2011–12 Sheffield United F.C. season
Sheffield United Football Club (known as the Blades) participated in League One, the third level of English football for the first time in 23 years having been relegated from the Championship at the end of the previous season. It was also their first appearance in both the Football League Trophy and the first round proper of the FA Cup for a similar length of time, as well as being the first season under new manager Danny Wilson. United began the season well, recording consistently sound results in Football League One and nearing the position required for an immediate return to the Championship. By the turn of the year, the squad was well positioned for promotion.
| 2011–12 season | |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Kevin McCabe (PLC Chairman) Christopher Steer (Football Club Chairman) |
| Manager | Danny Wilson |
| League One | 3rd |
| FA Cup | fourth round |
| League Cup | second round |
| Football League Trophy | Quarter-final (North) |
| Top goalscorer | League: Evans (29) All: Evans (35) |
| Highest home attendance | 30,043 (vs. Stevenage)[1] |
| Lowest home attendance | League: 15,783 (vs. Colchester United) Cup: 5,692 (vs. Bradford City)[1] |
| Average home league attendance | 18,702[2] |
Reasonable progress was made in the cup competitions, reaching the second round of the League Cup, the fourth round of the FA Cup and the regional quarter finals of the Football League Trophy. With only a handful of games left to play in the league United looked set to finish in second place in the table, but in the aftermath of leading scorer Ched Evans being jailed, results declined, and United slipped to third place in the final week of the season. Although they reached the play-off final, the team were beaten on penalties by Huddersfield Town at Wembley Stadium, thus failing to achieve promotion and being destined to spend the following season in League One.
Team kit edit
The team kit for the 2011–12 season was produced by Macron for the third successive year. The home kit consisted of the club's traditional red and white stripes and was based on the kit worn by the team in the early 1970s, chosen following a poll of fans the previous year.[3] As the pre-season programme got under way the club also revealed a new all yellow away kit.[3] By mid July the club announced that they had struck a joint sponsorship deal with cross-city rivals Sheffield Wednesday which would see both teams sponsored by the same two local companies. The Blades' home kit was sponsored by Westfield Health and the away kit by local car dealers Gilders Group (with Sheffield Wednesday's kit's having the reverse).[4] The club later announced that a new secondary sponsor, Nexis, would appear on the back of the home shirts for the coming season.[5]
Season overview edit
Preseason edit
Following relegation from the Championship at the end of the previous season, company chairman Kevin McCabe sacked manager Micky Adams, insisting that the club needed a new start to take them forward.[6] After a few weeks of speculation, McCabe appointed former Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Wilson as Adams' successor.[7] Wilson began to assemble his back room team, appointing former United defender Frank Barlow as his number two,[8] fellow former Blade Billy Dearden as chief scout[9] and Dave Morrison as fitness coach.[10]
Wilson stressed that he intended to bring a better style of play to the team in the coming season[11] but admitted that players would have to be sold to balance the books. Deals were already in place to sell Jamie Ward to Derby County for an undisclosed fee,[12] and sign Danny Philliskirk from Chelsea on a free transfer,[13] but Wilson also added to the squad in June by signing Lecsinel Jean-François from his former club Swindon Town, also on a free transfer.[14] After much speculation, and with the players about to return for pre-season training, Darius Henderson was sold to Millwall for an undisclosed fee in order to free up money on the wage bill.[15]
The club announced a low-key series of friendlies for July,[16] while Wilson continued to reshape his squad, allowing young defenders Kingsley James and Phil Roe, both products of the Blades Academy, to leave and rejoin former boss Micky Adams at Port Vale on free transfers.[17] A youthful team were held to a draw by Sheffield[18] but overcame Worksop Town a few days later.[19] With the team about to leave for a training camp in Malta, Mark Yeates was sold to Watford for an undisclosed fee,[20] Ryan Flynn was signed from Falkirk for a similarly undisclosed fee[21] and Chris Porter arrived on a free transfer having been released by Derby County.[22] Once in Malta, United took on local sides Sliema Wanderers and Hibernians in friendly games, beating both sides.[23][24] Upon returning to England, the Blades completed their pre-season schedule with two home fixtures, losing to Doncaster Rovers[25] and drawing with Blackpool.[26] With their pre-season schedule completed the Blades signed young winger Nathaniel Mendez-Laing from Wolverhampton Wanderers on a six-month loan deal.[27]
Unfortunately, the latter half of July also saw the club hit the national headlines for the wrong reasons. Firstly, the club was identified by a Channel 4 undercover investigation as being offered for sale as part of an illegal ownership deal, although the Blades themselves were not implicated in any wrongdoing.[28] A fortnight later, striker Ched Evans was arrested and charged with rape following an incident in May.[29]
August–September: Early season optimism edit
The Blades won the opening game of the season away from home, outclassing Oldham Athletic,[30] but a strong side needed penalties to overcome Hartlepool United at Victoria Park in the first round of the League Cup a few days later.[31] Midfielder Kevin McDonald was added to the squad on a free transfer after a lengthy trial period,[32] before the Blades resumed their league campaign, beating Brentford at home,[33] and overturning a two-nil deficit to overcome Walsall at Bramall Lane.[34] Having spent the previous season on loan at United, Argentinian Elian Parrino returned to South Yorkshire on a one-year deal from Estudiantes de La Plata,[35] after which the Blades embarked on a four match run of away games in the space of eleven days. They dropped their first league points of the season as they were held to a draw by Tranmere Rovers,[36] before suffering their first defeat of the season on a quick return to Merseyside, allowing the lead to slip once more as they crashed out of the League Cup at the hands of Premiership Everton.[37] The team returned to league action and winning ways with an away trip to Yeovil,[38] the first ever competitive meeting between the two clubs, after which they despatched Burton Albion to progress into the second round of the Football League Trophy.[39]
With Danny Wilson still needing to raise money and trim the wage bill, the Blades had a relatively busy transfer deadline day, allowing Jordan Slew to join Blackburn Rovers for £1.1m,[40] and Daniel Bogdanović to join Blackpool for an undisclosed fee,[41] but turning down another offer from the Seasiders for Stephen Quinn.[42] The Blades also agreed a deal to take two young midfielders, John Fleck and Kyle Hutton, on loan from Rangers for the remainder of the season,[43] but the deal subsequently fell through due to issues with the paperwork involved.[44] The team kicked off September by crushing Bury 4–0 at Bramall Lane,[45] and then travelled to Scunthorpe United where they maintained their unbeaten start after coming from behind to grab a 1–1 draw.[46] Off the field the restructuring of the club continued with the appointment of former Blades player Julian Winter as Chief Executive to replace the departing Trevor Birch.[47] Danny Wilson added to his defensive options by signing Marcus Williams on a months loan from Reading,[48] with the defender making his début only hours later, although he was unable to prevent the Blades from crashing to their first league defeat of the season as they were trounced 3–0 at home by Huddersfield Town.[49] Despite this setback the Blades quickly returned to winning ways, reversing the previous scoreline to crush Colchester United 3–0 at Bramall Lane.[50] The month ended on a low note however as the team suffered a shock defeat at struggling Wycombe Wanderers,[51] although they still managed to hold onto second place in the table.
October–November: Important points dropped edit
October started no better for the Blades as they were easily beaten 2–0 at home by league leaders Charlton Athletic[52] and needed a last second goal to progress in the Football League Trophy as they struggled against League Two side Rotherham United.[53] Meanwhile, Danny Wilson boosted his squad ahead of the Steel City derby, with Marcus Williams agreeing to stay on loan for a further two months[54] and Matt Phillips and Billy Clarke arriving for a month each from Blackpool.[55] The new arrivals failed to halt the disappointing run of results however as the Blades let a 2–0 lead slip to end up drawing with their cross–city rivals.[56] Despite this disappointment the team bounced back to score an emphatic away win at Preston a few days later with both new signing Matt Phillips and old hand Lee Williamson netting two goals apiece.[57] With increased competition for first team places, youngsters Danny Philliskirk and Corey Gregory were allowed to go out on loan to Oxford United and Hucknall Town respectively;[58] swiftly followed by Connor Brown who joined Eastwood Town on a months deal.[59] Back in the league, the disappointing results continued as United threw away a lead once again, allowing ten-men Leyton Orient to snatch a draw with the last kick of the game.[60] Once again the Blades quickly responded to the setback by beating fellow promotion rivals MK Dons 2–1 at Bramall Lane,[61] but then conspired to throw away yet more points, allowing Exeter City to come from behind twice in the closing minutes of the next game to snatch a 4–4 draw.[62]
Into November and back on the road, yet another late goal was handed Stevenage all three points,[63] leaving United fifth in the table going into FA Cup week. With Phillips and Clarke playing the final game of their loan spell,[64] United tamely exited the Football League Trophy, losing on penalties to League Two strugglers Bradford City.[65] There was a more positive result in the FA Cup however as a brace from Ched Evans helped the Blades ease past Oxford United.[66] By mid–November, and with Danny Wilson still seeking to add to his attacking options, it was reported that former striker and fans favourite James Beattie had returned to training with the club and could be handed a contract depending on match fitness,[67] and a short term deal was duly signed a few days later.[68] Back in League action United saw out a victory over Carlisle United despite seeing a Richard Cresswell spot–kick saved in the second half,[69] and a week later Ched Evans scored his fifth goal in four games to beat Chesterfield by the same scoreline.[70] The month ended on a sombre note however as former player and manager Gary Speed was found dead at his home after having taken his own life less than a year after leaving his post at Bramall Lane.[71]
December–January: Maximum points for Christmas edit
December started with the second round of the FA Cup and despite conceding another late goal, the Blades progressed into the third round at the expense of Torquay United, thanks to another brace from in Ched Evans,[72] who then scored for the fifth game in succession in the next game, netting twice more in a league victory over Rochdale.[73] The team's impressive form continued with an away win at Bournemouth thanks to two own goals,[74] Notts County making a similar gift of an own goal to contribute to their own defeat on Boxing Day,[75] before the Blades rounded the year off by crushing Hartlepool United on New Year's Eve;[76] meaning that the Blades ended 2011 in second place in the table following eight victories in a row in all competitions.[77]
With the transfer window reopening in January, Danny Wilson's first signing was the return of former loan player Marcus Williams who agreed a two and a half year deal.[78] The New Year started disappointingly as the Blades crashed to their first defeat since the beginning of November as they were beaten 3–2 at Carlisle United.[79] Following Danny Wilson being awarded 'League One Manager of the Month' for December,[80] United soon got back to winning ways when they returned to home soil. The team saw off Salisbury City 3–1 in the third round of the FA Cup,[81] the first meeting ever between the two clubs, and then outclassed Yeovil Town a few days later, hitting four without reply including a brace from Lee Williamson and a first ever club goal from captain Michael Doyle.[82] With Danny Wilson looking to freshen up his squad United rewarded four of its younger players with contract extensions, with Erik Tønne and David McAllister set to remain with the club until the summer of 2014, and youth team players Jordan Chapell and Jack Adams agreeing new deals until the end of the season.[83] In a busy day the club saw the departure of Elian Parrino as his short term deal came to an end,[83] and then allowed McAllister to join League Two club Shrewsbury Town on a months loan,[84] with manager Danny Wilson bemoaning a lack of reserve games under the current system.[85] The following week Wilson continued to overhaul the squad with reserve keeper Mihkel Aksalu leaving the club on mutual terms,[86] but was boosted by 'fans favourite' James Beattie agreeing a deal to remain at Bramall Lane until the end of the season.[87] Meanwhile, back in the league the Blades then continued their fine run of form, completing their second league double of the week, as they hit three without reply away at Bury,[88] but that form deserted them for a top-of-the-table trip to Charlton Athletic where a bad tempered match resulted in both teams being reduced to ten men and a 1–0 loss for United.[89] Seven days later United suffered their first back-to-back defeats of the season as they crashed out of the FA Cup at the hands of Birmingham City.[90] With the transfer window about to close Bramall Lane was relatively quite on deadline day; Danny Philliskirk was handed an extended deal,[91] and striker Will Hoskins signed on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion until the end of the season,[92] whilst youngster Erik Tønne was allowed to join Yorkshire neighbours York City, also until the end of the season.[93] The club also gave a trial to experienced Scottish defender David Weir with a view to a potential short term contract.[94]
February–March: Promotion charge takes shape then falls apart edit
After various match postponements due to a spell of bad weather and the various cup competitions United finally returned to league action in mid February with new signing Hoskins scoring on his début as the Blades ran out 3–0 victors over Wycombe Wanderers.[95] After a successful spell, midfielder David McAllister opted to extend his loan deal at Shrewsbury until the end of March,[96] whilst young keeper George Long agreed a new long–term deal at Bramall Lane.[97] Meanwhile, on Valentine's Day, the Blades beat Yorkshire and promotion rivals Huddersfield Town 1–0 at the Galpharm Stadium as defender Neill Collins scored his first ever goal for the club,[98] before coming from behind to beat Preston North End at home a few days later, despite Ched Evans missing a penalty.[99] With Mihkel Aksalu having departed, United agreed a two and a half year deal with keeper, and free agent, Mark Howard to provide cover for Steve Simonsen,[100] before the club met their cross-city rivals in the second Steel City derby of the season where United suffered a narrow defeat.[101] Looking for a quick bounce–back, United were forced to come from behind to beat Scunthorpe United at home,[102] to leave them in second place, five points clear of third, in the table at the start of March.
