Revolution
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I promise you that more good things happen than in the playoff retrospective that I put together….
1899 - beat Liverpool 2-2 (at the City Ground, Hedley, Needham), 4-4 (at Burnden Park, Beer, Bennett, Priest 2) 0-1 (at Fallowfield, Manchester, abandoned at HT), 1-0 (at the Baseball Ground, Beer)
Our first ever semi-final was an epic. Going to 4 games, including one that was not completed, it is arguably the best semi-final tie of all time.
Liverpool kicked with the wind in the first half of the opening game and led 2-1 at the break, with 2 defensive errors leading to their goals, one by George Allan, who had charged at Willie Foulke in a league game earlier in the season and had been picked up and dropped on his head for his trouble. Ernest Needham was superb and dominated the game, scoring once and laying on the other. United would have won with more accurate finishing.
The second game was something to behold. Liverpool led 1-0 at half time after a controversial goal, Walker scoring through Foulke's legs after Allan had obstructed Needham. Allan put a free kick just inside the post to double the lead, but Beer scored a free kick of his own 2 minutes later to halve the deficit, and Bennett equalised half way through the second half. With 10 minutes left, Foulke made a good save from a hard hit shot by Allan, but the rebound hit the onrushing Morren and went into the goal. 2 minutes later, penalty to Liverpool: Foulke saved Allan's kick, but Cox put in the rebound. 4-2 down with 8 minutes to go.
Needham was not to be denied, and tried something that United had done before in Cup ties when they were up against it: all-out attack. They moved to a 1-9 formation, with only Foulke and Peter Boyle staying back. United attacked relentlessly, the Liverpool keeper froze, and Fred Priest scored twice as United ended the 4-4 draw still looking for a winner.
The 3rd game was held at Fallowfield, Manchester. The FA had not learned from the overcrowding that had occurred when the ground had been used for the 1893 Cup Final, and the 30,000 crowd was too big for the venue. The crowd pushed through barriers around the terraces and were standing on the touchline. Liverpool scored after half an hour, causing a pitch invasion and the players to go off. The players came back on and the first half was eventually completed at 5.50pm - having started at 30 minutes late at 4.30pm - and the referee abandoned the game. United were not sorry, being a goal down, down to 10 men through injury, and missing other players.
And so on to the 4th game, the actual second replay. Needham was sick before the game, but managed to play, going to centre back and marshalling Allan superbly. Beer scored with 3 minutes to go, squeezing the ball in through a crowd of players, to take United into their first Cup Final.
George Allan was dead before the end of 1899, succumbing to tuberculosis at the age of 24.
In a 3 game spell Ernest Needham was the best player on the pitch in one game, scoring and assisting, re-organised the team into all-out attack to rescue the second game, and dominated Liverpool's best player in the third game whilst moving himself into defence. I can't prove it, I know about Tony Currie and Jimmy Hagan, but I remain of the view that Needham is our greatest ever player.
1901 - beat Aston Villa 2-2 (at the City Ground, Priest, Lipsham), 3-0 (at the Baseball Ground, Bennett, Priest 2)
Villa had won 4 of the previous 5 league titles, and United were missing Harry Thickett, whose wife had died suddenly, but United came out fast and scored early and only strong defending by Villa prevented more goals. Villa equalised but United were 2-1 up at half time through a low shot from Lipsham. Devey of Villa headed an equaliser after the break but Villa could not force a winner, and they missed their chance.
Thickett was back for the replay and a tired Villa side did not provide much opposition, Bennett scoring before the break and Priest making the game safe with 2 goals in the last 15 minutes.
1902 - beat Derby County 1-1 (at the Hawthorns, Hedley), 1-1 (at Molineux, Priest), 1-0 (at the City Ground, Priest)
United arrived at the ground only an hour prior to the first game after train delays. Another epic tie ensued. Derby dominated the early part of the first game and led when Foulke parried a shot from the great Steve Bloomer and Warren lobbed in the rebound. Bloomer then hit the bar, but George Headley equalised fortuitously when the Derby keeper Fryer appealed for an infringement rather than try to save his shot. "Old" Harry Johnson (the father of our record scorer) hit the post in the last minute.
