The dark days - who else was at this one?

[FreshOwl]

Sheffield Wednesday v Blackpool, 25 February 2004

Score 2-0 to Blackpool Referee Mike Pike Competition LDV Vans Trophy Final - northern section (2nd leg) Venue Hillsborough Attendance 21,390

View Sheffield Wednesday v Blackpool head to head

BLACKPOOL WON 3-0 ON AGGREGATE

0Sheffield Wednesday

2Blackpool

Goals:

Goals: Mike Sheron 20 Keith Southern 31

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper

Ola Tidman

Defender

Leigh Bromby

Defender/Centre back

Dean Smith

Defender/Centre back

Richard Wood

Defender/Midfielder

Steven Haslam

Defender/Midfielder

Brian Barry-Murphy

Defender/Midfielder

Adam Chambers

Midfielder

Alan Quinn

Forward

Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu

Forward

Kim Olsen

Forward

Jon Shaw

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper

Lee Jones

Defender

Leam Richardson

Defender/Centre back

Steve Elliott

Defender/Centre back

Mike Flynn

Defender/Midfielder

Simon Grayson

Midfielder

Stephen McMahon

Midfielder

Keith Southern

Midfielder

Tony Dinning

Midfielder

Gareth Evans

Forward

John Murphy

Forward

Mike Sheron

Substitutions: Robert Poulter for Ola Tidman 35

Substitutions: Matthew Blinkhorn for John Murphy 64 Martin Bullock for Gareth Evans 64 Sean Hessey for Tony Dinning 86

Cards: Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu 53 Y Dean Smith 69 Y

Cards: Tony Dinning 18 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper

Robert Poulter

On the bench:

Defender/Midfielder

Sean Hessey

Midfielder

Martin Bullock

Forward

Matthew Blinkhorn

Comments:

Unused substitutes: Graeme Lee, Liam Needham, Laurie Wilson and Lewis McMahon

This was a pretty disgusting night Tidman got pretty much killed and the goal was given, Rob Poulter came on looking like he had been plucked from the crowd.

Pretty sure it was Brian Barry-Murphys debut, and he was so nervous i dont think he found a teammate with a pass all night.

Then there was the joy of watching Kim Olsen. Like a wheelie bin that someone had drawn eyes on.

What a dreadful game this was.

[US_Owl]

Don't think it was Barry-Murphys debut. Sure we had him late on in the season before that...

 

The fact that we had six natural defenders out on the pitch says everything. BBM was more of a left back than anything, Adam Chambers has played centre half most of his career I believe. Haslam never a midfielder either so roger know what formation we had out that night....

 

You may well be right - he played like it was his debut day on planet earth.

[mcmigo]

2-0 was a nightmare lead said Turner.

 

Funny as pretty sure everyone who went 2-0 up against us went on to win handsomely!

[helmut_rooster]

The 2003/2004 season has to be the worst one I can remember as a Wednesdayite.

Alan Irvine did a mighty fine job of coming close to repeating the crapness in 2010/2011, but that season was just about spared with Milan taking over and the sense that, despite all the sh*te, we might be able to turn it around.

2003/2004 had none of that.

Started off by losing to Wrexham at home 3-2 and then throwing away a 2 goal lead to draw with Stockport a few weeks later. After this game I had to wait at the bus stop whilst Fishcake shouted at me about how Andorra reserves would have won 17-0.

From what I recall the only player we had of any notable quality was Alan Quinn and the geniuses at the club decided to loan him out to Sunderland's reserve side for quarter of the season.

Suppose Kuqi was ok as well, though I always thought he ran around like a clueless gimp.

Most of the games after that just blur into a sea of w@nk, with the only highlight having been ending Bristol City's winning streak under Danny d*ckhead Wilson.

There was getting d*cked on by Bournemouth, annihilated by Plymouth, getting beaten four times by Blackpool and then the worst game of football I've ever seen in my life:

Sheffield Wednesday 0

Rushden and Diamonds 0

Words can't event describe how depressingly sh*te this game was.

