Remembering the Hillsborough Disaster: 35 Years Later
On 15 April 1989, during an FA Cup semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Sheffield's Hillsborough Stadium, a tragic crush killed 97 and left hundreds injured.
The causes of the Hillsborough tragedy are deeply rooted in a series of systemic failures and poor decisions. Overcrowding, inadequate stadium design and a lack of effective crowd control measures contributed to the fatal crush in the Leppings Lane end of the stadium.
The aftermath saw a prolonged battle for justice as families of the victims sought accountability and truth, challenging the initial narrative falsified by South Yorkshire Police which blamed Liverpool supporters for the tragedy.
Debbie Caine, of The Hillsborough Law Now Campaign, said: “The pain and suffering of the past 35 years have not diminished. Today, we pay tribute to all 97 supporters, they will never be forgotten, and we fight on in their memory and for all those who have suffered such injustice at the hands of the state."
Investigations and inquiries revealed a pattern of negligence, cover-ups, and scapegoating, highlighting the failures of authorities, including the police and emergency services.
In 2016, a jury finally concluded that the 97 (96 at the time) victims were unlawfully killed, and subsequent inquiries have led to criminal charges against individuals and organisations responsible for safety and security at Hillsborough Stadium.
Ms Caine said: “The truth of what really happened on that dreadful day was not revealed for decades because public authorities and officials concealed the truth in their own interests.
"Yet, 35 years on, the experiences of Hillsborough families have been repeated countless times, currently with the Post Office scandal. Little has changed.”
This week Labour Party leader Keir Starmer confirmed a Labour government would prioritise bringing The Hillsborough Law into being a parliamentary bill.
This would introduce a legally enforceable, positive “duty of candour” for police and all public authorities to assist investigations into a major incident, and equal public funding for legal representation of bereaved families at inquiries and inquests.
The bill, drafted after the 2016 verdict, is aimed at ensuring that other people do not suffer police cover-ups and mistreatment, as the Hillsborough families did.
Pete Weatherby, the solicitor who represents 22 of the affected families and co-writer of the first draft of the proposed Hillsborough Law, said: “The fact that he [Keir Starmer] has come out publicly in support to the bill is good news.
“Hillsborough Law is the legacy project of the Hillsborough families after establishing their loved ones have been unlawfully killed.”
Mr Weatherby compared Hillsborough to other tragedies that has struck the nation in more recent years. He said: “You can substitute Grenfell, COVID, the post office, whatever you like, for Hillsborough. It is an issue that goes on in every single investigation and inquiry.
“The Hillsborough Law is an attempt to make practical and effective changes to the law to prevent public servants and others from covering up wrongdoing or hiding error.”
As we honour the memory of the 97 lives lost in the Hillsborough disaster, let us reaffirm our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of fans at sporting events. May their legacy serve as a reminder of the ongoing pursuit of justice, accountability, and solidarity in the football community and beyond.
World mourns 35 years since the Hillsborough Disaster
Today marks the 35th anniversary of one of football’s greatest tragedies - the Hillsborough Disaster - when 97 people were unlawfully killed attending an FA Cup semi-final tie between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
The tragedy unfolded primarily due to overcrowding in the Leppings Lane stand, which led to a crush of fans in one of the standing terraces.
The situation was exacerbated by inadequate crowd control measures, poor stadium design, and the failure of police to properly manage the influx of fans.
As fans entered the stadium, many were directed towards the already congested central pens, rather than the less crowded side pens. This led to crushing as the central pens became overcrowded.
Despite pleas from fans, the match was not halted. The response from emergency services further contributed to the severity of the disaster.
Over the past 35 years, multiple investigations and inquiries unravelled a series of conspiracies and cover-ups.
This led to a second inquiry being ordered which concluded gross negligence by police and ambulance services resulted in 97 unlawful deaths.
The incident led to significant changes in stadium safety regulations in the UK, including the introduction of all-seater stadiums for top-flight football matches and improved crowd control measures.
Labour leader Keir Starmer took to X [formerly Twitter] to express his condolences to the victims and their families.
He said: "Today on the 35th anniversary of Hillsborough, I'll be thinking about those lost, their families, and their enduring courage and determination to pursue justice.
"Making the Hillsborough Law a reality would be a priority of my Labour government."
The Owls will host the annual memorial service to remember the 97 Liverpool supporters who lost their lives in 1989.
The service will commence at 2:55pm at the permanent memorial site adjacent to the South Stand bridge and run for approximately 20 minutes, during which time Parkside Road traffic will be suspended.
Hillsborough Stadium will be open to all visitors wishing to pay their respects throughout the day from 10am to 4pm.
Second Sheffield man charged with attempted murder after alleged stabbing in Darnall
A second man from Sheffield appeared in court today after being charged in connection with a reported stabbing in Darnall last week.
Adil Mohammed, 24, of Acres Hill Road, Sheffield, appeared before Sheffield Magistrates' Court earlier today after being charged with attempted murder.
Mr Mohammed pleaded not guilty today and is the second man charged in connection with the alleged assault last week.
It comes following an alleged stabbing on Staniforth Road on Tuesday evening left a 21-year-old man with serious injuries which are now thought to be life-changing.
The man had multiple suspected stab wounds and remains in hospital.
Mr Mohammed has been remanded in custody and is next due to appear before Sheffield Crown Court on 13 May.
Sheffield man hopes to fundraise £40k for human trafficking victims
A Sheffield YMCA worker is aiming to raise £40,000 for human trafficking victims before his 40th birthday by running four half marathons in a month.
The Snowdrop Project is a Sheffield-based charity which provides long-term support to survivors of modern slavery and exploitation.
Jonathan Buckley, 39, decided to fundraise for the organisation after he volunteered to drive trafficking victims to safe houses for the Salvation Army.
He said: “For us, these weren’t just people you saw on the news in boats crossing the channel, or on trucks. They were real people with real stories and real lives too.
“You always think, what happens to them next? Do they just get lost in the system, do they go back to their home countries, what happens to them?”
He discovered the Snowdrop Project through friends who volunteered there, and decided to raise money for long-term support of human trafficking victims.
So far, including gift aid, Jonathan has raised £2,000 of his £40,000 target. He admits raising £4,000 is more realistic than £40,000, but he is determined to raise as much money as possible.
He said: “Encouraging people to part with their cash has always been a gift I have had.”
Jonathan aims to completes the Sheffield Half Marathon, which took place on April 7, Rugeley Half Marathon, which took place yesterday, and the upcoming Roche Abbey Half Marathon and East Yorkshire (Hull) Half Marathon.
He said: “Carrying the Olympic torch last Sunday was hard. I’ve not carried it since I carried it in 2012, and that was only 300 metres, rather than 13 miles. My arm muscles hurt quite a bit on Sunday night.
“The torch has been behind the TV for the last ten years, so it was good to get it out again!”
Jonathan said doing back-to-back races is a challenge, but he has friends and family members joining him on the way to cheer him on.
“Having planned this for the past five or six years, it’s good to actually do it. Come May, I think I will be at a loose end and wondering what is next!”
The Snowdrop Project said: "As a small charity, we rely on the generosity of supporters like Jonathan to fund the work we do.
"We're lucky to have an incredible community of people who fundraise and donate to enable survivors to rebuild their lives after exploitation."
You can donate to Jonathan Buckley’s Just Giving fundraiser here, or donate directly to the Snowdrop Project by visiting their website.
Friends band together to run the Sheffield Half Marathon in memory of an ‘inspirational’ racing driver
The death of an "inspirational" Rotherham racing driver by suicide has led a group of friends from Sheffield to raise money for mental health in his memory.
Jake Cook, a father of two, had competed in a variety of competitions, including the Formula Ford EuroCup and British Formula Renault Championship. His death led to 14 of his school friends coming together to honour his memory by raising money for the mental health charity, MIND.
His friend Jojo Quattrocchi, 32, said: "It's been something so tragic but we've managed to try and spin that into something positive by running for Jake's family, for MIND, and just sharing our solidarity for mental health and how we can maybe break these stigmas."
When asked about their memories with Mr Cook, the friends had an abundance of experiences they wanted to share. James Brodie, 30, bonded with Mr Cook over their joint love of auto racing.
He said: “He was just the sweetest guy. Even though I live down in London now and he was living up in Sheffield, we would stay in contact and we sometimes messaged each other about F1.
“He was just someone who I really enjoyed that world with.”
Olivia Parker, 30, spoke about what Mr Cook was like in school. She said: “He was very hard-working. He was very determined because not only was he incredible at sport and at such a high level, but he was also very intelligent.
“He was also very humble. He was never someone to particularly brag or rub it in your face.”
Miss Parker detailed why they had chosen a marathon to raise money and pay tribute to their friend: “He had competed as a Formula racing driver for his whole life. He was an extremely sporty and inspirational person and I think we thought what more could we do in his honour than a sporting challenge?”
The group decided to start a fundraiser for the mental health charity, MIND, to help increase awareness of men’s mental health. Men make up 80% of suicides that happen in the UK each year.
Originally, the group had set their fundraising target at £5,000 but after receiving generous donations, they decided to double it to £10,000.
Miss Parker said: “It’s really been quite amazing to see the generosity of people coming together. I think people really understand that MIND is a charity that they want to contribute to.”
MIND puts 83 pence from every pound they receive directly into helping people with mental health difficulties.
In spite of the progress made by mental health charities in the past few years, there is still a stigma around being open about mental health, especially for men.
The group are all taking a different approach to training for the marathon but are updating each other along the way.
Mr Quattrocchi, who is starting his own mental health charity, has found the process challenging but enjoyable. He said: “I’ve never run 10K in my life. I've gone years without running and it has been really good, personally, to get back to feeling the benefits of running, and then obviously the end goal is to finish it, all in honour of Jake."
The group will be running the half-marathon on 7 April.
You can donate to their fundraiser here.
Owls Glide by Millers in South Yorkshire Derby
The Owls made it three in a row after a comfortable 1-0 away win against Rotherham United.
Sheffield Wednesday needed three points against out-of-form Rotherham United to keep their survival dreams alive.
Pre-match, Wednesday boss Danny Rohl said: “We know the situation is still serious and it goes very quickly in this league in the other direction.
“But at the moment, we are going in the right direction.”
Although only seven miles and one league position separate the clubs, the gulf in class between the two sides was evident at the New York Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Wednesday spent the majority of the first half camped inside the Millers’ final third but lacked composure in and around the box.
This was evidenced after 21 minutes when Owl’s winger Poveda flashed a shot around the post after a positive run, cutting inside from the right.
The visitors did have the ball in the net from Akin Famewo but it was disallowed for offside in a questionable decision by the officials.
The goal didn’t come for Wednesday in the first half, but they were certainly on top, boasting 60% possession and 11 shots to Rotherham’s solitary effort.
