Meetings between Sheffield United and Colchester United have only sprung into action since the 1979/80 Third Division season. They entered the Football League in 1950 and spent 11 years in the Third Division, at the time it was the lowest ranked Division within the structure, they were relegated to the old Fourth Division (which had been founded in 1958) but were quickly re-promoted at the first attempt.
For the next 29 years they yo-yoed between the bottoms two Divisions until, in 1990 they were relegated into the former GM Vauxhall Conference (now Blue Square Premier League). In between those times the Blades and the U’s met in three seasons, our first was during the terrible Third Division season of 1979-80 which all reminds us of that Boxing Day game at Hillsborough.
Games against Colchester can too be forgotten – they met one another twice in quick succession on 21 August at Layer Road where the U’s recorded a 1-0 victory and on 9 October where they completed the double in a 1-0 win at Bramall Lane.
They met for the following two seasons as united extracted revenge of their opponents, winning 3-0 at the Lane and drawing 1-1 away from home – however it wasn’t enough for either side from staying away from the dreaded drop zone and the pair were relegated into the old Fourth Division.
Sheffield United would bounce back at the first time of asking, but Colchester pulled off the biggest defeat on United that season. The Blades had won their home game 1-0 in September and when the teams met again February 1982 a 5-2 defeat ended United’s 17 match unbeaten run. United however ended the season as Champions whilst the U’s finished sixth.
With the demise of the Essex club and United powering up the Football League there would be no professional meetings in the Football League until the U’s descended into the Championship in 2007 – their highest level of football they have played to date and in both matches the pair drew 2-2 and was the last action played out at their former Layer Road Ground.
There had been domestic cup meetings between these barren years – mainly in the FA Cup. In January 1989 the Blades won 2-0 at Layer Road but only in a replay after drawing the initial match 3-3 at the Lane. We didn’t meet in the same competition until 2004 when United again won, this time 1-0 but two years later (with promotion on their minds) the Blades lost 2-1 at home.
During the 2000/01 season they did meet in the Football League Cup – winning 4-0 on aggregate after 3-0 home win in the first leg.
The 2012/13 season saw the Blades take four points off their opponents – drawing 1-1 at their Community Stadium on 25 August and winning 3-0 in S2 on 16 February. John Cofie putting the Blades into the lead before former Sheffield Wednesday forward Clinton Morrison levelled the scores. In S2, goals from Barry Robson (4 minutes), who scored from the penalty spot after he had been fouled in the box by Jake Robinson put the hosts ahead. Midfileder Kevin McDonald (73) doubled their lead and Dave Kitson (90) finished to score his nineth goal for United after Diego De Girolamo saw his shot saved.
Earlier in the season the two teams drew 1-1 at Bramall Lane on 17 August - West Ham striker Freddy Sears fired home (30 minutes) after breaking away from a corner and on the stroke of half-time defender Harry Maguire unleashed a powerful shot which was spilled by the keeper and rolled into the net.
9 November 2013 - Colchester United 2 Sheffield United 3
Chris Porter's late penalty sent Sheffield United through to the second round of the FA Cup with a 3-2 win, despite a stirring second-half comeback by Colchester. The Blades struck twice in the space of two early first-half minutes. Harry Maguire headed Tony McMahon's free-kick into the far corner of the net, in the 10th minute. And the Blades doubled their lead when Porter closed down Magnus Okuonghae's attempted pass and delivered a cross-shot which flicked in off Tom Eastman, despite keeper Sam Walker's attempts to keep it out.
Matt Hill struck the crossbar for the visitors and Sheffield United were the better side in the first half. But Colchester reduced the deficit three minutes after the break when Macauley Bonne headed in after Clinton Morrison had flicked on Luke Garbutt's delivery. And Garbutt drove in a superb low shot from 25 yards from Brian Wilson's throw to equalise just after the hour.
But after Okuonghae was adjudged to have handled Maguire's header in the area, Porter netted from the spot to send the Blades through.
Statistics & Results
| P | W | D | L | F | A | |
| at Bramall Lane | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 10 |
| at Colchester | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 13 |
| Total | 20 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 35 | 23 |
| Records | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest Aggregate | 7 | Colchester U. | 5 - 2 | Sheff. Utd. | 1981/1982 |
| Highest Sheff. Utd. score: | 3 | Sheff. Utd. | 3 - 0 | Colchester U. | 2012/2013 |
| Highest Colchester U. score: | 5 | Colchester U. | 5 - 2 | Sheff. Utd. | 1981/1982 |
| 21 Aug 1979 | Colchester United v Sheffield United | L | 1-0 | League Division Three |
| 09 Oct 1979 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | L | 1-2 | League Division Three |
| 01 Nov 1980 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | W | 3-0 | League Division Three |
| 04 Apr 1981 | Colchester United v Sheffield United | D | 1-1 | League Division Three |
| 12 Sep 1981 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | W | 1-0 | League Division Four |
| 06 Feb 1982 | Colchester United v Sheffield United | L | 5-2 | League Division Four |
| 28 Jan 1989 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | D | 3-3 | FA Cup |
| 31 Jan 1989 | Colchester United v Sheffield United | W | 0-2 | FA Cup |
| 19 Sep 2000 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | W | 3-0 | Worthington Cup |
| 27 Sep 2000 | Colchester United v Sheffield United | W | 0-1 | Worthington Cup |
| 15 Feb 2004 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | W | 1-0 | FA Cup |
| 07 Jan 2006 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | L | 1-2 | FA Cup |
| 11 Aug 2007 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | D | 2-2 | League Championship |
| 02 Feb 2008 | Colchester United v Sheffield United | D | 2-2 | League Championship |
| 17 Sep 2011 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | W | 3-0 | League One |
| 13 Mar 2012 | Colchester United v Sheffield United | D | 1-1 | League One |
| 25 Aug 2012 | Colchester United v Sheffield United | D | 1-1 | League One |
| 16 Feb 2013 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | W | 3-0 | League One |
| 17 Aug 2013 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | D | 1-1 | League One |
| 09 Nov 2013 | Colchester United v Sheffield United | W | 2-3 | FA Cup |
| 25 Feb 2014 | Colchester United v Sheffield United | - | - | League One |