Despite their form, United suffered a catastrophic start to March as they lost at home to Oldham Athletic having had a two-goal lead only to see both Matthew Lowton and Harry Maguire sent off and the team subsequently collapse.[103] With the entire back four unavailable, United were forced to draft in Matt Hill and John Egan on emergency loans,[104] but this was not enough to prevent them slipping to their third defeat in four games as they capitulated at Walsall.[105] Danny Wilson remained keen to find first team experience for the younger members of the squad and as such allowed Seamus Conneely to join Alfreton Town on loan[106] before United returned to winning ways with two goals from Ched Evans being enough to defeat Brentford at Griffin Park.[107] Unfortunately the Blades failed to take advantage of their game in hand, being held to a draw by Colchester United,[108] before once again allowing a lead to slip as they drew with Tranmere Rovers at Bramall Lane.[109] With the transfer deadline for loans approaching, the Blades' longest serving player and vice-captain Nick Montgomery was allowed to join Millwall until the end of the season due to an absence of first team football,[110] allowing Danny Wilson to bring in winger Michael O'Halloran on loan from Bolton Wanderers.[111] Meanwhile, on the pitch, United put their recent poor form behind them as they outclassed Notts County 5–2 at Meadow Lane,[112] before putting four goals past Chesterfield at Bramall Lane, including a hat–trick from in–form striker Ched Evans.[113] Despite a low–key team performance, a second Ched Evans penalty in as many games was enough to finish the month with a third straight victory, with the Blades defeating Hartlepool United at Victoria Park.[114]
April–May: The final straight ends in disappointment edit
With loan defender John Egan returning to his parent club at the start of April, Nick Montgomery's loan at Millwall was all but cut short after only two substitute appearances when he sustained a calf injury likely to sideline him until the end of the season.[115] David McAllister also saw his loan spell at Shrewsbury cut short shortly after receiving a red card, with the resulting three game ban ruling him out for the remainder of his time at the New Meadow.[116] Back in the league a nervy display saw the Blades edge out Bournemouth at Bramall Lane,[117] before a much more emphatic performance saw them bury Rochdale at the Spotland Stadium.[118] With the Blades now in a straight fight with local rivals Sheffield Wednesday for the second automatic promotion spot they came from behind to beat Leyton Orient at Bramall Lane to open up a four-point gap on third placed Wednesday.[119] The next week however their campaign was dealt a crushing blow as star striker and top scorer Ched Evans's case came to trial where he was found guilty of rape and sentenced to five years in prison.[120] Without Evans and missing his injured strike partner Richard Cresswell, United slipped to a damaging defeat at MK Dons.[121] Worse was to come as United could only register a draw with Stevenage in a dramatic final home game at Bramall Lane, meaning they slipped out of the automatic promotion places for the first time since February.[122] United went into the final league fixture with Exeter City requiring to win and hope that rivals Sheffield Wednesday were beaten to secure promotion; a combination that failed to materialise as Wednesday registered a victory and the Blades could only draw meaning they were consigned to the play-offs.[123]
Another trip to Wembley edit
With James Beattie unavailable for the playoffs following a red card in the final game of the season against Exeter City, manager Danny Wilson was faced with a selection crisis ahead of the critical games against Stevenage. With only one senior striker available a patched up side contested a dour first-leg where neither team created many chances. United did manage to keep a clean sheet however and took the tie back to Bramall Lane with the scores level at 0–0.[124]
The Blades entered the second leg still bereft of forwards, with Richard Cresswell having contracted an illness on the morning of the game, so were forced to play with just Chris Porter as a lone striker once more. An even first half saw few opportunities for either side but following the break United began to attack with more purpose. Despite chances for both sides the game looked to be heading for another draw until Porter scored an 85th-minute winner to put the Blades through to the final at Wembley.[125]
Richard Cresswell was passed fit for the final against Huddersfield but influential midfielder Kevin McDonald was left out through injury so the Blades were forced to make changes once more. The game was played under blistering heat and neither side created many chances.[126] It remained 0–0 after ninety minutes and so extra–time was played but there was still no breakthrough. Ultimately the game went to penalties, which saw every player for both sides take a spot kick only for United to lose 8–7 when goalkeeper Steve Simonsen missed the final kick, consigning the Blades to another season in League One.[126][127]
Academy and Reserve teams edit
Reserves edit
| Team | Pts | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sheffield United | 22 |
| 2. | Derby County | 21 |
| 3. | Nottingham Forest | 18 |
| 4. | Port Vale | 15 |
| 5. | Walsall | 15 |
| 6. | Burton Albion | 13 |
| 7. | Stoke City | 12 |
Sheffield United Reserves played in the Central League: Central Division in the nearby Derbyshire town of Dronfield at the Coach and Horses ground, which was also the home of Sheffield FC during the season.[128] Experienced defender Chris Morgan was appointed reserve team coach at the start of the season and given the responsibility of developing the young players which made up the bulk of the side.[128] With many teams now opting not to enter a reserve side into an organised competition the Central Division consisted of just seven sides meaning fixtures were irregular throughout the season. In January 2012 Danny Wilson expressed the need to reform the reserve team structure due to this infrequent number of matches citing that experienced players do not gain much from them and the cost of staging the fixtures as issues.[85]
Despite this United's side ended the season as Champions, finishing one point ahead of nearest rivals Derby County[128] who had won the division in the previous season, ironically by one point from The Blades who had finished second. Following a nine match unbeaten run the title was clinched with the final game of the season as United held a strong Nottingham Forest side to a 1–1 draw at the coach and Horses ground.[128] Danny Philliskirk ended the season as top scorer, having netted six goals, whilst he was also the joint leading appearance maker along with Matty Harriott and Shane Murray.[128]
Academy edit
Sheffield United Academy U18s played in the FA Premier Academy League U18s Group D at the Shirecliffe ground at Firshill Crescent. Under the management of John Pemberton, the side were seeking to replicate the success of the previous season when they had reached the final of the FA Youth Cup final.[129] Shorn of a number of key players (who had either graduated to the first team or left the club), the team completed a solid but unspectacular season. Results fluctuated with impressive victories over the likes of Everton, Bolton and Sunderland being mixed with heavy defeats to Leeds United, Coventry City and West Ham United.[130] Eventually finishing fifth (out of ten teams) in their division, manager John Pemberton described the season as "another successful one for everyone associated with the Academy. We have five players becoming professionals who will all be linking up with the first team next season and that is what we are judged on – producing players."[130]
United's hopes of repeating the previous season's success in the FA Youth Cup did not come to fruition however. After a victory in the first round over Tranmere Rovers, they required penalties to see off Port Vale in the next round before finally being eliminated in round three when Southampton recorded a 7–0 victory over the Blades.[130]
Players edit
- As of the end of the season[1]
First-team squad edit
- Squad at end of season[131]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan edit
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Left club during season edit
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Transfers and contracts edit
In edit
Summer edit
| Squad # | Position | Player | Transferred from | Fee | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | DF | Lecsinel Jean-François | Swindon Town | Free | 20 June 2011 | [14] |
| 22 | FW | Danny Philliskirk | Chelsea | Free | 21 June 2011 | [13] |
| 11 | MF | Ryan Flynn | Falkirk | Undisclosed | 14 July 2011 | [21] |
| 21 | FW | Chris Porter | Derby County | Free | 15 July 2011 | [22] |
| 27 | MF | Kevin McDonald | Burnley | Free | 13 August 2011 | [32] |
| 33 | DF | Elian Parrino | Estudiantes de La Plata | Undisclosed | 18 August 2011 | [35] |
Winter edit
| Squad # | Position | Player | Transferred from | Fee | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | FW | James Beattie | Free agent | Free | 24 November 2011 | [68] |
| 30 | DF | Marcus Williams | Reading | Free | 1 January 2012 | [78] |
| 13 | GK | Mark Howard | Free agent | Free | 20 February 2012 | [100] |
Loan in edit
| Squad # | Position | Player | Loaned from | Start | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | MF | Nathaniel Mendez-Laing | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 5 August 2011 | 3 January 2012 | [27] |
| 30 | DF | Marcus Williams | Reading | 13 September 2011 | 13 December 2011 | [48] |
| 26 | FW | Billy Clarke | Blackpool | 14 October 2011 | 8 November 2011 | [55][64] |
| 32 | MF | Matt Phillips | Blackpool | 14 October 2011 | 8 November 2011 | [55][64] |
| 7 | FW | Will Hoskins | Brighton & Hove Albion | 31 January 2012 | 31 May 2012 | [92] |
| 26 | DF | John Egan | Sunderland | 6 March 2012 | 3 April 2012 | [104] |
| 32 | DF | Matt Hill | Blackpool | 6 March 2012 | 31 May 2012 | [104] |
| 29 | FW | Michael O'Halloran | Bolton Wanderers | 22 March 2012 | 31 May 2012 | [111] |
Out edit
Summer edit
| Squad # | Position | Player | Transferred to | Fee | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | FW | Jamie Ward[notes 7] | Derby County | Undisclosed | 9 May 2011 | [12] |
| 7 | FW | Darius Henderson | Millwall | Undisclosed | 29 June 2011 | [15] |
| 15 | MF | Ryan France | Free agent | Contract Expired | 30 June 2011 | |
| 22 | DF | Rob Kozluk | Port Vale | Contract Expired | 30 June 2011 | [132] |
| 39 | GK | Lawrence Thomas | Melbourne Victory | Contract Expired | 30 June 2011 | [133] |
| 30 | MF | Kingsley James | Port Vale | Free | 1 July 2011 | [17] |
| 32 | DF | Phil Roe | Port Vale | Free | 1 July 2011 | [17] |
| 11 | MF | Mark Yeates | Watford | Undisclosed | 13 July 2011 | [20] |
| 10 | FW | Daniel Bogdanović | Blackpool | Undisclosed | 31 August 2011 | [41] |
| 12 | FW | Jordan Slew | Blackburn Rovers | £1.1 million | 31 August 2011 | [40] |
Winter edit
| Squad # | Position | Player | Transferred to | Fee | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | MF | Kristoffer Løkberg | Ranheim | Free | 1 December 2011 | [41] |
| 33 | DF | Elian Parrino | Released | 12 January 2012 | [83] | |
| 13 | GK | Mihkel Aksalu | Released | 19 January 2012 | [86] |
Loan out edit
| Squad # | Position | Player | Loaned to | Start | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | MF | Kristoffer Løkberg | Ranheim | 31 August 2011 | 1 December 2011 | [41] |
| 22 | FW | Danny Philliskirk | Oxford United | 21 October 2011 | 19 November 2011 | [58] |
| – | MF | Corey Gregory | Hucknall Town | 21 October 2011 | 31 January 2012 | [58] |
| – | DF | Connor Brown | Eastwood Town | 21 October 2011 | 19 November 2011 | [59] |
| 20 | MF | David McAllister | Shrewsbury Town | 12 January 2012 | 4 April 2012 | [84][96][116] |
| 24 | MF | Erik Tønne | York City | 31 January 2012 | 31 May 2012 | [93] |
| 18 | MF | Matthew Harriott | Burton Albion | 6 March 2012 | 24 March 2012 | [134][135] |
| 18 | DF | Seamus Conneely | Alfreton Town | 9 March 2012 | 9 April 2012 | [106] |
| 4 | MF | Nick Montgomery | Millwall | 19 March 2012 | 28 March 2012 | [110][115] |
Contracts edit
New contracts and contract extensions.
