Sheffield Wednesday legend shrugs off cautionary tale and saves space for Barry Bannan among 90s legends

It was May 5 1990 and with those supporters having earlier entered the ground fully expecting a celebration of sorts. Only one combination of results could down the Owls; even a defeat at home to Nottingham Forest would be see them scrape by if Luton Town failed to win at Derby County’s Baseball Ground.

Luton had won one away game all season and had lost their last six. In that run of six, they’d scored just one goal. Wednesday’s was a team of superstars and Forest had little to play for. Few felt Atkinson’s side were in any real danger.

Wednesday lost 3-0, Luton won 3-2 and the Owls became a Second Division outfit in the most remarkable circumstances. It serves as a cautionary tale, perhaps.

But Danny Röhl’s side will head to Sunderland this weekend with the odds stacked even more in their favour, needing a point much like Atkinson’s vintage but with an extra buffer in that if either Plymouth Argyle or Birmingham City fail to win they will be safe regardless. Unlike that side of 1990, they head to the Stadium of Light in fine form. Röhl’s pre-match presser provided a glimpse over the walls of Middlewood Road at a squad full of fervour.

And one of the legendary figures at the heart of that 34-year-old shock drop believes his modern day successors will get the job done. Speaking at The Star Sports Awards earlier this week, Owls icon John Sheridan expressed his delight at how the Owls are shaping up - and has confidence in how they’ll handle the occasion under Röhl’s leadership.

“Wednesday look a solid outfit,” he said. “The manager has done well going in there, he's got the backing of a brilliant crowd at a massive club and the big thing now is to stay in the league. He's done really well. I won't lie, I don't know so much about him but when you look at his background, his pedigree, he's worked with some calibre and you can see the affection the fan base have for him at such a massive club. He's done a great job and now it's about getting over the line.

“I was at the game Saturday, it was a great result and now you look at it and they're in a strong position. You can't take things for granted and now it's about going to Sunderland, winning the game and not worrying about anything else.

“We never felt we were in a position to get relegated (in 1990). But you can't advise anyone. I went to the Stoke game, they drew but should have won. The game Saturday they were the miles better team. You've just got to keep doing what you're doing and that will stand them in good stead.”

Another parallel between the two sides concerns Sheridan himself. The talismanic midfielder was the creative hub of Wednesday’s halcyon days in the early 1990s, his vision, creativity and passing range providing those around him a platform. It’s what has had him compared to current Owls skipper Barry Bannan in more recent times.

Sheridan laughed while joking that people should ‘settle down’ with comparisons between the two but spoke glowingly about the little Scot, suggesting he would have been able to play a part in the great Wednesday sides he was a part of. Bannan is approaching the end of his contract at S6 but has described a confidence that he’ll be staying on for a 10th season with the club he now calls home.

“Oh I'd keep him,” Sheridan said. “Every game I've been to he's been the best player. He just makes the game so easy and he's got something about him. He's tenacious, he gets about the pitch and it's not just about his passing and getting it off, he's brave. He's not bothered if he makes a mistake, he keeps going and he is a quality player.

“I was watching the other day and look he's getting on now, but he's a great little footballer. I think he would probably have fitted in nicely in the team we played in. He just reads things and makes this look simple. He has an enthusiasm that breathes into the players around him so full credit to him. I've only spoken to him once or twice, but you can see how much he loves the game of football. He's 34, so he's got years left in him. The way he plays and goes about it, it rubs off on the others.”