How Wednesday Lifted The Striking Miners

Twenty five years ago, Sheffield Wednesday were challenging at the top end of division one, however, away from the terraces of South Yorkshire another battle was going on: The miners and the Conservative Government.

These were bleak and desperate times for mining communities who no doubt contained a lot of Wednesday fans, but one bright spot was the performances of Sheffield Wednesday. Under Howard Wilkinson Wednesday even recorded a 2-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield, as well as earning plaudits for their attacking football, as they eventually finished 7th.

The Owls were Yorkshire's only representative in Division One at the time, with the likes of Leeds United and Sheffield United toiling in the Second Division.

David Peace's 'GB84' (a fictionalised account of the strike) mentions Wednesday on a few occasions. There are the two accounts of miners during the strike, who pour their heart out to the reader as their fortunes go from bad to worse. But one of the miners takes great joy in Wednesday beating Nottingham Forest 3-1.

Football clubs should raise and lift a community in times of hardship. And Wednesday fans should be proud that their club was responsible for raising a few smiles, to the faces of many miners during the strike.

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