CHAIRBOY

AZ ALKMAAR - alpha/omega, first and last!

My favourite signing at SWFC was Ron Springett with Paolo Di Canio the most skilful. Like your dad's favourite being Jackie Robinson, my late father who played alongside him and referred to Jackie as his idol. In the Owls first game (official game), Wednesday won 6-3 with Jackie and my dad bagging a hat-trick each. YES, famed for his penalties and oft-said Matthews played very few games in Sheffield with Curtis's robust tackling. One part of disagreement, the centre-forward reference, because I thought Keith Ellis put in plenty of effort, scoring many goals with his head . He was given short-shrift by Buckingham who came and brought in David Layne. Layne let The Owls down with the bets scandal but his all-round football ability was sound. The match at Ipswich, games, I saw both and in the second one at Portman Rd, David Layne bagged a hat-trick. September 1962, Highbury, Layne was on target to get a brace which gave the Owls a 2-1 victory - that was the last time they won at Highbury. By being in the south, playing cricket, I was back there in 1971? to see the Blades win with a Scullion goal, Neither Sheffield club won again and Arsenal has movedto the Emirates. If you don't hold that record now, you won't do now!

Yes,BILLHALEY, I think Wednesday were 1-0 down to Fulham but came back to win 6-1. I seem to remember our vantage point being near the Cottage. If it is the fry-up café I think you mean it was across the road - opposite ST.P/King's Cross Stations. Many people did walk up to Hillsborough. My dad was a shareholder and his tickets in those days, came by post . 6am to bed!

I think they operated on the factory floor and then they took the bets to the bookie, the runner getting commission.

Sean McAuley has been appointed. He stood in when Sturrock left in autumn 2006 to such effect that the Owls actually won games. Good choice financially.

. I knew someone who lived at the Bole Hill end of Netherfield Road who helped with pay during. my vacation student fees when I worked at his betting office as a settler on Crookes. - Len Blanksby. Len no longer with us but much appreciated.

As former manager, Howard Wilkinson, would say:"If if if, if my auntie were my uncle. They are not consistent and it is becoming too much of an excuse. Their defensive at Bramall Lane was appalling yet as you say, it could easily have been 3-3, yet the reason it wasn't was a squandered chance. The fact is that teams score a number of goals which is too many for the Owls to match or surpass - the strike force is poor on quality.

One thing the BIBLE refers to is ALPHA OMEGA, - first and last. When OMEGA strikes the denizens of Sheffield heading for a certain restaurant, the Greek letter suddenly changes from Oh-migger to O-meeger. This lack of knowledge extends to TV. Even the ad for O-meeger 3 fish is also flawed. It does seem that the reverends know what it should be.

Sorry Cockneymafia, I wrote a lengthy reply and although I'd signed in, it had expired before I had finished and I signed in again but was informed the reply could not be processed. I cannot re-write all that again. In short; I wouldn't want to sign, Zamora, Heskey and Nugent. SORRY about the brevity, I feel a bit miffed.

I couldn't agree more. I thought they just came up by Hartlepool shooting themselves in the foot. As was pointed out at the recent AGM, the recession has deterred any possible investors. I wouldn't call them a "big club" anymore - very little success since 1935 and much turbulance in recent years. The only thing big, is the debt.

http://www.halle.co.uk/publishedSite/siteFiles/dcincludes/catalogue/images/PR21897_A.jpg You can probably look at the names in the archive, I am familiar with half a dozen who plugged on until the mid-60's when I wacthed them big time in Sheffield, London and Manchester. Sport and orchestral music are my main interests and I know many who have come and retired/died.

I am pleased Paul is not jobless altogether. He appeared to feature well with Division 1 sides like Plymouth and Wednesday. I owe him a big thank you for after Plymouth waltzed around the Owls at Hillsborough, I had a sizeable bet on The Pilgrims at 8-1 to be champions. Not successful in the higher tier, Sturrock came to Hillsborough. My beef with him was walking down the tunnel in added time. I thought it was most unprofessional and akin to my leaving a class unattended for the last five minutes. All hell could break out. Sturrrock got caught out with a late goal and realissed it was a silly superstition. His other mistake was going against the adage - Never Go Back! (to Plymouth).

