Bearwood Owl1

Someone needs to have a word with Father Christmas if he didn't sort you out with a copy of Our Lowest Ebb! Hope you enjoy it if and when you do get hold of a copy. Plan currently for this one is to have it out for Spring 2022. Fair bit to do first, but it is a great era. We had a top, top team for a while then

A great game - that began to show that we were 'Back in the Big Time'

Hello everyone, As you may know or remember - I was fortunate enough last year to have my first book published "Our Lowest Ebb?" - focusing on the Owls in the mid-70s. I got plenty of help from people on here - for which I am grateful. I am also very appreciative of the support from OwlsTalk when the book was released. I think that I've caught the writing and researching bug - as I've agreed to write and publish a follow up. This time looking at happier times on the field as the Owls go 'Back in the Big Time, 1984-86'. So, looking at the team's assault on Division One

I remember being really pleased when Jonk signed. He'd had an excellent World Cup in 98. Top player it seemed.

A few years back when he'd just broken into the Owls team, the club had Clare, Jack Stobbs and Jordan Thorniley signing autographs and taking pictures in the Megastore. Anyhow, I took me and the lad in and they were all very personable and friendly. Until the slightly knowing comment from one of Stobbs or Thorniley on the lines of 'you better get his quick - he's going to be a superstar'. He's got a way to go to reach that level.

Some David Sunley pictures... Just because

Jack Grealish.

I was lucky enough to interview him for my book (Our Lowest Ebb?) A really good bloke, as others have said, lives Dronfield way now. Scored in the 4-4 against Manchester United in 1974. Went on loan to Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest for a month - but never actually met Cloughie!

On a related note... I've lived in the Midlands for 20+ years. So, when one of the fellas who we sit near at S6 rummaged around in his pockets asking 'does tha want any spice'? to me and the lad, I was slightly concerned for a few seconds

I'm fairly sure that I saw Vinnie Jones in goal for the opposition at Hillsborough in the late 80s/early90s. Maybe for Chelsea?

There's some excellent material on the Athletic, both about Wednesday and other clubs and sports. I paid £29.99 for the year, so this seems a real bargain.

Hi all, I was lucky enough recently to be put in contact with Allan Thompson - Owls captain for some of the Lowest Ebb period. My interview with him is available here for a short while: https://ourlowestebb.blogspot.com/2020/11/aninterview-with-allan-thompson.html?m=1 If anyone still fancies a copy of the book. Until next Sunday it's reduced to £9.99 including P&P from me at: https://ourlowestebb.bigcartel.com/product/our-lowest-ebb-a-new-history-of-sheffield-wednesday-s-darkest-times-1973-76 Use the code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout.

@sexpistol@rickygoo You may be right. Take out the working class bit and we still have a solid, experienced manager with a more than decent track record. And I'm still buzzing. The interview above suggests to me at least that we've made the right choice.

I really enjoyed that. I'm genuinely buzzing that he's taken over. A solid, working class, experienced manager. He'll get the fans and the team. Good luck Tony Pulis.

There you go. April next year. It's a great book

That's the Fred Spiksley book. They are doing a paperback edition in the spring if you can wait a bit. (May 2021 from memory)

You should maybe try 'Our Lowest Ebb' and read up on when times really were tough

Some wonderful books on that list

Agree with this entirely. Len Ashurst was only 36 when he took over at S6 but had already proved his worth at Hartlepool and Gillingham. He also had Tony Toms with him to work on fitness. I often wonder how his methods would go down today.

Brian Joicey

I always wondered who it was stood at the very top of the Kop on this picture

Yes, absolutely this. I was told (after the book was published) by a respected journalist of the time that the story was very likely a 'plant' by Clough. I think there was more in the Owls being linked with Ron Atkinson. Cambridge turned down an approach from an 'unnamed club' just before Steve Burtenshaw was sacked. Don Megson also talks of being 'tapped up' for the job in his autobiography. The Liverpool press even reported that SWFC asked Bill Shankley if he'd come out of retirement. He wouldn't! How much is truth and how much rumour out of

Mick Prendergast helping save us from the abyss in 1976.

Was it this one? Sorry the quality isn't great... There was a pound waiting for the lucky few if they turned up at the Star's offices. Picture from a friendly game against Burnley during the Save Our Owls era of early 1975.

Clough himself (or his ghost writer) wrote in the Nottingham Post of being approached for the Owls job. I'm not sure how accurate his version of events was though. He effectively said that he was asked to apply - and that he didn't apply for jobs but waited to be offered them.