2004/05 - The Greatest Day

I thought the big day deserved a write up all of its own!

Arriving back in the early hours following the 2-1 (3-1 aggregate) semi-final win over Brentford our tired minds quickly turned to the final. Chiefly tickets and travel. This was the olden days when online ticket ordering was a pipe dream. We had to do things the old fashioned way - this involved cueing. Out the ticket office, around the car park and outside onto and along Penistone road. Thankfully, for me anyway, Russell was off work on the day tickets went on sale and he got there nice and early. 

So in the final we faced Hartlepool United. A surprise package in the division. The monkey hangers most famous probably for their presenter supporter Geoff Stelling, and forever a side in the lowest divisions. We had faced Hartlepool in the league of course - a fine 2-0 home win, but a disastrous 3-0 reverse the following April with Adam Boyd helping himself to a hat trick in the heavy rain. 

We set off for the game nice and early. 5AM in fact. Russell drove. We were nicely parked up in Cardiff by 9AM listening to the radio, chilling in the early morning sun, catching a little more sleep. 

Early morning we went for a stroll, first corner we walked around was a bloke who worked at the same place as me, stood in his Wednesday shirt - I didn’t even know he was a Wednesday fan. At some point this morning Rachel lost her scarf. Watch - Wednesdayite's Pre-Match

We went and found the stadium to get our bearings, take a few photos then helped ourselves to some refreshments, before going into the Millennium stadium fairly early. A few drinks later we were ready. Buzzing but nervous. When inside the stadium we bumped into Jon and his daughter Hannah, we had met them earlier in the season. Jon had started bringing his daughter to the games and had by chance sat next to us. They decided to sit next to us regularly and here they were in the same block at the final.

What ensued epitomised pretty much the whole season - some good football, falling asleep at the back, chucking the game away, but fighting back! 

We all know what happens next. JP’s early goal, Steve MacClean equalised from the penalty spot Watch - MacLeans Penalty, Whelan drove on to give us the lead and at the death Drewy Talbot wrapped it up! Every single player playing their part! Comeback complete - in the tie but also Promotion! After five rotten years we had taken the first step back, as captain Lee Bullen lifted the play-off trophy to signify the first move in turning the club around! Watch - Owls 4-2 Hartlepool

It had been a great day, only complicated by the problem of Russell' car having a flat battery and requiring a rolling start to get us off. If you were those fans who helped out and gave us a push - Cheers!

Anyone else used to keep scrapbooks? As a kid I used to cut out the newspaper reports. Well I decided to keep hold of as much as I could from this day, as they don’t come around very often! 

And straight away Sturrock wasted no time in beginning reshaping his squad. The side clearly needed some rebuilding but there were signs of potential. The gaffer opted to let several players go including Matt Hamshaw, who had been in and around the first team since the first season outside the top flight, yet was hampered with injuries. 

For the third time in five years the owls would be changing division, however this would be the first time we would be going UP!