For the owls first season in the third tier in my lifetime Chris Turner kept a good deal of the side from the previous campaign but adding Graeme Lee and Paul Smith from his previous club Hartlepool in the summer and then continuing to add to it over the course of the season, many of them gaining infamy with the Wednesday faithful. The likes of Adam Proudlock, Guylain Ndumbu Nsungu (local boy dun good?), Kim Olsen, Mark Robins, Brian Barry-Murphy and Ola Tidman arrived whilst Shefki Kuqi, Grant Holt and Lloyd Owusu departing over the course of the next 12 months.
These summers soon roll around. I’d completed college and was looking at what my next step would be. I’d moved into a flat with the missus and we’d just returned from an excellent holiday in Zante when the owls kicked off the new season with a win at Swindon - Could it be that we'd finally turned a corner?
The opening day Swindon victory was the first of a fine set of results in the early stages of the season giving rise to some optimism!
13th Aug - Owls 2-2 Hartlepool
We went along as it was Turners previous club. We lost on penalties. Don't worry though, as we had bigger fish to fry this season.
We went along as it was Turners previous club. We lost on penalties. Don't worry though, as we had bigger fish to fry this season.
6th September - Just a single defeat in the first 7 games. The last of the run was a home game against Tranmere. Wednesday won 2-0 with goals from Paul Smith and former Manchester United winger Terry Cooke. It wasn’t a classic but it ushered in a belief that Wednesday could maybe mount a challenge!
22nd Oct - Owls 1-3 Plymouth
Any early season optimism was soon beginning to evaporate as results began to turn. Paul Sturrock brought his table topping Argyle side to Hillsborough and played us off the park. That was a marker for how far away we truly were!
Any early season optimism was soon beginning to evaporate as results began to turn. Paul Sturrock brought his table topping Argyle side to Hillsborough and played us off the park. That was a marker for how far away we truly were!
9th Nov - FA Cup 1st round - Owls 4-0 Salisbury
Fuck knows what they were, Adam Proudlock helping himself to a hat-trick I believe!
Fuck knows what they were, Adam Proudlock helping himself to a hat-trick I believe!
29th Nov - QPR 3-0 Owls
Long drive down with Russell’s dad. I think they scored early. We were never in it.
Long drive down with Russell’s dad. I think they scored early. We were never in it.
9th Dec - LDV Vans Trophy - Carlisle 0-3 Owls
The hosts were struggling in the fourth division. I sat in a pub with home fans chatting pre-match and they already were expecting to be relegated from the football league that season (Spoiler - They were). Veteran Mark Robins and Grant Holt amongst the scorers on a night I got a phone call from work asking where I was, as I’d not turned in (I’d not checked the rota as I rarely worked midweek - Ooops).
The hosts were struggling in the fourth division. I sat in a pub with home fans chatting pre-match and they already were expecting to be relegated from the football league that season (Spoiler - They were). Veteran Mark Robins and Grant Holt amongst the scorers on a night I got a phone call from work asking where I was, as I’d not turned in (I’d not checked the rota as I rarely worked midweek - Ooops).
17th Dec - FA Cup 2nd round replay - Owls 0-0 Scunthorpe
Out of another cup on penalties. What the fuck is happening to my club? It's beginning to slip away already...
Out of another cup on penalties. What the fuck is happening to my club? It's beginning to slip away already...
20th Dec - Owls 0-0 Chesterfield
By this stage I think I’d been to as many away games as home. The laborious nature of seeing clubs come and play up at Hillsborough in what for many of those players would probably have been their cup final was beginning to get me down. I remember being sat with a pint of Guinness pre-match chatting to James and Russell asking was there something deeply rotten at the core of the club? Like a curse or something has befallen us? The game was shite. However I was going out that night with the guys from my new employers, despite having not yet started.
By this stage I think I’d been to as many away games as home. The laborious nature of seeing clubs come and play up at Hillsborough in what for many of those players would probably have been their cup final was beginning to get me down. I remember being sat with a pint of Guinness pre-match chatting to James and Russell asking was there something deeply rotten at the core of the club? Like a curse or something has befallen us? The game was shite. However I was going out that night with the guys from my new employers, despite having not yet started.
Christmas 2003 - I started a new full time (proper) job on the 29th December. I also got engaged. Still no league win however since the 4th October. When we did finally win again after 12 games many, myself included, had began to seriously question the manager and the players at the club.
January came and went in a blur. A flurry of new faces came and went as Turner tried to get the side going again. A trio of wins on the bounce in February, the last of was a 1-0 win over Bristol City courtesy of a late late Dean Smith goal (which I missed as me and the missus had left early).
25th Feb - LDV Vans Trophy Northern Final 2nd Leg
We’d lost the 1st leg but hopes were high as 21,000 people shuffled into Hillsborough on a cold evening in hope that we could overturn the 1-0 first leg deficit (where we’d played quite well by all accounts). Ola Tidman started in goal, his most notable contribution, aside from his fabulous hair, was failing to catch a pigeon that he tried to remove from the pitch. He got injured and was replaced by Rob Poulter for his only senior Wednesday appearance (I believe - ?). Meanwhile Kim Olsen did his best interpretation of a footballer. He really was shit. I’m sorry, but he was awful.
