| Sheffield’s
love of football began even before the Football Association
was created, and the city is home to the world’s
two oldest football clubs Sheffield FC and Hallam
FC.
However Sheffield Wednesday started out soon after
in 1867, as an extension of the local cricket club, who
used to play football in the winter to keep the team together.
But after just a few years the football club outgrew the
cricket club and in 1882 they started out on their own.
They did keep the name though and were at first just called The Wednesday. It wasn’t until years later
in 1929, after the cricket team had disbanded, that the
Sheffield prefix was added. But the origins of the name
lie in the fact that Wednesday was the day the workers
took off to play cricket and it has been with the team
until this day.
The competitive life of the team began in 1868, and it
was in this year that Wednesday won their first trophy,
the Cromwell Cup, a competition sponsored by the manager
of the Theatre Royal. Despite this, when they first applied
to be part of the Football League in 1889, their application
was denied, but the team were eventually allowed to
join in 1892.
Sheffield Wednesday’s first real home was located
in the northwest of the city, at Owlerton Stadium [map],
named after the suburb it was in. And it is this that
gives the Sheffield Wednesday their nickname “The
Owls”. But in 1914, the area became Hillsborough
and this is now the name of the team’s home ground.
Over the years the stadium at Hillsborough, which can
hold more than 34,000 football fans, has been the stage
for some of Sheffield Wednesday’s best games and
biggest disappointments. In the 50s they yo-yoed between
the first and second divisions. In the 60s they managed
to remain in the top flight despite a bribery scandal.
However the 70s saw them plummet to Division Three and
it wasn’t until 1984 that they found themselves
back in the top division.
In the 90/91 season they beat Manchester United to win
the Rumbelows League Cup, but from then on, bad
luck and financial difficulties have meant that Sheffield
Wednesday now play in the Coca-Cola Championship.
Famous names that have worn the blue and white stripes of Sheffield Wednesday include Paolo Di Canio, Benito Carbone, David Hirst, Chris Waddle and Des Walker.
To get tickets to watch Sheffield Wednesday in action
at Hillsborough call 0114 221 2400.
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