Once more to the graveyard

Last updated : 18 March 2005 By Tony Scholes
Leigh Bromby
It was Gary Glitter’s summer hit, at a time when we thought he was respectable even if somewhat eccentric, and we were using it to triumph our return to the First Division, the top flight of English football.

Bramall Lane was hardly the place we would have chosen to make our return, it was not the best of hunting grounds for the Clarets and our last league win there was eighteen years earlier in 1955.

The return though was a triumph with goals from Martin Dobson and Doug Collins in our resplendent new away shirt of an almost royal blue with claret trim. It was in the days when the ground was both a football and a cricket ground, it’s that long ago. We hoped it wouldn’t be another eighteen years before our next league win there. We are still waiting.

Never mind Wolves, this is far worse and dating back to the 19th Century we have only ever won five away games against them, and the last point came as far back as January 1984 on a skating rink of a pitch when John Bond was manager.

Sheffield United are this league’s longest serving club, they have been here since they were relegated from the Premiership in 1994 and that’s five years longer than anyone else, that is Nottingham Forest.

They have three times made the end of season play offs whilst their worst season saw them finish in 16th place in 1999/2000, one of only two occasions they have finished in the bottom half of the table.

They just missed the play offs last time round having finished 8th and they were amongst the favourites this season but just now they sit where they ended last season in 8th place.

A lot of football as been played since we last played them on the opening day of the season, when an Andy Gray goal from a twice taken throw in earned them a point after Micah Hyde had scored on his league debut to put us in front.

The Blades would be right up there in the promotion race if it all depended on away form but they have been let down this season at home where they have won just seven of nineteen games.

Neil Warnock has done all he can to resolve those problems and as always he has brought in new players, particularly strikers. He recently failed in his attempts to get Ade Akinbiyi and then had one of his childish little tantrums when he didn’t get him.

However, since our last meeting, he has signed defenders Derek Geary and Danny Cullip from Stockport and Brighton respectively. For some reason I always remember Cullip for that last minute goal he scored for Fulham against Waddle’s Burnley in front of the Sky cameras.

Forwards, yes he’s strengthened in that area too with the captures of Danny Cadamarteri (Leeds), Luke Beckett (Stockport), Tommy Johnson (Gillingham) and more recently Nottingham Forest’s David Johnson who has signed on loan, just as he did for their neighbours Wednesday three years ago.

Last week they lost at Stoke before picking up a point in a 1-1 home draw with Preston on Tuesday, Leigh Bromby having given them the lead.

Click HERE to see all Sheffield United’s results this season.

Team News

Warnock really does have a problem ahead of this game, certainly with his forwards. There are suggestions that Cadamarteri (knee) could miss out.

That makes you wonder just how he will put a forward line together given that it only leaves him a choice from David Johnson, Steve Kabba, Tommy Johnson, Andy Gray, Paul Shaw, Ashley Ward and Andy Liddell who can play as a central striker.

Other than that it is a clean bill of health and with David Johnson being tipped to get his first start ahead of Steve Kabba they could line up something like:
Tyrone Dobbs, Robert Kozluk, Phil Jagielka, Leigh Bromby, Jon Harley, Andy Liddell, Nick Montgomery, Alan Quinn, Michael Tonge, Andy Gray, David Johnson. Subs from: Danny Cullip, Paul Thirlwell, Derek Geary, Tommy Johnson, Ashley Ward, Steve Kabba.

Click HERE to see Sheffield United’s full squad.

6mins 20secs - I'm expecting to be on longer than that
It’s a case of one in, two out for Steve Cotterill. He welcomes back Ade Akinbiyi who has now completed his three match suspension following his sending off in the home match against Sunderland.

That said, the Clarets are now without John McGreal who received a second yellow card during stoppage time as we went down 2-0 at Wolves on Tuesday night. To add to that Pete Whittingham’s loan spell has come to an end and after playing in each of the last nine games he has now returned to Villa Park.

Other than that the only other player with a problem is Tony Grant who didn’t finish the game at Wolves on Tuesday, limping off with a groin problem. It is thought that he will be OK and will play tomorrow.

Steve has said his players need a rest and they will get that after tomorrow, they are off to Cyprus for a few days to recharge their batteries before coming back to prepare for our next game which will be at home to Watford on 2nd April.

I suspect we will start tomorrow with the following team:

Brian Jensen, Michael Duff, Gary Cahill, Frank Sinclair, Mo Camara, John Oster, Micah Hyde, Tony Grant, Jean-Louis Valois, Ade Akinbiyi, Dean Bowditch. Subs: Danny Coyne, Lee Roche, Graham Branch, Ian Moore, Joel Pilkington.

Last Time

Do you sometimes get the feeling you have been overcharged to watch a football match? You would have done last season at Sheffield United even if you had sneaked in on a comp, it really was that bad.

Both teams were dreadful in a match that was decided with a farcical goal as Dean West and Brian Jensen got themselves into a right state and combined to present Michael Tonge with the easiest of chances.

A brilliant late save from Jensen to deny Mr. Karren Brady and that is just about it, you’ve had the full highlights there.

The teams were,

Sheffield United: Paul Gerrard, Robert Kozluk, Chris Morgan, Phil Jagielka, Alan Wright, Peter Ndlovu (Andy Parkinson 79), Michael Tonge, Stuart McCall, Chris Stretch Jnr Armstrong, Jack Lester (Mr. Karren Brady 73), Ashley Ward (Wayne Allison 89). Subs not used: Nick Montgomery, Mike Whitlow.

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Dean West, Graham Branch (Mark McGregor 48), Arthur Gnohere, Mo Camara, Luke Chadwick (Robbie Blake 59), Richard Chaplow, Tony Grant, Gareth Farrelly, Ian Moore, Delroy Facey (Lee Roche 66). Subs not used: Joel Pilkington, Matt O’Neill.

Previous 20 Seasons

Season

Div

Ven

Result

Att

Scorers

1992/93

FAC

a

2-2

23,041

Heath(2)

..

h

2-4

19,061

Heath Monington

1994/95

1

h

4-2

11,475

Robinson Hoyland Davis Gayle

..

a

0-2

13,349

.

2000/01

1

h

2-0

16,635

Payton(2 1pen)

..

a

0-2

20,013

.

2001/02

1

h

2-0

13,166

Taylor Cook

..

a

0-3

19,003

.

2002/03

1

h

0-1

12,868

.

..

a

2-4

17,359

Taylor Blake

2003/04

1

a

0-1

20,967

.

.

.

h

3-2

11,452

Blake(2 1pen) I Moore

2004/05

C

h

1-1

16,956

Hyde

Click HERE to see more results against Sheffield United right back to our first meeting in an FA Cup tie in 1890.