John Brayford: The Bearded Blade born to Brew | OneFootball

In the summer football is all about the future, the next transfer and the new season. Sheffield United’s latest preseason friendly, however, allows time for reflection. As the Blades travel to Burton to celebrate the career of John Brayford for his Burton Albion testimonial.

Whilst, Sheffield United have played three seasons in the Premier League since Brayford was at the club. It’s important to remember where the club was before then. One of the most memorable sides from the League One years was the 2013-2014 FA Cup run Blades. With John Brayford, a standout player in the run to Wembley.

Here’s a look back at his time at Bramall Lane and then his time at Burton Albion.

The Beard’s Successful Trial Period

Brayford arrived at Bramall Lane initially on loan for Nigel Clough’s Blades. He left his parent club Cardiff City for Sheffield on 24 January 2014.

Fittingly, two days later, Brayford made his Blades debut in the FA Cup fourth round with the Blades drawing 1-1. Despite going down to 10 men, the Blades earned a replay which would see them progress in the competition. With Shaun Miller scoring the winner on the 120th minute of extra time at Craven Cottage. The FA report described the match as “on a night as long as John Brayford’s beard.” He wasn’t just famous in Sheffield.

He then started in the fifth round tie against Nottingham Forest as the Blades breezed past Nottingham Forest 3-1. His big moment though, would come in the quarter-finals.

The Blades hosted Charlton Athletic at Bramall Lane. In a game that waited to the 66th minute for a goal only for two to come look like London buses down the right flank. Brayford scored on the 67th minute to consolidate the lead following Flynn’s opener.

His shot from outside the box took a deflection leaving the goalkeeper unable to change direction and just staring at the ball as it rolled in. Brayford went off sprinting to the corner flag leaping into a flying jump. With the Blades off to Wembley.

The Semi-Final

Brayford started for the Blades who went the distance at Wembley only to lose 5-3 in extra time.

After the game, Brayford spoke on the Blades cup run to TheFA.com.

He said: “Some people call it a fairytale, but we haven’t just bought a raffle ticket and got here, we earned the right to be here.

“We had a damn good chance to win here today. Just because they are two leagues above us didn’t mean they were better than us.

“We knew that they were going to come after us in the second-half but we gave two sloppy goals away early. We tried to turn the game back round and the effort the lads put in was unbelievable.

“I know we lost 5-3 in the end, but I’d rather that than have not had a go and lost 4-2 or 4-3.”

Overall, Brayford had a very impressive initial loan with the Blades. He made 20 appearances in total and scored twice as the Blades finished 7th in the third tier.

Becoming a permanent Blade

A year to the day after he joined the Blades on loan, Brayford returned permanently on 24 January 2015. The three-and-a-half year deal reunited Brayford with a delighted Nigel Clough. Ironically Brayford returned as the Blades latest cup run was coming to a cruel end.

Brayford had a good return from his first half a season as a permanent Blade. He scored once and got three assists in 23 appearances as the Blades finished 5th. Losing to Swindon in the playoffs.

He featured somewhat regularly in Nigel Adkins fair to say disastrous spell at the Lane. Playing 19 games in the league and getting a goal and assist.

Chris Wilder it’s also fair to say did not hold Brayford in his plans. The right-back played three times for the Blades in the league under Wilder before a loan to then Championship Burton for 2016-2017.

He played 33 Championship games getting four assists for the Brewers as they survived in the second tier. Soft launching his return to the Pirelli. As a cleaner shaved United achieved promotion with 100 points.

Brewing up a Legend

Brayford’s departure from Bramall Lane was a homecoming. He had played for Burton in the National League at the beginning of his career. Between 2006 and 2009 before securing a move to Crewe Alexandra.

If you couldn’t guess after spells at Derby County and Sheffield United. Brayford had returned to Burton Albion under the stewardship of Nigel Clough. Name a more iconic duo. I’ll wait.

2017-2018, his first full season ended in heartbreak as the Brewers were relegated from the Championship.

The following season saw Burton finish 9th back in the third tier. But Brayford and Clough worked their cup magic again. As Burton charged to the League Cup semi-final.

They knocked out Aston Villa, Burnley, and Nottingham Forest along the way. But the less said about the 10-0 aggregate defeat to Manchester City the better. Although, to be fair, they kept the tie to 1-0 at the Pirelli in the second leg. Brayford playing 48 games and getting six goal contributions.

Clough-less Captain

Burton finished the following season in 12th and no major cup run.  With Clough given his marching orders in May 2020. Replaced by Jake Buxton who himself lasted until December the following season. Before Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink led the Brewers to 16th in League One. A league finish he’d repeat the season after (2021-2022). It was during the 2021-2022 that Brayford would be rewarded the role of club captain.

Dino Maamria led the Brewers to a better finish of 15th in League One in 2022-2023.

Maamria and current Notts County boss Martin Paterson saw out Brayford’s final playing season. A 20th placed finish, 31 league appearances and three goals saw Brayford bow out as a player.

In total, he played 385 games for Burton Albion scoring 28 goals and getting 12 assists.

He is now still at the club as a first team coach supporting current manager, Gary Bowyer.

Takeaways

John Brayford is by all accounts a Burton Albion legend and these days part of the furniture at the Pirelli Stadium.

At Sheffield United his loan spell and the cup run made him a cult hero. His beard living long in the memory of many at the Lane.

In all the comings and goings at Bramall Lane in the years since the Blades have spent a great deal more on multiple players than they did on John Brayford. But on a brief personal note as a kid playing as a Sunday League right-back, I loved watching Brayford at the Lane during his spells at the club. I will never match his footballing ability and may never have the capacity to build such a crowd-pleasing beard.

But Brayford remains one of my go to players when reminiscing on previous seasons and I hope tonight’s testimonial is a good celebration of his career. With a red-and-white win of course.