History of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. facts for kids
Sheffield Wednesday F.C. is a famous English football club from Sheffield. Its history began in 1867. The club had early success in its local area. Then, it went through a tough time becoming a professional team.
Even though Sheffield Wednesday has spent most of its time in the top division of English football, its position has changed a lot. It has been at the very top and almost dropped to the lowest league. The club has won four English League titles, three FA Cups, one League Cup, and one FA Community Shield.
Contents
The 1800s: How it All Began
Starting as a Cricket Team
Sheffield Wednesday actually started as a cricket team! They were called The Wednesday Cricket Club because they played their matches on Wednesdays. The football team was created to help the cricket players stay fit during the winter.
The football club officially began on Wednesday, September 4, 1867. This happened at a meeting at the Adelphi Hotel in Sheffield. The news was shared in the Sheffield Independent newspaper two days later. It said that a football club was being formed to keep the cricket members together in winter. Everyone agreed it was a good idea, and they expected the club to be top-notch.
Even at this first meeting, it was clear that football would soon become more important than cricket for the club. The football club was formed less than ten years after the world's first football club, Sheffield F.C., was created. Hallam F.C. was also set up around that time. By 1867, football was becoming very popular.
The Wednesday played their first football match in October 1867. They played against the Mechanics Club at Norfolk Park. They won the game by three goals and four "rouges" to nil.
Winning the First Cup
On February 1, 1868, Wednesday played their first official football match. They entered the Cromwell Cup, a four-team competition for new clubs. This cup was sponsored by Oliver Cromwell, who managed the local Theatre Royal.
Wednesday went on to win the cup! They beat Cromwell's own team, The Garrick Club, 1–0 after extra time in the final. This game was played at Bramall Lane. This match is famous because Wednesday scored what is now known as the first "golden goal". Even though the term wasn't used then, it meant the game ended as soon as a goal was scored in extra time.
Early Star Players
In 1870, the Clegg brothers, Charles and William, joined Wednesday. Charles became the club's first international player. He played in the very first international football match on November 30, 1872. William played for Wednesday in the next international match on March 8, 1873.
Both brothers stayed involved with the club for their whole lives. Charles became very important in football. He even became president and chairman of the Football Association. Both Clegg brothers were later given special honours (knighthoods) for their work.
In 1876, James Lang joined Wednesday. The club's directors saw him play for Glasgow against the Sheffield FA team. They invited him to play for Wednesday and gave him a job at a silversmiths owned by one of the directors. This job didn't have any real duties. This is now seen as the first time a player was paid to play football, making him the first professional player.
Sheffield's first yearly tournament, the Sheffield FA Challenge Cup, started in 1876. Wednesday won it, beating their main rivals, Heeley, 4–3 after extra time in the final. They also won the first Wharncliffe Cup in 1879. By this time, Wednesday was the strongest team in local football.
Becoming a Professional Club
In 1879, some Wednesday players were part of a team called The Zulus. This team was set up to raise money for families affected by the Zulu War. They played games across northern England and Scotland. However, there were claims that the players were being paid, which was against the rules back then. Because of this, the Sheffield FA made the team stop playing in 1882.
In the summer of 1882, the cricket and football teams of Wednesday officially split up. The football team became a separate club. By the end of 1925, the cricket team had stopped playing altogether.
In the 1880s, Wednesday regularly played in the FA Cup as they tried to move away from just local games. However, in the 1886–87 season, Wednesday missed the deadline to enter the FA Cup. This caused a big problem with some of their best players.
Several players, who were also involved in the earlier Zulus issue, temporarily left the club. They played for a local factory team that had entered the cup on time. Later that season, these players threatened to leave for good and start a professional club called Sheffield Rovers.
John Holmes, Wednesday's president at the time, didn't want the club to become professional. But under great pressure from possibly losing his star players, he talked with the rebellious players. He eventually offered them professional contracts. At the meeting called to set up Sheffield Rovers, one of the players, Tom Cawley, argued that Wednesday should get one last chance. So, the football club officially became professional on April 22, 1887. Their first wages were five shillings for home games and seven shillings and sixpence for away games.
The Olive Grove Stadium Years
Becoming a professional team meant the club needed its own stadium. Before, they played at places like Bramall Lane or Sheaf House, and the owners of those grounds took a share of the ticket money.
So, in 1887, they rented some land near the railway tracks by Queen's Road from the Duke of Norfolk. They built their own ground called Olive Grove. They named it this because an olive farm was cleared to build the stadium.
