Bygones: Sweet memories for Owls fans as Big Ron’s Manchester United are put to the sword

Sheffield Wednesday first-team squad 1985-86 Back Row, left to right, Lawrie Madden, Peter Shirtliff, Mike Lyons, Martin Hodge, Iain Hesford, Paul Hart, Lee Chapman, Garry Thompson. Centre: Peter Eustace (Assistant Manager), John Cooke, Gary Shelton, Chris Morris, Mark Smith, Simon Stainrod, Andy Blair, Brian Marwood, Alan Smith (physio) front: Glynn Snodin, Mel Sterland, Nigel Worthington, Howard Wilkinson (Manager), Siggi Jonsson, John Ryan and Carl Shutt.

It provided a spot of history in the process, with the Owls becoming the first side to beat Ron Atkinson’s high-flying Manchester United in 1985-86, with the Red Devils having hitherto blazed a trail at the top of the Division One table to inspire talk of that all-elusive first title since 1966-67.

The hero at S6 was Lee Chapman, who headed home a late winner, but it was an important cameo from the subs bench from Mark Chamberlain that proved just as pivotal.

A huge crowd of 48,105 – swelled by a huge travelling support of around 17,000 from Manchester – saw the Owls take the spoils, with incredibly the attendance being almost 28,000 higher than the club’s previous crowd at Hillsborough when 19,873 watched the 1-0 win over West Brom.

Howard Wilkinson (left) welcomes Lee Chapman, to Hillsborough in July 1984.

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United headed into the game with an unbeaten 15-match sequence at the top of the table, with many in the media tipping them to end their long wait for the big prize of the title as they strove to break the hegemony of Merseyside - and in particular, their arch-rivals Liverpool.

Atkinson’s side boasted a 10-point buffer as they arrived in Sheffield on November 9, 1985, but ended it with their lead cut to seven points with Liverpool eventually reeling them in and claiming yet another piece of silverware.

The definitive moment arrived when Chamberlain’s corner was headed in by Chapman for his 10th goal of the campaign for the Owls, whose victory consolidated third spot in the table as they reduced the gap between themselves and the Red Devils to 10 points.

Speaking after the game on his strike, Chapman said: “It was one of the most important goals of my career. If we win the league, the most important.”

Wednesday were good value for the win after forcing 16 corners and numerous free-kicks.

Despite Paul Hart and Andy Blair struggling with knocks in the second half, Wilkinson kept them on the pitch with the fateful change coming when he brought on Chamberlain with nine minutes left. Four minutes later, he set up the winner.

Frank Stapleton and Gary Shelton missed chances in a first half which saw United talisman Bryan Robson leave the pitch with a recurrence of a hamstring problem.

Glynn Snodin saw a shot blocked by Paul McGrath, while in the second half, Wednesday went close through an acrobatic effort from Garry Thompson and a Shelton shot.

But it was the Owls’ day, eventually.

At the end of the season, Wilkinson’s team finished fifth – three points behind fourth-placed United. Both would have qualified for Europe were it not for the Heysel disaster the previous Spring. Liverpool won the league by two points from Everton, who they also beat in the FA Cup final as part of a memorable double. West Ham United, under |John Lyall, finished third - four points behind Liverpool.

Owls line-up: Hodge, Sterland, Snodin, Madden, Morris, Hart, Marwood (Chamberlain 81), Blair, Chapman, Thompson, Shelton.

Final table

1 Liverpool 88 pts

2 Everton 86

3 West Ham 84

4 Man Utd 76

5 Sheff Weds 73

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