Leam Richardson’s side started the second half with more intensity during the first ten minutes and had a few flurries around the away side’s area, but they didn’t create any clear opportunities.
The lack of quality in the Millers’ attack was met by a collective groan from the home fans on the 64th minute, when a seemingly promising counterattack culminated in a 30 yard back pass to their goalkeeper, Viktor Johansson.
Danny Rohl’s men finally broke the deadlock in the 66th minute when Ike Ugbo swept the ball in from close range after a quick passing exchange from the Owl’s on the edge of the box.
The last half an hour was fairly straightforward for the Owls, despite Barry Bannan clearing an effort off the line to keep the clean sheet intact.
Second half substitute Mallik Wilks also hit the post for the visitors with a headed effort in added time.
After the match, Rohl said: "From the beginning we were on the front foot, and we created a lot of chances and at half-time I had a clear message.
I said to my team it was great what we were doing, but it was about what we did in the box.”
The win for Wednesday was crucial and has pushed the Owls to within three points of safety.
When Rohl took the helm in December, they were struggling on 13 points at the foot of the table.
Wednesday play host to Plymouth Argyle tomorrow for another ‘six pointer’ in the relegation scrap.
From Sheffield to Sydney: 40 years of Rock and Roll photography with Tony Mott
A former Lowedges chef who became one of the most esteemed photographers in rock and roll, working with over 3,000 musicians including The Arctic Monkeys and Madonna, talks about his 40 years in the industry.
From touring with The Rolling Stones to having dinner on Paul McCartney's yacht, and being forced to shoot Blink-182 in a bathtub, Tony Mott reminisces about his time shooting some of the world's most famous bands.
"The reality is that I've shot thousands of bands and musicians," says Tony. "I've only met three a***holes, and that's after more than 40 years experience. They're not great time keepers, nor are they hugely reliable. But they're definitely not all a***holes."
The son of a steelworker, Tony, born in 1956, a loyal Blades fan, was raised in Lowedges. He lived in the city until he was 18, where he studied to become a French Chef in Granville Catering College and can recall clearly the 'buzz' of the Moor on a Saturday morning.
After qualifying as a chef, Tony worked in Surrey, before meeting an Australian girl and moving 'down under', but he soon discovered his real passion, and what would become his true calling in life, was photography.
Tony was introduced to what became his vocation by his childhood friend, Paul Mitchell, from Hackenthorpe, who worked on black and white portraits. He taught Tony how to process and print photographs, and this was the start of his lifelong love of the art.
Despite being born and bred in Sheffield, Tony has spent most of his life in Australia, admitting when he returned to the city in the late 80s, while working with the band U2, he got lost. “That period, when all those steelworks disappeared, Sheffield changed radically. When I left in ’76, people, including my dad, worked in the steelworks. That was the industry. So, it's a hell of a shot to just be wondering around Attercliffe going to myself, ‘where the f**** has everything gone? You’ve got to remember, when I left, there was no Meadowhall or anything like that."
Although Tony moved away from Sheffield almost 50 years ago and may have lost his Yorkshire drawl, he’s never lost that classic, old school Northern sense of humour. The anecdotes he has are endless, and his delivery when telling them is as magnetic and entertaining as the world's best stand-up comedians. Referring to the Arctic Monkeys, he says: "The first time I worked with them, they asked me, ‘are you United or Wednesday then?' As soon as I said United, that was sort of the end of that relationship really - I guess they’re all Wednesday”.
In the early years after moving to Australia, Tony would take his camera into local pubs and photograph local bands. This is how he stumbled across the rock band Divinyls, known for their hit 'I touch myself' and went on to be a big success in Australia and the United States.
"I got lucky that they got famous when I was starting and so I rode their coattails to certain extent", Tony says. “I never really ever meant it to happen, it just happened. Being a chef was bloody hard work, but taking photos of musicians was fun," he added, with a smirk.
In 1987, Tony got his self-confessed 'big break' in the industry, when Mick Jagger landed in Australia on a solo tour and asked him to be his photographer. He toured with The Rolling Stones three times as well as working with Fleetwood Mac, Iggy Pop, Blink-182, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Madonna and Paul McCartney just to name a few.
Tony once spent an afternoon in Sydney harbour with Paul McCartney. "I was told by my management that I had to go and photograph Paul on the harbour in his boat." says Tony, "So you immediately think, 'Oh it's going to be some f***ing great big luxury yacht. But he just loves sailing and I ended up having lunch with him, and he told me how he misses double-decker buses. He was a lovely bloke."
Tony has also witnessed some hilarious behind-the-scenes moments, including finding Travis Barker, the drummer of American punk band, Blink-182, in a bathtub. "I did a front cover for Rolling Stone magazine," he says. "But Travis wasn't answering the door and hadn't come out of his room. He was so hungover in the bathtub of his hotel room that he quite literally couldn't get out of it. He's still, p****d, so I said, 'let's shoot it in there', so I got them all in and just shot them in the bathtub."
Tony reveals, though, sometimes, he was the cause of the mishap, including a time he forgot to put film in his camera during a session with Guns 'n' Roses. The rock group were at the pinnacle of their popularity and Tony spent the entire session disguising his mistake before confessing his rooky error. After the session, Tony had a chat with their manager, forming a cunning lie to save himself, "It worked out alright because the next day, I said to the manager, 'I'm not even gonna show you. They're not good enough'. So I managed to con another session out of them, I suppose!"
After four decades, Tony has now hung up his cameras, and retired from what he calls 'rock and roll photography', and is working in Australian television production.
"I've been doing it for 40 years. The best 40 years of rock and roll photography. It's all been a joy. I feel I've been quite blessed because making money, and good money out of photographing musicians is not something everyone gets to do."
Purchase Tony's book here: Rock N Roll Gallery: A Journey from Sheffield to Sydney 1983-2023: Amazon.co.uk: Mott, Tony: 9781922810748: Books
Ukraine war anniversary: Sheffield’s Ukrainian community gathers for ‘precious’ commemoration
Over 100 people gathered in Sheffield Cathedral last night to commemorate the second anniversary of the war in Ukraine.
The event consisted of an evening eucharist with Ukrainian orthodox prayer and was followed by live traditional Ukrainian music. The cathedral is also hosting an exhibition of artworks created by wounded Ukrainian soldiers.
Organised by the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, the music was performed by Ukrainian refugees and included songs played on the Bandura, an ancient Ukrainian instrument.
Event organiser Tanya Klymenko said: “It means a huge amount to the refugees because despite the warmest welcome we got from locals who opened their hearts and homes, it is still important for people to have a sense of belonging and to speak their own language.”
According to Sheffield City Council, more than 800 refugees have arrived in Sheffield during the past two years as part of the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. Mrs Klymenko, however, estimates that there have been around 1,000 new arrivals, accounting for those with an extended family visa.
Anna Kovalenko, a Ukrainian refugee attending the event, said: “It is unfortunate that this is the second anniversary of the war but this was really precious for us. We try to keep together because it is really important for our people and for our children.”
Mrs Kovalenko came to the UK in 2022 with her two sons and had to leave her husband in Ukraine.
She added: “I think this is the best place for us to be in. I am really grateful to Sheffield and can say that our lives continue here.”
Many women refugees have had to leave their husbands behind and are counting the days until they are able to go back to Ukraine.
“I want to emphasise that the war in Europe is still raging and Ukraine needs your support as much as it did two years ago. Please don’t give up on Ukraine," said Mrs Kovalenko.
The event connected different communities, including the Ukrainian Society at the University of Sheffield.
Founder of the society Roksolana Rohozhynska said: “I loved it. I am so grateful that we now have a big Ukrainian society in Sheffield. It is great to see so much support from people from other countries uniting with us for one purpose.”
‘We won’t go away’ says anti-abortion group holding 40-day vigil outside hospital
An anti-abortion group holding a 40-day ‘vigil’ outside of the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield claim they are there to raise awareness, rather than judge women.
40 Days For Life is an international Christian organisation that claims it is ‘helping to end the injustice of abortion’. Its first campaign took place in 2007, and has reached over 1000 cities in 63 countries.
Rachel Wood, who organises the Sheffield vigils, told Sheffield Wire that the group has been in the area for three years and aims to pray outside the hospital from 8 am to 8 pm, seven days a week, which is when abortions are performed in the hospital.
Mrs Wood, who also assists in running two helplines that aim to end abortion, said: “We believe life is a gift. Abortion hurts women – they think it’s a right to choose, but it does hurt women.”
The group do not consider their actions to be a protest, with Mrs Wood stating that 40 Days For Life considers it a “peaceful prayer vigil.”
Another one of the vigil attendees, Andrew, declined to provide his last name due to fears surrounding his safety.
He said: “We’ve had vigils interrupted where we’ve just been praying, people have come along and smashed our signs up.
“An elderly gentleman had his sign ripped out of his hands and stood on and torn into small pieces – it was quite shocking, but it wouldn’t deter him from coming.”
Marie, who also declined to provide her surname, said: “People mention rape making it okay to abort, but it’s still a life.
“We speak up for the babies – they have no voice. We won’t go away.”
The group faces heavy criticism in Sheffield. Alexandra, 23, from Sheffield Solidarity Group, said: “We think that being harassed whilst undertaking one of the most difficult decisions a pregnant person can take is an awful thing and should not happen.”
Sarah, who declined to provide her last name, helped to set up the Facebook group ‘Sheffield Protecting the Right to Choose’ in September 2022, after reading about 40 Days For Life. The group aims to establish counter-protests and figure out how to support people in Sheffield.
Sarah believes there should be more buffer zones in place to protect people using the services.
“Everyone’s got a right to their beliefs, but I think there needs to be better securities and systems in place.
“It’s already such a stressful time, adding that stress and judgement on top – I can’t imagine what that feels like.”
Sarah also added that she doesn’t think there are a massive amount of people in Sheffield who aren’t pro-choice.
Vigil attendee Marie disagreed, saying she knows “plenty of people who are pro-life. Maybe they don’t see that.”
According to BPAS, 1 in 3 women will have an abortion by the time they are 45 years old.
Next month, MPs are expected to get a free vote on decriminalising abortion in England and Wales after 24 weeks.
Homeless people at risk of being criminalised by council plan, charities and public say
A draft proposal which would criminalise begging and loitering in the city centre has been criticised for marginalising the homeless by charities and the public.
The Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) has received backlash that it will drive homelessness into other parts of the city rather than addressing its causes.
The policy, which is open to public consultation, has been pitched by the council to tackle antisocial behaviour.
Benjamin Archer, a law lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University who specialises in anti-social behaviour and public space management, said: “PSPO’s are a tool to deal with symptoms of behaviour rather than addressing its root causes.
“They disproportionately target vulnerable groups through financial penalties and open them up to a cycle of criminality.”
The PSPO is designed to crack down on antisocial activities, but many issues such as drug-taking and public drinking are already covered by other laws.
