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It is just over 35 years since last won there. It was on the opening day of the 1973/74 season as Burnley returned to the old First Division and won 2-0 with goals from Doug Collins and Martin Dobson.
The ground was still used for both football and cricket, well almost. The last county game to be played there had finished just days before.
Bramall Lane has changed a lot since then, but our record there hasn't, as five draws and eleven defeats in sixteen games can testify.
Maybe, just maybe, now is the time, with us on such a high after recent runs. But this is Bramall Lane, our graveyard, so maybe we shouldn't hold our breath.
After relegation at the end of the 2006/07 season Sheffield United made the massive mistake of replacing Neil Warnock with Bryan Robson. Other clubs had previously worked out that replacing anyone with Robson was a recipe for disaster, and so it was here.
When we were there last November they were calling for his head as the season had not gone as expected. He finally left in February and in came Kevin Blackwell who had been there previously as Warnock's assistant.
Blackwell rescued the season and they eventually finished in ninth place in the Championship and that was better than they could have hoped for. In the summer he made four permanent signings and has also made good use of the loan market.
David Cotterill had spent the last part of the 2007/08 season on loan and his move was made permanent in the summer. He was joined by Sun Jihai from Manchester City, Watford striker Darius Henderson and Justin Haber from Haidari.
Matthew Spring (Luton) and Greg Halford (Sunderland) came in on loan before the start of the season and since then they've also signed three more loan players, Nathan Dyer from Southampton, Barnsley's Brian Howard and Anthony Stokes the Sunderland striker.
They currently sit right behind us in the table, but they are a side who are expected to finish in the top six this season and make a real push to get back to the Premier League, a place they lost in 2007 when David Unsworth scored a penalty for Wigan at Bramall Lane on the last day of the season.
The big question mark for Kevin Blackwell is Gary Speed. He missed last week's game at Ipswich with a back injury and was replaced by Matthew Spring. He faces a fitness test ahead of the game.
Other than that they are at full fitness with Nathan Dyer having come on as a substitute at Ipswich and Darius Henderson, on his return from injury, having been used as a substitute in the last three games.
Should Speed not make it they are likely to line up: Paddy Kenny, Kyle Naughton, Matthew Kilgallon, Chris Morgan, Gary Naysmith, Greg Halford, Matthew Spring, Brian Howard, Stephen Quinn, Billy Sharp, James Beattie. Subs: Ian Bennett, Ugo Ehiogu, Nathan Dyer, Danny Webber, Darius Henderson.
Owen Coyle will have to change the side that has beaten both Derby and Arsenal in the last week with Clarke Carlisle suspended after accumulating five bookings on top of the two he received at Wolves. It will be his third suspension of the season having had one carried over from last season.
He will have Steven Thompson available again after he had to sit out the Arsenal game because he was cup tied.
There have been doubts about Michael Duff and goalscoring hero Kevin McDonald but both are expected to be fit.
I think our team will be: Brian Jensen, Graham Alexander, Michael Duff, Steven Caldwell, Stephen Jordan, Wade Elliott, Kevin McDonald, Chris McCann, Chris Eagles, Robbie Blake, Martin Paterson. Subs from: Diego Penny, Joey Gudjonsson, Alan Mahon, Steven Thompson, Ade Akinbiyi, Jay Rodriguez.
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After a shaky start we got on top and Clarke Carlisle came close to giving us the lead, but then right in front of us James Beattie looked convinced he'd put the home side in front. He stood in amazement and disbelief that Gabor Kiraly had got down to his header and got it clear.
It was so reminiscent of the save Gordon Banks made from Pele in the 1970 World Cup, a world class save on a day when Gabor was at his very best.
After another good save we got ourselves back on top up to half time and that continued into the second half. I couldn't remember the last time Sheffield United played second fiddle to us at Bramall Lane.
All it needed was a goal, and it came from former Blade David Unsworth. To this day I don't understand why referee Richard Beeby disallowed it. Thankfully he also disallowed a James Beattie header in stoppage time. Amazingly Robson thought ours should have been disallowed and theirs not.
But this was a good performance, with Gabor, Graham Alexander and Wade Elliott outstanding and David Unsworth turning in probably his best performance for the Clarets.
It proved to be the last away match under the management of Steve Cotterill, he might not have gone out with a win but he certainly went out with an excellent attacking performance in his last away match.
The teams were;
Sheffield United: Ian Bennett, Phil Bardsley, Gary Cahill, Matthew Kilgallon, Gary Naysmith, Keith Gillespie (Nick Montgomery 63), Michael Tonge (Alan Quinn 63), Chris Armstrong, Luton Shelton, James Beattie, Danny Webber. Subs not used: Chris Morgan, Jonathan Stead, Billy Sharp.
Burnley: Gabor Kiraly, Graham Alexander, Clarke Carlisle, David Unsworth, Stephen Jordan (Jon Harley 58), Wade Elliott, John Spicer, Chris McCann, Kyle Lafferty (Alan Mahon 75), Robbie Blake, Andy Gray. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, James O'Connor, Ade Akinbiyi.
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 |
| . | . | a | 1-2 | 19,374 | Akinbiyi |
2005/06 | C | h | 1-2 | 11,802 | Akinbiyi |
| . | . | a | 0-3 | 23,118 | . |
2007/08 | C | a | 0-0 | 25,306 | . |
| . | . | a | 1-2 | 11,693 | Cole |