Sheffield United fans’ “huge” role as Blades handed promotion advantage over Middlesbrough

Sheffield United’s supporters have been reminded of their part to play in their side’s promotion bid this season after the Blades engineered a potentially-crucial advantage in their bid to evade the clutches of Middlesbrough and the rest of the chasing pack.

With nine games of the season to go, the Blades are second in the Championship table and three points ahead of Boro, who have played a game more. After the international break, their quest to reach the Premier League resumes away at play-off hopefuls Norwich City this weekend but the Blades’ run to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where they will face Manchester City on April 22, has also carved them a run of four successive home games during April.

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Indeed, after returning home from Norwich, five of United’s six next games are at Bramall Lane, with a trip to runaway leaders Burnley on Easter Monday the only outlier. United sign off their regular season with a rearranged local derby against Neil Warnock’s Huddersfield Town, and a final-day trip to Birmingham City.

Only three teams in the league, including Burnley, have better home records than United this season and John Egan, the United defender, recently told The Star that the support Unitedites are capable of generating for their side is “huge”.

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“Some of the atmospheres there have been unbelievable,” the Republic of Ireland defender added. “The year we went up, and while we were up. Then we lost all that with Covid, so that was a big downer.

“But the bigger the game at Bramall Lane, you can feel the buzz off the crowd and when they get behind us, it’s a great place to play. I know personally from coming here with different clubs, it’s a really tough place as an opposition player.

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“Luckily I’m on the other side of that now. It’s a ground with a lot of history behind it. The fans are really passionate and I know a lot of people say it about their own, but it’s a 100 per cent fact for this club.”

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