Absolutely right - Sturrock (a senior moment!)

I notice Paul Sturrock is not pulling up many trees either! Wednesday need cash and it doesn't look forthcoming. The other downside is that anyone good, doesn't seem to want to come to S6. http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/09/12/10/SOCCER_Plymouth.html. I had mixed him up and called him Paul Strachan originally.

TRAIN - There seems to be one option. DEP Sheff 7.32 ARR Nott 8.21 http://www.thetrainline.com/buytickets/combinedmatrix.aspx?Command=TimeTable

Good rational post. I have Hodgson down as an intelligent manager, of intellect above the norm - he does cryptic crosswords for one. I see your psychological approach to Zamora. Hodgson likes him, I'm not buying into that, and I have a long list of other such players plus - Laws telling us the players will turn it round - so I suppose I wouldn't have signed him Zamora in the first place. Perhaps SSN is guilty of showing the footage but I don't buy into things very easily.

It may also be icy early Monday?

Is this Nottingham town centre or do you have to go through town? I certainly know the route as I've worked at the racecourse many times but never had to get there for 9am! My advice as ever is to give yourself plenty of time, one only gets irritated with delays when every traffic light seems to be against you. My preffered route would be - J33 but I used J29m on M1 trips, exit for the A610 into Nottingham. It depends on your destination but you could go to the Tuxford roundabout near the A1 and follow the signs to Nottingham or Leicester, near the Carlton suburb.

Arthur Hill died years ago -the result of too much smoking. His wife Marion was one-time head of Physics at HSGGS and I am pleased to say is still alive.

Yes, Alex, you are correct, Owls won that replay 3-1.

May I suggest 1987? I remember that ghastly over the top tackle from Gary Bennett which ended Ian Knight's playing career.

I trust the Radio Sheffield team will allow me my say, even though I no longer attend games as I am terminally ill? I passed the old FA Badge in 1973 and believe me or not, I need about 15 minutes to make a judgement on a player. I think Brian Laws is a decent bloke - they can't afford to pay him off. He received his list of players in August and it's rather like the teacher getting his list of Physics Set 3 pupils. There is a lot of scope for improvement but it is unlikely to happen. The Wednesday squad is poor, Clarke and Johnson just don't deliver regularly. Laws recently told the AGM that he had contacted Wenger about loanees, none available but Lansberry at Watford looks very good. Other clubs have similar problems when it comes to quality, take Preston's Mellor when it comes to a strange shape and screw ankle. Blackpool have other below par players like Euell, Burgess and Adam. Clarke does impress. So Laws struggles on as best he can. I am wearying of his sound bytes however re-confidence. The reason players are devoid of confidence is because they have nothing to be confident about - their skill factor is low, I don't know whether they will turn it round, draws are of little use, but I thought they were lucky to be promoted in Cardiff. I think Lee Strafford has done some good work at the club and has made the atmosphere infinitely better than it was under the previous regime. I watched the Doncaster goal on BBC this mornng and thought it was much better than that described on last night's commentary. The way Sharp twisted his neck muscles to meet the ball was excellent, so was the play down the flank. I notice Paul Strachan is not pulling up many trees either! Wednesday need cash and it doesn't look forthcoming. The other downside is that anyone good, doesn't seem to want to come to S6.

You might well ask?

Yes, I'd agree with that. Glad he's sensible and looked at the wider picture, that he could have finished up a cripple.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/fulham/8398402.stm My estimation of Fulham manager, Roy Hodgson, has dropped somewhat after his praise for Zamora. My feeling about the Cottagers' striker is that he isn't a Premiership player, let alone being touted as an international. I watched him last Thursday against CSK and the usual flaws were there for all to see. His winning goal against Sunderland yesterday, well he could have missed but so good was the cross, he met it with his head from six yards out. Judging by Fulhan blogs, many would agree with me. Another goon whom I saw to usual effect yesterday ( has he a brain?) was Leon Best - a man who made Trappatoni's squad - but is poor Championship material.