Sheffield United celebrated their 120th birthday with a stunning 3-0 victory over fellow promotion hopefuls Cardiff City.
The Blades travelled to South Wales anticipating a tough game with both sides hoping to cement their play off positions. Cardiff, who had a twelve-match unbeaten home record, went into the game knowing a victory would greatly increase their chances of automatic promotion.
The Blades meanwhile, who recently beat their club record of twelve games unbeaten away from home, wanted to emulate their last win at Ninian Park which saw them promoted to the Premiership in the 2005/06 season.
Cardiff were reduced to nine men in the first half with Gabor Gyepes going after 24 minutes for a foul on Darius Henderson in the penalty box, resulting in United going 1-0 up from a David Cotterill penalty. The second sending off came in the 33rd minute when Ross McCormack appeared to elbow Kyle Naughton.
Ninian Park is well known for its hostile atmosphere and the Cardiff fans certainly showed their anger towards the sending offs. The Blades scored their second goal at the beginning of the second half with Jamie Ward rising highest to head past Cardiff's goalkeeper Stuart Taylor from a Cotterill corner.
The Bluebirds pushed to try to get back in the game but United took advantage of the space and killed the game off by scoring late on. Stephen Quinn slid the ball under Taylor after a well timed through ball from Craig Beattie.
The travelling United fans were kept in the ground for half an hour after the final whistle to prevent any trouble with Cardiff fans outside the ground. This didn't seem to bother them as they celebrated a very important win.
The Blades were founded on 22nd March 1889 and to commemorate the special anniversary United have created a special third kit for the 2009/10 season. The shirt will be black and have every player's name that has played for Sheffield United woven into it.
Man of the match - David Cotterill; his first appearance at Ninian Park and definitely one to remember.
This week sees the release of the new British film; 'The Damned United' which illustrates the life of iconic football manager Brian Clough in the 1970's, with particular focus on his short spell as manager of Leeds United in 1974.
However, Brian Clough’s family have decided to boycott the film as they feel the film shows no true representation of the real family man that they knew.
The author, David Peace, had previously stated on the release of the book that it was “always a portrait of Brian Clough, rather than a photograph or biography.”
Clough's daughter, Elizabeth, disagreed with this and said her mother, Barbara, and brothers, Simon and Nigel (the current manager of Derby County football club) objected to the film, which she described as a "ludicrous interpretation" of her father;
"My family object to the film because we do not want anybody to believe that this is an accurate portrayal of him as a man," she said.
"The author of the novel had never even met my dad, so to display such an obvious personal dislike is perplexing. Perhaps he has a problem with talented, courageous and powerful men."
She also admitted the obvious popularity this film will pose on its release;
"The film, unfortunately, may reach a wider and more impressionable audience. People will, of course, go to see the film, Dad has always been extremely popular, but as a family, we sincerely hope they don't because we believe it’s a ludicrous interpretation of people and events."
Andy Harries, the producer of the film, believes that it was important to show people and fans of Clough the main elements of his personality, in particular, his raw appetite for the game.
He also commented on how the filmmakers wanted the family to be involved in the process of showing this. He said;
"We have done everything we can to invite the family into the process of making the film. I can imagine that it would be difficult to watch a husband or father portrayed in a film, but Clough was a notoriously controversial character, and the film captures that.”
I'm sure many people in the world of football feel that the life of Brian Clough needed to be celebrated for being a truly exceptional and iconic figure in English football.
It seems strange then, to focus the latest British film; 'The Damned United' on Mr. Clough's brief low spell the manager of Leeds United in 1974.
The film is based on David Peace's novel of the same name and is a direct interpretation of how the author viewed the events which happened in the 1970's.
There are flashbacks that show Clough at his major heights with Derby County and Nottingham Forest, although, the main focus does tend to lean towards his low points in the game, which is frankly, a great shame.
However, it is in fact an extremely entertaining motion picture which, for me, captures Brian Clough’s love for the game perfectly.
Martin Sheen is admittedly superb as the iconic manager and although he repeatedly uses the ‘F’ word in almost every sentence, as well as showing Clough as somewhat of a chain smoker, his performance alone is well worth a watch.
People who remember Brian Clough as a controversial and arguably, brilliant football manager will love this film. The performances from Martin Sheen and Timothy Spall as Clough’s assistant Peter Taylor are simply brilliant.
However, if you are completely unaware of the man himself and have no idea about his achievements or personality within the game of football, then the film may prove a little misleading.