In 1889, Wednesday tried to join the Football League but were rejected. Instead, they became founding members of the Football Alliance. They were the first champions of this league. In the same season, they also reached the 1890 FA Cup Final, but lost 6–1 to Blackburn Rovers at The Oval.
The next season, they finished last in the Alliance. But they bounced back to finish fourth in the final Alliance season. The following season, they were voted into Division 1 of the Football League. This happened when the league expanded from 14 to 16 clubs. Wednesday won the FA Cup in 1896, beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–1 at Crystal Palace.
The 1900s: Ups and Downs
Success Before the Wars
The early 1900s were a strong time for Wednesday. They won the league twice in the 1902–03 and 1903–04 seasons. They won the FA Cup again in 1907, beating Everton 2–1 at Crystal Palace. After this, the club had a quieter period for about two decades.
In 1929, the club officially changed its name from The Wednesday Football Club to Sheffield Wednesday Football Club. This happened under the manager Robert Brown. However, the name Sheffield Wednesday had been used as early as 1883. The old stadium at Olive Grove even had "Sheffield Wednesday" painted on its roof.
The team reached the top of English football again in the 1928–29 season. They had almost been relegated the season before. But they earned 17 points in their last 10 matches, making a great escape from last place to 14th. They won the league titles in the next two seasons. This started a period where they finished lower than third only once until 1935. This successful time ended with the team winning the FA Cup for the third time in 1935, led by manager Billy Walker.
After World War II: Tough Times
In the 1950s, Wednesday struggled to stay in the top division. After being promoted in 1950, they were relegated three times. Each time, they managed to get promoted back up by winning the Second Division the very next season. The decade ended on a good note, with the team finally finishing in the top half of the First Division for the first time since World War 2.
In 1958, Wednesday was the first team to play Manchester United after the terrible Munich air disaster. It was an FA Cup match, which Wednesday lost 3–0.
The 1960s saw Wednesday stay in the First Division. They even reached the FA Cup final in 1966. However, off the field, the club faced a scandal in 1964. Three of their players, Peter Swan, David Layne, and Tony Kay, were accused of breaking rules about betting on games and betting against their own team. The three players were found guilty and, after leaving prison, were banned from football for life.
Wednesday was relegated at the end of the 1969–70 season. This began what many call the darkest period in the club's history. They dropped down the leagues, spending five seasons in the Third Division. The club almost fell to the Fourth Division in 1976. But a comeback began over the next few seasons, first under Jack Charlton and then Howard Wilkinson. They finally reached the First Division again in 1984.
The 1980s: A Comeback
Under manager Howard Wilkinson, Sheffield Wednesday earned promotion to the First Division at the end of the 1983–84 season. They stayed at this level for all but one of the next sixteen seasons. They finished fifth in the league in the 1985–86 season. They only missed out on a place in the UEFA Cup because English teams were banned from European competitions at that time due to the Heysel Stadium disaster.
Wednesday's lack of ambition led to Wilkinson leaving in September 1988. He went to manage Leeds United, who were in the Second Division then. Within four seasons, he led Leeds to win the league title. No English manager has won the top English division since.
Sheffield Wednesday replaced Wilkinson with his former assistant, Peter Eustace. This turned out to be a very bad choice. He was manager for only four months before being sacked. Then, Ron Atkinson, who had won two FA Cups with Manchester United, took over.
Wednesday's problems on the field seemed small compared to what happened in April 1989. 97 Liverpool fans tragically died in a crowd crush at the Leppings Lane end of the ground. This happened during an FA Cup semi-final hosted by the club. The Hillsborough disaster remains a very sad part of the club's history and causes deep sorrow for older supporters.
The 1990s: Back at the Top
Under chairman Dave Richards, the 1990s became one of Wednesday's most successful and exciting periods since the 1930s.
In Atkinson's first full season as manager, 1989–90, Sheffield Wednesday finished 18th in the First Division and were relegated. This happened despite signing the talented John Sheridan and having been in mid-table at one point. They were promoted back up at the first attempt. The real highlight of the season was winning the League Cup final against Atkinson's old club, Manchester United. Midfielder Sheridan scored the only goal of the game. This brought the club its first major trophy since their FA Cup win in 1935. Atkinson moved to Aston Villa shortly after promotion, and 37-year-old striker Trevor Francis took over.
Wednesday finished third in the First Division at the end of the 1991–92 season. This earned them a spot in the next season's UEFA Cup. They also became a founding member of the new FA Premier League.
