“It’s feral behaviour” Sheffield football fans demand South Yorkshire Police take action following Steel City derby
Last month's derby between Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United was one to forget for Owls fans. A 2-1 loss to their bitter rivals relegated the Owls, confirming the earliest relegation in championship history.
The match wasn't only defined by the result, as pictures before the game showed violent conduct between fans, with numerous injuries sustained. Projectiles were thrown between supporters, as Wednesday fans were escorted by Police from West Street to Bramall Lane.
Eight arrests were made at the ground, for public disorder, intoxication and assault.
A police statement before the match had confirmed there would be a strong police presence, with officers wearing protective equipment, and mounted police at the ground.
One Owls fan, who wished to remain anonymous, spoke to Sheffield Wire about the event. They said: "We got marched through town by coppers, already people were throwing stuff out of windows.
"When we got to Bramall Lane, bottles, fireworks and flares got thrown and a police horse unseated its rider."
One Facebook user said: "My son, 15, got a bottle to the head, like sitting ducks, well done South Yorkshire Police." Another fan claimed the EFL and police were aware of "thug like celebrations", but did nothing.
One of our own reporters was approached outside of the ground. A group of supporters, initially asking for a photo, then grabbed her camera and told her to 'f*** off.' There is no suggestion the supporters in this video were those arrested.
Another fan on social Media said : "There was no violence at St Mary's church on Sheffield Derby day. The two sets of fans were kept apart by police, who did an excellent job."
In 2022, South Yorkshire Police said the fixture had a "long history of violence", matches between the sides are now played at 12:00pm to reduce drunk and disorderly conduct, with pubs refused early licences ahead of the clash.
However, our source said : "Some of these young lads are drunk and coked up, its a pack mentality, they just go for it.
"Its feral behaviour."
They said that the violence doesn't compare to anything they saw in the 70s, with CCTV scaring off a lot of fans.
They asserted that Wednesday fans can be just as bad. They said : "I imagine it's similar on our end as well.
"It's a really nasty derby with a lot of rivalry and aggression."
In the reverse fixture, police involvement was required as Wednesday fans threw projectiles on the pitch towards Blades players.
They called for police to take more action on matchdays. They said whilst police have a difficult job to do, they should have done more to keep Wednesday and United fans apart.
They attended Wednesday's weekend match against Southampton, and described a much calmer atmosphere, with fans drinking in the pub together.
Before the derby, a statement from South Yorkshire police said : "Officers will be ready to help and support people making their way to the game – or visiting the city centre – wherever needed."
Police have been contacted for comment, but are yet to reply.
“It’s time for a new one”: excitement builds ahead of sports centre plans
Overwhelmingly positive opinions were expressed at public drop-in meetings ahead of official planning permission for a new sports centre and pool.
Goodwin sports centre, which is owned by the University of Sheffield, is also open to members of the public, who had a chance to view emerging plans, ask questions, and voice any concerns at a series of drop-in meetings last week.
Dominic, 56, a Sheffield local who has been coming to the facility since his student days 35 years ago, said he was excited to see what was next.
"I miss the swimming pool not being there anymore, and the plans are looking good, a smart new layout, things move on and it's time for a new one."
Floor plans of new centre- images produced by Faulkner Browns architects.
Many others echoed excitement for the new pool, after the previous one closed in 2023 amidst building safety concerns, many Goodwin users have been forced to travel further to Ponds Forge, or other pools, to access swimming facilities.
Andy Cox, the Director of Sport for the University said that the new pool is a focus point for the plans, to attract high-level competition, and offering a facility for locals.
Fran, who lives on a road directly neighbouring the centre, said that once the pool was "round the corner" she would definitely be a regular.
Representatives from the architects, Faulkner Browns, and commercial property consultants Montagu Evans were at the meetings, as well as many members of the University sports and physical activity staff, who were answering concerns from the public.
Although the vast majority of feedback was positive, there were a few concerns voiced at the meetings.
Dominic said: "What I am considering, is what is going to power the heating for the pool?
