After the euphoria of the previous seasons finale it was down to business as Paul Sturrock took to the task of rebuilding the squad in his own image.
This led to a spate of arrivals in the form of Yoann Folly (initially on loan from Southampton, Graeme Coughlan and Peter Gilbert from Sturrocks previous club Plymouth, Chris Adamson, Frankie Simek from Arsenal, John Hills from Gillingham, Scotsman Burton O’Brien, Drissa Diallo, Eagles (on loan from Man United), Stephen Partridge and striker David Graham who arrived for a pretty penny from Wigan. Football genius Craig Rocastle also made his loan move permanent. Whilst outgoing we’re Patrick Collins and Matt Hamshaw amongst others. Whilst Hull City away hero James Quinn returned to his parent club, alongside a number of loanees.
Pre-season ended with a tie with Manchester City at Hillsborough. Most remembered for Steve MacClean being crocked and pretty much putting Sturrock’s preparations on the back foot.
6th Aug - Stoke 0-0 Owls
The opening day came around. Myself and Russell were in the packed away stand to watch a goalless draw at stoke. From memory stoke missed or had a penalty saved - ? Either way it was an eye opener to the difference in standard at that level. A decent start to the season.
9th Aug - Owls 1-1 Hull
Three days later Wednesday hosted Hull City who were promoted alongside Wednesday. This game was somewhat closer than the previous campaign. Loanee striker Leon Best scores for owls in a cagey draw.
13th Aug - Owls 0-1 Southampton
Relegated from the premier league Southampton we’re looking to go back up and win through a goal from Kenwyne Jones (who received a really warm welcome from the home crowd). It was a cool day not befitting an early season tie, where the shot-shy Owls failed to carve open any real chances.
20th Sept - Owls 2-4 West Ham
I have only one memory of this League Cup and that is a decent strike from Bobby Zamora. Out of the cup, but the league to concentrate on.
9th Nov - Owls 1-3 Cardiff
The gulf in quality had been evident all season, with the owls failing to live with the pace and the quality with most sides at times. Chris Eagles scored for Wednesday in a game where Cameron Jerome tore Wednesdays backline to bits.
3rd Dec - Blades 1-0 Owls
I said I’d never go again after what I witnessed on my previous visit, but here I was slumming it again at the Lane. A dull derby encounter sneaked by the home side after ex-wednesday man Alan Quinn being credited with the goal despite being stood on the goal line in an offside position. I was so incensed on the way home I almost got caught out by every speed camera en route.
It’s true what they say - it really is grim up north. It was a relatively mild pleasant day. But Burnley is still grim. A patched up Wednesday came away with a shock first win in ten games. Drissa Diallo came off the bench to play central midfield at one point as we held on at what had been a relatively happy hunting ground over the last few years.
January the first - happy new strikers day! Wednesday announced the signings of Marcus Tudgay and Deon Burton to boost the clubs firepower and add some much needed goals, and it worked immediately as the owls won the following game 3-0 at home to Crewe.
21st Jan - Leeds 3-0 Owls
After three league wins on the bounce post Christmas we travelled in numbers to Elland Road for the Yorkshire derby. Sadly nobody told the players as the Leeds romped to a comfortable victory. Despite investing in and some evolution of the squad over the course of the season it was looking pretty bleak at this point.
4th Feb - Millwall 0-1 Owls
Forever remembered as ‘The Bullen Game’. Travelling to our relegation rivals. Forever a patched up wednesday side lost goalkeeper David Lucas to injury and with no substitute goalkeeper defender and captain Lee Bullen chose to don the pale blue goalkeeping jersey. He managed to keep a clean sheet in a ferocious tie in which Millwall thought they had scored, only for it to be ruled out, and with the referee allowing Wednesday to play on whilst Millwall were all off celebrating we broke and Frank Simek scored his first and only goal for the club. Cue limbs in the away end! A huge victory against a rival as we looked for survival. Watch Millwall 0-1 Wednesday
We only managed three wins from our next 11 games so survival was still in the balance and as fate would dictate we travelled late in the season to Brighton for a relegation six pointer. The hosts would go down with defeat and I believe a victory would guarantee survival for us
17th Apr - Brighton 0-2 Owls
After beating Norwich 1-0 at home in the previous game Wednesday had their dancing shoes on, so Russell and I travelled to Brighton in anticipation of survival and revenge after we were relegated there three years previous. We shuffled into the ramshackle ground onto the temporary stand. The away terrace, separated from the pitch by a running track, shook when we bounced. It had the feel of a school sports day! We ran out the victors, Burton O’Brien wrapped up the victory to guarantee another season at this level, and the opportunity for us to make so progression
22nd Apr - Owls 1-1 Reading
On my birthday table topping champions Reading came to town and were held by Wednesday. Tommy Spurr made his first team debut and put in a decent display. One for the future
30th Apr - Derby 0-2 Owls
Going from Brighton to Derby really was like going from the ritz to the rubble! Got to the ground nice and early. Forgot the tickets. Drove home, raced back. Arrived just in time for kick off. Walked into the gents desperate for a pee, that was empty aside from around 20 police officers. Heard a huge cheer go up, we’d clearly scored early! I’ll always remember the copper leaning over to me and saying ‘You’ve missed that one’. Phil Brown was the derby manager (not for much longer though). Leon Best, who had returned for a second loan spell, scored a second to wrap up a good win following a decent performance, and thus became the first player for Wednesday to score the first and last goals of a season for the club. This was also to be our last victory at Derby. And as I’d been late I wasn’t able to pick up a programme either.
Our second half of the season had seen an upturn in form aided by the addition of multiple loanees such as Gabriel Agbonlahor, Nicky Weaver, Scott Carson and Mikkel Bischoff to name just a few.
So the season came to a close with Wednesday having managed to survive in the championship. Mission accomplished for Paul Sturrock and his team of journeymen and loanees, but it was clear that we would have to invest in the squad somehow to be able to compete in the division, or face another season of struggle.
The summer of 2006 would see England competing in the World Cup finals and I was hopeful the ‘golden generation’ could do us proud. And there was also the small matter of a wedding taking place that summer...
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