GIVEN how widely they had been written off by many people outside the club, Sheffield United’s ninth-place finish on their return to the Premier League is little short of stunning.

Chris Wilder and his players and coaching team defied the odds all season to deliver the kind of campaign that will live long in the memory for Blades’ fans.

But the hard work has already started on ensuring they can try to match - or even better - their efforts when the top-flight returns to action in September. 

The YP’s chief football writer Stuart Rayner joins Phil Harrison to discuss the past 12 months for the Blades and what needs to happen in the coming months in order to ensure they can again live with the very best.

THEY left it late, but then Barnsley love nothing more than an act of escapism on the final day of a season.

Their stunning win at promotion hopefuls Brentford on Wednesday, July 22, will live long in the memory, the only downside being that Reds fans were not there at Griffin Park to bask in the occasion along with the players and coaching staff. 

There is the obvious caveat over Wigan's appeal against their 12-points deduction for going into administration but, as it stands, Barnsley are preparing for another season of Championship football.

Leon Wobschall joins Phil Harrison to discuss ‘the great escape’ and what needs to happen during the close season to ensure Barnsley avoid a similar scare next year and establish themselves on a much firmer footing in the second tier.

ROTHERHAM UNITED find themselves back in the Championship after just one season away after League One clubs formally voted by an overwhelming majority to end the season on an unweighted points per game basis. 

It was just reward for the Millers, who were sat in second place before the coronavirus pandemic struck, who go up along with newly-crowned champions Coventry City. Wycombe, Fleetwood, Oxford and Portsmouth to compete in the play-offs.

Manager Paul Warne discusses what the promotion means to him and everyone else at the club and how he was pleased that the right way was found to conclude the League One campaign. YP football writer Leon Wobschall is on hand to salute the Millers’ achievement and what they need to do in order to prepare themselves for a return to the second tier.

WITH the planned resumption of the 2019-20 football season less than two weeks away, it seems the appropriate time to assess the state of play for all of Yorkshire’s leading clubs.

Sheffield United and Leeds United stand on the cusp of completing memorable seasons in a year which has seen the coronavirus pandemic bring the game to a standstill while, more importantly, change everything about the way we go about our daily lives. 

There are a number of other Yorkshire clubs - including Huddersfield Town, Hull City, Middlesbrough, Barnsley and Rotherham United - who also have plenty to play for, with the YP’s football writer Stuart Rayner and Leon Wobschall joining host Phil Harrison to discuss the latest developments and what lies in store for all our clubs, along with their players and fans.

AS things stand, Leeds United sit top of the Championship with nine games remaining, firmly in the driving seat for promotion back to the Premier League.

As the long wait for a return to action continues due to the coronavirus pandemic continuing to dictate how we live our lives in the UK, it remains to be seen how Marcelo Bielsa’s team will ultimately achieve their aim. 

Stuart Rayner joins host Phil Harrison to discuss how Leeds have come to find themselves top of the pile - seven points clear of third-placed Fulham - and whether they can finish the job if and when the season does eventually resume.

AFTER ending the previous season with understandable optimism, a summer of discontent followed for Sheffield Wednesday when the unexpected departure to Newcastle United by manager Steve Bruce threw all pre-season planning into disarray.

A short caretaker spell in charge followed for Lee Bullen until former Leeds and Middlesbrough manager Garry Monk took over in September. Monk oversaw a run of impressive form which turned the Owls into a genuine playoff contender, only for it all to fall apart after the turn of the year.

The Owls found themselves in 15th spot when the season was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic, trapped almost exactly halfway between the bottom three and the top six.

YP football writer Leon Wobschall joins Phil Harrison to discuss the season so far for the Owls, as well as look ahead to how Monk’s team will fare if and when the season gets underway again.

HAVING surrendered their Premier League status in such meek fashion, life back in the Championship was always going to be tough at the start of the 2019-20 season for Huddersfield Town. 

It proved to be the case, with head coach Jan Siewert making way early on for Danny Cowley who - eventually - agreed that his future in management lay at the John Smith’s Stadium with brother and assistant manager Nicky joining him. 

The YP’s chief football writer Stuart Rayner discusses the improvements seen under the Cowleys and whether they have enough in their squad to ensure they don’t suffer a second successive relegation and are able to pull clear of the danger zone whenever they get chance to play their remaining nine games of the campaign.

Have a listen in to the podcast below and let us know your own thoughts in the comment section at the bottom of the page.

THE MOST derided competition in English cricketing history has been delayed until next summer. 

Former player and part of the coaching team under the outgoing Tony Pulis, Jonathan Woodgate was always likely to endure a tough start to life in management in the Championship.

And it has proved to be the case with Boro going into the enforced coronavirus break sat 19th in the standings, just two points above the drop zone with nine games remaining.

Leon Wobschall joins host Phil Harrison to discuss the season so far and what lies in store for Boro when the season does get underway again

BEFORE the coronavirus pandemic brought an abrupt halt to the 2019-20 football season, Hull City were a team in freefall, plummeting from being genuine playoff conenders to languish just one place and two points above the Championship drop zone.

The first half of the campaign was one full of promise, but January proved to be the Tigers’ downfall, not just in terms of the business done during the transfer window, but also in terms of form.

The late departures of star players Jarrod Bowen and Kamil Grosicki no doubt played a significant part and chief football writer Stuart Rayner joins host Phil Harrison what went wrong for the East Yorkshire club and whether theyarrest their slump when the season does finally get back underway.

AFTER the highs brought about last spring by automatic promotion from League One, it proved to be a sobering autumn for all concerned at Barnsley.

Failure to replace the quality that was allowed to leave in the summer in the shape of Adam Davies, Liam Lindsay and Ethan Pinnock, put Daniel Stendel and his team behind the eight-ball in terms of being competitive once back in the Championship.

Stendel departed early on, eventually replaced by Austrian Gerhard Struber who has managed to steady the ship and keep the Reds in the fight with nine games remaining when the coronavirus pandemic intervened. Leon Wobschall joins Phil Harrison to discuss the season so far and what lies in wait when the campaign finally resumes.