Positive Vibes

A view of Hillsborough from the away supporters' stand on Saturday afternoon (where I sat with an AFC Wimbledon-supporting friend) as Sheffield Wednesday treated their fans to a five-goal home victory in League One.

The travelling Dons remained positive throughout but, as an S6 local, it was also good to see the cafes, bars and takeaways of the area busy before the game as those of a blue-and-white persuasion restablish their matchday rituals following the turbulence of recent seasons.

That is reflected in the attendance being over 30,000 for the sixth game in a row.

Cambridge United are the visitors on Tuesday 27th October and all under 14 tickets are priced at £1.

One Step at a Time

 

A first win of the season for Sheffield United Women on Sunday afternoon as they deservedly defeated Durham 4-1 in WSL2, Amy Andrews taking home the matchball after netting a hat-trick. 

Bramall Lane is again the venue for the Blades next game, at home to Ipswich Town on Sunday 4th October (2pm) with 2 adults and 2 children able to attend for £25 (one adult and two children £18).  

Durham remain without a point to date but, after a summer when it looked as though the club may fold before their future was secured, it is good to see them still involved at the higher levels of the women's game.

FA Cup Weekend Treble

The 2026/27 FA Cup begins with a mammoth 219 extra preliminary round ties taking place over the weekend of Saturday 8 August.

At this early stage of the competition matches take place across three days, often because clubs who ground share have both been drawn, or where cricket still takes preference in the summer months, or occasionally where a Friday night is seen as a better means of getting people through the turnstiles.

That is the case at Sheffield FC as the world's first club, very active on social media at present under the chairmanship of Jon McClure, look to attract Owls and Blades supporters alike. 

They host Parkgate FC at 7.30pm on Friday 7th with advance tickets priced at £8, £5 and free for under 16's. 

The club's home ground is just over the border into Derbyshire with good train connections between Sheffield and Dronfield.

On Saturday afternoon Handsworth FC entertain Prestwich Heys AFC at Olivers Mount, a very smart facility that plays host to players of all ages across the week and accessible via the regular 52 bus from Sheffield city centre (with a short uphill walk once you get off on the main road).

Then on Sunday there is action at Sandygate (take a 51 bus from the city and it will drop you off outside) where Hallam FC welcome Irlam FC.

Staying with the Sheffield theme, the city's Millenium Gallery is still hosting the Football Art Prize exhibition until September (free entry, donations welcome).

A Different View

 

A view across the cricket field at Sandygate towards the main stand at Hallam FC on Saturday afternoon.

Some watering of the football pitch was taking place ahead of Tuesday evening's friendly, against a Sheffield United XI, while Hallam will also be at home in the Extra Preliminary Round of the 2026/27 FA Cup following this week's draw.

Irlam FC will travel across the Pennines on the weekend of 8/9 August.

The Changing of the Seasons

  

A beautiful spring day at Sandygate, home of Hallam FC, on Saturday as Bridlington Town were the visitors for a Northern Premier League (East) fixture.

The hosts took a first-half lead with a well-taken shot from just outside the area before Brid levelled after the break with a rocket. That left home goalkeeper Hugo Warhurst no chance but he preserved a point with a fabulous save shortly after.

Saturday afternoons at Sandygate have a nice feeling and it has been good to see the club grow so much over the years while still retaining that familiarity and hum of conversation.

Hallam have done well in leveraging their history, playing at the world's oldest ground, and their erstwhile rivals Sheffield FC have been much in the news, locally, nationally and even wider (I saw one piece on Reuters when searching online), over the past week after appointing Jon McClure, lead singer of Reverend and the Makers, as chairman.

The long-term aim remains to bring the world's oldest club back to Sheffield from their current home in Dronfield, just over the border into Derbyshire, but the work has started already in terms of engaging locally and getting more people through the turnstiles.

It's a Steel

 

A view of Bracken Moor, home of Stocksbridge Park Steels FC, taken during the 2024/25 season, one that ended with promotion to the top division of the Northern Premier League.

This coming Saturday, if you buy online, there is a special offer of admission, programme and a pie meal for the 3pm kick-off against Hyde United.

With Sheffield Wednesday and United not in action until Sunday and Monday respectively, hopefully there will be a decent crowd in attendance.

The number 57 Stocksbridge Flyer bus from Sheffield stops close to the ground.

Warming Up

 

Players warming up ahead of the Northern Premier League game between Hallam FC and Lincoln United on New Year's Day, a cold one up at Sandygate in Sheffield but with a warm welcome on a gate and a nice atmosphere as 750 of us made the effort to get out of the house for a few hours.

Hallam host Garforth Town on Saturday 10th January in their next league game with adult prices £9, £6 concessions and £2 for accompanied under-12's. If you're visiting the ground for the first time then the number 51 First Bus from the city centre will drop you right outside.

Steel Yourselves

FA Cup Third Round ties take place across the weekend of 9-12 January and there is a good chance here in Sheffield to watch two games in two days.

