Welcome to the latest instalment of the Gloucester Groundhopper blog.
For this instalment of the blog, we returned to Sheffield, Yorkshire, for another dose of League One action between Sheffield Wednesday and Cheltenham Town. The Robins Travel Club drove us the 125 miles up to Hillsborough Stadium, which hosted the game, and it is a venue with a lot of history, most notably the Hillsborough Disaster. On 15 April 1989, during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, Liverpool fans gathered on the Hillsborough Stadium terraces. The crowding turned into a crush, killing 97 people and injuring hundreds more. It is regarded as the greatest sporting tragedy in British history.
The stadium is about a 10-minute drive from the city centre of Sheffield. Sheffield Manor Lodge, Paradise Square, and Sheffield Town Hall are just a few of the city's landmarks. Sheffield has a number of restaurants, including The Street Food Chef and Silversmiths. There are also numerous pubs and bars. We went to the stadium after taking in the sights of Sheffield.
It's All In The Name
The Wednesday Football Club was created by the Sheffield-based "The Wednesday Cricket Club" (supposedly founded in 1820; named after the day of the week on which they played) with the intention of expanding into other sports to keep the squad active and cohesive during the winter. In Sheffield's now-demolished Adelphi Hotel, a public gathering was held on September 4, 1867, where it was resolved to found "The Wednesday Football Club." They adopted "Sheffield Wednesday" as their new name in 1929, and it is still in use today.
The team has been known as the Owls ever since they relocated from Olive Grove to the Owlerton neighbourhood of Sheffield (where they still play today). After a previous monkey mascot's adoption had not been very successful, Wednesday player George Robertson presented the squad with an owl in 1912, and the nickname soon gained popularity. It's noteworthy to notice that there is no connection between the "Owls of Owlerton" and the actual bird. Older Yorkshire dialects refer to alder trees as "Owls" or "Owler," which may be found in many Sheffield woodland areas.
Some Notable Former Players
Paolo Di Canio
John Sheridan
Des Walker
Viv Anderson
Roland Nilsson
Chris Woods
Chris Waddle
Nigel Pearson
Nigel Worthington
Some Notable People From Sheffield:
Peter Stringfellow-Businessman
Sean Bean- Actor
Harry Maguire- Footballer
Neil Warnock- Football Manager
Jessica Ennis-Hill- Athlete
A History Lesson from AFC Finners
Sheffield Wednesday were founded in 1867 by Wednesday cricket club members. They would be known as the Wednesday football club at first. The suffix "Wednesday" was given to the sports club because it was the day of the week when the members had a half-day off work to play their games. The Wednesday played their first competitive football match in 1868, but quickly severed ties with the cricket club due to a financial disagreement.
They entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1880, and despite being one of the most respected teams in the country, they refused to go professional for many years. They were forced to change after many of their best players left, and they lost 16-0 to Halliwell with only ten players on the field, so they backed down and agreed to pay their players from then on.
They relocated from Brammall Lane to Olive Grove after becoming professionals. They were founding members of the Football Alliance, a rival division to the Football League, in 1889, and were the league's first champions. They also reached the FA Cup final in 1890 but were defeated by Blackburn Rovers by a score of 6 to 1. They joined the Football League in 1892 and won their first FA Cup in 1896, defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1.
The construction of new railway lines forced them to relocate, and they purchased land in the village of Owlerton. Hillsborough Stadium, a new stadium, would be built there soon.
The Owls had a successful decade in the 1900s. They won the FA Cup again in 1907 after winning the league title in 1903 and 1904.
Following the First World War, they suffered their first relegation in 1920, and it took them six years to recover. After a miraculous escape from relegation in 1928, the Owls won another league title the following year, which they retained in 1930. They would only finish lower than third place once until 1936, when they won their third FA Cup. After WWII, they went through a yo-yo period in the 1950s, but they finished in the top half of the first division.
Wednesday had an eventful 1960s, going toe-to-toe with Tottenham in the title race but ultimately losing out. In 1964, the club was involved in a betting scandal in which three Sheffield Wednesday players bet against themselves in a game, resulting in all three being arrested. They advanced to the 1966 FA Cup final and led Everton 2-0, but the Toffees rallied to win 3-2 and deny Wednesday the cup.
They were relegated in 1970 before falling into the third tier for the first time and came dangerously close to dropping into the fourth. Jack Charlton took over as manager in 1977 and led them back to the second tier three years later, followed by Howard Wilkinson in 1984.
