It has been assumed - perhaps even expected - that Burnley and Sheffield United would be playing Premier League football next season for quite some time now. So perhaps it was fitting that barely 24 hours after the Championship’s standout side secured the title, their closest challengers sealed their own fate too. The Blades had four games to get the three points required to seal promotion but, given the way they have performed this season, it was no surprise they did it at the first attempt.
There was collective uproar in this part of Sheffield when Paul Heckingbottom was omitted from the EFL’s end-of-season shortlist for the Championship’s manager of the year, and when you consider the job he has done at Bramall Lane, it is no surprise.
United were 16th when Heckingbottom returned as manager in November 2021; in less than 18 months he has taken them to a sixth-placed finish last season and now, with plenty to spare if we are being honest, guided the Blades back to the Premier League.
He has had plenty to contend with, too. Abdullah bin Mosaad, the club’s owner, was in attendance to watch the Blades secure a return to the Premier League and he even joined in the celebrations with the players post-match, after goals from Sander Berge and Anel Ahmedhodzic were enough to defeat West Brom and guarantee promotion. But continued uncertainty over the club’s ownership, coupled with a transfer embargo which had been in place since January and was only lifted last week, made Heckingbottom’s job even harder.
The Blades will hope to avoid a repeat of those off-field dramas this summer but for now, they can deservedly celebrate promotion with three games to spare. It would have, in truth, been unjust if it had gone to the wire. “It’s a shame we’ve got three more games left, because it would be a real party,” Heckingbottom said afterwards. “We’ve got to enjoy it, it’s a special moment. We’ve had 18 months at this, and we’ve sustained it for that long period of time. We will make sure everyone enjoys it.”
This was a pivotal night for West Bromwich Albion’s promotion hopes, too. Victory here would have not only spoiled the Blades’ party but moved the Baggies into the playoff places with two games remaining. They are now playing catch-up on those above them after falling short here despite impressing during the first half. They were arguably the better side in those opening 45 minutes, enjoying the better chances through the likes of Karlan Grant and Taylor Gardner-Hickman, but neither could beat Wes Foderingham in the United goal.
And after stuttering somewhat in the first half, you always felt United would return a more resurgent beast after the break. That proved to be the case from the minute the whistle blew after half-time, with the Blades showing much greater purpose. The decisive goal felt inevitable, and it came when Iliman Ndiaye seized on a wayward pass back from Gardner-Hickman before squaring for Berge to send Bramall Lane into deafening delirium.
- Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.
- If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.
- In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
- Turn on sport notifications.
Fittingly for a side who have been so impressive this season, there would be no late nerves, either. With 15 minutes to go, George Baldock’s shot fell into the path of Ahmedhodzic, who shot past Alex Palmer to begin the celebrations in earnest for the Blades players and their supporters. The challenge now? Putting a squad together to compete in the Premier League; and it could include their talismanic 37-year-old captain, Billy Sharp, who has hinted he would like to continue for one more season.
“Now we know where we’re going to be, the money people can get on with doing whatever,” Heckingbottom said.
The debate surrounding the ownership and any talk of transfer embargoes can be parked for now, though. There will be one hell of a party in this part of Sheffield for the next few weeks and after what Heckingbottom and his players have had to deal with to secure promotion, you certainly couldn’t begrudge them that.
