The provenance of the song is unknown but its origin is often claimed by Sheffield United supporters. It has been claimed it was first sung by the Blades during Sheffield United's first match of the 1985–86 season in Division 2, a 3–1 away win at Stoke City's Victoria Ground on 17 August 1985. Fans of Rotherham United have also claimed that the song originated with them.
Words and music
The song is to the tune of "Annie's Song" by John Denver:
Meaning
To a native of Yorkshire the words are probably self-explanatory; the words celebrate the many pleasures that can be had in Sheffield, culminating in the target of the fan's adoration, in this instance, Sheffield United.
Magnet refers to Magnet Bitter from John Smith's Brewery, widely available in Yorkshire. Some people claim that the second line is really Like a gallon of maggots. Maggots are obtained from fishing tackle outlets in denominations of imperial pints and hence this version would not be unreasonable, as fishing is popular in the region and hence a gallon of maggots would mean a good day out fishing.
Woodbines refers nostalgically to a once popular brand of strong cigarette.
Snuff is ground tobacco for sniffing up the nose. Snuff produced by Wilson's Snuff Mill is world-famous, and produced only a mile away from Bramall Lane.
A greasy chip butty can be purchased in any of the many local fish and chip shops. Butty is a dialect word for a sandwich, and a chip butty is simply a sandwich where the filling is chips, ideally greasy and sometimes sprinkled with salt and vinegar. Generally, a white sandwich bap will be used for the bread. In Sheffield, these are simply known as breadcakes.
Original incidence
The song itself is a plaintive rally-cry by the fans of Sheffield United. It is usually heard at the start of home games played at 'Beautiful Downtown Bramall Lane', the home of the club, and sporadically throughout away matches. Modified versions of the song are also sung by supporters of Burton Albion, Grimsby Town and St Helens R.F.C..
International version
In January 2007, in tribute to Sheffield United's visiting Chinese sister team, the Chengdu Blades, the Sheffield Star penned the following version – the Greasy Egg Noodle song.
