Sheffield Wednesday have endured a pretty mixed 2023 and it’s now a decent time to take a look at the calendar year. The Owls won promotion to the Championship but now face a real fight to keep their place in the second tier.
Fans still remain at loggerheads with the club’s controversial owner Dejphon Chansiri. However, he does look to have done something pretty useful by appointing Danny Rohl.
Ahead of a brand new year, we’ve taken a look at the three best moments of 2023 from a Sheffield Wednesday perspective.
3. Beating Newcastle in the FA Cup
This was one of the shocks of the Third Round of the FA Cup and saw Wednesday stun a team on course to finish in the top four of the Premier League.
A couple of goals from Josh Windass left Newcastle shellshocked in front of the BBC cameras, with Bruno Guimaraes scoring with 20 minutes to go making a game of things.
Wednesday eventually lost in the FA Cup to Fleetwood after a replay. That made the campaign a bittersweet one but ultimately the priority was always promotion for Wednesday.
The win over Newcastle should have been the catalyst to kick on and claim an automatic promotion place in League One but things never transpired in that sense.
2. Wednesday win at Wembley
Play-Offs are always tense. Indeed, this final was a South Yorkshire derby but it perhaps didn’t live up to his pre-match billing of being all blood and thunder.
Barnsley did have a man sent off in this one. Adam Phillips saw red just after half-time when Adam Phillips was dismissed for a late tackle on Lee Gregory.
Neither team could find a way through, however, and after 120 minutes it looked as though the game was heading towards a penalty shoot-out.
Step forward Josh Windass! His header in the first – and final – minute of stoppage time at the end of extra time proved decisive and ended Wednesday’s wait to get back to the Championship, sparking pandemonium.
1. Wednesday produce miracle Hillsborough night
It might seem odd to do a rundown of the top three moments of 2023 and not include a Wembley final at number one. However, this is a special situation and it’s impossible not to include this one at the top of the list.
Wednesday trailed 4-0 from the first leg of their play-off semi-final against Peterborough. They were dreadful in that game but produced an unreal performance in the second to head to Wembley.
Goals from Michael Smith, Lee Gregory, Reece James and a Liam Palmer equaliser in the seventh minute of added time sent the game to extra time.
A Gregory own goal gave Posh the advantage again but Callum Paterson equalised to send the game to penalties.
Wednesday netted all five of their spot-kicks and with Dan Butler firing his effort against the bar, the Owls were off to Wembley.