Author: Martin Fox

Sheffield United kicked off their Premier League season at home against Crystal Palace, fifteen hours after an out of character midnight signing announcement – Gustavo Hamer joining on a four-year contract. With Paul Heckingbottom previously admitting he considered the squad light and putting pressure on those above him to make further signings, he chose a starting lineup which relied on the more familiar faces and a young frontline. Blades: Foderingham, Baldock, Ahmedhodžić, Egan (C), Robinson, Lowe, Norwood, Basham, Osborn, Traoré, OsulaSubs: Davies, Trusty, Souza, Larouci, Marsh, Brooks, Seriki, Hackford The Blades got the game under way and were to attack…

Winning start to the Blades Pre-Season In their opening fixture of the 2023/2024 pre-season, Sheffield United made the short trip to Chesterfield to take on the National League side. 4495 Blades supporters were officially in attendance in a total crowd of 9476 who braved a complete mixture of weathers, Kick Off being delayed slightly due to the queues to enter the stadium.Paul Heckingbottom elected to play a different XI per half in order to get some minutes into the players who arrived back at Shirecliffe last week. The first half XI consisted of: Foderingham, Seriki, Basham, Egan (c), Trialist (C Francis), Lowe,…

With their first away game selected for television coverage, Sheffield United get their 2022-23 season under way two days later than the most of the rest of the EFL Championship, beginning their campaign at Vicarage Road on 1st August. Relegated from the Premier League last season, Watford are high amongst the bookies favourites for promotion and should be a tough test for the Blades. The last time the sides met each other was at Bramall Lane on Boxing Day 2019, when an Oli Norwood penalty earned the Blades a draw, cancelling out Gerard Deulofeu’s opener. Smashing his spot kick into…

Sheffield United 0 – 1 Birmingham City – 7th August 2021 It was far too many months since the majority of those in attendance last took in the sights and sounds of Bramall Lane, an interim, more sanitised dead-rubber v. Burnley aside. With packed hostelries, long overdue catchups amongst friends – and those acquaintances you’ve seen up and down the country for years, but whose names you’ve never known – it was a welcome return to near normality. It was the new faces, however, that dominated the pre-match chat as, eager to see a reverse to last season’s form, Sheffield…

The latest in his range of Blades related books, author and journalist Danny Hall has released his latest work in conjunction with ex-Sheffield United keeper Paddy Kenny. Getting across his side on a few of the ‘fruitier’ stories from his career, the book focuses on the man on and off the pitch, with the intentions of not making it more than the usual ‘football book’. With a foreword from who else but the man who signed him many times, Neil Warnock, the book is sure to entertain and give another take on a number of stories from his years at…

The 17th June sees the long awaited return of some Premier League action, albeit behind closed doors. Being the Blades game in hand, it’s a fixture that looks to give some parity and get the season back on a level playing, Sheffield United astoundingly able to put themselves into the top five with the right result on the day. We thought we’d take a look back at the reverse fixture which now seems like an age ago. Back in December, Premier League strugglers Aston Villa visited Bramall Lane to take on a Sheffield United side who had less than a week earlier…

Following the recent confirmation that the Premier League planned to return on the 17th June, behind closed doors, the planned kick off times for the first four Premier League fixtures have now been announced, along with the FA Cup Quarter Final. Sheffield United will be involved in the first competitive fixture since lockdown, taking on Aston Villa at Villa Park in order to bring the games played in line with the other sides in the league. Playing their game in hand on the same evening will be Arsenal and Manchester City, with the kick offs staggered to allow coverage of both.UPDATE:…

The latest in his Blades related writing, Sheffield United supporter and author Danny Hall is in the process of putting together the autobiography of former Blades keeper Paddy Kenny, ‘The Gloves Are Off’. The stopper is sure to set the record straight with his take on an eventful and unpredictable career in the game. Signed by Neil Warnock in 2002, Kenny joined the Blades whilst Simon Tracey was attempting to recover from a knee injury. Initially on a three-month loan deal, Paddy cemented his place as the number one, was signed permanently and went on to win the player…