This has led to the view that the policy’s only purpose is to tackle begging and loitering which are not currently illegal.
As part of the PSPO, temporary structures such as tents would be banned, while anyone sleeping rough could be charged for ‘loitering’.
The Archer Project, a charity for homeless people based at the Cathedral, said: “If people are without accommodation, excluding them from the city centre will only lead to homelessness elsewhere and the city doesn’t want that either.”
The PSPO will be enforced through fixed penalty notices, and would encompass everywhere within the ring road as well as the train station.
Councillor Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee, said: “I don’t think there’s necessarily any evidence that introducing PSPO’s moves the issue of antisocial behaviour outside of a city centre.
“We do need to take a very firm line on antisocial behaviour and make sure our city centre is safe for everyone.”
PSPO’s have been introduced in cities such as Doncaster and Barnsley since the government repealed the Vagrancy Act in 2022, which removed begging as a prosecutable offence.
Sheffield previously tried to implement one in 2019, but it was dropped after failing to gain public support and meeting similar criticisms from charities.
The council will be taking public opinions on the policy until 25 March.
Black animals are harder to rehome says Sheffield-based sanctuary
Black animals have a harder time getting adopted due to the superstition surrounding their colour, according to local North Anston animal sanctuary.
Based in south Sheffield, Thornberry Animal Sanctuary was founded in 1988 and rescues animals from abandonment, and neglect.
While the sanctuary have had great adoption success stories, and have strong support from their local community, at times they have struggled to find homes for black animals, specifically cats and dogs.
Dating back to the European witch craze, black cats have often been regarded as an omen of bad luck, deterring people from adopting them.
Cattery and Small Animals Manager, Courtney Berry, said: “They’re a lot like marmite – people either love them or they don’t. We get a lot of them and they are very difficult to rehome.”
Additionally, at this time of year, it is particularly difficult for animals to be rehomed and as Christmas is a high travel period, animals can’t be homed with those who have upcoming trips booked, resulting in animals staying in the centre for longer periods of time.
In the kennels, black Lurchers and black Greyhounds are notorious for sticking around.
Hannah Armes, Thornberry’s Kennel Assistant said: “It's just the colour – people are put off by black dogs. The other colours of Lurchers and Greyhounds usually go quite quickly, but the black ones are less desirable,”
Desirable dogs have also been sent to Thornberry due to owners not foreseeing certain characteristics of their animal, or their medical costs.
A misconception around animal adoption is the underlying costs of taking care of small animals. According to Battersea pets, cat care is roughly £1587 per year, and rabbits at a similar cost of £1550.
Thornberry Animal Sanctuary hopes to hold classes in the new year to educate new pet owners on caring for their animals.
Entirely run on donation, fundraising plays a big part in keeping the centre afloat. Thornberry regularly holds events to entice the local community to support the centre and the animals it houses.
In early November, the sanctuary celebrated its 35th anniversary with a dinner gala. Last weekend, they held their annual Christmas fair, where they promoted local businesses.
Thornberry invites the local community to volunteer to help them day-to-day. Anyone is welcome to volunteer and can find an online application form on their website.
Thornberry Animal Sanctuary will soon open up a charity shop in Crystal Peaks Shopping Centre.
Maddy Cusack “broken by football”: the women’s game in the UK remains an afterthought
Former Sheffield United player Maddy Cusack’s early death at 27 has spotlighted the ongoing struggle which still dominates women in football. The pressure of the game is growing but the money in the game is not.
Maddy’s family have criticised the “half-baked” nature of the women’s game. Players have no choice but to work multiple jobs due to the lack of funding for salaries, equipment and facilities.
There has been an increasing demand for the women’s game after the 2022 Euros, but the lack of commitment from clubs for the women’s game, shows the stark contrast between the women and men’s game.
Maddy’s brother, Richard Cusack, 29, spoke out on the pressures his sister faced during her career. He said: “Women don't get paid enough for the effort they put in. They've got to find a way of making the balance work in women's football.
“What you're asking players to do at the moment is live as a full-time, elite, professional athlete by eating, training, and then playing on a Sunday. You’re going out all day Sunday and then players have got to get up for work on a Monday morning and with some away games it’s a weekend-long event as well.
“We have got to find a way of making this work for everyone. At the moment, it feels a little bit half-baked.”
Mr Cusack emphasised the difficulty for players to fully commit to playing football when a risk of injury one game could impact their full-time job.
Maddy’s mum, Deborah Cusack, 55, claims her daughter, who also played for the Lionesses, was “broken by football”. She told the BBC: “Maddy worried about her career in football. Because football, to her, was everything.
“At Sheffield United, last year their players were part-time, which means that they all had full-time jobs and trained three times a week. They often travelled on a Saturday to play on a Sunday, for minimal amounts of money. I think Madeline was on £6,000 a year, last year, to play football.”
Mrs Cusack, from Horsley, Derbyshire, spoke to the Sheffield Wire about a campaign for Maddy to participate in the FA mixed gender trials held across the country, while she was still in secondary school. Unfortunately for Maddy the campaign was unsuccessful despite backing from “every manager and every team”.
Olivia Cusack, 24, explained her sister had a huge ambition to develop opportunities for young women who were pursuing football careers.
She said: “I remember at clubs she'd been in, some female clubs were completely separate from the men's and she could never get her head around why they weren't working together. It wasn’t just funding, but equipment too, and even general relationships between the men and the women. Why was it not more merged?”
After moving to Sheffield United, Maddy noted men and women were gradually integrated which Ms Cusack explained was good for Maddy as the absence of a gendered hierarchy allowed all the players to learn and progress more.
She said: “I think she wanted a level playing field for both men and women. She wanted young girls to be able to achieve what the men have in a way, or even, the females that are in the Euros now. I think she just wanted to make it not so difficult for women to be able to achieve in football and get as much out of the sport.”
The Sheffield Wire’s campaign last May on the retention of teenage girls in football showed a large spike in girl’s interest in football as well as the challenges the girls faced.
Data from Sports England showed that 777,000 girls at the end of the 2021 school year played organised football and a 200,000 increase in the numbers of girls playing informally.
According to FIFA, there are over 29 million women and girls playing football globally, which will be expected to increase to 60 million by 2026.
In school, Maddy participated in the Sports England’s ‘This Girl Can’ campaign, which aimed to challenge stereotypes of girls in sport.
Maddy became known as “Miss Sheffield United” and continued to encourage girls to play football. Throughout her career she participated in various events including multiple visits to Charnock Ridgeway Girls FC.
Olivia, social media manager for Derby Runner, who lives in Horsley, said: “The young girls and parents I spoke to, they believe it's really difficult for girls teams to actually have access to equipment or places where they can carry out training sessions.
“A lot of the time, it's already kind of reserved or bought for boys, men’s, teams. The priority is not the same for females.”
Hana Bhatia, 14, saw Maddy Cusack as a role model for her own pursuit into a football career.
She said: “There’s still stereotypes. I feel like getting on to a team is a lot more difficult for a girl than a boy, because there's so many more divisions for the boys than for girls. I feel like boys don't understand that girls know how to play football”.
Hana also pointed out discrepancies at a professional level. “The women only get one shirt for the entire season and the men get one every single game.”
Rachel Iball, Hana’s mother, explained: “There's a lot more opportunities for the boys to develop and be scouted and we've looked for more teams for Hana. It's just been really difficult to try and go to the next step.
“One of Hana's friends got scouted just so easily. Whereas for girls, it's a lot harder. And there's less teams around. So we end up travelling all over the place to go to matches for a Doncaster, Barnsley, all over.”
Brett Hawke, Barnsley Ladies FC Chairman for the Junior and Development teams, 43, explained that there is an increased pressure from clubs investing in the women’s game for teenage girl players to be elite despite the lack of funding.
“The problem I’ve got with it is, if you read the press, you’d think there’d be a lot of money going to the women’s game because they go on about how much funding has gone into it and how it’s going to improve it”, he said.
“But when you dig into it you’ll find that the funding’s there for already established men's clubs to bring women’s football in. So they go after that funding, bring one women’s team in, and spend the rest of the money on the men's team.”
Mr Hawke has been involved in the women's game for seven years but was originally from the men’s football background.
The financial constraint and overshadowing of the women’s game, as Mr Hawke explained, has risen with the introduction of the UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations to clubs which has further limited their spending.
He said: “For me there should be a special kind of fund that is specifically for the women’s game and it shouldn’t be included in men’s Financial Fair Play Regulations, it should be rolled out to the women’s game and it’s got to start out at the grassroots.
“Because some of the facilities that we have to play on, if it were boys they would not be playing on that.”
As the number of women in football continues to grow, so does the financial pressure. This reinforces the importance of The Maddy Cusack Foundation that aims to provide funding and opportunities for young girls in their football careers.
#MarkedbyMaddy: The impact of Maddy Cusack on the next generation of players
"She helped so many young people. I was always really shy because I thought that if I said something wrong, then I would regret it but I think I should have spoke to her more because now I can't."
As soon as Hana Bhatia, 14, saw Maddy Cusack play the Sheffield United midfielder became her favourite player. Her passion on the pitch was mirrored in the generosity she gave to younger players.
Hana, who plays for Hallam Rangers Junior FC, recalled: "Anyone who came across Maddy could just tell that she was a really nice person, on the pitch and off the pitch. She treated me more like a friend than a fan."
Rachel Iball, Hana's mother, said: "Hana's dream was to play with Maddy on the pitch so to be able to talk to her and have a relationship was really meaningful. She was a really good role model.
Maddy gave so much time to her supporters. Every time Hana plays football now, she writes MC 8 on her hand and when she scores, she points up and says that was for Maddy."
Hana isn't the only young player or fan who has been impacted by the much loved player. The Maddy Cusack Foundation has been sharing stories using #markedbymaddy and highlighting her impact.
It's evident Maddy has inspired so many young players to want to go on to have a career just like her. However, it can be a hard path to follow.
Ms Iball explained the cost of playing football can make it difficult. She said: "I'm a single mother ferrying Hana around. I love that she's a footballer but the costs can add up."
With the lack of local teams girls have to travel miles to play matches. When they do get to play it's often with less facilities than boys teams.
It's these and many other barriers that The Maddy Cusack Foundation, created by Maddy’s family in October, seeks to address. Their hope is to continue Maddy’s inspirational legacy.
‘It was a privilege to have grown up around such talent’: Cusack family reflect on the fierce woman Maddy became.
Maddy as an adult mirrored her much loved childhood personality, she was fierce, determined and spirited – three words that would eventually become the slogan for The Maddy Cusack Foundation.
Her passion and enthusiasm on and off the pitch inspired many. During the footballer’s childhood, she crafted her talents under the guidance of her beloved teachers, including Anne Cox, and the support of her family.