Derby led in the replay when a cross was caught by the wind and drifted in, but Fryer made another error, dropping the ball, and Fred Priest stabbed home. Fryer denied United a number of times thereafter, and then the game swung the other way when Ernest Needham got injured and had to go off: United held out in extra time.
Needham was not fit to play in the third game at Nottingham, but his replacement, Billy Parker, who had only played one league game, was outstanding, dominating Bloomer and being involved in the move that saw Priest score the winner. United's defence was excellent all game and held out.
1914 - lost to Burnley 0-0 (at Old Trafford) 0-1 (at Goodison Park)
United were due a cup run, having been knocked out in their opening round 7 years in a row before 1913-14. They were galvanised by a number of new signings, most notably George Utley, who cost 2 grand from Barnsley, and was outstanding at left half.
The two semi-finals were defensive affairs. United were unlucky in the opening game, with the Burnley keeper appearing to pull the ball back from over the line (there is supposedly a photo that confirms this), and suffering a number of injuries in the replay when they lost to a header scored 15 mins from time.
3 days after the replay, United played Burnley at the Lane in the League and won 5-0.
1915 - beat Bolton 2-1 (at Ewood Park, Simmons, Utley)
There was a lot of criticism for the choice of venue, and Bolton fans were well in the majority in the crowd. Utley, having another magnificent season, scored a superb goal, picking the ball up just inside the Bolton half, running at the defence and shooting home when everyone expected a pass. Simmons had scored after half an hour and United led 2-0 at half time. They were on the defensive for most of the second half, and were well below par, but Bolton could only manage a Joe Smith header and United went through to the Khaki Cup Final.
1923 - lost to Bolton 0-1 (at Old Trafford)
Bolton's revenge, as they went through to the first final at Wembley (the "White Horse Final" as it became known) after a poor game decided by a fluke goal, with David Jack of Bolton toe-ending a shot that was going wide, causing the ball to loop up and drop over Ernest Blackwell in the Blades goal. Blackwell was heavily criticised for conceding the goal, was badly affected by the criticism and asked to be dropped from the team, but his teammates, who did not blame him, talked him round.
The attendance of 72,500 was at that time a record crowd for an English game outside London. The gates were closed an hour before kick-off, but were forced, and it was estimated that 100,000 found their way in.
Around the time of the 1993 semi there was a splendid letter in the Green 'Un from an elderly gentleman who said that he and his cash-strapped pals had walked to Manchester over the Snake Pass to see the game. I hope that story is true.
1925 - 2-0 v Southampton (at Stamford Bridge, Parker (og), Tunstall)
Southampton were in the Second Division. Tom Parker, the Southampton captain, was almost single handedly responsible for United's victory, scoring an own goal after determined play by Fred Tunstall and then missing a penalty, shooting straight at Charles Sutcliffe in the United goal. Tunstall scored the second to seal the game, capitalising on defensive hesitancy.
1928 - lost to Huddersfield 2-2 (at Old Trafford, Johnson 2) 0-0 (at Goodison Park) 0-1 (at Maine Road)
United had lost 7-1 at home to Huddersfield in the Leagur in November. Huddersfield were in a battle for the league title and United were fighting relegation (in a season where the bottom 12 were separated by just 4 points) Despite this, the semi-final was very tight, an attritional battle watched by 190,000 over the 3 games. Johnson twice put us in front in the first game, the second was very tight, and Huddersfield won the second replay with a second half header on a day when United had been the better side.
United had revenge in the penultimate game of the season, winning 1-0 at Leeds Road to save themselves from relegation. Huddersfield missed the title by 2 points and lost the Cup final to Blackburn, with the consensus being that the semi-final had taken too much out of them.
1936 - beat Fulham 2-1 (at Molineux) (Bird, Pickering).
Our last semi-final victory. Fulham were a mid-table team in Division 2, with United pushing for promotion. Bill Bird, a winger signed from Derby on Christmas Eve, scored an early first goal before going off injured for a time. Jack Pickering scored the second from the edge of the box and United went through without much trouble.