| Player | Date | Length | Contracted until | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Slew | 15 July 2011 | 2 Years | Summer 2013 | [136] |
| Matthew Lowton | 11 August 2011 | 3 Years | Summer 2014 | [137] |
| Harry Maguire | 19 October 2011 | 4 Years | Summer 2015 | [138] |
| David McAllister | 12 January 2012 | 2 Years, 6 Months | Summer 2014 | [83] |
| Erik Tønne | 12 January 2012 | 2 Years, 6 Months | Summer 2014 | [83] |
| Jordan Chapell | 12 January 2012 | 6 Months | Summer 2012 | [83] |
| Jack Adams | 12 January 2012 | 6 Months | Summer 2012 | [83] |
| James Beattie | 26 January 2012 | 6 Months | Summer 2012 | [87] |
| Danny Philliskirk | 30 January 2012 | 1 Year, 6 Months | Summer 2013 | [91] |
| George Long | 16 February 2012 | 4 Years | Summer 2016 | [97] |
| Aaron Barry | 14 March 2012 | 1 Year | Summer 2013 | [139] |
League table edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charlton Athletic (C, P) | 46 | 30 | 11 | 5 | 82 | 36 | +46 | 101 | Promotion to Football League Championship |
| 2 | Sheffield Wednesday (P) | 46 | 28 | 9 | 9 | 81 | 48 | +33 | 93 | |
| 3 | Sheffield United | 46 | 27 | 9 | 10 | 92 | 51 | +41 | 90 | Qualification for League One play-offs[a] |
| 4 | Huddersfield Town (O, P) | 46 | 21 | 18 | 7 | 79 | 47 | +32 | 81 | |
| 5 | Milton Keynes Dons | 46 | 22 | 14 | 10 | 84 | 47 | +37 | 80 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted
Notes:
- ^ Four teams play for one spot and promotion to Football League Championship.
Season firsts edit
Player début edit
Players making their first team Sheffield United début in a fully competitive match.
| Squad # | Position | Player | Date | Opponents | Ground | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | MF | Ryan Flynn | 6 August 2011 | Oldham Athletic | Boundary Park | [140] |
| 2 | DF | Lecsinel Jean-François | 6 August 2011 | Oldham Athletic | Boundary Park | [141] |
| 21 | FW | Chris Porter | 6 August 2011 | Oldham Athletic | Boundary Park | [142] |
| 7 | MF | Nathaniel Mendez-Laing | 9 August 2011 | Hartlepool United | Victoria Park | On loan, League Cup[143] |
| 27 | MF | Kevin McDonald | 13 August 2011 | Brentford | Bramall Lane | [144] |
| 30 | DF | Marcus Williams | 13 September 2011 | Huddersfield Town | Bramall Lane | On loan[145] |
| 32 | MF | Matt Phillips | 16 October 2011 | Sheffield Wednesday | Bramall Lane | Sub, On loan[146] |
| 26 | FW | Billy Clarke | 19 October 2011 | Preston North End | Deepdale | On loan[147] |
| 7 | FW | Will Hoskins | 11 February 2012 | Wycombe Wanderers | Bramall Lane | Sub, On loan[148] |
| 26 | DF | John Egan | 6 March 2012 | Walsall | Bescot Stadium | On loan[149] |
| 32 | DF | Matt Hill | 6 March 2012 | Walsall | Bescot Stadium | On loan[150] |
| 29 | FW | Michael O'Halloran | 28 March 2012 | Chesterfield | Bramall Lane | Sub, On loan[151] |
Début goal edit
Players scoring their first goal for Sheffield United in a competitive fixture.
| Squad # | Position | Player | Date | Opponents | Ground | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | DF | Harry Maguire | 6 August 2011 | Oldham Athletic | Boundary Park | [152] |
| 21 | FW | Chris Porter | 27 August 2011 | Yeovil Town | Huish Park | [142] |
| 27 | MF | Erik Tønne | 30 August 2011 | Burton Albion | Pirelli Stadium | Football League Trophy[153] |
| 7 | MF | Nathaniel Mendez-Laing | 3 September 2011 | Bury | Bramall Lane | [143] |
| 32 | MF | Matt Phillips | 19 October 2011 | Preston North End | Deepdale | [146] |
| 26 | FW | Billy Clarke | 29 October 2011 | Exeter City | Bramall Lane | [147] |
| 11 | MF | Ryan Flynn | 19 November 2011 | Oxford United | Bramall Lane | FA Cup[140] |
| 8 | MF | Michael Doyle | 10 January 2012 | Yeovil Town | Bramall Lane | [154] |
| 7 | FW | Will Hoskins | 11 February 2012 | Wycombe Wanderers | Bramall Lane | [148] |
| 27 | MF | Kevin McDonald | 11 February 2012 | Wycombe Wanderers | Bramall Lane | [144] |
| 15 | DF | Neill Collins | 14 February 2012 | Huddersfield Town | Galpharm Stadium | [155] |
Competitive fixture edit
First ever meeting of the two clubs in a competitive fixture.
