Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United haven’t played one another since 2012.
Sheffield Wednesday host Sheffield United on Sunday, in the first Steel City Derby since February 2012.
After five-and-a-half years, you could perhaps be forgiven for forgetting what it’s like to attend one of these fixtures.
So here’s a few things you should expect to see/hear at Hillsborough…
Police – many, many police
Coppers from five different forces will be assisting their South Yorkshire counterparts on Sunday, so violence in and around the stadium should be, in theory, kept to a minimum.
A lot of noise
As of Wednesday, only 400 tickets remained for this fixture, with the only spare seats likely to be those cordoned off in the Upper West section of the ground, which recently had its overall capacity revised to 34,854. If you like sitting down and chatting to your mates, this one’s probably not for you.
Playground insults
It remains one of the world’s Sheffield’s great mysteries: which of its two football clubs are the original ‘pigs’? Wednesdayites will argue it’s United and vice versa. To emphasise their point, some may bring along stuffed toys of the porcine variety, sporting their rivals’ kit.
Songs about a football match that happened 38 years ago
It was the day after Christmas, 1979, and finished 4-0 to Wednesday.
Some not-so-pleasant ones about a couple of Blades strikers
While United will hope to have Billy Sharp and Clayton Donaldson fit for Sunday, Wednesdayites may prefer a reunion with two other Blades strikers. Leon Clarke used to play for the Owls, whose fanbase it’s fair to say never really took to him, while Ched Evans, well… you’re perhaps best off doing your own research there.
Wednesday’s lack of United connections should keep their players safe from abuse – initially at least.
Meaty tackles
See the following tweet from Sky Sports, showing highlights of the September 2009 meeting at Bramall Lane, which United won 3-2.
Someone being manhandled out of the home end
With United quick to sell their full allocation – which Wednesday were forced to restrict to match the one they will receive for January’s return fixture – keep your eyes peeled for a few brave strays cropping up elsewhere.
At least one 40… 50… even 60-yard switch from the Owls’ new centre-back
Joost van Aken’s passing range has already won him a place in the hearts of Owls supporters. He will ping one cross-field at some stage, and the home fans will purr as though they’re having the backs of their heads tickled.
What else can we expect to see/hear when Sheffield Wednesday host Sheffield United on Sunday?
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