"Are they going to take an opportunity to use ground source or something, or will they simply build a diesel engine, I would like to know."
Taken from a poster displayed at the public meeting - images produced by Faulkner Browns architects.
It is something that was unanswered at the time, but the public meetings were there as much to feedback to the planners, as it was to inform the public.
There will be a period of time for changes and finalisations before planning permission is submitted.
Under-16s social media ban consultation begins in the UK
Potential restrictions on social media, AI chatbots, and gaming sites for under-16s are set to be considered in a three month consultation period by the UK Government.
The consultation will engage with questions around age verification and curfews for social media sites, as well as whether addictive features such as infinite scrolling and auto play should be turned off to help with sleep.
Bridget Phillipson, Education Secretary, said: "Every child deserves a childhood - real experiences, real friendships, real opportunities.
"We are determined to make that a reality, both inside and outside the classroom."
As part of the Government's efforts to support parents, a website has been launched offering online safety advice.
Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall commented: "The path to a good life is a great childhood, one full of love, learning and play. That applies just as much to the online world as it does to the real one."
Last month, Conservative Leader, Kemi Badenoch said that the Conservative Party would support a ban on social media for under-16s.
The consultation period will last until 26 March 2026 and will try to engage with a range of people, including parents, carers, young people, teachers and academics.
Image Credit: verkeorg, Flickr
Employers at the UK Careers Fair give their top tips to navigate a slow job market
The UK careers fair returned to Sheffield last Friday, and new figures show that graduate job vacancies have dropped below 10,000 for the first time in a decade.
According to Adzuna's job market report, advertised job vacancies have fallen below 700,000 and the labour market currently resembles pandemic levels.
Further figures from ONS show that one-third of adults in employment believed that AI could put their jobs at risk.
Former Sheffield University alumni and branch manager for SAAFE education, Lauren Greaves, said her friend lost her marketing job and was replaced by AI.
Ms Greaves said: “There are quite a lot of roles that are taken over with technology nowadays, which is a shame. But it doesn't really affect us because our roles involve working with children, and we wouldn't be able to replace teachers.”
Khaled Ayesha, who attended the fair to explore his career options, said that for him, the rise of AI hasn’t changed the outcome because he still waits weeks for no response.
Mr Ayesha thinks it is hard to show employers that you can meet the criteria of the role, and said: "Since AI's come out, I don't even know why. You'd think with AI it'd be a lot easier to say you don't match because of XYZ conditions."
According to the Institute of Student Employers (ISE, 2025), the proportion of employers using AI in early careers recruitment has increased by 23 per cent from 2024 to 2025.
The pandemic's impact on the job market is still being felt by jobseekers, and training provider Lucy Moore thinks people spend more time online than outside, as job vacancies are predominantly online, and applications are also made digitally.
Ms Moore said: “I think it might be like the social aspects of things like people are a bit scared to leave the house and communicate with others”.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) representative Chris Mannering said there are still opportunities for graduates in the civil service.
Mr Mannering said:" We see so many applications that are just obviously a standard CV or personal statement pushed into a job that doesn't really suit."
From his perspective, employers appreciate job candidates who do not overuse AI and tailor each job application to the job role.
Sheffield SCITT employer Nicole Martinson values candidates that show enthusiasm, potential and drive, and agrees that more needs to be done to bridge the gap for graduates in this difficult job market.
Ms Martinson said: "I know AI is a great tool, but if you are using that, please, please change it so that it's a bit more personal to you.”
“Come to a careers fair and speak to as many people as possible, and then really think about your occupation, and you will be successful.”
Today on Sheffield Wire!
Good morning and welcome to the Sheffield Wire coverage for Monday 2 March 2026.
Our top stories today:
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals will be recruiting a specialist dementia nurse as part of a £3m nationwide investment from Alzheimer’s UK.
- Following significant infighting within the Sheffield Reform branch, questions have been raised as to whether this will affect the upcoming local elections in May.
