How then-Sheffield Wednesday boss Paul Sturrock prepared for Brentford playoff clash 15 years ago today

No prizes for guessing the Scotsman’s favourite tipple.

Having finished in fifth, Wednesday would host the Bees first up. The atmosphere around the club was electric and speaking to a number of that squad in recent weeks, a picture of quiet confidence is painted to The Star.

And Sturrock, a man praised for his man-management and eye for the right word at the right time, was keen to keep his players’ feet on the ground ahead of the 1-0 win.

He kept his rhetoric calm and embraced the pressure ahead.

“We've trained full blast. You have to train how you will play,” he told The Star. “It's important people appreciate we're a young side. I've no doubts one or two will freeze.

“The coaching staff and myself have worked very, very hard. We've put a lot of man-hours into this team. It would be a great achievement to turn our season around and gain promotion.”

Sturrock had arrived in replacement of Sheffield Wednesday Chris Turner, sacked in September after an inconsistent start to a campaign.

“I think there'll be a lot of things playing on their minds, for both players,” Sturrock said. “Who mentally approaches the game the right way will win this game. The pressure is on us, we're the home team, we have to be the offensive team, we have to score goals.

“The second leg the pressure goes on them. They have to be the offensive team and put the pressure on. If we can get ourselves a lead we'll pile that pressure on and that's what we're aiming to do.

“It would be very nice to take Sheffield Wednesday up. It's spent 10 years going in the other direction.

“We've put a footprint in the snow. Now we've got to climb in the right direction.”

The right direction was taken, of course. Following the win at Hillsborough, Wednesday claimed a 2-1 win at Griffin Park before beating Hartlepool 4-2 after extra time in the playoff final and promotion was secured.