = Points

Honours

"Note: the leagues and divisions of English football have changed somewhat over time, so here they are grouped into their relative levels on the English football league system at the time they were won to allow easy comparison of the achievement"

* Premier League and predecessors (level 1 of the English football league system)
** Football League Division One Champions, 1897–98
** Football League Division One Runners-up, 1896–97, 1899–1900
* Football League Championship and predecessors (level 2 of the English football league system)
** Football League Division Two Champions, 1952–53
** Football League Division Two Runners-up, 1892–93, 1938–39, 1960–61, 1970–71, 1989–90
** Football League Championship Runners-up, 2005–06
* Football League One and predecessors (level 3 of the English football league system)
** Football League Division Three Runners-up, 1988–89
*Football League Two and predecessors (level 4 of the English football league system)
** Football League Division Four Champions, 1981–82
*FA Cup
** Winners: 1899, 1902, 1915, 1925
** Runners-up: 1901, 1936

Managerial history

Bibliography

*cite book
last = Matthews
first = Tony
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = The Official Encyclopaedia of Sheffield United Football Club
publisher = Britespot Publishing Ltd
date= 15 December 2003
location =
pages =
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 1-904103-19-7
*cite book
last = Clarebrough
first = Denis
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Sheffield United Football Club
publisher = Chalford Publishing
date= 30 September 1997
location =
pages =
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 0-7524-1059-8

*cite book
last = Armstrong
first = Gary
authorlink =
coauthors = Garrett, John
title = Sheffield United Football Club - The Biography
publisher = Hallamshire Publications Ltd
date= 1 December 2007
location =
pages =
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 1-8747-1865-2

References

External links

* [http://www.sufc.co.uk/ Official Site] en icon
*BBC Football Info|BBClinkname=s/sheff_utd