page_title: 1891–92 Sheffield United F.C. season
section_title: Northern League
hierarchical_section_title: 1891–92 Sheffield United F.C. season / Season overview / Northern League
caption_attribution_description: English: Scottish footballer Bob Cain who played as a defender between 1889 and 1900. He had spells at Everton, Bootle, Sheffield United, Tottenham Hotspur and Small Heath.
context_page_description: The 1891–92 season was the third in existence for Sheffield United. This was their first season playing in the recently formed Northern League as the club sought to establish itself as a major footballing force. The Blades had a reasonably successful season, finishing third in the league, and registering some comprehensive victories along the way. They improved on the previous season by reaching the second round proper of the FA Cup and were victorious in the local cup competitions, winning both the Sheffield Challenge Cup and the Wharncliffe Charity Cup for the first time.
  Under the stewardship of Joseph Wostinholm, United continued to recruit more experienced players. Bob Cain was signed from Bootle and Harry Hammond arrived from Everton, both players cementing their place in United's first team for several years to come. Most significant however was the emergence of a young Ernest Needham who made his United debut in the early part of the season and would go on to be one of the club's greatest ever players and ultimately captain England.
context_section_description: United continued with a sizable turnover of playing staff but were now focusing on using their financial position to target experienced professionals rather than relying on the untried talents of previous seasons.  Bob Cain and Harry Hammond arrived in August, recruited from Bootle and Everton respectively, while previous stalwarts like Edward Cross, Billy Bridgewater and W. Robertson were allowed to leave.  A young Ernest Needham was promoted to the first team and began to feature regularly as the season progressed; he would eventually go on to make over 450 league appearances for the Blades and to captain England during his career.
  The league season started well as United registered a 4–2 away victory over Sunderland Albion followed by two comprehensive home wins; beating Darlington 7–1 and South Bank 6–0.  It was not until early November that the Blades dropped points, suffering a 3–0 home defeat by Middlesbrough before a 2–0 reverse at the hands of struggling Darlington.
  United continued to add to the squad, signing keeper Will Lilley from Staveley, before registering a string of victories until the end of the year, culminating in a 6–0 win over Stockton at the end of December.  The league then took a winter break of almost three months, not resuming until almost the end of March.  The club continued to strengthen their attacking options by recruiting three additional forwards from Scotland; Sandy Wallace, John Scott and resigning former player James Duncan.  William Calder and Harry Munro were both allowed to join Gainsborough Trinity, before United resumed their league campaign with a 4–3 loss away at Newcastle West End who were struggling at the bottom of the table.  This signalled a down–turn in form and inconsistent results until the end of the season meant that United lost touch with the top of the table and eventually finished third.
  United's growing reputation was such that their players were beginning to come to the attention of the FA and both Michael Whitham and Harry Lilley received an England call–up in March 1892.  Both players made their debut on 5 March, Whitham in a Home Championship game against Ireland in Belfast, and Lilley in a friendly against Wales.
  The club's organising football committee were still determined to gain entry to The Football League and applied for election for the second year in succession.  On this occasion however United were successful and were given entry into the newly formed Second Division for the 1892–93 season.  Cross–town rivals The Wednesday had also been accepted into the Football League, but had been placed in the First Division, much to the annoyance of United's board of directors.  United asked to review the ballot papers upon which this decision had been based but were told that they had been destroyed, angering the club's directors still further.
caption: Bob Cain joined United from Bootle in August 1891[6]
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