Four days after this game, Fulham won 1-0 at the Lane in the League, ending our 22 match unbeaten run in league and cup, and starting a run of 5 games with only one victory, which cost us promotion.
Bird was left out of the Cup Final team as we went down 1-0 to Arsenal.
1961 - lost to Leicester 0-0 (at Elland Road) 0-0 (at the City Ground) 0-2 (at St Andrews)
The first semi-final some of you might remember. My Dad, who attended the first replay, tells me that the feeling at the time was that whoever won the tie was certain to lose to Double chasing Tottenham (which proved to be the case). Lots of dour football was played, and it took 4 hours and 17 minutes for the first goal to be scored.
United were denied victory in the first game when Doc Pace's goal was ruled out for handball. Pace said the ball had hit him on the shoulder.
Nothing of note happened in the second game. Think Palace in the Playoff Final without David Hopkin.
2 penalties were awarded in the 3rd game. Alan Hodgkinson saved one, but unfortunately Graham Shaw shot wide from the other, and we were out. There was plenty of consolation as unlike in 1936 United held their nerve and secured promotion.
This was the fourth United semi-final to go to a second replay. There have only been 8 such ties in total.
1993 – lost to Wednesday 1-2 aet (at Wembley, Cork)
Most people remember this so I'll stick to a personal memory of the day. It was quiet as the grave walking down Wembley Way after the game. Both sets of fans were mixed together but no one was saying much...apart from this one Wednesdayite, singing at the top of his voice and clapping. He said to his mates something like "come on! Sing up! They'd be laughing at us!" All the Blades nearby, including myself, said "yep".
This is the only semi-final we’ve played since 1928 where we were a top division side.
1998 - lost to Newcastle 0-1 (at Old Trafford)
25 years ago now. Bloody hell.
I find this to be the least talked about of the recent semis. Not surprising really. It was a lively but not brilliant game, we were average at best (although Wayne Quinn, who forced 2 good saves from Shay Given, had a very good game, and Kelly was good again) and of course the team, decimated by injuries and a fire sale, was running on empty and probably not good enough to win. We won only 3 of 11 matches after this game. Getting this far, after all that had happened, was the real achievement. The same became true of getting in the playoffs.
Had the squad that played the first 10 or so games of the season come up against the Newcastle team of the same period (Alan Shearer did not play before January due to injury) I fancy the result of this game would have been somewhat different. Ah well.
2003 - lost to Arsenal 0-1 (at Old Trafford)
The first semi-final I went into where I thought we could win (although I naively thought at half time in 1993 that we could do it). The abiding memory of the day is a burning injustice, built of course around Arsenal’s goal and that bloody save.
United have played 5 semi-finals at Old Trafford, losing 1-0 3 times, and drawing twice and subsequently losing the tie.
2014 – lost to Hull 3-5 (at Wembley, Baxter, Scougall, Murphy)
I don’t really feel qualified to talk about this semi-final. I did not see it live. I was in Borneo, on a family holiday with some friends who were doing a “once in a lifetime” trip all over the place. I followed the game on the Guardian’s minute by minute coverage and text messages from my brother from the stadium.
One common theme in the semis of recent vintage is that we have never played that well. We’ve been average at best. Watching the game back, I don’t see that here. We were excellent. The problem was we were just a League One side, and our excellence was sadly not enough when a Premier League side stepped it up. No disgrace though.
I remain baffled that Nigel Clough could build this team during a season and then recruit so poorly in the following close season, making the side worse.
Sources for this piece:
Colossus, the True Story of William Foulke, Graham Pythian
Red, White and Khaki, Matthew Bell
Football in Sheffield, Percy M Young
Sheffield United, the Complete Record, Denis Clarebrough and Andrew Kirkham
Sheffield United Football Club: Who's Who, Denis Clarebrough and Andrew Kirkham
Sheffield Football, a History, Volume 1 1857 to 1961, Keith Farnsworth
Personal recollections of Revolution and Revolution Sr
1899 - beat Liverpool 2-2 (at the City Ground, Hedley, Needham), 4-4 (at Burnden Park, Beer, Bennett, Priest 2) 0-1 (at Fallowfield, Manchester, abandoned at HT), 1-0 (at the Baseball Ground, Beer)
Our first ever semi-final was an epic. Going to 4 games, including one that was not completed, it is arguably the best semi-final tie of all time.
