Sheffield United’s SkyBet Championship meeting at Preston North End today may have been canceled due to Covid within the Lilywhites camp, however, this would have been the second time that the two teams have met on Boxing Day, as we take a look at the history of the Blades and Boxing Day fixtures.
The last time that the two clubs met on Boxing Day was in 1949 at Deepdale and resulted in a 4-1 victory for the hosts.
Last year’s Boxing Day bonanza came in what was a disappointing season all-round for the Blades. The season ended in relegation and by the time that they faced Everton on Boxing Day, they were still chasing their first league victory, in a season which also saw games played behind closed doors. With 15 games played they were bottom of the Premier League with just two points from drawn games against Fulham and Brighton. Gylfi Sigurdsson netted the game only goal, ten minutes from time, to secure victory and send Everton to second in the table, whilst Oli McBurnie steered a later header wide as United attempted to salvage a point.
Over the years, the Blades have endured mixed results, though it is unlikely that anyone will be around to recall United’s biggest win on Boxing Day – a 7-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers in 1902. Bolton; however were rock-bottom of the First Division, and had yet to tally a league victory, whilst the Blades were fifth in the table (out of 18 clubs). United was without star defender Earnest Needham for this clash, yet had taken a 2-1 lead at the break after Bert Lipsham netted 15 minutes into the game before Alf Common doubled the hosts’ advantage five minutes later. Before the break, Laurie Bell had beaten keeper William Foulke with a tasty 25-yard effort. After the break, the 18,000 strong support enjoyed a second-half onslaught as United swept the Totters a-side with a further five goals. Walter Bennett notched on 49 minutes, Dai Davies put through his own goal moments later. Further goals were added by Bennett, Common, and Herbert Chapman, who would later become legendary Huddersfield and Arsenal managers.
Ironically, Bolton Wanderers are United’s biggest scoring defeat on Boxing Day, having lost 6-1 at Burden Park in 1948.
(Richard Stearman celebrates scoring against Sunderland in 2017).
Since the end of the Second World War, United’s biggest victories at Bramall Lane were 3-0 wins on three occasions against Blackburn Rovers (1957), Scunthorpe United (2012), and Sunderland (2017). Away from home, their biggest victory came at Nott’s County in 1988, winning 4-1.
Whilst fixtures may have been set out, the British weather has always been a gamble with some of United’s Boxing Day festivities falling foul for different reasons. Lists of postponed clashes are as follows;
1932 – Middlesbrough (h) – Fog
1962 – Manchester City (a) – Unknown
2015 – Wigan Athletic (a) – Frozen Pitch
Biggest Win
1902 – Bolton Wanderers (h) – W 7-1
1988 – Notts County (a) – W 4-1
Biggest Defeat
1955 – Luton Town (h) – L 0-4
1948 – Bolton Wanderers (a) – L 1-6
Biggest Draw
1963 – Nottingham Forest (a) – D 3-3
1967 – Southampton (a) – D 3-3
The Results
1889
1890
1891
1892
1893 – West Bromwich Albion 3-1 Sheffield United
1894 – Blackburn Rovers 3-2 Sheffield United
1895 – Sheffield United 1-1Sheffield Wednesday
1896 – Sheffield United 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday
1897
1898 – West Bromwich Albion 3-0 Sheffield United
1899
1900 – Sheffield United 2-1 Manchester City
1901 – Stoke 3-2 Sheffield United
1902 – Sheffield United 7-1 Bolton Wanderers
1903 – Sheffield United 4-0 West Bromwich Albion
1904 – Sheffield United 5-2 Stoke
1905 – Nott’s County 2-3 Sheffield United
1906 – Sheffield United 2-1 Notts County
1907 – Newcastle United 2-3 Sheffield United
1908 – Sheffield United 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday
1909
1910 – Sheffield United 1-2 Oldham Athletic
