Woke up this morning with the same feeling I get on a morning of a game, a mix of excitement,butterflies and nerves, now as anyone who knows me the slightest will know it's not because the Euros. I've had this day circled in my diary for as long as I have known about it,yes it's fixtures day!
Here they are and it has reminded me what a damn difficult jump it is between league 1 and the Championship, in a good way (No Shrewsbury), but how ready we have to be to make a good go at it and make sure we are at the very least middle of the table safe.
I'll be going to almost all home games as a ST holder so expect plenty of responses on here but also hope to go to a fair few away games, namely Brighton,Notts Forrest, Derby,Huddersfield, Barsley,Burnley (possible),Cardiff and perhaps a few more if I can afford to. I really feel it when the football season is over,it's like missing a best friend, the Euros are ok but honestly the only football I'm passionate about involves or influences Swfc. I appreciate good football and the drama but you will never find me with an England shirt on. Maybe it's because I grew up abroad and never really watched football with my family, maybe it's because I feel disconnected to the million pound players who care so little for their country (and clubs). Who knows but I do know that come the 13th (League cup) and the 18th I will be in my blue and white shirt as excited as a child on Christmas. Until then I have a life to plan as I promised so many people I would let them know if dates were ok come today.
Showing posts with label swfc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label swfc. Show all posts
Monday, 18 June 2012
Thursday, 1 March 2012
The Highs and Lows- Winning the Steel City Derby and Losing OUR Manager
Apologise for not writing about the most amazing day I have experienced as a Wednesday fan. Words seem to abandon me when describing exactly how it felt to be at Hillsborough with 32000 Wednesdayites when we beat the blunts. I have a full post ready to go and was finishing it last night when I received a text that made me delete it. It was an innocent,questioning one from a friend asking why Swfc had sacked Megson.Initially I thought it was a cruel joke but I knew that wasn't something she would do. Then I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. Obviously I rushed to owlstalk (which was in total meltdown) and put on the radio (through blades player as it was blocked online as they were playing-I feel dirty!). What can I say that hasn't been said by so many Wednesday fans? Obviously Megson and Milan fell out and I truly believe that Milan wanted us to lose on Sunday so he could sack Megson easily. I don't think Milan had any idea how much Wednesday fans absolutely adore Megson,he's OUR manager,he's one of US. I believed he would be with us for many,many years to come. The thought of someone else standing in his box on the sideline makes me want to cry. I know this awful feeling of anger,betrayl and a member of your family being sacked will go and of course I will always follow Wednesday. This just makes it hard right now.
On Sunday we were sat in the south stand (only decent tickets) and being close to Megson we could hear him (well pretty much the whole ground can,but we could really hear him) and see him mess around with the blunt fans.I have never felt so proud as when I saw him lift up his shirt,kiss the badge and point to his blue under top. We saw the tail end of his goal celebrations (after we stopped jumping all over the nearest people and singing) and saw him go and shake the hand of every blunt player before celebrating with all our players,now that is good sportsmanship. We saw how he didn't want to leave the pitch,how no Wednesday fan wanted to leave the stadium (I was ready to stay for days :) ). Now I think back over the most perfect of days,the most amazing feelings towards our team and our manager I cant understand and cant help feeling I'll have to wait a long to to feel like that again. If (now this seems an even bigger IF) we get promoted,it will be Megson's promotion not the new managers. Yes we will take to whoever it is (once we finish grieving) and they will become one of us if they do well but they wont REALLY be one of us. You see,Wednesday chooses you. You cant choose it,you can be picked by Milan to be a true Owl, you either have it (Megson) or you don't (Irvine).
I believe that one day Megson will be our manager again,after Milan sells us, when the time is right. He is so adored by the fans,he adores the club and I have never seen any manager show such passion. Until then someone has to keep his seat warm,so who will it be. I believe whoever it is already has the job,I believe this was done before the derby and this is disgraceful but we will have to leave Megson to sort that out. Who is it then? It seems the top contenders are Dave Jones,Mick McCarthy,Paul Ince or Lee Clark. I would automatically scrap Ince and Clark as they were sacked by teams below us in our division and because I took a dislike to Clark when I saw him at Hillsborough, As for Jones and McCarthy, I think the only one out of those two that would be a slight step forward would be McCarthy. Yes he's a dingle but we have to look past that and see he has a good record,he's feisty (please no boring managers- Jones!) and is available. He would also fit in with our playing style and players we have available, no point hiring a manager who only plays attractive football when we have a large,strong team. I do wonder of McCarthy will come down two leagues for us. I have to admit I've followed McCarthy at Wolves for a while and have a fondness for him,not really sure why, I guess I admired him keeping Wolves up last season and saw passion in him when we had a boring awful manager called Irvine.
