YOU and 150 Years of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club

[soldierboyblue]

3 minutes ago, vulva said:

Been going thick end of 35 years now. Can't remember first game, and can never work out how others can. I was too young. First abiding memory is promotion under Jack Charlton, and crowds coming onto the pitch and climbing up into the South to get to the Directors Box. Scared me shittless. Used to go with my Grandad and mother. Mum still goes now, and has hardly missed a home match for fifty years. Thinks FF is a div, and I agree. 

 

Love the place. Love the smell. Feels like home. Take my lad now, and he loves it. Love the cold night matches, winning late on. Nothing better than a last minute winner. Makes it all worthwhile. Used to go to all the reserve games and rush back for the pub quiz. Got stopped for speeding once in Wharcliffe Side and the copper let us off as we told him Hirst had come through his latest injury comeback unscathed. 

 

In terms of memories, christ, where do I start. Burnley at home in the quarters, and to this day I don't think I've heard Hillsborough louder. 5-0. Semi at Highbury against Brighton. Jimmy Cases shot nearly broke the net. Red hot day, Grandad has his wallet nicked outside. We were never in it to be fair. 

 

Promotion under Wilko, couple of games that stick out. Newcastle at home, 4-2, they brought millions, Man City away, 3-1?, we we took millions. Huddersfield away late on in the season, Worthington from memory. Cardiff away to seal promotion, scrapping on the Bob Bank. Unbelievable. Yellow shadow stripe kit, that is still the best ever. WTF did I throw them all away?

 

Milk Cup with 50,000 against the scousers. 22,000 nowadays and they put metal barriers and up shut Leppings Lane. They were a good side. Dalglish with his fat backside reffing the game, and Molby not moving for 80 minutes, until they subbed him. Grobbelaer always prone to a mistake.  They used to go to play the Romanian Army side in their back yard with a bent ref and 200,000 gypsies after them, and still get a result. Top team. 

 

First season back, Forest at home, Liverpool away. Up and at em. Raggyarse rovers, but it worked. Board unwilling to spend, and we  chased Darren Wood for 10 years. Finally signed him, and he got injured. Typical Wednesday, chapter 7782. Used to slow down going past a newsagent to try and see headline, Wednesday sign... .  It usually a failed bid for Derek Mountfield or Adrian Heath. 

 

FACup run, when Shutt couldn't stop scoring. Everything he touched went in. Always think of those games when I walk past the travel agents in Meadowhall, and he's arranging a coach tour in Torquay for some bint from Brinsworth. Villa Park for the semi. Graeme sodding Sharp, always scored against us. That Everton side were our nemesis, but they are pound for pound as good a team as I've seen at Hillsborough. Reid and Bracewell in the middle, Sheedy and Steven wide, 2 lumps up front, great keeper in Southall. We think we got hard done to with Heysel, but they were the real losers. They would have won the European Cup. 

 

Hirst at Newcastle, Easter Monday, won 3-1. Big game. Mirandinha played. Not seen him since.  Mirandinha that is. 

 

Decided to do every game in a season. Saved up, ICO. Trust me to pick the one where we went down. Remember winning 4-1 at Coventry, and late on at Charlton. 

 

I'll do chapter 2 tomorrow. 

We lost 4-1 at Coventry when we went down mind 

[vulva]

1 minute ago, soldierboyblue said:

We lost 4-1 at Coventry when we went down mind 

We won. Dalian Atkinson scored. Think you are a few years out, and recalling the game when we booed a De Bilde goal. That's in tomorrow's episode. 

[Prendo's boots]

Growing up all I ever wanted to do was to see us win a cup at Wembley...been there done that!! Up The Bloody Owls!! ...

[soldierboyblue]

Just now, vulva said:

We won. Dalian Atkinson scored. Think you are a few years out, and recalling the game when we booed a De Bilde goal. That's in tomorrow's episode. 

Ahh not the mercenaries team - 

[Costello 77]

Just a quick memory.

Hirst hunting down man uniteds back four..the roar around the ground was electric.

[daveyboy66]

8 hours ago, Owl_80 said:

The best game ....