MAN v FAT Football’s latest season in Sheffield is now underway, as men across the city continue their mission to lose weight via the power of football. Whether you’re United or Wednesday, the MAN v FAT Football league in Sheffield is open to any guy who fancies losing weight via this innovative programme. With players contributing bonus goals to games dependent on their weight loss success, it’s a great way to hit your target weight with like minded blokes. To qualify to play, you need a BMI of 27.5 or more, and you can join in the 14 week season…

A follow up on the first volume – released back in 2013 – another compilation of the popular ‘Folklore and Fables’ articles is ready, just in time for those organised enough to be getting their Christmas presents in order early or those in need of some entertainment as the dark evenings draw in. ‘Folklore and Fables’ is a collection of articles on his beloved Blades, by Sheffield United supporters’ liaison officer, club historian and ‘encyclopedia of Blades knowledge’, John Garrett. John has worked at Bramall Lane for over two decades and began writing his popular, and award-winning, ‘Folklore and Fables’…

UPDATE – POSTPONED DUE TO WATERLOGGED PITCH, INFO ON RE-ARRANGEMENT SOON On Sunday 29th September, a Sheffield United legends squad, including manager Chris Wilder, will make the short trip up the road to play a Stocksbridge Park Steels Veterans team in a game that will acknowledge the outstanding contribution to local football made by Steels outgoing chairman and founder Allen Bethel, whilst also raise funds for the Blades nominated charities. At the end of last season Allen, known locally as Mr Stocksbridge, retired from all duties at Steels. Bethel’s legacy is quite extraordinary, and he goes down as a pioneer…

Win a pair of Carabao Cup tickets to Sheffield United vs Sunderland on 25th September courtesy of Carabao Energy Drink Carabao Energy Drink has teamed up with S24SU to give two lucky Sheffield United fans the chance to win a pair of tickets each to Sheffield United vs Sunderland on 25th September 2019. Currently in its third year as the official title sponsor of the Carabao Cup, South-East Asian energy drink Carabao is continuing to give football fans across the nation the chance to see their team for free by giving away thousands of tickets. Last year’s competition saw over 1.2 million people pass…

A Harvey Barnes wonder strike was the difference between the sides at Bramall Lane as Sheffield United succumbed to their first defeat of the Premier League season at the hands of Leicester City. Many supporters took positives from such a narrow defeat to a side who will be tipped to do well this season, but as ever, Chris Wilder was eager to set high standards, criticising his players for giving the ball away too cheaply and not gaining a positive result from the game. With just one enforced change, Freeman replacing the injured birthday boy Fleck, the gaffer also named…

With the Foxes visiting Sheffield United this weekend and Chris Wilder’s men looking to build on their first win of the season last time out, we got the views of Leicester City supporter Alex, from foxestalk.co.uk. Complimentary about the Blades, Alex predicts a narrow win for the visitors and gives us his take on how they currently play under Brendan Rodgers. How would you rate your summer, pre-season and opening games? Brendan Rodgers and his staff decided as it was their first pre-season at Leicester and the way in which they like to get their teams playing, to stay as…

After a twelve year absence, Bramall Lane was long overdue a return of Premier League football, Crystal Palace were to be the opponents, arriving on the back of a good record away from home last season. Eager to see the top-flight Blades, the majority of a crowd of 30,197 were keen to see the upgrades the club had made over the summer, with the eyes of Sky Sports, England manager Gareth Southgate and various other media outlets focused on the Sunday afternoon kick off. Happy with the start on the road at Bournemouth a week earlier, Chris Wilder named an…

Win a pair of Carabao Cup tickets to Sheffield United vs Blackburn Rovers on 27th of August courtesy of Carabao Energy Drink Carabao Energy Drink has teamed up with S24SU to give five lucky Sheffield United fans the chance to win a pair of tickets to Sheffield United vs Blackburn Rovers on 27th August 2019. Currently in its third year as the official title sponsor of the Carabao Cup, South-East Asian energy drink Carabao is continuing to give football fans across the nation the chance to see their team for free by giving away thousands of tickets. Last year’s competition saw over 1.2 million…