| Opposition | Date | Venue | Result | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yeovil Town | 27 August 2011 | Huish Park | Win | 0–1 | [156] |
| Burton Albion | 30 August 2011 | Pirelli Stadium | Win | 1–2 | Football League Trophy[157] |
| Stevenage | 5 November 2011 | The Lamex Stadium | Loss | 2–1 | [158] |
| Salisbury City | 7 January 2012 | Bramall Lane | Win | 3–1 | FA Cup[159] |
Stadia edit
First ever visit to a stadium for a competitive fixture
| Venue | Opposition | Date | Result | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huish Park | Yeovil Town | 27 August 2011 | Win | 0–1 | [160] |
| Pirelli Stadium | Burton Albion | 30 August 2011 | Win | 1–2 | Football League Trophy[161] |
| Adams Park | Wycombe Wanderers | 24 September 2011 | Loss | 1–0 | [162] |
| Don Valley Stadium | Rotherham United | 4 October 2011 | Win | 1–2 | Football League Trophy[163] |
| The Lamex Stadium | Stevenage | 5 November 2011 | Loss | 2–1 | [164] |
| B2net Stadium | Chesterfield | 26 November 2011 | Win | 0–1 | [165] |
| Colchester Community Stadium | Colchester United | 13 March 2012 | Draw | 1–1 | [166] |
| Stadium mk | Milton Keynes Dons | 21 April 2012 | Loss | 1–0 | [167] |
Squad statistics edit
Appearances and goals edit
- As of 26 May 2012[1]
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | League One / Play-offs | FA Cup | League Cup | FL Trophy | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||||
| 1 | GK | ENG | Steve Simonsen | 54 | 0 | 47+0 | 0 | 4+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | ||
| 2 | DF | ENG | Matthew Lowton | 55 | 6 | 47+0 | 6 | 3+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | ||
| 3 | DF | HAI | Lecsinel Jean-François | 31 | 0 | 22+3 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | ||
| 4 | MF | SCO | Nick Montgomery | 25 | 1 | 16+6 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | ||
| 5 | DF | ENG | Chris Morgan | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| 6 | MF | AUT | Johannes Ertl | 9 | 0 | 2+6 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| 8 | MF | IRL | Michael Doyle | 54 | 3 | 42+4 | 3 | 4+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | ||
| 9 | FW | WAL | Ched Evans | 43 | 35 | 30+6 | 29 | 4+0 | 5 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+1 | 1 | ||
| 10 | FW | ENG | James Beattie | 19 | 0 | 2+16 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| 11 | MF | SCO | Ryan Flynn | 34 | 4 | 16+12 | 3 | 1+2 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | ||
| 13 | GK | ENG | Mark Howard | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| 14 | MF | JAM | Lee Williamson | 48 | 13 | 34+9 | 13 | 3+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| 15 | DF | SCO | Neill Collins | 54 | 2 | 45+0 | 2 | 4+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | ||
| 16 | DF | ENG | Andy Taylor | 5 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| 17 | FW | ENG | Richard Cresswell | 51 | 10 | 33+11 | 9 | 3+1 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | ||
| 18 | MF | IRL | Matthew Harriott | 2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | ||
| 19 | DF | ENG | Harry Maguire | 56 | 1 | 47+0 | 1 | 4+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | ||
| 20 | MF | IRL | David McAllister | 10 | 1 | 3+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 1+1 | 1 | ||
| 21 | FW | ENG | Chris Porter | 45 | 8 | 20+17 | 6 | 1+2 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 3+1 | 1 | ||
| 22 | FW | ENG | Danny Philliskirk | 3 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | ||
| 23 | MF | IRL | Seamus Conneely | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| 24 | MF | NOR | Erik Tønne | 4 | 2 | 0+2 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+2 | 1 | ||
| 25 | GK | ENG | George Long | 4 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | ||
| 27 | MF | SCO | Kevin McDonald | 38 | 3 | 32+1 | 3 | 2+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | ||
| 28 | MF | IRL | Stephen Quinn | 53 | 4 | 46+2 | 3 | 3+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| 29 | FW | SCO | Michael O'Halloran | 8 | 0 | 1+7 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| 30 | DF | ENG | Marcus Williams | 23 | 0 | 15+4 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | ||
| 31 | FW | ENG | Jordan Chapell | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| 32 | DF | ENG | Matt Hill | 15 | 0 | 15+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| DF | ENG | Terry Kennedy | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | |||
| DF | AUS | Marc Warren | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | |||
| Players who left before the end of the season: | |||||||||||||||
| 7 | MF | ENG | Nathaniel Mendez-Laing | 11 | 1 | 4+4 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | ||
| 7 | FW | ENG | Will Hoskins | 12 | 2 | 4+8 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| 10 | FW | MLT | Daniel Bogdanović | 3 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| 12 | FW | ENG | Jordan Slew | 6 | 1 | 3+1 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | ||
| 13 | GK | EST | Mihkel Aksalu | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| 26 | FW | IRL | Billy Clarke | 6 | 1 | 5+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | ||
| 26 | DF | IRL | John Egan | 1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| 32 | MF | SCO | Matt Phillips | 7 | 6 | 5+1 | 5 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 1 | ||
| 33 | DF | ARG | Elian Parrino | 2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | ||
Top scorers edit
| Place | Number | Nation | Position | Name | League One | Playoffs | FA Cup | League Cup | FL Trophy | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | FW | Ched Evans | 29 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 35 | |
| 2 | 14 | MF | Lee Williamson | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | |
| 3 | 17 | FW | Richard Cresswell | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | |
| 4 | 21 | FW | Chris Porter | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | |
| 5 | 2 | DF | Matthew Lowton | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| 32 | MF | Matt Phillips | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 6 | 28 | MF | Stephen Quinn | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |
| 7 | 8 | MF | Michael Doyle | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 11 | MF | Ryan Flynn | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 27 | MF | Kevin McDonald | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 8 | 15 | DF | Neill Collins | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 7 | FW | Will Hoskins | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 24 | MF | Erik Tønne | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 9 | 26 | FW | Billy Clarke | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 19 | DF | Harry Maguire | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 20 | MF | David McAllister | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 7 | MF | Nathaniel Mendez-Laing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 4 | MF | Nick Montgomery | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 12 | FW | Jordan Slew | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| TOTALS | 82 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 99 | ||||
Five additional own goals scored during the season, three in The Football League and two in the FA Cup.
Disciplinary record edit
| Number | Nation | Position | Name | League One | Playoffs | FA Cup | League Cup | FL Trophy | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | DF | Harry Maguire | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | |
| 14 | MF | Lee Williamson | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2 | DF | Matthew Lowton | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | |
| 27 | MF | Kevin McDonald | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| 28 | MF | Stephen Quinn | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| 17 | FW | Richard Cresswell | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| 9 | FW | Ched Evans | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| 10 | FW | James Beattie | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 8 | MF | Michael Doyle | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| 3 | DF | Lecsinel Jean-François | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| 15 | DF | Neill Collins | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| 4 | MF | Nick Montgomery | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1 | GK | Steve Simonsen | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 11 | MF | Ryan Flynn | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 21 | FW | Chris Porter | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 30 | DF | Marcus Williams | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 32 | DF | Matt Hill | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 20 | MF | David McAllister | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 28 | FW | Jordan Slew | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| TOTALS | 69 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 79 | 4 | |||
Suspensions edit
| Squad # | Position | Player | Suspension | Start date | Reason | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | DF | Lecsinel Jean-François | 1 game | 10 September 2011 | Five yellow cards to date | [168] |
| 14 | MF | Lee Williamson | 1 game | 17 December 2011 | Five yellow cards to date | [169] |
| 17 | FW | Richard Cresswell | 1 game | 27 December 2011 | Five yellow cards to date | [170] |
| 28 | MF | Stephen Quinn | 1 game | 27 December 2011 | Five yellow cards to date | [170] |
| 10 | FW | James Beattie | 3 games | 21 January 2012 | Straight red card – violent conduct | [171] |
| 2 | DF | Matthew Lowton | 1 game | 3 March 2012 | Two yellow cards | [172] |
| 19 | DF | Harry Maguire | 1 game | 3 March 2012 | Straight red card | [172] |
| 10 | FW | James Beattie | 4 games | 5 May 2012 | Straight red card (2nd of season) | [173] |
Date of start of suspension assumed to be the date of the game during which the disciplinary incident occurred.
International Call-ups edit
| No. | P | Name | Squad | Competition | Opposition | Date | Cap | Goals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | George Willis | England U17[174] | 2012 U17 European Championship qualification | Latvia U17 | 26 October 2011 | Y | 0 | ||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina U17 | 28 October 2011 | Y | 0 | ||||||
| Netherlands U17 | 31 October 2011 | N | 0 | Unused sub | |||||
| 3 | DF | Lecsinel Jean-François | Haiti[175] | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification | Antigua and Barbuda | 11 November 2011 | Y | 0 | |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 15 November 2011 | Y | 0 |
Matches edit
Key edit
Win Draw Loss
Football League One edit
| 6 August 2011 | Oldham Athletic | 0–2 | Sheffield United | Boundary Park |
| 15:00 | (Report) | Maguire 48' Cresswell 54' | Attendance: 8,032 |
| 13 August 2011 | Sheffield United | 2–0 | Brentford | Bramall Lane |
| 15:00 | Slew 49' Cresswell 70' | (Report) | Attendance: 17,769 |
| 16 August 2011 | Sheffield United | 3–2 | Walsall | Bramall Lane |
| 19:45 | Lowton 59' Williamson 68' Cresswell 74' (pen.) | (Report) | Hurst 46' Grigg 51' | Attendance: 16,443 |
| 20 August 2011 | Tranmere Rovers | 1–1 | Sheffield United | Prenton Park |
| 15:00 | Labadie 80' | (Report) | Montgomery 44' | Attendance: 6,244 |
| 27 August 2011 | Yeovil Town | 0–1 | Sheffield United | Huish Park |
| 13:00 | Haynes-Brown 90+7' | (Report) | Porter 41' | Attendance: 5,001 |
| 3 September 2011 | Sheffield United | 4–0 | Bury | Bramall Lane |
| 15:00 | Porter 43' Mendez-Laing 47' Lowton 71' Tønne 84' | (Report) | Attendance: 17,956 |
| 10 September 2011 | Scunthorpe United | 1–1 | Sheffield United | Glanford Park |
| 15:00 | Dagnall 45+1' Barcham 24' | (Report) | Evans 72' | Attendance: 6,042 |
