Bearwood Owl1

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.

Another picture I like. Fewer than 8,000 in Vs Oxford I think in 1973.

Here's a couple of pictures of when they finally turned up. Thats John Hasleden next to the Troon sign. Wonder if anyone can name all the players in the other picture?!

There's a new(ish) book about it all . My thoughts simply are that the Burtenshaw era was the 'Lowest Ebb' for the club. Although the team fell further in terms of league position - under the stewardship of Len Ashurst and chairman Bert McGee - there was by that stage a plan. Steve Burtenshaw was one of the few people who didn't want to talk to me about the period. He found it depressing and upsetting I was told. Wrong man, wrong time, wrong place are my thoughts of his time at S6. Good coach, but joining a club with no money, with players used to failure and with no

Cheers, it was my Grandad's who bought it new in the 1920s/30s. Passed on to my Dad, and when he passed away, it came to me. Hopefully I've got plenty more years in the tank - but eventually it's going to my kids. I wouldn't sell it for a million quid.

Detailed and positive review in this month's Backpass magazine. It ends as in the photo Well worth retro football fans picking up a copy anyhow I would say, plenty in there including a detailed obituary of Big Jack.

My first season watching the Owls. First game as an 8 year old was a faintly disappointing 1-1 draw with Shrewsbury. I was hooked. Have been ever since