Liverpool kicked with the wind in the first half of the opening game and led 2-1 at the break, with 2 defensive errors leading to their goals, one by George Allan, who had charged at Willie Foulke in a league game earlier in the season and had been picked up and dropped on his head for his trouble. Ernest Needham was superb and dominated the game, scoring once and laying on the other. United would have won with more accurate finishing.
The second game was something to behold. Liverpool led 1-0 at half time after a controversial goal, Walker scoring through Foulke's legs after Allan had obstructed Needham. Allan put a free kick just inside the post to double the lead, but Beer scored a free kick of his own 2 minutes later to halve the deficit, and Bennett equalised half way through the second half. With 10 minutes left, Foulke made a good save from a hard hit shot by Allan, but the rebound hit the onrushing Morren and went into the goal. 2 minutes later, penalty to Liverpool: Foulke saved Allan's kick, but Cox put in the rebound. 4-2 down with 8 minutes to go.
Needham was not to be denied, and tried something that United had done before in Cup ties when they were up against it: all-out attack. They moved to a 1-9 formation, with only Foulke and Peter Boyle staying back. United attacked relentlessly, the Liverpool keeper froze, and Fred Priest scored twice as United ended the 4-4 draw still looking for a winner.
The 3rd game was held at Fallowfield, Manchester. The FA had not learned from the overcrowding that had occurred when the ground had been used for the 1893 Cup Final, and the 30,000 crowd was too big for the venue. The crowd pushed through barriers around the terraces and were standing on the touchline. Liverpool scored after half an hour, causing a pitch invasion and the players to go off. The players came back on and the first half was eventually completed at 5.50pm - having started at 30 minutes late at 4.30pm - and the referee abandoned the game. United were not sorry, being a goal down, down to 10 men through injury, and missing other players.
And so on to the 4th game, the actual second replay. Needham was sick before the game, but managed to play, going to centre back and marshalling Allan superbly. Beer scored with 3 minutes to go, squeezing the ball in through a crowd of players, to take United into their first Cup Final.
George Allan was dead before the end of 1899, succumbing to tuberculosis at the age of 24.
In a 3 game spell Ernest Needham was the best player on the pitch in one game, scoring and assisting, re-organised the team into all-out attack to rescue the second game, and dominated Liverpool's best player in the third game whilst moving himself into defence. I can't prove it, I know about Tony Currie and Jimmy Hagan, but I remain of the view that Needham is our greatest ever player.
1901 - beat Aston Villa 2-2 (at the City Ground, Priest, Lipsham), 3-0 (at the Baseball Ground, Bennett, Priest 2)
Villa had won 4 of the previous 5 league titles, and United were missing Harry Thickett, whose wife had died suddenly, but United came out fast and scored early and only strong defending by Villa prevented more goals. Villa equalised but United were 2-1 up at half time through a low shot from Lipsham. Devey of Villa headed an equaliser after the break but Villa could not force a winner, and they missed their chance.
Thickett was back for the replay and a tired Villa side did not provide much opposition, Bennett scoring before the break and Priest making the game safe with 2 goals in the last 15 minutes.
1902 - beat Derby County 1-1 (at the Hawthorns, Hedley), 1-1 (at Molineux, Priest), 1-0 (at the City Ground, Priest)
United arrived at the ground only an hour prior to the first game after train delays. Another epic tie ensued. Derby dominated the early part of the first game and led when Foulke parried a shot from the great Steve Bloomer and Warren lobbed in the rebound. Bloomer then hit the bar, but George Headley equalised fortuitously when the Derby keeper Fryer appealed for an infringement rather than try to save his shot. "Old" Harry Johnson (the father of our record scorer) hit the post in the last minute.
