In The News: Tue 1st November

By Nicholas Rigg
November 1 2005

In this section of Wednesday Wonderland we take a look at how Wednesday are hitting the news: either in newspapers, or on other media websites. These articles are totally independant from Wednesday Wonderland and are not the views expressed by our site.

from CLUBCALL:

Sheffield Wednesday - Injury jinx strikes again
01 Nov 2005 12:17
 

Sheffield Wednesday boss Paul Sturrock has revealed that Owls defender Graham Coughlan will be sidelined for several weeks with an Achilles tendon injury.

The 30-year-old picked up the injury in training last Friday and missed the weekend win at Norwich.

Sturrock has recieved some good news on the injury front, however, with Drissa Diallo back in training.

Long-term injury victims Drew Talbot and Steven MacLean are also nearing returns to fitness.

Sturrock said: "Drewe Talbot came in feeling much better and we're hopeful he'll be cycling and swimming very soon.

"Steven MacLean is a month ahead of schedule. He could be back around the New Year."

from SHEFFIELD STAR:

Top flight in three years
 
DAVE ALLEN has revealed his three year plan to mount a Premiership push.
 
The Wednesday chairman says he is forming a blueprint to get the club back to what he termed "their rightful place".

"The first season, this one, is to establish ourselves in this division and consolidate. The second year is to push on," he said at the club's annual meeting last night.

"Then in the third year, with the training ground issue all sorted, the aim is to be in a position to challenge for promotion. We have our neighbours across the city throwing money at it and gambling this time and, in the third year, I would like us to be in a position for what I call a gamble so that one or two years would sees us in the Premiership.

"By getting the business right off the pitch and working with Paul Sturrock to develop the team at a pace we can manage, I expect us to be in the position for a promotion challenge to the Premiership in the next three years," he told the 500-plus gathering of shareholders in the Cutler's Hall.

Allen admitted after the meeting that he had been "a bit surprised" at the praise and depth of support he and the board had received from the shareholders.

"I think the tide has turned and done so quite dramatically," he said.

"This was my fourth AGM. Last year's was extremely difficult, but I feel they are beginning to realise we are putting into practice what we said and they can see we're heading in the right direction.

"We have negotiated a very, very good deal with our bankers, the Co-op Bank, over the restructuring of the debt because our bank have confidence in those at the helm."

Finance Director Bob Grierson revealed that £6 million of the club's £23.2m debt will be "parked" until the club returns to the Premiership. It would then be repayable over a period of three years together with a repayment fee.

He said that the remainder of the debt would be restructured with interest payable on a £9.45m working capital overdraft and a £7.75m training ground loan on which the club would continue to accrue interest with the final amount determined once it is sold.

On the issue of the development of their Middlewood Road training ground, Allen said progress had been made.
 

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