The Blades
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Blades is a football nickname given to Sheffield United football club and their fans.
The name 'Blades' or 'Cutlers' were the names for both Sheffield Football clubs, particularly when they were playing away, a name made very popular by local newspapers. Sheffield United were also called 'Laneites',as they played at Bramall Lane, whilst Sheffield Wednesday were called 'Groveites'; since they played at Olive Grove. Both clubs were even then known as the 'red and whites' and 'blue and whites'. A popular headline in the newspapers when United and Wednesday played was 'a clash of Blades.'
The name 'Blades' was used far more than the name Cutlers, when supporters were trying to encourage their team, the Wednesday supporters always thinking it was their right to use the name Blades since they were the older club. United supporters have continued the cry of 'Come on the Blades' and now a more up to date version of the battle cry of 'Come on you Blades'.
However in 1907, a cartoon was drawn and appeared in a Sheffield newspaper, drawn by an artist who did not know Sheffield and more importantly the way Sheffield people pronounce things, and depicted Wednesday from Owlerton (Sheffieldish Hole-ler-tun) as an owl and United as a blade. From that moment on, the owl was and still is used to depict Wednesday and United had the cross Blades all to themselves.
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