| 13 September 2011 | Sheffield United | 0–3 | Huddersfield Town | Bramall Lane |
| 19:45 | (Report) | Novak 20', 37' Gobern 40' | Attendance: 17,373 |
| 17 September 2011 | Sheffield United | 3–0 | Colchester United | Bramall Lane |
| 15:00 | Evans 3' Porter 12' Quinn 72' | (Report) | Attendance: 15,783 |
| 24 September 2011 | Wycombe Wanderers | 1–0 | Sheffield United | Adams Park |
| 15:00 | Beavon 31' | (Report) | Attendance: 5,506 |
| 1 October 2011 | Sheffield United | 0–2 | Charlton Athletic | Bramall Lane |
| 15:00 | (Report) | Kermorgant 65' Wright-Phillips 67' | Attendance: 20,743 |
| 16 October 2011 | Sheffield United | 2–2 | Sheffield Wednesday | Bramall Lane |
| 12:00 | Quinn 11' Evans 20' | (Report) | O'Grady 82' Madine 86' | Attendance: 28,136 |
| 19 October 2011 | Preston North End | 2–4 | Sheffield United | Deepdale |
| 19:45 | Carlisle 29' Hume 63' | (Report) | Phillips 4', 39' Williamson 74', 87' | Attendance: 11,520 |
| 22 October 2011 | Leyton Orient | 1–1 | Sheffield United | Matchroom Stadium |
| 15:00 | Lisbie 90+6' Daniels 73' | (Report) | Porter 84' | Attendance: 5,928 |
| 25 October 2011 | Sheffield United | 2–1 | Milton Keynes Dons | Bramall Lane |
| 19:45 | Cresswell 22' Phillips 67' | (Report) | Gleeson 52' Smith 84' | Attendance: 16,367 |
| 29 October 2011 | Sheffield United | 4–4 | Exeter City | Bramall Lane |
| 15:00 | Phillips 45', 85' Clarke 65' Lowton 85' | (Report) | Nardiello 9' Noble 23' O'Flynn 82' Dunne 86' | Attendance: 17,052 |
| 19 November 2011 | Sheffield United | 1–0 | Carlisle United | Bramall Lane |
| 15:00 | Evans 21' | 2011, sheffield, united, season, sheffield, united, football, club, known, blades, participated, league, third, level, english, football, first, time, years, having, been, relegated, from, championship, previous, season, also, their, first, appearance, both, f. Sheffield United Football Club known as the Blades participated in League One the third level of English football for the first time in 23 years having been relegated from the Championship at the end of the previous season It was also their first appearance in both the Football League Trophy and the first round proper of the FA Cup for a similar length of time as well as being the first season under new manager Danny Wilson United began the season well recording consistently sound results in Football League One and nearing the position required for an immediate return to the Championship By the turn of the year the squad was well positioned for promotion Sheffield United2011 12 seasonChairmanKevin McCabe PLC Chairman Christopher Steer Football Club Chairman ManagerDanny WilsonLeague One3rdFA Cupfourth roundLeague Cupsecond roundFootball League TrophyQuarter final North Top goalscorerLeague Evans 29 All Evans 35 Highest home attendance30 043 vs Stevenage 1 Lowest home attendanceLeague 15 783 vs Colchester United Cup 5 692 vs Bradford City 1 Average home league attendance18 702 2 Home coloursAway colours 2010 112012 13 Reasonable progress was made in the cup competitions reaching the second round of the League Cup the fourth round of the FA Cup and the regional quarter finals of the Football League Trophy With only a handful of games left to play in the league United looked set to finish in second place in the table but in the aftermath of leading scorer Ched Evans being jailed results declined and United slipped to third place in the final week of the season Although they reached the play off final the team were beaten on penalties by Huddersfield Town at Wembley Stadium thus failing to achieve promotion and being destined to spend the following season in League One Contents 1 Team kit 2 Season overview 2 1 Preseason 2 2 August September Early season optimism 2 3 October November Important points dropped 2 4 December January Maximum points for Christmas 2 5 February March Promotion charge takes shape then falls apart 2 6 April May The final straight ends in disappointment 2 7 Another trip to Wembley 2 8 Academy and Reserve teams 2 8 1 Reserves 2 8 2 Academy 3 Players 3 1 First team squad 3 2 Out on loan 3 3 Left club during season 4 Transfers and contracts 4 1 In 4 1 1 Summer 4 1 2 Winter 4 1 3 Loan in 4 2 Out 4 2 1 Summer 4 2 2 Winter 4 2 3 Loan out 4 3 Contracts 5 League table 6 Season firsts 6 1 Player debut 6 2 Debut goal 6 3 Competitive fixture 6 4 Stadia 7 Squad statistics 7 1 Appearances and goals 7 2 Top scorers 7 3 Disciplinary record 7 3 1 Suspensions 7 4 International Call ups 8 Matches 8 1 Key 8 2 Football League One 8 3 Playoffs 8 4 FA Cup 8 5 Football League Cup 8 6 Football League Trophy 8 7 Pre season and friendlies 9 Honours and awards 9 1 PFA League One Team of the Year 9 2 League One Manager of the Month 9 3 League One Player of the Month 9 4 Football League Young Player of the Month 9 5 Sheffield Star Young Player of the Year 9 6 League One Team of the Week 9 7 Fans Player of the Month 9 8 Club end of season awards 10 References 11 Notes 12 External linksTeam kit editThe team kit for the 2011 12 season was produced by Macron for the third successive year The home kit consisted of the club s traditional red and white stripes and was based on the kit worn by the team in the early 1970s chosen following a poll of fans the previous year 3 As the pre season programme got under way the club also revealed a new all yellow away kit 3 By mid July the club announced that they had struck a joint sponsorship deal with cross city rivals Sheffield Wednesday which would see both teams sponsored by the same two local companies The Blades home kit was sponsored by Westfield Health and the away kit by local car dealers Gilders Group with Sheffield Wednesday s kit s having the reverse 4 The club later announced that a new secondary sponsor Nexis would appear on the back of the home shirts for the coming season 5 Season overview editPreseason edit nbsp Danny Wilson who was appointed as Sheffield United manager in May 2011 Following relegation from the Championship at the end of the previous season company chairman Kevin McCabe sacked manager Micky Adams insisting that the club needed a new start to take them forward 6 After a few weeks of speculation McCabe appointed former Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Wilson as Adams successor 7 Wilson began to assemble his back room team appointing former United defender Frank Barlow as his number two 8 fellow former Blade Billy Dearden as chief scout 9 and Dave Morrison as fitness coach 10 Wilson stressed that he intended to bring a better style of play to the team in the coming season 11 but admitted that players would have to be sold to balance the books Deals were already in place to sell Jamie Ward to Derby County for an undisclosed fee 12 and sign Danny Philliskirk from Chelsea on a free transfer 13 but Wilson also added to the squad in June by signing Lecsinel Jean Francois from his former club Swindon Town also on a free transfer 14 After much speculation and with the players about to return for pre season training Darius Henderson was sold to Millwall for an undisclosed fee in order to free up money on the wage bill 15 The club announced a low key series of friendlies for July 16 while Wilson continued to reshape his squad allowing young defenders Kingsley James and Phil Roe both products of the Blades Academy to leave and rejoin former boss Micky Adams at Port Vale on free transfers 17 A youthful team were held to a draw by Sheffield 18 but overcame Worksop Town a few days later 19 With the team about to leave for a training camp in Malta Mark Yeates was sold to Watford for an undisclosed fee 20 Ryan Flynn was signed from Falkirk for a similarly undisclosed fee 21 and Chris Porter arrived on a free transfer having been released by Derby County 22 Once in Malta United took on local sides Sliema Wanderers and Hibernians in friendly games beating both sides 23 24 Upon returning to England the Blades completed their pre season schedule with two home fixtures losing to Doncaster Rovers 25 and drawing with Blackpool 26 With their pre season schedule completed the Blades signed young winger Nathaniel Mendez Laing from Wolverhampton Wanderers on a six month loan deal 27 Unfortunately the latter half of July also saw the club hit the national headlines for the wrong reasons Firstly the club was identified by a Channel 4 undercover investigation as being offered for sale as part of an illegal ownership deal although the Blades themselves were not implicated in any wrongdoing 28 A fortnight later striker Ched Evans was arrested and charged with rape following an incident in May 29 August September Early season optimism edit nbsp Stephen Quinn whose early season form won a number of League One Team of the Week nominations The Blades won the opening game of the season away from home outclassing Oldham Athletic 30 but a strong side needed penalties to overcome Hartlepool United at Victoria Park in the first round of the League Cup a few days later 31 Midfielder Kevin McDonald was added to the squad on a free transfer after a lengthy trial period 32 before the Blades resumed their league campaign beating Brentford at home 33 and overturning a two nil deficit to overcome Walsall at Bramall Lane 34 Having spent the previous season on loan at United Argentinian Elian Parrino returned to South Yorkshire on a one year deal from Estudiantes de La Plata 35 after which the Blades embarked on a four match run of away games in the space of eleven days They dropped their first league points of the season as they were held to a draw by Tranmere Rovers 36 before suffering their first defeat of the season on a quick return to Merseyside allowing the lead to slip once more as they crashed out of the League Cup at the hands of Premiership Everton 37 The team returned to league action and winning ways with an away trip to Yeovil 38 the first ever competitive meeting between the two clubs after which they despatched Burton Albion to progress into the second round of the Football League Trophy 39 With Danny Wilson still needing to raise money and trim the wage bill the Blades had a relatively busy transfer deadline day allowing Jordan Slew to join Blackburn Rovers for 1 1m 40 and Daniel Bogdanovic to join Blackpool for an undisclosed fee 41 but turning down another offer from the Seasiders for Stephen Quinn 42 The Blades also agreed a deal to take two young midfielders John Fleck and Kyle Hutton on loan from Rangers for the remainder of the season 43 but the deal subsequently fell through due to issues with the paperwork involved 44 The team kicked off September by crushing Bury 4 0 at Bramall Lane 45 and then travelled to Scunthorpe United where they maintained their unbeaten start after coming from behind to grab a 1 1 draw 46 Off the field the restructuring of the club continued with the appointment of former Blades player Julian Winter as Chief Executive to replace the departing Trevor Birch 47 Danny Wilson added to his defensive options by signing Marcus Williams on a months loan from Reading 48 with the defender making his debut only hours later although he was unable to prevent the Blades from crashing to their first league defeat of the season as they were trounced 3 0 at home by Huddersfield Town 49 Despite this setback the Blades quickly returned to winning ways reversing the previous scoreline to crush Colchester United 3 0 at Bramall Lane 50 The month ended on a low note however as the team suffered a shock defeat at struggling Wycombe Wanderers 51 although they still managed to hold onto second place in the table October November Important points dropped edit October started no better for the Blades as they were easily beaten 2 0 at home by league leaders Charlton Athletic 52 and needed a last second goal to progress in the Football League Trophy as they struggled against League Two side Rotherham United 53 Meanwhile Danny Wilson boosted his squad ahead of the Steel City derby with Marcus Williams agreeing to stay on loan for a further two months 54 and