JJ Sefton
Live, Laugh, Love
The Cup result was a bitter blow to United but there were some positives from the season as Walter Bennett was selected twice by England on the back of the Cup performances. Added to this the Blades progress in the Cup had earned £4,000 which went towards a total income from football at Bramall Lane of £11,666 and a profit of £2,550. Cricket had been confirmed as the poor relation bringing in just £530. The club’s new found wealth allowed improvements to be made to the ground. An enclosure was built at the Bramall Lane end of the football pitch and a new cricket pavilion was built. Further additions were Alf Common, an inside right from Sunderland, who was to run into controversy when he left Bramall Lane, and Bernard Wilkinson who began playing regularly at centre half.
In 1901 – 1902 Sheffield United again failed to mount much of a title challenge but there were two results which really showed the team at its best. On New Years Day 1902 the Blades beat the strong but declining Aston Villa side 6-0 at the Lane in front of a bumper crowd of 27,576. The only crowd to top that was for the other game, when United pumped Wednesday 3-0, but they ambled to a finishing position of 10th and the excitement was, once again, to be found in the Cup.
United’s run started fairly easily with a 2-0 away win over Northampton in late January. Back on a snow covered Lane for the second round United had been drawn against fellow Division One side Bolton. The Lancashire side had most of the first half but were only one up at half time. It was a match marred by fisticuffs among the players but in the second half Needham set up Bennett to equalise and Priest chipped in with the winner.
United’s third round opponents were Newcastle United, one of the teams of the coming decade, for a spot in the semi finals. Newcastle were strong league performers and were favoured to go through to the semis for the first time in their history in front of a crowd of 25,000. Despite this United started brighter and Priest opened the scoring for the Blades when he sprang Newcastle’s off side trap. United were on top for most of the second half but lost a man injured either side of half time and they were punished fifteen minutes from the end when Foulke spilled Roberts shot and Orr stuck the ball in to level for the Magpies.
The replay at Bramall Lane was described as “One of the finest games” with some fantastic football played by both sides. Fred Priest continued his great scoring run in the Cup getting United’s first goal. Both sides continued to press but Newcastle snatched an equaliser just before the break when McColl cracked a twenty yard shot through a crowded penalty area. There were more chances in the second half and Harry Thickett tackled brilliantly on the line to prevent Gardner tapping into an empty net. Alf Common, who had been outstanding at St James’ Park, scored the winner for Blades.
United were in the semi finals of the Cup for the third year in a row and were facing Derby County at the Hawthorns on March 15th. 40,000 turned up but were treated to a dull match in which United went behind inside ten minutes. The equaliser came from George Hedley early in the second half but the Derby keeper, Fryatt, probably could have saved it if he hadn’t broken off to waste his time pleading for off side. With the last kick of the game Harry Johnson smacked a shot against the post but the result was 1-1 and another tedious replay followed.
The replay was at Wolverhampton and the high wind played a part early on when a harmless looking cross drifted and twisted past Foulke to give Derby the lead after five minutes. Eight minutes before half time Hedley played the ball in from the left to Priest who surged through the middle and shot powerfully and the parried ball fell to his feet and he slotted in the rebound. Needham went off injured but United still had the better of the play but were unable to make it count. And so, on March 27th, United faced Derby at the City Ground with Billy Parker, a future director of the club, replacing the injured Needham. Parker was given the daunting task of muzzling Steve Bloomer but, in only his second match, he pulled it off and United finally broke the deadlock when Hedley knocked Lipsham’s cross to the feet of Fred Priest who buried it.
United’s opponents in the final were Southampton who, like Spurs the previous year, were Southern League Champions and had been the beaten finalists in 1900 so they had plenty of talent and experience. Harry Wood, Saints captain, was appearing in his fifth final.
The match was played in searing heat and was no classic. A crowd of 74,000 turned up and space was at a premium. “One man”, reported the Manchester Guardian,
“carried a hook, a rope, and a board. He made a sort of botswain’s chair, and hooked himself to the top of a high post”
Alf Common gave the Blades the lead early in the second half and both he and Bennett were clogged out of the game soon afterwards. A minute from the end the game came to life when a poor United clearance went as far as Arthur Turner on the wide right for Southampton. He crossed the ball back in and found Harry Wood, unmarked and miles offside. Instinctively he shot past Foulke and would have been as surprised as the immobile United keeper to hear the referee, Mr. Kirkham, blow up for a goal. “Wood”, the Telegraph said,
“knew he was off side, and said so, so did the Southampton directors in the dressing room, so did the crowd which cheered with its tongue in its cheek when the point was allowed, and so did those in the pavilion whose names and reputations are national where football is concerned”.
