There haven't been many fixtures involving United and Vale but from the matches played out there have been some rather 'big score' games. Our first ever meeting was in 1892/93 season during the Blades first ever Football League season which (following a play-off victory) ended in promotion for Sheffield United. They completed the double over then Burslem Port Vale, winning 10-0 away from home and 4-0 later in the season at Bramall Lane.
The ten-nil victory inflicted is not only a club record away league victory but a Football League Record also. Due to the S2 side winning promotion that the two teams didn't meet in the league until 1934 when United were relegated into Division Two. They had previously met during the 1897/98 season in the FA Cup with Vale winning a 2-1 replay following a 1-1 draw at the Lane.
In August 1934 Vale beat United 2-0 at home to record their first league victory over the Blades but had to wait until November 1999 until they claimed a positive result at Bramall Lane. In 1936 Vale were relegated from the Second Division whilst United narrowly missed out on promotion and were beaten finalists in the FA Cup - losing 1-0 to the Arsenal and would have to wait a further 21 years until they met again in the league and United again notched up some high scores with a 4-2 victory at the Lane and 6-0 away from home as Vale were again relegated.
United showed there dominance again when they met next time around in the old Fourth Division during the 1981/82 season winning 2-0 and 2-1 respectively but it wasn't until the Blades fell from grace in 1994 when they were relegated from the Premier League that this fixture between United and Port Vale became an annual occurrence. Even then it ran for six years when Vale was relegated to third tier football in 2000. On 23 November 1999 Vale recorded their biggest win over United, a 3-1 victory in a game which turned out to be Adrian Heath's last as Blades boss before he was dismissed.
Since then there has been meetings in the domestic cup competitions with threw pair being drawn together in two consecutive years in the League Cup between 2008 and 2009 with the Blades winning 3-1 and then losing 1-2 the following year. Last year they met in the early stages of the FA Cup with the Blades skimming through by the skin of their teeth - a brief report from this game is shown below;
Shaun Miller scored two dramatic last-gasp goals to give Sheffield United a memorable 2-1 win over Port Vale and send the hosts into the third round of the FA Cup. Vale had led until the 90th minute thanks to Tom Pope's 21st goal of the season but visiting boss Micky Adams was to endure a miserable return to Bramall Lane, 18 months after his sacking.
Vale's Clayton McDonald was fortunate not to turn the ball into his own net early on when he diverted Chris Porter's low cross straight at goalkeeper Chris Neal. The dangerous Pope put Ben Williamson through on goal but George Long did well to block with his legs.
Yet Pope made no mistake himself as he put the visitors in front after 33 minutes, firing low past Long after receiving the ball from Jennison Myrie-Williams. The hosts started brightly after the break and only a superb save from Neal, down low to his left, prevented Porter's header from finding the net.
Miller wasted a golden opportunity, missing the target from close range with a downward header from Nick Blackman's cross. But he atoned with a 90th-minute equaliser after getting on to the end of a deep ball from Ryan Flynn, before then pouncing for the winner in the fourth minute of stoppage time after Flynn's shot had been parried.