The 1992–93 season was one of the most exciting in Sheffield Wednesday's history. They finished seventh in the Premier League. They also reached the finals of both the FA Cup and the League Cup. However, they lost to Arsenal in both games. The FA Cup final even went to a replay and was only decided in the last minute of extra time. This stopped the Owls from playing in European competition again. Still, the 1992–93 season showed that Sheffield Wednesday was a top club. Midfielder Chris Waddle was voted Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year. The strike partnership of David Hirst and Mark Bright was one of the most feared in the country.
Francis could not achieve more success at the club. Two seasons later, he was sacked, even though the club had never finished lower than 13th under him. His replacement was David Pleat, who had managed Luton, Leicester, and Tottenham.
David Pleat's first season as Sheffield Wednesday manager was difficult. They finished 15th in the Premiership despite having expensive players like Marc Degryse, Dejan Stefanovic, and Darko Kovacevic. These players had disappointing and short stays at the club. An excellent start to the 1996–97 season saw the Owls top the Premiership after winning their first four games. David Pleat was named Manager of the Month for August 1996. But the club couldn't keep up a serious challenge for the title and ended up finishing seventh. Pleat was sacked the following November when the club was struggling near the bottom of the Premiership. Ron Atkinson briefly returned to help the Owls avoid relegation.
At the end of the 1997–98 season, Ron Atkinson's short contract was not renewed. Sheffield Wednesday then chose Danny Wilson, the Barnsley boss, as their new manager. Wilson's first season brought a small improvement, as they finished 12th in the Premiership.
An expensive squad including Paolo Di Canio, Benito Carbone, and Wim Jonk did not perform as well as expected. Things got worse when Italian player Di Canio was sent off in a match against Arsenal. He then pushed the referee, which led to an eleven-match ban. He never played for the club again. Danny Wilson was sacked the following March. Relegation looked certain for the Hillsborough club after a very bad season, including an 8–0 loss to Newcastle United in September. His assistant, Peter Shreeves, took temporary charge but could not prevent relegation.
The 2000s: A New Century, New Challenges
Dropping to League One
Peter Shreeves stayed at Sheffield Wednesday for the 2000–01 season as assistant to the new manager, Paul Jewell. But Jewell could not lead a promotion challenge. He was sacked the following February, with the Owls just above the Division One relegation zone. Shreeves was given a permanent contract to manage the first team. He guided them to a 17th-place finish. After another bad start in 2001–02, he handed over to assistant Terry Yorath. Wednesday finished just two places above the Division One relegation zone. The only good part of the season was reaching the League Cup semifinals.
Yorath resigned in October 2002 after Wednesday had a terrible start to the 2002–03 season. Then, Chris Turner, a former Owls goalkeeper and manager of Hartlepool, became his replacement. Turner worked hard to improve the team. There were some impressive results in the final weeks of the season. However, failing to beat Brighton in the second-to-last game meant they were relegated.
Before the start of the 2003–04 season, local businessman Dave Allen became chairman. Turner was hopeful for an immediate return to Division One, but this did not happen. Wednesday finished 2003–04 in 16th place in Division Two, scoring the fewest goals in the division (48). This was one of the lowest points in the club's history. Turner was sacked after a poor start to the 2004–05 Coca-Cola League One season. He was replaced by Paul Sturrock, former manager of Plymouth and Southampton.
Back to the Championship
Sturrock improved Sheffield Wednesday's performance. They finished fifth in League One at the end of the 2004–05 season, qualifying for the promotion playoffs. They beat Brentford 3–1 over two games in the semifinals. This moved them into the playoff final on May 29, 2005, at the Millennium Stadium.
41,000 Wednesday fans traveled to Cardiff for what was the biggest game in twelve years for the club. They were not disappointed! The Owls took a 1–0 lead through Jon-Paul McGovern just before halftime. However, Hartlepool fought back and took a 2–1 lead with 20 minutes left.
Sturrock made a bold move, bringing on three substitutes, including 18-year-old striker Drew Talbot and the Owls' top scorer, Steve MacLean. MacLean had been injured for three months and hadn't played. With 10 minutes left, they combined, and the Owls tied the game 2–2. Talbot was judged to have been pushed in the box, and Sheffield Wednesday was given a penalty. A Hartlepool player was also sent off. MacLean scored the penalty. Wednesday went on to win 4–2 after extra time, with goals from Glenn Whelan and Drew Talbot. This earned them promotion to the Championship.
On April 17, 2006, Sheffield Wednesday secured their place in the Championship with two matches remaining. They won 2–0 away at Brighton. This result sent Brighton, Millwall, and Crewe down to a lower league. Wednesday finished the season in 19th place, 10 points clear of the relegation zone. They were the best-supported team in the Championship, with an average home attendance of 24,853 fans.
