Club Summary
Full name Sheffield Wednesday Football Club
Nickname(s) - The Owls, The Wednesday
Founded - 4 September 1867
Ground - Hillsborough Stadium
(Capacity: 39,812)
Chairman - Howard Wilkinson
Manager - Alan Irvine
League - League One
2009–10 - The Championship, 22nd
(relegated)
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who will compete in the Football League One in the 2010/11 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the third oldest in the English league. The Wednesday, as they were named until 1929, were founding members of The Football Alliance in 1889, and its first champions that inaugural season. The Wednesday joined The Football League three years later when the leagues merged. Sheffield Wednesday were also one of the founding members of The Premier League in 1992. Their main rivals are Sheffield United, the two clubs having contested the Steel City derby on a regular basis for some 100 years. Barnsley, Leeds United, Bradford City, Huddersfield Town, Rotherham United, Chesterfield and Doncaster Rovers are also local rivals.The Owls have spent the majority of their history in the top flight of English football since joining the Football League in 1892. They have won four League titles, three FA Cups and one League Cup, but their League Cup triumph in 1991 is their only major trophy since 1935. They did reach both domestic cup finals in 1993, but lost 2-1 to Arsenal at Wembley on both occasions.
They play their home matches at Hillsborough Stadium in the north-western suburb of Hillsborough. It is a 39,812 all-seater stadium built in 1899 when the lease expired at their previous ground of Olive Grove.
Sheffield Wednesday spent the majority of the 1980s and 1990s in the top tier of English football. 1990–91 was the only season out of sixteen in a row that Wednesday spent in a lower division, but the season is best remembered by fans for Wednesday's swift return to the top flight under the management of Ron Atkinson and their League Cup victory over Manchester United to win their first major trophy for over 50 years. This League Cup triumph was the last domestic cup to be won by a club competing outside the top level of English football. The 1992–93 season established Sheffield Wednesday as a top club as they visited Wembley four times during the season – a League Cup final and an FA Cup semi-final, final and replay. In the FA Cup semi-finals they recorded a historic win over the city rivals Sheffield United, 2–1. However Wednesday failed to win any silverware, losing to Arsenal in both League and FA Cup finals, the latter after Andy Linighan's late extra-time winner in the replay to give The Gunners the victory.
Wednesday's fortunes took a turn for the worse when a succession of managers failed to maintain this form, first David Pleat and later Danny Wilson spent small fortunes building squads that were ultimately ineffective, and the club's debts got out of control as a result. Danny Wilson was sacked in March 2000 and his assistant Peter Shreeves took temporary charge but was unable to stave off relegation. The club's flirtation with relegation continued in Division One and after yet more managerial changes Chris Turner was hired as boss and made a strong effort to rejuvenate the side.
However, a failure to beat Brighton & Hove Albion in the penultimate game of the 2002–03 season condemned them to another relegation.
After narrowly avoiding yet another relegation in 2003–04 and a poor start to the 2004–05 Football League One campaign, Turner was replaced by former Southampton manager Paul Sturrock.
Sturrock revitalised Sheffield Wednesday's fortunes and they finished fifth in League One at the end of the 2004–05 season, qualifying for the promotion playoffs. Over 40,000 Owls fans travelled to Cardiff to watch Wednesday beat Hartlepool United 4–2 after extra time in the playoff final, and return to the Championship.
Sturrock guided Sheffield Wednesday to Championship survival in 2005–06 but was sacked after a poor start to the 2006–07 season and replaced by Brian Laws,who led Wednesday to a 9th place finish in the Championship after having an outside chance of reaching the play offs until the penultimate game of the season.
The following season began with Wednesday's worst ever start to a season, losing six league games in a row. Chairman Dave Allen resigned in November 2007, and Wednesday avoided relegation with a win on the last day of the season. The Owls improved in 2008–09 and 12th place with the best home defensive record in the division.
Halfway through Sheffield Wednesday's 2009-10 season Brian Laws was sacked, and was replaced by Alan Irvine.
On the last day of the season, needing a win to stay up, Wednesday drew 2–2 with Crystal Palace and were relegated to League One
Sheffield Wendesday lift the League 1 Play-Off trophy in 2005
Alan Irvine has already added these players to his squad but wants to sign more ,
Nicky Weaver
Giles Coke
Paul Heffernan
Clinton Morrison
Gary Teale
Chris Sedgwick
Neil Mellor
Daniel Jones
John Otsemobor
The players he is rumored to want to bring to Hillsborough are ;
Brett Pitman
Benjani
Laurent Robert
Marlon King
Chris Taylor
Marc Albrighton
Nathan Delfouneso
Rodrigo Possebon
---------- Post added at 04:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:30 PM ----------
One out in Thirteen in !
Sheffield Wednesday have added an astonishing 22 players for their new campaign, i listed some in my last post and these are my most recent after Marcus Tudgay left the club for £4.6m to go to Birmingham,
The first man to be brought in was Burnley's 37-year old defender/midfielder Graham Alexander. Alexander, renowned for being a master of penalty kicks, signed for around £250,000, he has great experience at high level football and i am hoping he can show it in league 1
They also added two more experienced players to the defence after wrapping up deals for Ivan Helguera and Lauren, they are both very good players despite there ages been 34 and 32 but both have been capped at international level aswell.
Irvine also showed his attacking options by signing seven new forwards Christian Vieri, Benjani, Marlon King, Brett Pitman, Stern John, Jan Vennegoor of Hesslink and Darius Vassell, the fans think he has brought in too many strikers this year but they have near enough all been capped at international level and will be clinical to Sheffield Wednesdays promotion hopes
Irvine has also added some brilliant midfield players to his squad Michael Tonge on a season long loan from Stoke, former Newcastle player Laurent Robert and China international Zheng Zhi both on free transfers.
King will have a chance to revive his career at Sheffield Wednesday
---------- Post added at 05:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:57 PM ----------
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