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Key Information about Hillsborough Stadium

Hillsborough has been the home of Yorkshire located football club Sheffield Wednesday since it opened back in 1899.

On 15 April 1989, the ground was the unfortunate scene of the Hillsborough Stadium disaster where 96 Liverpool fans tragically passed away by a fatal human crush as a result of overcrowding in the central pends of the Lepping Lane stand allocated to the Reds.

The stadium now has an all-seated capacity of almost 40,000; however, this has temporarily been reduced to just under 35,000 on safety grounds. Hillsborough comprises four stands; the North Stand, Leppings Lane End (West Stand), the South Stand, and the Spion Kop.

A history of Hillsborough Stadium

The Owls were informed during the 1898-99 season that their home ground of Olive Grove would be needed for railway expansions, therefore they had to find a new ground in time for the following season. After months of searching, James Willis Dixon of Hillsborough House, offered a 10-acre site at Owlerton to the football club. This offer was accepted by the Owls, and they purchased the land for £5,000.

The first match to be played on the ground was on 2 September 1899 against Chesterfield which Wednesday went on to win 5-1. The ground was known as the Owlerton Stadium until 1914, when it was re-named Hillsborough Stadium after the ground’s history and improvements. The stadium came with plenty of early success for the Owls as they won their first-ever league titles in 1902-03 and 1903-04, in addition to a second FA Cup in 1907.

After the World Wars, Hillsborough was notably one of the top stadiums in the country having hosted a total of 27 FA Cup semi-finals, as well as it being selected as one of the venues for the Football World Cup in 1966 where it hosted many matches including a quarterfinal, Hillsborough Stadium also hosted its first national cup final in 1977 when Everton took on Aston Villa in the Football League Cup final replay.

The very sad Hillsborough Stadium disaster was the worst tragedy in English sporting history. A fatal human crush during an FA Cup semi-final match against Liverpool in April 1989 where 96 fans passed away as a result of overcrowding in the central pens of the Lepping Lane stand allocated to Liverpool supporters. It was later revealed that the Leppings Lane End of the ground did not hold a valid safety certificate, and as a result of the tragedy emerged the Taylor Report in 1990 which made it compulsory for all teams in the first two divisions to have all-seater stadiums.

Moving on from such tragedy, Sheffield Wednesday won promotion back up to Division One in 1990-91, and subsequently found themselves as founder members of the inaugural Premier League in 1992. In just their first season back in the top flight of English football, they finished seventh and managed to reach the second round of the UEFA Cup, playing a club-record four games in Europe.

Tickets to Watch Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough Stadium

Adult tickets at Hillsborough range from £20-42, and season tickets can be purchased for £455. Under-11 season tickets work out to be priced at just £1 per game. Concession season tickets start at £255.

Related Links

https://www.swfc.co.uk/ – Official website of Sheffield Wednesday

https://www.swfc.co.uk/tickets/match-ticket-prices/ – Sheffield Wednesday Ticket Office

Just what must Ryan Sessegnon be thinking watching on from the side-lines at Tottenham?

The former Fulham youngster has barely featured under Jose Mourinho since his arrival as manager at the back end of last year, making just ten appearances across all competitions for the Portuguese man – although it must be said, injuries have of course played its part.

But after watching Spurs get turned over so easily by Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Thursday night, Mourinho simply cannot ignore Sessegnon for any longer.

Whilst Mourinho has previously insisted the young starlet isn’t ready to be a left-back right now, Ben Davies’ abysmal performance against the Blades means the Spurs boss surely has no excuse not to throw him in.

In what was a shocking team performance – Spurs managed just two shots on target all night – the Wales international had a torrid time on a personal note, with his positioning going all awry defensively, and hitting a roadblock in terms of his offensive contributions too.

As per Sofascore, he managed just one tackle and interception apiece, whilst winning only one of his five total duels, and losing possession 17 times.

And whilst he had a miserable night defensively – Lys Mousset’s goal for Sheffield United’s second was a particularly harrowing piece of marking to watch – he had an even worse time when going forward.

Spurs’ game-plan of trying to work it out wide and exploit the gaps in behind the Blades’ wing-backs were clear to see, but the 27-year-old just didn’t have the skill or technique to take advantage of it.

Out of three crosses he attempted, none of them were successful, and just four out of his 14 long balls found their mark. And perhaps a key reason why Sessegnon should now seriously be considered, is that he only attempted one dribble, and that too also failed.

Can you name every one of Spurs’ top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

Sessegnon has been described by Mourinho himself as “absolutely fantastic”, and as someone who is capable of playing at left-wing, would give Spurs a far more natural fit as a more attacking-minded full-back.

In his fledgling career, he has averaged one shot and one dribble per game, and that natural explosiveness and pace would give Spurs a different dimension to Davies’ frustrating lack of end product.

And after a particularly awful display on Thursday, Mourinho simply must start Sessegnon over Davies from here on in.

Many Celtic fans clearly remember former winger Scott Sinclair fondly as they have been reacting to a question asked about the player by Celtic1967.com on Twitter.