After completing her A Levels Maddy enrolled at Derby University, so she could stay near her family, and was awarded a first-class honours degree in Marketing, Advertising and PR. By this point, Maddy was working part-time, studying full-time, and playing at Aston Villa on the weekends.
As Olivia entered adulthood, the bond between herself and her older sister strengthened. Maddy helped Olivia gain a job in marketing at Derby Runner, where she still works today.
“Towards the end of our teenage years, into adult life, we were always super close – we came together a lot more. I think it was because there were four years between us and during that time, you go on similar journeys,” she says. “We found a lot of similarities between us as we could open up more, and could relate to each other. I'd do her makeup. I think she liked to humour me in that way because it could bring us closer. At the beginning, she’d say ‘You’re making me look completely different,’ and I’d say ‘Maddy that’s the point in makeup so sit down and let me do your eyelashes!’”
It was the friendship of her family Maddy cherished above all else. “When Maddy had down days from football or work, she would be with me, my little sister and my mum – she and my mum were best friends. I’d always say to Maddy ‘Don’t you want a group of girls to go out with for a coffee or a night out?’ She’d always be mortified at the idea and say ‘You're my best mate – you, Mum, and Felicia are. I don't need friends,’” the social media manager recalled.
Maddy juggled a lot during her adult life. She had a full-time job as a Marketing Executive for Sheffield United, in which she would work Monday to Friday. On Sundays, she would swap the office for the pitch and turn her focus to her career as a semi-professional footballer.
The COVID-19 lockdown forced Maddy to break from her hectic lifestyle. She immediately moved back to Horsley and back into her childhood bedroom. “For the first time in 18 years, her fast-paced lifestyle had slowed down – not stopped because she was still working. I think she was quite annoyed she wasn't furloughed like everyone else,” says Olivia.
“Everything slowed down and that was really nice for her because we got to just spend time together – we were all just locked in the house together. We did a lot of walking, playing games and just messing about. She liked the simple things, I think because it wasn't an option for her all the time.”
Although Maddy loved being at home with her family, she was also eager to move back to Sheffield, with her flatmate and football captain, Sophie Barker. The Yorkshire city was not only home to her beloved football team, but also home to her father’s family.
Maddy’s brother, Richard, 29, recalls, “She instantly fell in love with the city – moving to Sheffield was quite a big deal for Maddy because that's where my dad's side of the family is from and all his relatives are up there. My dad was very proud of her for doing that. She always said the city felt so warm to her – just home away from home.”
During the footballer’s time in Sheffield, the siblings would often visit her and take a trip down Ecclesall Road to grab a drink from Pom Kitchen. Other times they’ve opted for a bite to eat at Kelham Island’s Cutlery Works.
Despite her love for a caramel latte, and obsession with Greek wraps, Maddy was strict with herself when it came to training, diet and work ethic. When she wasn’t working, a lot of the time she could either be found at the gym or training.
“She was like a manager's dream,” Richard says, “She was professional, she trained well, ate well. She was always on time. Last year, we had a Christmas dinner around my house and she bought her own – weighed out. She had football the next day and said ‘look, this is what I'm going to have to do’, but even that shows that she was so dedicated to football, and to her family as well. She wouldn't have missed out on the Christmas meal, she just had to make a few adjustments. She really was a marvel – an example of how to conduct yourself.”
Richard works as a sports journalist for Football London, and is based in Birmingham with his partner, Emily, who was also very close to Maddy. “She always welcomed me with open arms. We were quite different, but that didn’t stop us from having a brilliant connection. We got on so well. She'd always take the time to talk to you and get to know you. And she was like that with everyone.”
Emily witnessed the bond between Maddy and her siblings, as well as the mischief they caused. “They would always play football in the house. They'd break something, but no one would ever admit to it. Deborah was always finding something that was broken because they had kicked a ball around the house.”
Maddy never lost her cheekiness, nor did she ever lose the love and affection of her friends and family. “We're so lucky that we know how much she loved us, and she knew we loved her. I think that's very lucky because sometimes you can fall out with people and you might regret things. In this family, there was no question,” Emily says.
For the Cusacks, the festive season remains a very special time of year. Emily recalls a moment from their final. “It's so vivid. We were all just opening presents and Maddy disappeared, we thought she'd just gone to the toilet. Eventually, she came back down and was head-to-toe in a full Santa suit. She put on this funny voice, and she gave out all her presents. We were all laughing, and she was so happy. It was a really happy time,” the primary school teacher says.
Olivia, Maddy’s sister, added, “I remember looking at her and thinking, she was absolutely crazy.” The
Maddy’s love for the season was infamous but in contrast, she wasn’t typically overly sentimental about Christmas, but Olivia still has a card her sister wrote each member of her immediate family two years ago. “To have something that you could actually read and that she took the time to write meant so much. It was just so left-field for her, but it was so amazing.”
During Maddy’s memorial, Olivia read out a part of the note written inside the Christmas card her sister wrote. ‘Thank you for everything you do for me and for always being there for me. I love you so much and I don’t know where I would be without you.’
‘Madeleine displayed a unique spirit, an indomitable spirit’: A glimpse into Maddy Cusack’s childhood
Madeleine Cusack was a star in women’s football – hailed as Miss Sheffield United. Boasting an enviable, professional career, the star midfielder, who hailed from Derbyshire, went on to become vice-captain of Sheffield United.
It is easy for anyone to see why the athlete excelled exponentially in her career: according to her teammates and clubs, she possessed great talent, took any given opportunity to improve, and had unconditional love and support from her family.
But where did Maddy come from? At one point, she was simply a young girl from the small Derbyshire town of Shipley View, Ilkeston. She came from a tight-knit family, close to her parents, Deborah and David, grandmother, Judy, with unbreakable bonds with her siblings, Richard, Olivia and Felicia.
At Scargill Primary School in West Hallam, Maddy was a shining light with a special talent for sport. “She would spend all of her time playing football with the lads. Her school shoes had to be boy shoes, because they were the only ones that would last,” Deborah, 55, says. “Even then, she was very competitive. On sports day she won absolutely every race she ever entered. The school had a little marathon at the end of the year and she'd always win that as well.”
Maddy’s younger sister, Olivia, shared her mother’s sentiments about her competitive nature. “We learned very quickly to just let Maddy win, because she would win anyway,” she says, laughing.
Maddy also enjoyed horse riding and would often ride with her cousins. “When she was a child, her favourite film was Black Beauty and so her fifth birthday present was a horse riding lesson,” Deborah shares dotingly. “We also tried ballet as her grandmother wanted to take her, but that lasted about one week.”
This time of year is particularly hard for the Cusack family, as she loved Christmas. It was a time to spend with her family and take a break from the passions of the pitch. Deborah recalls, “She made an angel at school when she was little, and that goes on top of our tree every year. I've kept all the Christmas decorations from when all the children were five. The others used to get a bit cross when the angel went back up every year.”
Following Scargill Primary School, Maddy moved to Kirk Hallam Academy. Similarly to when she was a younger pupil, the football prodigy spent the ‘majority of her waking hours’ dedicating her time to sports.
“During secondary school, she was a part of the netball team. I went to watch every game she was ever in. On one occasion Maddy nearly went to kick the ball, and I had to shout ‘Don’t boot the ball!’ In netball, she was like a little Jack Russell because she wasn’t tall and lean, she was just on everybody like she was in football so it was funny to watch her play,” Deborah recalls, chuckling at the memory. “I'm very, very proud – I'm proud of everything she's ever done,” Deborah says.
Popularity came easily to Maddy, who was respected by the boys and idolised by the girls. She had a large group of friends throughout her time as a student and was still close to them years later.
She and her boyfriend of the time were crowned prom queen and king in her final year of school. Her ‘prom queen’ sash still remains in her childhood bedroom. It was the first, but by no means the last time she would be celebrated for her popularity and excellence. On the day, there were group pictures of Maddy and her friends taken outside West Hallam Community Centre. The park in the centre is the starting location for the foundation fundraiser, Miles for Maddy, on December 10.
At school, she impressed many of her teachers with her talents and fierce personality. One in particular was Anne Cox, her PE teacher and Key Stage 4 Head of Year.
She worked closely with Maddy on and off the pitch and recalls, as an athlete, she was impressed with her dedication and determination to her interests. As a pupil, she was also in awe of her selflessness, confidence and optimism.
“As a PE student in year seven, she was part of a very talented group of girls,” the retired teacher says fondly. “However, Maddy always just stood out that little bit more. You shouldn’t have favourites in school as a teacher – never. Having said that, there was a group of girls in that year, along with Maddy that were just outstanding beyond belief.”
Branded a ‘cheeky monkey’ by her former teacher, Maddy would often lead the group into mischievous fun which always left a smile on everyone’s face.
“In the early years, the children would perform dances to each other, Anne says. “Maddy would try to break into fits of laughter with her dancing. We once performed a dance to West Side Story and she loved that because it was full of strong, confident movements.”
When the athletic powerhouse wasn’t dominating her way through sport, her focus moved to her studies. Maddy received all A*s, As and Bs in her GCSE subjects, including Psychology and PE, and retook maths three times to secure an A. After GCSEs, she then went on to study English, Biology and PE for her A Levels. It appeared as though she shone as much when reciting Shakespeare, as she did when dribbling on the pitch.
A standout memory for Anne was when the school football team made it to the national finals. “Maddy led the girl’s football team to the National Finals. We had never made the finals before, and this was the only team to have ever done it. She was an integral part of that team with regard to raising motivation and getting everybody to train. She was an absolute star.”
It was while Maddy was at secondary school, the Cusack family moved from Shipley View to Horsley and moved next door to Zoe Stannard, who went to school with Olivia. “I was in year four at the primary school in the village when Olivia started,” Zoe says. “We became best friends that same day. Liv introduced me to Maddy and from then on, we were either always at my house, or theirs. Because I was best friends with Olivia, I always saw Maddy as a big sister. I was an only child and so I felt as though Olivia, Maddy, Felicia and Richard were like my siblings. She was the first person who bought me makeup, the first person to straighten my hair – she was a big sister. We looked up to her so so much.”
During separate conversations, both Zoe and Olivia agreed that once somebody befriended one of the Cusacks, that person automatically became friends with the entire family. Living within a close bubble of family and friends, the entrance to the Cusack house was a revolving door.
Zoe was present for many milestones of Maddy’s life, such as getting her first job as a waitress at the Horsley Lodge Hotel. During Maddy’s exam period, Zoe remembered watching Maddy revise so intently, that it inspired her to mimic her friend’s work ethic when it was time to revise herself.
By this point, Maddy was playing for Aston Villa and would have to drive from Derbyshire to Birmingham three times a week for training sessions. As her father drove her back and forth along the A38, Maddy’s head was in her books, revising for her next exam. Her dedication to ‘being the best’ is something that inspired all those around her.