 

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 5 MANCHESTER UNITED 4

Saturday 31 August 1968

 

The visit to Hillsborough of reigning European champions Manchester United fired the imagination of Wednesday fans, with a bumper crowd of 52,931 welcoming a star-studded team that included eight of the side that had beat Benfica at Wembley to become the first English team to win the European Cup. Such household names as Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and George Best were on show for the Red Devils, but after just two minutes they were behind when Tony Dunne failed to cut out David Ford’s forward pass and Jack Whitham hit a great shot from outside the area that flashed passed Alex Stepney. Soon after, Dunne was forced to leave the field injured, substitute Francis Burns taking his place, and after 11 minutes of play the scores were level – Best, European Player of the Year, firing home after a great individual run. Three minutes later the visitors went ahead as Wednesday ‘keeper Peter Springett could only push out a Best shot for Law to crash the loose ball into the net.

 

The play continued to switch from end to end and it was 2-2 when John Ritchie headed home from David Ford’s centre. The fans must have been breathless by now and the scoring did not abate, a United free-kick being headed on by Brian Kidd for Law to hit in a first-time shot off the cross bar. Next, Alex Stepney saved brilliantly from Ford to keep United in front, and the Owls then struck the woodwork again, Ford being the unlucky man. With eight minutes left of the first half, the match seemed to have swung convincingly in the visitors direction, as Law knocked on a low centre from Kidd to allow Bobby Charlton to fire home one of his trademark shots from outside of the penalty area. Wednesday were not finished though, and an incredible 45 minutes ended 4-3 to United as Whitham netted again for the Owls, driving home from John Fantham’s centre. It took Wednesday just two minutes of the second half to draw level, but they needed help from visiting player Stiles as he headed into his own net when trying to clear the ball from Ford’s free-kick. The club’s electric scoreboard credited Whitham, who was close to Stiles, as the scorer, but it was clearly all the work of England World Cup winner Stiles! After 56 minutes Wednesday fans went wild as Don Megson’s 30-yard shot crashed into the net to put the Owls ahead. The celebrations were cut short by an offside flag, however. Both sides were pushing for a winner and Springett had to dive full length to save Charlton’s shot. With 15 minutes remaining, this amazing game was decided, when Stepney could not hold onto Ford’s low centre and Whitham was on hand to complete his hat-trick and give the Owls a 5-4 win. Wednesday had to hang on as United pressed for an equaliser – at times, everyone apart from Stepney was in the Wednesday half – but the Owls almost grabbed a sixth with five minutes remaining when Ritchie spurned a simple chance, firing high into the Kop. With three minutes left Nobby Stiles’ shot beat Springett, but Vic Mobley got back to turn the goal-bound shot from off the line for a corner. It was the last action in arguably the greatest game ever played at Hillsborough.

 

Sheffield Wednesday: R.D Springett, G. Young, D.H. Megson, (captain), S. Ellis, V.J. Mobley, P. Eustace, J. Whitham, J. McCalliog, J.H Ritchie, D. Ford, J. Fantham. Unused Sub: A Warboys.

 

Manchester United: A.C. Stepney, S.A Brennan, A.P. Dunne, (F. Burns 3 mins), J. Fitzpatrick, D. Sadler, N.P. Stiles, W. Morgan, B. Kidd, R. Charlton, D. Law, G. Best.

 

Referee: W.S. Castle (Sedgley, Worcs).

 

 

That was two days before I made the journey down to Deepcut Surrey on my own at 15  to join the army...my blades supporting uncle took me and we'd just sat down as Whitham scored...never forget it

[leetheowl]

Watching Wednesday for 45 years now. It's currently a 280 mile round trip for home games and a fair bit longer for away games ( I'm a home and away season ticket holder now living in the Lake District). Still sit next to my Dad who first took me when I was 7.