Sheff Wed: Lucas, Lee, Dean Smith, Bromby, Geary, McLaren, Mustoe, Barry-Murphy, Cooke, Proudlock, Holt. Subs: Pressman, Haslam, Jon Shaw, Wood, Reddy.

Rushden & D'monds: Turley, Bignot, Edwards, Hunter, Underwood, Mills, Bell, Gray, Burgess, Kitson, Jack. Subs: Dempster, Sambrook, Talbot, Story, Hall.

Referee: M Thorpe (Suffolk)

I too was at that Rushden game the worst ever by far for me, I don't think there was a single shot all match from anyone let alone on target

[FlyingOwl]

2-0 was a nightmare lead said Turner.

 

Funny as pretty sure everyone who went 2-0 up against us went on to win handsomely!

Weren't we we 2-0 up to Stockport at home in that same season & lost 3-2...?

 

Not to mention 2-0 up to Swindon with 10 minutes left. Worst away day ever. 

I too was at that Rushden game the worst ever by far for me, I don't think there was a single shot all match from anyone let alone on target

False. We did actually score but it was ruled out by the ref.

 

typical..

[Utah Owl]

I went to the Boro and York games.

 

The Boro game I think we were only two down at half time and actually to that point we hadn't played too bad. My mate said then that if we got an early goal we might still win....he was more of a bloody dreamer than I was! Suffice to say it was they that got the early goal and after that it was one long flipping embarrassment. And the second time that season we'd conceded eight!

 

The York game was the infamous "Save Our Owls" match when The Star were giving out these stupid stickers as we were bottom of Division Two. We all wanted to save the club....except the fookers out there on the pitch. We were totally outplayed. 

Thought the 'Save Our Owls' game was the Blackpool one at home? Incidentally does anyone still have one of those stickers?

[fredmciverslovechild]

Thought the 'Save Our Owls' game was the Blackpool one at home? Incidentally does anyone still have one of those stickers?

 

No, it was the York game. Friday night away. The Star had a photographer taking snaps of kids in the crowd holding the stupid things up. Was an embarrassment.

 

There might well have been something at the Blackpool home game, which was the one where Phil Henson made his debut, cos I remember the crowd was bigger than expected and really tried to get behind the team. But the whole thing was then quietly dropped. 

[lincolnowl]

The 0-0 against Grimsby when P&G teams played it like a footballing shadow session despite both being in relegation trouble sticks in the mind.

As does the Yeovil game. I was on the Lepp upper as it was a "home away" game. I was angrymad by 75 minutes.

[jamsandwich]

I won good money on this... Plymouth were 3-1 to win. amazing odds.

[owlZfan84]

I'd forgot about this one.

 

Awful, just awful performance.

 

Paul Smith is up there as the worse winger I've ever seen in a Wednesday shirt.

[asteener1867]

No, it was the York game. Friday night away. The Star had a photographer taking snaps of kids in the crowd holding the stupid things up. Was an embarrassment.

 

There might well have been something at the Blackpool home game, which was the one where Phil Henson made his debut, cos I remember the crowd was bigger than expected and really tried to get behind the team. But the whole thing was then quietly dropped. 

It was the York game....Can remember being escorted from the Railway station by one 60yr old copper and a police dog about the same age.

Dunno the distance but it seemed to take ages

The stickers and such were bloody embarrassing , 

[torryowl]

0-8 away to Middlesborough 73/74

0-3 away to York 74/75

0-3 away to Mansfield & Wrexham 75/76

 

There's a few just to kick off with.

 

We really were seriously shee-ite in those days.

missed the wrexham game ----the other 3 are all standouts .....boro to me was only 4-0 coz that is when we left .....york was a friday night with the" save our owls "campaign in full throw fecking waste of time that was .... the mansfield game ,what i remember was lenny ashurst saying that some players had played there last game for sheffield wednesday ...allan thompson was one who never played again ... old len knew what to do if you´d " lost the dressing room" .

