Name: Roland Nilsson

Born: 27/11/1963

Position: Defender
Clubs: Helsingborg, IFK Gothenburg, Wednesday, Helsingborg, Coventry City

International honours: Sweden, 116 caps

Nilsson was one of the Owls' most popular players during the halcyon period of the early 1990s, providing a steadying influence in the SWFC rearguard as they enjoyed cup success and qualified for European competition for the first time in almost 30 years.

The Swede was a model of consistency throughout his stay at Hillsborough, bringing composure and confidence to the right back slot. A skilful defender blessed with speed, perfect timing in the tackle and excellent positional sense, his fine distribution and overlapping also allowed him to contribute to attacks.

Ron Atkinson was the man who brought Nilsson to S6 - the ex-SWFC boss was later to describe him as the best professional he ever worked with - and the £375,000 Big Ron paid to IFK Gothenberg in December 1989 proved a mere snip over the next four and a half years.

Roland swiftly filled the gap left by Mel Sterland and endeared himself to the crowd as Wednesday bounced straight back to the top flight in 1990/91 following a shock relegation in his first term. After sustaining a serious knee injury in October 1990, he made a near-miraculous return to action ahead of schedule to snuff out Manchester United dangerman Lee Sharpe as Wednesday lifted the League Cup.

After that lay-off, Nilsson rarely missed a game over the reminder of his time at the club. Indeed it took a super-human effort from him to appear in the 1993 FA Cup final replay, one that underscored his determined nature. He lined-up for Sweden in a World Cup qualifier the previous evening, before travelling from his homeland in time to face Arsenal in his third high profile game in five days.

Halfway through the 1993/94 campaign Roland announced that he was to return to Sweden permanently, although he was persuaded to stay until the end of the season before re-joining hometown team Helsingborgs. That allowed the Owls fans to give him an emotional Hillsborough send-off after the final game of the term, emphasising the esteem in which they regarded him.

Season      Appearances      Goals
1989-90             23                      0
1990-91             24                      0
1991-92             45                      1
1992-93             47                      2
1993-94             47                      0
TOTAL             186                     3

Name: Carlton Palmer

Born: 05/12/1965

Position: Midfielder

Clubs: West Brom, Wednesday, Leeds United, Southampton, Notingham Forest, Coventry City, Wednesday (loan), Stockport County

International honours: England, 18 caps + B + under-23

Palmer's all action style and wholehearted commitment made him a vital cog in the Wednesday side which brought the glory days to Hillsborough in the early-1990's. His work rate and willingness to carry out the less glamorous jobs in the centre of the park were a crucial factor as the team enjoyed cup success and qualified for European football.

A striking figure with his gangling frame, Palmer imposed himself quickly after joining from West Bromwich Albion in 1989. Ron Atkinson saw the midfielder forming part of the spine of a successful team and, with other newcomers arriving, the vision became reality as the Owls began to be known as a fine passing team.

The blow of relegation in 1990 was counteracted by an immediate return with Carlton inspirational in the midfield battleground. One sour note in a superb campaign was that the passionate performer's tendency to let his emotions boil over came to the fore at the most unfortunate time. A sending off for persistent dissent at Portsmouth ruled him out of the League Cup final win over Manchester United, one of only two games he missed over the term.

The Black Country product was absent only once as SWFC achieved a UEFA Cup spot after a third place finish in 1991/92, also netting a famous hat-trick against QPR early in the season.

The following year he displayed his versatility by switching to centre back during the superb post-Christmas run that saw the Owls reach both domestic cup finals, with Palmer captaining the side in the FA Cup final replay.

1993/94 was his most prolific term as a goalscorer, as he weighed in with memorable strikes against Middlesbrough (twice), Ipswich and West Ham before moving on to Leeds at the end of the season. However Carlton did return to Hillsborough for two loan spells while on Coventry's books in 2001. His experience and drive helped Wednesday retain First Division status in a three-month stint leading up to the end of 2000/01 before adding another ten appearances in another temporary stay the following term.

Season      Appearances      Goals
1988-89              13                     1
1989-90              41                     1
1990-91              59                     2
1991-92              49                     5
1992-93              53                     2
1993-94              49                     7
2000-01              12                     0
2001-02              10                     0
TOTAL              286                  18

Name: Nigel Pearson

Born: 21/08/1963

Position: Defender
Clubs: Shrewsbury Town, Wednesday, Middlesbrough

International honours: None

Nigel Pearson's name will forever be linked with the promotion and League Cup winning season of 1990/91, when he became the first SWFC captain to lift a major trophy in 56 years.

