Web: http://www.crg.cs.nott.ac.uk/~anb/Football/index.html
Mailing List: owls@sheffield.ac.uk
Sheffield Wednesday F.A. Carling Premiership 1995/96
Home games in capitals
19 Liverpool 23 BLACKBURN ROVERS 27 NEWCASTLE UNITED 29 Wimbledon
9 Queens Park Rangers 16 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 23 MANCHESTER UNITED 30 Leeds United
14 MIDDLESBOROUGH 21 Coventry 28 WEST HAM UNITED
4 Chelsea 18 MANCHESTER CITY 21 Arsenal 25 Everton
2 COVENTRY CITY 9 Manchester United 16 LEEDS UNITED 23 SOUTHAMPTON 26 Nottingham Forest 30 Aston Villa
1 BOLTON WANDERERS 13 LIVERPOOL 20 Blackburn Rovers
3 Newcastle United 10 WIMBLEDON 17 QUEENS PARK RANGERS 24 Tottenham Hotspur
2 NOTTINGHAM FOREST 9 Southampton 16 ASTON VILLA 23 Bolton Wanderers 30 CHELSEA
6 Middlesborough 8 ARSENAL 13 Manchester City 27 EVERTON
4 West Ham United
Squad for 1995/96 season
Chairman: Dave Richards
Manager: David Pleat
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club, Hillsborough ,Sheffield, S6 1SW
Ticket Office .................0114 233 7233 Ticket Office Fax Number ......0114 232 5816 Club, General office ..........0114 234 3122 Shop ..........................0114 234 3342
Ticket: South Stand Adult: 12.50 (17.00 Premier games)
Prices: Concession: 8.50 (11.50 Premier games)
North Stand Adult: 12.50 (17.00 Premier games)
Concession: 8.50 (11.50 Premier games)
West Stand Lower Adult: 8.50 (11.50 Premier games)
Concession: 5.00 ( 6.50 Premier games)
Kop Adult: 8.50 (11.50 Premier games)
Concession: 5.00 ( 6.50 Premier games)
Family Adult: 10.00 (10.00 Premier games)
Concession: 6.00 ( 6.00 Premier games)
Visiting Fans: Adult: 12.50 (12.50 Premier games)
Concession: 8.50 ( 8.50 Premier games)
(There will be 10 premier games - I'm guessing below)
??? Blackburn, Newcastle, Tottenham, Manchester United, Leeds United, ???
??? Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Arsenal, Everton, Aston Villa ????
Honours list
Division 1 Champions: 1902/03, 1903/04, 1928/29, 1929/30
Runners-up: 1960/61
Division 2 Champions: 1899/1900, 1925/26, 1951/52, 1955/56, 1958/59
Runners-up: 1949/50, 1983/84 (Also promoted 1990/91)
Promoted from Div. 3: 1980
FA Cup Winners: 1896, 1907, 1935
Runners-up: 1890, 1966, 1993
League Cup Winners: 1991
Runners-up: 1993
Charity Shield Winners: 1935
Pubs: The London Owls meet in the Rose and Crown on Stour Lane before every home game. This pub is about a mile from the ground at the back of the Leppings Lane end. Follow Wadsley Road all the way to the top and then turn right and Stour Lane is 200 yards on your left. It's a fair treck and uphill all the way. There are plenty of pubs on the way up which seem popular (Wadsley Jack, Horse and Jockey, ...)
Sheffield Wednesday FC was formed in 1867 by the members of an existing cricket club. The name "Wednesday" arose because the players were only free to play cricket or soccer on Wednesday afternoons. The football club is the fifth oldest League club in the world. For various political reasons, Wednesday declined the opportunity of becoming a founder member of the Football League. However, one of Wednesday's founders, Charles Stokes, went on to found Sheffield United in 1889.
Wednesday's first game in the Football League was against Notts County on September 3rd, 1892. They won 1-0. Since then, the club has grown into one of the biggest and best-supported clubs in the UK. The
The club ground is located in the Hillsborough area of northern Sheffield, and it is usually known as "Hillsborough". The record attendance is 72841, achieved at a 5th round FA Cup tie against Manchester City in February 1934. The current capacity is about 40000. The ground used to be called Owlerton (after another nearby area) and this is how the club got their nickname - the "Owls". Prior to this, the nickname had been "Blades", a reference to the Sheffield steel industry. This name was subsequently taken on by Sheffield United, Wednesday's biggest footballing rivals!
