No substitute for Wembley day out in Steel City derby

Over 75,000 football fans from Sheffield converged on Wembley Stadium on April 3, 1993 for the FA Cup semi-final between Hoyland’s boyhood idols United and arch rivals Wednesday.

The result, a 2-1 win for the Owls, is almost immaterial to the former midfielder, now 47.

Chris Waddle put Wednesday in front after just three minutes with a 25-yard free kick, before Alan Cork scarpered away to equalise just before half-time. Trevor Francis’s Wednesday dominated the match, but could not beat an inspired goalkeeper in Alan Kelly, and it needed an extra-time winner from Mark Bright to send the Owls through to meet Arsenal in the final.

Just to be part of one of the most important days in Sheffield’s footballing history is something of which Hoyland is fiercely proud.

But it was the touching sight of Mel Rees, the 26-year-old Blades goalkeeper who was battling terminal cancer, being given a standing ovation by the sell-out crowd which heightened the emotions on a fever-pitch day.

“Mel couldn’t lead us out, but he actually walked around Wembley that day and 75,000 – half United and half Wednesday – gave him a standing ovation. It was a really emotional time before the game,” said Hoyland.

It was a poignant, touching moment, as Rees walked around Wembley. The following month, he passed away.

“I remember it as clear as anything, and to be fair, Wednesday were brilliant on the day,” said Hoyland about the game. “Waddle scored early on but Alan Kelly – who is now my brother-in-law – was magnificent. Alan Cork had grown a beard, which he refused to shave off until we got knocked out of the Cup and looked like Old Father Time. He got the equaliser.

“I remember in the 90 minutes, we just hung on, Alan Kelly made some unbelievable saves.”

Hoyland is genuine when he attributes Kelly’s man-of-the-match performance in allowing him to enter the game as a 90th minute substitute for the 30 minutes of extra-time. It is a debt he is happy to repay many times over in family get-togethers after the duo went on to marry sisters Sarah and Vicky.

“We are like Waldorf and Statler now when we meet up at weekends and talk about football – we are like the two old gits on The Muppets.

“For 30 minutes, just to play at Wembley was brilliant. Unfortunately, Mark Bright scored and we went out 2-1.

“Under Harry (Dave Bassett), we were fighters, a side which never, ever gave in.

“Wednesday were the best team on the day though, Alan kept us in it. And to be fair, he gave me the chance to play at Wembley because it could have been well over before extra-time. I will always be eternally grateful for that. I remind him of that, not too often though, just buy him a pint of Guinness now and then.”

Hoyland – just one of three Sheffield-born players in the Blades 13 along with Dane Whitehouse and Mitch Ward – was dropped from the starting XI, despite playing in the earlier rounds. But he remembers the day well.

“Harry took us down to a hotel in St Albans on the Wednesday before the match. We treated it like a big game, like a Cup final. We were taken down the West End to see Blood Brothers one night,” he said. “Everybody tipped us, because when it came to the derbies we were always up for it. But when it came to Wembley, it was a different ball-game altogether. They had the big-name players, Danny Wilson, Chris Waddle, Paul Warhurst, Viv Anderson, they had some really good players.

“Big players for big occasions, and I think they just took to Wembley more on the day.”

Hoyland believes Blades fans should look back on the day with pride, despite the defeat.

“It was a fantastic day for Sheffield, unfortunately we lost,” he said. “United fans ask me about the game. They go on about the glory times at Sheffield United, they go on about Dave Bassett’s team being poor, but they were a team who stayed in the Premier League for four consecutive years against all the odds.”