The beautiful game turned decidedly ugly on Saturday in a match which will be remembered as the Battle of Bramall Lane.

Three players were sent off and police had their work cut out dealing with crowd disturbances, a massed brawl on the field, aggravation in the dug-out and an incident in the tunnel when time had already been called prematurely on this farce of a game.

The Football League will meet on Thursday to decide whether West Brom, far and away the victors in football terms, should be awarded the points and the healthy boost to their goals total.

It is hardly surprising that referee Eddie Wolstenholme could not keep a full track on events. He had to apply the letter of the law in sending off Sheffield United goalkeeper Simon Tracey in only the seventh minute as he handled the ball outside his area to prevent Scott Dobie from scoring.

The main talking point, and a skirmish which left Derek McInnes requiring stitches in a head wound, came in the 65th minute after Albion had scored their second a few minutes earlier.

Georges Santos and Patrick Suffo came on following that goal, and there can surely never have been a more brief or destructive appearance by two substitutes in the game's history.

Santos lunged in two-footed on Andy Johnson and was sent off. Johnson, keen to retaliate before the Frenchman was escorted from the field, had to be restrained. At this point Suffo waded in, appearing to headbutt McInnes. Again, Wolstenholme had no option but to send the Cameroon international packing.

After more unsavory incidents, the bad blood spilled over to the bench, and the overworked Wolstenholme had to intervene to prevent substitutes and coaching staff on both sides creating mayhem.

Two minutes after a third goal was scored (77th minute), Michael Brown walked off the pitch with a groin injury. United were down to seven players in total now, and when Rob Ullathorne pulled up with a muscle spasm, the game had to be abandoned.