They enjoyed promising top-half finishes after returning to the First Division, but their stadium was the site of a tragedy in 1989, when 97 fans were killed in the Hillsborough stadium disaster. They were relegated from the topflight under Ron Atkinson's management, but immediately regained promotion. They also stunned the footballing world when they defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the 1991 League Cup final with a goal from John Sheridan, the club's first major trophy since 1935. The following season, they finished third in the topflight and were a founding member of the Premier League.
The 1992-93 season was eventful, as they finished seventh in the league and reached both the League Cup and FA Cup finals but were defeated by Arsenal on both occasions. The club was inconsistent towards the end of the 1990s, and they were relegated in 2000 after a disastrous campaign. Things did not improve, as they were demoted to the third tier a few years later. They won the playoffs to secure promotion in 2005 but were relegated five years later.
Their very existence was threatened in 2010, when the club faced winding-up orders due to unpaid bills, but they were eventually saved when Milan Mandaric purchased them. They were promoted back to the championship in 2012 and came close to regaining their place in the Premier League in 2016 but were defeated in the playoff final by Hull City. In 2020, they were found guilty of violating EFL spending rules and were docked 12 points, which were later reduced to 6. They were relegated to League One once more.
They are still in League One, but under Darren Moore's management, they are vying for promotion and hope to return to the topflight after more than 20 years.
And here's a fun fact: Sheffield Wednesday's victory in the 1991 League Cup final is the last time a team from outside the English topflight won a major trophy.
Honours
🏆 First Division (Champions: 1902–03, 1903–04, 1928–29, 1929–30)
🏆 Second Division (Champions: 1899–1900, 1925–26, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1958–59) (Runners-up: 1949–50, 1983–84) (Promoted: 1990–91)
🏆 Third Division (Runners-up: 2011–12) (Promoted: 1979–80) (Play-off winners: 2004–05)
🏆 Football Alliance (Champions: 1889–90)
🏆 FA Cup (Winners: 1895–96, 1906–07, 1934–35) (Runners-up: 1889-90, 1965–66, 1992–93)
🏆 Football League Cup (Winners: 1990–91) (Runners-up: 1992–1993)
🏆 FA Community Shield (Winners: 1935) (Runners-up: 1930)
An Interview With Sheffield Wednesday fan, Lewis Clark:
We sat down with Sheffield Wednesday fan Lewis Clark this week to talk about everything Sheffield Wednesday.
GG: Firstly, could you please tell us a little bit about Sheffield Wednesday?
LC: Sheffield Wednesday was founded as a cricket side before forming a football team in 1901–1922. We won the Division One trophy during that time, and for the past twenty years, we have been attempting to return to the First Division.
GG: How long have you been a Sheffield Wednesday fan, and can you recall your first game?
LC: I'm 17 years old and I've been a fan since I was 12 years old, when we went to Wembley for the play-off finals and lost to Hull City.
GG: Can you tell us something interesting about Sheffield Wednesday?
LC: A fun fact about Sheffield Wednesday is that we were named that because we only played our games on Wednesdays back then.
GG: How do you feel about supporting Sheffield Wednesday in League One, and how does it differ from football in higher leagues?
LC: We were relegated because our owner tried to sell our stadium to himself while it was owned by the council. I've always supported Wednesday because it's just down the road from where I live, and it's different now that we're in League One. The home games are a lot quieter than they were when we were in the play-offs in 2016.
GG: How important is the club to the community?
LC: The club is very popular in the community because of its history and the tragic events that have occurred at our stadium in the past.
GG: What are the clubs' long-term goals?
LC: We're just looking to rebuild the club, get players in, get them to Championship level, and get back to where we belong: one day in the Premier League!
GG: Hillsborough is a stadium steeped in history; what do you believe is the most famous event to have occurred there?
LC: I'm guessing we played Pele played at Hillsborough back in the 1960s, but that has to be the most famous moment in Hillsborough.
GG: Why do you think Sheffield Wednesday have bounced back and forth between League One and the Championship in recent years?
LC: The first reason was that we were poor in 2010, and like I said for the 2020 season, it's that point deduction that really sent us down, because if we had won that last game of the season against Derby, we would have stayed up, so we did well in 2020, it's just the point deduction that sent us down.
GG: What is your favourite aspect of being a football fan?
LC: My favourite part of being a supporter is going to a game with my family, and everyone at Sheffield Wednesday is like a big family, which is amazing.
GG: Who, in your opinion, is the best footballer you've seen play at Hillsborough, and why?
LC: Fernando Forestieri, Steven Fletcher or Barry Bannan because these three players have done so much for our club.
