Sheffield Wednesday entered the Premier League era as one of the strongest teams in England.
They had recently won the League Cup, returned to the top division and qualified for Europe. During the competition’s opening seasons, Wednesday finished seventh three times, reached two domestic cup finals and assembled a squad containing some of the most recognisable players in the country.
Their decline was gradual rather than immediate.
Poor recruitment, managerial instability and growing financial pressure eventually contributed to relegation in 2000. Wednesday have not played in the Premier League since.
The years that followed included relegations to the third tier, promotions at Cardiff and Wembley, several failed attempts to reach the Premier League and repeated off-field problems. The club came within one match of returning in 2016 but later suffered points deductions, another relegation and administration.
From Chris Waddle and David Hirst to the 1993 cup finals, Paolo Di Canio’s confrontation with Paul Alcock, the play-off final against Hull City and one of the greatest comebacks Wembley has seen, this is Sheffield Wednesday’s complete Premier League timeline.
Before the Premier League: Champions, cup winners and a return to the top
Sheffield Wednesday were formed in 1867 and are among the oldest professional football clubs in England.
Their history includes four league championships, three FA Cups and one League Cup. Wednesday won consecutive league titles in 1928/29 and 1929/30, while their most recent FA Cup success arrived in 1935.
The years immediately before the creation of the Premier League brought another successful period.
Ron Atkinson led Wednesday to promotion from the Second Division in 1990/91. In the same season, the Owls defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the League Cup final at Wembley.
John Sheridan scored the only goal with a long-range shot that went in off the post. The victory gave Wednesday their first major trophy for 56 years.
Atkinson left for Aston Villa after the season and was replaced by Trevor Francis, who had been part of the promotion-winning squad as a player.
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