Managers Brian Laws and Alan Irvine
Despite getting a new four-year contract just five weeks earlier, Sturrock was sacked after a slow start to the 2006–07 season. His replacement was Brian Laws, the former Scunthorpe United boss. Wednesday finished the season ninth in the Football League Championship, just four points short of the playoffs.
On June 25, 2007, the River Don burst its banks during severe weather in the area. The entire stadium was flooded with several feet of water. The changing rooms, restaurants, kitchens, boardroom, and shop were all flooded. Many local houses were also affected. The club and ground stayed closed for the rest of June. On July 6, the club announced that the pitch would be ready for a pre-season friendly match against Birmingham City on August 4.
A terrible start of six straight league defeats meant the club spent the 2007–08 season fighting against relegation. They went into the final match against Norwich City knowing that a loss could send them down. After conceding first, a 4–1 victory in front of 36,208 fans brought much-needed relief. This was the Football League's highest attendance of the season. It was also a fitting stage for Dion Dublin's final game. He received a standing ovation from all parts of the ground when he was substituted in the 66th minute.
The 2008–09 season saw Wednesday win both Sheffield derbies for the first time in 95 years. A mid-table finish brought new hope for the next season. But after a series of poor results, Laws left the club by agreement in December 2009. He was replaced in January by Alan Irvine, the former Preston North End boss. Irvine won the January Championship Manager of the Month award. However, the good form didn't last, and the club was relegated after failing to beat Crystal Palace in front of 37,121 fans on the final day of the season.
New Ownership and the Milan Mandarić Era
The relegation led to the resignation of chairman Lee Strafford. Former Wednesday player and manager Howard Wilkinson stepped in, making it clear this was a temporary measure.
In July and September 2010, legal petitions about unpaid taxes were successfully fought off. But in November 2010, a third legal order threatened the club's existence. The High Court was losing patience. However, CEO Nick Parker managed to get more time. Deputy Prime Minister and local MP, Nick Clegg, helped persuade the club's main creditor, the Co-operative Bank, to allow more time to find a buyer.
Shortly after, Leicester City chairman Milan Mandarić agreed to buy the club. The purchase was completed the following month after a special meeting of Wednesday's shareholders. 99.7% of shareholders voted to sell the company to Mandarić's UK Football Investments for £1. Mandarić agreed to pay off the club's debts as part of the deal. He also stepped down as chairman of Leicester City. For the first time in the club's history, one person or group controlled all of the club's shares.
On the field, the club was not doing well in League One. Irvine was replaced by Gary Megson, son of former Owls captain Don Megson. Megson had also played for the club twice before. Megson could not save the season, and the club finished in a disappointing 15th place, lower than when he took over.
The 2011–12 season marked the start of a change in the club's fortunes. However, after a late drop in form, Megson was controversially replaced by former Cardiff City manager Dave Jones. This happened even though Megson had just led Wednesday to a key Sheffield derby win, and the club was in third place. Jones continued Megson's good work and finished the season unbeaten, with ten wins and two draws. He won two consecutive League One Manager of the Month awards.
The final match of the season against Wycombe Wanderers attracted 38,082 fans to Hillsborough. They watched Wednesday achieve the victory needed to finish second in the division. This secured promotion, beating local rivals Sheffield United who later lost a dramatic penalty shootout in the promotion playoff final to Huddersfield Town at Wembley.
With one of the lowest playing budgets in the Championship, the 2012–13 season was about survival. With smart loan signings, Jones guided the club to an 18th-place finish. This was in one of the toughest Championship seasons ever, where the fourth-to-last club, Barnsley, needed 55 points to stay up.
With no major increase in the budget, the 2013–14 season was again a struggle. With only one league win and the club second from bottom, Jones was sacked in early December. Coach Stuart Gray was named caretaker manager. After a good run of results, he was finally given the job permanently. The length of his contract was kept private. In a change from club tradition, Gray was given the job title of head coach. For the third season in a row, Wednesday finished in a higher league position than the previous season.
The 2014–15 season was preceded by a story in a French newspaper about the upcoming takeover of Wednesday by Hafiz Mammadov, an Azerbaijani businessman. With the Sheffield public eager for news, Mandarić confirmed the takeover before it was complete. He also announced a shirt sponsorship deal with the supposed new owner. Mammadov later failed to meet his legal promises in the takeover agreement. Mandarić ended the deal, telling the club's lawyers to act. Embarrassingly, shirts had already been sold with the "Azerbaijan Land of Fire" logo. The club decided to continue with the shirt sponsorship deal for the season, saying the deal was separate from the failed takeover.