“She achieved everything she set out to do. She did everything first and set the benchmark for the rest of us: GSCEs, Sixth Form, and even her driving test – She was the first one out of all of us to pass driving,” Zoe, a deputy safeguarding lead, recalls.
Some of her favourite memories of her time with Maddy centre around simplicity: whether it be going for walks with their mums, or going for long drives with Maddy and Olivia. “As she got older, she loved being in her car – she loved listening to R&B, and would literally blast songs in her car as loud as she could.”
Like Deborah, Zoe also cherished the memory of seeing Maddy at her secondary school prom. “It is probably one of my favourite memories. I just remember thinking, she looked amazing. Everyone thought she looked the best.”
Legendary Golf Club Closes After 122 Years
Renishaw Park Golf Club, established in 1911, is set to cease trading after ongoing financial hardship.
Despite club members raising a substantial fee of £20,000, it was not enough to keep the club open during the upcoming winter months when trade is slow.
Renishaw Park Golf Club has also confirmed that multiple donators have come forward to offer further payment, but they will be declining.
The club released a statement to members that said: "We are respectfully declining the very kind offers made and will not be using your money to prop up the club for the next couple of months with no future beyond."
Despite the situation, Renishaw Park Golf Club have stated that they will be exploring options so that a club may continue to operate on location, "in whatever form that may be."
On Sunday 3 December at 4.30pm, the club is scheduled to shut its doors for the last time.
Sheffield FC and Eagles RLC Join For Stadium Move
For the first time in over 20 years Sheffield FC are returning to the city with a brand new state of the art stadium.
The oldest football club in the country will share the site with Sheffield Eagles RLC.
The proposed stadium, which is aiming to be ready for autumn 2025, boasts a capacity of 5,000 and will be located in Meadowhead, on the same site as the former Sheffield Transport Sports Club. The proposal also includes a plan to include a club museum for Sheffield FC.
Richard Tims, Sheffield FC's chairman, said: “This is about being proud of the region’s sporting heritage and making it a hub for sporting excellence and community engagement in Sheffield and the South Yorkshire region."
Sheffield FC have been forced to postpone matches due to bad weather at their current ground in Dronfield, including a game yesterday, against Ashington AFC, following a waterlogged pitch.
Fan, Philip Staton, 70, of High Street, said: “The ground is always flooded. You wouldn't believe the amount of games that are called off."
The proposal for the new Home Of Football Stadium features artificial turf, which would make the pitch resistant to wet weather conditions.
The current ground is just south of Sheffield’s county border with Derbyshire.
Sheffield FC fan and club historian, Andrew Dixon, highlighted the importance of bringing the club north into Meadowhead, and back to the city.
He said: “Crucially, we will be back in Sheffield. I love Dronfield but it doesn't feel right for Sheffield Football Club to be playing in Derbyshire.”
Mr Dixon also compared the similarities between this stadium switch and a previous one made by the club, leaving their old site on East Bank Road.
“For well over a century, the club led a nomadic existence, playing at several grounds. So securing our own home was essential to the survival of the world's oldest club and I hope that the next move will see some success on the pitch. We're definitely due some after the last few years,” he said.
Sheffield Eagles will celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2024 which will coincide with the new stadium project.
The Eagles currently play in the Rugby League Championship, the tier below The Super League, which is the pinnacle of professional Rugby League and a division they haven't played in since 1999.
“There will be more facilities, a gym for players, an indoor supporters club and bar, the ground will be developed and it’ll allow us to push for the Super League. For us, there are no negatives. We’re beyond excited. It's something we've wanted for a very long time,” said Eagles fans, Kate Peat, 54 and her husband, Alan, 52.
Despite the plans for the Meadowhead site exciting some fans, others are worried about the travelling implications.
Mark Webster, 41, of Ellenbro Road, who believes having a ‘Super League standard’ stadium is essential, said: “There’s one negative and it's a strong one. The lack of public transport links to Meadowhead.
"As a non-motorist, it's going to be difficult to get home after games. It's ideal for motorists, and there are buses from the city centre, but they’re not very frequent, but I'm sure this is something the developers will address."
Sheffield FC and Sheffield Eagles have announced that full planning permission will be submitted early next year.
They have also invited the public to two meetings in which they will discuss the plans in more detail. The first on Tuesday, 28 November, and the second on Wednesday, 6 December: IMPORTANT: PUBLIC CONSULTATION EVENTS | Sheffield FC
Kameron Kielly Leaves Sheffield Steelers For More Ice Time
Sheffield Steelers player Kameron Kielly has left the team to return to North America after a short stint in South Yorkshire.
Kielly began his career in 2012 at the Gatineau Olympiques before spending time at the Charlottetown Islanders, Atlanta Gladiators, and eventually the Sheffield Steelers.
Kielly joined the Steelers in the summer of this year, making it his first season overseas.
After his initial signing, head coach Aaron Fox was sure of Kielly’s future success on the team.
He said: “Kam will start off in a bottom 6 role, but I feel he will be one of those guys that will be pushing that internal competition in our group for a bigger role as the season goes on.”
While playing with the Steelers, forward, Kielly, made six appearances and scored one goal on October 21 against the Nottingham Panthers.
The Steelers media manager, David Simms, confirmed that the Charlottetown native would be moving back to North America to secure ice time.
Kielly will be expected to pick up a new side in the East Coast League. It hasn’t yet been confirmed which team he will play for.
Following his departure, fans have shared words of support on X:
Other Steelers fans connected his lack of ice time to his reason for departure.
Kielly has not made a public statement, although he did repost the Steelers’ official announcement on X.
Barnsley apologise following FA Cup removal
Barnsley have apologised to everyone associated with the club following their surprise expulsion from this season’s FA Cup.
It was announced on Wednesday that Neill Collins’s side had fielded an ineligible player in their First Round Replay clash against Horsham last Tuesday.
In a statement released on the club’s website, the Tykes said: "We would like to apologise to our fans, players and staff for this regrettable error."
The player was not named, and the club are not expected to appeal the decision.
Barnsley cruised to a 3-0 victory against Horsham in front of the ITV4 cameras after a dramatic 3-3 draw at Oakwell earlier this month.
However, it is the Isthmian Premier League side who will now face Sutton United in the tournament’s Second Round next weekend.
Photo credit: 19andy76 (Flickr)
Sotona Loan Exit Confirmed
Doncaster Rovers winger Deji Sotona has joined non-league side Boston United on loan until January.
The Irishman joined the club in the summer from Burnley but has struggled to find his feet in Grant McCann’s side.
A product of the Manchester United academy, a 16-year-old Sotona was the fastest player at the Red Devils in 2019. He clocked a top speed of nearly 23mph, more than 1.2mph faster than the previous record holder Diogo Dalot according to the Daily Mail.
Sotona has featured six times under McCann this season, scoring on only one occasion. The Rovers boss confirmed a first-team player would be leaving the club at his press conference yesterday.
Photo credit: David Dixon
Emboldened Blades host Bournemouth in attempt to break free of relegation zone
Sheffield United host AFC Bournemouth at Bramall Lane tomorrow in a match that could see them finally break free of the relegation zone following Everton's points deduction.
After a disappointing start to the season, the Blades have been emboldened by a draw against Brighton and a win over Wolves in their past two fixtures.
With these four points and Everton’s 10-point deduction last week for breaching financial fair play rules, Sheffield United have climbed into 18th place in the table.
At yesterday’s press conference, manager Paul Heckingbottom said: “In terms of where we are, we want to keep momentum going.
“The message hasn’t changed. We’re going to have difficult moments but we have to ride them out and capitalise when we’ve got good momentum.”
Heckingbottom confirmed both Oliver McBurnie and Anel Ahmedhodzic have recovered from recent injuries and will be in contention for starting positions on Saturday, news that will bolster many fans’ expectations of success.
However, Bournemouth is riding its own resurgent wave after a shock 2-0 victory over Newcastle before the international break, paving the way for an exciting basement battle between the sides.
Sheffield’s propulsion out of the danger zone also relies on Crystal Palace beating or drawing to Luton at Kenilworth Road.
On the topic of Everton’s points deduction being to his advantage, Heckingbottom refused to be distracted, and said: “It’s not going to help us get the points we need.”
But he did fire a warning shot towards the Premier League over its investigations into other clubs, such as Manchester City and Chelsea: “You can’t punish one team and not others. There has to be consistency.”
The match will be played on the two year anniversary of Heckingbottom taking over as club manager, an appointment which saw the Blades dominate the Championship and regain their place in the Premier League.
It also follows an international break which saw several impressive performances for members of the squad, including midfielder James McAttee netting a superb brace for England in the U21 Euro Qualifiers against Serbia to help them claim a 3-0 victory.
Supporters have been invited to join a minute’s applause in the 37th minute of the game in memory of Blades fan Matt Hardy, who died aged 37 after a two-year battle with cancer.
Sheffield United v. AFC Bournemouth kicks off at 3pm tomorrow at Bramall Lane.
Bereaved families of students who died by suicide to give evidence at Parliamentary committee
Grieving parents are preparing to tell their stories to the nation’s MPs at a government committee next week in a fight to get a duty of care enshrined in law.
The evidence will be given to the Petition Committee, a parliamentary group which will go over the contents of a petition submitted by campaign groups #ForThe100 and The LEARN Network.
This is ahead of a debate at Westminster Hall on June 5 which MPs will attend and voice their support in order for it to be passed to the next stage of the legal process.
One of the families attending is Dr Mark Shanahan who lost his 22-year old son Rory while he was studying at the University of Sheffield in 2018.
“We want the law to have teeth,” Dr Shanahan said. “This is not something that is going to finish on June 5. Think of Everest. We've got to base camp so there is a long way to go.”
MPs who have spoken in support of the petition include Helen Grant, the MP for Maidstone and the Wield who joined The Learn Network in delivering the petition to Downing Street ahead of the debate next month. Conservative MP Caroline Nokes was also present.
Other MPs such as Darren Henry for Broxtowe, attended the event after the petition was handed in where the families of those who had lost their loved ones to suicide at university read out testimonials.
Sheffield MPs, Olivia Blake and Paul Blomfield as well as Andrew Western for Stretford and Urmston were also at the event.
A spokesperson for Matthew Western, the Labour MP for Warwick and Leamington, said: “Matt is aware of the campaign and has met both campaign groups in Parliament and elsewhere. He will be the Shadow Minister responsible for responding to the debate on 5 June.”
Professor Edward Peck, the government’s first Student Support Champion, said in relation to the time it would take to put the duty of care into legislation: “18 months to two years to do all of what is in training around student mental health, some changes much sooner.”
In response to the petition, the government said: “Higher education providers do have a general duty of care to deliver educational and pastoral services to the standard of an ordinarily competent institution and, in carrying out these services, they are expected to act reasonably to protect the health, safety and welfare of their students.”