GG: Finally, tell us why people should come to Sheffield Wednesday.
LC: Because it's a historic stadium and you're going to get a really good atmosphere in the games you go to and see some of our talented players.
Matchday: Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 Cheltenham Town
As previously stated, we were transported to Sheffield for the game by the Robins Travel Club. The journey up was entertaining to say the least. There was plenty to keep our minds occupied between listening to people's lack of geographical knowledge and watching a young couple pop each other's spots. There is no parking available at the stadium for those who choose to drive, but there is plenty of parking nearby, so this should not be an issue. The stadium is well marked and should be easy to find.
We completed our customary circuit of the stadium, which included a visit to the well-preserved and moving Hillsborough Disaster Memorial. While walking around the ground, it became clear that visibility would be limited due to foliage and housing built close to the ground. The club store is spectacular, with many different items available, such as bedding, replica shirts, and much more. As we entered the club store, we noticed the owner of Sheffield Wednesday, Dejphon Chansiri, who was greeting and chatting with fans from both teams. We took advantage of the opportunity to photograph him, and it was wonderful to be made to feel so welcome.
There were plenty of friendly Sheffield Wednesday fans around the store and the stadium, eager to talk about their club as well as Cheltenham Town. We spoke with a fan in the club shop for a long time, and he told us that Cheltenham deserved to be where they are right now. It demonstrated that you can be respectful and reach out to others regardless of which team you support.
There were numerous food establishments throughout the grounds, including a fish and chip shop, a Chinese takeaway, and numerous burger vans. They serve a variety of pies inside the ground (although there is not a menu to be able to see what kinds they have on offer). My eyes were a little bigger than my belly (I must have some big eyes) because I decided to try two different flavours, Meat And Potato and Chicken Balti, but I couldn't finish them both. Because of the portion size, but also because the pastry on both was rock hard. However, the filling was delicious.
The atmosphere was slightly better than average. Given the size of the crowd and the state of their team, you'd expect it to be loud and lively, but it was rather dull. It wasn't exactly quiet, but it wasn't a bad atmosphere either. Sheffield Wednesday dominated the game, so you'd think they'd have plenty of reasons to celebrate.
Teamsheets
Sheffield Wednesday
Manager: Darren Moore
David Stockdale
Liam Palmer
Ben Heneghan
Michael Ihiekwe
Marvin Johnson
Will Vaulks
Alex Mighten
Barry Bannan (c) ⚽️
Josh Windass ⚽️
Lee Gregory
Michael Smith
Substitutes
Cameron Dawson
Jack Hunt
Mark McGuinness
Jaden Brown
Tyreeq Bakinson
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru ⚽️
Callum Paterson
Cheltenham Town
Manager: Wade Elliott
Luke Southwood
Ryan Jackson
Sean Long (c)
Caleb Taylor
Lewis Freestone
Will Ferry
Liam Sercombe
Taylor Perry
Ryan Broom
George Lloyd
Christian Norton
Substitutes
Shaun MacDonald
Dan NLundulu
Tom Bradbury
Daniel Adshead
Charlie Brown
Elliott Bonds
Ben Williams
Sheffield Wednesday dominated the first half, and Josh Windass scored a free-kick from 30 yards in the third minute, sending the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of Luke Southwood's net to make it 1-0. In the first half, Windass put a fierce drive just over, while Lee Gregory saw a shot rebound off a post. Cheltenham had a couple of chances, but Owls goalkeeper David Stockdale saved George Lloyd's effort and Sean Long headed the rebound over. Ryan Broom's low shot was also saved, and Michael Ihiekwe cleared off the line from Liam Sercombe. As it was, it was 1-0 at the break, but it could have been more.
The second half was more evenly contested, with Cheltenham giving Sheffield Wednesday more to think about. However, it was Wednesday who had the first chance of the half, with Lee Gregory's first-time shot saved by Southwood as the hosts looked to extend their lead. Sheffield Wednesday had to wait until the 83rd minute to make it 2-0, thanks to a pass from Gregory to Bannan, who beat Southwood with a rasping 25-yard effort.
Substitute Fisayo Dele-Bashiru sealed the points two minutes later with a shot from the edge of the area after receiving the ball from Bannan. Sheffield Wednesday are third in League One, but they appear to be assured of promotion if they continue to play like they did against Cheltenham. The Robins are 17th and will need to improve on this performance if they are to stay up.
Scores On The Doors
Atmosphere: 7.5/10
Food and Drink: 5/10
Stadium: 8/10
Welcome: 8/10
Overall Experience: 8/10
GG