[ffs owl]

missed the wrexham game ----the other 3 are all standouts .....boro to me was only 4-0 coz that is when we left .....york was a friday night with the" save our owls "campaign in full throw fecking waste of time that was .... the mansfield game ,what i remember was lenny ashurst saying that some players had played there last game for sheffield wednesday ...allan thompson was one who never played again ... old len knew what to do if you´d " lost the dressing room" .

i also walked out at 4 nil in the borough game, went in the bookies just round the corner, was full of wednesday, were you one of them ??

[Greenhgate Owl]

For me when we lost 4-0 away to Leyton Orient

Under irvine

We was bottom half in league one and thought was guaranteed relegation

Luckly came and saved us

[torryowl]

i also walked out at 4 nil in the borough game, went in the bookies just round the corner, was full of wednesday, were you one of them ??

no mate i was somewhere near leeming services on the A1 ........

[Bluesteel]

Barry Murphy played for us in what became the championship

That is terrifying. He played against Darren bent

[darra]

No, it was the York game. Friday night away. The Star had a photographer taking snaps of kids in the crowd holding the stupid things up. Was an embarrassment.

 

There might well have been something at the Blackpool home game, which was the one where Phil Henson made his debut, cos I remember the crowd was bigger than expected and really tried to get behind the team. But the whole thing was then quietly dropped. 

Definitely this I went but didn't have my photo took as I was enebreated

[Whelan's Wonderland]

The entire spell that culminated in Irvine's sacking was unbelievably bad. I was convinced we wouldn't pick up another point all season.

We'd somehow got into 2nd place before being mauled 5-1 at Exeter before Christmas in the midst of a deluge of snow across the country. We then had the frozen pipes before the 0-4 defeat at Orient, the '9 man' draw with Yeovil, and the 5-3 defeat at Posh.

Even when Megson first came in we were thrashed at tranmere and at home by Brentford reserves before he got a grip on them and pulled us clear.

A team of complete bottlers. Made by the limpest of managers.

[FlyingOwl]

The entire spell that culminated in Irvine's sacking was unbelievably bad. I was convinced we wouldn't pick up another point all season.

We'd somehow got into 2nd place before being mauled 5-1 at Exeter before Christmas in the midst of a deluge of snow across the country. We then had the frozen pipes before the 0-4 defeat at Orient, the '9 man' draw with Yeovil, and the 5-3 defeat at Posh.

Even when Megson first came in we were thrashed at tranmere and at home by Brentford reserves before he got a grip on them and pulled us clear.

A team of complete bottlers. Made by the limpest of managers.

Don't remind me of that Peterborough game.

 

Think I was in year 10 at secondary school & my history teacher was an ST holder at Pboro. Walked into school the day after the Pboro game & went to the building my form was in. On the front door of said building was a picture from the game. Pictures from the game & song lyrics of players who scored lined the corridor until I got into my form room. On my chair in my form room was a final note saying '5-3...don't cry'.

 

Got her back though when they got relegated. Was in my final year at sixth form & covered her office door in pictures of the pitch invasion they did after our game with the caption of 'they think it's all over....' and then pictures of the final league table with the caption of '....it is now'.

 

I don't think I've stopped laughing since I did it. 

[Guest]

I'd forgot about this one.

 

Awful, just awful performance.

 

Paul Smith is up there as the worse winger I've ever seen in a Wednesday shirt.

 

The most telling contribution I remember from Paul Smith came against Blackpool.

Last minute of a league game deadlocked at 0-0 we have the chance to grab a rare win with a free kick 25 yards out at the Kop end. Smith steps up, 'hits' a tame shot barely halfway up the Blackpool wall, they break away and grab a 1-0 win.

 

Most of the games like Rushden & Diamonds & Grimsby at home were that were they were instantly forgettable. I have next to no memory of many of the games I attended that season, sadly most of the memories of it I do have are bad ones.