The Dejphon Chansiri Era Begins
On January 29, 2015, the club announced that an agreement had been reached. Mr. Mandarić's UKFI Limited would sell all of the club's shares to Thai businessman Mr. Dejphon Chansiri. At a press conference on March 2, 2015, Mr. Chansiri announced he had bought the club for £37.5 million. His family has a major interest in the Thai Union Frozen Group. He aimed for promotion to the Premier League by 2017, the club's 150th anniversary.
The 2014–15 season ended with the club improving its league position for the fourth season in a row. This was despite a very poor home campaign where only 16 league goals were scored. The final home game of the season was a bad loss to Yorkshire rivals Leeds United. This was a sharp contrast to the previous season's 6–0 victory. Many felt that the poor home form led to Stuart Gray's departure in June 2015. Carlos Carvalhal, a well-traveled but largely unknown Portuguese coach, was appointed. Carvalhal became Wednesday's first ever overseas manager or coach.
After a mixed start, the 2015–16 season ended with a good 6th-place finish. This was the fifth consecutive improvement in league position. Wednesday somewhat luckily defeated playoff favorites Brighton & Hove Albion in the two-legged semi-final. But they suffered a 1–0 defeat to Yorkshire rivals Hull City in the final. This was the club's first visit to the new Wembley Stadium.
The 2016–17 season ended in disappointment. Wednesday improved their league position for the sixth season in a row. However, they lost in the playoffs at the semi-final stage to eventual winners Huddersfield Town. This led to some criticism of the change in playing style from the previous season. After much confusion about Carlos Carvalhal's future, it was announced that he would remain in charge for the coming season. The length of his contract was not shared.
A disappointing start to the 2017–18 season led to Carlos Carvalhal leaving the club on Christmas Eve. This brought back sad memories of Derek Dooley's departure 44 years earlier. Carvalhal's replacement was Jos Luhukay, a Dutchman who had achieved three promotions in Germany. His first match in charge was a derby at Bramall Lane against high-flying Sheffield United. Against all expectations, and despite having a player sent off, the team achieved its first clean sheet of the season.
Results were mixed under Luhukay. In the 2018–19 season, after a particularly poor run, he was sacked in December. His replacement was the experienced Steve Bruce. Bruce had four promotions to the Premier League as a manager. After Wednesday allowed Bruce to finish a family holiday, he eventually took over in February 2019. This was after excellent work by Lee Bullen as caretaker manager, his second time in that role. This time, Bruce's job title was team manager. This hinted at more control over player signings than his recent predecessors had. Wednesday finished the season strongly, and the new season was eagerly awaited. However, the club was shocked by the resignation of Bruce and his coaching staff just days before the season started.
Again, Bullen successfully stepped in as caretaker. Garry Monk, former manager of Swansea City and Birmingham City, was next to take charge in September 2019. Wednesday entered the second half of the 2019–20 season in the play-off positions. But they faced a possible points deduction after being charged by the EFL with financial irregularities over the purchase of the stadium by Mr. Chansiri. The club's form dropped significantly as 2020 went on, with only 2 wins in 14 games before the season was stopped in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The season restarted in June, and the team's form did not improve. Wednesday lost 5 of their last 7 games to finish a disappointing 16th, down from 3rd on Christmas Day.
The threat of the points deduction finally happened. On July 31, 2020, the EFL stated that the club would start the upcoming 2020–21 season with a 12-point deficit. This was later reduced on appeal to 6 points on November 4. But with the club still second from bottom, Garry Monk was sacked on November 9. He was replaced by former Stoke City manager, Welshman Tony Pulis, five days later. After only ten games in charge, Pulis was replaced by Doncaster Rovers manager Darren Moore on March 1, 2021. However, the 6 points deduction proved crucial, and Wednesday were relegated to League One after failing to beat Derby County on the last day of the season.
Despite a mixed start, a strong second half to the 2021–22 season saw Moore guide the Owls to the League One playoffs. However, they were eliminated by Sunderland, who went on to secure promotion to the Championship after a four-year absence.
In the 2022–23 season, Wednesday set club records for the number of points (96), longest unbeaten run (23 games), and number of clean sheets (24). They also set an EFL record in the playoff semi-final by overcoming the largest first-leg deficit (four goals) to win on penalties. They secured promotion at Wembley Stadium by beating South Yorkshire rivals Barnsley 1–0 in front of 74,292 fans.
Before the start of the 2023–24 season, Darren Moore controversially left the club by mutual agreement. He was replaced by Spaniard Xisco Muñoz. The worst start to a season in the club’s history (two points from 10 games) saw Muñoz replaced by former Germany assistant manager Danny Röhl. This was Röhl's first appointment as a team boss.