Goodbye for now Megson,we hope to see you back here soon. As for the new manager,he'll be welcomed and we will support him,we just need to get over the shock.
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| That's Our Megson |
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| Goal Celebration |
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| Winning-This Says It All |
On Sunday we were sat in the south stand (only decent tickets) and being close to Megson we could hear him (well pretty much the whole ground can,but we could really hear him) and see him mess around with the blunt fans.I have never felt so proud as when I saw him lift up his shirt,kiss the badge and point to his blue under top. We saw the tail end of his goal celebrations (after we stopped jumping all over the nearest people and singing) and saw him go and shake the hand of every blunt player before celebrating with all our players,now that is good sportsmanship. We saw how he didn't want to leave the pitch,how no Wednesday fan wanted to leave the stadium (I was ready to stay for days :) ). Now I think back over the most perfect of days,the most amazing feelings towards our team and our manager I cant understand and cant help feeling I'll have to wait a long to to feel like that again. If (now this seems an even bigger IF) we get promoted,it will be Megson's promotion not the new managers. Yes we will take to whoever it is (once we finish grieving) and they will become one of us if they do well but they wont REALLY be one of us. You see,Wednesday chooses you. You cant choose it,you can be picked by Milan to be a true Owl, you either have it (Megson) or you don't (Irvine).
I believe that one day Megson will be our manager again,after Milan sells us, when the time is right. He is so adored by the fans,he adores the club and I have never seen any manager show such passion. Until then someone has to keep his seat warm,so who will it be. I believe whoever it is already has the job,I believe this was done before the derby and this is disgraceful but we will have to leave Megson to sort that out. Who is it then? It seems the top contenders are Dave Jones,Mick McCarthy,Paul Ince or Lee Clark. I would automatically scrap Ince and Clark as they were sacked by teams below us in our division and because I took a dislike to Clark when I saw him at Hillsborough, As for Jones and McCarthy, I think the only one out of those two that would be a slight step forward would be McCarthy. Yes he's a dingle but we have to look past that and see he has a good record,he's feisty (please no boring managers- Jones!) and is available. He would also fit in with our playing style and players we have available, no point hiring a manager who only plays attractive football when we have a large,strong team. I do wonder of McCarthy will come down two leagues for us. I have to admit I've followed McCarthy at Wolves for a while and have a fondness for him,not really sure why, I guess I admired him keeping Wolves up last season and saw passion in him when we had a boring awful manager called Irvine.
Goodbye for now Megson,we hope to see you back here soon. As for the new manager,he'll be welcomed and we will support him,we just need to get over the shock.
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Being a Female Football Fan
Might as well get this post over and done with as it has to be done. Firstly I shall answer the most important question, do I understand the offside rule? Yes, really it's not complicated.
As I said in my introduction post my family aren't football fans except for watching England play during the world cup and even then it's only if they're doing well (so not often then) however this is actually a lie. You see I'm speaking about my adopted family here, my genetic Mother doesn't just follow football she's a huge Wigan Athletic FC fan. She's a season ticket holder,lives 5 minutes walk from the ground, follows them away a lot,she had her reception at the JJB Stadium and her general football knowledge would put most people to shame. It's for her husband I hear you cry! Nope, he doesn't go,he's interested because his wife talks about her team but it's her team,she's the big fan, not him. She goes with a few female friends, all season ticket holders of many,many seasons, most of whom leave their husbands at home.
When I tell people I'm a Sheffield Wednesday fan they automatically turn to my other half and direct any football questions to him. I have to admit,he has been a fan for much,much longer than me and his knowledge is impressive but mine isnt bad at all. The fact is 99% of those we talk to havent got a clue that i'm a fairly new fan they just assume that as a woman I must follow Wednesday because my other half does. Whilst I started my love for Swfc because of my boyfriends there is no doubt in my mind that I have as much passion for them as he does now,as every fan does. If for any reason we weren't together I know I would still follow Wednesday, still wouldn't miss a match,still would haunt Owlstalk, still would listen to praise or grumble and football heaven. You see I am now Wednesday through and through,I cried (along with plenty of men) when we got relegated,I mourn over the summer when my beloved team aren't playing and there's no morsel of news, I don't sleep for 48 hours before the big derby (who can?) and I over analyse every word from Gary Megson. I see being a football fan a somewhat of a disease,once you have it you never get over it so you might as well accept it.
I have to say I have had very few problems with other football fans, I thing generally Swfc is a very friendly place and I have been treated as one of the lads. I shout and sing and join in just like everyone else (perhaps louder than others at times but that's me!) There have been the odd occasions when someone has made a comment but I think I scare them by turning around (they're always sitting behind you-cowards) and staring at them, seems to shut them right up.
