Sheff Utd fans mock Wednesday rivals by flying ‘city is ours’ banner over Hillsborough
But the plane-flying antics sparked a huge fundraising campaign for a local hospice as an Owls fan responded by calling for supporters of both clubs to pull together
JUBILANT Sheffield United fans taunted rivals Wednesday - trailing a banner from a plane over Hillsborough to proclaim: "MIND THE GAP.. THE CITY IS OURS."
The Blades will be flying a division above the Owls in the Premier League next season - after going up as Championship runners-up while Wednesday faded to finish 12th.
But the gesture from those Blades supporters who paid for the plane antics actually pulled the city together in a charitable way.
That's because Wednesday fan James Lindsay responded to the mocking by launching a fundraising campaign for the local St Luke's hospice.
Lindsay told the Sheffield Star: "The point is we’re all Sheffield, aren’t we?"
"There are more important things than rivalry and flying a plane over a stadium.
"I saw that St Luke's were doing a collection at the game on Sunday so thought this would help them out."
And already by this afternoon around £7,000 had been collected.
But although there might have been a heartwarming finish to the story of city rivalry, the climax on the pitch to Wednesday's Hillsborough clash with today was anything but that for Owls fans.
Matt Smith produced a screaming volley in stoppage-time for the visitors in their 2-1 win.
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Meanwhile, United missed out on the title as they drew 2-2 at Stoke - with Norwich ending up five points clear after a 2-1 victory at play-off side Aston Villa.
Blades supporters had raised the £780 needed for their "City is ours" banner with a Go Fund Me page.
But ultimately fans of both clubs dwarfed that appeal - by raising funds for a hospice cause that ensured all Sheffield supporters were united when it mattered most.
