I was staying at a hotel in Manchester and took a day-return to Sheffield for the South Yorkshire derby between The Blades and Barnsley. Both teams were just behind the play-off places, United in 9th and Barnsley in 7th, with three games left. It was a 12.30 kickoff and just as I arrived police were marching the Barnsley supporters up to the ground. I found myself a nice and not too crowded pub where I could get lunch and a few beers before the game. 

There are a number of plaques outside the stadium that let you know you've entered sacred football ground. '1855 Bramall Lane opens for the first time as a cricket ground', '1862 Bramall Lane stages its first football game between Sheffield FC & Hallam' and '1878 Bramall Lane stages the worlds first ever floodlight game of football'. 

The game was a locked affair that ended goalless. Che Adams came closest to give Sheffiel United a goal, but Adam Davies in the Barnsley goal managed to tip the ball on to the post. With only one point, it left The Blades four points off the playoff places and the hope of promotion was gone for most realists. After the game, I heard a guy saying in the toilet: 'When are we gonna get out of this f*ing league?' The correct answer would have been: *Next year'. 

Barnsley went on to take the final playoff spot and from there they never looked back. Three goals in each of the semifinals and final meant they were back in the Championship. 

I stayed a couple of hours more in Sheffield before I returned to Manchester. It was my intention to watch Manchester City play Stoke on Sunday (I had in fact already a ticket that I had returned a couple of days earlier when all season ticket holders were out at Etihad to get their Real Madrid tickets), but with City's Champions League involvement the came had been moved to Saturday. Sunday afternoon I went down to Birmingham to fly home from there the next morning.