Never was his inspirational leadership more evident than over the course of that term. The skipper not only proved a rock at the heart of defence but also contributed 12 of the Owls' goals over the term, five of which came en route to the Wembley success against Manchester United.

The service provided by the powerful Pearson over seven years was well worth the £250,000 fee paid to Shrewsbury Town in 1987, and he could have greatly increased his SWFC appearances quota were it not for the curse of injury problems during his last two seasons at the club.

Despite arriving during the difficult times of the late-1980s, the Nottingham product burrowed into the side rapidly with a goal on his home debut against Norwich providing a flying start. His steadying influence made him a perfect choice as captain and he led Wednesday admirably through the dark days of relegation to the light of their return to the top flight.

Nigel marshalled the side as their third place finish in 1991/92 guaranteed a place in the UEFA Cup. Unfortunately he was then struck down by fitness problems that severely restricted his first team involvement over the next two seasons.

He was cruelly ruled out of the FA Cup and League Cup finals after suffering a broken leg in the semi final of the latter competition. After a summer spent working towards regaining full fitness, the centre half returned to the side only to suffer another fractured leg against Southampton, in what proved to be his final SWFC game before he joined Middlesbrough in the summer of 1994.

Season      Appearances      Goals
1987-88             25                      2
1988-89             42                      2
1989-90             38                      1
1990-91             53                    12
1991-92             35                      2
1992-93             26                      1
1993-94               5                      0
TOTAL            221                    20

Name: Kevin Pressman

Born: 06/11/1967

Position: Goalkeeper

Clubs: Wednesday

International honours: England B + under-21

Pressman proved himself to be one of the most loyal servants in Owls history during his 19 years at Hillsborough, having progressed from budding youth team star to a veteran who helped to form part of the spine of the side.

He eventually became to second highest post-war appearance-maker for the Owls, ending his Hillsborough career on 478 outings - just 25 short of list-leader Alan Finney.

When performing to his full potential, Pressman was among the best goalkeepers in the land. His shot stopping ability and agility made him resemble a sometimes-impenetrable barrier while his powerful kicking and thoughtful distribution played a part in many a goal.

The Dronfielder penned professional terms in 1985 and broke into the senior side two years later. But it wasn't until the mid-1990s that Kevin's consistent form saw him affirm his status as Wednesday's number one, with his determination and professionalism always proving crucial in the battle for a first team place.

His character was evident in the way he battled back after suffering a cruciate ligament injury which sidelined him for nine months in 1990.

Having forced his way into the senior side on a regular basis in 1993/94, Kevin's solid form between the posts earned him a call up into the England B team to face Northern Ireland at Hillsborough.

Over the course of some tempestuous latter campaigns, Pressman remained a steadying influence in the team and his experience was been vital to the Owls' cause. He also showed himself to be a useful man to have on your side in penalty shootouts - both in keeping kicks out and finding the net himself as he did against Wolves in 1995 and Watford three years later.

Season       Appearances      Goals
1987-88               11                     0
1988-89               10                     0
1989-90               19                     0
1990-91               30                     0
1991-92                 1                     0
1992-93                 6                     0
1993-94               42                     0
1994-95                41                    0
1995-96                35                    0
1996-97                44                    0
1997-98                41                    0
1998-99                18                    0
1999-2000            21                    0
2000-01                45                    0
2001-02                47                    0
2002-03                40                    0
2003-04                27                    0
TOTAL               478                    0

Name: Albert Quixall

Born: 09/08/1933

Position: Attacker

Clubs: Wednesday, Manchester United, Oldham Athletic, Stockport County

International honours: Engalnd, five caps + B + under-23

Quixall's silky skills made him the hero of the Hillsborough Kop during the 1950s, in which time he impressed with his sublime abilities in 260 appearances for the Owls.

The blond inside forward was the archetypical local lad made good, a lifelong Wednesdayite born just five minutes from the stadium who went on to become an idol at his boyhood club.

He played an instrumental part in Wednesday's promotions during the 'yo-yo' years and also won all five of his England caps in his time as an Owl.

Albert gained recognition as a schoolboy international before turning professional at S6. He made his debut in 1951 at the age of 17, marking the occasion by scoring against Chelsea.