Derby led in the replay when a cross was caught by the wind and drifted in, but Fryer made another error, dropping the ball, and Fred Priest stabbed home. Fryer denied United a number of times thereafter, and then the game swung the other way when Ernest Needham got injured and had to go off: United held out in extra time.
Needham was not fit to play in the third game at Nottingham, but his replacement, Billy Parker, who had only played one league game, was outstanding, dominating Bloomer and being involved in the move that saw Priest score the winner. United's defence was excellent all game and held out.
1914 - lost to Burnley 0-0 (at Old Trafford) 0-1 (at Goodison Park)
United were due a cup run, having been knocked out in their opening round 7 years in a row before 1913-14. They were galvanised by a number of new signings, most notably George Utley, who cost 2 grand from Barnsley, and was outstanding at left half.
The two semi-finals were defensive affairs. United were unlucky in the opening game, with the Burnley keeper appearing to pull the ball back from over the line (there is supposedly a photo that confirms this), and suffering a number of injuries in the replay when they lost to a header scored 15 mins from time.
3 days after the replay, United played Burnley at the Lane in the League and won 5-0.
1915 - beat Bolton 2-1 (at Ewood Park, Simmons, Utley)
There was a lot of criticism for the choice of venue, and Bolton fans were well in the majority in the crowd. Utley, having another magnificent season, scored a superb goal, picking the ball up just inside the Bolton half, running at the defence and shooting home when everyone expected a pass. Simmons had scored after half an hour and United led 2-0 at half time. They were on the defensive for most of the second half, and were well below par, but Bolton could only manage a Joe Smith header and United went through to the Khaki Cup Final.
1923 - lost to Bolton 0-1 (at Old Trafford)
Bolton's revenge, as they went through to the first final at Wembley (the "White Horse Final" as it became known) after a poor game decided by a fluke goal, with David Jack of Bolton toe-ending a shot that was going wide, causing the ball to loop up and drop over Ernest Blackwell in the Blades goal. Blackwell was heavily criticised for conceding the goal, was badly affected by the criticism and asked to be dropped from the team, but his teammates, who did not blame him, talked him round.
The attendance of 72,500 was at that time a record crowd for an English game outside London. The gates were closed an hour before kick-off, but were forced, and it was estimated that 100,000 found their way in.
Around the time of the 1993 semi there was a splendid letter in the Green 'Un from an elderly gentleman who said that he and his cash-strapped pals had walked to Manchester over the Snake Pass to see the game. I hope that story is true.
1925 - 2-0 v Southampton (at Stamford Bridge, Parker (og), Tunstall)
Southampton were in the Second Division. Tom Parker, the Southampton captain, was almost single handedly responsible for United's victory, scoring an own goal after determined play by Fred Tunstall and then missing a penalty, shooting straight at Charles Sutcliffe in the United goal. Tunstall scored the second to seal the game, capitalising on defensive hesitancy.
1928 - lost to Huddersfield 2-2 (at Old Trafford, Johnson 2) 0-0 (at Goodison Park) 0-1 (at Maine Road)
United had lost 7-1 at home to Huddersfield in the Leagur in November. Huddersfield were in a battle for the league title and United were fighting relegation (in a season where the bottom 12 were separated by just 4 points) Despite this, the semi-final was very tight, an attritional battle watched by 190,000 over the 3 games. Johnson twice put us in front in the first game, the second was very tight, and Huddersfield won the second replay with a second half header on a day when United had been the better side.
United had revenge in the penultimate game of the season, winning 1-0 at Leeds Road to save themselves from relegation. Huddersfield missed the title by 2 points and lost the Cup final to Blackburn, with the consensus being that the semi-final had taken too much out of them.
1936 - beat Fulham 2-1 (at Molineux) (Bird, Pickering).
Our last semi-final victory. Fulham were a mid-table team in Division 2, with United pushing for promotion. Bill Bird, a winger signed from Derby on Christmas Eve, scored an early first goal before going off injured for a time. Jack Pickering scored the second from the edge of the box and United went through without much trouble.
