Sheffield Wednesday

Lowe opposes Southampton takeover
Former Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe will not support the proposed takeover of the club by hedge fund Sisu Capital. The proposed deal, revealed in October, would see Sisu take a majority stake in the Championship club's parent company, Southampton Leisure Holdings plc. Lowe said he had made suggestions to Sisu about the structure of the deal. But he told SSB: "They are adamant that they will not change their outline, so for now they will not receive our support." Sisu's proposed offer would be executed by means of a placing of new shares at 40p per share - 20% below its current share price - but it needs the backing of 75% of shareholders. Lowe stood down as chairman in June 2006, but remains a major shareholder in the club. He has met with Michael Wilde and Leon Crouch, who are also former chairmen of the football club and major shareholders in Southampton Leisure Holdings, to discuss their position. The trio are yet to meet representatives of London-based Sisu, but Lowe said there was "no point in meeting" at this stage. The proposal is unlikely to attract the necessary 75% backing if Lowe, Wilde and Crouch do not support it. A club spokesman said they had procured an offer of investment, and it was up to the shareholders whether they wanted to accept that offer, while Sisu declined to comment. Lowe, Wilde and Crouch announced in late October that they would not back the deal as it stood, and were seeking answers to 10 questions about Sisu's proposals. At the beginning of November, the club issued a statement warning that players would have to be sold in January "in the absence of significant new investment".

Owls boss Laws wins monthly prize
Sheffield Wednesday boss Brian Laws has been named as the Championship manager of the month for November. The Owls picked up three wins and two draws from their five league matches during the month. The 5-0 victory against Southampton at Hillsborough was the highlight and helped lift the Owls out of the danger zone in the league. The other contenders for the award were West Brom's Tony Mowbray, Charlton's Alan Pardew and Hull boss Phil Brown.

Owls boss sweats on Simek injury
Sheffield Wednesday defender Frank Simek could miss the whole of the Christmas period after being carried off at Crystal Palace on Saturday. Simek will have an MRI scan on his ankle this week even though X-rays have shown the bone is not broken. "He's one of our strongest players and when he was rolling around on the floor we knew there was a problem," manager Brian Laws told SSB. "I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it is not too bad but it looked serious."

McAllister extends loan with Bury
Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Sean McAllister has extended his loan spell at Bury until January 22. The Championship outfit have agreed to McAllister staying at Gigg Lane but have insisted on a 24-hour recall clause as part of the arrangement. McAllister joined the League Two side on loan initially for a month in the latter part of November. The 20-year-old, who was an a graduate from the Owls academy, had a loan spell at Mansfield earlier this season.

Jewell praises Derby's character
Derby manager Paul Jewell hailed his side's spirit after they came back from two goals down to earn an FA Cup replay against Sheffield Wednesday. "A month ago we would have lost that game heavily, but we showed good character to come back," he said. "We were 2-0 down and staring down a barrel, so I'm pleased we're still in the hat for the next round. "I'm pleased, too, that we've come back from a goal down which we've not done since I've been here." The Rams conceded two goals inside the first 25 minutes - both coming from defensive errors. Jewell added: "We made the usual basic errors, but I am taking the positives out of the game. "The situation we're in at the moment, we have to take any crumb of comfort we can, and a 2-2 draw with a team near the bottom of the Championship, on reflection, is not a great thing." Owls boss Brian Laws was angry not to wrap up the win after seeing his side let slip the two-goal lead. Kenny Miller and Giles Barnes took advantage of sloppy defending to force a replay a week on Tuesday. "It's an opportunity missed," said Laws. "Away from home against a Premier League side, we found ourselves 2-0 up courtesy of a gift and a bit of luck. We looked in a very comfortable position. "So of both managers, if you're 2-0 up, who is going to be the most disappointed? I'm afraid I am."

Rotherham sign keeper O'Donnell
Rotherham United have signed teenage Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Richard O'Donnell in a three-month loan deal. The 19-year-old will provide cover for first choice Andy Warrington in Mark Robins' squad at Millmoor. The Millers are short of keepers as reserve team stopper Steve Cann is injured and Robins was keen not to rely on youth team players. O'Donnell is yet to make a senior appearance for the Owls after coming through the club's youth system. He recently completed a loan spell with UniBond League side Buxton.

Owls reject Burnley's Whelan bid
Sheffield Wednesday have rejected an offer from Championship rivals Burnley for midfielder Glenn Whelan. Whelan, who will be 24 on Sunday, is out of contract this summer and so would be able to leave Hillsborough on a free transfer. SSB understands that Burnley's bid was considerably higher than the one tabled by Plymouth which was rejected earlier this week. Whelan has made 139 league appearances since joining the Owls in 2004. Boss Brian Laws told Wednesday's website: "I can confirm that we have received a bid from Burnley, but it is certainly not an offer that interests us at this time."