Matt Phillips and Billy Clarke arriving for a month each from Blackpool 55 The new arrivals failed to halt the disappointing run of results however as the Blades let a 2 0 lead slip to end up drawing with their cross city rivals 56 Despite this disappointment the team bounced back to score an emphatic away win at Preston a few days later with both new signing Matt Phillips and old hand Lee Williamson netting two goals apiece 57 With increased competition for first team places youngsters Danny Philliskirk and Corey Gregory were allowed to go out on loan to Oxford United and Hucknall Town respectively 58 swiftly followed by Connor Brown who joined Eastwood Town on a months deal 59 Back in the league the disappointing results continued as United threw away a lead once again allowing ten men Leyton Orient to snatch a draw with the last kick of the game 60 Once again the Blades quickly responded to the setback by beating fellow promotion rivals MK Dons 2 1 at Bramall Lane 61 but then conspired to throw away yet more points allowing Exeter City to come from behind twice in the closing minutes of the next game to snatch a 4 4 draw 62 Into November and back on the road yet another late goal was handed Stevenage all three points 63 leaving United fifth in the table going into FA Cup week With Phillips and Clarke playing the final game of their loan spell 64 United tamely exited the Football League Trophy losing on penalties to League Two strugglers Bradford City 65 There was a more positive result in the FA Cup however as a brace from Ched Evans helped the Blades ease past Oxford United 66 By mid November and with Danny Wilson still seeking to add to his attacking options it was reported that former striker and fans favourite James Beattie had returned to training with the club and could be handed a contract depending on match fitness 67 and a short term deal was duly signed a few days later 68 Back in League action United saw out a victory over Carlisle United despite seeing a Richard Cresswell spot kick saved in the second half 69 and a week later Ched Evans scored his fifth goal in four games to beat Chesterfield by the same scoreline 70 The month ended on a sombre note however as former player and manager Gary Speed was found dead at his home after having taken his own life less than a year after leaving his post at Bramall Lane 71 December January Maximum points for Christmas edit nbsp Ched Evans pictured playing for Wales who scored 35 goals during the season December started with the second round of the FA Cup and despite conceding another late goal the Blades progressed into the third round at the expense of Torquay United thanks to another brace from in Ched Evans 72 who then scored for the fifth game in succession in the next game netting twice more in a league victory over Rochdale 73 The team s impressive form continued with an away win at Bournemouth thanks to two own goals 74 Notts County making a similar gift of an own goal to contribute to their own defeat on Boxing Day 75 before the Blades rounded the year off by crushing Hartlepool United on New Year s Eve 76 meaning that the Blades ended 2011 in second place in the table following eight victories in a row in all competitions 77 With the transfer window reopening in January Danny Wilson s first signing was the return of former loan player Marcus Williams who agreed a two and a half year deal 78 The New Year started disappointingly as the Blades crashed to their first defeat since the beginning of November as they were beaten 3 2 at Carlisle United 79 Following Danny Wilson being awarded League One Manager of the Month for December 80 United soon got back to winning ways when they returned to home soil The team saw off Salisbury City 3 1 in the third round of the FA Cup 81 the first meeting ever between the two clubs and then outclassed Yeovil Town a few days later hitting four without reply including a brace from Lee Williamson and a first ever club goal from captain Michael Doyle 82 With Danny Wilson looking to freshen up his squad United rewarded four of its younger players with contract extensions with Erik Tonne and David McAllister set to remain with the club until the summer of 2014 and youth team players Jordan Chapell and Jack Adams agreeing new deals until the end of the season 83 In a busy day the club saw the departure of Elian Parrino as his short term deal came to an end 83 and then allowed McAllister to join League Two club Shrewsbury Town on a months loan 84 with manager Danny Wilson bemoaning a lack of reserve games under the current system 85 The following week Wilson continued to overhaul the squad with reserve keeper Mihkel Aksalu leaving the club on mutual terms 86 but was boosted by fans favourite James Beattie agreeing a deal to remain at Bramall Lane until the end of the season 87 Meanwhile back in the league the Blades then continued their fine run of form completing their second league double of the week as they hit three without reply away at Bury 88 but that form deserted them for a top of the table trip to Charlton Athletic where a bad tempered match resulted in both teams being reduced to ten men and a 1 0 loss for United 89 Seven days later United suffered their first back to back defeats of the season as they crashed out of the FA Cup at the hands of Birmingham City 90 With the transfer window about to close Bramall Lane was relatively quite on deadline day Danny Philliskirk was handed an extended deal 91 and striker Will Hoskins signed on loan from Brighton amp Hove Albion until the end of the season 92 whilst youngster Erik Tonne was allowed to join Yorkshire neighbours York City also until the end of the season 93 The club also gave a trial to experienced Scottish defender David Weir with a view to a potential short term contract 94 February March Promotion charge takes shape then falls apart edit nbsp Richard Cresswell played 51 games for the Blades during the course of the season After various match postponements due to a spell of bad weather and the various cup competitions United finally returned to league action in mid February with new signing Hoskins scoring on his debut as the Blades ran out 3 0 victors over Wycombe Wanderers 95 After a successful spell midfielder David McAllister opted to extend his loan deal at Shrewsbury until the end of March 96 whilst young keeper George Long agreed a new long term deal at Bramall Lane 97 Meanwhile on Valentine s Day the Blades beat Yorkshire and promotion rivals Huddersfield Town 1 0 at the Galpharm Stadium as defender Neill Collins scored his first ever goal for the club 98 before coming from behind to beat Preston North End at home a few days later despite Ched Evans missing a penalty 99 With Mihkel Aksalu having departed United agreed a two and a half year deal with keeper and free agent Mark Howard to provide cover for Steve Simonsen 100 before the club met their cross city rivals in the second Steel City derby of the season where United suffered a narrow defeat 101 Looking for a quick bounce back United were forced to come from behind to beat Scunthorpe United at home 102 to leave them in second place five points clear of third in the table at the start of March Despite their form United suffered a catastrophic start to March as they lost at home to Oldham Athletic having had a two goal lead only to see both Matthew Lowton and Harry Maguire sent off and the team subsequently collapse 103 With the entire back four unavailable United were forced to draft in Matt Hill and John Egan on emergency loans 104 but this was not enough to prevent them slipping to their third defeat in four games as they capitulated at Walsall 105 Danny Wilson remained keen to find first team experience for the younger members of the squad and as such allowed Seamus Conneely to join Alfreton Town on loan 106 before United returned to winning ways with two goals from Ched Evans being enough to defeat Brentford at Griffin Park 107 Unfortunately the Blades failed to take advantage of their game in hand being held to a draw by Colchester United 108 before once again allowing a lead to slip as they drew with Tranmere Rovers at Bramall Lane 109 With the transfer deadline for loans approaching the Blades longest serving player and vice captain Nick Montgomery was allowed to join Millwall until the end of the season due to an absence of first team football 110 allowing Danny Wilson to bring in winger Michael O Halloran on loan from Bolton Wanderers 111 Meanwhile on the pitch United put their recent poor form behind them as they outclassed Notts County 5 2 at Meadow Lane 112 before putting four goals past Chesterfield at Bramall Lane including a hat trick from in form striker Ched Evans 113 Despite a low key team performance a second Ched Evans penalty in as many games was enough to finish the month with a third straight victory with the Blades defeating Hartlepool United at Victoria Park 114 April May The final straight ends in disappointment edit With loan defender John Egan returning to his parent club at the start of April Nick Montgomery s loan at Millwall was all but cut short after only two substitute appearances when he sustained a calf injury likely to sideline him until the end of the season 115 David McAllister also saw his loan spell at Shrewsbury cut short shortly after receiving a red card with the resulting three game ban ruling him out for the remainder of his time at the New Meadow 116 Back in the league a nervy display saw the Blades edge out Bournemouth at Bramall Lane 117 before a much more emphatic performance saw them bury Rochdale at the Spotland Stadium 118 With the Blades now in a straight fight with local rivals Sheffield Wednesday for the second automatic promotion spot they came from behind to beat Leyton Orient at Bramall Lane to open up a four point gap on third placed Wednesday 119 The next week however their campaign was dealt a crushing blow as star striker and top scorer Ched Evans s case came to trial where he was found guilty of rape and sentenced to five years in prison 120 Without Evans and missing his injured strike partner Richard Cresswell United slipped to a damaging defeat at MK Dons 121 Worse was to come as United could only register a draw with Stevenage in a dramatic final home game at Bramall Lane meaning they slipped out of the automatic promotion places for the first time since February 122 United went into the final league fixture with Exeter City requiring to win and hope that rivals Sheffield Wednesday were beaten to secure promotion a combination that failed to materialise as Wednesday registered a victory and the Blades could only draw meaning they were consigned to the play offs 123 Another trip to Wembley edit Main article 2012 Football League One play off final With James Beattie unavailable for the playoffs following a red card in the final game of the season against Exeter City manager Danny Wilson was faced with a selection crisis ahead of the critical games against Stevenage With only one senior striker available a patched up side contested a dour first leg where neither team created many chances United did manage to keep a clean sheet however and took the tie back to Bramall Lane with the scores level at 0 0 124 The Blades entered the second leg still bereft of forwards with Richard Cresswell having contracted an illness on the morning of the game so were forced to play with just Chris Porter as a lone striker once more An even first half saw few opportunities for either side but following the break United began to attack with more purpose Despite chances for both sides the game looked to be heading for another draw until Porter scored an 85th minute winner to put the Blades through to the final at Wembley 125 Richard Cresswell was passed fit for the final against Huddersfield but influential midfielder Kevin McDonald was left out through injury so the Blades were forced to make changes once more The game was played under blistering heat and neither side created many chances 126 It