Kirkham claimed that Turner’s cross had hit Peter Boyle and United were faced with yet another replay.
The match ended in confusion and spirits ran out of control. A local reporter confronted Boyle and accused him of giving away Southampton’s equalizer. Boyle responded and the argument grew more heated until Bill Foulke stepped in. “One blackguard”, the Telegraph reported,
“from whom better might have been expected judging by his attire so far forgot himself as to hit out and strike Needham in the face: but, phlegmatic as the Sheffield United skipper is as a rule he could not take that without response, and a straight left and a straighter right made an unmistakable impress on the scoundrels face. It was rumored yesterday morning in town that it was Foulke who had hit back, but the assailant may be glad it was only Needham”.
After the match the linesman, JT Howcroft, recalled that
“Foulke was exasperated by the goal and claimed it was miles off side. He was in his birthday suit outside the dressing room, and I saw FJ Wall, secretary of the FA, pleading with him the rejoin his colleagues. But Bill was out for blood, and I shouted to Mr. Kirkham to lock his cubicle door. He didn’t need telling twice. But what a sight! The thing I’ll never forget is Foulke, so tremendous in size, striding along the corridor, without a stitch of clothing”
For the replay on April 26th Bennett was replaced by Billy Barnes and United went after the Saints from the first whistle. The Times claimed that
“A weeks quiet rest had certainly had a subduing influence, and the teams showed that even with such a prize at stake good football can be played without sacrificing either robustness or pace”.
After three minutes John Robinson, Southampton and England keeper, spilled Bert Lipsham’s cross and George Hedley put the Blades in front. Sadly passions spilled over once again.
“The ball had gone into touch and Common, impetuous as ever, dashed after it for the throw in. Just before he reached the ball a spectator jumped up and kicked it with great force at the lower part of Common’s body at the same time using a choice piece of ‘Billingsgate’. The United player resented this, and in the heat of the moment struck the spectator”.
For much of the second half United looked comfortable until, twenty minutes from the end, Albert Brown latched onto a pass from Turner and hammered the equaliser past Foulke. This spurred the Saints on and they began to really carry the game to United for the first time but with 80 minutes on the clock the Blades caught them with a sucker punch. Harry Johnson knocked the ball out of defence, wide to Needham who curled a high shot towards the far corner of the goal. Robinson was at full stretch but chose to catch it rather than tip it over. He spilled the ball at the feet of Billy Barnes and the replacement poked home the winner. In their third Cup final appearance in four years Sheffield United had won the trophy for the second time.
In 1901 – 1902 Sheffield United again failed to mount much of a title challenge but there were two results which really showed the team at its best. On New Years Day 1902 the Blades beat the strong but declining Aston Villa side 6-0 at the Lane in front of a bumper crowd of 27,576. The only crowd to top that was for the other game, when United pumped Wednesday 3-0, but they ambled to a finishing position of 10th and the excitement was, once again, to be found in the Cup.
United’s run started fairly easily with a 2-0 away win over Northampton in late January. Back on a snow covered Lane for the second round United had been drawn against fellow Division One side Bolton. The Lancashire side had most of the first half but were only one up at half time. It was a match marred by fisticuffs among the players but in the second half Needham set up Bennett to equalise and Priest chipped in with the winner.
United’s third round opponents were Newcastle United, one of the teams of the coming decade, for a spot in the semi finals. Newcastle were strong league performers and were favoured to go through to the semis for the first time in their history in front of a crowd of 25,000. Despite this United started brighter and Priest opened the scoring for the Blades when he sprang Newcastle’s off side trap. United were on top for most of the second half but lost a man injured either side of half time and they were punished fifteen minutes from the end when Foulke spilled Roberts shot and Orr stuck the ball in to level for the Magpies.
The replay at Bramall Lane was described as “One of the finest games” with some fantastic football played by both sides. Fred Priest continued his great scoring run in the Cup getting United’s first goal. Both sides continued to press but Newcastle snatched an equaliser just before the break when McColl cracked a twenty yard shot through a crowded penalty area. There were more chances in the second half and Harry Thickett tackled brilliantly on the line to prevent Gardner tapping into an empty net. Alf Common, who had been outstanding at St James’ Park, scored the winner for Blades.