We’d lost the 1st leg but hopes were high as 21,000 people shuffled into Hillsborough on a cold evening in hope that we could overturn the 1-0 first leg deficit (where we’d played quite well by all accounts). Ola Tidman started in goal, his most notable contribution, aside from his fabulous hair, was failing to catch a pigeon that he tried to remove from the pitch. He got injured and was replaced by Rob Poulter for his only senior Wednesday appearance (I believe - ?). Meanwhile Kim Olsen did his best interpretation of a footballer. He really was shit. I’m sorry, but he was awful.
7th Mar - Chesterfield 3-1 Owls
A low low moment. These truly were the end of days. Many who were there will testify it was amongst the worse performances of the season. I remember remarking that Ndumbu-Nsungu aside there wasn't an ounce of talent in the squad!
A low low moment. These truly were the end of days. Many who were there will testify it was amongst the worse performances of the season. I remember remarking that Ndumbu-Nsungu aside there wasn't an ounce of talent in the squad!
27th Mar - Owls 2-1 Brighton
Mark Robins with a late winner for Wednesday. The terrible run of form had left us sat in mid table, but with a set of winnable fixtures remaining anything was still possible! It's incredible what a result can do.
Mark Robins with a late winner for Wednesday. The terrible run of form had left us sat in mid table, but with a set of winnable fixtures remaining anything was still possible! It's incredible what a result can do.
12th Apr - Notts County 0-0 Owls
The short train journey to Nottingham to face league struggler's Notts County. Stood on the away terrace, pissed up to witness another 0-0. Alan Quinn was sent off late on in another shite game. This season needed to end quickly as we were sliding down the table and we desperately needed a clear out. We should have enough points to stay up, but we weren't going up.
The short train journey to Nottingham to face league struggler's Notts County. Stood on the away terrace, pissed up to witness another 0-0. Alan Quinn was sent off late on in another shite game. This season needed to end quickly as we were sliding down the table and we desperately needed a clear out. We should have enough points to stay up, but we weren't going up.
24th Apr - Owls 0-1 Colchester United
What the fucking hell is a Colchester? This had been a season of bleak footballing towns coming to Hillsborough and helping themselves to the points. This game stands out in my memory as I believe it was the stage for the infamous ‘black balloon protest’ organised by Owlstalk and other fans group members, against the running of the club by the board and chiefly Dave Allen, who were all complicit in seeing us sink from Premier League to close to the fourth tier of English football. However former Chelsea owner Ken Bates was believed to interested in purchasing the club - Out of the frying pan into the fryer?
What the fucking hell is a Colchester? This had been a season of bleak footballing towns coming to Hillsborough and helping themselves to the points. This game stands out in my memory as I believe it was the stage for the infamous ‘black balloon protest’ organised by Owlstalk and other fans group members, against the running of the club by the board and chiefly Dave Allen, who were all complicit in seeing us sink from Premier League to close to the fourth tier of English football. However former Chelsea owner Ken Bates was believed to interested in purchasing the club - Out of the frying pan into the fryer?
8th May - Owls 1-3 QPR
Rangers secured the win they needed for promotion in our back yard in yet another dismal display. It looked like many of the players had already been told they were being moved on. This result competed a run of 7 winless games, a fourth successive defeat and a 9th defeat in 13 fixtures. Jon Shaw, the expected next big thing scored the Wednesday goal in what turned out to be the final game for many of the squad. Kevin Pressman bowed out after a long proud career at Hillsborough as Chris Turner, who was the first Wednesday manager to survive the whole season since 1998/99, began re-shaping his squad. He’d already added goalkeeper David Lucas and a young Irish winger Chris Brunt before the season ended. But out went some of the players who’d been with the club for some time along with many of Turners own signings as he looked to overhaul a clearly mentally weak squad.
Rangers secured the win they needed for promotion in our back yard in yet another dismal display. It looked like many of the players had already been told they were being moved on. This result competed a run of 7 winless games, a fourth successive defeat and a 9th defeat in 13 fixtures. Jon Shaw, the expected next big thing scored the Wednesday goal in what turned out to be the final game for many of the squad. Kevin Pressman bowed out after a long proud career at Hillsborough as Chris Turner, who was the first Wednesday manager to survive the whole season since 1998/99, began re-shaping his squad. He’d already added goalkeeper David Lucas and a young Irish winger Chris Brunt before the season ended. But out went some of the players who’d been with the club for some time along with many of Turners own signings as he looked to overhaul a clearly mentally weak squad.
We ended the season down in 16th. Our lowest league finish I believe (give me an 'I was there when we were shit!' badge), but we stayed up! Onwards to next season then. The summer that followed this season would not only see a huge clear out but enough optimistic words were muttered to encourage my new fiance to get a season ticket with me and Russell, however this is where James got off the Wednesday train, sadly rarely to the seen at Hillsborough again. His match day appearances had become more and more sporadic and pretty much not at all since Christmas. But this fresh start prompted the new trio to move seats from the centre to the side of the Kop, where I reside to this day.
I ended the season with a holiday to Mallorca booked and a busy summer ahead. My employers were sending me back to college to gain further qualifications and I was finding my feet in my new job.
So then - memories of this god awful season? Or has everyone managed to banish it from their minds?
@maplo16
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