If you’re looking for an entertaining, exciting British film however, then this is it. A film that boasts witty and raw humour as well as gripping, emotional moments that are blended well with the 1970’s setting, which captures the old style football grounds perfectly, with the wet, muddy and highly physical matches which take place there throughout the course of the film.
A must-see for all fans of Mr. Clough and the achievements he gained as an iconic, controversial manager and as a well respected family man.
'The Damned United' is out in cinemas everywhere in the UK on Friday 27th March.
Sheffield United has agreed to an out of court settlement in their dispute with West Ham United over Carlos Tevez.
The row began after it emerged that West Ham did not own Carlos Tevez when played in the crucial game that kept West Ham up and sent Sheffield United down. At the time Tevez was owned by Kia Joorabchian.
The fact that West Ham did not own Tevez when he scored the winning goal against Manchester United puts the result in dispute along with the consequences of West Ham’s win. After the issue was raised by Sheffield United the F.A decided to fine West Ham a total of £5½ million however the F.A did not deduct any points from the team which kept West Ham in the Premiership
The initial sum that Sheffield United wanted from West Ham was in the region of £45 million however the club settled for half than this amount receiving £4 million every year for the next five years.
West Ham’s decision to pay off Sheffield United outside of court has now opened up the doors for other individuals and organisations that lost out due to Carlos Tevez’s goal and Sheffield United relegation.
Neil Warnock has revealed that he amongst former players of Sheffield United will pursue personal claims against West Ham for the losses that they incurred as a consequence of the Sheffield team going down into the Championship.
Chris Farnell, the lawyer acting on behalf of the players, said: “The players’ claim will continue independently and we made correspondence with West Ham’s lawyers as recently as the end of the week.” Even in the unlikely event that Warnock and his former players choose against pursuing West Ham for compensation, the saga surrounding the issue is yet to be completed.
The Independant Police Commplaints Commission has ordered an investigation after a man was killed in an accident involving a marked police car.
The man who is said to be in his 40’s and from the Denaby Main area of Sheffield was hit by a marked South Yorkshire Police patrol car driving along Doncaster road.
The Ford Focus was carrying two police officers responding to an incident when they collided with the pedestrian. Paramedics were called to the accident immediately where they pronounced the man dead at the scene.
Details of the deceased have not yet been released as formal identification of the man has not yet taken place and is still waiting to be revealed by the IPCC.
The IPCC has assigned two investigators to the case. They will look at what caused the death of a man and will see if there was any way in which the accident could have been avoided.
The IPCC has promised to conduct a fully independent inquiry; Commissioner Nicholas Long who is in charge of the investigation said;
“The IPCC investigation will be independent and proportionate, my condolences go to the family and friends of the dead man”.
Ever wondered what it's like to be inside a prison cell? Or to have an electronic tag attached to you? Sheffield Magistrates Court is having an open day on the 28th March to let people see how far youth justice has come over the past 100 years.
There will be lots going on throughout the day with the chance to sit inside a prison van, experience a mock trial, see the Police Fire Arms Team 'Gun and knife initiative', look inside an Armed Response Vehicle and see various displays and exhibition stands. Visiting the court will be a real insight into how the youth justice system has developed.
The open day is advertised on a poster comparing headlines from the past 189 years. The first headline is from 1820; 'Boy of nine hanged for stealing six handkerchiefs' then the next headline below it is from 1909; 'Youth justice courts set up to ensure fair justice for children' and finally the headline in 2009; 'See how far youth justice has come at our open day 28th March 2009 at Sheffield Magistrates' Court 10.30am-4.00pm.'
The event is free entry and should be an eye opening experience for all. Hopefully deterring any children who visit!
Jason Manford, best known as a team captain on popular channel 4 comedy quiz 8 out of 10 cats, is establishing himself as a good stand up act. Sunday (15th March) marked his second appearance in Sheffield, this time in front of a packed audience in Sheffield City Hall.
Manford started his career at seventeen and after his first seven shows he won The City Life North West Comedian of the Year. He has risen to a new high with his latest tour which has now sold over 42,000 tickets.
During the show his success so far is easy to understand, Jason befriends the audience, rather than like other comedians singling out and picking on certain audience members. Manford instead looks largely at his own life and especially his childhood for material, ranging from 'Dad jokes' to life with his two brothers to how he is a terrible driver.
Not only is Jason Manford hilarious but he may be one of the cleanest comedians around, he doesn’t drink and rarely swears which means he can appeal to a much wider audience. This is a show that I would highly recommend, to see when Jason is near you visit http://www.jasonmanford.com/gigs and he shall be returning to our screens with a new series of 8 out of 10 cats in May.