 

Some memorable moments in no particular order:

Boxing Day 1979

Easter Monday 1980 at the lane and TC's wonder goal

Marathon matches at Filbert St against Arsenal

'We'll be back" at Anfield

League Cup semi finals against Chelsea

FA Cup semi v Brighton

FA Cup semi v Everton

FA Cup semi v Pigs

League Cup win

All the cup finals and replay v Arsenal

Cardiff '05

Brighton home and away play offs (especially away)

Wembley play off final 

Dalian Atkinson's goal v Pigs in Zenith Data Cup

Way too many low points in the 70's

Save our Owls

The Wycombe game

Big Jack in the North Stand v Chesterfield just before he became manager

 

It's always been Wednesday and always will be Wednesday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

Most of my close family weren't that interested in football. My dad was more of a cricket fan and my mums side were blades - like I say, not that interested in football.

I don't exactly recall why I chose the right side of Sheffield as I grew up in S12 which had a fairly even split through the schools I went to, possibly simply through a distinct preference for blue over red and seeing us on ITV's the big match live in the 80's. 

 

I went to 1 or 2 matches in the late 80's with family friends that I can't really remember, recall catching the end of the ZDS win over the blunts in a taxi on the way home from a family night out and turning the radio off & crying my eyes out in the garden when Forest relegated us at Hillsborough.

The next season came around after a good World Cup and I went with a group of older mates to the first home game of the season against Hull. The Boy Wonder banged in 4 and from then on I was hooked. Even as a youngster I could sense an overwhelming feeling of confidence around the club that time that we would bounce straight back, led by Atkinson's attacking approach, and we went on to do even better than we could have expected. A great time to start going to games regularly.   

[DuttyTeabags]

17 hours ago, oh_weds_we_love_you said:

Supported Wednesday all my life, currently sat at 36 years. I have vague memories from school by where my mates were choosing which football team they were going to support - Liverpool, Man Utd, Wednesday, or United. I remember thinking it was strange as I just supported Wednesday - I never made that decision, there wasn't a choice to be made; my dad took me to Hillsborough, got me the new kit every summer, Wednesday were my team.

 

My first game 4th April 1981 (I was 5 weeks old, remember it well! ) as Wednesday beat Luton Town 3-1 at Hillsborough. I can't remember the exact details, but I was supposedly named after Wednesday's first goalscorer (after my birth date or at the Luton game), who was Kevin Taylor. I'm led to believe that Ante Miročević hit the woodwork before Taylor scored!

 

Highlight is the League Cup Final win without doubt!

 

Memories (without even having to think);

• My first away game - Ipswich 0 The Owls 2. Remember Hirst scoring, might have got two?
• Hirst scoring 4 vs Hull City.
• Harkes strike vs Derby.
• Jemson scoring a brace against Man Utd.
• Getting thrashed by Forest 0-3 - Stuart Pearce free-kick - to relegate us.
• Big Ron saying he'll be staying, then leaving a day or so later for Villa.
• The Chelsea League Cup semi-finals.
• League Cup Final win.
• That Hirst goal vs Villa in front of the Kop.
• Cambridge giving us a good beating in the FA Cup - 4-0, Dublin hat-trick?
• Going top of the Premier League - 4 wins in a row and Richie Humphries!
• Numerous relegations.
• Play-off Final win in Cardiff.
• Play-off Final defeat at Wembley.
• Double over the Blades.
• Steel City FA Cup semi-final and that Waddle free-kick.
• Chris Woods flapping in the last minute and seeing us lose both cup finals in the same season.
• Winning 7-2 away at Burnley after we'd just been relegated.
• Antonio vs Carlisle.
• Those last 10 minutes at Bramall Lane in the 2-2 in 2012.
• Bolder's brace at Bramall Lane and the heartbreak of Beattie's stunning free kick to equalise late on.
• Klinsmann's Spurs debut and goal celebration at Hillsborough.
• Spora Luxembourg and Kaiserslautern European nights at Hillsborough.
• Standing ovation for Dublin's retirement.
• Hirst taking over from Pressman in goal and keeping a clean sheet vs Man City.
• Waddle destroying West Ham United.
• Failing to beat 9-man Yeovil Town.
• Potter's hat-trick of corners.
• 1-3 up at Highbury only to see us pegged back to 3-3 and any lifeline of staying up going.
• Palmer hat-trick vs QPR.
• Pressman sent off within a minute at Wolves.
• Pressman's penalty in the cup vs Wolves.
• Crossley making it 3-3 vs Southampton.
• Sheffield Wednesday 6 Leeds United 0.
• Newcastle United 8 Sheffield Wednesday 0.
• Watson's dive for a penalty vs Leeds.
• Coughlan going off with a head injury only to come back on semi-conscious, boot the ball into row Z of the South Stand, and go back off again!
• Hamshaw's goal vs Watford in the League Cup.
• Briscoe's goal vs Arsenal (Di Canio and that shove).
• Small's goal vs Charlton.
• Hirst's strike at Old Trafford that got lodged in the stanchion.
• The kit debacle against Newcastle.
• Wearing our away kit at home - vs Notts County I think.
• Offering Ritchie Barker (Assistant Manager) one of my Fisherman's Friends during the game as he was coughing his balls up!

