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In Part One of our Q&A special, we’re joined by Ben Meakin and Andrew Hague to tackle your questions… but also some of mine (Sam). We traverse the expected: Chris Wilder’s future and all-round long-term strategy and the unexpected: air fryer chat and Mount Fuji hypotheticals.Part Two will likely be a little longer. As you may notice, there’s some patchy audio towards the end where Andrew briefly turns into a Dalek or, if you prefer, a RoyBot. So we cut this one a touch short. Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe
In this episode of Memory Lane, we take a nostalgic trip through the history of Sheffield United shirt sponsors from Cantor’s and Arnold Laver to the bizarre and short-lived deals along the way.Joined by David Beeden (Deadbat), we explore United’s early role in football sponsorship, the 27 brands to feature on the shirt, and the stories behind them. Of course, DB’s only gone and done us a quiz to kick it all off…Let us know your memories in the comments. Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe
Have things actually dipped, or just feel like they have?Sam and Riley dig into the numbers behind the last 10 games, where results have improved (really!?) but underlying performances tell a more complicated story. From being outshot regularly to conceding too many chances, we explore whether this is a genuine drop-off or just regression to the mean.There’s also a look at tactical shifts under Wilder, whether a more possession-heavy approach is helping or hurting, and if January signings hint at a longer-term change in direction.Plus, we answer a couple of your listener questions — and tease a Q&A special next week with a very special guest.Thanks for all your questions: we answered a couple and will be answering the rest next week in a Q&A special with an appropriately special guest. Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe
Freelance football commentator Chris MacMillan joins us in the Pinch wing to nominate three Sheffield United images for eternity: a childhood Brian Deane celebration, the agony of Seaman’s save, and David Brooks humiliating Jack Hunt at Hillsborough. Which moment deserves to hang in the Louvre? Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe
1Welcome to episode 4 of Memory Lane In Part Two of Clough Actually, Andrew Hague, Sam Parry and Ben “Travelling Blade” Humphries pick up where the story left off.After an FA Cup semi-final and a promising finish to the previous season, expectations were high for Nigel Clough’s Sheffield United. Instead, the campaign quickly descended into confusion. There were strange selections, constant team changes and a squad that never quite fit together.Despite flashes of brilliance in the cups, the league form lurched from win to loss, momentum never arrived, and optimism slowly evaporated. As United failed in the play-offs and Clough left, what legacy did he leave behind? Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe
Welcome to episode 3 of Memory LaneThis time, Andrew Hague is joined by Sam Parry and Ben Humphries — better known as Travelling Blade — to kick off the first part of Clough Actually, a two-part series looking back at Nigel Clough’s time at Sheffield United.In this episode, we revisit the chaotic early months of the Clough era: a struggling League One side, a squad full of strange signings, and a team that looked destined for trouble. Along the way we discuss players like Jamie Murphy, Jose Baxter and… err, Ryan Hall, plus the impact of John Brayford’s arrival, and some unforgettable FA Cup moments. Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe
After a solid away win at QPR, we break down Adam Davies’ performance stepping in between the sticks and ask what the data really says (or fails to say) about him. We preview the clash with West Brom and talk about why it’s all going so badly wrong for them. Plus, in Question Time, we dive into how the Blades perform with and without Gus Hamer, discuss Jairo’s long-term future at the club, and look ahead to the summer with a conversation about who United might need to sell. Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe
Welcome to the second episode of Memory Lane Andrew and Sam are joined by special guest Berlin Blade to look back at the 1996 Sean Bean–led When Saturday Comes. It’s a big conversation about a film that took the Blades onto the big screen. We dive into dodgy accents, Umbro jackets, 90s football culture, and the film’s gritty(?) Sheffield spirit. Got ideas for future Memory Lane episodes? Tell us in the comments. Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe
Sam, Riley, and David are back to break down another big week for Sheffield United. The trio dig into the Blades’ historic 2–1 win over Sheffield Wednesday — a result that confirmed Wednesday’s relegation. But did the performance quite match the occasion?Attention then turns to the frustrating 2–1 defeat vs Coventry City, before we look ahead to the upcoming clash with QPR. We also have a 🚨 NEW FEATURE…For the “Question Time” segment we’d love to hear from you with any rabbit holes you’d like us to go down. To share your questions, you can either reply to this message or — ideally — leave us a voice note so we can add your voice to the pod.Drop us a voice noteAll questions are good questions, and we’ll try to answer as many as we can each week.Catch you next time Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe
