grafikhaus
Kraft durch Freude
We first met (Woolwich) Arsenal on 7th February 1903 and our first league meeting was on Christmas Eve 1904. Our first appearance at The Emirates Stadium was the 23rd September, 2006 in the Premier League, where we lost 0-3. Prior to that – and since 1913 – Arsenal had played at the characterful Highbury Stadium, an Archibald Leitch-designed arena.
12 April 1913 – Woolwich Arsenal were relegated. One of the many myths of Arsenal's history is that the club has never been relegated. The Gunners have been in the top flight non-stop since 1919
Our league record v The Gunners is:
Home:
P: 47 W: 25 D: 14 L: 8 F: 100 A: 62
Away:
P: 47 W: 9 D: 8 L: 30 F: 50 A: 113
Recent games against Arsenal
Full history Sheffield United v Arsenal
I’ve gone back to our recent meetings in the Premier League, but my ‘Memries of Arsenal’ go much further back. On 24th August 1971, during our incredible return to the top-flight where we started the season ten games unbeaten (8 wins, 2 draws), we won 1-0 at Highbury. The previous season (1970-71) Arsenal had won ‘the double’ and The Sheffield Morning Telegraph headline was a bold, large, ‘Mafeking Relieved’-dramatic font - SAY IT AGAIN. ARSENAL - 0 SHEFFIELD UNITED – 1. It really was that incredible.
So who sat on the ball?
29th January 1972 and The Gooners won 0-5 in a League Division One encounter at Bramall Lane. Our fabulous ten-game unbeaten start to the 1971-72 season had faded and we would eventually finish in tenth place. Our line-up that cold Saturday was:
This was the game when – with Arsenal leading 0-5, Alan Ball sat on the ball near the halfway line, JSS side.
The favour was returned by TC on 4th September, 1973 when we beat Arsenal 5-0 at Bramall Lane.
We’d played Arsenal three times since the first ‘Alan Ball game’ (the 1-0 win of 7th October saw Alan Ball sent off) but this Tuesday night game saw us win 5-0. My memries of this game? Not many as I was still queuing to get on the kop 20 minutes after the game had started – and we were 4-0 up! I was in the ground to see an imperious TC sat on the ball when we were 5-0 up!
United scored four goals in the opening seventeen minutes (two from Currie) within the first in thirty five seconds. Currie in devastating form, sat on the ball near the end, completing United's revenge for the January 1972 defeat. Our other goals came from Dearden, Woodward and Jim Bone.
On 27th October 1981, we played a midweek League Cup second-round, second-leg game at Highbury. Leading 1-0 from the first leg, we lost 0-2 in the second leg. The published crowd was just 22,301 but the Blades took thousands – taking the entire ‘Clock End’. I was working in That London at the time and it was a quick tube ride up from my salubrious accommodation in Bethnal Green. Finding a pub near the ground and opposite the Arsenal underground station, I was in the bogs having a piss when a bloke joined me. The windows in the bog were slightly ajar and the main steps down from the tube station were just across the road.
‘What time your boys arriving, then?’ Said this denizen of the metropolis. Right on cue, the sound of glasses smashing, police dogs barking and a shout of ‘United! United!’
‘Er, I think they’re here, mate!’
On 6th January 1996, Howard Kendall’s Blades drew 1-1 in the FA Cup third round before winning the replay back at Bramall Lane two weeks later. We would exit the Cup in the next round – a 0-1 home defeat to Villa:
23rd February 1999 saw a ‘routine’ FA Cup Fifth Round tie at Highbury. The original tie played on 13 February 1999 (which also ended in a 2-1 win in Arsenal's favour) was declared void after Arsenal's plea for a replay was accepted by the FA in the interests of 'fair play'. This was because the 76th minute winner by Marc Overmars came after Sheffield United keeper Alan Kelly had kicked the ball out of play for an injured colleague to receive treatment. On his Arsenal debut, Nwankwo Kanu was unaware of the usual custom of returning the ball to their opponents in such circumstances, and crossed for Overmars to score. It was the first time in the 127-year history of the FA Cup that such a re-match had been ordered.