I'll leave it there as I could genuinely go on all week!

 

Hope I'm still around to see the 200th anniversary celebrations!!

Paul Williams got the other away vs Ipswich from memory. 

 

Great post, remember all of that. 

 

The other ones were Palmer scoring last min equaliser away at Barnsley, Madine equaliser at the sty with Rob Jones missing a header to win it, Leon Clarke broken toe, a pair of overhead kicks from Di Canio and Carbone. 

 

Absolute despair after joy when a couple in a car were going nuts that Derby had equalised vs Luton to save us going down only for it to be disallowed. Dad and I had left the Forest match early. I was in tears for days and it got worse when we sold Atkinson to Sociedad. 

 

The most tense was watching the PO away leg vs Brighton at half 2 in morning in a hotel room in Manila. Not easy viewing. 

 

Most disappointing apart from play off final loss was managing to lose to Brighton in the league last season with them down to 10 - FF missing a penalty and Bannan missing a guilt edged chance. That was the moment that I knew autos chance had gone after the momentum of beating Huddersfield and Geordies away. 

 

Classic Wednesday ability to ****** defeat from the Jaws of victory. 

 

Please please please let us go up in our 150th anniversary season.... 

 

[oh_weds_we_love_you]

2 hours ago, DuttyTeabags said:

Paul Williams got the other away vs Ipswich from memory. 

 

Great post, remember all of that. 

 

The other ones were Palmer scoring last min equaliser away at Barnsley, Madine equaliser at the sty with Rob Jones missing a header to win it, Leon Clarke broken toe, a pair of overhead kicks from Di Canio and Carbone. 

 

Absolute despair after joy when a couple in a car were going nuts that Derby had equalised vs Luton to save us going down only for it to be disallowed. Dad and I had left the Forest match early. I was in tears for days and it got worse when we sold Atkinson to Sociedad. 

 

The most tense was watching the PO away leg vs Brighton at half 2 in morning in a hotel room in Manila. Not easy viewing. 

 

Most disappointing apart from play off final loss was managing to lose to Brighton in the league last season with them down to 10 - FF missing a penalty and Bannan missing a guilt edged chance. That was the moment that I knew autos chance had gone after the momentum of beating Huddersfield and Geordies away. 

 

Classic Wednesday ability to ****** defeat from the Jaws of victory. 

 

Please please please let us go up in our 150th anniversary season.... 

 

 

Even just reading posts like yours sparks off other memories - talking of overhead kicks, instantly see Di Piedi and Sonnetti with overhead goals against Grimsby and Sunderland respectively if memory serves me right.

 

Even managed to forget about Dalian Atkinson, how is that even possible! Then thinking of him just made me think of Ekuko and his goal in the cup at Villa Park past Schmeichel in our 1-0 win against the odds!

 

This talk has made me want to sit down over the next few months and note down all the memories that will bring my Wednesday journey to life - and even perhaps find the clips and put it al together. My son is going to have massive influence from me to support Wednesday, but he'll be at school with Celtic and Rangers supporters, so thinking if I do something like this and force him to watch it time and time again then he'll be 100% Wednesday!!