The Sheffielder got his first lengthy run in the side in 1951/52 as SWFC won the Second Division championship, with his displays cementing a regular berth. He was simply inspirational during the FA Cup run of 1953/54, as the Owls claimed a famous derby win at Sheffield United on route to the semi-finals.

Goals eluded Quixall in his early years but when he later discovered the scoring touch there was little opponents could do to stop him.

He fired 17 as Wednesday earned another Division Two Championship success in 1955/56 and rattled his best ever tally of 24 as they consolidated the following season.

Unfortunately even Albert's efforts couldn't prevent relegation in 1957/58 before he moved to Manchester United for a British record fee of £45,000. Typically he ended his Owls career with a flourish by scoring on his farewell appearance as SWFC thrashed Sunderland 6-0.

Season      Appearances      Goals
1950-51                2                    1
1951-52              26                    3
1952-53              28                    1
1953-54              38                    1
1954-55              38                    5  
1955-56              40                  17
1956-57              44                  24
1957-58              40                  11
1958-59                4                    2
TOTAL              260                 65

Name: Ellis Rimmer 

Born: 02/01/1907

Position: Attacking Midfielder

Clubs: Tranmere Rovers, Wednesday, Ipswich Town

International honours: None 

Rimmer spent a decade at Hillsborough during which the club's fortunes fluctuated between the glory of league and cup success and despair of Division Two football.

Although the team's fortunes varied, the standard of the wingman's performances were always high and all opponents undoubtedly viewed him as a major threat. The fact that he was unusually tall for a wideman also made him an aerial threat and he weighed in with his quota of headed goals.

Rimmer was signed from Tranmere Rovers in February 1928 as the Owls battled the threat of relegation, contributing three goals as safety was secured.

The 1928/29 campaign saw him play a major role as SWFC won the league championship and the Birkenhead product scored 17 times and missed just two of the club's 48 games as Wednesday successfully defended their title and reached the FA Cup semi final.

However, it is not with that cup run which Rimmer is most associated with, but the victorious FA Cup campaign of 1935. He scored in every round and added two goals in the last four minutes against West Bromwich in the final to ensure the cup went back to Sheffield.

Ellis' form earned him four England caps and he also represented the Sheffield Association five times, registering three goals. He was a member of the SWFC teams which contested two FA Charity Shield matches against Arsenal in 1930 and 1935.

Off the field, Rimmer was a skilful pianist but his record as a footballer underlines that his choice to become a sportsman and not a musician was correct.

Season      Appearances      Goals
1927-28             15                      3
1928-29              36                     7
1929-30              46                   17
1930-31              43                   24
1931-32              47                   23
1932-33              44                     8
1933-34              37                     7
1934-35              44                   26
1935-36              45                   15
1936-37              32                     4
1937-38              29                     6
TOTAL              418                140

Name: Jackie Robinson

Born: 10/08/1917

Position: Attacker

Clubs: Wednesday, Sunderland, Lincoln

International honours: England, four caps + three goals

Robinson's 12 years at Hillsborough saw him became a massive favourite with the supporters and without the intervention of the war, his achievements in league football could have been even more remarkable.

The Shiremoor product possessed speed, expert ball control and skill, and a knack for deceiving defenders with a swift body swerve. Allied to his eye for goal, those qualities created the formula for a genuine crowd pleaser.

Robinson was swiftly brought to Hillsborough having been spotted by Owls boss Billy Walker playing in a junior game in Tyneside, his outstanding performance resulting in instant recruitment.

Having made his debut in April 1935, he established himself as a regular choice at inside forward during the 1936/37 season. Within a few weeks of earning a regular place in the SWFC line-up, Jackie participated in an international trial. His England debut followed in May 1937 against Finland and Robinson made a scoring start to an international career which yielded four caps.

His best league season was the 1938/39 campaign, when he struck 19 times as Wednesday just missed out on promotion. The subsequent wartime seasons were the stage for the north easterner's finest contributions in a blue and white shirt. During that period he blasted 90 goals in just over 100 games.

In the 1942/43 season, Jackie fired 35 goals in only 32 outings including six hat-tricks (one of which came in an 8-2 drubbing of Sheffield United). When Robinson joined Sunderland in 1946, the fact came to light that he was actually two years older than people had originally thought!

Season      Appearances      Goals
1934-35            15                     3
1935-36            36                     7
1936-37            46                   17
1937-38            43                   24
1938-39            47                   23
1945-46            44                     8
1946-47            37                     7
TOTAL            119                  39