The 'under new ownership' signs may not yet be in place at Hillsborough as the Owls take on Premier League side Brentford in a 3pm kick-off on the Saturday but the club's administrators say that 'genuine progress' is being made on that front.

Ticket prices for the game have been reduced to £15 for adults, £10 for seniors/under 21's and £5 for under 17's.

Over at Bramall Lane it was a strange summer with Chris Wilder leaving Sheffield United after defeat in the play-off final, the club (still under relatively new ownership themselves) moving in a different direction in terms of coaching and recruitment.

That direction appeared to be heading only one way however and Wilder was brought back for a third spell as manager with results improving, bar one or two blips along the way.

Former Blades boss Nigel Clough brings Mansfield to S2 for a 2.30pm kick-off on the Sunday with tickets priced at £10 for adults, £5 for concessions and £1 for under 18's.

Honours Even in S2

 

Pre-match at Bramall Lane on Sunday afternoon ahead of the FA WSL 2 clash between Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest.

A decent game between two well-matched teams, Forest having more of the possession but the Blades coming closest to getting a goal during a dominant spell midway through the second-half when they were denied on more than one occasion by the excellent Emily Batty in goal.

Both sides are at home to WSL 1 opposition in the League Cup next Saturday. 

At Bramall Lane the Women's Euro trophy will be on show when Liverpool are the visitors for a 6pm kick-off. Tickets are priced at £10/£5.

Forest take on Manchester City at the City Ground in a 2pm kick-off with a kids for a quid offer in place.

The rebuild begins

Has there ever been a more positive atmosphere around a home fixture for a team on minus points and seemingly destined for relegation, even before Halloween?

But that was the case at Hillsborough on Saturday afternoon (and into the evening as confirmed by my wife who was meeting a few friends in the local area) despite Sheffield Wednesday losing 2-1 to Oxford in the Championship.

The announcement, late last week, of the club entering administration, triggered a wave of support from those who had either stayed away in the final throes of the Chansiri reign, or tried to spend as little as possible with the club, over and above anything they had already paid for season tickets.

The openness and honesty of the administration team, with Owls fan Kris Wigfield to the fore in public, has been rewarded so far with ticket and merchandise sales of around £500,000 since Friday last week, vital funds to keep wages flowing while a new owner is sought.

And next Wednesday's game at home to Norwich has been designated as 'Blue & White Night' with ticket prices reduced and starting from £20 for an adult on the Kop.

Terms and Conditions

This pre-match picture, of the players warming up prior to Hallam FC against Blyth Spartans at Sandygate on Saturday, doesn't do justice to the conditions, which started badly and got progressively worse as the rain teemed down in Sheffield.

But full credit to everyone involved, the Hallam volunteers, the match officials and, of course, the players from both sides who ensured that 585 of us were thoroughly entertained by a 1-1 draw.

Blyth took an early lead that they were good value for, kept hold of it thanks to some great goalkeeping and last-ditch defending midway through the first-half but couldn't keep Hallam out completely as sustained pressure from the home side as they went down the slope after the break finally paid off.

The Countrymen continue on their upward journey after two promotions in recent seasons and good to see such a famous name as Blyth slowly rebuilding, thanks to the work of the Spartans Trust.

Up and Running

Always good to get to the first game of a new season, and to visit Handsworth FC after not getting the chance in 24/25.

The sun was out and 133 of us took the chance to catch a match at Olivers Mount where walking in from the road of the same name also took me past a cricket match and that nice juxtaposition of the great summer and winter sports together.

Handsworth are preparing for another season in the Premier Division of the Northern Counties East League (NCEL) and were good value for a 4-0 victory against Goole, relegated from the top flight last time out.

The hosts have a Sheffield derby against Hallam FC on Wednesday 9th at 7.45pm, adults £6, concessions £4 and kids go free.

World's Oldest to New York

Just a few days after I watched Stocksbridge Park Steels recently they made the short journey to Sandygate for a Sheffield Senior Cup semi-final against Hallam FC.

An incredible attendance of 1,255 watched Hallam win and book a place in this season's final where they will play Worksop Town at Rotherham United's New York Stadium.

That game will take place on Thursday 8 May, kick-off 7.30pm, with admission priced at £10 adults, £5 concessions.

The same prices apply at the same venue the previous evening for the Women's Senior Cup final (finalists to be confirmed).

I've got good memories of VS Rugby having success in the Birmingham Senior Cup as a youngster and the county cups remain sought after, whether by smaller clubs enjoying an evening at a Premier League or EFL ground or even the under-21 sides of those bigger clubs who have made their way through the rounds.

On Top of the World

 

Take the steep walk up from the main street in Stocksbridge, or let the car or the Stocksbridge Flyer bus from Sheffield take the strain for you, pay your money on the turnstiles at Stocksbridge Park Steels (with change from a tenner for adults) and you are rewarded with a fantastic view as you walk in.

Smartly upgraded since I last came, with the accessible ramp you can see in the picture, Bracken Moor offers a number of different spots to watch a game from, higher up, on ground level or in the main stand.

