2014/15: Sky Bet Championship – Sheffield Wednesday v Fulham (A Yorkshire Trilogy: Part 1)
During the summer months football fans can’t wait for the release of the new season’s fixtures. We wait expectantly until they are released and then scan them endlessly armed with questions such as, where is the opening game? When is the local derby? What’s the final game of the campaign?
For the 2014/15 season I did exactly that, but my attention was also drawn to a passage of games in March for my team Fulham.
Saturday 14 March 2015 Sheffield Wednesday (Away)
Wednesday 18 March 2015 Leeds United (Home)
Saturday 21 March 2015 Huddersfield Town (Away)
Given that I’m a Fulham fan living in Leeds it was identified as a rare chance to get to three consecutive Fulham games something I’ve not done for well over twenty years. Of course it would be a bit of a topsy-turvy experience as in travel terms, the away games would be home games and the home game an away game.
Back in the summer what I labelled as A Yorkshire Trilogy seemed months away, but inevitably time has ticked away and now I find myself about to embark on the three game adventure.
They will be very different experiences, as the game at Hillsborough today will be followed from the press box, the game at Craven Cottage on Wednesday will be in the company of a Leeds fans and at the John Smith’s Stadium next Saturday I will be amongst the Fulham fans in the away end.
First up then is the trip to Sheffield, a city I’ve grown more familiar with since starting studying at Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) in September 2013. The course has been great in building up contacts with both of the club’s in the Steel City and today enables me and a fellow student (who happens to a Wednesdayite) to take our place in the press box.
For anyone not familiar with Sheffield, Hillsborough is situated about three miles from the city centre, but can be quickly reached by tram to the Leppings Lane stop which is five minutes away from the ground.
Ed (currently sporting a Damien Lewis look) and I arrive about 13.30 to collect our passes and match programme from the main reception and make our way to the press room. Despite there being 90 minutes before kick-off the room is already busy with journalists from a range of media outlets. Amongst them is the familiar face of Alan Biggs, who lectures at SHU, but who is here today working for Sky Sports.
The early kick-off between Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town is coming towards its conclusion on the screens in the room as food arrives. On the menu today is a fantastic meat and potato pie, mushy peas and chips, with Sheffield’s renowned Henderson’s Relish as an accompaniment.
As the pre-match meal is consumed, the teams are announced and written on a whiteboard. The two talking points revolve around Chris Maguire coming back into the side for The Owls and Fulham giving a debut to Norwich City loan signing Michael Turner.
With kick-off just fifteen minutes away and now in possession of a team sheet, we venture to our seats in the press box high in the main stand and with a view to the left of the halfway line. Once logged onto the internet, there is just time to have a flick through Wednesday’s very good programme before the start of the game. What is also evident is that the pitch is in a poor state with large parts of the pitch without grass.
The playing surface certainly has an effect on the quality of the opening half, as both sides struggle to create any meaningful chances. The only real incidents of note are the two substitutions that Wednesday are forced into after injuries to Liam Palmer and Will Keane, who are replaced by Marnick Vermijl and Stevie May respectively.
Half-time and a chance to grab a cup of tea and catch-up on the scores around the country. Returning to our seats we hope that the second-half to come has something to cheer for supporters of both teams.
The Fulham fans sat in the upper part of the Lepping Lane end applaud the team as the players return to the pitch and soon the game is underway again.
Wednesday start brightly and are rewarded ten minutes into the second-half. A half-cleared corner presents Lewis McGugan with the chance to cross once more into the box, where substitute Stevie May heads home to put Wednesday in front.
Fulham are now on the back foot and Marcus Bettinelli is called into action keeping out a Chris McGuire shot down by the left hand post.
With twenty minutes remaining two substations by the Fulham boss Kit Symon’s change the course of the game. Hoogland and Kavanagh are replaced by Woodrow and Fofana, which allows Ross McCormack to drop deeper into a midfield role.
Fulham are rewarded with fifteen minutes to go, as substitute Woodrow crosses for Matt Smith to score. Wednesday aren’t happy with the visitors’ leveller, as they believe the referee should have awarded Wednesday a free-kick, protesting that Woodrow had dived in the box.
Suddenly the game springs to life as Fulham are now causing The Owls problems, and Kieran Westwood has to be at his best to stop efforts from Smith and McCormack. Even in the four minutes of time added on, Fulham continue to press for a winner and they finish the stronger of the two teams.
Overall though, a point is a fair outcome and sends the Fulham faithful back down the M1 in a positive mood for the midweek encounter with Leeds United.
What of my experience today? The hardest aspect about watching the game from the press box was trying to remain neutral and not react in the normal way a fan would during a game. It has been managed, although when Fulham were looking for a winner in the closing stages it was not an easy task. Of course the other part of being in the press box is actually detailing the major events during the game, so you have to pay more attention to the opposition that you probably would as a fan.
Thankfully the next part of my journey on Wednesday will just be as a fan, so the laptop, notepad and pen can be packed away for now.
Will the real Sheffield Wednesday ‘stand-up’? That was the question Owls boss Dave Jones was facing after a 2-1 home defeat in the Yorkshire ‘derby’ against Huddersfield Town.
Even with twenty minutes remaining that pretty much sealed the points for Huddersfield, with a goal from a Connor Wickham free-kick three minutes into stoppage time, merely a consolation.
Liverpool last met Oldham in the Cup at Anfield in the 5th Round in the 1976/77 season. Liverpool made the Final that year, only to lose to Manchester United. With the Reds already in the League Cup Semi-Final, Kenny Dalglish will be relishing another Cup run. Oldham beat Burton 3-1 in the 1st Round and after a replay, overcame Southend United 1-0 at Boundary Park. Just as Liverpool have progressed in the League Cup, The Latics have had a good year in the knock-out competitions, having made it to the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy North Final against Chesterfield and are just one match away from a Wembley appearance.