In 1983/84, under the managership of Howard Wilkinson, Wednesday won promotion from Division Two by finishing as runners-up to Chelsea. (4 years earlier the club had climbed out of Division Three after having spent the previous 5 seasons in that division - the only period the Owls have spent outside the top two divisions.) The first two seasons back in the top flight were successful with the club finishing in the top 10 on both occasions. In 1985, the Owls reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup. This was topped the following year when they got to the last 4 of the FA Cup.
However, the following 3 seasons were ones of gradual decline, due primarily to the board's reluctance to release money for player purchases. Wilkinson grew increasingly frustrated with his inability to play the transfer market and, in October 1988, he resigned to become manager of Yorkshire rivals Leeds United. Caretaker manager Peter "Useless" Eustace lasted just 4 months - a period in which the club slid dramatically down the points table. In February 1989, Wednesday secured the services of the flamboyant Ron Atkinson, fresh from a none-too-successful attempt at management in Spain. A change of chairman also meant that more money was available, and expectations were high for the 1989/1990 season.
After an indifferent start, the new players started to get it together and a surge through the New Year saw the club move up to 13th place and almost certain safety. However, a late slump by the Owls and an unbelievable sequence of victories by Luton Town ensured that Luton finished ahead of Wednesday on goal difference. The Owls had been relegated! The board stuck by Atkinson, giving him more money and a directive to get the club back into the top flight at the first attempt. Atkinson went ahead and did just that. He brought in more quality players and opted for a slick passing game. This paid off as the club won automatic promotion by finishing third. As an added bonus, the Owls won the League Cup, beating Manchester United in the final. Wednesday were on the up.
Rumours linking Atkinson with the managerial vacancy at Aston Villa emerged at the end of the season. At a civic reception for the players, Atkinson denied any interest, saying that he would have to be "barmy" to leave what he called "the best job in the world". One week later Atkinson resigned to go to Villa, causing much shock and anger. Many thought that he had intended to go all along. "Judas" Atkinson was not a welcome visitor at the opening game of the 1991/92 season, where (ironically) Villa were the opponents. Trevor Francis, a senior player, had been appointed manager during the summer.
Francis, to his credit, picked up where Atkinson had left off, making the most of the money available to him. Wednesday finished third, good enough to qualify for the UEFA Cup. As it turned out, the Owls lost controversially to the German club Kaiserslautern in the 2nd round. They made up for this by reaching the final of both domestic cups. Unfortunately they lost to the same opponents (Arsenal) in both matches. A final league position of 7th was repeated the following season.
In the 1994-1995 season the team once more got off to a poor start, and but for a winning spell around Christmas where new sigining Guy Whittingham couldn't stop scoring, they might have been relegated. In the end victory over Ipswich ensured a comfortable mid-table position, but wasn't enough to save Trevor Francis' job.
David Hirst once more missed most of the season with an achilles injury, while Chris Waddle had to wait until Decemeber for his first run out. Kevin Pressman was on the verge of an England squad place as goalkeeper, but poor form towards the end of the season let in Chris Woods to the number one spot.
Early exits were made in both cup competitions, losing to Arsenal away in the league cup, and to Wolves on penalties in the FA cup.
With a new manager in charge expectations are higher than they could have been, but nobody really knows what to expect. If Pleat can lift the dressing room morale and confidence then a top six place might be possible, but realistically a season of consolidation is expected. Once again much will depend on the fitness of Hirst - if a potent strike force can convert the endless chances Wednesday seem to create then glory days can't be too far away.
Chris Waddle - There is very little that hasn't already been said about this genius. On his day, absolutely devastating, and one of the best English players of the last decade. Perhaps his last season at the top level, but he's still younger than Beardsley.
David Hirst - One of the most lethal strikers in England, especially with the left foot. 3 seasons ago he was the name on everyone's lips as the obvious successor to Gary Lineker in the England team. Robbed of many more international caps by injuries that have made a habit of occurring just before a national squad is to be announced. Injuries have severely affected his club appearances too. Still scored over 100
Des Walker - Solid as a rock at the back for the Owls. Why he hasn't made it into El Tel's squad remains a mystery.
Richard Barker - Reserve striker who knocked in a lot of goals towards the end of last season helping the reserves to promotion to the Pontins first division. Has played in the Intertoto matches.
Compiled by Adrian Bullock and David Poole