The Steel City derby, or the Sheffield derby is a local derby between Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday, the two professional football league teams in the city of Sheffield, England.
the teams have met 148 times in competitive games, with United winning 53 and Wednesday 48.
The derby returned for the 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons following United's relegation from the Premier League, however Wednesday's relegation from The Championship in 2025–26 means that the date of the next meeting between the sides is unclear.
United currently hold an eight game unbeaten run in the fixture, including four wins in the last four derby matches.
History The teams first met on 15 December 1890 at Wednesday's Olive Grove ground, with The Wednesday playing a friendly match against the newly formed Sheffield United that the home team won 2–1.Sheffield United the first 100 years. Clarebrough, D. 1989,
The first competitive Steel City Derby fixture took place on 16 October 1893 during the 1893–94 English First Division season (following United's promotion to the First Division the previous season), it ended 1–1.
Most Steel City derbies have taken place in the top two tiers of English football, with only two seasons (1979–80 and 2011–12) featuring both teams in the third tier.
Alan Quinn became the first player to score a goal for both clubs in a Steel City derby match. He scored for Sheffield Wednesday in their 3–1 defeat to United at Bramall Lane in February 2003. He signed to United from Wednesday in 2004 and scored the winning goal for Sheffield United in a 1–0 win over Sheffield Wednesday at Bramall Lane on 4 December 2005.
Head-to-head statistics
Competition Gamesplayed Unitedwins Drawngames Wednesdaywins Unitedgoals Wednesdaygoals League122473936168150 FA Cup93331413 EFL Cup301225 Full Members' Cup100123 Total (official) 135 50 43 42 186 171 Wharncliffe Charity Cup100112 Football League (Midland Section)123451523 Total (overall) 148 53 47 48 201 196
Honours CompetitionUnitedWednesdayFirst Division14Second Division15League One10Fourth Division1N/AFA Cup43EFL Cup01FA Charity ShieldN/A1Total814
Comparative table positions
Matches played + League Season Division Tier United vs Wednesday Wednesday vs United Date Venue Score Atten. Date Venue Score Atten.1893–94First Division116 October 1893Bramall Lane 1–113 November 1893Olive Grove 1–21894–95First Division112 January 1895Bramall Lane 1–027 October 1894Olive Grove 2–31895–96First Division126 December 1895Bramall Lane 1–17 September 1896Olive Grove 1–01896–97First Division126 December 1896Bramall Lane 2–02 March 1897Olive Grove 1–11897–98First Division127 December 1897Bramall Lane 1–116 October 1897Olive Grove 0–11898–99First Division126 December 1898Bramall Lane 2–13 October 1899Hillsborough 1–11900–01First Division115 December 1900Bramall Lane 1–029 April 1901Hillsborough 1–01901–02First Division11 March 1902Bramall Lane 3–02 November 1901Hillsborough 1–01902–03First Division11 September 1902Bramall Lane 2–311 October 1903Hillsborough 0–11903–04First Division112 December 1903Bramall Lane 1–19 April 1904Hillsborough 3–01904–05First Division18 April 1905Bramall Lane 4–210 December 1904Hillsborough 1–31905–06First Division121 October 1905Bramall Lane 0–218 April 1906Hillsborough 1–01906–07First Division14 May 1907Bramall Lane 2–13 November 1906Hillsborough 2–21907–08First Division19 November 1907Bramall Lane 1–37 March 1908Hillsborough 2–01908–09First Division126 December 1908Bramall Lane 2–1Hillsborough 1–01909–10First Division16 November 1909Bramall Lane 3–319 March 1910Hillsborough 1–31910–11First Division125 February 1911Bramall Lane 0–122 October 1910Hillsborough 2–01911–12First Division14 November 1911Bramall Lane 1–19 March 1912Hillsborough 1–11912–13First Division11 March 1913Bramall Lane 0–226 October 1912Hillsborough 1–01913–14First Division125 October 1913Bramall Lane 0–128 February 1914Hillsborough 2–11914–15First Division14 September 