It’s a return to Bramall Lane today as The Blades face Blue Square Bet Conference South opposition (and lowest ranked team in the Third Round), Salisbury City. The Whites have hardly set their League alight this season and currently sit in the lower half of the League table. However, the FA Cup has been a real adventure for the team from Wiltshire. City entered the FA Cup at the Second Qualifying Round stage, beating Southern League Premier side Swindon Supermarine 3-0. Poole Town were demolished 6-1 by Salisbury in the Third Qualifying Round and entry into the First Round was clinched with a 2-1 away win at Bishop’s Stortford. Arlesey Town were no match for The Whites as City won 3-1 and earned a Second Round tie at home to Conference Premier side Grimsby Town. The tie went to a replay after a 0-0 draw at The Raymond McEnhill Stadium. The replay at Blundell Park turned out to be a night of drama. Dan Fitchett gave City the lead in the second half and it looked enough to take The Whites through. However, in time added-on Rob Duffy headed Grimsby level. In extra-time Duffy scored again to put The Mariners ahead, but back came City and Brian Dutton brought the scores level at 2-2. The Cup upset was complete with eight minutes to go, when Stuart Anderson converted a penalty to put Salisbury into the FA Cup Third Round for the first time in their history.
The Cup is full of superstition and coincidence and for The Blades there has been a bit of a pattern in their two FA cup fixtures this season. In both games Sheffield United have been at home, have scored three goals in each game, with Ched Evans scoring two goals in each fixture. The Blades opponents in both Rounds have been from the Npower League One, both Oxford and Torquay wore all yellow strips and both clubs like Sheffield are ‘United’s’. Many of these coincidences are broken today by the visit of Salisbury City, but will Sheffield United manage three goals today? Will Ched Evan’s bag another brace? 
Of the game itself, this was always going to be a difficult one for Salisbury given the recent good form of The Blades and the difference in league status between the teams. Sheffield United dominated from the outset, never allowing the visitors to settle on the ball. Within the opening fifteen minutes United had created a number of excellent chances, with Neil Collins header superbly saved by Mark Scott, the best of the opportunities. The Blades were patient in their build-up and were using the wings and switching play to drag the Salisbury defence out of position. This ploy paid off on eighteen minutes when a cross-field ball by Kevin McDonald was picked up by Lee Williamson who drove at the City defence. His pass found space beyond the Salisbury back-line and Chris Porter slipped it in under the advancing Scott to put United ahead. The Blades continued to press and City were thankful that keeper Scott was in such good form as he saved well from Ryan Flynn and Chris Porter. However, United couldn’t increase their lead and went in at the interval just one goal to the good.
In terms of the other Cup “trail” fixtures, there was little romance or Cup magic. Aston Villa won comfortably at Bristol Rovers 3-1. A Marc Albrighton goal on thirty five minutes gave Villa a half-time lead. Gabriel Agbonlahor (a second half substitute) doubled the lead just after the hour mark and Ciaran Clarke added a third on seventy eight minutes. Rovers got a goal back on ninety minutes through Scott McGleish and he could have brought even more respectability to the score-line, but McGleish had a penalty saved in time added on. Premier League Fulham overcame League One leaders Charlton Athletic with a convincing 4-0 win. Clint Dempsey scored a hat-trick with Damien Duff scoring The Cottagers final goal. League Two Macclesfield sniffed an upset in their tie with Premier League Bolton, when Arnaud Mendy put them 2-1 ahead with twenty two minutes remaining. However, David Wheater headed Wanderers level after seventy seven minutes to take the game back to a replay at The Reebok Stadium. 
By the time these teams met again in the Cup (1982/83), Leeds had once more been relegated to the Second Division. A Peter Nicholas own goal just after the hour gave Leeds the lead, but Arsenal were level within a minute as Alan Sunderland sent the game to a replay. In the game at Elland Road, an upset looked on the cards as Aidan Butterworth put Leeds ahead in the last minute of extra-time. However, Graham Rix dramatically scored an equaliser with seconds remaining to force a Second Replay. A coin was tossed to see who would host the Second Replay and it fell in favour of the Londoners. Tony Woodcock put The Gunners ahead, only for Terry Connor to bring the game level. However, with eight minutes remaining, Graham Rix proved to be the Arsenal saviour as he scored the winner to take them through 2-1.
Given the change of rules regarding replays, the events of the 1990/91 ties will never be repeated. Arsenal and Leeds needed four games to settle this Fourth Round tie. Sadly today in the current FA Cup competition, all teams get is a replay, extra-time and the cruelty of penalties. Those epic ties were part of the history and tradition of the FA Cup – and people wonder why some magic has gone out of the competition. The original tie at Highbury ended 0-0 and the replay at Elland Road resulted in a 1-1 draw. Lee Chapman put United ahead, with Anders Limpar replying for The Gunners. Back at Highbury in the Second Replay, the stalemate continued with a goalless draw. The tie was finally won by Arsenal 2-1 at Elland Road, with Paul Merson and Lee Dixon on the score sheet.
So what a way to end the Third Round action. The game overall could not be considered to be a classic, but in “Roy of the Rovers” fashion, Thierry Henry returned to his spiritual footballing home and scored the winner against Leeds. The first half had few highlights and it seemed as though the second half was going the same way. However, on sixty eight minutes the home crowd came to life when Henry came on for Chamakh and within ten minutes the fairy-tale return was complete as he scored from Alex Song’s through ball. Leeds never really threatened to spoil King Henry’s return as the final minutes ticked away.