Explained: The exact reason why Sheffield United are nicknamed the Blades | OneFootball

The red side of the Steel City were founded as a football club all the way back in 1889

Sheffield United Football Club were formed as an offshoot of Sheffield United Cricket Club in 1889, and they have been lauded as one of Yorkshire's top football clubs since they became founder members of the Football League Second Division in 1892.

United have been champions of the English top-flight on one occasion, in 1897/98, while they have emerged victorious in the FA Cup four times, in 1898/99, 1901/02, 1914/15, 1924/25, meaning they are the joint-20th most successful club in English football history.

The club have played at Bramall Lane since their formation, which makes it the oldest major stadium in the world still hosting professional association football matches, so it is clear that they are steeped in history, which the club still hugely values to this day.

It is a widely-known fact among fans across the nation that Sheffield United are nicknamed 'the Blades,' but why they adopted that moniker in the early 20th century may not be as noted in modern football discourse.

The exact reason why Sheffield United are nicknamed the Blades

United's nickname derives from the city of Sheffield's worldwide fame for steel-making, particularly cutlery and knives, which saw 85% of the steel in Great Britain produced in the city in 1850.

The 'Blades' name was first thought to be attributed to football around that time, as a result, with it first reportedly adopted and used by United's fierce rivals Sheffield Wednesday, formed in 1867, before they became known as the 'Owls.’

Wednesday were thought to have adopted the nickname in their early years, but became ‘the Owls’ by 1907, after setting up at a new ground in Owlerton, and United would seemingly soon claim the 'Blades’ tag from then onwards.

Steel-making has a rich history in Sheffield, and it is colloquially dubbed as the 'Steel City,' which also means the derby between United and Wednesday is known in football terms as the 'Steel City derby.'

Huge foundries may be no more in Sheffield nowadays, but the city still produces steel at some level, with the industry employing around 2,600 Sheffielders in 2016.

Blades were first used on United's badge in 1977, as an iteration of their current badge was designed for the first time, and while different versions have been used in the years since, their existing logo is definitely the one that is most synonymous with the club nowadays.

Sheffield United were first known by a different nickname

The Blades may have only adopted their current nickname after Sheffield Wednesday became the 'Owls,' but it's not as if they had no label to go by in the early years of their formation, as they were first known as the 'Cutlers' from 1889 to 1912.

That nickname takes a lot of its inspiration from a similar place as the 'Blades,' but focuses more on the cutlery industry, which sees its roots date all the way back to the 1600s, when Sheffield was believed to be the main centre of cutlery production in England outside of London.

The 'Cutlers' was once thought to be the nickname for all senior Sheffield football clubs in the 19th century, particularly when they were playing away from home, while United were also occasionally believed to be called the 'Laneites,’ in reference to Bramall Lane.

Nowadays, though, they are definitively known throughout football as the 'Blades,' and look set to retain that nickname for as long as the club continues to function.