Ahead of a debate next month, the Petitions Committee will hear from those involved in the petition, and representatives from charities such as PAPYRUS, Student Minds and Universities UK.
They have received more than 128,000 signatures for their joint petition which concerns the introduction of a statutory duty of care to be made a legal requirement in higher education.
Duty of care is defined by #ForThe100 as protecting students from reasonably foreseeable harm, caused either by direct injury or failing to act. It is already in place in employment law in the UK.
“We can’t sit around for ten years”: father of student who took her own life on the battle for a legal duty of care in universities
“Why is nobody listening? Why is nobody understanding? Perhaps it’s too simple and so fundamental no one believes we’re asking for it.”
These are the words of Bob Abrahart, the 67-year-old father of Natasha, a university student who tragically took her own life while studying at the University of Bristol in 2018. A member of Lived Experience for Action Right Now (the LEARN Network), he is campaigning alongside #ForThe100 for universities to have a legal duty of care.
Bob believes the whole campaign comes down to a fundamental concept: people should be cared about.
The LEARN Network and #ForThe100 are two campaign groups, set up by bereaved families, fighting for the introduction of a statutory duty of care to be made a legal requirement in higher education.
Their joint petition has received more than 128,000 signatures and debated at Westminster Hall on June 5.
The campaign groups estimate 100 university students a year take their own lives, with an estimated 319 in the period between 2017-2020 in England and Wales according to a Freedom of Information request.
Duty of care is defined by #ForThe100 as protecting students from reasonably foreseeable harm, caused either by direct injury or failing to act. It is already in place in employment law in the UK.
Natasha’s story
“We discovered after Natasha’s death that, in a second-year physics module, the students had interviews. All we know from the first one-on-one interview is that she ran out of the room,” Bob, a former university lecturer said. “We have never had any more detail on exactly what happened. That was followed by another failed attempt at an interview. We don't know what happened there either.
“Natasha was diagnosed as having social anxiety disorder. At home and amongst her friends, you wouldn't have noticed it. It's only when she was put in some stressful, performance situation such as a one-on-one presentation in class, when she went shopping, when she went out for a meal, that’s when it caused a problem.
“She only managed to be marked on two laboratory assessments. One at the beginning, which she ran out of and one just before she died. That did not go well either. For the rest, she just got zeroes because they failed to address the problem. Did they fail her? The judge ruled they caused her death. So yes.”
20-year-old Natasha took her own life on the day she was expected to participate in an oral presentation which would have taken place in front of 40 staff and students.
“They should not have subjected her to six months of non-stop, that was in effect for her, torture. It is this torture which caused her to become depressed and it's the depression that led to the suicide and they still did nothing. They carried on regardless.
“So why did they? The answer is that they didn’t have to stop.”
A civil court ruled that the University of Bristol failed to make reasonable adjustments for Natasha under the Equality Act 2010 and the Abrahart family won £50,000 in damages.
However, the judge refused to accept that the university was negligent under a duty of care - because Bristol University successfully argued that none existed.
Natasha’s father argues that if a duty of care had existed, the university wouldn’t have subjected her to the distress associated with the oral assessments that she was struggling with.
“Natasha was a wonderful daughter. She was methodical in everything she did,” the former associate professor at the University of Nottingham said. “She loved computer programming and was musical. She played piano and cello.
“She had one thing holding her back: her social anxiety disorder.”
The Abrahart family are prepared to go all the way to the Supreme Court, if that is required, to get justice for Natasha. This could take up to ten years and they believe other families should not have to go through the same process.
The University of Bristol declined to comment on the matter.
UUK response
Professor Steve West CBE, the President of Universities UK and Vice-Chancellor of UWE Bristol said every life lost to suicide is a tragedy but “although universities are investing in student support and developing partnerships with NHS services, their primary role is as settings for adult learning not health care.”
“We do not believe the proposed additional statutory duty of care, beyond the existing duties that already apply to universities, would be practical, proportionate, or the best approach to supporting students.
“We question whether a compliance-led approach will drive the cultural changes needed to promote awareness and disclosure, conversations, and co-production – all of which are needed to act on prevention and early intervention.
“We continue to work with the government, and its Student Support Champion Professor Edward Peck, on proposals to improve outcomes for students.”
Government response
In response to the petition, the Government released a statement that says higher education providers already have a general duty of care.
“This can be summed up as providers owing a duty of care to not cause harm to their students through the university’s own actions.
“Over the last decade, higher education providers have devoted considerable resources to their student support services, and a good deal of support is now widely provided to students who struggle with their mental health.”
They point to Office for National Statistics data that shows a significantly lower rate of suicide in Higher Education students compared to other people of similiar age.
Looking forward
#ForThe100 and Learn Network met with MPs in Parliament after handing in their petition to Downing Street last month.
Bob said the debate in Westminster Hall in June will need backing from them in order to get promoted through to the House of Commons.
“I think people are starting to understand that we’re not going anywhere. We’re only going forward.”
You can find out more about The Learn Network here and #ForThe100's campaign here.
Sheffield vegan market celebrates growth of eco-friendly community
Sheffield’s vegan market returned to the city centre last weekend to celebrate the vegan community and their positive impacts on the environment.
Through food, drink, clothing, and fundraising, the market displayed just how vibrant the vegan scene is becoming in the city and how people in Sheffield continue to care and campaign for their planet.
Customer, Jamie Stoars, has been living in Sheffield for eight years since coming to University and has been a vegan for six years.
“I’d say it’s been a bit of a boom really, I’ve gone from struggling to find something on the menu to being excited about a new restaurant or event in the space of a few years.
I think these kind of eco-friendly or sustainable businesses are on the up as well and it’s been really nice to see a new sort of community forming here.”
As well as finding something to eat, drink, or wear, those walking round the market were invited to chat with volunteers and donate to charities that look after the environment.
Charlotte West, who was managing the market stall for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) spoke about the link between animal and wildlife conservation and the vegan community.
She said: “Most people are vegan because they really care about vegans and the environment and although we’re not a vegan society we do really support that.”
Ms West was displaying pictures of the huge improvements to green spaces and talking about the importance of optimism and positivity on the topic of conserving our planet.
“Sheffield is one of the greenest cities in Europe and I think it helps people connect with nature more.
“If you grow up with nature and wildlife and are surrounded by it you’re more likely to connect more with it and likely to want to help.”
The market had a range of different products and messages on offer from local Turkish vendors, vegan bakeries, clothes shops and sustainability charities.
The market sets up several times a year with the next event scheduled for 12 July.
As spring builds up, Hillsborough Park trees are ripped down
Several newly planted trees in Hillsborough Park, Sheffield, were vandalised last week leaving pathways lined with rows of "beautiful trees" broken into short, jagged stumps.
First planted by volunteers in November 2024 in partnership with Tramlines Festival, they said in a statement the destroyed trees were planted to "provide benefits for people and wildlife long into the future".
In a sentiment likely shared by many in the community, Timm Cleasby, Operations Manager of the annual Hillsborough Park festival, when speaking with ITV, said he was "hugely disappointed" in the damage.
He added: "You know, as a team, we take quite a lot of pride in what we do with the park and we try and look after it the best we can."
However, work has begun between Tramlines and Sheffield Parks and Countryside Service to work on replacing or repairing the young trees.
Visiting shortly after the vandalism occurred, Sheffield Wire spoke with Hillsborough locals and Sheffield's weekend visitors to report on their views.
Stuart, 74, a lifelong Hillsborough resident, said: "They've done away with [park wardens] now, all you've got now is gardeners and they're not going to tackle these kids - I wouldn't."
"It's not safe at night, I'm 74 years old I was brought up round here, I will not come in here after 6 o'clock. I've never known it like this, never."
James, from Heeley, Sheffield, said: "[It would help] if you had police patrolling the park in an evening when anti-social behaviour goes on, because I once-upon-a-time sat and drank in this park, I didn't destroy the park though."
Jeff Holmes, from Stannington, Sheffield, said: "[Park] wardens would be a good idea to try and reduce the vandalism. It's just a shame as these would've been beautiful trees in years to come."
Kayleigh, from Infirmary Road, Sheffield, said: "It is down to the parents, if the parents taught them in the right way then they wouldn't behave in that way.
"It's also the kids themselves as well; I'm sure they know better."
Elsewhere in Sheffield, anti-social behaviour has been targeted with roadblocks hindering what residents called the congregation of loud cars and drug deals on South Street in Park Hill.
With future plans to change the area into a social "pocket park", if some of Sheffield's largest and most loved are not being protected, it leaves many questions to the effectiveness of this plan remaining.
Triumphant return for bookshop forced to shut over antisocial behaviour
A bookshop which had been forced to close after several instances of antisocial behaviour returned on Sunday for their first event in months.
Novel, formerly located in Crookes, Sheffield, brought a curated selection of books to their stall at the first edition of the Sheffield Independent Book Festival (SIBFest), which was hosted across several venues in Kelham.
Kate Nixon opened Novel in 2023 after years of running pop-up events, and built it into a strong community by hosting book clubs and offering it as a "third space" for people.
Since then, Ms Nixon has had to deal with several individuals who made threats to staff and caused major problems, eventually leading to police getting involved.
In the face of this, Ms Nixon took the difficult decision to shut the shop indefinitely in January this year.
She said: "I just thought I can't spend any more time risking the safety of me and my staff".
Since then Novel has operated online, with the community that Ms Nixon built continuing to support her vision.
She said: "It's really lovely that people want to continue to support us. I think there's something really unglamourous about lugging parcels up to the post office, but I'm not begrudging doing it!"
SIBFest was Novel's first in-person event since their shop closure, and large crowds gathered to support Ms Nixon and the other independent vendors.
"It's nice to be doing it in-person after a strange few months online," Ms Nixon said: "The joy of shopping independently is actually getting to chat with the bookseller and to see and feel the products.
"A couple of bad actors can really ruin what is quite a nice community space for a lot of people. Although it's been a really wild year-and-a-half I'm not going to let these three people totally crush what we've created."
SIBFest was organised by a collection of independent book shops led by Alex Maxwell, owner of La Biblioteka in Leah's Yard.
He said: "It's about bringing people together around books, around stories, around words."
Mr Maxwell hopes the festival can champion Sheffield's literary scene, which he believes has always "played second fiddle" to the music and arts scenes in the city.
He said: "I think there has always been room in Sheffield to grow. We've had a big publisher move up to open an office in Sheffield, we've got literary agents, we've got translators.
"I think it's really great for the scene because then it becomes a whole ecosystem which can support that growth."
Mr Maxwell was encouraged by the support for the event and hopes to run it again next year.
Ms Nixon added: "On paper we are all each other's competition, so it might be a bit nonsensical for us to band together like this. I'd like to think that this is a great example of why it's important."
Ms Nixon hopes to open a new in-person venue in Sheffield "by summer at the latest".