1914Bramall Lane 0–12 January 1915Hillsborough 1–11919–20First Division14 October 1919Bramall Lane 3–027 September 1919Hillsborough 2–11926–27First Division115 January 1927Bramall Lane 2–028 August 1926Hillsborough 2–31927–28First Division1Bramall Lane 1–1Hillsborough 3–31928–29First Division12 February 1929Bramall Lane 1–122 September 1928Hillsborough 5–21929–30First Division128 September 1929Bramall Lane 2–247,0381 February 1930Hillsborough 1–154,4591930–31First Division16 September 1930Bramall Lane 1–136,7383 January 1931Hillsborough 1–333,3221931–32First Division12 April 1932Bramall Lane 1–137,87221 November 1931Hillsborough 2–125,8231932–33First Division14 February 1933Bramall Lane 2–332,60824 September 1932Hillsborough 3–324,8041933–34First Division13 March 1934Bramall Lane 5–132,31821 October 1933Hillsborough 0–128,0491937–38Second Division226 February 1938Bramall Lane 2–150,82716 October 1937Hillsborough 0–151,8931938–39Second Division229 October 1938Bramall Lane 0–044,9094 March 1939Hillsborough 1–048,8911949–50Second Division221 January 1950Bramall Lane 2–051,64417 September 1949Hillsborough 2–155,5551951–52Second Division28 September 1951Bramall Lane 7–352,0455 January 1952Hillsborough 1–365,3841953–54First Division112 September 1953Bramall Lane 2–045,46323 January 1954Hillsborough 3–243,2311954–55First Division118 September 1954Bramall Lane 1–037,3085 February 1955Hillsborough 1–236,1761958–59Second Division221 February 1959Bramall Lane 1–043,9194 October 1958Hillsborough 2–046,4041961–62First Division116 September 1961Bramall Lane 1–038,4973 February 1962Hillsborough 1–250,9371962–63First Division16 October 1962Bramall Lane 2–242,68715 May 1963Hillsborough 3–141,5851963–64First Division114 September 1963Bramall Lane 1–135,27618 January 1964Hillsborough 3–042,8981964–65First Division12 January 1965Bramall Lane 2–337,1905 September 1964Hillsborough 0–232,6841965–66First Division118 September 1965Bramall Lane 1–035,65512 March 1966Hillsborough 2–234,0451966–67First Division14 February 1966Bramall Lane 1–043,49024 September 1967Hillsborough 2–243,5571967–68First Division12 September 1967Bramall Lane 0–136,2586 January 1968Hillsborough 1–143,0201970–71Second Division23 October 1970Bramall Lane 3–239,98312 April 1971Hillsborough 0–047,5921979–80Third Division35 April 1980Bramall Lane 1–145,15626 December 1979Hillsborough 4–049,3091991–92First Division117 November 1991Bramall Lane 2–031,83211 March 1992Hillsborough 1–340,3271992–93Premier League18 November 1992Bramall Lane 1–130,03921 April 1993Hillsborough 1–138,6881993–94Premier League123 October 1993Bramall Lane 1–130,04422 January 1994Hillsborough 3–134,9592000–01First Division216 December 2000Bramall Lane 1–125,1561 April 2001Hillsborough 1–238,4332001–02First Division229 January 2002Bramall Lane 0–029,3647 October 2001Hillsborough 0–029,2812002–03First Division217 January 2003Bramall Lane 3–128,1791 September 2002Hillsborough 2–027,0752005–06Championship23 December 2005Bramall Lane 1–030,55818 February 2006Hillsborough 1–233,4392007–08Championship28 April 2008Bramall Lane 2–231,76019 January 2008Hillsborough 2–030,4862008–09Championship27 February 2009Bramall Lane 1–230,78619 October 2008Hillsborough 1–030,4412009–10Championship218 September 2009Bramall Lane 3–229,21018 April 2010Hillsborough 1–135,4852011–12League One316 October 2011Bramall Lane 2–228,13626 February 2012Hillsborough 1–036,3642017–18Championship212 January 2018Bramall Lane 0–031,12024 September 2017Hillsborough 2–432,8392018–19Championship29 November 2018Bramall Lane 0–030,2614 March 2019Hillsborough 0–031,6302024–25Championship210 November 2024Bramall Lane 1–031,12716 March 2025Hillsborough0–133,8272025–26Championship222 February 2026Bramall Lane2–130,45723 November 2025Hillsborough0–332,740
