At the best of circumstances, arch rivals Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday seldom get along, and the Blades have recently ruled the Steel City’s hotly disputed bragging rights.

Chris Wilder’s team were the ones to mathematically secure Sheffield Wednesday’s long-awaited relegation from the Championship in February, making it the earliest demotion in English Football League history.

It was, of course, unavoidable that the Owls would be relegated to the third tier before a ball was even kicked, with a cumulative 18-point deduction and a string of perilous off-field problems putting the writing on the wall at Hillsborough.

To have relegation confirmed at Bramall Lane, on the other hand, was a nightmare for every Wednesdayite, as the Blades won their fourth straight derby day against their bitter rivals in unforgettable fashion.

The hosts triumphed 2-1 on the occasion, having won 3-0 at Hillsborough earlier in the season after two narrow 1-0 victory in the Steel City rivalry during the 2024/25 campaign.

There’s no denying that the Blades, who have had a disappointing season following last year’s play-off final defeat to Sunderland, are having the last laugh at Wednesday’s expense right now – and popular midfielder Sydie Peck was quick to point this out in response to a shocking social media claim.

Sheffield United’s Sydie Peck fires Sheffield Wednesday jab over vaping claim.

Peck has started three of Sheffield United’s last four Steel City Derby games, including the aforementioned 2-1 win last month.

The 21-year-old has varying levels of popularity on either side of the Steel City divide, and while the Bramall Lane crowd adore him, he is not well-liked among Wednesday fans.

One Wednesday fan recently went to X to photograph a man who was allegedly denied the purchase of an elf bar (disposable vape). This person was supposed to be Peck, with the article stating that the Blades star was even using his Instagram profile as identification after having his attempts to purchase a vaporizer rejected.

https://twitter.com/SWFCjv23/status/2033984603715780837?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2033984603715780837%7Ctwgr%5E54138d34c3ba8e5a95123afc1db7c2ace42f4606%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ffootballleagueworld.co.uk%2Fsheffield-united-sydie-peck-cheeky-sheffield-wednesday-dig-vaping-claim%2F

The post in question also tagged Peck and Sheffield United, and Wednesday fans congregated in the comments to mock the midfielder. Though it is possible that the guy was mistaken for Peck from behind, the midfielder promptly bit back to reject such claims while sneaking in a sly Wednesday jab in the process.

After viewing the post, Peck responded: “Not true at all mate, I don’t smoke vapes, the only thing I smoke is 4 Sheff derbies😮‍💨.”

Naturally, Peck’s remark elicited mixed reactions.

Blades fans applauded the starlet’s willingness to return it to Wednesday fans, who then alluded to a flashpoint in the previous meeting between the two teams in which he was grabbed by Owls midfielder Svante Ingelsson and claimed that he had been “caught out”.

Of course, there have been cases of footballers purchasing and using vapes in the past, which is hardly a measure of both physical preservation and professionalism, but it appears improbable that such an incident occurred with Peck.

Sheffield United’s Sydie Peck may not face Sheffield Wednesday for a while.

The youngster has recently enjoyed playing against Wednesday, but it’s uncertain when his next game will be.

Wednesday, of course, have already been relegated, and while there is renewed optimism and hope in that corner of the Steel City following David Storch’s proposed long-awaited takeover of the Owls, they are set to begin the following League One season with -15 points, raising concerns about how long the rebuilding process to return the club to the Championship will take.

Meanwhile, while Sheffield United would need to do something exceptional to close the gap between themselves in 15th position and the top six at this late point, Peck has become as a hot property in recent times and might be on the move soon.

The Blades player was connected with Premier League clubs Brentford and West Ham United late last year, and that interest is set to resurface after what has been another strong individual season.

There’s also the fact that United’s parachute payments will expire before next season, necessitating the sale of a valuable asset like Peck.

As a result, with Peck potentially moving to the top division without the Blades and Wednesday only looking to survive in their first season back in League One, it may be some time before he comes up against the Owls, whether in red and white or elsewhere.