Sheffield United vs Coventry City
UTB | Official Matchday Programme of Sheffield United | Issue 12 Sheffield United vs Coventry City | Sky Bet Championship Monday 26th December, 2022 | KO 3pm | Bramall Lane
UTB | Official Matchday Programme of Sheffield United | Issue 12
Sheffield United vs Coventry City | Sky Bet Championship
Monday 26th December, 2022 | KO 3pm | Bramall Lane
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98 UTB<br />
BLADES STATISTICIAN ANDREW KIRKHAM DELVES INTO THE<br />
ARCHIVES TO ENLIGHTEN UNITEDITES WITH TOPICAL FIGURES…<br />
CHRISTMAS DAY...<br />
Not since 1958 have <strong>United</strong> played<br />
a football match on Christmas Day<br />
but, before then, it was a common<br />
occurrence. Between 1889 (<strong>United</strong>’s<br />
first ever Christmas) and 1958 <strong>United</strong><br />
played 51 games on 25th December.<br />
37 were Football League games, 10<br />
wartime league games, one in the<br />
Midland Counties League and three<br />
were friendlies. <strong>Coventry</strong> <strong>City</strong> were<br />
our Christmas Day visitors in 1937, the<br />
Blades winning 3-2.<br />
UNITED’S CHRISTMAS DAY<br />
FOOTBALL LEAGUE RECORD<br />
P W D L F A<br />
Home.............23......11...... 9....... 3..... 47.....20<br />
Away..............14....... 5...... 1....... 8......15.....28<br />
Total...............37..... 16.....10......11..... 62.....48<br />
CHRISTMAS DAY LEAGUE GAMES<br />
FACTS AND FIGURES<br />
First games:<br />
H L 1-4 <strong>vs</strong> Derby County 1894<br />
A L 1-4 <strong>vs</strong> Burnley 1893<br />
Last games:<br />
H W 2-0 <strong>vs</strong> Lincoln <strong>City</strong> 1956<br />
A W 2-1 <strong>vs</strong> Grimsby Town 1958<br />
Record wins:<br />
H W 6-1 <strong>vs</strong> Brentford 1938<br />
A W 3-1 <strong>vs</strong> Swansea Town 1935<br />
Record defeats:<br />
H L 1-4 <strong>vs</strong> Derby County 1894<br />
A L 0-6 <strong>vs</strong> Burnley 1920<br />
Highest Attendances:<br />
H 50,080 <strong>vs</strong> Cardiff <strong>City</strong> 1923 (D 1-1)<br />
A 45,000 <strong>vs</strong> Tottenham H. 1922 (L 1-2)<br />
Lowest Attendances:<br />
H 12,000 <strong>vs</strong> Derby County 1894 (L 1-4)<br />
A 8,000 <strong>vs</strong> Burnley 1893 (L 1-4)<br />
Hat Tricks:<br />
Jock Dodds at Swansea Town,<br />
W 3-1, 1935<br />
Penalties: Harold Brook scored our only<br />
Christmas Day penalty in the 1953 home<br />
2-2 draw with Manchester <strong>City</strong>. Bill Toner<br />
had his attempt saved but the referee<br />
ruled that the ‘keeper had moved and<br />
Brook took the second attempt.<br />
Sendings off: No <strong>United</strong> nor opposition<br />
player was sent off on the 25th December.<br />
ALSO BOXING DAY<br />
27 times a Christmas Day game was<br />
followed by one on Boxing Day and 18<br />
times we played the same club both days.<br />
The first time, in 1908-09, we lost 0-1 at<br />
Hillsborough but beat Wednesday 2-1 at<br />
the Lane the following day. Perhaps the<br />
most surprising opposition was in 1935.<br />
Having won 3-1 at Swansea the clubs had<br />
to travel to <strong>Sheffield</strong> (by train) in less than<br />
22 hours which necessitated an overnight<br />
stay in Manchester.<br />
<strong>United</strong> did win 4-1.<br />
⊲ ‘Jock’ Dodds netted a<br />
hat-trick on Christmas<br />
Day back in 1935<br />
SHEFFIELD UNITED <strong>vs</strong> COVENTRY CITY
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