remained 0 0 after ninety minutes and so extra time was played but there was still no breakthrough Ultimately the game went to penalties which saw every player for both sides take a spot kick only for United to lose 8 7 when goalkeeper Steve Simonsen missed the final kick consigning the Blades to another season in League One 126 127 Academy and Reserve teams edit Reserves edit Central Division Table Team Pts 1 Sheffield United 22 2 Derby County 21 3 Nottingham Forest 18 4 Port Vale 15 5 Walsall 15 6 Burton Albion 13 7 Stoke City 12Sheffield United Reserves played in the Central League Central Division in the nearby Derbyshire town of Dronfield at the Coach and Horses ground which was also the home of Sheffield FC during the season 128 Experienced defender Chris Morgan was appointed reserve team coach at the start of the season and given the responsibility of developing the young players which made up the bulk of the side 128 With many teams now opting not to enter a reserve side into an organised competition the Central Division consisted of just seven sides meaning fixtures were irregular throughout the season In January 2012 Danny Wilson expressed the need to reform the reserve team structure due to this infrequent number of matches citing that experienced players do not gain much from them and the cost of staging the fixtures as issues 85 Despite this United s side ended the season as Champions finishing one point ahead of nearest rivals Derby County 128 who had won the division in the previous season ironically by one point from The Blades who had finished second Following a nine match unbeaten run the title was clinched with the final game of the season as United held a strong Nottingham Forest side to a 1 1 draw at the coach and Horses ground 128 Danny Philliskirk ended the season as top scorer having netted six goals whilst he was also the joint leading appearance maker along with Matty Harriott and Shane Murray 128 Academy edit Sheffield United Academy U18s played in the FA Premier Academy League U18s Group D at the Shirecliffe ground at Firshill Crescent Under the management of John Pemberton the side were seeking to replicate the success of the previous season when they had reached the final of the FA Youth Cup final 129 Shorn of a number of key players who had either graduated to the first team or left the club the team completed a solid but unspectacular season Results fluctuated with impressive victories over the likes of Everton Bolton and Sunderland being mixed with heavy defeats to Leeds United Coventry City and West Ham United 130 Eventually finishing fifth out of ten teams in their division manager John Pemberton described the season as another successful one for everyone associated with the Academy We have five players becoming professionals who will all be linking up with the first team next season and that is what we are judged on producing players 130 United s hopes of repeating the previous season s success in the FA Youth Cup did not come to fruition however After a victory in the first round over Tranmere Rovers they required penalties to see off Port Vale in the next round before finally being eliminated in round three when Southampton recorded a 7 0 victory over the Blades 130 Players editAs of the end of the season 1 First team squad edit Squad at end of season 131 Note Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules Players may hold more than one non FIFA nationality No Pos Nation Player 1 GK nbsp ENG Steve Simonsen 2 DF nbsp ENG Matthew Lowton 3 DF nbsp HAI Lecsinel Jean Francois notes 1 4 MF nbsp SCO Nick Montgomery notes 2 5 DF nbsp ENG Chris Morgan captain 6 DF nbsp AUT Johannes Ertl 8 MF nbsp IRL Michael Doyle vice captain 10 FW nbsp ENG James Beattie 11 MF nbsp SCO Ryan Flynn 13 GK nbsp ENG Mark Howard 14 MF nbsp JAM Lee Williamson notes 3 15 DF nbsp SCO Neill Collins 16 DF nbsp ENG Andy Taylor 17 FW nbsp ENG Richard Cresswell 18 MF nbsp IRL Matthew Harriott notes 4 No Pos Nation Player 19 DF nbsp ENG Harry Maguire 20 MF nbsp IRL David McAllister 21 FW nbsp ENG Chris Porter 22 FW nbsp ENG Danny Philliskirk 25 GK nbsp ENG George Long 26 DF nbsp IRL John Egan on loan from Sunderland 27 MF nbsp SCO Kevin McDonald 28 MF nbsp IRL Stephen Quinn 29 FW nbsp SCO Michael O Halloran on loan from Bolton Wanderers 30 DF nbsp ENG Marcus Williams 31 FW nbsp ENG Jordan Chapell 32 DF nbsp ENG Matt Hill on loan from Blackpool 35 DF nbsp AUS Marc Warren DF nbsp ENG Terry Kennedy Out on loan edit Note Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules Players may hold more than one non FIFA nationality No Pos Nation Player 23 DF nbsp IRL Seamus Conneely notes 5 on loan to Alfreton Town No Pos Nation Player 24 MF nbsp NOR Erik Tonne on loan to York City Left club during season edit Note Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules Players may hold more than one non FIFA nationality No Pos Nation Player 7 MF nbsp ENG Nathaniel Mendez Laing on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers 7 FW nbsp ENG Will Hoskins on loan from Brighton amp Hove Albion 9 FW nbsp WAL Ched Evans released 10 FW nbsp MLT Daniel Bogdanovic notes 6 to Blackpool 12 FW nbsp ENG Jordan Slew to Blackburn Rovers No Pos Nation Player 13 GK nbsp EST Mihkel Aksalu released 26 FW nbsp IRL Billy Clarke on loan from Blackpool 32 MF nbsp SCO Matt Phillips on loan from Blackpool 33 DF nbsp ARG Elian Parrino released Transfers and contracts editIn edit Summer edit Squad Position Player Transferred from Fee Date Source 3 DF nbsp Lecsinel Jean Francois nbsp Swindon Town Free 20 June 2011 14 22 FW nbsp Danny Philliskirk nbsp Chelsea Free 21 June 2011 13 11 MF nbsp Ryan Flynn nbsp Falkirk Undisclosed 14 July 2011 21 21 FW nbsp Chris Porter nbsp Derby County Free 15 July 2011 22 27 MF nbsp Kevin McDonald nbsp Burnley Free 13 August 2011 32 33 DF nbsp Elian Parrino nbsp Estudiantes de La Plata Undisclosed 18 August 2011 35 Winter edit Squad Position Player Transferred from Fee Date Source 10 FW nbsp James Beattie Free agent Free 24 November 2011 68 30 DF nbsp Marcus Williams nbsp Reading Free 1 January 2012 78 13 GK nbsp Mark Howard Free agent Free 20 February 2012 100 Loan in edit Squad Position Player Loaned from Start End Source 7 MF nbsp Nathaniel Mendez Laing nbsp Wolverhampton Wanderers 5 August 2011 3 January 2012 27 30 DF nbsp Marcus Williams nbsp Reading 13 September 2011 13 December 2011 48 26 FW nbsp Billy Clarke nbsp Blackpool 14 October 2011 8 November 2011 55 64 32 MF nbsp Matt Phillips nbsp Blackpool 14 October 2011 8 November 2011 55 64 7 FW nbsp Will Hoskins nbsp Brighton amp Hove Albion 31 January 2012 31 May 2012 92 26 DF nbsp John Egan nbsp Sunderland 6 March 2012 3 April 2012 104 32 DF nbsp Matt Hill nbsp Blackpool 6 March 2012 31 May 2012 104 29 FW nbsp Michael O Halloran nbsp Bolton Wanderers 22 March 2012 31 May 2012 111 Out edit Summer edit Squad Position Player Transferred to Fee Date Source 18 FW nbsp Jamie Ward notes 7 nbsp Derby County Undisclosed 9 May 2011 12 7 FW nbsp Darius Henderson nbsp Millwall Undisclosed 29 June 2011 15 15 MF nbsp Ryan France Free agent Contract Expired 30 June 2011 22 DF nbsp Rob Kozluk nbsp Port Vale Contract Expired 30 June 2011 132 39 GK nbsp Lawrence Thomas nbsp Melbourne Victory Contract Expired 30 June 2011 133 30 MF nbsp Kingsley James nbsp Port Vale Free 1 July 2011 17 32 DF nbsp Phil Roe nbsp Port Vale Free 1 July 2011 17 11 MF nbsp Mark Yeates nbsp Watford Undisclosed 13 July 2011 20 10 FW nbsp Daniel Bogdanovic nbsp Blackpool Undisclosed 31 August 2011 41 12 FW nbsp Jordan Slew nbsp Blackburn Rovers 1 1 million 31 August 2011 40 Winter edit Squad Position Player Transferred to Fee Date Source MF nbsp Kristoffer Lokberg nbsp Ranheim Free 1 December 2011 41 33 DF nbsp Elian Parrino Released 12 January 2012 83 13 GK nbsp Mihkel Aksalu Released 19 January 2012 86 Loan out edit Squad Position Player Loaned to Start End Source MF nbsp Kristoffer Lokberg nbsp Ranheim 31 August 2011 1 December 2011 41 22 FW nbsp Danny Philliskirk nbsp Oxford United 21 October 2011 19 November 2011 58 MF nbsp Corey Gregory nbsp Hucknall Town 21 October 2011 31 January 2012 58 DF nbsp Connor Brown nbsp Eastwood Town 21 October 2011 19 November 2011 59 20 MF nbsp David McAllister nbsp Shrewsbury Town 12 January 2012 4 April 2012 84 96 116 24 MF nbsp Erik Tonne nbsp York City 31 January 2012 31 May 2012 93 18 MF nbsp Matthew Harriott nbsp Burton Albion 6 March 2012 24 March 2012 134 135 18 DF nbsp Seamus Conneely nbsp Alfreton Town 9 March 2012 9 April 2012 106 4 MF nbsp Nick Montgomery nbsp Millwall 19 March 2012 28 March 2012 110 115 Contracts edit New contracts and contract extensions Player Date Length Contracted until Reference nbsp Jordan Slew 15 July 2011 2 Years Summer 2013 136 nbsp Matthew Lowton 11 August 2011 3 Years Summer 2014 137 nbsp Harry Maguire 19 October 2011 4 Years Summer 2015 138 nbsp David McAllister 12 January 2012 2 Years 6 Months Summer 2014 83 nbsp Erik Tonne 12 January 2012 2 Years 6 Months Summer 2014 83 nbsp Jordan Chapell 12 January 2012 6 Months Summer 2012 83 nbsp Jack Adams 12 January 2012 6 Months Summer 2012 83 nbsp James Beattie 26 January 2012 6 Months Summer 2012 87 nbsp Danny Philliskirk 30 January 2012 1 Year 6 Months Summer 2013 91 nbsp George Long 16 February 2012 4 Years Summer 2016 97 nbsp Aaron Barry 14 March 2012 1 Year Summer 2013 139 League table editPos Teamvte Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion qualification or relegation 1 Charlton Athletic C P 46 30 11 5 82 36 46 101 Promotion to Football League Championship 2 Sheffield Wednesday P 46 28 9 9 81 48 33 93 3 Sheffield United 46 27 9 10 92 51 41 90 Qualification for League One play offs a 4 Huddersfield Town O P 46 21 18 7 79 47 32 81 5 Milton Keynes Dons 46 22 14 10 84 47 37 80Updated to match es played on 5 May 2012 Source BBC SportRules for classification 1 Points 2 Goal difference 3 Number of goals scored C Champions O Play off winners P PromotedNotes Four teams play for one spot and promotion to Football League Championship Season firsts editPlayer debut edit Players making their first team Sheffield United debut in a fully competitive match Squad Position Player Date Opponents Ground Notes 11 MF nbsp Ryan Flynn 6 August 2011 Oldham Athletic Boundary Park 140 2 DF nbsp Lecsinel Jean Francois 6 August 2011 Oldham Athletic Boundary Park 141 21 FW nbsp Chris Porter 6 August 2011 Oldham Athletic Boundary Park 142 7 MF nbsp Nathaniel Mendez Laing 9 August 2011 Hartlepool United Victoria Park On loan League Cup 143 27 MF nbsp Kevin McDonald 13 August 2011 Brentford Bramall Lane 144 30 DF nbsp Marcus Williams 13 September 2011 Huddersfield Town Bramall Lane On loan 145 32 MF nbsp Matt Phillips 16 October 2011 Sheffield Wednesday Bramall Lane Sub On loan 146 26 FW nbsp Billy Clarke 19 October 2011 Preston North End Deepdale On loan 147 7 FW nbsp Will Hoskins 11 February 2012 Wycombe Wanderers Bramall Lane Sub On loan 148 26 DF nbsp John Egan 6 March 2012 Walsall Bescot Stadium On loan 149 32 DF nbsp Matt Hill 6 March 2012 Walsall Bescot Stadium On loan 150 29 FW nbsp Michael O Halloran 28 March 2012 Chesterfield Bramall Lane Sub On loan 151 Debut goal edit Players scoring their first goal for Sheffield United in a competitive fixture Squad Position Player Date Opponents Ground Notes 19 DF nbsp Harry Maguire 6 August 2011 Oldham Athletic Boundary Park 152 21 FW nbsp Chris Porter 27 August 2011 Yeovil Town Huish Park 142 27 MF nbsp Erik Tonne 30 August 2011 Burton Albion Pirelli Stadium Football League Trophy 153 7 MF nbsp Nathaniel Mendez Laing 3 September 2011 Bury Bramall Lane 143 32 MF nbsp Matt Phillips 19 October 2011 Preston North End Deepdale 146 26 FW nbsp Billy Clarke 29 October 2011 Exeter City Bramall Lane 147 11 MF nbsp Ryan Flynn 19 November 2011 Oxford United Bramall Lane FA Cup 140 8 MF nbsp Michael Doyle 10 January 2012 Yeovil Town Bramall Lane 154 7 FW nbsp Will Hoskins 11 February 2012 Wycombe Wanderers Bramall Lane 148 27 MF nbsp Kevin McDonald 11 February 2012 Wycombe Wanderers