Potted History Of The Blades

Rotherham United’s first home pre-season friendly sees neighbours Sheffield United at the New York Stadium on Saturday.

Formed in 1889 as an offshoot of Sheffield United Cricket Club Sheffield United won the original Football League in 1898. The Blades, so nicknamed because of the city’s history of stainless steel production, have won the FA Cup four times, the last one being in 1925 against Cardiff City at Wembley. Arguably the Blades darkest days were between 1975 and 1981 when they were relegated to the Second Division before getting another relegation to the Third Division in 1980. After promotion they were to fall into the bottom tier again in 1988 but after fourteen years returned to the First Division and were founder members of the Premier League in 1992. Various managers and owners later and a few ups and downs Sheffield United got back into the Championship in the 2016/17 season. The 2018/19 season saw them promoted to the Premier League as runners-up where they finished ninth but the following season saw them end in bottom spot and relegated back to the Championship. The 2021/22 season saw them finish fifth in the league but lost out in the play-offs but the following season saw the Blades finished runners-up to Burnley and spent last season in the Premier League which didn’t go so well and they were relegated at the end of April.

The Millers and Blades have met thirty-nine times in the past in all competitions, Sheffield United winning twenty-one of those to Rotherham’s nine. The 2022/23 season game at the New York Stadium in the February was goalless while the Tuesday night game in the November at Bramall Lane saw a Ben Wiles goal give the Millers their first victory there in forty-two years. The last time Rotherham beat their neighbours at the New York Stadium was in September 2013 in a League One game where Jose Baxter put the visitors ahead on thirty-seven minutes. Kieran Agard equalised six minutes into the second half followed by a seventy-second minute penalty from Daniel Nardiello, who himself had been fouled in the area, with Rob Milsom making it three-one four minutes later.

A pre-season game between the Millers and the Blades at the New York Stadium last July saw Andre Green, as a trialist, score the only goal of the game on twelve minutes for the hosts.

The game kicks-off at 3pm on Saturday, 27th July.