12 April 1964 - That's Still A £2,000 Profit, Though

On 12 April 1964, the Sunday People tabloid broke the story of a fix two years earlier between Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich Town. The ensuing investigation resulted in ten convictions, including a four-year prison sentence for the ringleader.

That ringleader was former striker Jimmy Gauld, who had played for several clubs in England and Scotland before a leg injury ended his career in 1961. During his playing days, Gauld supplemented his income through match-fixing. He continued that sideline into 1962, when he approached Sheffield Wednesday striker David Layne, a former teammate.

Gauld and Layne then enlisted two additional Wednesday players, Peter Swan and Tony Kay, persuading them to guarantee a loss in an upcoming match against Ipswich Town, then sitting in 21st place. They all placed bets against Wednesday, who, despite sitting thirteen spots higher, duly lost 2-0.

In 1964, Gauld tried to make an additional profit by selling his story to Sunday People for £7,000. The paper published the story on 12 April and an investigation quickly followed. Gauld, Layne, Swan, and Kay were all convicted, as were six Mansfield Town players connected to another Gauld fix. Gauld received the harshest punishment, getting a four-year prison term and a fine of £5,000. Additionally, all ten players were given lifetime bans from football.

4 September 1867 - Born On A Wednesday

On 4 September 1867, the Wednesday Cricket Club decided to add football as a way to keep their players fit during the winter. The new sport's popularity grew quickly, however, and soon became the dominant activity of the club, now known as Sheffield Wednesday FC.



The club, which took its name from the fact that it played its matches on Wednesdays, met at Sheffield's Adelphi Hotel on 4 September (itself a Wednesday, of course) and "decided to form a football club in connection with the above influential cricket club, with the object of keeping together during the winter season the members of this cricket club." They played their first football match the following month and eventually joined the Football League in 1892.



They enjoyed a lot of early success, winning the FA Cup in 1896 then back-to-back league titles in 1903 and 1904. After a second FA Cup in 1907, they went into a brief decline, dropping down to Division 2 in 1920, but regained their winning ways in 1926 with a return to the top flight followed by two more league titles (1929, 1930) and another FA Cup (1935).



They have spent the majority of their existence in the top flight, and were founding members of the Premier League in 1992. But they have won only one major trophy--the 1991 League Cup--since World War II and are currently playing in League One, the third tier of the English football pyramid.

26 December 1979 - The Boxing Day Massacre

On 26 December 1979, Sheffield Wednesday delivered a 4-0 beatdown on rivals Sheffield United in a match that would come to be known as the Boxing Day Massacre.

The rivalry, known as the Steel City Derby, dates back to 1890 and is one of the most competitive derbies in England. At present, out of 125 competitive matches, United have a slight edge with 45 wins to Wednesday's 41.

A Third Division record 49,309 people packed the terraces at Hillsborough as the Owls, then in 5th place, hosted first-place United. The home supporters did not need to wait long before celebrating, as left winger Terry Curran, then in his first season with Wednesday, fired the ball into the net from 25 yards out. The Blades had several chances to equalize before the break, but Wednesday keeper Bob Bolder steadfastly denied them.

United's day took a turn for the worse when their captain Mick Speight left in the 54th minute after a goalmouth collision left him with injured ribs. Wednesday right winger Terry Curran, also in his first season at Hillsborough, made the best of the advantage by doubling the advantage with a well-placed header. He then provided an assist for the Owls' third goal, scored by Jeff King, then drew the 87th-minute penalty that was converted by Mark Smith to cap the rout.

The match proved to be a turning point for both clubs, as Wednesday proceeded to climb the table and gain promotion to Division Two for the 1980-81 season. United, meanwhile, finished in 12th place and were relegated the following season.

29 December 2007 - The Death of Phil O'Donnell

On 29 December 2007, 35-year old Motherwell midfielder and captain Phil O'Donnell collapsed during the second half of a Scottish Premier League match against Dundee United. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The cause was later determined to be left ventricular failure.

O'Donnell had started his professional career with Motherwell in 1990 and claimed a Scottish Cup winner's medal in his first season. He continued to impress, winning the Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year Award in 1992 and 1994. In 1994, he transferred to Celtic for a fee of £1.75 million, which remains the highest fee ever earned by a Motherwell player.

He earned another Scottish Cup medal and won a league title with Celtic, but his time in Glasgow was plagued by injuries and he left the club in 1999. After an uneventful time at Sheffield Wednesday, where he made only 20 appearances in four seasons, he returned to Motherwell in 2004.

Motherwell were enjoying a successful season in 2007-08. Going into the match on 29 December, they were sitting third in the table, which is where they would finish the season.

O'Donnell was just about to be substituted before he collapsed. His nephew, David Clarkson, was also playing for Motherwell that day and had to be substituted himself after seeing his uncle taken away in an ambulance.

After O'Donnell's death, supporters around the world paid tribute, some by leaving mementos, including scarves and shirts, at Motherwell's Fir Park ground.

21 April 1991 - It Was Almost, But Not Quite, Like The Beatles At Shea Stadium

On 21 April 1991, midfielder John Harkes became the first American to play in an English cup final at Wembley Stadium. He started the match for Second Division Sheffield Wednesday against First Division Manchester United in the League Cup Final before a crowd of 77,612.

The Owls beat United 1-0, with the lone goal coming from Harkes' midfield partner John Sheridan. The victory was particularly meaningful for Sheffield Wednesday manager Ron Atkinson, who had been the manager of Manchester United until 1986, when he was replaced by Alex Ferguson.

Two years after his record-setting appearance, Harkes became the first American to score in a League Cup final, as the Owls lost 2-1 to Arsenal. He played in England from 1990 through the 1995-96 season, including stints at Derby County and West Ham United. In 1996, he returned to the U.S. to play for MLS side D.C. United under coach Bruce Arena, who had coached Harkes at the University of Virginia.