United & Wednesday-The nickname Pig

[Waffer 10]

The Wednesday football club was formed on 4th September 1867. The football club first played its games at the Olive Grove Sports Ground in Heeley before moving to a new stadium in the Owlerton district of Sheffield.

The first Ordnance Survey maps (1850's) mark a building close to where the stadium now stands as 'Swine Cottage'. They also show another farm on Penistone Road, south of where the North Stand is situated, which was also believed to be a large piggery. Pork farming is thought to have been practised in the area since the early 1800's, and did not cease until around 1900 when the city's rapid expansion put an end to livestock production in the area. At its height the "Owlerton Piggery," as it was known, provided work for some 50 employees.

Initial discussions about a nickname began soon after the Wednesday arrived at Owlerton. In reference to their new home, most club officials were in favour of "The Owls." However, another suggestion was also popular. In view of the area's strong tradition of pork farming, a popular grass-roots alternative was "The Pigs."

Although the name "Owls" prevailed, many working class supporters continued to refer to their team as "t'pigs." A popular song of the time "They may be t'Owls to some, (but they'll always be pigs to me)" was performed in music halls across South Yorkshire. As late as the 1920's, fans used to welcome their team onto the field with the characteristic grunting sound we still associate with the club. This peculiarity was once referred to by BBC commentator Edward Milburn, who famously described Hillsborough as a "sea of grunts" moments after The Wednesday won the First Division title in 1932.

 

This is all a pack of lies, i have the map, the small building close to the ground near where the corner shop is now i think it sells fires is a water pumphouse the area has lots of them, the leppings lane bridge isnt built yet, and there is no farm at all, the area is a mass of heavy and small industry, the nearest farm is up wadsley lane and at longley i also have the map of 1903, the leppings lane bridge is built by then..... i think people are rewriting history.... even the land was bought from James Dixon, a silversmith for £10,000.

[Waffer 10]

Swine cottage..... Oh what a laugh, as though someone would call there house swine cottage....jokers or what

 

Where do you live.... Oh we live at ****e head farm......Ha ha

[Heyesey 11]

Waffer wins this week's Megatherium award for the revitalising of fossilized threads.

[Waffer 10]

Well unlike Wednesday then, i have won something.

[BorderReiver 10]

There wasn't a farm on the site of Wednesday's ground at Owlerton -I have a map of 1890 to prove it

 

My wife's great grandfather would not eat bacon if Wednesday had lost a derby match because the red and white stripes reminded him of United - hence the pigs

 

Bramall Lane always did, until recently, look like a pig sty - perhaps that's the reason

[Waffer 10]

The 1890 map would be a print of the 1850 map i am sure, the next map was 1903.... and i have both.... great to compare them both.... in 1903, Herries Road still dosn't exist, it is just marked as a footpath.

In 1850 the map is marked as stepping stones on leppings lane, by 1903 the bridge is there.

[Waffer 10]

The other thing to mention as well which no one has said, on the census at the time for the area all trades were issued and there was no pig keeper or pig farmers either, though there was cowkeepers in the area and sheepkeepers as well.

[the_rudeboy 12]

I always thought Wednesday were known a pigs because their first permanent ground was on land owned by the Duke of Norfolk at Olive Grove. I believe it was this land that had formerly been a pig farm.......hence the nickname.

[Waffer 10]

No this is a newish thing, i never heard it as a kid.

[the_rudeboy 12]

No this is a newish thing, i never heard it as a kid.

That still doesn't mean that that isn't the reason as to how the nickname came about.

[Waffer 10]

I think the farm thing is a red herring..... where ever it is...there is no evidence at all..... and all the time this has been running, there would be...

[boboskins 10]

The Wednesday football club was formed on 4th September 1867. The football club first played its games at the Olive Grove Sports Ground in Heeley before moving to a new stadium in the Owlerton district of Sheffield.

The first Ordnance Survey maps (1850's) mark a building close to where the stadium now stands as 'Swine Cottage'. They also show another farm on Penistone Road, south of where the North Stand is situated, which was also believed to be a large piggery. Pork farming is thought to have been practised in the area since the early 1800's, and did not cease until around 1900 when the city's rapid expansion put an end to livestock production in the area. At its height the "Owlerton Piggery," as it was known, provided work for some 50 employees.

Initial discussions about a nickname began soon after the Wednesday arrived at Owlerton. In reference to their new home, most club officials were in favour of "The Owls." However, another suggestion was also popular. In view of the area's strong tradition of pork farming, a popular grass-roots alternative was "The Pigs."

Although the name "Owls" prevailed, many working class supporters continued to refer to their team as "t'pigs." A popular song of the time "They may be t'Owls to some, (but they'll always be pigs to me)" was performed in music halls across South Yorkshire. As late as the 1920's, fans used to welcome their team onto the field with the characteristic grunting sound we still associate with the club. This peculiarity was once referred to by BBC commentator Edward Milburn, who famously described Hillsborough as a "sea of grunts" moments after The Wednesday won the First Division title in 1932.

 

Oh and bladesufc1 did you realise they've removed the word 'gullible' from the dictionary.

 

If your gonna cut and paste this fake article again for the umpteenth time at least change it so the dates are factually correct!