'An ecstatic end to six years of pain' - How The Star reported Sheffield United's promotion on day to remember at Northampton Town

Three years ago today, Sheffield United’s long stint in League One came to an end when they sealed automatic promotion to the Championship.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Victory at Northampton Town, fittingly Chris Wilder’s former club, was enough to send United up, thanks to goals from Leon Clarke and John Fleck.

Here, under the headline 'An ecstatic end to six years of pain', is how The Star reported that unforgettable game.

----

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Billy Sharp was ecstatic, Kieron Freeman danced around like a maniac and Chris Wilder, whose leadership has proven so inspiring this season, looked thoroughly exhausted by the sheer emotion of it all.

After 239 games, nearly 300 weeks and six years of pain, frustration and hurt, Sheffield United are back in the Championship. Following, midfielder Paul Coutts acknowledged, yet another performance laced with the fighting spirit and finesse which has made them such a force to be reckoned with in League One.

"The biggest thing about this team is exactly that, it’s a team, " he said, after United established an unassailable lead over third-placed Fleetwood. "We dig in for each other, we fight and we help each other out. That’s not just the starting eleven, that’s the whole group, including all the members of staff."

Nine points clear at the top of the table and 16 ahead of Uwe Rosler’s side with only four fixtures left, United have achieved promotion in style and with matches to spare. But as Coutts admitted, nothing comes easy in a division they have spent far too long trying to escape. Northampton Town, who lifted the League Two title under Wilder’s stewardship last term, threatened to deny them the victory which would have guaranteed a top two finish when Marc Richards scored on the stroke of half-time.

Sheffield United's players celebrate promotion from League One at Northampton - Pic Simon Bellis/SportimageSheffield United's players celebrate promotion from League One at Northampton - Pic Simon Bellis/Sportimage
Sheffield United's players celebrate promotion from League One at Northampton - Pic Simon Bellis/Sportimage
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Rather than crumble, however, that set-back provoked the type of cold-hearted response which epitomises the visitors’ outlook and, when John Fleck scored after Leon Clarke’s equaliser, contrasted starkly with the chaotic scenes inside Sixfields stadium.

"It’s unbelievable, " Coutts, who started his professional career with Peterborough, continued. "It’s the second time I’ve had a promotion and the last one was my first season as a pro’.

"I didn’t really take that one in but that’s certainly not going to happen with this one. No way whatsoever. I’ll be soaking it all up."

"It was pretty special at the end, I was other in the corner with Sharpy (Billy Sharp) and you could see there was going to be a stampede.

Sheffield United's Leon Clarke scoring his side's opening goal at Northampton. Pic David Klein/SportimageSheffield United's Leon Clarke scoring his side's opening goal at Northampton. Pic David Klein/Sportimage
Sheffield United's Leon Clarke scoring his side's opening goal at Northampton. Pic David Klein/Sportimage
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

We’ll enjoy the moment but then it’s back to work because we’ve still got a title to try and win."

A WINNING MACHINE

Winning is something United have made a habit of this season; losing only three times since the end of August. It is a remarkable record of success which illustrates both the ruthlessness of their play and, following Wilder’s appointment 11 months ago, unwavering commitment to attacking football. "Chalk and cheese, " Coutts admitted, to the squad he inherited after being appointed in May.

"From where we were as a group when he came in to today is unbelievable. All credit to him, he’s done a great job.

"Last season was quite low, personally, in my career. Being involved in a group, at this size of club, that struggled just didn’t sit right. It didn’t sit right with anyone really.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"I would have been bitterly disappointed if that had been my last season here. So to get a chance from the gaffer to put that right means everything.

"It’s taken longer than I’d hoped or anyone else would have hoped for that matter. But this is what it’s all about. It’s what we play for and hopefully we’ve got this club back to somewhere near where it belongs."

THE PEOPLE’S CLUB

Captained and managed by supporters and co-owned by another lifelong fan, little wonder Wilder insists United are "a truly special club." Although emotion has played its part this term - Billy Sharp appeared close to tears as, held aloft following the final whistle, he furiously beat the armband on his left bicep - there is more to their achievements than simply pride and passion.

Fleck, on target for the second time in as many outings, has been magnificent and, like Coutts, is among a clutch of squad members capable of performing a level above. Nor is Wilder, or his assistant Alan Knill for that matter, afraid of taking big decisions; something they demonstrated here by naming Sharp, James Hanson and Mark Duffy on the bench.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"He’s just got us together and working hard, " Coutts, asked about the Wilder Effect’, said. "It’s hard to explain. It’s just clicked. It’s not come easy because we’ve worked so hard from day one. But he’s drilled that into us and the togetherness has come. To think where this club was last season, it’s been an unbelievable 12 months and all credit to him."

"It helps because it’s a demanding club with demanding fans, " Coutts added. "We get an unbelievable following at home and away. They demand a lot and he demands a lot too. He did it at this club (Northampton) last season as well so there’s obviously more to it than just being a fan. But, without a shadow of a doubt, I do think that’s helped him galvanise the whole place. Everybody, on the pitch and off it as well, is pulling in the same direction and on the same page."

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE GROUP

Wilder has made no secret of the fact that squads, not individuals, are the key to success. So it was fitting that Clarke, whose campaign was nearly hijacked by injury, scored one of the goals which helped them across the line. Wilder’s faith in the centre-forward has been questioned at times this term. But the finish, which left the excellent Adam Smith grasping at thin air, oozed composure and class. Although Fleetwood’s defeat at Oldham ultimately rendered the outcome of this game an irrelevance, Coutts said: "No we didn’t know the other scores. It was about us, we weren’t really worried about what was going on elsewhere. We just had to get our heads down and do the job."

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to The Star website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Visit https://www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.