I do think there should be more women in football, I think it's a disgrace that there isn't one female football manager in the male league. I don't see why a female manager who is successful with a female team would not be successful with a male team. I understand the relationship would initially be strange and unusual for the players but they're not idiots,they're capable of following instructions and taking directions from a woman just as they do a man. You see I believe the best person,man or woman, should get a job, that you shouldn't be held back from doing what you want to because of your gender (or sexuality either!). The same goes for Radio Sheffield (really all football programmes I've heard), I think it's amazing (in a bad way) that not one of their commentators is female. There are many women who are passionate about football and would be brilliant commentators. Initially viewers/listeners would find it unusual but before you know it it would be commonplace.
As I said in my introduction post my family aren't football fans except for watching England play during the world cup and even then it's only if they're doing well (so not often then) however this is actually a lie. You see I'm speaking about my adopted family here, my genetic Mother doesn't just follow football she's a huge Wigan Athletic FC fan. She's a season ticket holder,lives 5 minutes walk from the ground, follows them away a lot,she had her reception at the JJB Stadium and her general football knowledge would put most people to shame. It's for her husband I hear you cry! Nope, he doesn't go,he's interested because his wife talks about her team but it's her team,she's the big fan, not him. She goes with a few female friends, all season ticket holders of many,many seasons, most of whom leave their husbands at home.
When I tell people I'm a Sheffield Wednesday fan they automatically turn to my other half and direct any football questions to him. I have to admit,he has been a fan for much,much longer than me and his knowledge is impressive but mine isnt bad at all. The fact is 99% of those we talk to havent got a clue that i'm a fairly new fan they just assume that as a woman I must follow Wednesday because my other half does. Whilst I started my love for Swfc because of my boyfriends there is no doubt in my mind that I have as much passion for them as he does now,as every fan does. If for any reason we weren't together I know I would still follow Wednesday, still wouldn't miss a match,still would haunt Owlstalk, still would listen to praise or grumble and football heaven. You see I am now Wednesday through and through,I cried (along with plenty of men) when we got relegated,I mourn over the summer when my beloved team aren't playing and there's no morsel of news, I don't sleep for 48 hours before the big derby (who can?) and I over analyse every word from Gary Megson. I see being a football fan a somewhat of a disease,once you have it you never get over it so you might as well accept it.
I have to say I have had very few problems with other football fans, I thing generally Swfc is a very friendly place and I have been treated as one of the lads. I shout and sing and join in just like everyone else (perhaps louder than others at times but that's me!) There have been the odd occasions when someone has made a comment but I think I scare them by turning around (they're always sitting behind you-cowards) and staring at them, seems to shut them right up.
I do think there should be more women in football, I think it's a disgrace that there isn't one female football manager in the male league. I don't see why a female manager who is successful with a female team would not be successful with a male team. I understand the relationship would initially be strange and unusual for the players but they're not idiots,they're capable of following instructions and taking directions from a woman just as they do a man. You see I believe the best person,man or woman, should get a job, that you shouldn't be held back from doing what you want to because of your gender (or sexuality either!). The same goes for Radio Sheffield (really all football programmes I've heard), I think it's amazing (in a bad way) that not one of their commentators is female. There are many women who are passionate about football and would be brilliant commentators. Initially viewers/listeners would find it unusual but before you know it it would be commonplace.
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Not a Good Evening..
My belief in the boys in blue and white has been shattered,yet again. Every time we lose (sometimes when we draw like with Huddersfield) I feel the same way. It starts with anger then comes the sinking feeling of despair that transitions into emptiness. Today the anger started at about 65 minutes,yes we could have easily gone on and won with 25 minutes left but I knew we wouldn't. It's horrible having such little faith in your team and no matter how much I try and believe that we will be OK,we'll get promoted, listening to us perform like we did today game after game is hard.
I was a rarity, a fan of James OConnor, don't get me wrong I certainly didn't think he was a fantastic footballer because he wasn't but he brought something special to the team,his enthusiasm. He would run around directing people,cheering the team up when they needed it and generally being a good senior player and working damn hard. I cant believe that after Gary Megson said he wanted him to stay and JOC said he wanted to stay that Paul Aldridge (the money guy) didn't even offer him a contract. He wasn't on a lot and most importantly the Gaffer said he wanted him to stay and to me that's enough. I really think we could do with someone like him now to focus the players and keep them going through a rough patch.
As for Ben Marshall, he was brilliant, everytime I saw him play I was impressed (bar his final game against Charlton) and we certainly miss him but he's at Leicester so we need a replacement. JJ has been brilliant and consistent (but how long that'll last is anyones guess) but we need another winger and so far Bostock has been useless.
