The Pinch Podcast

We’re back Formlining… Riley’s away on holiday, but there’s no streamlining of the pod squad. The same cannot be said of Sheffield United Football Club. After a mini summer break — during which we continued to publish articles, podcasts and pulled together a fanzine — Sam and David reconvene to work through an oddly busy and not entirely reassuring Blades summer. From Alan Knill’s departure and Ph...

After the chaos of the group stages and the Round of 32, our World Cup of Sheffield United defenders reach the sharp end. Join Andrew Hague, Sam Parry, David Beeden and Paul Kemp for part two, as the final 16 become eight, four, two, and then one undisputed winner. Expect big names, small names, good players, bad takes, emotional campaigning, and at least one argument relying on turning the compet...

Same line-up, different position. After a certain legend went all the way in our World Cup of Strikers, we move onwards — and also backwards — as Memory Lane tackles a World Cup of Sheffield United defenders. The players are randomised. The groups are stacked. Join Andrew Hague, Sam Parry, David Beeden and Paul Kemp for the group stages and Round of 32 in part one. You’re not going to want to miss...

It’s World Cup season, sort of, so Memory Lane has decided to borrow the format and apply it to something far more important: Sheffield United players from history. Join Andrew Hague, David Beeden, Paul Kemp and Sam Parry as they each take charge of one section of the draw, defending their players on whatever grounds they choose: ability, stats, memories, cult status, vibes, or outright nonsense....

Welcome to the World Cup of… what? You’ll have to listen to this Memory Lane special to find out. We’ve borrowed the World Cup format, and Sam’s spreadsheet has generated 48 Blades, sorted by position, then thrown them into a full tournament structure of groups, knockouts, arguments and inevitable injustice. Andrew, David, Paul and Sam each take charge of one section of the draw, defending their p...

One final Formline before we disappear for a summer lie down. Sam, Riley and David review the season and answer listener questions before handing out the highly unofficial Pinch end-of-season awards — from best goal and biggest head loss to MVP and best win. Along the way we revisit a Goldilocks season that somehow contained a six-game losing start, a 20-game spell as one of the Championship’s bes...

In Part Two of our look back at Sheffield United on VHS, we move into the 1990s. It’s a decade of survival acts, Wembley appearances, relegation heartbreak, and increasingly strange club videos. Joined again by Paul Kemp and DeadBat, we revisit the season reviews, Christmas cash-ins, Brian Dean specials, and the gradual shift from grainy VHS tapes to the Sky Sports era. Along the way there’s Marti...

In this episode of Memory Lane , we revisit the golden age of Sheffield United on VHS. It’s often weird, sometimes wonderful and unusually pricey. Join Andrew, Paul and David to chat through grainy tapes, nostalgic highlights, and worn-out rewind buttons. This is the first of two parts. See you next week for part two. Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe

Sam, David and Riley run through their pre-season predictions. Many were bad. Some were very bad. The rest? They were less bad. Join us to roast our past hot takes and toast the closing of the 25-26 season. Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe

Take a trip down Memory Lane, walk past Better Day Alley, swing a left by Wistful Road, then a right by Sentimentality Street, then arrive on Commentary Corner. You have reached your destination: here there be Mann and Motson and more. Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe

Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe

In this episode of Memory Lane , we revisit some of Sheffield United’s most iconic commentary moments: the lines that instantly bring goals, players, and matches flooding back. Joined by commentator Chris MacMillan, we explore what makes great football commentary before diving into the calls that have defined Blades memories. From unforgettable goals to perfectly delivered one-liners, this is a ce...

Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe

On this episode of Hang It in the Louvre , we welcome lifelong Blade David Pendlebury into the Pinch Wing to curate his three defining Sheffield United images. From a wide-eyed first view of Bramall Lane in the late ’80s, to the eerie emptiness of lockdown football and Chris Wilder at his lowest, to one of the most visceral moments in modern Blades history— Basham’s arriving at Elland Road. Get fu...

David’s back! Hooray. The Blades' season is cooked. Boo. In the latest Formline pod we review the Easter weekend and take stock of where Sheffield United are right now. We get into the full-back situation, what’s working (and what isn’t), and dig into a strange pattern — why United look so comfortable at 0-0 but struggle when ahead. Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe

In this episode of Memory Lane , Ben Meakin joins Andrew and Sam to revisit Sheffield United’s infamous FA Cup tie with Arsenal, and the extraordinary (literally) decision to replay the game. From Kanu’s controversial goal to Arsène Wenger’s and David Dean’s offer to do it all again, we unpack the fallout of a true “you’ll never sing that” moment. Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/su...

Part Two of our Q&A special with Ben Meakin and Andrew Hague. We dig into Chris Wilder’s future, long-term planning, recruitment strategy, and whether United should stick with stability or take a bigger swing - plus the usual tangents along the way. Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe

In this episode of Memory Lane , Andrew, Sam and David dive into the world of Sheffield United players you may have forgotten ever played for the club. From brief loans and reserve appearances to names that barely registered at the time, we each build our own XIs and try to settle on the most forgettable Blades players of the modern era. Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe

In Part One of our Q&A special, we’re joined by Ben Meakin and Andrew Hague to tackle your questions… but also some of mine (Sam). We traverse the expected: Chris Wilder’s future and all-round long-term strategy and the unexpected: air fryer chat and Mount Fuji hypotheticals. Part Two will likely be a little longer. As you may notice, there’s some patchy audio towards the end where Andrew briefly...

In this episode of Memory Lane , we take a nostalgic trip through the history of Sheffield United shirt sponsors from Cantor’s and Arnold Laver to the bizarre and short-lived deals along the way. Joined by David Beeden (Deadbat), we explore United’s early role in football sponsorship, the 27 brands to feature on the shirt, and the stories behind them. Of course, DB’s only gone and done us a quiz t...

Have things actually dipped, or just feel like they have? Sam and Riley dig into the numbers behind the last 10 games, where results have improved (really!?) but underlying performances tell a more complicated story. From being outshot regularly to conceding too many chances, we explore whether this is a genuine drop-off or just regression to the mean. There’s also a look at tactical shifts under...

Freelance football commentator Chris MacMillan joins us in the Pinch wing to nominate three Sheffield United images for eternity: a childhood Brian Deane celebration, the agony of Seaman’s save, and David Brooks humiliating Jack Hunt at Hillsborough. Which moment deserves to hang in the Louvre? Get full access to The Pinch at www.thepinch.uk/subscribe

Welcome to episode 4 of Memory Lane In Part Two of Clough Actually , Andrew Hague, Sam Parry and Ben “Travelling Blade” Humphries pick up where the story left off. After an FA Cup semi-final and a promising finish to the previous season, expectations were high for Nigel Clough’s Sheffield United. Instead, the campaign quickly descended into confusion. There were strange selections, constant team c...

Welcome to episode 3 of Memory Lane This time, Andrew Hague is joined by Sam Parry and Ben Humphries — better known as Travelling Blade — to kick off the first part of Clough Actually , a two-part series looking back at Nigel Clough’s time at Sheffield United. In this episode, we revisit the chaotic early months of the Clough era: a struggling League One side, a squad full of strange signings, and...

After a solid away win at QPR, we break down Adam Davies’ performance stepping in between the sticks and ask what the data really says (or fails to say) about him. We preview the clash with West Brom and talk about why it’s all going so badly wrong for them. Plus, in Question Time, we dive into how the Blades perform with and without Gus Hamer, discuss Jairo’s long-term future at the club, and loo...