Third-best points tally ever – but true mark of success still to come for Sheffield Wednesday

It’s been a manic season in the top third of the League One table, with the current number of points required to hold a top-six place already at its highest since its rebrand in 2004 with a round of games still to play.

The fact is that Wednesday’s current haul of 82 points is the club’s third-highest ever.

Is that right?

Well technically. The 2011/12 promotion-winning side led to the Championship by Dave Jones racked up a hugely impressive 93 points to nip in ahead of city rivals Sheffield United and in the 1983/84 season they earned 88 points to lose the Second Division title to Chelsea on goal difference

But aside from those efforts, the Owls’ current 82 points tally is the third-highest they’ve ever managed – level with Ron Atkinson’s promotion-winning 1990/91 vintage with a match still to play.

League football in this country went to a ‘three points for a win’ system in 1981 meaning a handful of Wednesday’s more historical efforts would have been worth more than 82 points in today’s money.

It's remarkable such a heavy points tally could still see them finish seventh, but here we are. It’s been a remarkable season in League One.

But what about Sturrock’s promotion lot? Carlos?

Tuesday evening’s comeback win at Fleetwood Town elevated Wednesday to 82 points and nipped them in ahead of Carlos Carvalhal’s playoff-qualifying class of 2016/17, who earned 81 points. A year earlier – when they made the playoff final – they made it to 74 points.

Wednesday famously finished second in the First Division back in 1960/61. They ended with 58 under the old points system and even in the three-point system that season’s efforts would have been worth 81 points in total.

The last time Wednesday were involved in a battle for the League One playoffs was the famous 2004/05 season that saw Paul Sturrock’s side promoted at Cardiff. They finished fifth that season with only 72 points. With a match remaining, that would only be enough to sit 10th in today’s table.

Avoid defeat on Saturday and the current cohort will surpass Big Ron’s ‘91 lot.