Stars In Stripes.... Pt 2

[Lord Snooty]

 

 

Roland Nilsson

 

Roland joined Ron Atkinsons Wednesday in December 1989 for the bargain fee of £375,000 from Swedish side IFK Göteborg.  Manchester United had been rumoured to be after Nilssons signature, but in something that is hard to believe today they were struggling to find the money until they sold players after spending £1.5m on the summer signing of Neil Webb.   (After clearing the decks in the fosummer Ferguson turned his attentions to Dennis Irwin from Oldham as his first choice right back)

 

 

 

 

Nilsson was a full International and something of a coup.  He’d won the League 3 times with IFK as well as the 1987 UEFA Cup.   

It was a move that might not have happened though had Wednesdsay got Mel Sterland back in the Summer.

Mel had been given a free transfer by Glasgow Rangers in the and was available.  Ron Atkinson made enquiries as did QPR manager Trevor Francis.  However….Wednesday were only able to offer Sterland ‘up to’ £400 per week until they could free up some money on the wage budget.  

In the end Sterland joined his old mentor Sgt. Howard Wilkinson at L**ds United. 

“Howards the top man for me. When I knew he wanted me, I’d go wherever he was”

 

 

A month later Wednesday managed to offload Ian Cranson to Stoke. Some feat.

More remarkably receive a fee for him!

And even more remarkably again… we received more for him than Roland would cost...over £450

International Footballer in and £75k up.

Proper wheeler dealer old Ron.

Now remember that £75k because it comes in handy later…

 

 

Roland was pure class.  “The best professional I ever worked with” Ron purred of his cool Swede.

I remember one of the first times I saw Roland he strode up the pitch with the ball, and turned inside and played a ball into feet for a one-two 'wall pass' rather than hitting the by-line.  The old boy next to me was in sheer bewilderment. “Where the bloody hell’s he going?!”

A month later he was applauding everything Roland did. “Proper class this lad, looks inside for the pass you know” he'd say. 

Yes we did know. Because of your absolute meltdown the first time he did it.

 

I digress.

 

Despite being relegated at the end of his first season with the club, and having an agreement that he could leave in such a scenario Nilsson decided to stay and helped them gain promotion at their first attempt despite having an International Tournament around the corner.

After a storming start to our promotion season  Roland ruptured his anterior cruciate knee ligaments at Millwall in October 1990. He was carried off on a stretcher and needed surgery.

In those days cruciate injuries were still something of a ‘how the dice fall’ in terms of recovery. People shook their heads sadly when the news broke. 

 

 

Now remember that £75k that Ron made on the Cranson deal?

Well it came in handy just now. Because a month before Rolands injury a young American midfield player called John Harkes who had been trialing around England with his mate (goalkeeper Tony Meola) had  played a few games for Wednesdays reserves.

Ron liked the lad, and asked him if he’d ever played right back. “Sure” the young American lied before then asking all the lads how to play right back.

For what was called a complementary fee Ron managed to sign up Harkes…for £75k plus adds.  

 

 

He not only came in and covered for Roland but went on to become a bit of a legend in his own right becoming the first American to score at Wembley.

 

 

 Roland was, despite the seriousness of his injury, fit again before the end of the season and looking as classy as ever.  

He played in the 1991 League Cup Final against Manchester United and had a great game keeping England current poster boy Lee Sharpe quiet. Roland completely kept him out of the game. Indeed it was a frustrated Sharpe who gave away the free kick from which John Sheridan would score his famous winner.

During the time he spent at Wednesday, Nilsson played over 150 games and became a real favourite with the fans .His performances were part of a collective proved to be a catalyst for a footballing renaissance at Hillsborough. In the years that Nilsson played for the club, Wednesday won the League Cup in 1991, finished runner-up in the FA Cup and the League Cup in 1993, and played in Europe for the first time in thirty years.

While playing for Sheffield Wednesday, Nilsson also took part in two international tournaments for his country. The 1990 World Cup proved to be disastrous for Sweden, who were in the same group as Brazil, Scotland, and Costa Rica; Sweden lost all three matches 2–1. However, the team bounced back in Euro 1992, which they hosted, as they reached the semi-finals. Nilsson played in all the games played by Sweden in both tournaments.

 

 

In January 1994, Nilsson announced that he was suffering from homesickness and asked to be sold to a Swedish club. His manager, Trevor Francis, convinced him to remain with the club until the end of the season in return for being given an unconditional release at that time. After leaving Sheffield Wednesday, Nilsson rejoined Helsingborg.

 

 

 

What are your Roly memories?

Mrs Pemberton need not reply. *Allegedy

 

Edited November 15, 2017 by Lord Snooty

[Lord Snooty]

[Blatter]

Big Ron the ultimate wheeler dealer. He knew how to assemble (and disassemble) a squad.

