During the 1990–91 English football season, Sheffield Wednesday F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division, following relegation from the First Division the previous season. They finished third to make an immediate return to the top flight and also won the League Cup (then known as the Rumbelows Cup for sponsorship reasons).
Season summary Wednesday began the season strongly with four straight wins and remained unbeaten until their 13th league match. Although they never dropped below fourth in the table, a run of three straight defeats in March and April threatened to derail their progress, but they recovered to clinch promotion with a 3–1 win over Bristol City at Hillsborough in the penultimate match of the season.
A 4–0 humbling at Cambridge United put paid to Wednesday's FA Cup hopes in the fifth round, but their Rumbelows Cup campaign proved considerably more successful. Having already disposed of three First Division sides en route to the final, they beat Manchester United by a John Sheridan goal to claim their first major trophy since winning the FA Cup in 1935.
Squad Players who made one appearance or more for Sheffield Wednesday F.C. during the 1990-91 season Pos.NameLeagueRumbelows CupZDS CupFA CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGK Kevin Pressman230601000300GK Chris Turner230400040310DF Viv Anderson21(1)200003124(1)3DF Phil King430900040560DF Lawrie Madden1(4)02(2)000003(6)0DF Jon Newsome1000000010DF Roland Nilsson220200000240DF Nigel Pearson3969510415312DF Peter Shirtliff3921011041544MF John Harkes22(1)271103(1)033(2)3MF Steve McCall13(6)22(3)00(1)01015(10)2MF Steve MacKenzie5(7)20000005(7)2MF Carlton Palmer452901041593MF John Sheridan45(1)1091104159(1)12MF Danny Wilson35(1)6101102048(1)7MF Nigel Worthington31(2)1100103045(2)1FW Trevor Francis18(20)45(1)1102(1)126(22)6FW David Hirst39(2)2493134253(2)32FW Gordon Watson1(4)00000001(4)0FW Steve Whitton0(1)00000000(1)0FW Paul Williams40(6)157(3)2102(2)050(11)17
Final league table
Results Second Division
DateOpponentVenueResultScorersAttendance 25 August 1990 Ipswich TownA2–0Williams, Shirtliff17,284 1 September 1990 Hull CityH5–1Hirst (4), Williams23,673 8 September 1990 Charlton AthleticA1–0Sheridan7,407 15 September 1990 WatfordH2–0Pearson, Worthington22,061 18 September 1990 Newcastle UnitedH2–2Hirst, McCall30,628 22 September 1990 Leicester CityA4–2Hirst (2), Wilson, Williams16,156 29 September 1990 West Ham UnitedH1–1Hirst28,786 3 October 1990 Brighton & Hove AlbionA4–0Wilson, Sheridan, Williams, Pearson10,379 6 October 1990 Bristol RoversA1–0Francis6,413 13 October 1990 Plymouth ArgyleH3–0Wilson, Sheridan (2)23,489 20 October 1990 Port ValeH1–1Williams24,527 23 October 1990 BarnsleyA1–1Palmer23,079 27 October 1990 MillwallA2–4Hirst (2)12,863 3 November 1990 Oldham AthleticH2–2Sheridan (2 pens.)34,845 10 November 1990 Blackburn RoversA0–113,437 17 November 1990 Swindon TownH2–1Williams, Pearson22,715 24 November 1990 West Bromwich AlbionA2–1Francis, Shirtliff16,546 1 December 1990 Notts CountyH2–2Sheridan (pen.), Hirst23,474 8 December 1990 Bristol CityA1–1Wilson11,254 15 December 1990 Ipswich TownH2–2Francis, Pearson19,333 22 December 1990 Oxford UnitedA2–2Hirst, Wilson6,061 26 December 1990 Wolverhampton WanderersH2–2McCall, Palmer29,686 29 December 1990 PortsmouthH2–1Hirst (2)22,885 1 January 1991 MiddlesbroughA2–0Hirst, Williams22,869 12 January 1991 Hull CityA1–0Williams10,907 19 January 1991 Charlton AthleticH0–022,318 2 February 1991 WatfordA2–2Harkes, Williams10,338 19 February 1991 Swindon TownA1–2Hirst8,274 2 March 1991 Notts CountyA2–0Williams, Thomas (o.g.)15,546 9 March 1991 West Bromwich AlbionH1–0Sheridan (pen.)26,934 13 March 1991 Brighton & Hove AlbionH1–1Anderson23,969 16 March 1991 West Ham UnitedA3–1Hirst, Williams (2)26,182 19 March 1991 Plymouth ArgyleA1–1MacKenzie7,806 23 March 1991 Bristol RoversH2–1Clark (o.g.), Williams25,074 30 March 1991 Wolverhampton WanderersA2–3Pearson (2)18,011 1 April 1991 Oxford UnitedH0–228,682 6 April 1991 PortsmouthA0–210,390 10 April 1991 Blackburn RoversH3–1Anderson, Sheridan (2; 1 pen.)23,139 13 April 1991 MiddlesbroughH2–0Williams (2)30,598 17 April 1991 Newcastle UnitedA0–118,330 24 April 1991 Leicester CityH0–031,308 27 April 1991 BarnsleyH3–1Hirst, Harkes, MacKenzie30,693 4 May 1991 MillwallH2–1Hirst (2)30,278 6 May 1991 Port ValeA1–1Hirst13,317 8 May 1991 Bristol CityH3–1Hirst (2), Francis31,706 11 May 1991 Oldham AthleticA2–3Hirst, Wilson18,809
Rumbelows Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultGoalscorersAttendance2(1L)26 September 1990 BrentfordH2–1Hirst, Pearson11,2072(2L)9 October 1990 BrentfordA2–1Francis, Pearson8,227331 October 1990 Swindon TownH0–013,9003(R)6 November 1990 Swindon TownA1–0Pearson9,043428 November 1990 Derby CountyH1–1Hirst25,6494(R)12 December 1990 Derby CountyA2–1Harkes, Williams17,050523 January 1991 Coventry CityA1–0Pearson20,712SF(1L)24 February 1991 ChelseaA2–0Shirtliff, Hirst34,074SF(2L)27 February 1991 ChelseaH3–1Pearson, Wilson, Williams34,669F21 April 1991 Manchester UnitedN1–0Sheridan80,000
ZDS Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultGoalscorersAttendance218 December 1990 BarnsleyH3–3 Hirst (3)5,942
FA Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultGoalscorersAttendance35 January 1991 Mansfield TownA2–0Shirtliff, Sheridan (pen.)9,076426 January 1991 MillwallA4–4Hirst, Francis, Pearson, Palmer13,6634(R)30 January 1991 MillwallH2–0Anderson, Hirst25,140516 February 1991 Cambridge UnitedA0–49,624
References
Bibliography
Notes