The two Sheffield clubs share a long history of mediocrity. That makes their relationship all the more fraught, says Gary Armstrong
It cannot easily be argued that footballing success is the reason for the large number of fans in Sheffield who flock to watch both United and Wednesday. Historically neither side has been superior to the other for very long, and neither has won an FA Cup or League championship for over 50 years.
Derby supporter Alistair Hewitt reflects on ow his expectations for the team have changed since the heady days of the Seventies
At home I have a dusty old copy of Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and a few Slade singles. Somewhere in the attic I’ve got school reports which told my mother how I was rude and lazy and cheated in exams. When the mood takes me, I can still recall how the sunshine brought out the freckles on the face of my first girlfriend.
Brian Clough’s reign saw two clubs from the east midlands reach for the stars, then slump. Simon Tyers looks for the reasons why success didn’t last
It is not even as if the area can boast a great stadium with lots of history. While other English regions have grounds dripping with prestige and memories – Old Trafford, Anfield, Highbury, even Deepdale – the best the east midlands’ top three clubs can come up with are the City Ground, whose only real distinguishing feature is that the Trent runs alongside it; Filbert Street, which looks as though it has stolen its stands from clubs in four different divisions; and Pride Park, where the floodlight failure during its first League match couldn’t even be put down to sabotage by Malaysian gambling syndicates.
Saturday 1 A ten-point lead for Man Utd who thrash West Ham 7-1 – “It was one of those days when everything went right,” says Sir Alex – while Big Dave’s babies lose for the third time in four games, 1-0 to Chelsea. Michael Owen’s tufty hair receives plenty of ruffling as he scores two in a 3-0 win at Coventry that takes Liverpool to within a point of Leeds. Southampton and Wimbledon both lose but Bradford fail to take advantage, beaten 2-0 at Newcastle. Watford still need eight points to avoid the worst ever Premiership total, their defensive frailties highlighted at Goodison Park, where even Mark Hughes manages to score in Everton’s 4-2 win. There’s violence in Birmingham, where home fans clash with Wolves supporters before their game at St Andrews, and in Bristol, with Stoke goalkeeper Kevin Ward attacked on the pitch by three Rovers fans at the end of the teams’ 3-3 draw. Trapdoor teasers Chester win again, 1-0 at Halifax, and draw level on points with fast sliding Shrewsbury. Hamilton’s match at Stenhousemuir in the Scottish Second Division is called off when the visiting team’s players go on strike over unpaid wages.
Gary Oliver examines the latest row over the entry requirements for the Scottish Premier League
It is almost 40 years since Falkirk’s record loss, an 11-1 trouncing by Airdrie. But that margin of defeat was equalled on March 31 when they were defeated 10-0 by the Scottish Premier League, the clubs in the top division voting unanimously to bar Falkirk from next season’s SPL.