Sheffield United Women have established themselves as South Yorkshire’s top side, but they had to emerge from the shadows in the early years of the 90’s.
Sheffield United Women’s emergence in recent years has seen them throw Doncaster Belles off their perch as South Yorkshire’s leading women’s side, playing most recently in the FA Women’s Championship.
This season has unfortunately seen the Blades suffer relegation from the second tier shortly after becoming professional, which could bring its own financial challenges to the club.
But nonetheless, despite recent difficulties, the club has come on leaps and bounds since it was founded. Records suggest that the club came about in 2002, but the original club has been about since 1993, originally named as Sheffield Hallam United founded in 1993.
Forming at a time where there was still plenty of derision directed towards the women’s game, it provided an opportunity for many to finally play the game they love.
What Ruth Johnson said about joining Sheffield United Women
“I was so excited,” said Ruth Johnson, one of the first players for Sheffield United Women’s side. “It’s something I’ve kind of dreamed of all my life. I’d never had a chance to play 11 aside before, even though I’d been kicking a ball around at every opportunity, which wasn’t very often.
“Most of my life, other than two friendly games, I think when I was about 12 and it was almost my first chance of that. When I started playing for Sheffield Hallam University, I was working for Hallam University at the time, but I didn’t know if I’d be allowed to join the student group, but I went along. A friend persuaded me to and I was very welcome.”
The club was originally founded from a partnership between Hallam University and Sheffield United, and it was a decision that helped the club make the necessary creation of a women’s team, joining inter-city rivals Sheffield Wednesday.
“It felt very special,” Johnson said when asked about the privilege of representing such a huge club. “We wore the same kit as the men’s first team at the time. The men were doing quite well as well.
“I think I remember rightly, yeah. It did. Yeah. I mean the first time we, I think, got any publicity. The Sheffield Star, there was an article about the club was setting up and we went to the Sheffield United car park to have a photo taken.
“At that time, they wouldn’t even let us onto the pitch even to have a photo taken. So it was a bit of a kick in the teeth, but I think later on they did actually let us have a photo on the pitch. I’ve since seen a photo, an action shot that’s in a proper stadium, which might have been Bramall Lane.”
Johnson, a fleety right-winger/attacking-midfielder, who, upon reflect, felt as though she played similarly to a young Steven Gerrard found herself in the fold for three seasons before the level of football began to ramp up.
“I didn’t play for that long, maybe three or four seasons back then. I think life got in the way, and drifted out of it.
“And, I think as the club started getting better, they started getting better players and I found myself going from the first team to the reserves, I think once they set up a reserve team. But that was quite a common experience. Trouble was, at the time, because there were any other teams, there wasn’t anyone else, any other teams to go to.
“I think, again, a lot of people have that problem. So now maybe if you were getting in the team, you could maybe drop down a division, find another team. They would be grateful to have you. But it wasn’t really possible at that time unfortunately.”
The highlight of Johnson’s short tenure with the Blades saw them face off against a top-quality Leeds United side
“The hot day, the pitch, it was really hard work. Leeds United were really good. It was 0-0 after extra time. And then we lost in a penalty shootout, by which time I’d been substituted. “Yeah. So, yeah, was a bit gutted, but at least I have a medal and I don’t have many medals to my name.”
