March 16 – The Battle of Bramall Lane

GENERALLY speaking, Sheffield United versus West Brom isn’t the kind of match that troubles the excitement levels of the neutral too much.

However, chuck in a few horror tackles, a punch-up, a host of red cards and a scheming manager and you have ‘The Battle of Bramall Lane’, which the two sides served up today in 2002.

The Baggies visited Yorkshire hoping to maintain their play-off ambitions in this Frist Division clash and were handed a boost when United goalkeeper Simon Tracey saw red after only nine minutes for handling outside the box.

Sub ‘keeper Wilko de Vogt could do nothing about Scott Dobie’s opening goal ten minutes later and West Brom looked to heading to a routine three points when Derek McInnes lashed home a 20-yard drive with half-an-hour remaining.

Blades’ manager Neil Warnock had other ideas though, as he made arguably the biggest impact substitution since Fergie threw on a couple of strikers in the 1999 Champions League final.

Georges Santos and Patrick Suffo were introduced on 64 minutes and lord knows what Warnock’s instructions were, as two minutes later the pair were both heading for an early bath.

Santos and West Brom midfielder Andy Johnson had a spot of history, as Johnson, then at Nottingham Forest, had broken the Frenchman’s cheekbone with a flying elbow the previous season. Therefore, it was of no great surprise that Santos’ first contribution was to go in two-footed on him and receive a straight red.

This sparked a mass brawl involving all 21 players, with Suffo being sent off for head-butting McInnes, leaving the Blades with only eight men on the pitch and no substitutions left.

A cynic would say that this gave Neil Warnock an idea. After the melee United captain Keith Curle went over to the bench to receive instructions from his gaffer and over the next ten minutes two of his team-mates, Michael Brown and Robert Ullathorne went down with injuries, reducing them to six men, with the score now at 3-0 thanks to another goal from Dobie.

Referee Eddie Wolstenholme was forced to abandon the game, leaving West Brom boss Gary Megson fuming: “I’ve been in professional football since 16 and I’m 42 now. I’ve never ever witnessed anything as disgraceful as that.

“There is no place for that in any game of football, let alone professional football,” he ranted. “There will be no replay. If we are called back to Bramall Lane we shall kick-off and then walk off the pitch.”

The FA waded in and sided with Megson, letting the 3-0 result stand. United were fined £10,000 and Warnock, who escaped punishment, transfer-listed Santos and Suffo immediately and the pair never played for the club again. West Brom, meanwhile, would finish the season in second place thanks to some final-day heroics and were spared the ignominy of having to return to Bramall Lane the next season.

See who else was feeling the strain today here and make sure you’re back for some more bad behaviour tomorrow. In the meantime, why not get on the Twitter bandwagon and follow us here.