Four days after this game, Fulham won 1-0 at the Lane in the League, ending our 22 match unbeaten run in league and cup, and starting a run of 5 games with only one victory, which cost us promotion.
Bird was left out of the Cup Final team as we went down 1-0 to Arsenal.
1961 - lost to Leicester 0-0 (at Elland Road) 0-0 (at the City Ground) 0-2 (at St Andrews)
The first semi-final some of you might remember. My Dad, who attended the first replay, tells me that the feeling at the time was that whoever won the tie was certain to lose to Double chasing Tottenham (which proved to be the case). Lots of dour football was played, and it took 4 hours and 17 minutes for the first goal to be scored.
United were denied victory in the first game when Doc Pace's goal was ruled out for handball. Pace said the ball had hit him on the shoulder.
Nothing of note happened in the second game. Think Palace in the Playoff Final without David Hopkin.
2 penalties were awarded in the 3rd game. Alan Hodgkinson saved one, but unfortunately Graham Shaw shot wide from the other, and we were out. There was plenty of consolation as unlike in 1936 United held their nerve and secured promotion.
This was the fourth United semi-final to go to a second replay. There have only been 8 such ties in total.
1993 – lost to Wednesday 1-2 aet (at Wembley, Cork)
Most people remember this so I'll stick to a personal memory of the day. It was quiet as the grave walking down Wembley Way after the game. Both sets of fans were mixed together but no one was saying much...apart from this one Wednesdayite, singing at the top of his voice and clapping. He said to his mates something like "come on! Sing up! They'd be laughing at us!" All the Blades nearby, including myself, said "yep".
This is the only semi-final we’ve played since 1928 where we were a top division side.
1998 - lost to Newcastle 0-1 (at Old Trafford)
25 years ago now. Bloody hell.
I find this to be the least talked about of the recent semis. Not surprising really. It was a lively but not brilliant game, we were average at best (although Wayne Quinn, who forced 2 good saves from Shay Given, had a very good game, and Kelly was good again) and of course the team, decimated by injuries and a fire sale, was running on empty and probably not good enough to win. We won only 3 of 11 matches after this game. Getting this far, after all that had happened, was the real achievement. The same became true of getting in the playoffs.
Had the squad that played the first 10 or so games of the season come up against the Newcastle team of the same period (Alan Shearer did not play before January due to injury) I fancy the result of this game would have been somewhat different. Ah well.
2003 - lost to Arsenal 0-1 (at Old Trafford)
The first semi-final I went into where I thought we could win (although I naively thought at half time in 1993 that we could do it). The abiding memory of the day is a burning injustice, built of course around Arsenal’s goal and that bloody save.
United have played 5 semi-finals at Old Trafford, losing 1-0 3 times, and drawing twice and subsequently losing the tie.
2014 – lost to Hull 3-5 (at Wembley, Baxter, Scougall, Murphy)
I don’t really feel qualified to talk about this semi-final. I did not see it live. I was in Borneo, on a family holiday with some friends who were doing a “once in a lifetime” trip all over the place. I followed the game on the Guardian’s minute by minute coverage and text messages from my brother from the stadium.
One common theme in the semis of recent vintage is that we have never played that well. We’ve been average at best. Watching the game back, I don’t see that here. We were excellent. The problem was we were just a League One side, and our excellence was sadly not enough when a Premier League side stepped it up. No disgrace though.
I remain baffled that Nigel Clough could build this team during a season and then recruit so poorly in the following close season, making the side worse.
Sources for this piece:
Colossus, the True Story of William Foulke, Graham Pythian
Red, White and Khaki, Matthew Bell
Football in Sheffield, Percy M Young
Sheffield United, the Complete Record, Denis Clarebrough and Andrew Kirkham
Sheffield United Football Club: Who's Who, Denis Clarebrough and Andrew Kirkham
Sheffield Football, a History, Volume 1 1857 to 1961, Keith Farnsworth
Personal recollections of Revolution and Revolution Sr