1911 – Newcastle United 2-2 Sheffield United
1912 – Sheffield United 0-2 Bolton Wanderers
1913 – Aston Villa 3-0 Sheffield United
1914 – Sheffield United 1-2 Blackburn Rovers
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919 – Bradford Park Avenue 1-0 Sheffield United
1920
1921 – Sheffield United 2-3 Aston Villa
1922 – Sheffield United 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
1923 – Cardiff City 3-1 Sheffield United
1924 – Sheffield United 2-1 Sunderland
1925 – Leicester City 2-2 Sheffield United
1926 – Sheffield United 3-1 Aston Villa
1927 – Sheffield United 6-2 West Ham United
1928 – Sheffield United 6-1 Manchester United
1929 – Liverpool 2-0 Sheffield United
1930 – Sheffield United 5-1 Blackpool
1931 – Arsenal 0-2 Sheffield United
1932
1933 – Birmingham City 4-2 Sheffield United
1934 – Sheffield United 2-1 Barnsley
1935 – Sheffield United 4-1 Swansea City
1936 – Sheffield United 2-0 Norwich City
1937 – Coventry City 2-2 Sheffield United
1938 – Sheffield United 5-1 Southampton
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946 – Brentford 2-1 Sheffield United
1947
1948 – Bolton Wanderers 6-1 Sheffield United
1949 – Preston North End 4-1 Sheffield United
1950 – Hull City 1-1 Sheffield United
1951 – Sheffield United 1-0 Notts County
1952 – Sheffield United 2-0 Doncaster Rovers
1953 – Manchester City 2-1 Sheffield United
1954
1955 – Sheffield United 0-4 Luton Town
1956 – Lincoln City 4-1 Sheffield United
1957 – Sheffield United 4-2 Blackburn Rovers
1958
1959 – Cardiff City 2-0 Sheffield United
1960 – Sunderland 1-1 Sheffield United
1961 – Sheffield United 2-1 Blackburn Rovers
1962
1963 – Nottingham Forest 3-3 Sheffield United
1964 – Sheffield United 1-1 Manchester United
1965
1966 – Sheffield United 2-1 Manchester United
1967 – Southampton 3-3 Sheffield United
1968 – Sheffield United 1-1 Crystal Palace
1969 – Huddersfield Town 2-1 Sheffield United
1970 – Sheffield United 2-1 Leicester City
1971
1972 – Sheffield United 0-3 Liverpool
1973 – Manchester United 1-2 Sheffield United
1974 – Middlesbrough 1-0 Sheffield United
1975 – Sheffield United 1-1 Middlesbrough
1976
1977 – Sheffield United 1-0 Leyton Orient
1978 – Sheffield United 1-0 Newcastle United
1979 – Sheffield Wednesday 4-0 Sheffield United
1980 – Fulham 2-1 Sheffield United
1981 – Sheffield United 0-0 Darlington
1982
1983 – Sheffield United 3-0 Rotherham United
1984 – Fulham 1-0 Sheffield United
1985 – Sunderland 2-1 Sheffield United
1986 – Sheffield United 4-2 Hull City
1987 – Sheffield United 1-1 Aston Villa
1988 – Notts County 1-4 Sheffield United
1989 – Sheffield United 2-2 Leeds United
1990 – Luton Town 0-1 Sheffield United
1991 – Sheffield United 0-3 Coventry City
1992 – Manchester City 2-0 Sheffield United
1993 – Sheffield United 0-0 Liverpool
1994 – Sheffield United 1-1 Middlesbrough
1995 – Sheffield United 1-1 Birmingham City
1996 – Sheffield United 2-0 Swindon Town
1997 – Stoke City 2-2 Sheffield United
1998 – Birmingham City 1-0 Sheffield United
1999 – Birmingham City 0-2 Sheffield United
2000 – Sheffield United 2-0 West Bromwich Albion
2001 – Bradford City 1-2 Sheffield United
2002 – Walsall 0-1 Sheffield United
2003 – Coventry City 0-1 Sheffield United
2004 – Coventry City 1-2 Sheffield United
2005 – Sheffield United 1-3 Norwich City
2006 – Sheffield United 0-1 Manchester City
2007 – Sheffield United 1-1 Blackpool
2008 – Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Sheffield United
2009 – Leicester City 2-1 Sheffield United
2010 – Sheffield United 2-3 Hull City
2011
2012 – Sheffield United 3-0 Scunthorpe United
2013 – Sheffield United 1-1 Oldham Athletic
2014 – Port Vale 2-1 Sheffield United
2015
2016 – Sheffield United 2-0 Oldham Athletic
2017 – Sheffield United 3-0 Sunderland
2018 – Sheffield United 3-1 Derby County
2019 – Sheffield United 1-1 Watford
2020 – Sheffield United 0-1 Everton
2021 – Preston North End P-P Sheffield United