- Sheffield drummer Steve Rivers (photographed above) has completed a African Drumathon, drumming continuously for four hours, to raise money for Project 6, a charity which provides recovery support for alcohol and drug users.
Osedd Outdoors: The Sheffield-born clothing brand supporting people living on the streets
Osedd Outdoors is a clothing brand with a difference. Under the "One worn = One given" policy, each purchase of walking apparel also provides a thermal blanket for someone living outside.
Launched in Sheffield on the first day of 2026, Osedd Outdoors is the work of a local entrepreneur, 20-year-old Louis Grasier. He had been thinking about starting his own business for a while, but wanted to include an element of giving back at its core. "My passion is walking, so it made sense to create an outdoor clothing brand, but it had to have a bigger purpose." He was inspired to use Osedd to support people experiencing homelessness by his Dad, whose care for people living outside has stuck with him from a young age.
At the core of Osedd is one principle belief: "Warmth and protection are basic needs, not privileges." The outdoor apparel company has a dual purpose: providing walkers with high-quality gear, and providing people living outside in the city with much-needed material security. With rates of street homelessness across the UK at a record high, according to the latest ONS data, initiatives like this one provide an extra layer of support for vulnerable people, as charities and government agencies find themselves over-stretched. Grasier is collaborating with local homelessness charities, like The Archer Project, to distribute the items.
Osedd Outdoors logo. Image credit: Osedd Outdoors.
Being homeless is often a complex experience, with people feeling both invisible and hyper-visible at the same time, explains Talya Stitcher, the charity's Communications Officer. "A lot of the people we support often tell us in various ways that they feel very cut off or excluded from society, made to feel invisible in a lot of ways, and then forced to be visible in unpleasant ways," she says. Grasier has reflected this in his branding: Osedd translates to "unseen", which he says was chosen to reflect the ways in which people living outside are often unseen or invisible, as well as the unseen outdoors and the opportunity for people to get out and explore the natural beauty on our doorstep. Similarly, Osedd’s logo depicts an eye without a pupil, which Grasier says represents how "people look but don’t actually see" both people living outside and the vast array of natural beauty and wildlife around them.
The Archer Project supported over 1,000 individuals experiencing homelessness in 2025, as well as providing over 23,000 meals and over 900 on-site medical appointments. Stitcher called Osedd a "fantastic initiative" and applauded the person-centered approach that Grasier has placed at the core of his business. "Our charity was born out of people from the cathedral congregation wanting to do something and wanting to help people, and that’s exactly what Louis is doing himself," Stitcher says. "That’s really the heart of where that community support comes from. It’s great to see, and we’d love to see more."
The Archer Project building at the back of Sheffield Cathedral. Image credit: The Archer Project
Support for Osedd has gone far beyond Sheffield. Grasier was one of six finalists who won $10,000 (around £7,410) in the Dare to Dream initiative hosted by the digital business platform, Stan for Creators. In a video call with one of their representatives, posted on social media, Grasier shared his excitement. "This will help the business so much," he says, "I genuinely think I can help so many people across the world."
He emphasised the importance of using his business to help people in the right way and avoiding giving based on assumption. On Osedd’s Instagram and TikTok accounts, he explained his market research process, which has centered around actually going out and talking to walkers and people living outside to develop his products. Grasier feels strongly about not recording these interactions for social media content: "I don’t agree with filming vulnerable people for self-gain."
This has resonated with many of his followers. Alex Lumsden, Outreach Manager at Ben’s Centre, is particularly impressed with Grasier's approach. Lumsden described being "instinctively sceptical" of people who film themselves helping vulnerable people for content, and sees Grasier’s awareness of this as a refreshing alternative. Ben’s Centre is a Sheffield-based charity that supports people impacted by substance misuse, many of whom also experience homelessness.
In a similar vain, the thermal blankets provided through purchases from Osedd will not include any advertising for the brand. "I don’t want to turn people into marketing, it’s not about that it’s just about giving them what they need," Grasier says.
