On 22 March 1889, in a Sheffield hotel, it was decided to form a football team so that a cricket ground would not stand empty. On 22 March 2027 Sheffield United turns 138. Its story has steel, cutlery and one of the most classic striped shirts in England.

A ground in search of a team

Bramall Lane was originally a cricket ground. Sheffield Wednesday had played there until then, but moved to a ground of their own, Olive Grove, after a dispute over gate receipts.

Without a tenant, the ground needed a new team to bring in money. The cricket club's president, Charles Clegg, proposed forming a football team, and Charles Stokes, a member of the ground committee, immediately saw the potential of a permanent professional side.

The decision was taken at the Adelphi Hotel, where the Crucible Theatre stands today. And the most ironic detail: Clegg was also Wednesday's chairman at the time, so the Blades were effectively created by the chairman of their great rivals.

The start, however, was far from glamorous. In its first match, on 7 September 1889, the new team lost 4-1 to Notts Rangers.

From white to stripes

The first kit was a white shirt with blue shorts. In 1890-91 a narrow red stripe was briefly tried, and then the shirt went back to all white.

The red and white stripes returned in 1892-93 and, with few exceptions, have been the team's home kit ever since. In 1904 the blue shorts gave way to black, and the classic combination was complete.

Cutlers, Blades and two swords

Sheffield is famous all over the world for its cutlery. That is why the team was first known as "The Cutlers", from 1889 to 1912, before "The Blades" took over.

The crest was designed by former player Jimmy Hagan. It shows two white crossed swords on a black background, with the Yorkshire rose above them and a red ring around them bearing the year 1889.

It was not the first badge on the shirt. A red crest had already appeared in 1891-92, but it was gone the following season. Hagan's crest was restored to its original form in 2000.

A monument of a ground

Bramall Lane hosted its first match in 1862 and is regarded as the oldest major league ground in the world. On 14 October 1878 it staged the first floodlit football match in history.

For decades football and cricket shared the same space. After years of argument over that arrangement, a new stand opened in 1975 and the ground took on its present shape.

The golden age and its heroes

Success came quickly. In 1897-98 the team won the English league title, its only one to date, and lifted the FA Cup in 1899, 1902, 1915 and 1925.

The 1915 final, played during the First World War, became known as the "Khaki Cup Final", and United beat Chelsea 3-0. That golden era was led by Ernest Needham, "the prince of half-backs", and the giant goalkeeper Willie Foulke.

Later came Jimmy Dunne, with his record 41 goals in one season, Tony Currie and Brian Deane, who scored the first goal in Premier League history. In 2017 the team won League One with a club-record 100 points.

Celebrate with us

Red and white stripes, two swords and a ground full of history: the Sheffield United shirt is a piece of football's own first steps.

Happy birthday to the Blades! All the best and many happy days at Bramall Lane.

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: Sheffield United with the FA Cup, 1915 – Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.