It was the decade of Margaret Thatcher, boom and bust, Stock Aitken and Waterman, the filofax and yuppies, questionable hairstyles and fashion . . . but on the football pitch, Wednesday became a force to be reckoned with again under the management of Howard Wilkinson in the mid-80s.
Now, more than 30 years on, we’ve asked Wednesdayites to take a trip down memory lane to tell us which players from that era they would choose to play in Garry Monk’s present-day squad.
1. Lee Chapman
Chapman arrived at S6 having failed with high-profile moves to Arsenal and Sunderland, but was a huge success under Howard Wilkinson and scored 63 goals in 149 appearances for the club - including several with his trademark diving header. He was ungainly and awkward but proved to be a big hit with the Hillsborough faithful during his four-year stint from 1984-1988. He later went on to win the Division One title with Leeds United, managed by Wilkinson, in 1992. Photo: JPI Media
2. Mick Lyons
Former captain Lyons is considered by some Wednesdayites to be the greatest centre half to have played for the club. He played for the Owls 129 times, scoring 12 goals, between 1982 and 1985 and was an integral figure in Howard Wilkinson's side which won promotion to the top flight in 1984. Writing on Twitter, Paddy Lavin says: "Mick Lyons ... a great leader with a lot respect in the dressing room." Photo: JPI Media
3. David Hirst
Hirst maybe remembered as a 90s goal machine, but he first caught the eye when he joined the Owls for £200,000 from Barnsley in 1986. He netted 106 league goals in 294 appearances in a glittering career at Hillsborough which led to a call-up to the England squad under Graham Taylor, who handed the striker three caps. Hirst was part of the Wednesday side which won the Rumbelows Cup and promotion to the top flight in 1991. Former team-mate Phil King says of Hirst: "On his day he was in the top two or three in the country. He had pace, power, good in the air, direct. Whenever you saw him turn on the halfway line and open those legs up and go through on goal, you thought 'wow'." Photo: JPI Media
4. Mel Sterland
Sheffield-born Sterland made a total of 344 league and cup appearances from 1978 to 1989 at S6. An energetic, dynamic right back, his powerful shooting earned him the nickname Zico – after the legendary Brazilian star – and his attacking prowess saw him strike 49 goals for the club, many from set-pieces. Lifelong Wednesday Lee Brown fan told The Star earlier this year how Sterland became his first football hero, saying: "I was nine years old and my grandad took me to my first game on the day Zico smashed home a penalty against Crystal Palace to send us back to the top flight. I was hooked." Photo: John Giles