Ted Davison was in charge at the club for two more years, between 1950 and 1952, while the Blades were a second division outfit. Sheffield United enjoyed a fine cup run in 1952 that saw the team reach the quarter finals of the FA Cup. Reg Freeman took charge at the club in time for the 1952- 1953 season and the response was immediate, Sheffield United dominated the second division as they finished the campaign off in top of the table. They had a fine cup run that saw the side force a forth round replay against Birmingham City, a cup tie they lost 3-1. Their debut season back in the top flight was far from a success, they plummeted down the league into 20th position, narrowly escaping relegation. The 1953 – 1954 FA Cup produced a thrilling third round FA Cup clash between Sheffield United and their local rivals, Sheffield Wednesday, a tie that Wednesday won to eliminate the blades out of the competition. Reg Freeman’s final season in charge witnessed a vast improvement in the clubs fortunes as they had a decent run in the league, comfortably finishing the season off in 13th place. They lost to Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup. Future England manager, Joe Mercer took charge at the club in 1955 and his first year in charge at the club saw the side condemn themselves to relegation, a 22nd position finish. They enjoyed a fine FA Cup campaign that saw the club reach the fifth round of the competition, suffering defeat against Sunderland. The following two season saw United finish their second division campaign off in 7th and 6th place respectively. Johnny Harris’s first season in charge, the 1958-1959 season, was a fine success, although the Blades narrowly missed promotion, they were a dominant force in the division, finishing the campaign off in third place. They enjoyed a fine run in the FA Cup, reaching the last eight, losing against Norwich City by 3-2.
The 1960 FA Cup saw a Sheffield derby in the quarter finals, as United met Wednesday, a tie that the latter won by two goals to nil.