He recently moved on to Championship side Preston after struggling for game time in his last season in Scotland, but you can tell fans definitely enjoyed his spell at the club after they left very positive answers to Celtic 1967.com’s question, ‘How will @Scotty_Sinclair be remembered at Celtic?’

The attacker signed from English club Aston Villa for £3.69 million in the summer transfer window of 2016, per Transfermarkt, and looked like a good prospect for the Hoops, but no one could have pictured how much he would set the Scottish league alight.

The Englishman managed to score 21 goals and pick up 10 assists in 35 appearances in the division in his first campaign, helping the side win the domestic treble along the way. Even though this was his best goal scoring season ever at the club, the winger continued to pick up a lot of goals whilst playing for the Hoops, as he managed 62 strikes and 37 assists in his 167 games in all competitions for the club, per Transfermarkt.

Here is what fans said following the tweet:

Celtic fans, how good was Sinclair at the club? Comment below!

Newcastle United fans have been reacting to the latest takeover news on social media as the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope provided a fresh update.

He claims that the Premier League is set to revamp their directors and owners test in light of the moral, political and legal difficulties presented by the Saudi-backed proposed takeover of the Magpies.

The Greatest Bargains in Premier League history – How much did they cost?

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However, Hope also suggests that a decision could extend into next week but the deal is still likely to be approved due to current limitations over the test.

It’s been over a month since reports first emerged and the longer it takes to complete, the more some supporters are beginning to doubt it even happening.

Saudi Arabia’s involvement has come with controversy and opposition, but many at St James’ Park are merely desperate to see someone else in charge of the club – they can only dream of Mike Ashley leaving after a torrid 13 years at the helm.

Newcastle have suffered mediocrity for far too long and this prospective deal could bring them a new lease of life.

Here’s how fans have been reacting to the latest update…

AND in other news, Newcastle fans react to Mark Douglas tweet…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

West Bromwich Albion will enter the festive period as the side topping the Championship table as they currently sit two points clear of the chasing pack during the final international break of the calendar year.

Slaven Bilic has guided the Baggies to just one defeat all season, and if they continue at this rate, promotion will be written the stars as a total of 92 points has been enough in four of the last four second-tier campaigns which they are well on course to achieving.

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Their squad depth will fully be put to the test when they welcome Sheffield Wednesday to the Hawthorns in over a week as they’ll be without both skipper Jake Livermore and midfield partner Romaine Sawyers.

It is probably the only area in which Bilic’s side are weak in numbers, which is why centre-back Dara O’Shea should be looking to force a loan move away from the club in January.

Currently, Semi Ajayi and Kyle Bartley have formed a stern partnership at the back, even if they have only kept four clean sheets together in 16 appearances – it’s clearly not affected their league standing.

The fact that Ahmed Hegazi, who played 40 times last term, can’t get in the side speaks volumes, and it means the Irishman is probably the fourth-choice centre-back at the club.

On Thursday afternoon, O’Shea featured for the Ireland U21 squad in Armenia, which only goes to show his potential – even if he was sent off in the match as he’s competing on the international stage but not for the Baggies’ first-team.

The 20-year-old played 33 games for League Two Exeter City last season but wasn’t sent out on loan again this time around.

This has been a potentially damaging move as the youngster needs game time to continue to progress, so he should soon knock on Bilic’s door and ask to go out and prove his worth to the Croatian.

The only way he may break into the side is if there’s a significant injury crisis, but by performing to a high-standard elsewhere, he can catch his manager’s eye.

If Sam Field and Jonathan Leko can clinch Championship moves, then so can he, which will only help his cause tenfold. Albion’s manager must make a simple call.

Leeds United fans on Twitter have been left a little bit bemused after Phil Hay and Graham Smyth both provided updates on the ongoing Kiko Casilla case.

The Spaniard has been granted an extension until the 27th November to make a case to plead his innocence after being accused of racially abusing Jonathan Leko.

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This delay will allow Casilla to continue appearing for the Whites during this period, which will certainly help the Yorkshire club’s chances of continuing their assault on the top two.

However, some fans were seemingly quite baffled as to why the former Real Madrid man needed more time to make his case as this issue has been going on for more than a month now.

With the conclusion of this case being just two weeks away, many supporters will be waiting with bated breath to see the outcome of this one, but for now, there are seemingly more questions than answers.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Rhian Brewster is being tracked by three clubs who are seeking a loan deal for the striker, according to the Sun.

What’s the latest?

Crystal Palace are the most high-profile team who are rumoured to be interested in the 19-year-old, and although Jordan Ayew has found some consistency for the Eagles, they lack another striker who is able to deliver on the goal front.

Bristol City and Swansea find are also reportedly monitoring the Liverpool forward and could make a move when the transfer window re-opens.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Other clubs in Germany could also register an interest in Brewster if he is available on a short-term deal, but the decision to let him leave on a temporary basis is believed to be down to Klopp, and whether he needs him in the second half of the season.

