Sheffield United v Sheffield Wednesday: Kick off, road closures and updates ahead of historic Steel City derby

The two halves of the city are about to come together again, after a five year wait.

After three 0-0 draws in the most recent fixtures, there is a big chance for one of them to claim bragging rights for the first time in the best part of a decade.

Excitement has been bubbling in the lead-up to the game, with some families, couples, and friendship groups split by their rival support.

For Owls and Blades there is no fixture quite like the derby, renowned as one of the most historic and hotly-contested in English football.

Here is a run through of what makes the Steel City derby so special, as well as everything you need to know about road closures, kick off, and public transport.

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The home of football

The world’s oldest football club, Sheffield FC, was formed in 1857 and the rules of the game were drawn up in the city.

One of the most talked about matches in Sheffield is what became known as the ‘Boxing Day Massacre’ – the 100th city derby on Boxing Day 1979.

The old Third Division fixture attracted a massive crowd of 49,309 at Hillsborough, because it was the first league meeting of the clubs since 1971.

But the match did not go the way many thought it would, with Wednesday gloriously revelling in a 4-0 win.

Fast forward to 2017, the "Bouncing Day Massacre" was named by Sheffield United fans after they watched Mark Duffy score a key goal - so key that it earned him the nickname "Bounce Killer" - just seconds after the Owls had equalised.

Another huge Steel City derby took place at Wembley rather than Sheffield when both teams made it through to the FA Cup semi-final in April 1993, where the Owls won 2-1.

The last three games have ended in goalless draws in the EFL Championship - so the pressure is on.

Kick off for United v Wednesday

The match at Bramall Lane is set to kick off at 12.30pm today (Sunday, November 10).

Initially, it was scheduled for midday, one hour after the two-minute Remembrance Day silence at the Sheffield War Memorial in Barker’s Pool in the city centre.

The English Football League announced on September 26 that the match had been pushed back so supporters could pay their respects ahead of the match.

Fans on both sides say there is still not enough of a gap between the service and the game starting, and have concerns about people drinking alcohol around Barker’s Pool so soon after the services.

Superintendent Charlotte Bloxham, from South Yorkshire Police, said: "We are working closely with both Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United, and the local council, ahead of this exciting derby game to ensure that everyone can enjoy the match.”

The Sheffield derby is the most expensive Championship match to police, costing South Yorkshire Police £203,000 in March 2019, with the home side Sheffield Wednesday invoiced for £41,000.

A spokesperson for Sky Sports and EFL said: [We] understand that the people of Sheffield wish to mark their respects on Remembrance Sunday, and therefore the fixture has been moved to provide supporters an opportunity to attend both events, if so desired.”

Road closures

The city is expected to be extremely busy throughout the day.

Those travelling to the match or around Sheffield for other reasons should plan their route, avoiding the following roads which will be closed off.

• Bramall Lane (A621, from the Bramall Lane roundabout down to the crossroads by Halfords on Queens Road)
• Shoreham Street (which runs between the A61 Ring Road and the crossroads by Halfords on Queens Road)
• John Street (which runs between Shoreham Street and London Road)
• Cherry Street (which runs between A621 Bramall Lane and Edmund Road)
• Randall Street (directly opposite the stadium, runs between Bramall Lane and Hill Street)
• Harwood Street (runs parallel to Randall Street, runs between Bramall Lane and Hill Street)

Public transport

The ground is about a 10 minute walk from Sheffield railway station, and approximately a 15 minute walk from the city centre bus station.

The ground is approximately a 10-minute walk from Granville Road (Sheffield College) Tram Stop.

This stop is served by the Blue and Purple routes from the city centre bound for Halfway and Herdings Park respectively.

You can find individual public transport timetables and updated information on the day here: https://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/

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