Grasier is also cautious about the terminology he uses on Osedd’s website and socials. After talking to the people he is aiming to help, Grasier has chosen to use the phrase "people living outside" rather than the typical term "homeless people" to reiterate the sense of shared humanity. "They’re people first," he says.
As well as helping those experiencing homelessness, Grasier wants to encourage people in the local community to get into walking. He hopes to set up community hikes in the Peak District later down the line, bringing people together and showing them the benefits of walking for their mental and physical wellbeing. "Walking for me is freedom. It’s a way to connect to people and to clear my head," he says. "If you are dealing with anything, or have a lot on your mind, just put your phone down, put anything down that you may be using to compress those feelings, and just walk and walk until everything in your head slowly fades away. It sounds weird, but you can’t understand that feeling until you get out and do it."
Looking to the future, Grasier hopes that Osedd will go national and even international. At the heart of this aspiration is a noble desire to do all he can to support people experiencing homelessness. "More growth means helping more people," he says. With the financial support from the Dare to Dream initiative, Grasier’s success looks all the more likely. The final winner of the competition, and the recipient of the grand prize of $100,000, will be announced on Friday. But regardless, Grasier’s alternative approach to entrepreneurship has been applauded in Sheffield and beyond.
You can find out more about Osedd Outdoors on Instagram and TikTok, or via the website.
Sheffield Wire Investigates: Should Politics Stay out of Sports?
Sheffield Wire reports from Bramall Lane for the Steel City derby. We ask fans for their opinion on politics in sports and what they think about the political views about the club's investors. We also hear from experts about Sheffield's rich football history as well as how to navigate politics and controversy within the sport.
Breaking News: Sheffield City Council approves SEND funding
Sheffield City Council has approved funding of £10.34m for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) resources this afternoon.
Today the government set out plans for major changes to the SEND system, planning to spend £4bn in mainstream schools across the country over the next three years. The programme aims to provide support for special needs children in schools, rather than private equity backed schools.
Strategic Commissioning Manager at Sheffield City Council, Matthew Peers, said : "There is a clear consensus this is a genuine opportunity to improve our approach.
"We need to make sure we spend the money wisely, with consistency in quality of practice."
Plans have already been scrapped for two specialist free schools in Sheffield, as the city aims to reform its Education Care plans.
Cllr Dawn Dale said : "Children shouldn't have to be transported across the city to feel included."
However, other councillors questioned whether the funding of £10m was sufficient. Cllr Angela Argenzio said : "While I support the overarching philosophy I have doubts about resources and whether it is enough."
Council to decide on major funding for SEND provision across the city - Sheffield Wire
South Yorkshire charities tackle sleep depravation for abuse survivors
A new initiative to help domestic abuse survivors with their sleep has been launched in South Yorkshire.
The project, led by Resolute Women’s Support Services and The Sleep Charity, will start on April 1 with the aim of rolling out nationally in the future.
Vicki Beevers, CEO of The Sleep Charity, said: "I have listened to the lived experience of many survivors, and sleep issues have a major impact on their lives."
The two charities have opened a survey to investigate the broader impact of abuse, examining how trauma prevents survivors from getting valuable rest.
The survey asks how sleeping in the room where abuse took place, and hypervigilance leads to sleep deprivation for survivors, whilst also targeting ways to feel calmer during the night and manage nightmares.
"Sleep is the scaffolding that can hold everything together," said Ms Beevers. "We want to understand survivors’ individual situations so that we can make the work that we do as impactful as possible. This really is an opportunity to co-produce and design information to help others at scale."
A study at the University of Worcester found that sleep deprivation is a commonly used and powerful method of coercion and control in abusive relationships, leading to short-term impacts on physical and mental health.
Deborah Jones, CEO of Resolute in Barnsley, said: "I have lived experience. Knowing what I went through as a victim and a survivor, not getting any sleep, it had a massive impact on me being able to carry out my day-to-day tasks.
"When you're going through the criminal justice system, you are faced with a lot of questions, a lot of paperwork and when you don't have that sleep, it adds that brain fog. More often than not, a lot of women we support, they don't get any sleep whatsoever."