Bramall Lane 144 15 DF nbsp Neill Collins 14 February 2012 Huddersfield Town Galpharm Stadium 155 Competitive fixture edit First ever meeting of the two clubs in a competitive fixture Opposition Date Venue Result Score Notes Yeovil Town 27 August 2011 Huish Park Win 0 1 156 Burton Albion 30 August 2011 Pirelli Stadium Win 1 2 Football League Trophy 157 Stevenage 5 November 2011 The Lamex Stadium Loss 2 1 158 Salisbury City 7 January 2012 Bramall Lane Win 3 1 FA Cup 159 Stadia edit First ever visit to a stadium for a competitive fixture Venue Opposition Date Result Score Notes Huish Park Yeovil Town 27 August 2011 Win 0 1 160 Pirelli Stadium Burton Albion 30 August 2011 Win 1 2 Football League Trophy 161 Adams Park Wycombe Wanderers 24 September 2011 Loss 1 0 162 Don Valley Stadium Rotherham United 4 October 2011 Win 1 2 Football League Trophy 163 The Lamex Stadium Stevenage 5 November 2011 Loss 2 1 164 B2net Stadium Chesterfield 26 November 2011 Win 0 1 165 Colchester Community Stadium Colchester United 13 March 2012 Draw 1 1 166 Stadium mk Milton Keynes Dons 21 April 2012 Loss 1 0 167 Squad statistics editAppearances and goals edit As of 26 May 2012 1 No Pos Nat Player Total League One Play offs FA Cup League Cup FL Trophy Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals 1 GK nbsp ENG Steve Simonsen 54 0 47 0 0 4 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 2 DF nbsp ENG Matthew Lowton 55 6 47 0 6 3 0 0 2 0 0 2 1 0 3 DF nbsp HAI Lecsinel Jean Francois 31 0 22 3 0 2 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 4 MF nbsp SCO Nick Montgomery 25 1 16 6 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 5 DF nbsp ENG Chris Morgan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 MF nbsp AUT Johannes Ertl 9 0 2 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 MF nbsp IRL Michael Doyle 54 3 42 4 3 4 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 9 FW nbsp WAL Ched Evans 43 35 30 6 29 4 0 5 0 0 0 2 1 1 10 FW nbsp ENG James Beattie 19 0 2 16 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 MF nbsp SCO Ryan Flynn 34 4 16 12 3 1 2 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 13 GK nbsp ENG Mark Howard 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 MF nbsp JAM Lee Williamson 48 13 34 9 13 3 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 15 DF nbsp SCO Neill Collins 54 2 45 0 2 4 0 0 2 0 0 3 0 0 16 DF nbsp ENG Andy Taylor 5 0 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17 FW nbsp ENG Richard Cresswell 51 10 33 11 9 3 1 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 18 MF nbsp IRL Matthew Harriott 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 19 DF nbsp ENG Harry Maguire 56 1 47 0 1 4 0 0 2 0 0 3 0 0 20 MF nbsp IRL David McAllister 10 1 3 1 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 1 1 1 21 FW nbsp ENG Chris Porter 45 8 20 17 6 1 2 1 0 1 0 3 1 1 22 FW nbsp ENG Danny Philliskirk 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 23 MF nbsp IRL Seamus Conneely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 24 MF nbsp NOR Erik Tonne 4 2 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 25 GK nbsp ENG George Long 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 27 MF nbsp SCO Kevin McDonald 38 3 32 1 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 28 MF nbsp IRL Stephen Quinn 53 4 46 2 3 3 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 29 FW nbsp SCO Michael O Halloran 8 0 1 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 DF nbsp ENG Marcus Williams 23 0 15 4 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 31 FW nbsp ENG Jordan Chapell 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 32 DF nbsp ENG Matt Hill 15 0 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 DF nbsp ENG Terry Kennedy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 DF nbsp AUS Marc Warren 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Players who left before the end of the season 7 MF nbsp ENG Nathaniel Mendez Laing 11 1 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 7 FW nbsp ENG Will Hoskins 12 2 4 8 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 FW nbsp MLT Daniel Bogdanovic 3 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 12 FW nbsp ENG Jordan Slew 6 1 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 13 GK nbsp EST Mihkel Aksalu 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 26 FW nbsp IRL Billy Clarke 6 1 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 26 DF nbsp IRL John Egan 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 32 MF nbsp SCO Matt Phillips 7 6 5 1 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 33 DF nbsp ARG Elian Parrino 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Top scorers edit Place Number Nation Position Name League One Playoffs FA Cup League Cup FL Trophy Total 1 9 nbsp FW Ched Evans 29 0 5 0 1 35 2 14 nbsp MF Lee Williamson 13 0 0 0 0 13 3 17 nbsp FW Richard Cresswell 9 0 0 1 0 10 4 21 nbsp FW Chris Porter 5 1 1 0 1 8 5 2 nbsp DF Matthew Lowton 6 0 0 0 0 6 32 nbsp MF Matt Phillips 5 0 0 0 1 6 6 28 nbsp MF Stephen Quinn 4 0 0 1 0 5 7 8 nbsp MF Michael Doyle 2 0 0 0 0 3 11 nbsp MF Ryan Flynn 2 0 1 0 0 3 27 nbsp MF Kevin McDonald 3 0 0 0 0 3 8 15 nbsp DF Neill Collins 2 0 0 0 0 2 7 nbsp FW Will Hoskins 2 0 0 0 0 2 24 nbsp MF Erik Tonne 1 0 0 0 1 2 9 26 nbsp FW Billy Clarke 1 0 0 0 0 1 19 nbsp DF Harry Maguire 1 0 0 0 0 1 20 nbsp MF David McAllister 0 0 0 0 1 1 7 nbsp MF Nathaniel Mendez Laing 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 nbsp MF Nick Montgomery 1 0 0 0 0 1 12 nbsp FW Jordan Slew 1 0 0 0 0 1 TOTALS 82 1 7 2 5 99 Five additional own goals scored during the season three in The Football League and two in the FA Cup Disciplinary record edit Number Nation Position Name League One Playoffs FA Cup League Cup FL Trophy Total nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 19 nbsp DF Harry Maguire 5 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 1 14 nbsp MF Lee Williamson 8 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 0 2 nbsp DF Matthew Lowton 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 27 nbsp MF Kevin McDonald 4 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 8 0 28 nbsp MF Stephen Quinn 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 17 nbsp FW Richard Cresswell 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 9 nbsp FW Ched Evans 6 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 10 nbsp FW James Beattie 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 nbsp MF Michael Doyle 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 3 nbsp DF Lecsinel Jean Francois 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 0 15 nbsp DF Neill Collins 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 0 4 nbsp MF Nick Montgomery 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 nbsp GK Steve Simonsen 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 11 nbsp MF Ryan Flynn 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 21 nbsp FW Chris Porter 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 30 nbsp DF Marcus Williams 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 32 nbsp DF Matt Hill 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 20 nbsp MF David McAllister 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 28 nbsp FW Jordan Slew 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 TOTALS 69 4 2 0 4 0 3 0 2 0 79 4 Suspensions edit Squad Position Player Suspension Start date Reason Source 3 DF nbsp Lecsinel Jean Francois 1 game 10 September 2011 Five yellow cards to date 168 14 MF nbsp Lee Williamson 1 game 17 December 2011 Five yellow cards to date 169 17 FW nbsp Richard Cresswell 1 game 27 December 2011 Five yellow cards to date 170 28 MF nbsp Stephen Quinn 1 game 27 December 2011 Five yellow cards to date 170 10 FW nbsp James Beattie 3 games 21 January 2012 Straight red card violent conduct 171 2 DF nbsp Matthew Lowton 1 game 3 March 2012 Two yellow cards 172 19 DF nbsp Harry Maguire 1 game 3 March 2012 Straight red card 172 10 FW nbsp James Beattie 4 games 5 May 2012 Straight red card 2nd of season 173 Date of start of suspension assumed to be the date of the game during which the disciplinary incident occurred International Call ups edit No P Name Squad Competition Opposition Date Cap Goals Notes GK George Willis nbsp England U17 174 2012 U17 European Championship qualification nbsp Latvia U17 26 October 2011 Y 0 nbsp Bosnia and Herzegovina U17 28 October 2011 Y 0 nbsp Netherlands U17 31 October 2011 N 0 Unused sub 3 DF Lecsinel Jean Francois nbsp Haiti 175 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification nbsp Antigua and Barbuda 11 November 2011 Y 0 nbsp Antigua and Barbuda 15 November 2011 Y 0Matches editKey edit Win Draw Loss Football League One edit Oldham Athletic v Sheffield United 6 August 2011Oldham Athletic0 2Sheffield UnitedBoundary Park15 00 Report Maguire nbsp 48 Cresswell nbsp 54 Attendance 8 032 Sheffield United v Brentford 13 August 2011Sheffield United2 0BrentfordBramall Lane15 00 Slew nbsp 49 Cresswell nbsp 70 Report Attendance 17 769 Sheffield United v Walsall 16 August 2011Sheffield United3 2WalsallBramall Lane19 45 Lowton nbsp 59 Williamson nbsp 68 Cresswell nbsp 74 pen Report Hurst nbsp 46 Grigg nbsp 51 Attendance 16 443 Tranmere Rovers v Sheffield United 20 August 2011Tranmere Rovers1 1Sheffield UnitedPrenton Park15 00 Labadie nbsp 80 Report Montgomery nbsp 44 Attendance 6 244 Yeovil Town v Sheffield United 27 August 2011Yeovil Town0 1Sheffield UnitedHuish Park13 00 Haynes Brown nbsp 90 7 nbsp Report Porter nbsp 41 Attendance 5 001 Sheffield United v Bury 3 September 2011Sheffield United4 0BuryBramall Lane15 00 Porter nbsp 43 Mendez Laing nbsp 47 Lowton nbsp 71 Tonne nbsp 84 Report Attendance 17 956 Scunthorpe United v Sheffield United 10 September 2011Scunthorpe United1 1Sheffield UnitedGlanford Park15 00 Dagnall nbsp 45 1 Barcham nbsp 24 Report Evans nbsp 72 Attendance 6 042 Sheffield United v Huddersfield Town 13 September 2011Sheffield United0 3Huddersfield TownBramall Lane19 45 Report Novak nbsp 20 37 Gobern nbsp 40 Attendance 17 373 Sheffield United v Colchester United 17 September 2011Sheffield United3 0Colchester UnitedBramall Lane15 00 Evans nbsp 3 Porter nbsp 12 Quinn nbsp 72 Report Attendance 15 783 Wycombe Wanderers v Sheffield United 24 September 2011Wycombe Wanderers1 0Sheffield UnitedAdams Park15 00 Beavon nbsp 31 Report Attendance 5 506 Sheffield United v Charlton Athletic 1 October 2011Sheffield United0 2Charlton AthleticBramall Lane15 00 Report Kermorgant nbsp 65 Wright Phillips nbsp 67 Attendance 20 743 Sheffield United v Sheffield Wednesday 16 October 2011Sheffield United2 2Sheffield WednesdayBramall Lane12 00 Quinn nbsp 11 Evans nbsp 20 Report O Grady nbsp 82 Madine nbsp 86 Attendance 28 136 Preston North End v Sheffield United 19 October 2011Preston North End2 4Sheffield UnitedDeepdale19 45 Carlisle nbsp 29 Hume nbsp 63 Report Phillips nbsp 4 39 Williamson nbsp 74 87 Attendance 11 520 Leyton Orient v Sheffield United 22 October 2011Leyton Orient1 1Sheffield UnitedMatchroom Stadium15 00 Lisbie nbsp 90 6 Daniels nbsp 73 Report Porter nbsp 84 Attendance 5 928 Sheffield United v Milton Keynes Dons 25 October 2011Sheffield United2 1Milton Keynes DonsBramall Lane19 45 Cresswell nbsp 22 Phillips nbsp 67 Report Gleeson nbsp 52 Smith nbsp 84 nbsp Attendance 16 367 Sheffield United v Exeter City 29 October 2011Sheffield United4 4Exeter CityBramall Lane15 00 Phillips nbsp 45 85 Clarke nbsp 65 Lowton nbsp 85 Report Nardiello nbsp 9 Noble nbsp 23 O Flynn nbsp 82 Dunne nbsp 86 Attendance 17 052 Stevenage v Sheffield United 5 November 2011Stevenage2 1Sheffield UnitedThe Lamex Stadium15 00 Roberts nbsp 42 Laird nbsp 82 pen Report Evans nbsp 68 Attendance 4 996 Sheffield United v Carlisle United 19 November 2011Sheffield United1 0Carlisle UnitedBramall Lane15 00 Evans nbsp 21 a, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library, article, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games. |