Sheffield United relegated from English Football League Championship

May 1, 2011



have been relegated from the English, after a 2-2 home draw to Yorkshire rivals at  on Saturday, their 45th game of the season. Though United's fate had been all but sealed in recent weeks, they could mathematically taken the relegation battle to the final day if the match had been won - and the results of rivals and Crystal Palace had gone their way.

Despite pre-season hopes of a place, 'The Blades' have been stuck in a fight for Championship survival for the majority of the season, which has been the result of three managerial changes in the period of just 8 months. Currently lead by former boss (and a childhood United fan),, results have continued to be generally poor in 2011 - despite the departure of   (who took over from  in August 2010, but left after just 4 months to coach ).

The South Yorkshire football club controversially began a legal dispute with London-based in 2007 following 's (FA) decision not to deduct Sheffield's relegation rivals  points for ineligibly fielding  (which subsequently  lead to Sheffield United's relegation from the top flight of English football). Since then, numerous attempts to return to the have been unsuccessful, including a play-off final hosted at  in 2009.

Speaking after today's game, a downhearted Micky Adams remarked: "I'm obviously devastated. There's a lot of disappointed players in the changing rooms today and I think they have every right to be disappointed. The team's a genuine hard-working group but they've just not been good enough. We have to share responsibility and I'll take mine".

Adams admitted he "can't say" whether he will still be in charge next season, though was adamant that he "wants to be the manager who brings them [United] back".

United will play in the for the 2011/12 football season. As this was not Sheffield's last game of the campaign, the club could still move down to 23rd place, but cannot achieve a place outside the relegation zone.

Perhaps ironically, this event comes almost a year after cross-city rivals were relegated from the same division, meaning that next season will host the first Steel City Derby in the third tier of English football since 1980.