Resolute and The Sleep Charity will co-produce a training package for domestic abuse volunteers across South Yorkshire based on their survey responses, which plans to incorporate as many survivors’ voices as possible.
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) estimated that 2.2 million women faced domestic abuse in 2025, with just over 41,000 offenders convicted.
If you, or anybody you know, has been affected by the issues raised in this article, please see the link below.
Locals calling out careless actions to fix Sheffield potholes
Sheffield residents are calling out the lack of action from contractors and authority responsible for fixing potholes.
The Sheffield City Council and Amey, the private contractor which signed a 25-year contract to maintain the roads of Sheffield, are facing mounting pressures with local complaints flying in about the poor treatment of potholes.
Sheffield Heeley's MP Louise Haigh responded on Facebook reassuring that she had written to Amey to raise concern about the road conditions.
She said Amey planned to double their repair capacity, bring in additional teams and use more resilient materials, with the most urgent repairs prioritised within 24 hours.
While it seems like actions have been taken, residents do not believe this is adequate.
Commenting under Louise Haigh MP's Facebook post, user John Lee said: "Repairs have been carried out recently in and around Hillsborough, Wadsley, Walkley and Crookes. Sadly the money has been wasted as they have cold filled the potholes without digging out or bitumen sealing the edges.
"In some cases the repairs have lasted less than a couple of days, so now we have the same holes with a half a ton of loose cold fill all over the road."
Many others stated that they had seen contractors simply dumping tarmac down the road and stomping down with boots.
User Dave Murphy said: "A few weeks ago I saw contractors working on the tram tracks near Manor top. One worker put a shovel full of tarmac in a hole, then tamped it down with his boot. Sadly I didn’t get the chance to film it!"
People are criticising the governing body for ignoring repair requests and the poor management of the mobile app FixMyStreet.
User Planner 1 said on Sheffield Forum: "Some potholes near where I live were reported last summer and were marked out on street for repair, but it never happened.
"All potholes I’ve reported before (no matter how deep) were marked out within a week or two and fixed quickly after. The service seems to have deteriorated markedly over the last few months."
In the East Local Area Committee Meeting on December 2, 2025, Councillor Elle Dodd stated that FixMyStreet can be used to report potholes, but she also mentioned that the council did not control the app although the council do receive the complaints via the app.
Users have started to question whether the lack of connectivity between the councils and the app may have led to the deterioration of the service.
Photo Credit: Ibby Ullah/Facebook
Is derby day victory a springboard for Blades?
A derby win of any kind is a good day for any football fan. But Sheffield United's steel-city derby win on Sunday was particularly special.
The Blades' 2-1 win at Bramall Lane meant they were not only able to relegate arch-rivals Sheffield Wednesday to League One, but also able to push themselves to within six-points of the play-off spots.
One United fan said: "It's the biggest game of the season, it were like a cup final at the end.
"To relegate your biggest rivals, what more could you want."
After losing their first six league games of the season, many Blades fans would have been forgiven for thinking that they too would be facing the drop down to the third division.
But after four wins in their last six, the Blades can set their sights on an immediate return to the Premier League.
Despite reducing the gap to six points, due to the highly competitive nature of the Championship the Blades still sit in 14th place.
Another fan said: "It's gonna be tough, their are a lot of teams above us and they are all fighting for that sixth place.
"But fingers crossed it could be our season. Although I'm not holding out too much hope."
If United are going to make a late push for promotion, they will want to sort out their recent disciplinary record.
Chris Wilders' men lead the division in red cards with four and Kalvin Philips' in Sunday's derby gave a clear example of how important keeping 11 men on the pitch will be going into the final ten games of the season.
"When it were 11 against 11 we absolutely murdered Wednesday.
"But we had that player sent off five minutes into the second half and it looked nip and tuck for a while."
Manager Chris Wilder has, however, rejected the idea that his team has a disciplinary issue.
"These things happen, I don't think we are a reckless team.
"We had a couple of boys there that mistimed their challenges and they have paid the price."