12 April 1913 – Woolwich Arsenal were relegated. One of the many myths of Arsenal's history is that the club has never been relegated. The Gunners have been in the top flight non-stop since 1919
Our league record v The Gunners is:
Home:
P: 47 W: 25 D: 14 L: 8 F: 100 A: 62
Away:
P: 47 W: 9 D: 8 L: 30 F: 50 A: 113
Recent games against Arsenal
Full history Sheffield United v Arsenal
I’ve gone back to our recent meetings in the Premier League, but my ‘Memries of Arsenal’ go much further back. On 24th August 1971, during our incredible return to the top-flight where we started the season ten games unbeaten (8 wins, 2 draws), we won 1-0 at Highbury. The previous season (1970-71) Arsenal had won ‘the double’ and The Sheffield Morning Telegraph headline was a bold, large, ‘Mafeking Relieved’-dramatic font - SAY IT AGAIN. ARSENAL - 0 SHEFFIELD UNITED – 1. It really was that incredible.
So who sat on the ball?
29th January 1972 and The Gooners won 0-5 in a League Division One encounter at Bramall Lane. Our fabulous ten-game unbeaten start to the 1971-72 season had faded and we would eventually finish in tenth place. Our line-up that cold Saturday was:
- Hope 2. Badger 3. Hemsley 4. Mackenzie 5. Colquhoun 6. Hockey 7. Woodward 8. Salmons 9. Dearden 10. Currie
11. Scullion 12. Reece.
This was the game when – with Arsenal leading 0-5, Alan Ball sat on the ball near the halfway line, JSS side.
The favour was returned by TC on 4th September, 1973 when we beat Arsenal 5-0 at Bramall Lane.
We’d played Arsenal three times since the first ‘Alan Ball game’ (the 1-0 win of 7th October saw Alan Ball sent off) but this Tuesday night game saw us win 5-0. My memries of this game? Not many as I was still queuing to get on the kop 20 minutes after the game had started – and we were 4-0 up! I was in the ground to see an imperious TC sat on the ball when we were 5-0 up!
United scored four goals in the opening seventeen minutes (two from Currie) within the first in thirty five seconds. Currie in devastating form, sat on the ball near the end, completing United's revenge for the January 1972 defeat. Our other goals came from Dearden, Woodward and Jim Bone.
On 27th October 1981, we played a midweek League Cup second-round, second-leg game at Highbury. Leading 1-0 from the first leg, we lost 0-2 in the second leg. The published crowd was just 22,301 but the Blades took thousands – taking the entire ‘Clock End’. I was working in That London at the time and it was a quick tube ride up from my salubrious accommodation in Bethnal Green. Finding a pub near the ground and opposite the Arsenal underground station, I was in the bogs having a piss when a bloke joined me. The windows in the bog were slightly ajar and the main steps down from the tube station were just across the road.
‘What time your boys arriving, then?’ Said this denizen of the metropolis. Right on cue, the sound of glasses smashing, police dogs barking and a shout of ‘United! United!’
‘Er, I think they’re here, mate!’
On 6th January 1996, Howard Kendall’s Blades drew 1-1 in the FA Cup third round before winning the replay back at Bramall Lane two weeks later. We would exit the Cup in the next round – a 0-1 home defeat to Villa:
23rd February 1999 saw a ‘routine’ FA Cup Fifth Round tie at Highbury. The original tie played on 13 February 1999 (which also ended in a 2-1 win in Arsenal's favour) was declared void after Arsenal's plea for a replay was accepted by the FA in the interests of 'fair play'. This was because the 76th minute winner by Marc Overmars came after Sheffield United keeper Alan Kelly had kicked the ball out of play for an injured colleague to receive treatment. On his Arsenal debut, Nwankwo Kanu was unaware of the usual custom of returning the ball to their opponents in such circumstances, and crossed for Overmars to score. It was the first time in the 127-year history of the FA Cup that such a re-match had been ordered.
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