Sheffield nesting spot welcomes four new Peregrine Falcon chicks
The wait is over for four Peregrine Falcon eggs to hatch at an artificial nesting spot just above St George’s Church, with the chicks making an appearance this afternoon.
Last month, birdwatchers across the country tuned in to observe as a Peregrine Falcon laid her fourth - and final - egg live on camera.
This event marked the beginning of the incubation period, where the Peregrine sits on her eggs until first hatch.
In a blog post published to the Sheffield Peregrines website at the end of March, Chris Greenwood, a member of the Sheffield Bird Study Group, explained that Peregrine pairs tend to lay eggs in sets of four, making it improbable that the Peregrine would lay another.
This year, the falcon sat on her eggs for a total of 33 days, compared to the typical incubation period of between 30 and 32 days.
In the meantime, Sheffield’s birdwatching community will have been watching closely, hoping to catch a glimpse of the long-awaited Peregrine chicks.
(Credit: University of Sheffield)
The nesting platform at St George’s was installed by the University of Sheffield in 2012, and has since become a crucial site for Peregrine Falcon breeding, known to bird enthusiasts throughout the city and beyond.
The nest was erected in an effort to help boost the number of Peregrine Falcons in the UK, which had dropped drastically due to persecution and pesticide poisoning.
Today, Peregrine Falcons have been placed on the RSPB’s Green List, featuring birds that are of the least conservation concern.
21-year-old Louis Temple, a fourth-year Zoology student at the University of Sheffield, spoke of the challenges faced by Peregrine Falcon numbers over the last century and expressed his excitement at the prospect of breeding pairs raising a “new generation”.
“It’s especially encouraging in a city environment like Sheffield, where wildlife can struggle to live alongside people and infrastructure,” he said.
Follow the rest of the breeding season on the University of Sheffield’s 24/7 livestream.
Paramedics responding to ice hockey player’s fatal injury found “chaotic scene”, says coroner
A pre-inquest review into the death of an ice hockey player was heard today in Sheffield, marking the beginning of an extensive process to establish the circumstances of his death.
Adam Johnson suffered a fatal neck injury during a match between Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers in October 2023, he was 29-years-old.
Mr Johnson was playing for the Nottingham Panthers at Sheffield Arena when his neck was hit by the skate of Steeler's player Matthew Petgrave.
Though Petgrave was initially arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, he was later released without charge.
During the hearing, Mr Johnson's mother, aunt, and partner were present through a live video link from the United States.
Addressing his family, senior coroner Tanyka Rawden, said: "I cannot imagine what life has been like for all of you since Adam died, I am so sorry for your loss."
During the hearing, Mrs Rawden said evidence she had seen from the Yorkshire Ambulance Service paramedics displayed a "chaotic scene at the arena".
She told the hearing she had "a lot of questions about how Yorkshire Ambulance Service accessed the ice".
Mrs Rawden said she also had questions about the availability of blood to the attending paramedics.
Mr Johnson's death sparked debate around the safety of the sport and the introduction of mandatory neck shields for ice hockey players in the UK.
As it stands, players in the UK playing at the top level in the Elite Ice Hockey League do not have to wear the shields despite the introduction of regulation in junior leagues and recommendations from The English Hockey Association.
Despite pressure from concerned parties about the delay in proceedings, the inquest will not take place until 2027 due to previous police investigations and the locations of the witnesses called to give evidence.
Mrs Rawden said: "I am not going to rush this, I have to conduct a fair and fearless investigation, even if it takes time."
A further pre-inquest review is set to take place on 29 October 2026.
Yorkshire moorlands destroyed as fires break out hours apart
The Peak District was left scarred after two wildfires broke out within 24 hours last week, raising concerns about the future of the precious landscape.
On Wednesday morning around 9am, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service was called to Ladybower Reservoir and continued into the night using beaters and water backpacks to extinguish the fire and damp down the area.
On the same day, Fire crews from West Yorkshire Fire, South Yorkshire, and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service responded to a call at 9pm reporting a fire at Woodhead Reservoir.
The two fires destroyed approximately 800,000 square metres of moorland.
After the blaze at Woodhead, Station Manager and Joint Wildfire Lead for Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service (DFRS), Mark King, said: “This is the second wildfire firefighters have attended within 24 hours. I would urge people to take extra care while enjoying the countryside. With dry conditions continuing, even small actions can have serious consequences.
"On behalf of DFRS, I would like to thank all our firefighters, emergency service colleagues and partner organisations for their invaluable support and assistance during both recent wildfires.”
More than 12 wildfires in the Peak District’s Sheffield Moors area have occurred since 2018, releasing thousands of tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere.
The National Fire Chiefs Council reported a 717% of wildfire incidents in 2025 compared to 2024, and they expect the number to increase again in 2026.
To tackle this, British Mountaineering Council Access & Conservation Trust has funded a Wildfire Engagement Officer for the Sheffield Moors area as part of The Climate Project and Mend Our Mountains campaigns.
"Most people do not set out on a beautiful Peak District evening to start a wildfire, but it’s so easily done," said Wildlife Engagement Officer, Damian, who has over 30 years experience in the emergency service. "My role is about education and proactive protection - stopping a spark before it becomes a catastrophe."
He said: "I applied for this position as I care deeply about the Peak District. It feels like home."
"I've been visiting the area for most of my life for both work and leisure and have committed to over 1,200 hours of volunteering with the Peak District National Park over the past two years."
He said thermal imaging drones have become an efficient way to spot wildfires quickly and get the exact location to the fire services.
Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service calls for people to follow these steps:
- Don’t throw/discard cigarettes out of car windows. Ensure they are extinguished and disposed of properly.
- Don’t leave glass bottles lying around – the sun can magnify through the glass causing a fire.
- Don’t take portable BBQs or gas stoves into the countryside/moorlands. Portable BBQs are banned in many areas of the Peak District – pack a picnic instead.
- Take rubbish home or dispose of it responsibly.
- Don’t start a campfire in the open countryside/moorland
Sheffield manufacturers face “stark strategic choices” ahead of steel tariff introduction
IMAGE: Jean Beaufort, www.publicdomainpictures.net
Government plans to introduce a 50% tariff on steel imports to the UK will have dire consequences for small and medium-sized businesses, a Sheffield manufacturer has warned.
In March, the government announced a "new landmark Steel Strategy and robust trade measure" which the Department for Business and Trade argued will support national security and ensure the UK steel sector's future in the face of global overcapacity.
However, for businesses who are unable to get the steel they need from UK manufacturers, such as Sheffield-based Footprint Tools, the tariff will likely mean a 50% increase in their steel costs, which firms can either absorb, or pass onto their customers.
The steel Footprint Tools relies on falls under the steel category 12B, a grade of steel they are unable to obtain from UK suppliers.
"The glaring hole in the governments tariffs strategy is that we can import part finished or finished products from abroad with no tariffs," said Timothy Jewitt, Director of the firm.
"In one fell swoop, masses of businesses have been made uncompetitive, and we were already uncompetitive due to rising costs of doing business in the UK."
Footprint Tools is one of 200 Confederation of British Metal Formers (CBM) members lobbying the UK Steel Council and the Department of Business and Trade to rethink their strategy, calling the cost increases driven by the tariff "potentially fatal".
CBM President Steve Morley spoke out: "It’s a crazy decision when you consider the downstream supply chain employs ten times as many workers (many with decades of acquired skills) than UK steel producers.
"Thanks to decisions made to supposedly boost British industry, hundreds of firms now face severe disruption in the form of highly restrictive quotas, and potentially fatal cost increases driven by 50% tariffs."
Footprint Tools said it contacted several local MPs with its concerns, including Gill Furniss, Marie Tidball and Olivia Blake, on April 15 and 16 and received no responses.
Mr Jewitt added that Clive Betts MP had agreed to meet two other local manufacturers, offering a meeting to discuss their concerns.
The company is calling for a nine to 12 month lead time before tariffs come in, giving small and medium manufacturers more time to plan, as opposed to the three months they are currently contending with.
It also wants to see a change the tariffs and import quotas that takes into account UK supply of certain grades of steel.
"The government appear to have no understanding of the steel industry and have ignored the steel processors," Mr Jewitt said.
He predicts that many manufacturers - including many across Sheffield and South Yorkshire, where the steel industry is historically prevalent - will close or shift production abroad if nothing changes.
Festivities celebrating Japanese culture are on for their 15th edition this weekend
Sheffield students have organised a celebration of all things Japanese to take place this Friday (1 May) in the Octagon.
The University of Sheffield's Japan Society is one of the biggest and most active Japanese societies in the UK, and won cultural society of the year in 2024.
The society welcomes anyone who has an interest in Japan and its rich culture, regardless of nationality, degree or background.
The students have worked in collaboration with sponsors to be able to put on the event which will have, performers, workshops, and decorations covering all aspects of Japanese culture.
The festival is open to everyone, whether you are a fan of "anime, traditional culture or delicious food" or are being introduced to this all for the first time.
Scott Davies, President of University of Sheffield's Japan Society, said: "The event began in 2011 as a fundraising event for disaster relief after the Tohoku earthquake in Japan.
"The event was a great success and now it has become an annual tradition."
This year will mark the 15th edition of celebrations and the day will consist of a series of workshops including, flower arranging, calligraphy, taiko drumming, and a tea ceremony.
There will also be performances from an enka singer, a genre of music known for its sentimental ballads, and a shamisen player, coming all the way from Japan to attend the event.
Mr Davies said: "We have a star line-up of performers this year but personally I am looking forward to seeing everyone enjoying the event and getting stuck in."
A series of Sheffield-based Japanese restaurants, such as Guyshi, Osaka and Edo will also be hosting stalls selling food.
The event will take place from 2pm until 8pm on Friday and tickets can be bought on the doors, or via the link here.
Henderson’s Relish launches exciting new product
The beloved Sheffield condiment has released new crisps, splashed with the famous relish, as well as hinting at another new product.
The Henderson's crisps were announced on Instagram on the 17 April, and are exclusively available at Morrisons superstores in Sheffield and surrounding areas, as well as the official Henderson's website.
The announcement also hinted at the release of another new product which is 'top secret' and coming soon.
Henry Henderson blended the first batch of the sauce in Sheffield in 1885, and more than 130 years later, the relish has become a symbol of local pride and identity, with Matt Helders of the Arctic Monkeys once describing it as “like Worcester sauce, but one million times better”.
By 1910, at age 60, Henry decided to retire, selling his business and the brand name Henderson’s Relish to jam and pickle makers, Shaws of Huddersfield.
The relish moved to its first factory, 66 Leavygreave Road, where the business flourished, and by 1951, over one million bottles had been sold which was enough relish for every man, woman, and child in Sheffield to have over half a pint each.
Since then, special editions of the relish have been released.
When two of Sheffield's football clubs, United and Wednesday, got to the FA Cup Semi-Final in 1993, Henderson's produced commemorative bottles in each of the team colours.
