Leeds v Sheffield Wednesday

And to think I was going to write a Norwich match thread for TC's amusement. Anyway, Sheffield Wednedsay, one of two teams from the mighty city of steel, Sheffield, was named after local condom manufacturer, River Sheaf and it's adjaent field. Sheffield claims to be home to the world's oldest football club which we all know is Notts County not Sheffield United. It's also home to the World Snooker Championships and Ice Hockey kings, Sheffield Steelers.

Sheffield made history when they locked up the flame-haired temptress, Mary Queen of Scots for 14 years. After that, it became the Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire. In 2010, it was named 'Tree City of the World' though locals pining for the good old days of YesterYews put 1000s of trees to the sword in the Sheffield Chainsaw Massacre.

Formed in 1867, Sheffield Wednesday, originally known as The Wednesday Football Club which was an offshoot of the The Wednesday Cricket Club (founded in 1820), so called because the six tradesmen that established the club had a half day off work on that day. The name, Sheffield Wednesday, however, wasn’t adopted until 1929. The Wednesday Football Club had immediate success winning the much forgotten and less lamented Cromwell Cup in 1868. The cricket club disbanded in 1924 due to financial problems at Silly Point.

The Wednesdays originally played at Darnall Cricket Ground which collapsed on the day of the club's most important fixture against Nottingham leaving 2000 fans unseated. They then relocated to the New Darnell Cricket Ground before heading off to share Brammall Lane with the club that isn't the oldest in the football league ftom 1880-87. Initially the Wednesdays were nicknamed The Blades as were all sporting teams from Sheffield due to the city's association with cutlery and knives. Home games must have been confusing with each set of supporters chanting "Come on the Blades". The two sets of Blades parted when Wednesday moved to Olive Grove where they perched from 1887-99. At which point, they finally moved one last time to Owlerton (ahhhh, so thats why they're called Owls), a suburb of Sheffield. The Owls brought a 3,000 person stand from Olive Grove as they didn't want to refund season ticket holders.

The new stadium would be named HIllsbrough in reference to the parliamentary district. Never ones to miss an opportunity to promote fake news, Sheffield United fans called the Wednesdays "the pigs", on account that Hillsborough was built on a pig sty. Hillsbrough has since gone on to host the World Cup in 1966, Euro 1996 and numerous cup semi finals incuding the one against Liverpool that it's most synonymous with.

Wednesday are by far the more successful of the two Steel City teams having won the league as champions in 1902-03, 1903-04, 1928-29, and 1929-30; thet also won the 1896, 1907 and 1935 FA Cups; and were league cup winners in 1991; and Charity Shield champs in 1929. They have also won the second tier four times in 1904–05, 1919–20, 1951–52 and 1955–56. And not to forget, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1966-67.

Some famous firsts. The Owls were one of the first clubs to have a shirt sponsor - Crosby Kitchens in 1983 (Hitachi were the first sponsors in the UK with Liverpool). They were also the first to appoint a professional manager, Tom McDonald. Old MacDonald had a farm, Ee I Ee I Oh, And on his farm he had some pigs, Ee I Ee I Oh....

Wednesday's mascots are Black Sabbath lead singer, Ozzie the Owl, and Barney Owl (or Barmy Owl). Ozzie once danced with our very own Peppy the Peacock. Ozzie was as clumsy as he was stupid, whilst Peppy put on a performance that would have got him on Come Dancing. Ozzie was also known to be joined by an inflatable lookalkie in 2019. Fans couldn't discern which was the real breakdancing mascot and which was the big balloon.

The Owls fans are comedy geniuses who like to remind one another "The owls are not what they seem" in reference to the Log Lady in Twin Peaks. When not quoting the words of David Lynch, they can be heard chanting

"Sheffield Wednesday, Super Owls, We're the pride of Yorkshire, And we’re going up" which is poetic irony for a club that has spent the last 25 years outside of the top tier. Their fanzines also have witty titles - Just Another Wednesday, Spitting Feathers, Boddle, A View From The East Bank, Cheat! and the bizarely named War of the Monster Trucks.

Famous celebrities from Sheffield include pretty much everybody who was anybody:

• Peter Stringfellow

• Sean Bean

• Jarvis Cocker

• Bruce Dickinson

• Michael Palin

• Philip Oakey

• Gordon Banks

• Lee Chapman

• Sebastian Coe

• Jessica Ennis

• Nick Clegg

• Felecia Dorothea Kate Dover (notorious poisoner)

• Gary Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury and gaelor of Mary Queen of Scots

• Famous Ace Pilots , Wing Commander William "Willy" Stedman, Sergeant Pilot John "Johnny" Johnson and Flight Lieutenant George "Johnny" Johnson

Back to the match. The Owls current run is WDLWD and sit 10th. Our run has stumbled a bit but WWWDD isn't too bad, and we are top. Home advantage and a Sunday fixture should put and end to any Wednesday half day optimism. Players to keep an eye on inlcude goalkeeper James Beadle who is usually out and about getting up to all sorts of pranks, Dominic Iorfa who is a decent defender, England midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah, former Leeds United midfielder Barry Bannon and ten goal hero Josh Windass. This will be a rout, all our chickens will come home to rip the heads of the owls. I'm going with a 6-0 win, goals to Joseph hat trick, Struijk, James, Piroe. Come on you Fowls!