As yet, it is not thought that any official bid has been launched, though with still several weeks to go until the January window it is possible that talks could open up.

Risky to let him leave

Brewster is very highly-rated at Liverpool, and that has been reflected in the way Jurgen Klopp has used him over the last few months.

He first gave him the experience of being in the matchday squad in big matches against Spurs and Barcelona in the Champions League – and was even considering starting him against the Spaniards – and also gave him his first starts for the club in the League Cup this term.

As a result, the club are taking their time to nurture his development and ease him in bit-by-bit, and leaving on loan could, therefore, hinder his development.

There are positives to leaving the club and experiencing a different environment and intensity in terms of how the senior game is played, but there is always a risk that he won’t get the game time he desires, particularly at a Premier League club like Crystal Palace.

A similar player, Eddie Nketiah, an Arsenal striker who is slightly older than the Reds’ player, has joined Leeds this year. Despite his quality and goals from the bench, he is still yet to overcome Patrick Bamford to earn a starting place in the side – with zero starts in the league – and therefore it is possible that he is being held back.

The Reds will be keen to ensure the same doesn’t happen to Brewster, but the only way to guarantee that is by keeping him at the club and monitoring his progress, and that means a loan deal should be avoided.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.

West Brom had to come from behind to keep their two-point advantage at the top of the Championship table on Tuesday evening.

The division’s basement boys Barnsley very nearly caused an upset as they went into half-time two goals to the good, thanks to a quickfire six-minute brace from Cauley Woodrow.

Albion found a way back into the match when Matheus Pereira’s inswinging corner went in off Tykes defender Bambo Diaby before the enigmatic Brazilian headed home an equaliser nine minutes from time.

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Snapshot

It was Slaven Bilic’s half-time decision that inspired the comeback as he made the bold call to haul off one of this season’s stars in Nathan Ferguson for a more natural left-back in Conor Townsend while fellow academy graduate Kyle Edwards was also replaced with Filip Krovinovic coming on too.

The 19-year-old was recently linked with moves to Atletico Madrid, Juventus, and Tottenham, which is a reward for how impressive he has been to date, but during this match, he struggled to cope with Barnsley’s right wing-back.

Ferguson had been filling in just fine at left-back in Kieran Gibbs’ absence, so this shocker comes as a surprise.

Thankfully, Townsend stepped up to the mark and became a protagonist in changing the Baggies’ fortunes as he assisted Pereira’s late equaliser.

Off the Bench

The 26-year-old had played just 19 minutes of Championship action before his introduction, and that came on the opening day against Nottingham Forest.

Since then, Townsend has only been named in the matchday squad six times, but that may well shift in the near future after his game-changing impact on Tuesday night.

Per SofaScore, the former Scunthorpe United defender recorded two successful dribbles, two key passes, and won three of his five aerial duels.

He was able to deal with the threat of Dimitri Cavare more efficiently than the young Ferguson, who lost possession six times and was dribbled past on one occasion.

Given that Gibbs wasn’t in the matchday squad for this fixture, Townsend may have just played himself into the starting line up when the west Midlands side host Charlton Athletic at the Hawthorns this weekend.

The rarely-seen left-back can now kick on from his equalising assist with Ferguson moving back across to his more natural right side.

Former Everton man Michael Ball believes West Ham United will be lucky to finish in the top half of the table, despite talkSPORT’s claim that they stand a better chance than the toffees of reaching the top four.There’s no end to the tripe that talkSPORT (though some have a different name for it, which we’ll leave to your imagination) spew out on a daily basis.From sensationalist claims to questionable fan interaction, Jamie O’Hara, the exploding Alan Brazil, and a less than healthy dosage of Danny Mills, you can bet your bottom dollar that five minutes spent listening to our misguided friends on the air will leave you scratching your head.Watch Everton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

While Everton aren’t exactly flying this season themselves, with just one Premier League win in their previous five games, which came against the Hammers, their performance on the day was considerably more promising than that of the side predicted to finish ahead of them.

In fact, with Everton having 19 shots in total, ten of which were on target, some might even argue 2-0 was flattering scoreline – especially with their second goal coming so late on.

Ball issued a simple response to talkSPORT’s claims…

Arsenal fans have been reminiscing about former fan favourite Santi Cazorla as they feel his impact in the current squad is sorely missed.

Cazorla, 34, spent five seasons at the Emirates and was a major part in Arsene Wenger’s side after he made 180 appearances for the club. The Spaniard was eventually released after a series of injuries and left to rejoin Villareal on a free transfer.

Having won two FA Cups and two Community Shields with the club, one of the midfielder’s best moments was scoring a free-kick against Hull City at Wembley to guide the Gunners to win the FA Cup in 2014.

Cazorla was showered with praise by the Emirates faithful and they reminisced about the positive impact he had on the team.

One fan said that he was the “unsung hero” for the side as his contributions went largely unnoticed, while another supporter said that the 34-year-old is one of the only players that understand how Mesut Ozil plays.

Here you will find some of the best comments from Arsenal fans: