It’s 20 years since Sheffield Wednesday topped the Premier League and 16 years since they were even in the top flight. [url=http

It’s 20 years since Sheffield Wednesday topped the Premier League and 16 years since they were even in the top flight. Donovan Mitchell Jersey . But one player from that period is still lacing up his boots and PFA chairman Ritchie Humphreys is wondering where the time’s gone for the Owls… People always remember that first day of the 1996/97 season because David Beckham scored from the halfway line, Ritchie Humphreys tells Sky Sports. Thats a really iconic moment in Premier League history. But thats not why Humphreys remembers it.I also scored that day for Wednesday, he says. Its funny the way its coming around. When it gets to August, itll be 20 years since I first came on the scene. After winning those first four games, we were top of the Premier League. We did well that year. Humphreys in action against West Hams Scott Minto in January 1999 In the end, they finished seventh. Not that it was considered particularly out of the ordinary at the time. The Owls had won the League Cup in 1991, finished third in the top division in 1992 and then went to Wembley four times in a month the following year.Both cup finals were narrowly lost to Arsenal, the FA Cup after a replay, but the memory of a semi-final win over Sheffield United after extra-time has lingered long - particularly for a boyhood Blade in Humphreys.It was kind of weird for me because I had been released by Sheffield United, the team Id supported as a boy, he says. But to go to an FA Cup final at 15 was amazing. We got the opportunity to go down as part of the centre of excellence.Three years later, he was Wednesdays bright young thing, scoring in wins over Aston Villa and Leeds before netting a memorable Monday Night Football goal against Leicester - chipping Kasey Keller from long range.Absolutely brilliant, said former Owls boss Trevor Francis on co-commentary for Sky Sports. Absolute arrogance, replied Alan Parry in delight. Seen by some as the natural successor to Chris Waddle, Humphreys had arrived. It all started back then, he says. It will never leave me. I got an England Under-21 cap straight away off the back of those performances.He might not have hit the same heights since but its been a successful career spanning more than 700 appearances for seven clubs. At 38, hes looking to sign a new contract at Chesterfield and extend his stint as the PFAs chairman.I played in Chesterfields last reserve game, he recalls. We won 3-2 and I scored the first goal. Somebody pointed out that the first goalscorer - me - was older than the other two goalscorers put together. That did make me feel old. PFA chairman Humphreys is still playing for Chesterfield at the age of 38 Many of the Humphreys team-mates at Sheffield Wednesday are now in their fifties. They were seasoned internationals well before some of his current colleagues were born. They are the best players Ive played with, he admits.Chris Waddle, John Sheridan, Des Walker, Chris Woods, Dan Petrescu, Paolo Di Canio… What an upbringing for me? When we were YTS lads, pretty much the whole team were internationals. So you couldnt help but learn.There were also guys like Regi Blinker, Marc Degryse, Benito Carbone, Steve Nicol at the back end of his career. It doesnt seem that long ago but when you think of everything thats happened since… The richest game in football Sheffield Wednesday and Hull can expect an instant cash boost if they clinch promotion on Saturday. For Wednesday supporters if not Humphreys, much of whats followed has been a disappointment. Relegated from the Premier League in 2000 - top players had to leave because of the wages and stuff - the club dropped into the third tier by 2003.Id left by the time they went to League One but weve seen it happened to a few clubs in Yorkshire with Leeds and Bradford too, he adds. There was a play-off promotion in 2005 - against Humphreys Hartlepool - but the low point was yet to come.After dropping into League One again in 2010, the following season saw the lowest average attendance of the past 30 years - a still respectable 17,817 - as the team finished outside of the top 60 in the country. Now theyre one game away from returning to the games elite. Its been a long time. I hope they do it for the city. Ritchie Humphreys The prize is huge, worth an estimated £170m to the club. But its significance to Sheffield is more than mere money. Ive got friends in the city who are all Sheffield Wednesday and theyll all be there on Saturday, says Humphreys. Its a tremendous day.For a club of that size to be out of the top flight for as long as they have is a big deal. Its been a long time. I hope they do it for the city. Its got the fan base and its got the history. Hopefully theyll find their way back. Also See: The richest game in football How to win a play-off final Utah Jazz Jerseys . Lawrie was hit on the hand by Cincinnati pitcher Johnny Cueto in the second inning of Sundays 4-3 loss to the Reds. Adrian Dantley Jersey . -- Deshorn Brown scored twice, the first coming 13 seconds into the game, and the Colorado Rapids beat the undermanned Seattle Sounders 5-1 Saturday night. http://www.officialjazzauthenticstore.com/kids-pete-maravich-jazz-jersey/ . The right-hander pitched into the seventh inning and boosted Cincinnatis struggling offence by hitting a double and scoring as the Reds ended a seven-game losing streak by beating the Atlanta Braves 1-0 Saturday night.ANAHEIM, Calif. - Teemu Selanne was determined not to cry when his jersey was retired by the Anaheim Ducks, and he barely succeeded somehow during an emotional tribute Sunday to his life and career.Turns out theres nothing the Finnish Flash cant do in a hockey rink.Actually the toughest part of keeping the emotions was when I was walking down the stairs, Selanne said, referring to his entrance through a cordon of high-fiving fans. The whole thing just hit so hard — plus I have to concentrate so I dont fall down those. What a night. Its very special.The Ducks hung Selannes No. 8 in the rafters to honour the beloved forward who became their franchise scoring leader during his 21-season NHL career. Eight months after Selanne ended a record-setting career spent mostly in Orange County, the Ducks celebrated the franchises most popular player and the 11th-leading goal-scorer in NHL history.I feel very lucky in so many different ways, Selanne told the sellout crowd. You guys have made this a happy place for us. Its overwhelming. You guys have treated me so well. Thanks for making this life so special.Commissioner Gary Bettman, team owner Henry Samueli and Selannes family joined two decades of teammates on stage before the Ducks faced the Winnipeg Jets, Selannes first NHL club. After the ceremony, the teams surprised Selanne by warming up in replicas of every jersey worn by Selanne with the two clubs — everything from the Ducks current look to the franchises mid-1990s sweaters.This whole thing has been unbelievable, Selanne said, employing his favourite adjective over the years.After speaking to the crowd, Selanne was joined by his family under a spotlight while a black banner with his No. 8 slowly rose.I dont remember the last time I was this nervous, Selanne said. I didnt know what to expect. It was really special. The whole package was perfect.Selanne won the Calder Trophy in 1993 and the Stanley Cup in 2007 while delighting hockey fans for a quarter-century with his electrifying offensive abilities and magnetic personality.Samueli hailed Selanne as the true face of the franchise and an exemplary leader who touched thousands of lives with charity work.We salute you, we thank you, we love you, Samueli added. You are permanently ingrained in the soul of the Anaheim Ducks franchise.Selannes jersey is the first retired by the Ducks, who came into existence in 1993 — a few months after Selanne set an NHL record with 76 goals in his rookie season inn Winnipeg. Jae Crowder Jersey. Bettman called the goals mark a record that no doubt will never be broken, and he credited Selanne with a large role in hockeys rise to prominence in Southern California — even while fans greeted the commissioner with his usual round of boos.I would get booed to be with Teemu any time, Bettman said. Unless Im mistaken, it sounds like youre going Tee-muuuuuu.Selanne laughed and cocked his ear when fans started the One more year! chant that became an Anaheim staple over the last half-decade.That was funny, he said. Luckily, its not possible.The then-Mighty Ducks acquired Selanne in February 1996, and he returned to the franchise for good in 2005 after brief stints in San Jose and Colorado. Selanne spent parts of 15 seasons in Orange County, where he still lives year-round with his wife and four children.After flirting with retirement for seven consecutive summers, Selanne finally did for good last year after racking up 684 goals and 773 assists in 1,451 games. He is the 15th-leading scorer in NHL history with 1,457 points and the Ducks career leader in most major categories, including goals (457), assists (531) and games played (966).Selannes family was joined on the stage by Jari Kurri, his childhood hero, and former Ducks teammates, including Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Saku Koivu, Steve Rucchin, Guy Hebert, Todd Marchant and George Parros. Selanne also insisted on leaving an empty chair on stage for the late Don Baizley, his former agent.His friends took a few jabs: Giguere claimed Selanne is known for having a muffin for a shot.What Id like to know is how you fooled so many goalies over the years, Giguere asked with a smile.After Kurri related a story about the notorious gearhead asking to borrow his car the first time they met, Kurri addressed Selanne directly: Enjoy your retirement, but I hope that at some point, you go back into hockey, somehow, some way, soon.Selanne co-owns a Laguna Beach restaurant and plays plenty of golf and tennis in his retirement, but he expects to get back into hockey in some capacity soon, either with the Ducks or the Finnish national team.Before watching the game from a luxury suite, Selanne confirmed that the Stanley Cup victory was his most memorable day in a hockey uniform.Yeah, but not only that, he said. The biggest thing is that we won it right here. Thank you so much. 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