Folly completes Plymouth transfer
Plymouth Argyle have completed the signing of France Under-21 midfielder Yoann Folly from Sheffield Wednesday. The 22-year-old has moved to Home Park for an undisclosed fee having played under Plymouth boss Paul Sturrock at Wednesday and Southampton. "This is a fresh start for me - a new town and an exciting challenge," Folly told Argyle's website. Sturrock said: "He can be a passer, a sitter or support the front players. He has all that in his armoury." Yolly, who still had 18 months left on his Wednesday contract, handed in at transfer request at Hillsborough. He was unhappy with his lack of first-team opportunities at the club. Sturrock added: "When I went to Sheffield Wednesday after Southampton, I brought him there. "He was beginning to become a fans' favourite for his performances but finished up on the periphery again when a new manager came in. "Over the last six or seven games he's been playing quite regularly, and I was a little bit worried whether I'd be able to pick him up again. "I'm very pleased to add him to the squad."

Beevers rewarded with Owls deal
Sheffield Wednesday have rewarded teenage defender Mark Beevers with a new long-term contract at Hillsborough. The centre-back, 18, who has secured a first-team place in recent weeks, has agreed terms until June 2012. Boss Brian Laws told the club website: "This is a great coup. It is right for the player, for his development and for the progress he has made. "Players coming through (the academy) know they can jump straight into the first team because Mark has done that."

Owls step up Jeffers fitness bid
Sheffield Wednesday striker Francis Jeffers will be sent to the medical centre at Lilleshall next week in a bid to step up his rehabilitation. The 27-year-old has played just three times in the last five months because of an ankle injury. He was stretchered off during the 4-2 win at Stoke on 20 October after suffering ligament damage. The Owls signed Jeffers from Blackburn Rovers for an undisclosed fee in August 2007 on a three-year contract. Boss Brian Laws told SSB: "He will be sent to Lilleshall for a full week next week to try and push on and try and get him on the football pitches. "At Lilleshall they train you from nine in the morning to five in the evening. "He will get hands-on help which will hopefully speed up his recovery. "Hopefully when he comes back then we should have a better idea of when he's going to be available for us."

Sheffield mourns death of Dooley
Derek Dooley, who was involved with both Sheffield United and Wednesday, has died at the age of 78. Dooley was a legendary football figure in the city and former sports minister Richard Caborn said: "Derek epitomised everything that was good about sport. "He was the only person I know who brought both Sheffield clubs together. He was respected by both sets of fans." Dooley played for and managed Wednesday while he worked in several jobs off the field at United. Dooley started his career with Lincoln before moving to Wednesday in 1947 where he became a prolific goalscorer. His career finished in tragic fashion in 1953 when he broke his leg in a collision with Preston goalkeeper George Thompson and he eventually had to have the leg amputated. Dooley became manager at Hillsborough in 1971 before being sacked on Christmas Eve 1973. He then moved across the city to United where he was taken on as commercial manager and then went on to perform a variety of roles including chairman before retiring in 2006 just after the club had clinched promotion back to the Premiership. He was awarded the MBE in 2003 and at the time said: "I never believed I would get this honour. I am fiercely proud of benig a Sheffield lad. This honour is a bit special for me."

Sahar promises plenty more goals
Sheffield Wednesday's on-loan striker Ben Sahar has promised fans there is more to come from him as he tries to help the Owls avoid relegation. The Israel international moved to Wednesday from Chelsea and scored his first goal for the club in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace. "I know I have quality to help this team and I have shown that," Sahar told SSB. "I'm happy here, the manager's great, I want to repay him with more goals."

Late equaliser delights Owls boss
Sheffield Wednesday manager Brian Laws said he was delighted that his side had moved out of the relegation zone after their 1-1 draw with Coventry City. Laws was full of praise for the way the Owls battled back thanks to Richard Wood's late header. He told SSB: "We've had to keep going and believing and thankfully the players have." "They didn't deserve three points, it would have been an absolute crime if they had got all three." The result sees Wednesday leapfrog Southampton and Barnsley to occupy 20th spot in the Championship. Meanwhile Richard Hinds and Wade Small are expected to be fit for Saturday's trip to Scunthorpe after missing the Coventry match because of injury and illness respectively.

McAllister joins Owls' casualties
Sheffield Wednesday manager Brian Laws has confirmed that young midfielder Sean McAllister will not play again this season. The 20-year-old has a calf injury and is another key loss for the Owls. Laws told SSB: "It's a massive blow to us, we're taking injuries left, right and centre and at wrong times." McAllister is the fourth first-team player to be ruled out in recent weeks as the Owls battle to avoid relegation. Akpo Sodje, Marcus Tudgay and Frank Simek are already ruled out for the remainder of the campaign. Despite the loss of McAllister, Laws is remaining positive and said: "We'll soldier on with what we've got. "At least the players aren't sulking about it, they're still going out there to win games."

Owls fate in others' hands - Laws
Sheffield Wednesday manager Brian Laws says their battle to avoid relegation may depend on other teams' results. The Owls are one point from safety after their 2-1 defeat at Blackpool and face fellow strugglers Leicester and Norwich in their final two games. But Laws told SSB that he expects the fight to go the wire. "We might have to rely on other people's results, but it's going to be very tight because I think it is going to go to the last game," he said

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