This week, the newly refurbished Crucible theatre in Sheffield opened its doors to the public for viewing.
The evening was designed as a practice run for the new facilities to see how hey coped with over 300 people in attendance.
It consisted of an evening packed with entertainment for the public and other carefully planned drills which highlighted the buildings’ safety measures.
The majority of people who attended seemed highly impressed with the changes the theatre has made. Including a bright and vibrant box office and a tasteful new bar area.
However, there were a few minor problems on the night that are still to be corrected, as explained by the bar manager, Andrew Cooper;
“There are some issues with over - crowding of the bar area when the theatre is at maximum capacity and we’re looking at getting the area extended”.
The majority of the theatre’s new features are very impressive though and the building is now very accessible for the disabled, something which never existed before.
Most importantly, the stage itself has had a complete facelift with all new technical lighting, brand new seating in the auditorium and new air conditioning for the audience and performers.
To boast these new features, the crucible’s technical team offered the audience a lighting and pyrotechnics display, which highlighted the new technical features which will benefit future performances. There were also performances on stage from the Sheffield Endcliffe orchestra and local street dance team – Body of sound.
The team at the Crucible seem extremely proud of their new workplace and are genuinely excited for the completion of the new building, which is planned for November. However, the Snooker world championships are still scheduled to be held in the summer, in which the theatre will close afterwards for work to commence for the final completion.
The people of Sheffield can then look forward to a fantastic night out at the theatre and be proud of the new building and facilities.
NHS Sheffield saw an increase in one particular week after former Big Brother housemate Jade Goody had announced her cancer – from 250 to 750 women getting screened.
Although this is anecdotal evidence it still shows a positive impact suggesting that more women have been screened since Jade Goody’s diagnosis was highlighted in the media.
Jade’s situation has shocked the whole country and increased awareness of cervical cancer and its symptoms. The 27-year-old was originally diagnosed in August and has now been given just weeks to live.
The new HPV vaccine is now been offered routinely to girls aged between 12-13 years in an attempt to stamp out the disease.
Frances Cunning, Consultant in Public health at NHS Sheffield said; “HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) is known to be a major factor in cervical cancer so if we can eradicate the virus we can stop the cancer growing in the first place.”
“However the vaccination is not a cure, girls who have received a vaccine will still need to have regular smear tests in the future in the same way that women do now.”
Cancer Research UK website has seen a large rise in the number of pages viewed daily in the cervical cancer section. Before Jade was diagnosed it was 2,000-3,000 views daily and as risen to now over 32,000.
There's was small gathering outside of Corporation waiting around in anticipation of seeing My Passion's first headline show in Sheffield.
The night begins with Freefold (with a rather embarrassing typo of 'Freehold' on the schedule sheet). They do well to generate an atmosphere which was very relaxed, the other bands watching amongst the crowd, with only thirty to forty people there. They are followed by Here's To Tragedy who again maintains the level of entertainment but the crowd seems to saving themselves for the headliners.
The audience step up the energy as My Passion emerges, for such a small venue the room and freedom prove useful to jump and dance around. The music, whether you like it or not, it's undeniably infectious. The band looks to be enjoying themselves screaming, singing, punching and kicking their way through songs Play dirty, Day of the bees and new single Thanks for Nothing, amongst others. The only complaint from the audience would be of the short 35 minute set. Still My Passion end on a high with Never Everland showing why they deserve page space in Kerrang and Rock Sound. It hasn’t gone to their heads as they come straight off stage and into the fans, having chats and signing anything put in front of them.
Following their performance we interviewed My Passion lead singer Laurence Rene:
How did the gig go tonight? Tonight was our second ever time in Sheffield, the last was supporting Kill Hannah at the Academy so it was different coming back to headline a one off show. We were just so pleased that a bunch of people came out to see us at a show that hasn’t been majorly advertised and wasn’t part of a tour. It refreshing to do this kind of gig now and then.
What do you think of: Sheffield? and Corporation? From what we have experienced it’s a city with a lot of people searching for something fresh. I think we have found that a lot across our UK travels. People are really taken in by the show and I think these will stick in their memory forever. We were in the small room at the Corporation tonight and the stage is so high it's like performing from the moon down to your audience. It’s lucky we pull some big shapes and have a light show that can be seen for miles. We’ll definitely be back!
You are all very energetic onstage, is this something you planned or is it natural? I guess we plan to be exciting visually but the energy comes from the music we create and how we feel about what we do. Something is unleashed from inside us and we are practically taken over. I think that although the music can be quite dark it is also very exciting and for us it's also a great time to feel like you are part of the future of the music industry. This all comes across when we play the songs live.
