Sheffield is well known for its football. The city is home to both Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United. Which team you support is a big point of identification, so make your choice wisely. Here are the 3 main football clubs in Sheffield:
Sheffield United
Address: Bramall Lane, Highfield, Sheffield S2 4SU
Sheffield United, or the ‘Blades’, have been at their Bramall Lane stadium since 1889. The club was formed as an offshoot of the local cricket club and has since grown massively.
Since its inception, it has been a club of firsts. They were the first to win the Football League in 1898, they were the first club to be promoted from the second to the first division, and they scored the first-ever goal in the Premier league.
Although most of the club’s history has been spent in Tier 1 of the Football League, they are the only club to be the champions of each of the four tiers separately.
The Saudi Prince Abudullah is the current owner of the club despite some disputes with the McCabe company. Most recently, they finished 9th in the Premier League.
The club consists of 4 teams, the Men’s, Women’s, Under 23s and Under 18s. With 91 goals, Alan Woodward is their top scorer, followed by Mick Jones with 63. Notable players include Billy Sharp who has played at the club for a total of 10 years despite playing for various English clubs. Recently, they spent a whopping £23,500,000 on the relatively new Rhian Brewster, who has made a total of five appearances for the club.
Right now, they are 20th in the Premier League as play continues despite coronavirus restrictions.
Sheffield Wednesday
Address: 76 Penistone Rd N, Sheffield S6 1SW
Also formed a cricket club offshoot in 1867, the team competes in the second-tier Championship division. Sheffield Wednesday is one of the oldest football clubs in the world and was the third club with professional associations. The ‘Owls’ were a founding member of the Football League in 1889 and the Premier League in 1992, despite being relegated in 2000. Wednesday has also competed in four UEFA cup competitions and have won three FA cups.
The club plays at the Hillsborough Stadium, where the 1989 Hillsborough disaster took place. Overcrowding and crushing claimed 96 lives and caused 766 injuries during a match against Liverpool. The disaster caused outrage towards the police and media and memorials were installed in Liverpool and Sheffield to honour the victims. It remains the worst disaster in British sporting history to this day.
Last year, the club landed in hot water over the sale of the stadium to Thai businessman, Dejphon Chansiri. The sale was included in the 2018 accounts despite being conducted in 2019, gaining a £2.5 million tax profit. As a result, the club was sanctioned with a 6 point deduction.
Their most recent appointment was that of the new manager, Tony Pulis.
Sheffield F.C.
Address: The Home of Football Stadium, Sheffield Rd, Dronfield S18 2GD
Sheffield F.C. is the oldest active football club in the world, being formed in 1857. Due to this, they have been awarded the FIFA Order of Merit in 2004, which has only been awarded twice, once to them and once to Real Madrid. In 2007 they joined the English Football Hall of Fame to commemorate their 150th anniversary. Today, they are based in Dronfield, just outside Sheffield.
