The Sheffield Wednesday fans reaping the rewards after betting on Owls to make play-off history

Only the most optimistic of Owls supporters could have foreseen one of the greatest nights in the club’s history, as they overturned a seemingly insurmountable 4-0 first leg deficit against Peterborough United with a dramatic victory on penalties at a pulsating Hillsborough stadium. But some fans showed their belief by lumping on Sheffield Wednesday to reach the League One play-off final at Wembley at handsome odds.

Among them was Anthony Cronshaw, who placed £5 on Sheffield Wednesday to beat the Posh 4-0 at odds of 25-1, earning him a tidy £125. It could have been more had the Owls finished things off in normal time, with Anthony staking the same sum on a 5-0 win at 50-1, but he’s not grumbling!

Anthony, who watched the match in a club at the Cornish campsite where he is staying with his wife Christine, a fellow Owls fan, said: “I watched them get beaten 4-0 and thought they created lots of chances that night, which just didn’t end up in the back of the net, so I was confident they could turn things around. I don’t usually bet on Sheffield Wednesday but at those odds I couldn’t resist. I’m sure lots of other people will have backed them.”

The 67-year-old retired music promoter, who lives in Charnock, told how he planned to spend his winnings on his trip to Wembley for the play-off final on Monday, May 29, where he will be joined by Christine and his daughter Samantha, who was at Hillsborough to see the Owls make history on Thursday. He’s confident the Owls can seal their promotion back to the Championship down in London but has yet to decide whether he’ll be placing another wager on them.

Anthony isn’t the only Owls supporter counting his winnings today, it would seem. One fan described how he had also backed Wednesday to win 4-0 and he knew of a fellow supporter who had netted an incredible £37,500 after placing a hefty sum on an Owls comeback.