Sheffield Wednesday is called "Wednesday" because the club originated from a cricket team called The Wednesday Cricket Club, formed around 1820. The cricket players were mainly tradesmen who had Wednesdays off or a half-day, so they played their matches on Wednesdays. The football club was subsequently formed around 1867 to keep these cricket players fit during the winter. The name "Wednesday" thus reflects the day of the week on which the original cricket club played and met. The club officially added "Sheffield" to their name later in 1929, becoming Sheffield Wednesday.
Background and Naming Details
- The Wednesday Cricket Club was founded by tradesmen or shopkeepers who had Wednesday afternoons free due to half-day trading laws.
- The football club was a winter activity spin-off from the cricket club, officially established in 1867.
- The club was initially known simply as "The Wednesday Football Club" until it adopted the full name Sheffield Wednesday in 1929.
- The nickname "The Owls" comes from the club's move to the Owlerton district in Sheffield in 1899, and not directly from the day Wednesday.
This historical origin makes Sheffield Wednesday one of the oldest football clubs in the world, with a unique name directly tied to the weekly working patterns of its founding members.
