Present day Sheffield Wednesday fans might be alarmed to see their team referred to as The Blades, but The Wednesday did go by that name. United were, in fact, referred to in the press of the 1890s as the Junior Blades.
The Wednesday became The Owls at the turn of the last century- they moved from Olive Grove to new venue in the Owlerton district of Sheffield- a site now known as Hillsborough.
The illustration above shows scenes from the 1896 FA Cup Final in which The Wednesday beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 at Crystal Palace. All 3 goals came in the first 18 minutes. Reportedly the Wolverhampton goalkeeper Billy Tennant was under the impression that the game was 1-1 at the final whistle. He had been stunned during the build up to Fred Spikesley's second goal. Spikesley's shot hit the net with such force that it cannoned back into the field of play. Allegedly Tennant, in his confusion, didn't notice the goal being awarded or his teammates re starting the game.
The Wednesday Cup winning team: top (l-r): Martin Earp, Ambrose Langley, Lawrence Bell, Fred Spiksley; middle (l-r):Harold Brandon, James Massey, Bob Petrie; bottom (l-r): Tom Crawshaw, Bert Brash, Arthur Brady, Henry Davis.