In 2014 Lewisham MP Jim Dowd labelled Henderson's Relish as having "parasitic packaging" in a speech in the House of Commons, a social media storm erupted, eventually involving Sheffield celebrities and politicians who came to its defence in what has since been called 'Hendogate'.
Sheffield’s push for sustainability in face of cost-of-living crisis and world conflict
Wandering around Sheffield's Sustainable Market, it was clear as people mingled from stall to stall, there is an appetite to buy products that will help the environment.
Around 500 people attended the event last weekend, (April 25 2026) at the city's Victoria Hall, visiting over 20 stalls, that were selling anything from sustainably sourced food products, toiletries, jewellery, plants and household goods.
Sheffield Action on Plastics (SAoP) hosted the second spring edition of the market in a bid to promote a more environmentally conscious lifestyle.
One stall holder was Matthew Richards, who started up The Bare Alternative as a low-waste lifestyle shop in Sheffield, in November 2018.
"We are not just here to make profit," he says. "We're wanting to make sure that people have got these sustainable products and that they've got the alternative to the supermarket. That's why we have it in the name The Bare Alternative."
Located on Abbeydale Road, the store sells sustainably sourced food, drinks and household goods, as well as running a popular refill service where people bring their own containers, all in the name of sustainability and cutting out waste.
Matthew isn't alone in the fight to reduce waste across the city: across Sheffield and South Yorkshire there is a concerted effort to push sustainable and low-waste lifestyles.
Another stall holder, Lizzie Stygall is a project manager at Sy Ecofit, a South Yorkshire based company who are dedicated to improving energy efficiency in homes and community centres.
"We really do believe in reducing carbon, in everything that we put into our homes," says Lizzie. "So when they start to think about insulating, we don't really believe in using fossil-fuel-based plastics, because they're producing more carbon to put into your home."
However, according to Lizzie, these choices are becoming more and more difficult as the cost-of-living crisis continues to affect everyday people, and conflicts across the world make life more uncertain for us all.
"A really good example actually would be when Ukraine was invaded," she says. "The price of a huge amount of materials went up massively, and that actually affected a lot of wood and wood fibre and things that were used in construction. And some of those prices quadrupled."
As a result, many sustainability and green initiatives across the UK and the world have taken a backseat, faced setbacks, or even been cancelled altogether.
The UK formally stepped back from the cross-party consensus of a target of Net Zero by 2050, instead looking at a more flexible timeline to reduce the burden on households caused by the cost-of-living crisis.
Furthermore, the EU deforestation regulation, a landmark law which required companies to prove products weren't sourced from deforested land, has been delayed by a year.
"We struggled a bit through like cost of living, Ukraine war, now the Iran war," says Matthew. "People are very conscious about the money in the pocket but we've got that local community that supports us, and we're really grateful for their support."
Despite these challenges, both individual groups and Sheffield's council are still continuing to push forward with legislation.
SAoP are leading the way on sustainable initiatives across the city, including setting up the Sustainable Markets and their reusable cup scheme, where companies and events can hire out reusable cups rather than buying single use plastic ones.
Greg Hewitt, founder of SAoP, 37, says: "We have about 4,000 reusable cups now that we hire out for events. A lot of people want to choose that and use the sustainable option when running an event. We get them washed, and we use and reuse over again, which is really good to contribute to the circular economy."
His determination to work collaboratively with Council to reduce plastic in the city centre. This includes a water fountain on Fargate and banning traders from using single use plastic cups at events, such as the Tramlines Fringe and the Christmas Markets.
"I think this is a huge win because this isn't national government legislation to ban single use plastic but the city council," says Greg. "Because of the pressure that we've put on them, they have decided to go that extra effort, which is really exciting."
This year, South Yorkshire Mayor, Oliver Coppard, announced £92.7 million to launch 186 electric buses as well as The Grey to Green initiative that looks to build corridors of biodiversity whilst also capturing "24,000 bathtubs" worth of water every year to ease the strain on sewers and lowering urban temperatures during the summer.
This month the Council also introduced a larger brown recycling bin to encourage more people to increase their recycling habits.
However, Greg believes there is still a long way to go. "I do think Sheffield is lagging behind a few other places," he says, and explained how Manchester City Council have implemented a rule against single-use plastic food containers at their Christmas Market.
"Sheffield should be seen as the green city. So why is Sheffield still like lagging behind?"
Matthew, from The Bare Alternative, also believes more still needs to be done and is sceptical about the new brown recylcing bins.
"I think that could actually have a bit of a negative impact," he says. "I think that people are going to continue to buy and expand the amount of plastic packaging because they think they can just recycle it."
SAoP is looking to educate people to help them get more involved in sustainability. "We also believe that education is power," says Greg.
Volunteer, Emma Andrews, who has a background in teaching, has created a 12-week training package to help people create sustainable habits in their day to day lives. She is now hosting a face-to-face workshop, in May, with the aim of encouraging people to get more involved with their own communities.
"Talk to friends, talk to shops, talk to pubs," says Emma. "If people go into a pub and they see the business using single use, and they know there's a solution in speaking to them and having the confidence to do that."
Sheffielders share their biggest concerns ahead of local elections
IMAGE: Tim Green, Wikimedia Commons
Sheffield residents will have the opportunity vote in the city's "thirds" elections on May 7, where 28 out of 84 of Sheffield City Council's seats will be contested.
Currently, no party has complete control of the council after local elections in 2024 saw no outright majority.
The council's make-up is 36 Labour, 28 Liberal Democrat, 14 Green, four Sheffield Community Councillors, one Independent and one Reform UK.
Polls predict no overall majority, however Labour are projected to come out on top with a marginal 31 councillors to Liberal Democrats' 27; the Greens are predicted 18 seats, whilst Reform UK could gain up to 4.
The electorate have just over a week to decide who will get their vote, with residents across the city sharing their opinions ahead of polling day.
Concerns surrounding road safety and public transport
University worker Liam B says transport and roads are his major concerns ahead of the elections, despite significant investment into Sheffield's public transport network in recent years - including the announcement of Sheffield’s Transport Vision in 2024 and Oliver Coppard's landmark South Yorkshire People’s Network in 2026.
A cyclist himself, Mr B wants better provisions for cyclists and is calling for safer roads overall.
He thinks more people need to get out of their cars and to get on public transport, but in order for them to do that, public transport needs to be better.
"I'm worried about the state of the roads, and the state of public transport," he said.
"I try to cycle, but the roads are in such a horrendous state, they are so dangerous for cyclists at the moment."
Weighing up waiting times with green investment
Philip Paramore, 66, a lifelong Labour supporter, is worried that changes to buses and trams are unlikely under another coalition.
He thinks there needs to be just one party in charge, but feels that people are not serious enough about voting in local elections.
"It's never going to change, and people are just going to keep on having to grumble and get on with their lives," he said.
Reducing the "negative impact of transport" is a key priority under Sheffield's Transport Strategy in the lead-up to 2035, but Mr Paramore thinks wait times need to improve first.
"They need to get their priorities right, and instead of spending taxpayers' money on frivolous projects they need to invest in a reliable transport system."
The future of the green belt
Boris, 26, is most worried about housing in the city, as he thinks the Council should focus on building more, but worries about the green belt being used unnecessarily.
"We need more housing, but I don't think we should be going for green belt land unless we absolutely have to."
He said derelict buildings should be used first and foremost, before green belt land is considered.
Despite campaigns against the council's use of the green belt, current plans dictate that over 3,500 new homes and multiple commercial units would see about 800 acres built on, about 3.6% of the total green belt land in Sheffield.
The Sheffield Greens, who form part of the council's coalition, claimed earlier this month that "Sheffield Green Councillors are against building on the Green Belt in principle", but residents like Boris continue to show concern.
The Sheffield City Council election will take place on Thursday 7 May.
“It’s the book I would have wanted as a kid”: Sheffield illustrator publishes story for children who stammer
A Sheffield-based writer and illustrator has self-published a picture book to support children who stammer and their families.
Alex Taylor, 24, produced the book, It's No B BB Bother, during a creative residency last year, which granted him free studio space to work on the project.
He hopes the book, which was released in February, will raise awareness about stammering and help young children to understand that it's okay.
"My main inspiration is that I've got a stammer myself," Mr Taylor said, "I've had it my entire life, and there's never been a resource specifically for kids that says it's okay to stammer and it's not something to be shunned."
"I made it to please my inner child," he added.
Stammering, also referred to as stuttering, is a speech impediment common in young children, but which can persist into adulthood.
Mr Taylor's story focuses on a sloth who questions why he experiences stammering. The majority of the book is the sloth struggling to say a single sentence: "Why do I stammer?"
He said it's important that the other characters in the story give Sloth time to express himself. The other animals wait patiently for the character to finish his sentence, only acknowledging his stammer when he starts to feel upset about it.
When Sloth is sad about his stammer, the other animals reassure him and tell him, "It's no bother".
"Everyone finishes up very happy," Mr Taylor said.
Action for Stammering Children, a UK charity supporting children and young people who stammer, their families, and the communities who support them, supports Mr Taylor's work.
A spokesperson said: "Representation and awareness are absolutely crucial to our mission.
"This is why 'It's okay to stammer,' one of the key messages in Alex's book, resonates so deeply. While that may sound simple, it offers a sense of acceptance, telling children, and the world around them, that they are enough just as they are."
The charity also appreciated Mr Taylor's focus on younger children: "Raising awareness from an early stage is essential; it teaches children the power of active listening and the importance of resisting the urge to guess or finish sentences for people who stammer, a habit that causes them significant frustration and a sense of isolation, as connection has been lost.
"We are incredibly excited to see what comes next for Alex."
It's No B BB Bother is available to purchase from Mr Taylor's website. Image credits: Alex Taylor
Mr Taylor believes the book's overall message of "It's no bother" can be a useful catchphrase in day-to-day life, even for people who don't have a stammer.
He hopes to publish more books featuring Sloth, including more elaborate versions of It's No B BB Bother, containing his poetry, for older children and adults who stammer.
Importantly, Mr Taylor wants to produce books that don't focus on stammering, but include a character like Sloth, to normalise the speech impediment.
"Normalisation removes stigma," he explained.
He hopes that Sloth will become a recognisable character for stammer awareness.
Producing the book ties in with Mr Taylor's other work. He currently runs lectures about stammering at schools and universities, and advises Sheffield Speech and Language Therapy on how best to support the children and young people who access their services.
He hopes to be a positive role model for children who stammer in these roles, after his own negative experiences at school, where teachers tended to avoid situations where he would have to speak.
He hopes his book will raise awareness of how to react to stammering, and make people realise that it really is "no bother".
You can purchase It's No B BB Bother and see Alex's other work on his website.
Follow his journey and see future book releases on Instagram: @alex.the.illustrator.