Sheffield United hacked ahead of play-off final with Sunderland
Sunderland are set to take on Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final, but their opponents have already had a surprising setback off the field.
Regis Le Bris has led Sunderland to Wembley as they navigated a tricky semi-final against Coventry City, but they will be underdogs in the final.
Sheffield United finished third and 14 points above Sunderland in the table, and were on the verge of securing automatic promotion.
The Blades won their semi-final tie with Bristol City 6-0 on aggregate, and Sunderland will have to be at their best to pull off a monumental result at Wembley.
Sheffield United social media hacked ahead of play-off final
Sheffield United are aiming to return to the Premier League for the first time since being relegated last year, but they have suffered a disruption this week.
Their social media account on X has now been hacked just five days before the play-off final, making it temporarily disabled as a result of the cyber attack.
With fans still seeking ticketing and matchday logistics information, this disruption will come as a frustration after this surprising attack directed at the club.
| Section | Tickets |
| Sunderland | 35,531 |
| Sheffield United | 35,531 |
| Other | 18,938 |
“Due to an online attack, Sheffield United’s X social media account has been temporarily compromised. Any posts, interactions or private messages made from the account are not authorised by the club,” their fan services account posted on X (19 May) in response.
Sunderland and Sheffield United still face ticketing frustrations
Both sets of supporters heading to Wembley for the play-off final have not had an easy process of securing their tickets, with Sunderland’s allocation selling out quickly.
Both sides have been given allocations of 35,531 seats, meaning there will be close to 20 thousand seats allocated for corporate seats, hospitality and sponsors.
Sunderland fans are also being charged more than Sheffield United supporters for VIP section tickets, in a scandalous development which has caused significant anger.
This latest setback for Sheffield United will be a frustrating one for them, and Sunderland will hope it is a bad omen for the Blades ahead of their Wembley showdown given what is at stake.