The only consolation is that now we don’t have to support the Blades in their replay against Arsenal. We can concentrate on the League and aim for a second appearance in the Intertoto cup Europe here we come.. For once, the people of Gauteng, as the Transvaal is now known, will have to make some unusually tough decisions about how to spend their weekend- or at least those who can afford it. The superb performances of Degryse and Chris Waddle in the recent demolition of Leeds were a delight to behold but were inevitably followed by more insipid results, confirming the reputation for inconsistency.It would have been nice to win a cup final at Wembley while Waddle was still in the team, and there always seemed to be a chance if only someone would beat Arsenal for us. Trevor Francis lost Wednesday the championship when he asked a proud Frenchman to stay for a second week’s trial rather than signing him on a well-established reputation.

Look what has happened to Cantona’s clubs since.Players and managers view a club on the short timescale of their tenure, much as a government looks at a country, and often with similar, dismal results. Lifelong supporters learn to accept the slings and arrows of unfeeling fate, hoping yet scarcely believing that success will come.David Pleat is building a new team which might bring the championship to Hillsborough in a few years’ time, but whether that is in the First Division or the Premier League is in doubt at the moment. Combining local heroes such as Sterland and Shirtcliff with imported stars like Bannister, Megson and Shelton produced a team which was professional in attitude, never giving less than their best. With the captain, Mike Lyons, driving the younger players around him, we almost reached the old First Division before Jack decided to “go fishin’” on a more regular basis.Howard Wilkinson fulfilled the promises made by Jack in taking us into the old First Division, and then Ron Atkinson built a fine team, albeit achieving relegation in the process, just to keep our feet on the ground, before deserting to Aston Villa.

Never mind what he has done for Ireland, Big Jack is a hero to Owls supporters for turning the tide of football failure in Sheffield 6. Oh yes, Marc, we know all about patience at Hillsborough.
The dark days of 1975-6 saw defeat by Darlington in the League Cup, and Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup, rescued by victory against Southend in the last game of the season to avoid descent into the Fourth Division.Then Jack Charlton arrived in 1977. “When have Cornishmen played football” I asked my wife, a native of St Ives? The word football translates to rugby in that part of the world. My daughter was snugly tucked away when disturbed by her mother’s newly acquired enthusiasm for football at the World Cup final, and her father’s despair at the better team losing in the domestic final after leading Everton by two goals. Even that might have been bearable had not a Cornishman scored the vital fluky goals for the other side. A few weeks ago Marc Degryse asked Wednesday supporters to give him time to settle into the side before expecting him to produce top form. He should be assured that patience is a prime virtue in any Owls fan: last championship success, 1929-30; too good for the Second Division in the 50s but not good enough for the First – hence the sobriquet “yo-yo club”; barely escaping relegation to the lowest division in 1975-6; four appearances at Wembley in 1993 with no cup to show for it

And then there’s the 1966 FA Cup final.

The 27-year-old former Birmingham player will make his debut against Wolves at The Hawthorns today.Kerry Dixon’s travels round leading southern clubs during a 16-year career took in a seventh stop yesterday when the 34-year-old striker joined Watford from Millwall for a nominal fee.n Italy’s players’ union has warned that if any Italian club relaxed restrictions on the number of foreign players fielded in a match, it would seek their suspension from the league championship.. The former Sampdoria and Parma player is out of contract.West Bromwich Albion have taken the Everton full-back Paul Holmes on loan in a bid to halt their run of 11 successive defeats in the Endsleigh First Division. The FA held an inquiry following allegations by Arsenal over Wicks, son of the former Chelsea centre-back Steve, but United escaped with being ordered to pay the costs of two hearings after they were found guilty of breaching FA Premier League rule F20.7.
The rule states that “no club shall directly or indirectly approach any boy who is registered as an associated schoolboy with another club with a view to inducing the boy to register with such first mentioned club …”Wicks was registered with Arsenal, who complained to the FA when the central defender later signed for the Old Trafford club.Wicks, meanwhile, is said to be unhappy with life in the north and is keen to return to a London-based club.Sunderland have offered Manchester City pounds 500,000 for their unsettled goalkeeper Tony Coton, who has been unable to dislodge the German international Eike Immel from City’s starting line-up.Bolton yesterday imported the 29-year-old Milan defender Enzo Gambaro on a month’s loan. He needs a work permit or a Portuguese passport to come through.Salenko’s departure will free one of the 10 non-EU places available in , but Rangers may not automatically be granted the permit for Jardel. A Scottish League spokesman confirmed last night that if Salenko leaves, Rangers would have to apply for permission from the management committee for another work permit.. Manchester United were yesterday found guilty of making an illegal approach to the teenager Matthew Wicks – but escaped serious punishment from the Football Association.

Scottish football

The Brazilian striker Jardel and the Dutch forward Peter Van Vossen are the men Walter Smith wants to maintain Rangers’ domestic dominance and launch a fresh assault on the Champions’ League next season.
He thinks that if he can complete deals to bring the pair to Glasgow, his Rangers revolution will be almost complete. That may not be easy.Rangers have agreed a swap deal with the Turkish club Istanbulspor for Van Vossen, which would see Oleg Salenko moving in the opposite direction. The Russian international was last night en route to Turkey for a medical and has still to agree terms with his prospective new club.Rangers have settled matters with Van Vossen, but they have to hurry to complete the deal before Turkey’s transfer deadline on Monday.Van Vossen, a member of Ajax’s European Cup-winning squad last season, is expected back at Ibrox after the weekend.Jardel has been looking over Ibrox this week even though red tape is delaying his pounds 3m move from Gremio of Brazil. Their new coach, Ian Porterfield – a brave man – has been studying videos of recent performances and has lambasted the lack of concentration, particularly towards the end of games.”We needed a kick up the backside,” Alan Stubbs, the Bolton captain, said.