| At Sheff. Utd. (17) | At Port Vale (14) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results | Total | % | Results | Total | % | |
| Sheff. Utd. | 12 | 70.59 | Port Vale | 2 | 14.29 | |
| Port Vale | 2 | 11.76 | Sheff. Utd. | 7 | 50.00 | |
| Draws | 3 | 17.65 | Draws | 5 | 35.71 | |
| Goals | Total | Av.pg | Goals | Total | Av.pg | |
| Sheff. Utd. | 39 | 2.29 | Port Vale | 15 | 1.07 | |
| Port Vale | 15 | 0.88 | Sheff. Utd. | 34 | 2.43 | |
| On Neutral Ground (0) | Overall (31 matches) | |||||
| Results | Total | % | Results | Total | % | |
| Sheff. Utd. | 0 | 0.00 | Sheff. Utd. | 19 | 61.29 | |
| Port Vale | 0 | 0.00 | Port Vale | 4 | 12.90 | |
| Draws | 0 | 0.00 | Draws | 8 | 25.81 | |
| Goals | Total | Av.pg | Goals | Total | Av.pg | |
| Sheff. Utd. | 0 | 0.00 | Sheff. Utd. | 73 | 2.35 | |
| Port Vale | 0 | 0.00 | Port Vale | 30 | 0.97 | |
| Records | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest Aggregate | 10 | Burslem P.V. | 0 - 10 | Sheff. Utd. | 1892/1893 |
| Highest Sheff. Utd. score: | 10 | Burslem P.V. | 0 - 10 | Sheff. Utd. | 1892/1893 |
| Highest Port Vale score: | 3 | Sheff. Utd. | 1 - 3 | Port Vale | 1999/2000 |
| Season | Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012/2013 | Sat 01 Dec | Sheff. Utd. | 2 - 1 | Port Vale | F.A. Cup |
| 2009/2010 | Tue 11 Aug | Sheff. Utd. | 1 - 2 | Port Vale | League Cup |
| 2008/2009 | Wed 13 Aug | Sheff. Utd. | 3 - 1 | Port Vale | League Cup |
| 1999/2000 | Sat 11 Mar | Port Vale | 2 - 3 | Sheff. Utd. | League Division One |
| Tue 23 Nov | Sheff. Utd. | 1 - 3 | Port Vale | League Division One | |
| 1998/1999 | Sat 20 Mar | Sheff. Utd. | 3 - 0 | Port Vale | League Division One |
| Sat 31 Oct | Port Vale | 2 - 3 | Sheff. Utd. | League Division One | |
| 1997/1998 | Sat 28 Mar | Sheff. Utd. | 2 - 1 | Port Vale | League Division One |
| Sat 22 Nov | Port Vale | 0 - 0 | Sheff. Utd. | League Division One | |
| 1996/1997 | Tue 04 Mar | Sheff. Utd. | 3 - 0 | Port Vale | League Division One |
| Sat 16 Nov | Port Vale | 0 - 0 | Sheff. Utd. | League Division One | |
| 1995/1996 | Sat 04 May | Sheff. Utd. | 1 - 1 | Port Vale | League Division One |
| Sat 11 Nov | Port Vale | 2 - 3 | Sheff. Utd. | League Division One | |
| 1994/1995 | Sat 04 Mar | Sheff. Utd. | 1 - 1 | Port Vale | League Division One |
| Sat 24 Sep | Port Vale | 0 - 2 | Sheff. Utd. | League Division One | |
| 1989/1990 | Sat 21 Apr | Sheff. Utd. | 2 - 1 | Port Vale | Second Division |
| Sat 16 Dec | Port Vale | 1 - 1 | Sheff. Utd. | Second Division | |
| 1988/1989 | Tue 28 Feb | Sheff. Utd. | 0 - 0 | Port Vale | Third Division |
| Mon 24 Oct | Port Vale | 3 - 3 | Sheff. Utd. | Third Division | |
| 1983/1984 | Tue 24 Apr | Sheff. Utd. | 3 - 1 | Port Vale | Third Division |
| Tue 27 Dec | Port Vale | 2 - 0 | Sheff. Utd. | Third Division | |
| 1981/1982 | Sat 27 Feb | Sheff. Utd. | 2 - 1 | Port Vale | Fourth Division |
| Sat 10 Oct | Port Vale | 0 - 2 | Sheff. Utd. | Fourth Division | |
| 1956/1957 | Mon 25 Mar | Port Vale | 0 - 6 | Sheff. Utd. | Second Division |
| Sat 25 Aug | Sheff. Utd. | 4 - 2 | Port Vale | Second Division | |
| 1935/1936 | Sat 11 Apr | Port Vale | 1 - 1 | Sheff. Utd. | Second Division |
| Sat 26 Oct | Sheff. Utd. | 4 - 0 | Port Vale | Second Division | |
| 1934/1935 | Sat 29 Dec | Sheff. Utd. | 3 - 0 | Port Vale | Second Division |
| Sat 25 Aug | Port Vale | 2 - 0 | Sheff. Utd. | Second Division | |
| 1892/1893 | Sat 17 Dec | Sheff. Utd. | 4 - 0 | Burslem P.V. | Second Division |
| Sat 10 Dec | Burslem P.V. | 0 - 10 | Sheff. Utd. | Second Division |