One Day, Three Games, Two Trophies

Sheffield United Women U21 5 v Huddersfield Town Women 0

Sheffield & Hallamshire FA Women's Senior Cup Final

Wednesday 7 May 2025

Played at New York Stadium, Rotherham United

SUFC 2024/25 Game #85

Sheffield United Community Foundation U19 3 v Morecambe U19 1

National Football Youth League, North West Championship 2

Wednesday 7 May 2025

Played at Handsworth

SUFC 2024/25 Game #84

Sheffield United Community Foundation U21 Women 2 v Lincoln City Women U21 Academy 0

National Football Youth League, North Championship Women

Wednesday 7 May 2025

Played at Handsworth

SUFC 2024/25 Game #83

Forgive delays. As I write, I am SIX games behind. There is some Blogage Blockage. I've taken a stand recently, I can either Go to games, or write about going to games.

Choose Go

In a run of six games in three days, I have seen three different trophies won & lifted. Another United team went top of their league. And yet another United team won an away EFL Championship Play Off. Not a bad haul.

Let us start with a marvellous Triple Header, and just the two Trophies. 11am, 1:30pm and 7:30pm kick offs.

The Community Foundation U21 Women beat Lincoln City two nil. That win completed our season and sent the Community Women top of their league. However, Durham Women SFA still had two games to play. Good results in those games would, unfortunately, see Durham take the title.

And, wouldn't you just know it, one of the teams we needed to do us a favour against Durham was Sheffield Wednesday Community Programme U21 Women.

Durham beat Wednesday fourteen nil, so that's fucked that … probably.

Just a single point will be enough for Durham to win the league.

I couldn't fault the Community Women today though. Deserved winners. Goals on 24 minutes and 67. The Lincoln goalkeeper had a stormer of a game, save after save. And United were rather wasteful in front of goal. (Team information is sparse for these games). United's #9 had a superb game. Holding the line well against the offside game. Finding space in channels. Driving on with the ball and getting shots off. How she didn't score, I'll never know. But, spoiler, we'll hear more of her later in the week.

The Men's National Football Youth League U19 team had won their league a while ago, with games to spare. Indeed, they were introduced to the crowd at half time, at Bramall Lane, last Saturday, at the Blackburn Rovers home game. They had the Trophy with them, and went on a lap of honour.

Unfortunately, their once in a lifetime day in the sun was hijacked. Hijacked by fucking Charity. As Gary Sinclair wheeled out Chris Basham to plug his charity game testimonial. Weston Park Hospital need a new bit of Scanner Kit to diagnose cancers. There are too many Florence Nightingales. There are not enough Robin Hoods. So, we now can't buy important bits of kit out of Government Revenue, out of tax take. We have to rattle tins. Sinclair and Basham were rattling at a football match, yes at a fucking football match, the Millionaire's Game. And, the actual fucking footballers were in danger of being ignored on their lap of honour.

Great opportunity, to remind…

It. Is. Not. A. Charity.

Healthcare. Cancer diagnosis. Cancer FFS. Should be funded. And should not rely on Charity.

But, the money's not there, Phil, the money's not there for taxation.

Fuck Off. If the money's not there, how come we can fucking collect it through Charity? The money is there. People are putting it in a fucking bucket…

Charity is a REGRESSIVE way of funding. The burden of providing the funds falls disproportionately on those who can least afford it. The less well off stump up, the well off plead with us to donate, so they don't fucking have to pay the tax.

Lots of people pay tax, at source, on their hard earned income. But, sat on your arse, investment income, income from wealth, is taxed at a much lower rate. Tax that properly, at the same rate as income, tax wealth, we wouldn't need ex-footballers and YouTubers rattling tins at The Lane. And we could concentrate on cheering the remarkable achievement of the NFYL Team to the rafters.

Played 22, Won 21, Drawn 1, Scored 101 Goals

Nil Nil at half time. But United started to pull away in the second half. With goals on 55, 68 and 83. A Morecambe consolation on 80. The Trophy put in an appearance from a Carrier Bag on the bench as the final whistle went.

This Community Foundation U19 now have a Cup Final, on Monday 12 May, against Bolton Wanderers, at Loftus Road. I happen to know that the kick off time at this final at QPR has been brought forward as early as possible. So that the players & staff & families & friends can get back to The Lane in time for the 8 O'clock v Bristol City. What a fucking Club.

The Sheffield United Community Foundation is a Registered Charity. Bash should have been collecting for that…

On to the New York Stadium for the Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup. Huddersfield Town have been dominant in this competition in recent seasons. Winning five of the last six competitions. But, the game has changed, with the Sheffield United Women's Academy developing at pace. No matter what the investment and continuity decisions made around the Women's First Team, given relegation to the third tier, I feel it is so important for the Women's Academy to retain it's status and provide a local beacon for the game.

Grace Foy had a superb game. Goals on 7 and 59. Driving into the box, knocking defenders off her. A danger all night.

This United Women's team use a crossed arms signal, from the bench, and from the kicker, in this case Amber Sewell, to signal a corner to be hung in there, right on the line. Amber scored direct from that corner on 63. The bench seemed quite pleased with themselves…

Brogan Hughes scored the fifth, with her first touch on 85, having just come on as a substitute.

Incidentally, that late substitution also brought Marla Bell on. Marla plays for, and has been coached by, my mate. He is a friend of the Blog and a Carrier Bag Firm Associate Member, looking for Full Status. I was sat with him at the game…

I began this Blog with a tale of trophies lifted. I can't actually confirm that the five nil Cup Final victory did result in a Trophy lift. Because, in their wisdom, the County FA decided to present the medals and trophy in the stand (rather than, for instance, on the pitch). In the stand, on a external concourse thingy, that the spectators in the stand couldn't actually fucking see. The players walked up the stand, disappeared from view, bit of clapping, and they walked back down the stand at the far end. Classic!!!

New York Tavern

84 Westgate, Rotherham S60 1BD

Chantry Brewery (Rotherham), Hoppin’ All Over The World, Pale Ale on Cask at 4%

Eight on Cask. I'd walked from Handsworth FC to the Pub in Rotherham. So I fucking needed that one.

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