The Football League Trophy in all it's glory.
The 2016/17 season marks the Blades sixth successive season in the Football League Trophy, they reached the Semi-Final stage its debut campaign which is the furthest United have ever reached in this competition to date and a win at Fleetwood Town could put them only two steps away from Wembley. In recent seasons, since the Blades relegation to League One in 2011, they have faced Hartlepool United for three consecutive years and as our results table shows bellow they have lived a very much short lived life in the FLT.
Whilst the Johnstone's paint Trophy has been criticised by supporters as meaningless, founded in 1983 it has outlived other attempted competitions such as the Anglo-Italian Cup, Texaco Cup and the Watney Cup to name a few. It originally began its life as the Associate Members Cup until, a year later, it saw its first sponsorship deal and from there it began to take life. Sheffield United were the founder members of this competition and having disposed of Rotherham United, Bradford City and Scunthorpe United, the Blades had progressed into the Semi-Finals for the first, and only time.
Much like today's structure, the competition is split up between teams from both the North and South with only the Final paring the divide together. Drawn away, the Blades lost to Hull City by a single goal. On Thursday, 3rd May, The Times newspaper printed; ‘A spectacular goal from Olsson making his debut, gave Hull City a 1-0 in their Associate Members Cup Northern semi-final against Sheffield United at Boothferry Park. Hull meet Tranmere Rovers in the final.’ AFC Bournemouth, winners of the Southern Section, went onto win the trophy, beating Hull in the Final in Humberside.
Following a yo-yo spell in the mid to late 1980's the Blades once again saw themselves relegated into the Third tier after then boss Dave Bassett was unable to stave them from relegation. In 1988 the Blades were drawn in a three-team group involving Wrexham and Chester City, the two points earned from both goals were enough. Second half goals from Tony Agana and Kearns cancelled each other out in a 1-1 draw at Wrexham in front of a 1,510 in the first of the Group 8 match.
Before a small 2,981 crowd Peter Duffield and Ian Bryson netted for the Blades against Chester whilst Benjamin and Dale scored for the visitors; the score was 1-1 at half-time. Having qualified for the next round the Blades were draw with an away tie at Wrexham, whom they had previously drawn to in the group stages. Locked 0-0 at the break the 2,653 spectators witnessed Bowden and Russell score for the home side as they beat United by two goals to one - the Blades goal came via Jones own goal. During the game United had been severely crippled by the dismissal of both goalkeeper Graham Benstead and Bob Booker whilst the Reds also saw Hunter receive his marching orders.
In the early Millennium years the competition was extended to allow a certain number of National League sides (by invitation) into the competition. Relegation from the Championship in 2011 sparked a return to Third Division football for Sheffield United and also re-entering this competition, made up of teams involving the latter two tiers of the Football League.
Prior to this season’s competition the S2 club have seen four fixtures go all the way to penalty shoot-outs. Under competition rules, should any fixture remain a draw at the 90 minute mark no extra-time will be played out, the game goes straight to penalties. United have won two of these shoot outs include last season's win at Hartlepool United, but a penalty shoot-out at Fleetwood also saw them exit the competition.
Complete Record
Table includes all results up to date following the conclusion of the 2015/16 season.
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | |
| 1983/84 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| 1988/89 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | -1 |
| 2011/12 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 2012/13 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| 2013/14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| 2014/15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2015/16 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| Total | 19 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 28 | 19 | 9 |
1983/84
| 21 Feb 1984 | Rotherham United vs. Sheffield United | W | 1-0 | Round 1 |
| 13 Mar 1984 | Sheffield United vs. Bradford City | W | 2-1 | Round 2 |
| 20 Mar 1984 | Scunthorpe United vs. Sheffield United | W | 3-2 | Northern Quarter-Final |
| 02 May 1984 | Hull City vs. Sheffield United | L | 0-1 | Northern Semi-Final |
1988/89 - Sherpa Van Trophy
| 05 Dec 1988 | Wrexham vs. Sheffield United | D | 1-1 | Group 8 |
| 13 Dec 1988 | Sheffield United vs. Chester City | D | 2-2 | Group 8 |
| 17 Jan 1989 | Wrexham vs. Sheffield United | L | 1-2 | Round 1 |
2011/12 - Johnstone's Paint Trophy
| 30 Aug 2011 | Burton Albion vs. Sheffield United | W | 2-1 | Round 1 |
| 04 Oct 2011 | Rotherham United vs. Sheffield United | W | 2-1 | Round 2 |
| 08 Nov 2011 | Sheffield United vs. Bradford City | D | 1-1 | Round 3 * |
| * Lost 6-5 on penalties |
2012/13 - Johnstone's Paint Trophy
| 17 Oct 2012 | Nott's County vs. Sheffield United | W | 4-1 | Round 2 |
| 04 Dec 2012 | Coventry City vs. Sheffield United |
D |
1-1 |
Northern Quarter-Final * |
| * Lost 4-1 on penalties |
2013/14 - Johnstone's Paint Trophy
| 03 Sep 2013 | Scunthorpe United vs. Sheffield United | D | 1-1 | Round 1 * |
| * Won 5-3 on penalties | ||||
| 08 Oct 2013 | Sheffield United vs. Hartlepool United |
L |
0-1 |
Round 2 |
2014/15 - Johnstone's Paint Trophy
| 07 Oct 2014 | Hartlepool United vs. Sheffield United | W | 1-0 | Round 2 |
| 12 Nov 2014 | Walsall vs. Sheffield United |
L |
0-1 |
Northern Quarter-Final |
2015/16 - Johnstone's Paint Trophy
| 01 Sep 2015 | Hartlepool United vs. Sheffield United | D | 1-1 | Round 1 * |
| * Won 4-3 on penalties | ||||
| 06 Oct 2015 | Sheffield United vs. Nott's County |
W |
5-1 |
Round 2 |
| 10 Nov 2015 | Fleetwood Town vs. Sheffield United |
D |
0-0 |
NAQF |
| * Lost 3-1 on penalties |
List of Competition Winners
| 1984 AFC Bournemouth | 1985 Wigan Athletic | 1986 Bristol City |
| 1987 Mansfield Town | 1988 Wolverhampton W. | 1989 Bolton Wanderers |
| 1990 Tranmere Rovers | 1991 Birmingham City | 1992 Stoke City |
| 1993 Port vale | 1994 Swansea City | 1995 Birmingham City |
| 1996 Rotherham United | 1997 Carlisle United | 1998 Grimsby Town |
| 1999 Wigan Athletic | 2000 Stoke City | 2001 Port Vale |
| 2002 Blackpool | 2003 Bristol City | 2004 Blackpool |
| 2005 Wrexham | 2006 Swansea City | 2007 Doncaster Rovers |
| 2008 MK Dons | 2009 Luton Town | 2010 Southampton |
| 2011 Carlisle United | 2012 Chesterfield | 2013 Crewe Alexandra |
| 2014 Peterborough United | 2015 Bristol City | 2016 Barnsley |