On Saturday it hosted Carlton Town in a hard-fought clash of two teams in good form in the Northern Premier League East Division, the visitors scoring a goal in each half to earn the three points.

Steels, who have a big County Cup semi-final at Hallam FC on Tuesday evening, play their next home league match on Saturday 29 March.

A Long and Winding Road

Saturday's Championship fixtures were the reverse games from the opening weekend, giving an opportunity to reflect on how much can change in the space of a season, in football but also in life when you stop and think about it.

I followed Coventry City's opening day defeat at Stoke, not worrying too much about it given that Mark Robins' side had started the previous two seasons in a similar vein before reaching the play-offs in one and the FA Cup semi-finals in another.

Yet this Saturday, Robins was in the away dugout at the CBS Arena watching his Stoke side fail to move away from the relegation zone while Frank Lampard celebrated another late victory for the Sky Blues to keep them in the top six.

And on the Sunday of the opening weekend, as supporters of Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth Argyle enjoyed some beers in the Sheffield sunshine, I saw Wayne Rooney and his players leave their hotel to head for Hillsborough...

There is all to play for still at the top, in the play-off race and at the bottom and clubs are looking for home fans to make a difference.

Sheffield United host Coventry on Friday 28th and, with the game moved for live television coverage, have reduced prices to a maximum price of £20 while Hull City host Luton Town at lunchtime the next day and have cut ticket prices to a maximum of £15.

Sheffield Shorts

Some snippets from here in Sheffield where the world's oldest derby returns on 14 January after Hallam FC and Sheffield FC were drawn together in the next round of the quarter-finals of the Sheffield & Hallamshire FA Senior Cup.

Online tickets for the game at Sandygate will be available from Hallam FC shortly (the club have also produced physical tickets as a memento) priced at £6 and £4.

Sheffield FC have, meanwhile, partnered with the Tickets for Good platform to offer discounted tickets to NHS staff, charity workers, teachers and people affected by the Cost of Living crisis for the Boxing Day game against Belper Town.

It is great to see the continuing work of local charity Sheffield Home of Football and today (21 Dec) they honoured a man linked to both clubs, John Charles Shaw, with a blue plaque in the city centre.

Thank you and Merry Christmas to everyone who has taken the time to read the blog this year.

Hallam FC v Handsworth FC

 

A Sheffield derby in the NCEL Premier Division on Saturday and with neither United or Wednesday in action it meant a bumper crowd of 730 enjoyed the game between Hallam FC and Handsworth as well as unusually mild temperatures for the final day of November.

And when the weather is like that then Sandygate is a cracking place to watch football with a beer or pie in hand, especially when the two teams produce a game of six goals, four of which went to the visitors for a win they deserved overall for an excellent first 20 minutes and some resolute defending as Hallam pushed to make it 3-3 at the beginning of the second-half.

Hallam continue to work hard to improve facilities at the ground, with an extension to the Shed End next on the agenda, as well as offering good value for money at £6 for adults.

Their next home league fixture is on the 21st December against Penistone Church while Handsworth entertain Beverley Town on Saturday 14th.

Here Comes the Summer

 

An outside seat on the pitch at Hallam FC last weekend, looking over to Hallam Cricket Club and a game in full swing, but still time to catch up on the final acts of the 2023/24 season in the non-league game in England.

Enjoy the summer, keep up-to-date with friendlies and any other matches going on, over on X

Up for the (Senior) Cup

 

Good to see the finals of this season's Sheffield FA Senior Cups taking place at Hillsborough with the Women's final on Sunday 28th April and the Men's on Tuesday 30th.

Both matches kick off at 7.30pm and on-the-night admission to each game will be priced at £10 adults and £5 concessions.

For balance, here's a picture of Bramall Lane as well...

Sheffield United Under-21's host Nottingham Forest in the Premier League Cup on Tuesday 9th April at 7pm. Tickets are £3/£1 for non-season ticket holders.

At this time of the season there are usually plenty of Under-21 games scheduled for main stadiums, such as free tickets for Norwich City versus West Ham at Carrow Road on April 12th.

The Premier League website has a good fixture guide to upcoming Under-21 games in all competitions.

At the Heart of it

 

The players prepare for the second-half at Handsworth FC on Saturday after a goalless first 45 minutes in the Northern Counties East Premier Division game against Frickley Athletic.

If you're looking for the very definition of a community club then an afternoon at Olivers Mount is what you need.

Just a fiver for adults and free for under-16's, a busy clubhouse bar, warm welcome on the gate and a spotlight given to the mascots for the senior game, many of whom will be back at the ground today (Sunday) for various age-group matches.

Both Handsworth and Frickley currently sit in mid-table and that was reflected in a cagey affair that the hosts gradually took control of, a glancing header breaking the deadlock early on in the second-half.

Frickley hadn't offered too much by the time a downpour influenced my decision to leave a few minutes early.

Inevitably, that meant that when I checked my phone while on the 52 bus back through Sheffield I learned that the visitors had indeed earned a point with a late equaliser!