 

Oh for some of that expertise now.

 

[Lord Snooty]

44 minutes ago, Blatter said:

Big Ron the ultimate wheeler dealer. He knew how to assemble (and disassemble) a squad.

 

Oh for some of that expertise now.

 

 

The thing with Ron was his cheap 'back up signings' were often very effective.

Look at 4 players in that promotion season Harkes, Anderson, Francis, Steve MacKenzie....combined £90k.

All played a huge part in getting us back up and through the busy cup schedule. 86 starts between them. 

[football=owls]

Could you imagen the sh*tstorm on here if we had a red away kit now!

 

[Lord Snooty]

5 minutes ago, football=owls said:

Could you imagen the sh*tstorm on here if we had a red away kit now!

 

 

 

The away goalkeeping Jersey.

A popular design of the time. "The Hampden"

A nicely restrained top with two-tone shoulder panels the only excesses. Based on the Scottish National one.

Usually in Green or grey mind!

 

 

I really need to get out.

 

 

[Lord Snooty]

4 hours ago, football=owls said:

Could you imagen the sh*tstorm on here if we had a red away kit now!

 

Oh yes. 

 

Club announcement -: After much study of social media and in light with tradition we are brining back stripes 

Everyone : Yessss!

Club -: However in trying to create a strong brand in the global market well be having red , as it worked so we'll for Man Utd and Liverpool. 

 

Meltdown...?! Neil would be retired and living in the Bahamas before the sun was down!

[S36 OWL]

 

Tony Meola , thats a blast from the past 

 

 

Edited November 15, 2017 by S36 OWL

[Hutch's biscuit knee]

Quite simply nilsson was the best player I've seen play for wednesday

[Whatahoot]

I've seen many right backs at S6 ....Peter Johnson, Wilf Smith, Peter Rodrigues, Mel Sterland, but for me Roland was our best and a loyal servant too.

[Lord Snooty]

5 minutes ago, Hutch's biscuit knee said:

Quite simply nilsson was the best player I've seen play for wednesday

 

And it's quote rare I'd think for a defender to get that sort of accolade. It's strikers lashing the ball into the net and , wingers weaving magic that usually make people's 'best' list.

 

Which I think says it all about Roland.

[torryowl]

4 minutes ago, Whatahoot said:

I've seen many right backs at S6 ....Peter Johnson, Wilf Smith, Peter Rodrigues, Mel Sterland, but for me Roland was our best and a loyal servant too.

good player roly but loyal servant maybe stretching it a bit ........we let him go for free with certain conditions coz he's homesick and as soon as the conditions are finished he comes back to England and signs for Coventry .....

[Lord Snooty]

11 minutes ago, torryowl said:

good player roly but loyal servant maybe stretching it a bit ........we let him go for free with certain conditions coz he's homesick and as soon as the conditions are finished he comes back to England and signs for Coventry .....

 

To be fair had been back over there 3 years before Ron came calling again with the Coventry deal. 

Club like Helsinborg aren't going to turn down £200k for a 34 year old who'd cost them nothing. 

 

 

[BRADDO]

Rolls Royce Nilsson.

 

What a great player in a great team. 

[torryowl]

3 minutes ago, Lord Snooty said:

 

To be fair had been back over there 3 years before Ron came calling again with the Coventry deal. 

Club like Helsinborg aren't going to turn down £200k for a 34 year old who'd cost them nothing. 

 

 

no but we could have got a good fee for him if we had held  himto his contract but we didn't coz he was homesick for Sweden .......i'm not knocking him coz he does whats best for himself coz we all do .....i'm just saying loyal servant is stretching it .

[Lord Snooty]

5 minutes ago, torryowl said:

no but we could have got a good fee for him if we had held  himto his contract but we didn't coz he was homesick for Sweden .......i'm not knocking him coz he does whats best for himself coz we all do .....i'm just saying loyal servant is stretching it .

 

He stayed with us when Villa came calling though. And the Italian side who's name escapes me.

[torryowl]

6 minutes ago, Lord Snooty said:

 

He stayed with us when Villa came calling though. And the Italian side who's name escapes me.

well he would wouldn't he , you cant get up to what he was doing if your stuck in Verona ( bad taste joke) ........i'm really not knocking him , I liked him he was a good player who did well for and us for him .just as i'm sure the cov fans  think of him coz he was that type of player who was a class act 

[F. Spiksley]

My best memory is when Den took him for a walk along the canal, think its was on the way to the cash and carry. Then Den got shot by an unidentified gunman, and fell into the canal, or so we thought, because you never actually saw the body enter the water just heard a"plop" and "splash". It was definitely Den's last episode for while but Roly was always in the Queen Vic for months after the event.

Edited November 15, 2017 by F. Spiksley