"I've never seen as many police in one place as I did for the Steel City derby"
From the scenes in Hillsborough today, anyone would think Blades and Owls fans are happy to be shouting at each other again.
I had heard some stories from the Steel City derbies of 2019 and didn’t know what to expect today.
The last time Sheffield United ‘visited’ Hillsborough was almost six years years ago to the day (March 6, 2019). I’ve been told it wasn’t the prettiest scene - the two sides entering the ground at the same time via Leppings Lane, gnashing at one another face-to-face and separated by a single line of police being pulled this way and that.
So today (March 16, 2025), as I took a heaving tram that only went as far as the Rawson Spring pub, where it was stopped by 800 Owls fans waiting to welcome the Blades to Wadsley Bridge - well, I wasn’t sure what to expect heading in.
The number of police out in Hillsborough today was astounding. Well before the Blades arrived, Wadsley Bridge was swollen by hundreds of awaiting fans with more officers than I’ve ever seen. For their part, Owls fans hung off of traffic lights and set off blue smoke flares to set the mood. And when the first tram with United fans crested the hill and came in sight, the crowd surged forward to get the shouting match started.
And then... they turned on their heel and got moving.
All at once, the home side of the Steel City derby smartly pivoted and began the walk up Middlewood Road. The energy was still high and the rivalry was still hot, but it was all bark, both sides content to settle the score at Hillsborough Stadium in an hour.
Even at the same turnstiles on Leppings Lane, where again only a line of coppers kept them apart, United and Wednesday alike just took to their queues and got on with it. Before kick off, today’s rivalry was vocal but friendly.
It could have been the enormous presence from South Yorkshire Police today, which a handful of punters say is one of the boldest displays they’ve seen in recent years at any game. Me included.
Being back in the same division means massive days for the city like today and the Bramall Lane match in November - and, honestly, both sides seem happy to be shouting at one another again. Let’s hope the good natured rivalry continues so that the Steel City derby is remembered for all the right reasons.