Glory Days: Sheffield Wednesday 1990-91 Quiz

Answer: True

Wednesday began the season in what was then the Second Division, this being the period before the establishment of the Premier League. A 3-0 defeat to Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest, not helped by Luton Town winning, had sealed their fate. Some of Clough's squad, such as defender Brian Laws, had been present at the Hillsborough Disaster and Laws admitted that going back to Hillsborough a season later felt haunting and strange.

However, he also recalled that Forest got the better of Wednesday, whose performance was affected by nerves.

Although Wednesday were given a brief hope spot when Luton were thought to be drawing with Derby, Derby's third goal was disallowed and Luton won 3-2. Many of the Wednesday players were in tears afterwards. To add insult to injury, Sheffield United had been promoted.

Answer: David Hirst

In fact, David Hirst was Wednesday's top goalscorer from 1988 to 1992 -- four seasons in a row! He would also the team's top scorer in the 1995-96 season, under David Pleat. Throughout his career, Hirst was plagued by injuries and was eventually forced to retire in 1999 at the age of 32.

The season before, he had replaced Kevin Pressman in goal against Manchester City (and even made a save), after Pressman injured his anterior cruciate ligament and spent several months in recovery. Despite interest from Manchester United, to the point where Wednesday's manager would later ignore calls from Alex Ferguson, he ended up staying at Wednesday until 1997. One of Hirst's seasonal highlights was putting four goals past Hull City; the last Wednesday player to score four goals in one game was Derek Dooley in 1952.

Answer: Ipswich Town

After a pre-season period in Genoa, Wednesday started the season proper away to Ipswich Town, and got off to a decent start with. New signing Paul Williams opened the scoring for Wednesday 28 minutes in, and Peter Shirtliff added a second after heading in Nigel Worthington's corner. Danny Wilson also played an instrumental role in setting up both of Wednesday's goals. David Hirst could have made it three when Wednesday were awarded a penalty, but sadly missed it.

Although Atkinson was impressed with his side's performance, he warned them that there would be far tougher opponents to face later in the season. On a lighter note, the night before, Swedish defender Roland Nilsson discovered the team hotel had a piano and got to show off his musical skills on it.)

Answer: Viv Anderson

The great Viv Anderson was Alex Ferguson's first signing when he took over as Manchester United manager, and had previously played alongside Wednesday's senior goalie Chris Turner there. Atkinson expressed an interest in him when looking for cover at right-back, due to Roland Nilsson's cruciate injury, and centre-half. Anderson's experience - he was 34 at the time - also made him a desirable target.

Unfortunately, United turning out to be Wednesday's opponents in the League Cup final meant that Anderson was cup-tied and thus unable to play, but for Atkinson, this was a small price to pay. Wednesday also managed to wangle a free transfer out of United by stating that they had to move players on first before they could pay a transfer fee. Anderson stated that he wanted to got Wednesday to prove a point, and that he had more of a chance getting in the first team there.

Answer: Capoeira

Spry was part of Atkinson's team along with reserves team manager Frank Barlow; assistant manager Richie Barker, who sadly died in 2020; and goalkeeping coach Alan Hodgkinson, one of the world's first goalkeeping coaches, who Kevin Pressman and Chris Turner both cited as a major influence in their careers, and who was mourned by goalies everywhere following his death in 2015.

A martial arts enthusiast, Spry had worked in Portugal and Brazil for several years and while working in Brazil, had noticed that the Fluminense squad incorporated capoeira into their training routine.

Although Wednesday players were bemused at first, they became accustomed to Spry's methods, and Spry credits the use of capoeira as helping reduce injuries. He also made use of dynamic training along with stretches, such as getting players to zigzag through a line of markers. (If any fans of Chelsea or Real Madrid are playing this quiz, you might be interested to know that during Spry's time at Portugal's Vítoria Setúbal, he mentored the goalkeeping coach's son, a young man by the name of Jose Mourinho.)

Answer: Cuddly toys

No, I am not making this up. While Manchester City have inflatable bananas (a reference to a former City and Wednesday player, Imre Varadi, who was nicknamed 'Banana' by fans) and Chelsea have celery sticks (a reference to a VERY rude chant), Wednesday fans in the early '90s brought cuddly toys to matches.

The fans would happily throw the toys around the stands, to the bemusement of opposition fans and goalkeepers and the odd linesman who got pelted with a toy. Away to West Bromwich Albion, there was a craze for Disney-related soft toys.