Have any of you had any accidents or suffered any injuries? Ha we’ve had our fair share of collateral damage... There are always minor cuts and bruises occasionally a bit more but we’ve toured together lots now and we generally know how each of us performs, it's like a sixth sense. I did break my knee just over a year ago though that wasn’t anyone’s fault other than my own. Jumping from a 12ft speaker stack can be dangerous. You learn what not to do...
What bands do you look up to and aspire to? We don’t really look to bands of a similar size to us I guess it’s because we see My Passion being far bigger than this. I always admire a band like Muse who can fill a stadium in such a way as they did a year or so ago. Three men making a sound that is out of this world really impresses me and to mix so many elements into that is just amazing. We definitely look to reaching that kind of level.
You’ve said that your favourite bands are a ‘bunch of weirdos'? Well we always grew up with bands that stood out and were never really your standard band. I guess growing up you want something exciting and different. We always wanted to be entertained and wanted people to match the music they wrote with a show and performance that fitted it. My dad grew with the band and definitely had a huge influence on us as well as introducing us to bands like Iggy, Japan, Bowie and The Cure. We grew up with extremes of weirdness from Marilyn Manson and Slipknot to Radiohead, bloody weird visually and musically in their own right. Once you’ve grown up with some of the characters from the 80’snd a load of Tim Burton films anything can seem normal. It has helped us keep an open mind.
What do you think of other new emerging bands like Bring Me The Horizon and Rolo Tommassi? It's funny because although we are making modern rock music and have a vague idea of what other bands are up to we don’t really pay much attention to it. I guess unless a band is really special we don’t even blink and we don’t come across many of those. We are so driven and comfortable with what we are doing we don’t really look side wards or behind us it's much more into the future. We are following our dreams and battling a dinosaur known as the music industry so it's all about carving out our own path right now.
What are your hopes with the upcoming release of your first album? For as many people to hear it as possible! We just can’t wait to get it out there! We hope by that point our name will be starting to spread. We want people to pick that album up lock themselves in a room turn it up really really loud and travel through it with us. Then we want them to come out and see on the album tour, see it come alive.
The local public house is the latest industry to fall to the 'credit crunch'.
It is hitting almost every industry, company and person in the country and now the prices of pints in your local pubs are about to escalate.
Local licensees in Sheffield are set to 'up' their prices of a pint by up to 15p. It comes after the increase of people boycotting their local pubs in favour of being lured by cheap deals for alcohol in supermarkets, as well as a new government scheme to tackle alcohol consumption.
Added to this, the government health secretary Nicola Sturgeon, is planning to introduce a scheme where public houses and supermarkets must have a minimum price for selling beer, wine and spirits in return for holding a license for selling alcohol.
No figure has been set at the moment, but there are suggestions that it could be 40p per unit of alcohol, which would see a bottle of vodka containing 37.5% of alcohol costing £10.50 and a 13% bottle of wine, £3.90.
This will cause more upset to the alcohol selling trade, but the health secretary says that lowering the country's consumption of alcohol can only be a good thing;
"It is unacceptable that here and also in Scotland, you can exceed the weekly male guideline for alcohol for less than £3.50. These measures we are looking to take are mainly aimed at sales in supermarkets, but we're also looking to tackle the sales in public houses".
One public house which is being forced into a dramatic price increase is The Grindstone, situated in the heart of the Crookes area of Sheffield. Land lord John Bishop said;
"We have to try and lower our prices to get people in, whereas the government is forcing us to raise our prices. We have a business to run, if the licensee is losing money, we have to increase the prices".
Speaking about the economic crisis, Mr. Bishop also added;
"We've heard that gas and electricity prices are on the up which is going to affect us, maybe we have to look at lowering staff wages. Petrol is another issue, in terms of deliveries. It just can't go on".
In Sheffield, there are more pub closures than ever before. On a national level, 14 close per week according to official government figures.
This is due to lack of business as well as a collection of other elements impacting on the local pub crisis.
One being last summer's floods, which have seen the price of malt and hops – beer's essential ingredients – rocket this year, forcing up production costs.
The situation for local pubs looks pretty grim. Nigel Williams, landlord of The Ranmoor Inn and a member of the governing body of the Federation Of The Licensed Victuallers Association, thinks people need to remember what it is the local public house has to offer;
"I think we need to do more to get people excited about their local. People enjoy the atmosphere of a great pub and the sense of community. That's the key".
Cardiff City 0-3 Sheffield United