“I think we could be doing a lot better to tell you the truth”: Are young people in Sheffield really more interested in the Catholic Church than ever?
Despite rising numbers of young people joining the Catholic Church, a Sheffield priest still believes more can be done.
With a Catholic population of 63,000 people according to The Diocese of Hallam, and a student population of over 60,000, Sheffield has to strike balance between the traditional Catholic community in the city and young people moving towards the faith.
Father Paddy Walsh, who spent 24 years at St Vincent's Catholic Church in Crookes before retiring to St Marie's Cathedral said that the news of more young people joining and staying within the faith was obvious from the attendance of masses in the city centre.
Though he feels as though young people in the area are well provided for through youth work, he admitted that when it comes to attracting and keeping young people interested in the church "I think we could be doing a lot better to tell you the truth".
A recent study suggests that Catholicism has become more and more popular throughout young people in Britain, especially amongst men aged between 18 and 34. However in Sheffield, where there is an increasingly young population and two large universities, it would appear that the realities of this are far more complex.
Father Walsh said: "There are quite a number of students and young people coming to the masses here" and that of the 800 or 900 attendees over a weekend a "Fair sprinkling of them are students".
He also mentioned how youth work and mission hubs around the city help students to form a community and maintain their faith in a way that serves their busy and modern lives, including when they move away from home and come to university.
In terms of the Easter period, he agreed that Easter masses are usually more well attended that regular Sunday masses and that again, young people were regular attendees.
Easter, traditionally a period of Christian celebration and reflection on the death and resurrection of Christ has more recently become a modern event where families get together for a mid-term break and chocolate eggs.
However, despite members of the clergy noting this rising participation, some young people who grew up in the faith are finding it harder to resonate with the Church as they gather different life experience and separate themselves from their Catholic education.
Ciaran Eley, 22, a student at Sheffield Hallam University said that he feels that getting older made him realise that the Catholic church was no longer in alignment with his personal views.
Mr Eley was baptised Catholic and attended Catholic education until he was 18, "It was just something I accepted was part of my life, I didn't really question it."
"Now I say I feel completely separate from it, it doesn't really form part of my identity anymore, not even culturally."
He expressed how he felt young people no longer felt a connection with the church due to its stance on abortion, contraception and LGBT rights but admitted that in order to connect in this way "I honestly think they would have to contradict the doctrine itself".
When it comes to celebrating Easter, Mr Eley said that his celebrations these days have nothing to do with the resurrection of Christ and more to do with chocolate eggs and Easter lunch with family.
Such conversations highlight the complexity of Catholicism and the barriers young people face when they reflect on the role religion plays in their lives.
Although some young people feel increasingly alienated from their faith, Sheffield does have an active youth mission at St Vincent's and a vibrant university society membership.
Micah Walukiewicage, a student at the University of Sheffield and member of the Sheffield Catholic Society said that there had been a real push and drive over the last two years for people engaging with the Church when they come to university.
The Sheffield Catholic Society works from St Vincent's Mission Hub and talked about how a social media presence appealed to those wishing to join the society and become involved in the events.
Mr Walukiewicage said that the tradition and unchanging nature of the church was something that students moving to University often found comfort in.
He said: "The Church nowadays is a pillar for lots of people, the landscape is changing but the Church stands on its message."
The Mission Hub offers a masses and talks lead by the parish priest but students also prepare meals and organise trips in order to create a community feel and "Provide a home from home whilst at University."
The Hub also reported that over the Easter and Lenten periods people were more likely to come and ask to be involved and watch a mass service, particularly on occasions such as Ash Wednesday.
Mr Walukiewicage admitted that social problems such as abortion and LGBT rights could push people away from the Church but said how members of the congregation can hold their own views yet still ultimately come under the umbrella of the Church doctrine.
He said that the Church and the hub itself aims to be a welcoming place for people to come together.
Whether or not people in Sheffield see Easter as a religious, cultural, or simply secular event, communities around the city are preparing for events around the period bringing families and people of all ages and walks of life together.