I was a rarity, a fan of James OConnor, don't get me wrong I certainly didn't think he was a fantastic footballer because he wasn't but he brought something special to the team,his enthusiasm. He would run around directing people,cheering the team up when they needed it and generally being a good senior player and working damn hard. I cant believe that after Gary Megson said he wanted him to stay and JOC said he wanted to stay that Paul Aldridge (the money guy) didn't even offer him a contract. He wasn't on a lot and most importantly the Gaffer said he wanted him to stay and to me that's enough. I really think we could do with someone like him now to focus the players and keep them going through a rough patch.
As for Ben Marshall, he was brilliant, everytime I saw him play I was impressed (bar his final game against Charlton) and we certainly miss him but he's at Leicester so we need a replacement. JJ has been brilliant and consistent (but how long that'll last is anyones guess) but we need another winger and so far Bostock has been useless.
Welcome and Hi
Hi, I'm Rj and woman and I’m a Sheffield Wednesday fan (for my sins).
I haven't had the fortune (or curse as it often seems) of growing up as the Sheffield Wednesday fan or as a football fan full stop. My immediate family can't stand football and I grew up in Hong Kong where football isn't popular at all. I came back to the UK the University at age 18 and within four months met this lovely guy who was pretty perfect apart from the fact he was totally and utterly obsessed with this very strange, unknown to me, football club called Sheffield Wednesday. All I knew about them was that when we were together on Saturdays we had to be next to a radio from 3 PM until 5 PM for this game then 5 to 7 p.m. for this radio show called praise or grumble (which I quite liked). Also if they lost he was a grumpy sod.
Anyway, I missed most of the 2007/2008 season being that we had just started dating and that I travel back to Hong Kong at regular intervals for fairly long trips (that's being University student for you). Fast forward to January 17, 2009 (after stupidly missing the Sheffield derby for a reason I know must have been important but can't the life of me remember) I went to my first ever football game. If only I had known this would be the starts of the total and utter obsession... would I have still gone..of course! Sheffield Wednesday were playing Charlton at home, we had seats in the North stands about 12 rows back and on the centreline. As we approached the stadium the excitement built up inside me and by the time that the first ball was kicked I was totally and utterly hooked. I can't explain it, I've tried to but I guess it’s like a religious experience. My family think I'm absolutely mad (apart from my extended paternal family who are Manchester city season-ticket holders). I don't know whether it was being surrounded by almost 29,000 people most of whom were chanting for one team, I don't know whether it was the electric atmosphere that feels Hillsborough before kick-off, I just can't explain it but suddenly it was like someone flicked a switch and I went from hoping for M’s sake that his team would win to them being MY team and it meaning the world to ME what happened. I guess it helps that we won 4-1, it was a brilliant game. It was decent season too, finishing 12th and doing the double over United.
Sadly the next season didn't go terribly well but let's not talk about that or the manager who took over from the generally brilliant Brian laws.
Flash forward to now and if I could afford to I would go to every game but I can't. We go to roughly one in every three games and I still get the same feeling as we walk up to the beautiful, beautiful stadium that is Hillsborough. I couldn't not listen/or watch when Sheffield Wednesday are playing, it’s just not possible I feel like part of me is missing if I try. Gone are my Saturdays from August to May from 3 PM to 7 PM. Gone is my good mood if Sheffield Wednesday lose or draw in some cases however when we win I am the nicest sweetest happiest and generally most lovely person in the world. Now the summer feels like a horrible ordeal where my Saturdays are empty and I long for August.
I have to say at the moment I'm a little bit concerned with Wednesday our consistency has been ... well we haven't had any. We seen to believe that we've won a game before it's even begun and seemed to have forgotten that you have to earn the right to win them. Saturday (against Exeter away,lost 2-1) was case in point. I can't tell you how angry I was, how upset, how gutted but that was Saturday. We're kicking off in 10 minutes playing Stevenage at home and I am as nervous as hell I have trust in Gary Megson but I'm not sure I truly trust our players to turn out when it's important I'm not sure what else we can do. Over the last few days I've threaten many, many times to not listen tonight, to totally and utterly ignore it but here I am with 10 minutes to kick off my Wednesday shirt on nervous but no way in hell would I not turn Wednesday player on couldn't do it you see like every other Wednesday fan probably every other book or fan I believe that my team needs me. I'm not going to pick the result because like I said I'm in a fairly pessimistic mood and I never ,ever predicts that the beautiful blue and white wizards lose. I also do hope we can make a comeback tonight, that we can dust ourselves off and put on a true performance, one that will make us proud to be Wednesday fans.
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