Welcome to a new regular podcast on The PinchHosted by Andrew Hague, Memory Lane will be published three times per a month on a Tuesday afternoon. “In the very first episode of Memory Lane, we kick things off by diving into one of football’s most unpredictable fixtures: the opening day of the season. For Sheffield United fans, the first game has delivered everything from incredible debuts to ludicrous line-ups, and here we relive the highs, lows and unforgettable moments that set the tone for entire campaigns.”Let us know what you make of our selections. We must have got something wildly wrong. Got ideas for future Memory Lane episodes? Tell us in the comments. Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe
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In this episode of Formline, Sam and David are joined by Andrew “Roy” Hague to assess a strange but oddly encouraging run for Sheffield United. They discuss:A new exciting podventureWhether there’s such a thing as a “good loss”The impact of red cards and squad rotationWhat the Charlton and Southampton defeats tell usA statement home win over IpswichGus Hamer’s importanceWhy the numbers still like UnitedPlayoff maths, realism, and keeping the season aliveA daunting trip to Millwall — and what it might decide Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe
This episode of Hang It in the Louvre is a little different. For the first time, one of The Pinch’s own curators takes the guest chair. Sam nominates three images that have stayed with him across decades of following Sheffield United — from the joy of a rare Premier League away win at Luton, to the devastation of Wembley, and finally to a moment of pure connection between players and fans during the Wilder era. A reflective, emotional look at why football images linger long after the final whistle. Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe
It’s the most glamorous time of the year. Forget the Oscars — this is The Pinch mid-season awards.With Sheffield United’s campaign lurching from chaos to cautious optimism, we decided to take stock the only way we know how: by arguing our way through best goals, worst goals, MVPs, young standouts, signings, performances, managerial ratings and an overall grade for the season so far.There are crackers, calamities, comical own goals, a few consensus winners — and plenty of disagreement along the way. If nothing else, it’s an honest snapshot of a season that’s been as strange as it’s been compelling for Sheffield United. Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe
Nine points from four games, (mostly) good performances, and underlying numbers that hint at a cheerful 2026. Oh, and some transfer chat.... Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe
Welcome to Hang It In The Louvre by The Pinch Podcast — the show where Sheffield United supporters choose the images that define their relationship with the Blades.Each guest brings three pictures: moments of joy, pain, beauty or absurdity. We decide which one deserves a permanent place in our ever-growing Pinch Football Wing — and which ones are destined to be torn up forever.This time, we’re joined by Sky Sports journalist and lifelong Blade Kate Burlaga, whose selections span empty streets in lockdown, the trauma of play-off defeat, and one of the most joyous days this side of the city has seen. Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe
The last Formline pod of 2025…Huge thanks to everyone who listens to The Pinch Podcast. We’ve had a blast this year talking tactics, stats and performances — and we were delighted that this pod made the final shortlist for the Football Supporter’s Association awards for ‘best podcast’. In this episode, it was great to talk about an incredibly positive period in a season that once looked dead and buried. Riley was recording from outdoors, so apologies if anyone notices a little crackle down the line. We’ll be back at early in the new year, and fingers crossed we’re talking about another incredible formline.Oh, and there will be one more Hang it in the Louvre pod next week. Watch out for that! Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe
Caty Murray joins us to nominate the three Sheffield United images that have shaped her life as a fan. She takes us from the joy of Rob Hulse’s opening-day header to the feverish excitement of Sander Berge’s arrival — and finally, the stark pain of Newcastle’s 8–0 at Bramall Lane. A warm, funny, and nostalgic episode about first heroes, shared trauma, and how Blades history lodges itself in the memory. Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe
Well that was easy…Sam and Riley pick apart a derby that United won at a canter — from the slow, almost surreal rhythm of the match to the sense of inevitability that settled in long before the third goal. It was probably the calmest derby in living memory, a game where everyone had time to stand out, and we were left wondering whether anyone actually wanted the referee to blow early. It won’t always be like this, so let’s enjoy it… Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe
To mark the launch of Blades by Numbers, a new interactive Sheffield United data dashboard, The Pinch dives into what the numbers can tell us — and what they can’t. Sam Taylor and Riley Roberts talk xG, performance patterns, and how data can deepen rather than deaden our love of football. Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe
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