United were in the semi finals of the Cup for the third year in a row and were facing Derby County at the Hawthorns on March 15th. 40,000 turned up but were treated to a dull match in which United went behind inside ten minutes. The equaliser came from George Hedley early in the second half but the Derby keeper, Fryatt, probably could have saved it if he hadn’t broken off to waste his time pleading for off side. With the last kick of the game Harry Johnson smacked a shot against the post but the result was 1-1 and another tedious replay followed.
The replay was at Wolverhampton and the high wind played a part early on when a harmless looking cross drifted and twisted past Foulke to give Derby the lead after five minutes. Eight minutes before half time Hedley played the ball in from the left to Priest who surged through the middle and shot powerfully and the parried ball fell to his feet and he slotted in the rebound. Needham went off injured but United still had the better of the play but were unable to make it count. And so, on March 27th, United faced Derby at the City Ground with Billy Parker, a future director of the club, replacing the injured Needham. Parker was given the daunting task of muzzling Steve Bloomer but, in only his second match, he pulled it off and United finally broke the deadlock when Hedley knocked Lipsham’s cross to the feet of Fred Priest who buried it.
United’s opponents in the final were Southampton who, like Spurs the previous year, were Southern League Champions and had been the beaten finalists in 1900 so they had plenty of talent and experience. Harry Wood, Saints captain, was appearing in his fifth final.
The match was played in searing heat and was no classic. A crowd of 74,000 turned up and space was at a premium. “One man”, reported the Manchester Guardian,
“carried a hook, a rope, and a board. He made a sort of botswain’s chair, and hooked himself to the top of a high post”
Alf Common gave the Blades the lead early in the second half and both he and Bennett were clogged out of the game soon afterwards. A minute from the end the game came to life when a poor United clearance went as far as Arthur Turner on the wide right for Southampton. He crossed the ball back in and found Harry Wood, unmarked and miles offside. Instinctively he shot past Foulke and would have been as surprised as the immobile United keeper to hear the referee, Mr. Kirkham, blow up for a goal. “Wood”, the Telegraph said,
“knew he was off side, and said so, so did the Southampton directors in the dressing room, so did the crowd which cheered with its tongue in its cheek when the point was allowed, and so did those in the pavilion whose names and reputations are national where football is concerned”.
Kirkham claimed that Turner’s cross had hit Peter Boyle and United were faced with yet another replay.
The match ended in confusion and spirits ran out of control. A local reporter confronted Boyle and accused him of giving away Southampton’s equalizer. Boyle responded and the argument grew more heated until Bill Foulke stepped in. “One blackguard”, the Telegraph reported,
“from whom better might have been expected judging by his attire so far forgot himself as to hit out and strike Needham in the face: but, phlegmatic as the Sheffield United skipper is as a rule he could not take that without response, and a straight left and a straighter right made an unmistakable impress on the scoundrels face. It was rumored yesterday morning in town that it was Foulke who had hit back, but the assailant may be glad it was only Needham”.
After the match the linesman, JT Howcroft, recalled that
“Foulke was exasperated by the goal and claimed it was miles off side. He was in his birthday suit outside the dressing room, and I saw FJ Wall, secretary of the FA, pleading with him the rejoin his colleagues. But Bill was out for blood, and I shouted to Mr. Kirkham to lock his cubicle door. He didn’t need telling twice. But what a sight! The thing I’ll never forget is Foulke, so tremendous in size, striding along the corridor, without a stitch of clothing”
For the replay on April 26th Bennett was replaced by Billy Barnes and United went after the Saints from the first whistle. The Times claimed that
“A weeks quiet rest had certainly had a subduing influence, and the teams showed that even with such a prize at stake good football can be played without sacrificing either robustness or pace”.
After three minutes John Robinson, Southampton and England keeper, spilled Bert Lipsham’s cross and George Hedley put the Blades in front. Sadly passions spilled over once again.
“The ball had gone into touch and Common, impetuous as ever, dashed after it for the throw in. Just before he reached the ball a spectator jumped up and kicked it with great force at the lower part of Common’s body at the same time using a choice piece of ‘Billingsgate’. The United player resented this, and in the heat of the moment struck the spectator”.
For much of the second half United looked comfortable until, twenty minutes from the end, Albert Brown latched onto a pass from Turner and hammered the equaliser past Foulke. This spurred the Saints on and they began to really carry the game to United for the first time but with 80 minutes on the clock the Blades caught them with a sucker punch. Harry Johnson knocked the ball out of defence, wide to Needham who curled a high shot towards the far corner of the goal. Robinson was at full stretch but chose to catch it rather than tip it over. He spilled the ball at the feet of Billy Barnes and the replacement poked home the winner. In their third Cup final appearance in four years Sheffield United had won the trophy for the second time.