+ Cup Season Competition Round Date Venue Score Atten.1899–1900FA Cup2nd Round17 February 1900Bramall Lane 1–128,3742nd Round Replay19 February 1900Hillsborough 0–223,0001924–25FA Cup2nd Round31 January 1925Bramall Lane 3–240,2561927–28FA Cup5th Round18 February 1928Hillsborough 1–157,0765th Round Replay22 February 1928Bramall Lane 4–159,4471953–54FA Cup3rd Round9 January 1954Hillsborough 1–161,2503rd Round Replay13 January 1954Bramall Lane 1–340,8471959–60FA Cup6th Round12 March 1960Bramall Lane 0–261,1801980–81League Cup1st Round first leg9 August 1980Bramall Lane 1–125,5881st Round second leg12 August 1980Hillsborough 2–023,9891989–90Full Members' Cup2nd Round21 November 1989Hillsborough 3–230,4641992–93FA CupSemi-final3 April 1993Wembley Stadium 2–175,3642000–01League Cup3rd Round1 November 2000Hillsborough 2–132,283
Non-competitive matches
+ Eligible games – Friendlies Venue Date Attendance Competition Winner Score Notes Olive Grove 15 December 1890 10,000 Friendly Wednesday 2–1 First ever meeting between the two sides Bramall Lane 12 January 1891 15,000 Friendly United 3–2 First United win Olive Grove 23 April 1891 3,250 Wharncliffe Charity Cup Wednesday 2–1 Tournament went uncompleted Olive Grove 17 October 1892 1,500 FriendlyDrawn 1–1 First drawn game Hillsborough 9 August 1994 13,724 Steel City Challenge Trophy United 2–3 Inaugural match for the trophy Bramall Lane 5 August 1995 13,254 Steel City Challenge Trophy Wednesday 1–3 Last meeting between the sides under Dave Bassett's time at United Bramall Lane 27 August 1996 7,271 Steel City Challenge Trophy United 4–1 Last non-competitive match
Famous matches The most famous match at Bramall Lane was on 8 September 1951, an encounter United won 7–3 in front of a crowd of 51,075. Wednesday scored after just ninety seconds through Thomas, but goals from Derek Hawksworth and Harold Brook gave United a 2–1 interval lead which would have been greater if McIntosh in the Wednesday goal had not saved a Fred Furniss penalty. Dennis Woodhead equalised for Wednesday after sixty minutes, but in rapid succession, Alf Ringstead, Hawksworth and Ringstead again, and Fred Smith scored for United, Woodhead pulled one back for Wednesday before Brook made the score 7–3.
In February 1967, broadcasting history was made when the derby at Bramall Lane was shown live on Pay-TV. United’s Bill Punton scored the only goal in the first pay-per-view League game on British television, and only the second to be televised live. The coverage was available to around 700 subscribers in the Sheffield area, who had to pay ten shillings (50p) for the privilege of watching.
The "Boxing Day Massacre" was a match played on 26 December 1979. Sheffield Wednesday won 4–0, with goals from Ian Mellor, Terry Curran, Mark Smith and Jeff King. The United side at the time were top of the league, while Wednesday were 4th in the table. Sheffield Wednesday were promoted at the end of the season.
The two teams met in the 1992–93 FA Cup semi-finals. The game was scheduled to be played at Elland Road while the other semi-final between North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur was to be played at Wembley. However The Football Association was forced to move the Steel City derby to Wembley due to extreme pressure from the fans of both teams. The match itself proved to be a classic, with Wednesday winning 2–1 after extra time. Chris Waddle and Mark Bright scoring for Wednesday, and Alan Cork scoring for United. The match was watched by 75,364 spectators.
The match at Hillsborough on 24 September 2017, saw United claim their then biggest win at Hillsborough with a 4–2 victory in front of a crowd of 32,839. Goals for United came from John Fleck in the 3rd minute, Mark Duffy in the 67th minute, and two (in the 15th and 77th minute respectively) from Leon Clarke against his former side, with Gary Hooper in the 47th minute (scored in the first half as two minutes were added on) and Lucas Joao (65') scoring for Wednesday. This game was nicknamed the 'Bouncing Day Massacre' by the United fans, due to a chant by the Wednesday fans following Joao's goal that ended abruptly as a result of Mark Duffy's goal shortly afterwards.