Although balloons in team colours are a familiar sight at both Hillsborough and Bramall Lane, they are mainly associated with the Steel City Derby. Sadly, the practice of bringing cuddly toys into the ground has now been forbidden (which, given Wednesday's performances in the late 2010s and early 2020s, is just as well).

Answer: 3

Those players being, in order: Trevor Francis, Danny Wilson and Chris Turner (an unusual route for a goalkeeper, as you're more likely to see a retired one as a goalkeeping coach than a manager!) Francis was one of the oldest squad members; the night before the final, he celebrated his 37th birthday, and his team mates played a prank on him with a telegram they claimed was from Giorgio Armani.

While he enjoyed a relatively stable period in the '90s, Danny Wilson's fortunes were very, very different.

It was he who managed Sheffield Wednesday when they went back down to the second tier, now named the Championship, and he also presided over a fractured squad. At one point, according to Kevin Pressman, he and Wilson nearly came to blows when he went to ask Wilson why he was left out of that day's team, and Wilson challenged him to a fight (Pressman did not take him up on his offer). Turner managed Wednesday from 2002 to 2004.

Answer: Kevin Pressman

The 1990-91 season was a season of mixed fortunes for Pressman. During the pre-season in Genoa, he became a father for the first time, although he missed the birth as Atkinson had insisted he fly out to Italy with the team on pain of being left out (the baby, Tom, would later grow up to be a goalkeeping coach like his father).

However, following a run of poor form, Pressman was dropped in favour of Chris Turner and spent much of the season in Frank Barlow's reserve squad. Pressman did not take this well and made a point of letting everyone know that he was angry about being dropped, and on the day of the final, Atkinson told Pressman exactly what he thought of his behaviour and warned him that he would not get back in the team until he improved his attitude. Pressman subsequently had to watch the final from the sidelines.

Although Wednesday celebrated their victory, Pressman did not join in the celebrations and went off on his own. However, Atkinson's harsh words paid off; Pressman later got back in the team and went on to be one of Wednesday's longest-serving players, staying at the club until 2004, and credits Atkinson with turning his career around.

Answer: John Sheridan

Manchester United were the favourites to win; nobody could have expected that a lowly Second Division team would steal their thunder! The Manchester United squad included many big names: Lee Sharpe, Steve Bruce (who would manage Wednesday many years later), Denis Irwin, Brian McClair, Mark Hughes, Paul Ince and Gary Pallister.

Their youth team also included a promising Welsh teenager called Ryan Giggs. Wednesday had previously faced Brentford, Swindon Town, Derby County (both of which required a replay), Coventry City and Chelsea, who they beat in both legs. John Sheridan, one of Wednesday's most prolific attackers (and party animals!) was the hero of the day when he scored in the 38th minute; Wednesday captain and man of the match Nigel Pearson said he would always remember the sound. Chris Turner also saved an attempt on goal from McClair, while a recovered Roland Nilsson pursued Sharpe all through the game. Carlton Palmer, who was unable to play due to being suspended, had his name chanted by Wednesday fans. Fans watching at home were frustrated by Yorkshire Television deciding to show "War of the Monster Trucks" instead of the post-match celebrations, although the programme did inspire the name of a Wednesday fanzine! To make matters even better, Wednesday later came third in the league and were promoted to the First Division, where they would stay until 2000.

Answer: Aston Villa

Atkinson had said that he was going to stay at Wednesday, but fans got a shock when he went to Aston Villa a week later. Villa had previously approached him about the job, Atkinson being based in the Midlands, and although he had previously refused, this time he accepted the offer from Villa chairman Doug Ellis. Players such as fellow Midlands native Carlton Palmer were sad about Atkinson's departure, but kept in touch (and even bumped into him in Marbella in 1993 when both teams were holidaying there!), while Wednesday fans hung banners at their match with Villa the following season, calling him 'Judas'. Trevor Francis succeeded Atkinson as Wednesday manager until 1995, when he was replaced by David Pleat; during his time as player-manager and then manager, he guided Wednesday to a third-place finish in 1992 and two cup finals in 1993, both of which they lost to Arsenal. Atkinson would later return as Wednesday manager in 1997; by then, most of the 1990-91 squad had retired or left, and only Kevin Pressman remained.

While Wednesday's form recovered under Atkinson, his contract was only temporary and he departed for Nottingham Forest in 1999.