Martin Smith: Tony Pulis ticks the boxes for Sheffield Wednesday

The fact that Tony Pulis is actually an older boss is probably a good thing.

Wednesday need experience, a firm hand and a method.

At 62 and with a track record of discipline and organisation Pulis is exactly what the Owls are crying out for as they seek to overcome the six-point stagger and stay in the division.

Can they do it?

Yes of course they can.

The Owls have the squad to climb the table and in Pulis they have a man who knows how to get them doing just that.

Pulis comes with a reputation for functional, effective football and that won’t please all Wednesdayites.

But they’ll grin and bear it if it works.

As someone said at the weekend not all Stoke fans were enamoured by the Pulis style when he was there, but they weren’t too worried when they were regularly taking points off Premier League top six sides.

Winning brings an excitement all of its own. That would do nicely at Hillsborough.

*The old lads keep leaving us, as is nature’s way.

In the last few days we’ve lost Albert Quixall and Ray Clemence and of course that turnstile will keep on clicking.

Ray Clemence, a plain-speaking man from Skegness who just happened to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world but not quite the best in England in his time.

Three European cups and five league titles with Liverpool speak for themselves and according to those who knew him well he was a gem of a bloke.

Albert Quixall, a name to be revered on both sides of the Pennines.

Sheffield-born Quixall played for Wednesday at Old Trafford in the first game after the Munich air crash in which Manchester United had lost eight players.

Can anyone who wasn’t there imagine the emotion of that night?

Quixall, the Wednesday ‘Golden Boy’ as he was known with his shock of blonde hair was a skilful ’inside forward’ with an eye for goal who in September 1958 was Matt Busby’s first signing after the disaster for a then huge £45,000.

He went on to win an FA Cup winners medal in 1963, pictures of his distinctive celebrations are still a treat to see.

He later had a scrap metal business in Manchester, £20 a week maximum wage didn’t secure the future for that generation of superstar.

Thanks for everything gentlemen.