You'll never sing that: unique Blades records no-one else can cheer about

The good, bad and bizarre records that only Sheffield United can claim.

Phil Whitaker

Champions of League One – You’ll Never Sing That

We have all heard it. Some of us have sung it. Beyond the humble brag of being League One Winners, what other unique claims to fame can we sing about? Phil Whitaker looks through the history books to find examples ranging from the Good to the Bad and the downright Bizarre.

The Good  

1. Champions of all four divisions – 2017

When we won League One in 2017, we became only the fourth team to achieve the above feat after Wolves (1988), Burnley (1992) and Preston (1996). What gives us the edge, however, is that United won a fifth division, the Football League North Championship in 1946. This was the first peacetime season after WW2, with the 44 clubs from the top two divisions in 1938-39 split into Northern and Southern sections. 

2. First Premier League goal – 1992

Most Blades know that Brian Deane went into the history books with his header at the Kop End at 3.05pm v Manchester United. Chelsea’s Mick Harford and Coventry’s Paul Williams both netted in their games four minutes later.

3. Top-flight goalscoring record breaker - 1932

60 years earlier, Jimmy Dunne set a record of scoring in twelve successive Division One games from 24 October 1931 to 1 January 1932. United topped the table in February after 29 games but fell away winning only three of the remaining 13 games. Dunne ended the season with 41 league goals plus a further nine in other competitions. 

Jamie Vardy fell one short of equalling the record when he scored in 11 successive Premier League games during Leicester’s title-winning campaign in 2015/16. Stan Mortensen scored in 15 consecutive Division One games for Blackpool in 1950-51 but this record is overlooked because he missed two games due to injury in the middle of the run. 

4. Bramall Lane hat trick - 1912

Bramall Lane shares the distinction with The Oval as being the only sports ground to host an England international, FA Cup Final and Ashes Test.

England played at The Lane five times between 1883-1930 including one friendly vs Scotland and four games in the British Home Championship.

The Ashes Test was the third and final Test in July 1902. According to ESPN, chasing 339 to win, England managed only 195, losing by 143 runs. CB Fry, who played in the Test, claimed in his match report for the Daily Express that anything above 250 would have been "morally impossible" such was the worn state of a pitch which seemed to have become "damp from below".

The Ashes, 3rd Test, England vs Australia — Bramall Lane, Sheffield, July 1902

The FA Cup final was the replay on 24 April 1912 when Barnsley beat West Brom to win the FA Cup for the first and only time with a goal in the final minute of extra time. 

The FA Cup final replay, Barnsley vs WBA — Bramall Lane, Sheffield 24 April 1912

5. First team to win a play–off game - 1893         

United have a poor recent play-off record but we were one of three teams that won the first-ever round of play-off – or test match – games in 1893. At the end of the first Division Two season in 1892/93, promotion and relegation was settled by three test matches between the bottom three in Division One and the top three in Division Two. 

United finished runners-up to Small Heath, avoiding a tricker test match vs Newton Heath by only drawing 0-0 at Walsall Town Swifts on the final day of the season.   

United played Accrington at the neutral Town Ground in Nottingham, close to Meadow Lane, on Saturday 22 April 1893. Two special trains took United fans to Nottingham where United sealed promotion to the First Division with a 1-0 victory, the goal coming from Jack Drummond with a fine shot 10 mins after half time.

After promotion, United consolidated their place finishing tenth, sixth, twelfth and second before winning the First Division for the one and only time in 1897/98. Accrington, founder members of the football league in 1888, decided to resign rather than compete in the Second Division. It was a poor decision as financial problems led to the club’s demise, and they were wound up in 1896.  

6. Record league away win – 1892

Our 10-0 victory over Burslem Port Vale in Division 2 on 18 December 1892 is the only time an away side has scored double figures in the Football League. Not only that, but it was also our first away win in the Football League coming after defeats at Bootle, Lincoln City, Darwen and a draw at Small Heath.

The scorers were Drummond, Wallace, Hammond (4), Watson (2) and Davies (2) on a ground covered by three or four inches of snow. United led 3-0 after six minutes and were 5-0 up at half time. After the ninth goal had been scored, the crowd all shouted, “We want 10!” – Hammond duly obliged.     

It was a turning point in the season as we went unbeaten for the rest of the season winning 10 of the final 12 games to finish second and secure the test match with Accrington.

Our record came under threat when Leicester City won 9-0 at Southampton on 25 October 2019. We have also done our best to pass the record on this season with the 8-0 defeat by Newcastle United and by conceding five in the first half vs Arsenal. Our record has stood for over 130 years, so please don’t throw it away before this season ends!    

7. The first and only Champions of Great Britain – 1898

As soon to be crowned Champions of England, United took on Scottish Champions Celtic in challenge matches later dubbed the unofficial championship of Great Britain in 1898. The tie was played over two legs: United won 1-0 at The Lane March with a goal from Ralph Gaudie, while Jack Almond’s last-minute equaliser at Celtic gave United victory 2-1 on aggregate.

These two games came either side of the Blades sealing the Championship of England for the first and only time with victories over Bolton and West Brom. Winning two championships in that same week in April 1888 must go down as the best week in our history.

The team celebrated with a banquet at the Cutlers’ Hall and were all awarded medals and a £3 bonus. This was the only time such a game has been played, so United are the current holders of the title of Champions of Great Britain. Try singing that, Manchester City!

8. The original United – 1889

When Sheffield United were formed in March 1889 we became the original United. The use of the suffix United normally indicates a merger of some form. In our case, we were formed by members of the Sheffield United Cricket Club, itself formed by a merger of several cricket clubs in 1854. The cricket club is the first known sports club in the world to use the suffix United.

The next football club to be named United was Newcastle United in 1892. This came about after a merger of Newcastle West End with Newcastle East End after the West End club found themselves in financial difficulties

The Bad