S6 Sell-Out?

Last updated : 12 April 2010 By @blades_mad1889

owls chairman lee strafford (left) unvails current manager alan irvine as their new manager.
Sheffield United will make the short trip to Hillsborough this Sunday for the Steel City Derby, with little to play for the Blades hope to endure their second victory over the Owls having won the reserve fixture at Bramall Lane 3-2 last September.

On 3 April 1993 the two sides competed in the FA Cup Semi-Final and was played at the Old Wembley Stadium with the Blue side of the City claiming a 2-1 victory in extra-time; 75,364 were there to watch the match.

Wednesday chairman believes that the 112th league derby between the two clubs will be the biggest game since that day.

"The importance of this weekend's match against Sheffield United cannot be overstated," the Wednesday chairman said. "We are now in a position in which we may have to win our final three games of the season to guarantee Championship status and everybody at the club will be giving their all to make this possible. Of course there are other teams still in the relegation picture but we remain firmly focussed on our duties to go out and achieve the results required.

However Blades-Mad would like to argue that statement made by Mr. Strafford - On 1 April 2001, also played on a Sunday 38,433 turned out for the 100th Steel City Derby at Hillsborough; it was an important fixture for both clubs for different reasons.

Sheffield United were on the edge of the play-offs and the two-one victory over the Owls put them six points behind whilst Wednesday were seven points safe of the bottom three, with clubs below them having games in hand.

It was a day for strikers as Laurent D'Jaffo and Carl Asaba rumbled the net to hand the visitors a 2-0 lead before Dutch forward Gerald Sibon handed the Owls a lifeline, but after late pressure United hung on.

As of lunch time today it is understood that only 5,600 tickets remain on sale with the visitors end already sold out. The game kicks off on Sunday 18 April at 1:00pm.